The Top-Tier Butler of the Marquis Family Chapter 33 : Chapter 33

Chapter 033

Was the road to Young Lady Sapiela’s residence always this long? I was hurrying along behind Arwen, yet it felt as though the path would never end.

Am I nervous too?

“Did anyone co to see her, by any chance? Before she called for , I an?”

“Ah, co to think of it, Training Officer Vesper stopped by.”

“Training Officer Vesper.”

He oversaw the entire training course for the Butler Apprentices. Beyond that, he was also responsible for their work assignnts and evaluations. In other words, among the apprentices, he was practically a god.

And that man t the Young Lady?

I could roughly see the shape of things now. It seed likely that so change was coming to my posting.

I could make that guess because not long ago the Marquis had offered to appoint a full butler. The upper ranks already regarded my abilities as being on the level of an ordinary butler rather than an apprentice.

In reality, I was above even that, but that was hardly my concern.

“Did you... do sothing wrong?”

Arwen asked cautiously, and I let out a small laugh and shrugged.

“Not that I know of. But if the Young Lady had truly been displeased with , my head would have been cut off and hung from the gate long ago.”

“Do, don’t joke like that!”

“Hahaha. All right.”

What an innocent young lady. Arwen was amusing to tease.

Before long, we arrived at Young Lady Sapiela’s residence. Today, it was guarded by a knight I had never seen before. He had the sort of sharp eyes that looked as though they could cut a man just by resting on him.

“What is it?”

At once, the knight’s gaze dropped to my waist. There, at my side, hung the sword Smith had given not long ago.

Since Smith had just co to mind, I may as well ntion this: after taking the sword back, he had done remarkable work restoring it. Its appearance was still rough, but the edge had beco far sharper and sturdier than before. At last, I had a proper main weapon.

“Is there a problem? I ca here at once because I was told the Young Lady had summoned .”

“Disarm.”

“I received permission for that directly from the Master.”

The mont I refused to back down, the knight’s eyes twitched. No doubt he wanted to draw his sword then and there. But my words were correct, were they not?

“I am the one who saved the Young Lady. Surely you are not suggesting that I might intend to harm her?”

“You insolent wretch.”

“Very well. It cannot be helped. But I will have to report this to the Master later. That only half my wish was granted.”

To him, it probably sounded like a threat.

While he hesitated, I did not bother waiting. I loosened my belt, removed the sword, and handed it to Arwen beside .

“Hold this for a mont.”

“All right.”

Then I lifted my chin and looked the knight in the eye.

“Will that suffice now?”

“......Go in.”

Soon the door opened, and I stepped inside.

Young Lady Sapiela was once again standing by the window. Sohow, the sight of her looked deeply lonely today.

Another maid was there attending her, and even that girl’s expression was far from bright. Then again, after what had happened, it would have been stranger if they were laughing and chatting as though nothing had happened.

“You called for , my lady?”

“Co closer.”

Keeping my head bowed, I approached carefully. Only when I ca to a stop did she turn around.

“You may leave.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The maid withdrew. Now only Young Lady Sapiela and I remained in the room. She was surely about to speak of sothing important.

“We cannot avoid speaking of what happened the other day. Thanks to you, I was able to keep my life.”

“I rely did what ought to be done.”

“If I had listened to the warning you gave then......”

Sapiela bit down hard on her lip and let the words trail away. A mory like that would not leave easily for a young lady who had been raised so preciously. It would not have been strange if it left a trauma behind.

“My lady. Forgive the presumption, but may I say sothing?”

“I permit it.”

“Please let what has passed flow away. Holding onto it will not change reality.”

“......”

“Think only of what lies ahead. Your life, my lady, is going to bloom like a flower.”

It was, in its own way, a line I had chosen with care. But sothing felt strange. Young Lady Sapiela gave a bitter smile and looked at .

“Do you know what becos of a flower once it blooms? It soon withers. That is the order of nature. It is also the life of a woman born as the daughter of a noble house.”

So there really was sothing going on.

Was it re coincidence that Young Master Otto, the son of Count Astria, ca to mind at that mont?

Probably not. My instincts were usually accurate.

Even to , it had looked back then as though Young Master Otto had been courting her, and the two houses had seed more than suited to forming a blood tie.

Even those born with diamond spoons have their troubles, it seems.

“I am sorry I could not ease your sorrow, my lady.”

“It is not a matter that concerns you.”

“Then for what reason did you summon ?”

The Young Lady fell silent for a mont. She stared straight at . A little later, her small, pretty lips parted.

“......From now on, you are to attend at my side.”

“Pardon?”

That was not pretending not to understand. I truly did not.

Were the maids not the ones who attended her? Or... wait. Could she an so other sort of attendance?

“I understand that Father offered you a full butler’s position. But I heard that you refused.”

“That is correct.”

“Why did you refuse? Are you not enduring the apprenticeship in order to beco a full butler?”

“Even food that is good and delicious will upset the stomach if swallowed too quickly.”

At that aningful answer, Young Lady Sapiela’s gaze deepened. I kept my smile in place as I spoke.

“Rendering service does not make experience and knowledge increase. The apprenticeship exists because there are things one must properly learn through that process, my lady.”

“What kind of house is your family from?”

“One so humble that I would be ashad to speak of it aloud.”

There were tis when even the sons of baronet houses entered the Butler Apprentice course. She had probably asked because my way of speaking made it clear I had received an education.

On that point, at least, she was exactly right. My years of schooling were a little on the long side.

“In any case, I spoke with Training Officer Vesper. Beginning tomorrow, you are to attend at my side.”

This was bewildering. Just what sort of work was I supposed to do at her side? It seed I would have to ask Arwen about it.

“I shall obey, my lady.”

“You may withdraw.”

