Episode 25
The Duke’s Butler (1)
At lunchtime, I was able to meet Jack at the restaurant after a long time. From the day I came to the capital, I moved diligently after work to distribute the gifts I had bought in the duchy. Still, for some reason I barely saw him, so I wondered if something had happened.
“Jack! Long time no see, how have you been?”
“I’m doing well. Did you have a good trip, aide?”
“Kind of.”
I’ve been fine, except that I almost became in debt overnight. That said, Jack’s reaction wasn’t all good either. I had already almost finished eating, but I had something to say, so I sat down at the table where he was sitting.
“I heard you’ve been to your hometown, did anything happen?”
“No, nothing happened to my hometown. I had a very good trip.”
While I and Serpence were going down to the estate, I heard that quite a number, if not all, of the employees went on vacation. Jack is one of them.
“You don’t look very good for that… What’s wrong with you?”
“That’s… the area I’m in charge of has changed.”
Jack said, sighing. In the main building, he was mainly in charge of cleaning the hard-to-reach ceiling or doing normal hard work.
“Somehow, even if I went to the place where you used to be, I couldn’t find you… What the hell did you get?”
“…I became a library manager.”
He went on vacation, he said that he had a new area in charge that he did not know about. That’s like helping librarians carry books or clean bookshelves these days? No matter how much I imagined, I couldn’t understand it…
“I have no one to talk to, and I can’t even talk, so I’m going to die.”
Jack sighed again. It is cruel to throw such a talkative person into a library.
“Have you talked to the butler?”
“Of course I did. But the butler said he had no choice but to do this. Could it be that I did something wrong to the butler?”
No matter how much, Hans is the butler who manages the affairs of the mansion. It is true that he has authority, but he gave such an order? It also affected Jack and changed his area…
“Oh, about what the aide asked a while ago.”
As I was about to fall into thought, doubting Hans’s behavior, Jack spoke again. The reason I had to go looking for Jack wasn’t just to say hello. Because I had something I asked for. Before I left the capital, I heard that Jack was on vacation and was going down to his hometown, and I asked him a favor.
‘Will I be able to meet your father once?’
To hear the answer. If it’s okay with his father, he’s not that far away, so I can go by taking a break for the weekend. How hard it was to listen to Jack’s Serpence praises, saying he’s grounded to do that favor…
“Father refused.”
…he did?
In fact, I didn’t have high expectations, so my disappointment isn’t much. just a little sad. On the contrary, Jack is more sullen than me.
“I was curious about the Duke’s childhood, so I asked some questions, but I didn’t hear anything other than that it wasn’t that different from what it is now.”
“I can’t help it… I was really curious about it, but it’s a pity.”
I would have even asked a question instead, as I am a Serpence fan. By the way, it’s such a blatant reaction that it’s so open-minded, I think we should meet. How do I go about that?
“Can’t the aide tell the butler about my position?”
“Yes? That’s a bit…”
I’m a little uncomfortable with the butler now, so it was difficult to answer that I would be willing to do so. He looks at me with eyes that show he dislikes me. It’s been like that for a long time, so it didn’t matter, but now it’s more than that.
Since the incident a few days ago, it has peaked and now I can’t digest it anymore. As he wandered around the mansion, he would sneak up and stare at me, or he would sometimes kick his tongue.
‘I didn’t do anything except to give Serpence a good meal, so why the fuss?!’
How was the day of the Imperial Palace banquet? How could you participate in a banquet wearing clothes made of such low-quality fabrics?
‘He’s not even giving me money to buy clothes!’
The worst person in the world is a butler who tells you to leave it alone without adding anything. Anyway, I chose the best clothes from the clothes that Zion had.
Even Serpence, who was with me, didn’t say anything, making it even more chaotic.
“That’s an area that’s completely out of my control…”
“I’ll talk to my father again. Yes? Please, please!”
I don’t think he has any more points to deduct anyway. Should I try? I just wanted to ask for this, so I guess I need to mention what I asked for first.
‘Is it because of me that he changed his area?’
Serpence knew what I was asking about him. Of course Hans would know. After all, he felt the need to talk to Hans at least once.
“I’ll tell you first, I can’t guarantee the outcome.”
“Okay! Regardless of the outcome, we keep our promise!”
* * *
As soon as today’s work was over, I headed to Solertia’s room. Hans is still at work. I don’t know where she is at this time because she’s new here. I’d rather go to her room after she gets home from work.
‘If it doesn’t work, if I make a noise between the floors in the early morning, she will come to me.’
