A Butler’s Duty

I am the Young Lady's exclusive butler.

And a butler is always obligated to answer their master's questions faithfully.

After thinking deeply, I responded.

"How hard do you intend to hit me?"

"This hard?"

The Young Lady gathered a bit of mana at her fingertip and flicked it at the table in front of her.

-Snap!

A crisp sound.

Chills ran down my entire body.

"That's against the rules."

"Is it?"

Where her finger had struck, a hole was left in the table.

I quickly nodded.

"Yes, it's not just against the rules—it's disqualification."

"Disqualification?"

"Human disqualification."

"What?"

"Never mind."

Maintaining my composure, I stepped back.

I don't know who the opponent is, but they should know they owe me a massive debt.

"Anyway, I'll be taking my leave now."

There's no time left.

I had to hurry, get trained, and pass the butler's exam to officially become the Young Lady's exclusive butler.

"…Alright."

However, the Young Lady's expression was unusual.

She's not great at hiding her emotions, but today it was especially obvious.

I thought about ignoring it and leaving, but that wasn't an option.

In neither my first life nor my second life had the Young Lady ever made such an expression at this time of year.

Something was definitely wrong.

Reluctantly, I stood before the Young Lady again.

"What's troubling you?"

"Aren't you leaving?"

"I still have a bit of time left."

"Really?"

"Yes, about ten minutes or so?"

Of course, that was a lie.

If I didn't leave immediately, I'd barely make it on time without running.

"…Thank goodness."

But what could I do?

Seeing her relieved like that, I'd hear her out even if it meant flying there later.

"Sigh…"

After hesitating for a moment, the Young Lady wore a sullen expression and opened her mouth.

"Do you know why we're here?"

"Because we were invited to the banquet hosted by the Imperial Family?"

"…How do you know that?"

"Why are you upset that I know?"

The Young Lady was sharp in the strangest ways.

But I couldn't pretend not to know.

The banquet held shortly after meeting the Young Lady was an unforgettable event.

I asked her again.

"Anyway, why does that matter?"

"…I'm worried about the friendly sparring happening that day."

For a moment, I frowned without realizing it.

The friendly sparring organized by the Imperial Family.

This event was crucial for the Young Lady's magical talent to blossom.

Her opponent was the third son of the Valentine Count Family, part of the Eastern Nobles.

Having just entered the level of Sword Expert, he initially overwhelmed the Young Lady.

-So, the eldest daughter of a Magic Noble Family isn't as skilled in magic as one might think.

As she was gradually pushed out of the arena, the Young Lady gritted her teeth and muttered.

-What nonsense is that?

A child loved by mana.

Even when still, mana accumulated within her body, and the amount was beyond imagination.

-Try taking this.

The Young Lady focused her suppressed mana into a single point and aimed it at her opponent.

Up until then, it had been a curse.

Mana overflowed uncontrollably, spilling out of her body.

Mana, which is usually like air, takes form when processed within the body.

The overflowing mana exerted physical force, breaking objects and pushing people.

That was the basis of the rumors.

The blessing disguised as a curse that gave the Young Lady the epithet of Villainess.

-Die.

However, the moment the Young Lady succeeded in controlling it, it became a blessing.

-What is that…?

In everyone's minds, the word "Villainess" was replaced with "Genius."

-Come on, try again.

-F-Frey!

That lasted until the Young Lady, unconscious, began beating the Valentine Count's third son again.

-Let go! I'm going to hit him for every time he provoked me!

-If you hit him any more, he'll actually die!!

-Then should I hit him so he survives?!

In the end, it only enhanced her reputation as a Villainess, though she did grow stronger.

To sum it all up.

"Scared?"

"What did you just say?"

"Please let me finish, Young Lady. I was going to say you don't need to be scared."

It's an easy challenge to overcome.

Rather, it was a great opportunity for the Young Lady to break through her stagnation in one go.

I waited for the Young Lady's response.

By now, it was about time for her to angrily deny being scared.

But something was different. The Young Lady still looked gloomy.

"…How could I not be?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"How could I not be worried!!"

"You're acting strange today. What's got you so scared?"

The Young Lady asked irritably.

"Do you even know who my opponent is?"

"Isn't it the third son of the Valentine Count Family?"

"It's not the third son—it's the first son."

The first son?

For a moment, my mind went blank.

"That can't be right…?"

The future had changed.

At this point, it should have been the Third Son, not the First Son, who appeared.

The Young Lady slowly nodded.

"Well, if he hadn't gone missing, the Third Son might have been my opponent."

"Missing?"

"Do you, a kid picked up off the street, really know nothing?"

The Young Lady let out a sigh.

"Was it the day before I met you? Early that morning, a maid from the Valentine Family went into the Third Son's room, but he was gone. Turns out he had gone out the day before."

"The Valentine Family doesn't even know the geography of the Capital City properly, yet they're so bold."

"Not really. They've been quietly expanding their business into the metropolitan area for a while now."

That was something I hadn't known.

The family that served as the foundation for the Young Lady's growth, and the one Asha inexplicably avoided.

That was my memory of the Valentine Count Family.

"Have they still not found him?"

"They did find someone, but it wasn't the Third Son. They only found the corpses of the four knights who had accompanied him."

"Corpses? Four people died in the Capital City, and it's this quiet? Shouldn't they be conducting a large-scale search for the missing?"

"They didn't even file a report, so what investigation could there be? Seems like they're hiding something."

The Young Lady looked pleased.

No matter what, four people had died, yet she spoke so casually about it.

As a butler, I had to say something.

"Is it amusing to you that people died?"

"Yes. Not just amusing—it's exhilarating."

"Young Lady!"

I shouted without realizing it.

Regardless, the Young Lady walked away with a playful smile.

"I heard they all died with their necks broken. Oh! One of them died in an unusual way, though."

"Young Lady, life is precious—"

"I think they said his tongue was ripped out, and he fell to his death?"

What?

For a moment, something caught in my throat.

"Serves them right. They strutted around with their heads held high just because they passed through the remnants of a Swordsmanship Noble Family, all the while backing Underworld businesses."

"The Underworld?"

"You didn't know? Drugs, slaves, brothels—they've been backing all of it. Lately, I heard they've even been targeting orphans. Seriously, the Northeastern Nobles' Union is a real problem."

The blockage I had felt began to dissipate. I voiced the question that came to mind.

"Does the Head of the Family not know about this yet?"

"He knows. He's the one who found the bodies."

Everything clicked into place.

I quickly prepared to leave.

"Young Lady."

"What now?"

"I'm postponing your lessons until tomorrow."

"What!? Why all of a sudden?"

After a brief moment of thought, I replied.

"There's something I left at home."

Then I leapt out the window.

"Gasp!"

The Young Lady reached out to me in a hurry.

"You don't even have a home, you beggar!"

Of course, she wasn't worried about me.