episode_0032

“… What did you see?”

“Well, I don’t want to reveal it just like that.”

In response to Arsent’s stubborn refusal, the butler strode towards the magic mirror. He then tried to touch it with all his might, but it was just like an ordinary painting, boasting only the texture of the frame.

While the other paintings would suck your hand in like waves when you touched their surfaces, only the Demonic Mirror hung on the wall as an ordinary painting.

“The world is helping me. I guess it’s become a secret that only I know.”

“Please answer. What did you see over there?”

“What will it cost me if I answer?”

“…”

The butler who couldn’t come up with a negotiation proposal right away. Arsent patted his shoulder and whispered softly.

“You’re surprisingly great, you. Offer me the heaviest price you can think of. The information I have is definitely worth it. ”

“… Was I in the Demon Realm?”

“Hmm, let’s just say that for now. But I won’t take any more questions. This is the extent of what I’m allowed to say without compensation.”

Arsent’s eyes formed a gentle arc. On the other hand, the butler was facing Arsent with a somewhat stern expression.

As such a subtle war of nerves was taking place, Ashe, who had been left out, intervened between the man and woman.

“Sorry, but can you stop acting like a jerk, sis?”

“Arshela?”

“I heard you found out the butler’s true identity, but no matter what you say, there’s no evidence. Even if the butler reveals that it was actually a 500-year-old sacred artifact, how can we believe it?”

“A success? Are you serious, little brother? Ahaha… Ahahahahaha…!”

Arsent continued to laugh for a while. It wasn’t a fake laugh. He truly found Asher’s remark funny.

“If you can’t even believe that much, you’re going to continue to deny it even if I tell you the truth? Arcela.”

“What should I do? It doesn’t matter whether my sister says it or not. After all, this mansion is a place that illuminates forgotten history, and eventually, I will have to find out about the butler.”

Asher pushed the butler’s back and pushed him away from Arsent. After that, he actively grabbed the butler’s hand and dragged him out of Arsent’s sight.

“Ahahaha… Ehhh…!”

Arsent simply sat there, dazed, as if the scene he had seen in the Demon Realm was flashing before his eyes again and again.

◇

Step, step, step.

Asher walked very quickly, pulling the butler’s hand.

‘shit…’

An alarm bell rang in my chest. I had a premonition that something would go terribly wrong if I left the butler with Arsent.

Arsent ended up taking an absurd shortcut.

The butler was the most special and secretive figure in this mansion. Even though it was revealed that even the maid B was the Duchess of Bernacien Arcaden, the butler was still just a butler.

His existence is clearly connected to the Arkaden Records Deletion Incident that occurred 500 years ago.

‘What on earth is the butler’s true identity that makes you so confident? I told you not to bluff, but… No matter how I look at it, it’s not a bluff. It’s clear that you saw something.’

Even the Demonic Mirror, unlike other paintings, was a work of art that only allowed people to enter once. If a painting had such restrictions, its specialness would surely stand out.

Asher became increasingly impatient.

‘Isn’t my sister aiming for the butler?’

From the moment he entered the mansion, Arsent had been lusting after a butler. This was natural, as he was the guide who could most safely guide him through the mansion.

The butler seems to choose me over Arsent… but who knows when the butler’s favoritism will go away.

‘… Thinking about it this way, somehow I feel wronged?’

I’m afraid that the favoritism will cool down. This is why I seem like an annoying parasite to the butler.

This is difficult.

I won’t feel safe if I choose the butler. If the butler chooses me, I won’t feel safe.

Therefore, Asher makes a bold suggestion.

“Yes, butler.”

“Please speak.”

“My sister left the picture right away… But can’t you take a break for a bit?”

“Do as you wish. I will follow Asher’s decision.”

The butler readily agreed.

From the first floor to the second floor, he held up well without any real breaks. Even though he was always arrogant, he was still admirable in every way.

“Then, butler, come here.”

Ashe leads the butler into a room.

The room they entered was the Duchess’ private dressing room.

There was enough material hanging everywhere to create a colorful maze of dresses alone. Asher was simply amazed and caressed the luxurious fabrics to her heart’s content.

“Butler, can you please choose the dress that suits me best among these?”

“I don’t know if my taste will live up to Asher’s expectations.”

“It’s okay, if you think the butler is pretty, that’s fine.”

“Um… Okay, I understand.”

I was thinking of wearing a dress for a while.

Mirelda’s swordsmanship was free enough to not be affected by her dress. As she observed her swordsmanship up close, Ashe gained some insight.

So there are two purposes to wearing a dress.

Firstly, the main purpose is to make the butler’s face look pale, and secondly, to put on chains in order to embody the swordsmanship he has learned.

“How about this, butler? It’s a pink-pink dress.”

“That doesn’t seem like a very good choice.”

“Oh, you think so? Actually, I asked you about a dress that didn’t suit you on purpose, but you’re not being a jerk, are you?”