All three of us were staying in the same building anyway, so there was nothing to be bothered about. She stayed on the second floor with me, and it was a room in the back of the hallway. I only know because the day I returned from the duchy, I saw her being escorted to her room. I’ve never actually been inside.
‘Last time she was making a scroll, the floor was no joke…’
Now that the work has started in earnest, it must be more than that. Bottles of magic reagents scattered all over the place, and books and papers used as reference materials were probably scattered all over the place.
‘Would there be a place to step?’
What’s more, she says she is too bothered to leave the room several times a day, skipping breakfast and eating at the restaurant for lunch. I know that she gets her dinner in advance and eats it in her room. No matter what I imagine, isn’t it more messy than that…?
– knock.
“Solertia, this is Zion.”
Silent answer. Was it because she is too engrossed in making scrolls that she didn’t hear me? I knocked on her door a few more times, raising my voice a little more as I called out to her.
“Solertia! Are you there?”
“… Sir Zion?”
With the sound of the door being opened, Solertia came out into the hallway. If there was one problem, it wasn’t the door I was knocking on, but the door behind me that opened.
“…I thought you were using this room, but you’re not.”
I’m embarrassed that I knocked hard on an empty room, so I said it humbly, and Solertia smiled happily.
“I’ve rented another room! That’s the bedroom, and you can think of the place I came from as my studio.”
To be sure, there was no better way to secure personal space. When she sleeps and eats at her work place, her whole life becomes exhausting.
“Okay! Oh, did I interrupt you?”
“It’s okay, it’s okay~. I was thinking of taking a break anyway.”
As Solertia loosened her hair that had been tied high in her ponytail from work, she smiled cheerfully. She then shaked her head lightly, her pale purple hair fluttering along.
“You seem to have something to say anyway, would you like to have a cup of tea in my room while you’re here?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Solertia grinned, walked away and locked the door from which she had come. She then passed me by and pulled out another key and put it in the bedroom doorknob.
“Come in.”
“Then excuse me.”
We entered her room. Perhaps it is because she spends most of her life in the studio, her room is very clean and smells good.
“Then I’ll prepare the tea, can you wait a minute?”
“Thank you.”
I sat in the chair attached to the round table on one side of her room, watching the back of Solertia preparing tea. Perhaps it is the season that is not suitable for lighting the fireplace, and I could see water boiling with the flames created by her magical powers.
‘Scroll production is the main focus, but she also uses magic.’
Is it like this? It once appeared in [Master of the Holy Sword],『Sacred power pursues symbiosis, and magical power seeks convenience.』
The expression… came to mind. In addition to that, the divine power was called the most suitable power to heal or protect someone.
On the other hand, I remember that magic was expressed as a power that infinitely changes according to human interests and aspirations.
‘It’s really amazing…’
It was the first time I had come to this world and saw magic. The blue light from her fingertips unraveled like an object of its own, embroidered in the air. It is very mysterious that its character itself changes and takes on the concrete form of a flame. It fits the expression ‘the power of infinite change’.
‘When Serpence uses divine power, it might look divine, but I didn’t think it was strange.’
Like him, the divine power just felt like ‘using light’. After all, it was a self-luminous Serpence even if left alone. There is nothing surprising if he actually emits light.
“By the way, what did you come here for?”
Solertia asked, pouring the brewed tea into the teacup in front of me.
“I’m just curious how you’re doing. We haven’t seen each other since we had dinner together on the first day, right?”
“It’s me. I don’t go out except for lunch. Even then, lunchtime is almost over…”
Somehow, I heard that she would come during lunch time, but had never actually seen her.
I always ran to the restaurant at lunch time, so I should’ve met her if she was there.
“You need to take it easy. Isn’t it too hard if you just work?”
“It’s okay, isn’t it fun? Besides, I want to open a store soon. It’s all voluntarily doing things that I like.”
It was a genuinely happy expression.
“If that’s the case, then I’m glad. I thought Solertia-san was very good at attaching herself, so I thought she would get along with other people…”
“I also wanted to… at first.”
It was just a topic that was brought up lightly, but the reaction that came back was unusual. The smile on her face, which had been bright throughout, disappeared a little.
“People here, only talking about the Duke.”
“···········”.
I think I can see why she’s locked up in her room.
“It’s not. At first I thought it was just that, but as time goes on, they talk about other things.”
“Sales to first-timers, no. It’s just because I want to brag. I want more people to like what I like and know about it… It’s like that…”
“···········”.
Why am I discussing this? Let’s end this topic here.
