The role of a butler is a specialized profession.
This is especially true if the butler is managing a bourgeois household with nurous business ventures or a noble family with a long history.
While they may not deal with matters on par with the royal treasury, the amount of money they handle isn't sothing that can simply be recorded in a household ledger like in an ordinary family.
Though calculators, chanical devices, and computers of a sort existed in this world, they were far slower and more complex compared to the devices powered by semiconductors in my world. Thus, the quality of the people operating these machines—and those managing them—was critical.
The most important factor was human trustworthiness.
It was vital to trust soone enough to manage large sums without pocketing any of it. Soone competent enough to calculate taxes precisely to avoid any issues with the royal palace. Finding soone who t all these criteria externally was no easy task, as such people were likely already employed elsewhere.
For this reason, noble families of a certain stature would often try to cultivate such individuals within their households. Ideally, they preferred family mbers. Even if soone tried to embezzle, it would ultimately co back to the family itself, minimizing any losses. They also calculated taxes with extre precision—while they aid to pay as little as possible, they didn’t delude themselves into thinking they could outwit the royal inspection agency.
An admirable worker indeed.
However, not all mbers of noble families were as discerning or intelligent.
So, they began training people from scratch, instilling loyalty along the way.
The baron’s butler was no exception.
"It’s the honor of a lifeti," he said, his words sounding exaggerated yet delivered in a manner that made them seem genuine. So sincere, in fact, that I almost doubted if he was actually serious.
The butler wore his short-cropped hair parted in a strict 2:8 ratio, slicked back with pomade. He looked like he should have graying hair, given his age, but his hair was black, perhaps dyed.
His mustache was neatly trimd without a single stray hair. A thin gold chain draped from the vest pocket of his black three-piece suit, likely attached to a pocket watch.
"It’s a pleasure for us to visit such a well-kept estate. Surely, its beauty is thanks to your hard work," Alice complinted.
"You flatter ," the butler replied modestly, though he couldn’t completely conceal the pride on his face. The level of pride, however, was appropriate—a re hint, like a fragrance added sparingly.
"I was showing the princesses around the mansion," the butler explained. "Since they’ll be staying for several days, and may even visit again, it seed appropriate."
The butler's gaze shifted subtly toward Claire, who stood nearby. In that single glance, he seed to grasp the situation entirely.
Either that or he was soone who often conversed with Claire. Considering the guards we t at the entrance, the latter seed more likely.
"If needed, I could assist in the tour," he offered to the baroness.
The baroness shook her head gently. Her graceful movents gave her the appearance of a noblewoman raised in sheltered luxury, yet the calluses on her fingertips, which I’d noticed earlier, told a different story.
Those calluses were evidence of more than just casual sword practice; they suggested she trained whenever she could. I had no doubt she noticed my brief glance at her hands, though she showed no reaction.
"As the lady of the house, it’s my responsibility to guide the princesses," she stated.
"Understood."
The butler bowed deeply to the baroness, showing no hint of objection.
"My reason for seeking you out," I said, "was to et the child training here to work in this mansion."
The butler’s gaze rose again. There was a fleeting curiosity in his eyes, gone almost as soon as I noticed it.
"The child has finished their tasks for the day and is resting."
"Would it be an imposition to visit them now?"
"Not at all. Being under the baron’s grace, they would surely welco the opportunity."
Though it was indeed intrusive to disturb soone after their working hours, this was a noble society, and most of the children working here had been taken in by the family, who had saved their lives. Besides, they were well-fed and well-cared for, certainly more so than in an average peasant household. Their loyalty was likely sincere, or at least their desire to stay here was.
Thinking back, the child I was about to et was a character not ntioned in the original story.
The butler, however, was soone I rembered. While not an essential character, he was present every ti the player visited the Grace household in the ga, and even provided a side quest.
The orphans I’d forced onto the estate, however, weren’t part of the original cast.
Still, eting them was far less unsettling than when I first encountered Lena or that strange, humanoid creature in the dungeon… the one that made wonder if it was .
At least I could guess why these children had ended up here.
If I had stayed here, they would have called “big sister.” The thought made feel… strange.
"..."
I snapped out of my thoughts, realizing Alice was watching intently. I shifted my gaze elsewhere.
What’s done is done. Ti… well, I couldn’t turn it back like I once could.
Had I been able to escape Lucas, it might have been possible. There was always a one-in-a-thousand, one-in-a-million chance of finding a way.
But I hadn’t taken it. Even if I could turn ti back, I likely wouldn’t.
Well… I guess.
Lucas was sowhat intimidating, Jayden was botherso, and Bella was a bit annoying, but Alice was soone I cherished.
Dealing with Alice, who whined like a child—or rather, as a child—wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined. In the original story, she was usually serious unless she did sothing outlandish, and I rarely saw her whining like this.
So, those mories felt too precious to dismiss.
Had I been on the other side, I might have felt the sa way.
If I had to choose one path, I’d likely struggle with the decision until the end. It was better to never experience the other, making it easier to let go.
"This way, please."
The butler guided us effortlessly to the quarters where he and the other staff stayed. The baroness followed without hesitation.
This suggested they kept their rooms clean and orderly, ready for inspection by their masters at any ti.
"…"
Alice and Claire had worn warm smiles before we arrived, but upon seeing my face, their expressions stiffened. Alice’s changed first, and Claire’s followed as she glanced between Alice and .
What kind of expression was I wearing now?
Probably… a blank one.
A mask so devoid of emotion even I couldn’t tell what I was feeling.
That was the character I’d cultivated.
*
On Earth, older people had a habit of romanticizing elentary school as a ti of innocence and fond mories. I never agreed with them.
Maybe my mory was worse than others', or maybe it was sothing else, but I had few, blurry mories from those years.
A few faces ca to mind, though I couldn’t recall their nas or what they looked like clearly.
So, I had little nostalgia. My clearest mory was of the spicy rice cakes sold in front of the school, one of the few recollections I had from that ti.
As I stood in front of a boy who looked a few years younger than , I struggled to bring a face to mind.
But it seed that the boy, not fully grown out of childhood, was different.
Reviews
All reviews (0)