Villain Family’s Strongest Butler - Chapter 32

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 35

‘From what I can see of their dress, they look like advisors or guard knights.’
It seems I’m the only butler here.
Nearly half of the retainers sat alone in the seats assigned to their respective houses, absorbed in their duties.
‘The rest appear to have gathered with people they know.’
The emotions I could sense in their gazes toward me divided into three broad categories.
Displeasure, curiosity, and—overwhelmingly—indifference.
The atmosphere wasn’t as hostile as I’d feared.
‘I expected to be torn to shreds by all of them. I should count myself grateful for this.’
I brushed off their stares lightly and walked across the center of the lounge toward House Ballot’s designated seating.
Eyes followed me the entire way. Even after I found my seat, they seemed to exchange whispers among themselves.
‘Let’s see. That one must have come up to the second floor as well…’
The lounge was smaller than the 1st Floor Banquet Hall, but with so many retainers about, it took considerable time to locate a single person.
‘Ah, there.’
My eyes met those of someone across the room.
A face I’d glimpsed in the 1st Floor Banquet Hall earlier.
When I spotted him, he was already gazing at me, his eyes gleaming like he’d discovered a fascinating new toy.
‘Still the same.’
That damned gleam in his eyes.
He wouldn’t recognize me, but I could identify him in an instant.
‘That mad physician.’
Dreck Vailhale—the royal physician who’d served alongside me as an attendant to Serlhin in the Tenasis Empire.
‘I haven’t seen him in three years before my death. So he’d slipped into the Kadea Empire.’
When I’d spotted Dreck in the 1st Floor Banquet Hall moments ago, he’d been standing with the head of House Derphin.
I’d confirmed his allegiance by checking the nameplate bearing the House Emblem on the table where he sat.
An eagle bearing a shield upon its back.
‘House Derphin, then.’
I’d heard about House Derphin from the old man before.
“When the promising eldest son died, the second son finally inherited the position of house leader. That’s when the family’s fortune turned. The second son had little ability but was crawling with ambition—a fool if there ever was one.”
I remember the old man’s assessment had been quite scathing.
There were even rumors that the second son had murdered the eldest.
‘So that madman ended up serving under that fool.’
Dreck was an exceedingly base and cruel creature.
‘The sort who doesn’t see people as people.’
He regarded them merely as experimental subjects to advance his own research.
That’s why his gaze unsettled me each time, making my skin crawl.
‘Had Serlhin not been there between us, he might have used me as an experiment.’
A man like that wouldn’t have thrown himself at just any house without a plan.
‘There must be a reason he joined House Derphin.’
What could it be?
I continued walking, passing by Dreck.
Since House Ballot’s seating was at the far end, I had to walk past House Derphin’s table and move even further before turning my back to him.
Once I reached the Ballot seating, I positioned myself on the sofa facing the direction where the other retainers were visible.
Though having Dreck directly in my line of sight was somewhat uncomfortable.
“Folken! What are you staring so intently at? Do you have a thing for that woman too?”
A retainer from another house sat down beside Dreck, throwing an arm around his shoulder.
‘Folken?’
An alias he was using here, apparently.
I looked away from them.
Whispering while deliberately not lowering their voices—the intent to draw attention was painfully obvious.
Some commentary about this woman, some dismissal about women in general.
It was a situation I’d encountered frequently in the Tenasis Empire.
The weight I’d had to bear as a woman who’d become a knight, who’d become the Crown Prince’s guard.
‘Regardless of nationality, men like that exist everywhere.’
Compared to the knights in the Tenasis Empire who’d disdained me, these retainers were remarkably mild.
Then it came.
“A female butler, no less. The world truly must be ending. Don’t you think so, Folken?”
The man with his hand on Dreck’s shoulder raised his voice a notch louder than before.
…….
Ah, yes. You lot aren’t so meek after all, are you?
