His words brought another sense of unease to the noblewoman as she stared at the flickering flas, her own thoughts swirling like the smoke rising into the night sky.
Sebas also noticed this... but he didn't apologize for it. It was a necessary "evil"—a reminder of the burdenso task she carried...
A task... or more like a punishnt that she'd brought upon herself because of her own mistakes.
Anastasia's expression hardened by the second... the feeling of dread she'd kept at bay welling up inside her...
However, she closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath before turning to Sebas.
Her eyes opened, and Sebas saw... hope. Small as it was, it was there.
A hope for the future.
"I understand... quite well," Anastasia began, her voice soft but firm, the flickering firelight reflecting in her eyes. "As the lord of this region, it is my duty to face this task—no matter how difficult it may be. I will fend off these monsters... and protect what is mine."
Sebas listened quietly to her proclamation, his gaze steady.
However, beneath the determination she projected, he could still see it—the faint tremor in her voice... and the subtle twitches in her posture.
The fear... and the doubt she tried so hard to mask.
She wore her resolve like armor, but the butler saw through the cracks.
He knew the uncertainty still clung to her heart, and the guilt of her past sins weighed heavily on her shoulders.
But even so... she had shown him the will to fight it.
And that, in his eyes, was more than enough.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips... a quiet sign of approval.
"Good to know, my lady," he said, his tone light... but sincere. "Just don't forget to take care of yourself too, alright? We don't want our glorious leader to drop down from overwork~."
She nodded lightly at his remark, her determined expression slowly turning into a small smile.
The tension between them eased as they continued to enjoy the warmth of the campfire...
"Oh yeah, by the way, how was the waterfall yesterday? Did you see what's behind it?"
"There's sothing behind it...?!"
Their conversation flowed naturally. They spoke about many things that had transpired during their first few days, especially through the eyes of Anastasia herself.
The survival lessons, the monster encounters, the lovely ho that had just been built for them all, etc. Just pretty much anything.
Their talks beca quite lively as they reminisced over the past few days that had felt like an eternity for the red-haired noble... and she couldn't help but feel the comfortable warmth from the fireplace...
But also... from her butler too.
"Oh, and if you want, we could find more mushrooms—huh?"
Sebas halted his words as he felt a gentle nudge against his shoulder. He paused, glancing to the side, only to find Anastasia's head resting there, her breathing slow and steady.
She had fallen asleep.
Sebas let out a quiet chuckle, his smile softening. "Exhausted yourself, huh..."
Carefully, he shifted, his arms sliding beneath her delicate fra. He lifted her with ease, cradling her against his chest.
She barely stirred, her face peaceful in slumber as he carried her back toward the wooden house.
Inside, the dim glow from the embers outside illuminated the small space. He spotted Bella curled up in a blanket, murmuring softly in her sleep.
"Mmm... no, that's my fish..."
Martha, on the other hand, was still sprawled in her unladylike position, practically exposing her quite shaless state to the butler's eyes.
Sebas... couldn't help but chuckle quietly at the sight, but of course, he had sothing more important to do.
With gentle care, he laid Anastasia down on her cloth bed between Bella and Martha. He tugged the blanket over her, making sure she was comfortable.
Fortunately, she didn't stir much, her exhaustion pulling her deep into sleep.
Once satisfied, Sebas turned and stepped outside, letting the cool night air wash over him.
But as he approached the campfire, he noticed sothing—or rather, soone.
Across the fire from where he had been sitting just monts ago, a figure now occupied the opposite seat. Their posture was at ease, shoulders relaxed, as if they had been waiting for him.
Sebas raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing slightly...
But then, the crisp black attire, the sharp lines of the suit, and the familiar gray strands of hair gave the stranger away instantly.
A smirk tugged at Sebas's lips.
"Yo, Alfred."
The man called Alfred lifted his head toward the approaching Sebas, a smile tugging the veteran butler's lips.
"Sir Sebas, it's good to see you."
"The feeling's mutual, ntor."
"How's Lady Anastasia and the other two faring? Do they find their new accommodation well?" the older butler inquired, visibly curious.
"Haha, they certainly do. It's like seeing so urban brats finally getting comfortable with their new family's farm life."
Sebas promptly sat down where he had been before, the warmth of the campfire brushing against his skin, its flickering light casting long shadows between them.
There was a mont of silence between the two butlers...
"So... how's the investigation, Alfred?" Sebas broke the silence, his smile fading... his expression hardening.
"...Unfortunately, there was not much that we could find on our end," Alfred admitted, his voice calm but tinged with regret. The veteran butler's composed smile wavered ever so slightly. "We have found so semblance of clues... but nothing solid to pinpoint it anywhere."
"Seriously? Sigh, what a pain in the ass..."
"Quite the frank words, but the feeling is certainly mutual, Sir Sebas," the older butler remarked. "...Whoever orchestrated this... they made sure to cover their tracks well."
"Hah, well, that was expected," the younger butler let out a dry chuckle, finding so small amusent in their predicant. "We wouldn't call them a mastermind if they were easy to track."
"Certainly, as you say, Sir Sebas."
"Well, either way... I'll continue to handle things here, but..." Sebas muttered, his expression darkening. He exhaled slowly, the firelight casting sharp shadows over his face. "...You all better find whoever put that knife in her hands."
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