If he had just clapped his hands in front of him with a face that had no soul, he would have been tempted to throw a tantrum. But surprisingly, Asher’s cheeks were getting hotter at the fact that the butler was looking at her properly.

“Um… There are so many, it’s hard to choose. Butler, would you rather choose?”

“Am I talking?”

“Yeah, I’d like to test out the coordination skills of a 500-year-old butler.”

“I’m just following orders, so I hope you don’t regret it too much.”

The butler left those words and began to walk through the maze of dresses. He quickly scanned the dresses that seemed to be faster to find the missing shades. Asher followed behind the butler, showing an expression of interest.

Finally, the butler stopped in front of a dress.

“I felt it from the moment Asher first visited the mansion.”

“Huh?”

“It seems that red suits Ash the best.”

As the butler spoke, he carefully lifted the dress that was hanging there. Then, he slowly sat behind Asher and pretended to drape the dress over Asher’s shoulders.

It was as if the butler was hugging Ashe from behind.

When Asher tilted his head slightly upward, the butler’s black eyes looked down at him indifferently. As he realized the difference in height, Asher felt embarrassed for some reason.

‘The butler’s eyes are really dark…’

Since ancient times, black has been considered the color of misfortune and death. Therefore, those with black eyes were always ostracized. This must have been the case 500 years ago, and it seems that he was hired as a butler by a family called Arkaden.

As Asher’s consciousness gradually became lost in thought, the butler’s voice tickled his ears from nearby.

“How are you, Ash?”

“Ugh…”

“Ashe?”

“Big, ahem…what.”

She belatedly contemplated the red dress draped over her shoulders. The color was a passionate red, but it was decorated with luxurious embroidery rather than flashy jewels.

It was simple and elegant, like the dress Mirelda had worn, but it naturally showed off its splendor when draped over Ashe’s body.

Asher couldn’t help but praise the butler’s discerning eye.

“Not bad.”

“Thank goodness.”

“Then will you change my clothes for me? Oh, I won’t be wearing a corset.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Ashe was now very accustomed to being served.

The butler helped Asher take off the servant’s uniform she was wearing. Next, he slowly untied her corset and brought out the underwear that commoners often wore.

It was just a regular bra and drawers.

Drawers aside, I was surprised that bras were invented in this world too.

“The corset must have been uncomfortable, so why did you insist on wearing it?”

“Well, that’s because they’re nobles. These comfortable underwear are for commoners.”

“Shouldn’t nobles be comfortable?”

“Um…”

Asher thought for a moment and then answered.

“Because you have to be different from the commoners in some way. If you’re not different in even one way, you get hives all over your body. Aren’t you nobles? Above all, you have tradition. ”

“Tradition… Then I understand.”

Even while changing clothes, Asher would often glance at the butler. I kept looking at him, wondering if he really wasn’t conscious of anything even at such moments.

Surprisingly, the butler’s black eyes were an abyss. A black abyss that could suck up even a handful of thoughts. It was beyond the deep well where desires might have disappeared.

I got goosebumps.

I hated myself for getting used to this kind of reaction, and I also hated the butler for not feeling even a hint of awkwardness.

That may be why he actually did things that would normally be considered outrageous.

“Butler, come here and look.”

“Huh?”

“Hurry up.”

Kook, kook.

Asher grabbed the butler’s sleeve tightly.

Thanks to that, the butler was dragged away without even knowing English.

Then Asher cornered the butler into a corner of the dressing room and made him sit down with his back against the wall.

“Smile…”

Asher carefully placed her buttocks on the floor. She leaned back comfortably against the butler’s upper body as a backrest.

He was so warm that it was hard to believe he was a ghost. If you listened closely to his broad chest, you could almost hear his heartbeat.

“Butler. Did I do well this time?”

“I’ve said this many times, but you did a great job. This floor is practically the same as if Ash had solved it alone.”

“Haha… Well, this body is a noble soul.”

“… Yeah, right.”

The butler answered awkwardly, but Asher didn’t really care.

“Then, butler, pat me.”

“Huh?”

“As a compliment. Hurry up.”

“Um… Okay.”

The butler slowly brought his hand to Asher’s splendid golden light. Then, carefully stroking Asher’s head, he touched the knot.

“Hehehe…”

She grumbled happily.

The large, golden fur reminded me of Hailey’s real self.

Is this what it feels like to pet a large dog?

In the past, it was difficult to guess because contact with animals was rare.

“Butler, we’re pretty close now, right? ”

“Maybe so.”

Ashe’s voice was dripping with sleep. When I touched her head, I felt tiredness creeping in.

Asher, who was holding on to her half-wavering consciousness, said.

“You know our promise, right?”

Don’t betray.

It is a covenant that was made by linking pinkies in the break room on the first floor.

“You’re mine, right?”

I vaguely felt a faint sense of anxiety buried in the fatigue.

“…”

The butler did not answer.

It was because Asher fell asleep without waiting long enough for the answer to come out.

The butler, who still had his mouth shut, was slowly stroking Asher’s hair.