Episode 25
The Duke’s Butler (1)
At lunchtime, I was able to meet Jack at the restaurant after a long time. From the day I came to the capital, I moved diligently after work to distribute the gifts I had bought in the duchy. Still, for some reason I barely saw him, so I wondered if something had happened.
“Jack! Long time no see, how have you been?”
“I’m doing well. Did you have a good trip, aide?”
“Kind of.”
I’ve been fine, except that I almost became in debt overnight. That said, Jack’s reaction wasn’t all good either. I had already almost finished eating, but I had something to say, so I sat down at the table where he was sitting.
“I heard you’ve been to your hometown, did anything happen?”
“No, nothing happened to my hometown. I had a very good trip.”
While I and Serpence were going down to the estate, I heard that quite a number, if not all, of the employees went on vacation. Jack is one of them.
“You don’t look very good for that… What’s wrong with you?”
“That’s… the area I’m in charge of has changed.”
Jack said, sighing. In the main building, he was mainly in charge of cleaning the hard-to-reach ceiling or doing normal hard work.
“Somehow, even if I went to the place where you used to be, I couldn’t find you… What the hell did you get?”
“…I became a library manager.”
He went on vacation, he said that he had a new area in charge that he did not know about. That’s like helping librarians carry books or clean bookshelves these days? No matter how much I imagined, I couldn’t understand it…
“I have no one to talk to, and I can’t even talk, so I’m going to die.”
Jack sighed again. It is cruel to throw such a talkative person into a library.
“Have you talked to the butler?”
“Of course I did. But the butler said he had no choice but to do this. Could it be that I did something wrong to the butler?”
No matter how much, Hans is the butler who manages the affairs of the mansion. It is true that he has authority, but he gave such an order? It also affected Jack and changed his area…
“Oh, about what the aide asked a while ago.”
As I was about to fall into thought, doubting Hans’s behavior, Jack spoke again. The reason I had to go looking for Jack wasn’t just to say hello. Because I had something I asked for. Before I left the capital, I heard that Jack was on vacation and was going down to his hometown, and I asked him a favor.
‘Will I be able to meet your father once?’
To hear the answer. If it’s okay with his father, he’s not that far away, so I can go by taking a break for the weekend. How hard it was to listen to Jack’s Serpence praises, saying he’s grounded to do that favor…
“Father refused.”
…he did?
In fact, I didn’t have high expectations, so my disappointment isn’t much. just a little sad. On the contrary, Jack is more sullen than me.
“I was curious about the Duke’s childhood, so I asked some questions, but I didn’t hear anything other than that it wasn’t that different from what it is now.”
“I can’t help it… I was really curious about it, but it’s a pity.”
I would have even asked a question instead, as I am a Serpence fan. By the way, it’s such a blatant reaction that it’s so open-minded, I think we should meet. How do I go about that?
“Can’t the aide tell the butler about my position?”
“Yes? That’s a bit…”
I’m a little uncomfortable with the butler now, so it was difficult to answer that I would be willing to do so. He looks at me with eyes that show he dislikes me. It’s been like that for a long time, so it didn’t matter, but now it’s more than that.
Since the incident a few days ago, it has peaked and now I can’t digest it anymore. As he wandered around the mansion, he would sneak up and stare at me, or he would sometimes kick his tongue.
‘I didn’t do anything except to give Serpence a good meal, so why the fuss?!’
How was the day of the Imperial Palace banquet? How could you participate in a banquet wearing clothes made of such low-quality fabrics?
‘He’s not even giving me money to buy clothes!’
The worst person in the world is a butler who tells you to leave it alone without adding anything. Anyway, I chose the best clothes from the clothes that Zion had.
Even Serpence, who was with me, didn’t say anything, making it even more chaotic.
“That’s an area that’s completely out of my control…”
“I’ll talk to my father again. Yes? Please, please!”
I don’t think he has any more points to deduct anyway. Should I try? I just wanted to ask for this, so I guess I need to mention what I asked for first.
‘Is it because of me that he changed his area?’
Serpence knew what I was asking about him. Of course Hans would know. After all, he felt the need to talk to Hans at least once.
“I’ll tell you first, I can’t guarantee the outcome.”
“Okay! Regardless of the outcome, we keep our promise!”
* * *
As soon as today’s work was over, I headed to Solertia’s room. Hans is still at work. I don’t know where she is at this time because she’s new here. I’d rather go to her room after she gets home from work.
‘If it doesn’t work, if I make a noise between the floors in the early morning, she will come to me.’
