episode_0003

At the top floor of the mansion, in front of a door large enough to fit an elephant, MacLaine steadied his breath and knocked.

Thud, thud, thud.

“Enter.”

“Yes.”

Hearing the deep voice, MacLaine opened the door, determined not to show surprise no matter what he saw—yet he couldn’t stop his eyebrows from twitching.

His master, the head of the Serratus family.

Pitus Serratus, a man whose influence was so vast even the Emperor had to bow before him—

Was sitting on his bed, braiding his beard.

With a ribbon.

“Well, did the butler exam go smoothly?”

True to his reputation as the “Unshaken General,” Pitus straightened his back and maintained a dignified expression—

“Daddy, hold still. It’s hard to braid like this.”

“M-my apologies.”

The moment his eight-year-old daughter scolded him, he relaxed with a sheepish smile, like a whipped warhorse.

MacLaine discreetly lowered his head and sighed, careful not to let his master notice.

There was no hiding it—Pitus was a doting father who cherished his late-born daughter more than anything in the world.

Once, when Firnea mentioned she wanted to see a unicorn, he hired five thousand maidens to scour the last known sighting area. That was the extent of his devotion.

Suppressing the thought “But shouldn’t she at least be properly disciplined…?”—something he could never voice—MacLaine began his report.

“Yes. It was the 39th examination.”

“Hmm…”

Pitus’s eyes gleamed with interest as he urged him to continue.

“I distinctly ordered that only those who made flawless choices in the test I designed—without a single wrong answer—be brought before me.”

“Those were your exact words.”

“Then the fact that someone is here means a perfect scorer has appeared. And in just 39 attempts. I expected it to take at least a hundred.”

“…”

MacLaine swallowed a bitter laugh.

It was a test designed to be impossible to pass in a hundred attempts.

It was that brutal. Unless one perfectly grasped the hidden meaning within the fleeting ten-second window, even attempting the questions was impossible.

A test crafted to ensure no one passed—all because Pitus was determined to assign only the very best butler to Firnea.

“Fine. You wouldn’t lie to me, so it must be true. Who is the one who passed?”

“A boy named Virdem from the Servus family.”

“Servus, huh. Of course, it’d be them.”

“Ser… vus…?”

Firnea blinked and chimed in.

Seeing her, Pitus couldn’t suppress a giddy smile and kindly explained.

“The Servus are a family that has served us for a very long time.”

“Aren’t there lots of families like that?”

“Clever girl. But among them, they’ve served most faithfully. They’re sharp-witted by nature, so entrusting you to them would be… No, no one can be fully trusted! How could I ever hand over my precious daughter to anyone?”

“Heeeh~”

Firnea quickly lost interest and resumed braiding his beard.

“…However, there is a slight issue.”

“An issue? MacLaine, you dare suggest a butler with issues for Firnea?”

“I would never entertain such thoughts. I merely meant that what I consider a minor concern could be seen as problematic.”

“Then what is it?”

“Virdem is… somewhat young.”

“Hmm? Isn’t that a good thing? How young?”

“To be precise…”

MacLaine glanced at Firnea before continuing.

“He is around the young lady’s age.”

“…?”

Pitus blinked rapidly before asking again.

“Is that… a metaphor?”

“No. Literally. If my eyes don’t deceive me, he might even be younger than the young lady.”

“Hah.”

Pitus scoffed in disbelief.

“So you’re telling me a ten-year-old passed my test? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes. That is correct.”

“What are the odds he just guessed his way through?”

“In the fourth test, he didn’t hesitate to try and kill the maid with a knife. That’s not something one does by accident.”

“Indeed… That answer couldn’t have been a fluke…”

After a moment of contemplation, Pitus made his decision.

“Talented, but too young. Assign him as a branch butler and conduct a new examination.”

It was the right call. No matter how well he passed the test, a ten-year-old couldn’t be placed in a butler’s role where force might be necessary in emergencies.

But MacLaine indulged a small ambition.

“Would it be acceptable to take him as my apprentice instead?”

“An apprentice?”

“Yes. I’m growing old, after all. I’d like to train a successor.”

