Wait a minute. At that moment, the data I’d accumulated from my past lives was telling me something. The important clues are going to start coming out now.
It was definitely time for these people to begin unraveling everything: which novel I had entered, who the protagonist was, and most importantly, who this ‘young master’ was. And how did the owner of this mansion end up on the brink of selling it?
Right, to get the information, I need to establish some common ground with them.
“Of course, things aren’t looking great, but…” I began to speak slowly. “They all took me in when I had nowhere else to go. So, I want to do my best for this family and the young master, who’s left all alone.”
Though honestly, I still didn’t know who the young master of this place was. I didn’t even know exactly what kind of situation this mansion was in.
“I just hope I can help, even just a little bit,” I said while giving a faint smile.
Just then, I heard the voice of the head chef, Ron, behind me.
“Hmm, to be honest, when I heard you volunteered to come to this mansion in times like this… I was suspicious.”
He had rushed off somewhere earlier and now seemed to have returned.
“I wondered if you had some other purpose.”
His gaze toward me had changed significantly by then.
“Though, to be fair, many of the servants have left of their own accord. The butler hasn’t even allowed most of the servants into the main building since the funeral.”
His expression now resembled that of a professor eyeing a promising student.
“And that’s why we’ve become so short-handed here in the main house.”
I nodded, pretending not to notice the way he was looking at me, though I still couldn’t fully understand what they were saying.
I gathered that the family was on the verge of being sold for some reason, but… what exactly is this ‘current situation’ they keep referring to?
“Well, it’s only natural. There might be cases where someone watches young master or plants someone to steal internal information,” added another servant.
I mulled over what I had heard. This sounds like the classical setup for the male lead’s descent into darkness. Gradually, I was beginning to piece things together.
The parents who died suddenly in a tragic accident. The young boy was left alone in this large mansion. And the villainous characters who would soon arrive to threaten him. This was starting to feel like a typical dark male lead story.
“Enough of this depressing talk. Anyway, Sepiana, you’re quite diligent, not like most people these days.”
“That’s why you caught the butler’s eye. Honestly, I thought you were too delicate, like a noble lady, to last here.”
Ron changed the subject as if trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
“If madam were alive, you’d be the perfect personal maid… How did such a terrible accident happen?”
But when someone wiped away tears, it went back to square one. It was as if the deep sorrow cast over their faces couldn’t be erased.
Geez, what a terrible timing. My mind started to get more complicated.
So, the young master is probably the male lead. At this point, the future felt almost predictable. Soon, a villain would appear to push the young master into darkness, taking over the mansion and dragging everyone else down with them.
What am I supposed to do in this situation?
In all my previous possessions, I usually entered at a point where I could alter the original story—like before the accident that killed the parents. But now, not only were the parents dead, but the family was about to be sold off. I was certain that the ‘important guests’ arriving today had something to do with that.
Let’s see, what novel could this be…?
Still, it was too early to be disappointed. Even if it was a typical dark male lead plot, every story has its own twists. The most important thing right now is figuring out the identity of this novel.
To sum it up, the head of the family head and his wife had died in an accident, the young son inherited the title, and the bad adults were about to take over the family.
There are more than just one or two stories like that, though?
I shook my head in frustration. There were so many male leads, secondary male leads, and even hidden villains with such backstories. I could name over fifty characters who fit the bill.
This won’t do. I needed to figure out the young master’s name or some other defining characteristic.
As I was mulling this over, I heard someone say, “Lisa, you should be calling him Count Everet now, not young master.”
Wait, what? Who?
“It just doesn’t feel natural yet. Sigh, anyway, if it’s decided in today’s meeting that our young master will appoint a guardian instead of succeeding as the head of the family…”
At Lisa’s response, the servants’ mouths closed simultaneously. Even though no one said anything more, I could guess what they were thinking.
“Who will become the guardian of young master, I mean, Count Everet?”
“Wouldn’t it be his uncle, Viscount Rawls?”
Rawls and Everet. The moment I heard those names, my mind lit up like a computer powering on.
“The great Everet family is going to be handed over to Viscount Rawls? How frustrating!”
“Watch your mouth, Lisa. It’s just a guardianship because the young master is still too young.”
“Honestly, even if they call it guardianship, isn’t everyone expecting it? We should be ready to get kicked out.”
If we get kicked out, that would be a relief. The real problem will be if Viscount Rawls keeps us here.”
They clicked their tongues, resigned to their fate.
Hmm, since something’s coming to my mind, it must be the name of a key character…
Whether it was a blessing or a curse from the God Possession, I don’t know. Whenever I heard a key piece of information like a title or a name, it triggered a flood of memories from the original story. And sure enough, hearing the name ‘Viscount Rawls’ unlocked a rush of information.
Viscount Venitol Rawls. Ah, he’s the vile villain from the <The Male Lead Was the Villain>. He didn’t just take over the Everet family under the guise of guardianship—he also abused his nephew, the male lead.
So the young master here really is the male lead. But why, of all stories, this one? This is seriously messed up.
Was I really stuck in one of the most frustrating, nightmarish male lead stories of all time?
* * *
“D-Did Sepiana really do all of this?” The butler, Eric, had returned to the kitchen, looking utterly shocked.
While he had been busy greeting guests, Sepiana had completed all of the tasks assigned to her. Even with fast hands, it was supposed to take at least half a day.
“I was surprised too,” replied the head chef, Ron.
“Sigh, now that Sepiana’s with us, I feel reassured.” His face showed a content smile, though his eyes sparkled a bit too brightly.
“I was worried since this isn’t just any gathering. It’s the nobles’ council.”
As Ron had mentioned, today was a critical day. To put it mildly, it was the day when a guardian for their young master would be decided by the nobles’ council. But in blunt terms… It’s the day the Everet family gets sold off. As said, it was called guardianship, but in reality, it was a fierce battleground for the nobles to fight over who would take control of the family.
If the male lead failed to answer even one of the random questions they threw, the outcome was obvious. They would immediately start questioning his qualifications and force guardianship upon him. Who knows how difficult and aggressive their question would be, aiming for that.
Duke Richard. That was the real reason the butler had already given up. The one holding and deciding vote in this meeting was none other than that Duke Richard. The butler knew him well enough through countless rumors to know that he was not the type to show sympathy or pity.
The family was bound to be sold off. The outcome was obvious, but Eric still wanted to prepare as best he could. However, with a severe lack of manpower, he brought Sepiana along, thinking it was worth a shot…
“Butler.”
Just then, Sepiana, who had been quiet the whole time, spoke up.
“I have a request.”
“A request?”
What could she possibly want now?
“As you can see, I’m good at doing all sorts of tasks. I can’t go into details, but I’ve even been formally trained in serving tea. So, please…”
The butler looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
“Send me to the meeting room where the nobles’ council is being held today.”
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