I bowed my head and turned away.

But then, from behind , Young Lady Sapiela’s voice called out.

“Dilen.”

I turned back. She blinked once, then let a faint smile form at the corner of her lips as she said,

“Thank you for saving .”

I answered with a smile of my own.

***

When I stepped outside, I took back the sword I had entrusted to Arwen. Then, as I fastened it once more at my waist, I spoke to the knight.

“It seems we shall be seeing quite a lot of each other from now on. I ask for your cooperation.”

“What exactly is that supposed to an? That remark about us seeing each other often sounds highly unpleasant.”

“The Young Lady ordered to attend her. Which ans that starting tomorrow, I will be reporting here for duty.”

“What?”

The knight could not close his mouth.

But then, neither could Arwen, who stood beside him. There had never once been a case of a Butler Apprentice—not even a full butler—being assigned to attend directly upon the House’s own family.

Just as with my being permitted to bear weapons, yet another unprecedented event had occurred.

“Why in the world you?”

“It is the Young Lady’s command. Surely you do not intend to defy it? If you are truly a knight of House Adeline, then should you not devote everything to the Young Lady?”

“You insolent—!”

That settles it. I do not know his na very well yet, but one day I am going to drag this bastard into an interrogation room too.

“In any case, take care. Ah, Arwen. If you have a little ti, would you co with ? There are a few things I want to ask about this business of attending at the Young Lady’s side.”

“Yes!”

Arwen and I moved elsewhere. Since there was no especially suitable place, I simply brought her into my quarters for the ti being. It would be nice if I had sothing to offer her to drink. Perhaps later I should ask the Young Lady for such a thing.

We sat at the table and began talking.

“By the way, what is that knight’s na?”

“Sir Lorenz. He is guarding the Young Lady’s residence now as Sir Roland’s replacent.”

“So he has been formally appointed.”

“No, not formally. I heard he used to be Sir Roland’s lieutenant, and that this duty was only assigned to him temporarily.”

I let out a sigh. Since Roland’s failure had been made to stand out even more because of , his lieutenant likely harbored no small amount of ill feeling toward as well.

So the birth of a second Roland is upon us, is it?

“Leaving that aside, what exactly does it an to attend the Young Lady? The maids are usually the ones who do that, are they not? As far as I know, the Young Lady does not even have a dedicated butler.”

All sorts of things—washing her face, bathing, changing clothes, doing her makeup, preparing tea and refreshnts—were handled by the maids. That was simply possible because they were of the sa sex. A butler was unnecessary for such matters. It was more convenient simply to call one in temporarily when needed.

“I do not really know either. If you go to the Young Lady tomorrow, perhaps she will give you so sort of task.”

“Do I look as though I would have anything useful to do there?”

“Um...... no?”

That is exactly what I think too.

What exactly is the Young Lady thinking, trying to keep tied to her side? I had been living quite comfortably in the library, but it seed I would not be able to make use of it much for the ti being.

“Maybe she wants soone to talk to?”

“Soone to talk to?”

“She has been feeling especially lonely lately. We have all been trying sohow to help, but it has not been easy.”

That, at least, raised another question for .

“What is her relationship with Young Master Otto?”

“I heard they are going to be engaged.”

“So it is a political marriage.”

Arwen gave a lonely smile and nodded.

If that marriage were to go through, Young Lady Sapiela would leave this place. And from Arwen’s point of view, the mistress she had grown attached to would be departing, so naturally the thought would leave her feeling empty.

“It seed to as though the Young Lady did not really care for him. I an that Young Master Otto.”

“Why?”

“I once had to go into the party hall briefly, and that was the impression I got from the atmosphere. Well, then again, most unwanted marriages probably feel like that. I do not know. It is not really sothing I should be concerning myself with.”

I decided to let it go. Once I went to the Young Lady’s room tomorrow, I would naturally find out what sort of work I would be doing there. There was no need to waste my thoughts on it in advance.

“Oh, right, Arwen. Have you ever thought about trying so other kind of work?”

“Other work?”

“If you are willing, I would like to introduce you to Chef Ramsay at Rosetta. You seem as though you would have talent for cooking.”

“?”

You have Cooking A and Taste A. You would definitely beco an extraordinary chef!

Of course, I could not actually say that. So I attached a suitable excuse instead.

“We have known each other for so long. Do you think I would not know? You definitely have talent, so I think you could beco an excellent chef.”

“But...... I have to attend the Young Lady.”

“I am not saying you should move over entirely. I an that when you have spare ti, you could go to Rosetta, learn cooking, and help with the work. There are maids who do exactly that, are there not?”

“That is true, but......”

She seed hesitant. It was a little frustrating, but I talked her through it.

“All right. Since you say so, I will try it!”

In the end, Arwen accepted, and I decided that I would go find Chef Ramsay and finally bring up the request I had been aning to ask before.

“So then, I will be learning cooking from Chef Ramsay?”

“His tongue is a little rough, but his skill is beyond question, so you will learn quickly. Just do not forget to give whatever food is left over after you make sothing later.”

“You do not have to worry about that.”

Arwen smiled in a charming way. I smiled too and wrapped up the conversation. She told we would et again later and left the room.

“Things are falling neatly into place.”

Right now, I was sothing of a famous figure inside the mansion. It would be best to accomplish as much as possible while I still could. Build more connections too.

But there was one thing I absolutely must not forget.

If I got carried away trusting only in my strength, I might disappear without a trace one day. Until my foundation was secure, I needed to remain humble. My life was precious, after all.

Just then, my stomach let out a long rumble.

“I am hungry. And since there is sothing I want to discuss anyway, perhaps I should go to Rosetta.”

I stood at once and headed for Rosetta to see Chef Ramsay.