The First Night (3)

"W-what-?!?" Anastasia stammered, her face flushed red in a mix of shock and embarrassment.

This strange butler was holding out a spoonful of stew, offering it to her... directly to her face—he was about to spoon-feed her!

She couldn't believe her eyes. This enigmatic butler of hers would dare to actually offer to spoon-feed her—a young adult noblewoman... as if she were a child...!

His audacious action was so unexpected that she almost fell from her seat! She backed away from the approaching spoon, her blush of mortification deepening by the second.

"Come on, Lady Ana, you should eat your food," he coaxed gently, insistently holding the spoon of stew toward the red-faced, red-haired young woman. "Say 'aahhh.'"

"Oh my...!" The maid Bella gasped at the sight, her expression a mixture of astonishment and disbelief at the rather intimate gesture that the butler was offering to their mistress.

"Oi! B-butler! What are you doing?!" Martha snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "Halt your foolishness at once! Lady Anastasia is not some spoiled child that needs to be fed! Especially not by a lowly servant like you!"

"She needs to eat," Sebas stated firmly, his voice resolute... but not unkind. "Regardless of how she feels, my duty and first priority is to make sure she survives another day... and she would not survive in this land if she doesn't get proper nourishment."

His unyielding tone left the loyal knight, Martha, speechless. She couldn't refute him... as what he had said was more or less the harsh reality of their current situation.

She herself also wanted Lady Anastasia to regain her strength, but she didn't have the heart, nor the resolve, to force her mistress against her will.

But unlike her, the butler had little to no patience for such hesitation.

Sebas directed his attention back to Anastasia. The redheaded lady's visage remained flushed, her cheeks burning with a mixture of embarrassment and discomfort as she stared at the spoon he held out.

However, when she heard his reasoning... her hands moved instinctively to clutch the hem of her dress. She couldn't help but feel frustrated. Not just because of the awkward treatment he was forcing upon her, but...

She was frustrated with herself... with her own weakness. The fallen noblewoman could not fully let go of her pride, even though she knew full well that it was her own hubris that had led to her downfall.

"My lady, I can assure you that this is only a minor, temporary inconvenience," Sebas said, his tone softening ever so slightly. "I'm not going to force you to eat wild monster meat for the rest of your life... you're not going to suffer forever, you know."

"..."

She sat silently, frowning, as she stared back at his serious yet strangely gentle expression.

"There will be times when you feel hardship... times when it seems the world is ganging up on you, whether it's due to your own mistakes or the malice of others. But... there will also be times when you find happiness. Times when you no longer suffer, and when you can finally be truly happy."

"Sebas..."

"And I promise you... that I will be there—at your side, in both your trying times and your happy times," he continued, his serious expression softening into a reassuring smile.

"S-Sebas...!"

His oath had surprised her. She was not expecting him to say such a thing, given that they had only just met and barely knew anything about each other.

And yet... it felt as if he understood the pain she had been enduring... and the sin she had committed.

And yet again... he did not seem to mind the latter.

The butler Sebas had made his oath to her, and he was determined to fulfill that oath.

Sebas then turned his gaze toward Martha and Bella. "And not just me—your loyal Miss Knight and Miss Maid will also be there as well. Right, ladies?"

As if on cue, Anastasia turned her eyes toward Martha and Bella... and she finally saw the concern on their faces.

"Martha... Bella..."

Both of her loyal aides stepped closer to her, their concern clear, but also... care and warmth radiating from their expressions.

"Yes, my lady. I will always be there to protect you and your honor," Martha declared, bowing her head in respect, her posture steady and composed... while her lips curved into a reassuring smile.

"M-Me too, my lady!" Bella added, nodding eagerly. "I'll always be at your side! I'll make sure to support you and make even more amazing dishes for you to enjoy!"

"You two..." Anastasia murmured, trying her best to hold back her emotions from spilling over.

"Speaking of amazing dishes... this one right here is pretty darn amazing, you know?" Sebas interrupted, the spoon he was holding still hovering in front of her face.

The butler was still hellbent on spoon-feeding her, and her face's redness slowly intensified from the sheer embarrassment of the gesture.

"S-Sir Sebas, I can eat it by—"

"Nope, no can do, young lady. I don't believe you would until you accept this offering." He paused for a moment before adding, "Miss Bella worked hard to prepare this dish for you. It'd be a shame not to appreciate her effort, wouldn't it~?"

"B-B-But..."

Anastasia continued to protest against this embarrassing treatment. She darted her eyes toward both of her aides—silently pleading for their help, but... neither of them intervened.

Martha let out a sigh, an exasperated look on her face, but then it shifted into a knowing, almost playful smile. Her loyal knight was more or less on board with this strange tactic.

As for Bella, her loyal maid just offered her usual bright smile of reassurance—she was fully supportive of Sebas's approach.

Left with no other option... Anastasia closed her eyes, swallowing her pride. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she leaned forward toward the offered spoon... and reluctantly accepted it.

In an instant... an explosion of flavor burst through her mouth! Her eyes shot open in surprise as the incredible taste of the stew overwhelmed her senses!

"Pretty good, right~?"