I pretended not to hear, crossed my legs, and sank deeper into the sofa.
As I offered no reaction, the barbs grew steadily sharper.
“A disgrace to the Empire. We ought to fear other nations catching wind of it.”
“Shameless, too. To have the audacity to show your face at an occasion like this. Don’t you understand that’s tarnishing House Ballot’s good name?”
“If he had a brain in his head, he’d never have accepted a butler’s post in the first place.”
Ahahaha. The retainers laughed in turn.
‘Ahahaha!’
I laughed along silently.
They call this criticism?
‘How charming.’
I lifted the Teapot that had been set on the table and poured it into a Teacup.
Splish-splash—golden tea filled the cup to the brim.
The cute little jabs kept coming.
“Next thing you know, the kitchenmaid and the stable master at House Ballot will be women too.”
“There’s work for women and work for men.”
Then, gradually, the target of their barbs began to shift.
“I mean, just the knights? What man with a face like that and a body like that would keep a woman as merely a butler? Perhaps her real occupation is something else entirely.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“That she might have a different true profession. The butler’s post is just a front.”
“Oh! That makes sense, doesn’t it? No wonder His Grace has turned down all those excellent marriage prospects all this time—could it be……?”
“How could the young ladies catch his eye when he has a woman like that at his side?”
…….
They cross the line at last.
They weren’t content to belittle me—they were dragging Dreck through the mud as well.
Some of the retainers, sensing this, suddenly fell silent.
—”Don’t let yourself be looked down upon.”
The memory of Dreck’s voice surfaced.
Click. I set down the Teacup and slowly raised my gaze.
The retainers gathered around Dreck flinched and trembled the moment our eyes met.
I tilted my head to one side slowly, crossed my arms over my chest, and spoke in a low murmur.
“No courage to speak up before your master, yet you’re deeply bothered that his retainer is a woman.”
…….
Tch.
“Pathetic men.”
“W-what did you just say?!”
My voice wasn’t particularly loud, but the hall was so silent that every word carried clearly.
Several of them flushed crimson and shot up from their seats.
I continued calmly.
“Ah, you heard? I suppose my muttering was too loud. Since you were all muttering at this volume, I assumed I could do the same.”
“……This is madness.”
I tilted my head in confusion.
“Is the fact that I’m a woman really so important? Yes, perhaps it matters. But speaking thoughtlessly about your grievances here—that seems to be something only your circle is doing.”
…….
At that, the three or four retainers gathered around Dreck finally became aware of the room’s eyes upon them.
The retainers who had merely been curious or indifferent toward me now watched their overstepping remarks with contempt, or shook their heads as if in pity.
One of the retainers, his face flushing scarlet, shouted at me.
“W-we were simply concerned—concerned for the honor of House Ballot and His Grace’s name, that’s all!”
Well, well.
I laughed lightly, almost to myself.
“The fact that the butler of House Ballot is a woman brings shame to the House? And yet you spout such base nonsense, while saying nothing of your own family’s honor?”
“What did you just—?!”
“And.”
I smiled with one corner of my mouth raised and went on.
“If you’re so worried about His Grace, why not say these things to his face? I’ll arrange the opportunity for you personally.”
“……Eh?”
“What’s wrong? Can’t do it? Shall I speak for you then? ‘Your Grace, to think you’d raise a woman to the post of butler. Have you lost your mind? Our noble House’s reputation is now in tatters. Or perhaps you were simply lonely at night and wanted companionship? Ah, your tastes are quite peculiar indeed. Hahaha.’ Should I deliver that message?”
The retainer sputtered in alarm.
“Ah, no. I didn’t mean it quite like that—.”
“I did.”
I cut off the retainer’s words and lowered my head slightly as I spoke.
“On behalf of the attendants of House Doillet, House Stron, and House Mylo, I’ll convey this directly to you.”
How’s that? Do you like it?
The faces of the retainers from those named houses began to drain of color.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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