“Kuhahaha… MacLaine, you, old…?”

Pitus burst into laughter, shaking his head.

“Do as you please. If his talent is that evident, he might be worth nurturing.”

“Thank you.”

Feeling a rare excitement at the thought of polishing a gem, MacLaine rose from his seat—

“I don’t want that.”

“…Daughter?”

—and froze.

Firnea, who had been braiding Pitus’s beard, stopped and looked up at him.

“You said he’s my age, right? Then I want him.”

“…D-daughter, if something were to happen, a ten-year-old boy couldn’t protect you.”

“Are you going to let something happen to me?”

“Never! Absolutely never! But just in case—”

“Then it’s fine, right? I’ll raise him well myself.”

In a tone like she was picking up a stray dog, Firnea requested.

“Is that okay?”

“…How could I ever refuse?!”

And Pitus had never once denied Firnea’s requests.

MacLaine quietly exhaled a second sigh.

That little devil probably just decided Virdem was ‘shiny.’

Butler or not, she knew nothing—she was like a crow collecting glittering things for her nest.

She simply wanted the gem named Virdem.

“MacLaine, you heard her. Make it so.”

“As you command.”

Maintaining his composure, MacLaine left the bedroom and smiled wryly.

…I hope he doesn’t break.

It had been a long time since he’d found such a gem.

If Virdem could just endure until Firnea grew bored—

He’d mold him into a head butler. Half-convinced it was impossible, MacLaine walked on.

Of course, I knew I’d passed.

But.

“…What is this?”

Had I done something wrong?

The maids were dragging me away, tightly bound with rope.

Blindfolded, no less.

“It’s nothing serious.”

“Eep.”

A soft voice whispered by my ear, making me gulp.

After a brief hesitation, I replied.

“I apologize again, as I mentioned earlier.”

“…Huh?”

“You told me to take it seriously, so I might’ve gripped too hard. It probably wasn’t necessary… This isn’t some grudge-fueled torment, is it?”

“…”

No answer came.

Is this really happening? Just as my anxiety peaked, laughter rang out.

“How did you know? All our voices sound the same.”

“It was quite impressive.”

Dozens of maids with identical faces, voices, and heights.

I wasn’t sure how they managed it, but if they were all twins, their mother must’ve had an incredibly hard time.

Still, even twins raised identically develop distinct personalities.

If I couldn’t distinguish people by their tone, I had no right to be a butler.

“Though your voice is so lovely, it’s hard to forget.”

“My, my.”

As I diligently scored points with my future superior, the blindfold was removed.

I was no longer outside but in a dimly lit room. Though hard to see, it was smaller than expected, with just a chair and desk.

“See you later, Casanova Butler.”

The maids sat me in the chair and left.

Alone now? Just as I thought so—

Something moved in the darkness.

“Servus Virdem.”

“…Yes.”

Suppressing my startled heart, I answered as a candle lit.

Before me stood Head Butler MacLaine, his expression stern and serious—unlike during the exam—glaring down at me.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

This wasn’t the kind of conversation one had while tied up in a dark room.

“Aren’t you going to ask what you’re being congratulated for?”

“I assume it’s regarding the exam results, but…”

“No. If that were the case, we wouldn’t have brought you to the torture—no, the confession—no, the interrogation room.”

“Suddenly, I’m curious. Why was I brought to the torture chamber?”

“Lady Firnea has requested you.”

“Excuse me?”

I knew questioning was a sin for a butler, but I couldn’t help it.

Firnea—the eldest daughter of the Serratus family.

Why would she want me?

Reading my expression, MacLaine sighed softly.

“This procedure is to determine whether you harbor any ill intentions through a discussion with me, the head butler. Though… given you’re from the Servus family, it’s mostly a formality.”

MacLaine held considerable trust in the Servus.

Well, if you couldn’t trust a family that branded absolute obedience onto their necks, what could you trust?

“So let’s switch to Q&A. If you have any questions, ask them now.”

Either way, this was a golden opportunity.

“What kind of person is Lady Firnea?”

Five seconds of silence.

“…An exceptional one.”

“I see.”

That was all the answer I needed.

I’m in trouble.