“W-What did you say?”
Both the head chef, the butler, and the servants were all taken aback by Sepiana’s words. It was understandable, considering ‘that’ Duke Richard would be attending. Even the seasoned butler like Eric found it daunting to stand before him.
She must not know who Duke Richard is. Of course, it was hard to believe that anyone could be unaware of him, but maybe she was just unfamiliar with the world.
“Do you even know who’s attending this meeting today?” the butler asked, having reached his own conclusion.
“Sepiana, that meeting is far heavier than you might think,” he added, pondering how to explain the duke to this naive girl.
“And there will be some very frightening people present,” he added, his voice low.
Just one phrase, ‘frightening people, ’ encapsulated everything about Duke Richard.
“Yes, I’m well aware,” Sepiana replied without blinking an eye. “Duke Richard is known as the ‘Commander of the Black Falcon,’ right? I understand that even the smallest mistake cannot be made in his presence.” She nodded confidently as if she already knew everything. “He’s someone who doesn’t care about age, gender, or even status.”
“…”
“That’s why I’m asking you to send me. There aren’t enough capable servants left to properly serve the important guests, are there?”
“A-Ahem.” The butler cleared his throat, clearly flustered. Though he felt embarrassed, she wasn’t wrong. In a household on the verge of collapse, there were hardly any competent servants left.
“Hahaha, you’ve noticed all that from just a short time in the kitchen? You never fail to surprise me,” laughed the head chef, Ron. It was clear that he was already quite taken with Sepiana.
“Hmm, Butler, I think you can trust her,” Ron said to the butler. “Just from observing her briefly, I can tell she’s quite skilled.”
“Are you saying she’ll do fine in the meeting room?”
“Yes. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that she’ll handle any task well.”
The fact that Ron, known for being strict, was so confident left the butler little room to doubt.
“You’re going to struggle alone in there anyway, so why not take along a smart assistant?”
“Hmm.”
After some hesitation, the butler nodded. There was no denying that Sepiana had a way of drawing people to her.
“Very well, but first, you’ll need to change into something more formal,” the butler said to her. “Follow me.”
Today would be their final day under the house Everet. He wanted to finish things without regrets.
* * *
Damn it!
I’ll say it again. I really, really didn’t want to work this hard.
If this family gets sold, it’s obvious I’ll suffer too.
But knowing this was the male lead’s family, I couldn’t just stand by and watch. More importantly, to break this cursed cycle of possession, I needed to create a happy ending. No matter how bad the situation was, I had to put on the brakes somehow.
That person must be Viscount Rawls.
I followed the butler toward the meeting room, glancing out the window.
So, I need to stop that person.
Fancy carriages lined the mansion’s courtyard. Among them, I spotted Viscount Rawls, the first villain of this story.
“Sepiana, you’ll bring tea to the young master seated in the center,” the butler instructed.
I turned my gaze and realized we were now standing at the entrance to the meeting room.
“…Ah, Yes.”
“The young master must be very nervous, so it would be best if you pour his tea and subtly shield his hand while doing so,” the butler added.
I nodded in response, now fully aware of what he was saying. It was clear he was genuinely worried about Lord Everet, the young master, who had been left all alone.
What does he look like?
The young master, Lord Everet, was the male lead of this story. His full name was Dave Everet. In the original novel, when the story began, he was already an adult—his transformation into a villainous, twisted character was complete. But right now, Dave was still just a fragile boy. He might even be cute, given that he hasn’t turned villainous yet.
Just then, I heard a click.
“Today’s meeting will be led by the young master’s uncle, Viscount Rawls.” With a deep breath, the butler grabbed the door handle. “But remember, Viscount Rawls isn’t the one we need to be most cautious about,” he said in a serious tone. “As I mentioned before, it’s Duke Richard. He’s the one we need to be most wary of.”
With a creak, the door to the meeting room opened.
* * *
I barely had time to worry about Duke Richard. When I stepped into the meeting room behind the butler, I was momentarily taken aback.
What’s with this kid?
Seated at the head of the room was a trembling boy, so fragile it was almost pitiful.
Is he really the crazy Dave Everet?
He looked much smaller and more delicate than I had expected, as if he couldn’t even write his own name properly. Yet here he was, sitting as the head of the family.
Tsk tsk, no wonder this family’s about to fall apart.
It was immediately clear why things had gone downhill in the original story. His only relatives were all like Viscount Rawls, scheming and shady. And the only adult Dave could rely on was the butler.
But the butler doesn’t have the power to protect this family…
I hadn’t had any particular feelings about Dave in the original story. Still, seeing him now, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the boy.
“Dave, no, I should call you Count Everet now.”
At that moment, a voice came from behind me.
“Don’t worry too much. This uncle will take care of everything,” Viscount Rawls said, stepping closer.
“Vi-Viscount Rawls.”
At the same time, Dave’s already pale face grew even whiter.
“I’ll make sure to secure a favorable judgment from Duke Richard,” Rawls said, his voice dripping with false reassurance. The frightened Dave could only nod in response.
Hmm. Watching quietly from behind the butler, I observed the scene.
“Viscount, Duke Richard has arrived,” a servant announced.
“Oh, really?”
At the servant’s words, everyone’s attention turned to the door. And after what felt like an eternity…
“Your Grace! We’re honored by your presence.” Viscount Rawls sprang to his feet, bowing deeply. “On behalf of the Count Everet, I greet you.”
“We greet Your Grace,” echoed the other nobles, who scrambled to stand as well.
…Ah, it’s that man. Without any further explanation, I instantly knew who he was. A tall man with silver hair and blue eyes entered the room. He was unmistakably ‘that’ Duke Richard.
“…”
Without a word, he strode across the grand meeting room, his expression indifferent, his gaze lowered.
What is this feeling? Suddenly, an inexplicable sensation washed over me. It feels like I’ve seen him somewhere before… And then, when our eyes met,
“Sepiana, what are you doing, not bowing your head?”
The butler’s voice snapped me back to reality. I realized that Duke Richard had been staring at me the entire time.
I must be crazy. Get a grip. Quickly, I lowered my head and averted my eyes from his gaze, but the strange feeling wouldn’t go away.
I’d only been in this novel for a month, and I hadn’t left the mansion during that time, so there was no way I could have met a familiar face. So why did Duke Richard feel so… familiar?
“T-Then, Your Grace. Shall we proceed with the meeting of Count Everet’s guardianship?”
As I pondered this, Duke Richard finally sat down. Dave, visibly trembling, and the rest of the room were on edge.
“Before that…” Duke Richard’s lips parted for the first time. “Is that woman the only maid in the entire mansion?”
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