"Back then, I was a teenager, only sixteen years old—newly chosen to be a personal attendant like you. At that ti..."
***
A man was lost in a long corridor, circling the sa stretch over and over again. There were no clues—only a vague direction toward a room on the second floor. That man was —Razoru. A teenager already burdened with strands of gray hair.
I looked around, but there was no access to the second floor. I had seen the staircase earlier—the stairs that led upward. I had followed a male servant who guided through the place, including a room with a large door—where the sound of wooden swords clashing echoed endlessly. However, after I left that room of those who adored violence, the servant who had been guiding disappeared without a word.
And now, I was lost. Not knowing which way to go.
Before the tour began, the Duke had told to return quickly to the original spot—because he would introduce to his son, who would beco my "Master."
I let out a long sigh. "At this rate, I’m going to be late."
I looked around, not many clues to be found. My steps began to move a few monts later, searching for the staircase I was looking for. I was also searching for a room, hoping there was soone I could ask. However, every room I went to was empty. So rooms were empty, and one room contained a long table, like a dining area. This ti I was truly lost in this mansion.
In the midst of my confusion, I noticed a woman who seed older than . She was taller, her face already touched by ti—for reasons I could not explain, I assud that at once. She wore a neatly fitted apron over her slender fra, along with a tall hat that clearly marked her status.
Seeing her, I knew this was an opportunity. I approached her, then bowed about fifteen degrees—performing Eshaku.
"Excuse , Head Chef."
The woman in front of noticed . She greeted back, also performing Eshaku to .
"Ah... Yes. What is it, Sir?"
One of my eyebrows rose. I was surprised why she called that. But after thinking about it, there was a more important matter, more important than the title.
I raised my body. "Sorry, but may I ask sothing?"
She nodded, allowing it.
I cleared my throat a few tis, before briefly lifting my square glasses. "Excuse , where is the access to the stairs to get to the second floor? I’ve been looking for it, but I still can’t find it."
Before she answered my question, she seed to examine my clothes for a mont. The clothes I wore were a combination of neat white and black clothes—the usual attire of a personal attendant. A few monts later she looked at again, her head slightly tilted.
"You are... Prince Shachi’s personal attendant, Sir? How did you get so far here?"
I nodded. "Yes, Ma’am. I am indeed the personal attendant to the prince. The reason I got here is because the Duke told to familiarize myself with the inside of this mansion."
She nodded, seeming to understand what I said, before finally her fingers touched her chin. "Isn’t there usually a guide for sothing like that? Where is your guide, Sir?"
I let out a long sigh, before answering, "There was one earlier, Ma’am. However, he’s gone now, leaving after introducing to one room."
And from that mont, I promised to guide the new Personal Attendants myself. Because it’s a bit bitter to be abandoned like this.
She nodded, again understanding what I said.
She smiled faintly. "Alright, Sir. I will guide you there!"
I smiled hearing her answer. And without further ado, I imdiately perford Saikeirei—a substitute for my gratitude in my heart.
After that, she began to guide to the stairs. In the middle of our journey, we chatted casually. She asked a lot about myself, one of which was...
"I didn’t expect the prince’s Personal Attendant to be an old man," she said while looking at on her right side.
She raised her head, putting her fingers under her chin. "What I heard from so people was that the Personal Attendant for the prince was a young man." She looked at again. "But well, you can’t trust rumors, can you?"
Hearing what she said, I could only let out a short sigh. I looked at her beside , who was slightly taller, weakly. "What the rumors said is true, Ma’am."
Her eyes slowly widened. "Eh? But, your appearance..."
"It’s a genetic factor from birth, Ma’am," I replied.
She nodded, facing forward. "Oh... So you’re still young, huh?"
I nodded, agreeing with what she said.
After seeing my reaction, she fell silent. A few monts later, she changed the subject—this ti addressing not as "Sir," but as "Personal Attendant Razoru."
***
"And from there, she and I continued to get to know each other. We beca closer, until she considered her own son. When I beca Head Butler, she imdiately changed my call to what it is now. And because of her, when I was still a teenager I was able to et my wife who was her subordinate—both of them were chefs in the kitchen. From the marriage of my wife and I, a son was born whose nature is almost the sa as yours—Akira. That’s my son’s na."
I saw a small smile on his face when he reached the end of the sentence. From that smile, I felt a deep longing from his gaze that slowly softened. I saw his hand holding the black hilt of the katana sword on his left side tightly. I didn’t know for sure why he did that.
But, he said I look like his son?
Suddenly I rembered his strange behavior all this ti. Starting from scolding Big Brother Fukuro, until he smiled faintly at —even though when he first t , he was never like that.
So, his slightly strange behavior all this ti, is because I look like his son.
I understood for so reasons.
A few monts later, his body jolted—waking up from his reverie. He looked at again, releasing his hand from the katana hilt, then fiddling with the middle of his square glasses.
He cleared his throat a few tis. "Sorry. I was spacing out and ended up confiding in you."
I shook my head, before my gaze fell down. "It’s okay, Master."
I raised my head, looking at him in front of . A faint smile greeted afterwards. "Well, if there’s anything else you want to tell ... you can tell , Master! I will always be ready, to be your student or to be a second figure of your son!"
He who after hearing my words, imdiately made his eyes widen. For a mont he was silent for a mont, before lowering his gaze slightly down.
"Th-thank you."
I only looked at him with a smile, without saying a word.
The light that fell upon the table slowly withdrew, then vanished. The sound of birds in the distance gave way to the calls of owls from the dark forest. The sun, still faintly visible, sank beneath the horizon. The orange sky shifted into deep blue. The clouds thinned and scattered—revealing countless bright stars. The round moon rose quietly, taking the sun’s place—though its glow remained faint.
The Head Butler began to look around the place. The atmosphere was so calm. Not long after, he got up from the chair—looking at who was looking up at him.
"Co on. Our break ti is over."
Hearing his direction, made also get up from the chair. He looked at for a mont, before walking—leaving behind. I looked around, before following him. Fireflies flying everywhere, made the garden so beautiful. The sound of crickets that could be heard, the gentle breeze blowing the flowers in the distance, before touching my face.
I inhaled the air for a mont, before finally strengthening my steps.
I walked, a little fast until I was already beside the Head Butler. He glanced at beside him for a mont, before turning back to his original direction. We passed so flat stones below, passed the doorway, until we were inside.
In the middle of our walk, the Head Butler suddenly stopped. A few monts later, I stopped as well, turning toward him behind . We stood in silence for a mont before his flat eyes slowly narrowed.
"...Touji. Go back to your room first. I have sothing to take care of."
After he said that, he imdiately turned his back on —going in the opposite direction. I could only tilt my head, watching him who was getting further away and looked blurry.
What’s wrong with him?
I don’t know.
It’s not my business. I yawned, covering my mouth. Whoa... Besides, I’m also sleepy now.
My steps continued to walk, echoing the red carpet below without paying attention to what the Head Butler was doing. My body was slightly bent, wiping the corner of my eye that shed sleepy tears.
And what I was thinking now, was just to quickly get to my room and imdiately sleep on the soft mattress.
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