All three of us were staying in the same building anyway, so there was nothing to be bothered about. She stayed on the second floor with me, and it was a room in the back of the hallway. I only know because the day I returned from the duchy, I saw her being escorted to her room. I’ve never actually been inside.
‘Last time she was making a scroll, the floor was no joke…’
Now that the work has started in earnest, it must be more than that. Bottles of magic reagents scattered all over the place, and books and papers used as reference materials were probably scattered all over the place.
‘Would there be a place to step?’
What’s more, she says she is too bothered to leave the room several times a day, skipping breakfast and eating at the restaurant for lunch. I know that she gets her dinner in advance and eats it in her room. No matter what I imagine, isn’t it more messy than that…?
– knock.
“Solertia, this is Zion.”
Silent answer. Was it because she is too engrossed in making scrolls that she didn’t hear me? I knocked on her door a few more times, raising my voice a little more as I called out to her.
“Solertia! Are you there?”
“… Sir Zion?”
With the sound of the door being opened, Solertia came out into the hallway. If there was one problem, it wasn’t the door I was knocking on, but the door behind me that opened.
“…I thought you were using this room, but you’re not.”
I’m embarrassed that I knocked hard on an empty room, so I said it humbly, and Solertia smiled happily.
“I’ve rented another room! That’s the bedroom, and you can think of the place I came from as my studio.”
To be sure, there was no better way to secure personal space. When she sleeps and eats at her work place, her whole life becomes exhausting.
“Okay! Oh, did I interrupt you?”
“It’s okay, it’s okay~. I was thinking of taking a break anyway.”
As Solertia loosened her hair that had been tied high in her ponytail from work, she smiled cheerfully. She then shaked her head lightly, her pale purple hair fluttering along.
“You seem to have something to say anyway, would you like to have a cup of tea in my room while you’re here?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Solertia grinned, walked away and locked the door from which she had come. She then passed me by and pulled out another key and put it in the bedroom doorknob.
“Come in.”
“Then excuse me.”
We entered her room. Perhaps it is because she spends most of her life in the studio, her room is very clean and smells good.
“Then I’ll prepare the tea, can you wait a minute?”
“Thank you.”
I sat in the chair attached to the round table on one side of her room, watching the back of Solertia preparing tea. Perhaps it is the season that is not suitable for lighting the fireplace, and I could see water boiling with the flames created by her magical powers.
‘Scroll production is the main focus, but she also uses magic.’
Is it like this? It once appeared in [Master of the Holy Sword],『Sacred power pursues symbiosis, and magical power seeks convenience.』
The expression… came to mind. In addition to that, the divine power was called the most suitable power to heal or protect someone.
On the other hand, I remember that magic was expressed as a power that infinitely changes according to human interests and aspirations.
‘It’s really amazing…’
It was the first time I had come to this world and saw magic. The blue light from her fingertips unraveled like an object of its own, embroidered in the air. It is very mysterious that its character itself changes and takes on the concrete form of a flame. It fits the expression ‘the power of infinite change’.
‘When Serpence uses divine power, it might look divine, but I didn’t think it was strange.’
Like him, the divine power just felt like ‘using light’. After all, it was a self-luminous Serpence even if left alone. There is nothing surprising if he actually emits light.
“By the way, what did you come here for?”
Solertia asked, pouring the brewed tea into the teacup in front of me.
“I’m just curious how you’re doing. We haven’t seen each other since we had dinner together on the first day, right?”
“It’s me. I don’t go out except for lunch. Even then, lunchtime is almost over…”
Somehow, I heard that she would come during lunch time, but had never actually seen her.
I always ran to the restaurant at lunch time, so I should’ve met her if she was there.
“You need to take it easy. Isn’t it too hard if you just work?”
“It’s okay, isn’t it fun? Besides, I want to open a store soon. It’s all voluntarily doing things that I like.”
It was a genuinely happy expression.
“If that’s the case, then I’m glad. I thought Solertia-san was very good at attaching herself, so I thought she would get along with other people…”
“I also wanted to… at first.”
It was just a topic that was brought up lightly, but the reaction that came back was unusual. The smile on her face, which had been bright throughout, disappeared a little.
“People here, only talking about the Duke.”
“···········”.
I think I can see why she’s locked up in her room.
“It’s not. At first I thought it was just that, but as time goes on, they talk about other things.”
“Sales to first-timers, no. It’s just because I want to brag. I want more people to like what I like and know about it… It’s like that…”
“···········”.
Why am I discussing this? Let’s end this topic here.
