harem chapter 5

Hanson, the butler of the Centineo household, wiped his gaunt face.

“Hmph…”

He hadn’t slept a wink in two days. The young master’s difficult nature had servants handing in their resignations day after day.

“There’s no one left to work.”

Even for a ducal house, it wasn’t easy to find servants from noble families.

But they couldn’t just assign a mere commoner to attend to the young master. Letters had been sent to every noble house in the empire, but with the young master’s atrocious temperament already being the talk of the town, no one was stepping forward.

“Blanche…?”

Then, a reply arrived from the Blanche family.

For some reason, Hanson let out a troubled groan.

It wasn’t that he disliked the family. While their title wasn’t particularly high, the Blanches’ influence was immense, enough to make most high-ranking nobles pale in comparison. A child from such a family would surely have received a top-tier education.

It was a waste to refuse such a talent, but there were various problems.

‘What should I report to His Grace…?’

But the biggest problem was something else entirely.

“They’re sending their daughter, not their son?”

To send their daughter to wait on the young master. Could it be they hadn’t heard of his temperament? What on earth gave them the confidence to send their daughter?

The question was answered soon enough.

“They’re sending her with a personal guard?”

Oh, for goodness’ sake!

Hanson slapped his forehead. Never before had a servant arrived with a personal guard. He could guarantee it would never happen again, either!

Faced with this unprecedented situation, Hanson took a deep breath.

‘They’ve already departed, so I can’t refuse.’

He gave up quickly. She’ll quit soon enough anyway.

There was no way a young girl could properly attend to the extremely sensitive young master. Still, she’d probably last a day or two.

He could find a new servant in the meantime.

“It must have been a long journey.”

Hanson bowed politely, his eyes scanning the girl before him with more-than-usual scrutiny.

“I am Hanson, the butler of the Centineo estate.”

As expected of a Blanche!

The girl reeked of money from head to toe.

You could tell she was of high birth from fifty meters away. And her hands were so delicate, they looked as if they’d never touched a drop of water. Hanson immediately revised his assessment.

‘I must find the next servant as quickly as possible!’

There was a high probability she would quit today.

“A pleasure to meet you. I am Lily Blanche.”

Her curtsy was flawless.

‘This is the first time I’ve seen her in person…’

Though he had heard much about her.

She was a girl who naturally inspired the word ‘lovely.’

Her violet hair swayed at her waist, and not a single feature on her small, delicate face was anything but beautiful. But what stood out the most were her eyes. Once you looked into those blue pupils, which seemed to hold the sky, it was difficult to look away.

‘She’s two years older than the young master, so she must be sixteen this year.’

The corners of his eyes drooped even further.

It pained him to think of that pretty face stained with tears.

But personal feelings had no place in his work. Like the veteran butler he was, Hanson maintained a calm smile as he guided her through the castle.

“The young master’s room is this way.”

She’ll probably quit soon, but I should still give her the rundown. Hanson began to walk, opening his mouth to speak.

“The young master is… a bit sensitive.”

“Sensitive? To what extent?”

To what extent…

“Ahem, well, first, he does not enjoy prolonged eye contact. He dislikes people coming near him. Also, please be aware that he abhors physical contact. Oh! And if you breathe too loudly, he will fly into a rage, so I ask that you breathe as quietly and shallowly as possible.”

“…Are you telling me to do nothing at all?”

“No, he will dislike you even if you do nothing.”

A flicker of ‘What do you want me to do, then?’ crossed Lily’s eyes.

Hanson, belatedly embarrassed, added, “He is not a bad person at heart, though.”

Just as Lily’s lips parted, as if she had much to say, a commotion erupted from beyond the door they had just reached.

‘I was gone for just a moment, and already!’

Hanson hastily pulled the doorknob. The scene inside was gruesome. Blood, whose he couldn’t tell, pooled on the floor.

“What in the world happened here!”

A boy standing by the window slowly lifted his head.

Hanson rushed to his side.

He couldn’t be hurt, could he?! Anything but that. His anxious eyes scanned the boy several times before he could finally feel a sense of relief. Thankfully, he seemed unharmed.

The boy, who had been clutching a bird by the neck, shoved him away forcefully.

“I told you not to come near me.”

“M-my apologies.”

“It’s noisy. Get rid of everything.”

The boy did not like to repeat himself.

Hanson expertly schooled his surprised expression and quickly ushered the servants out of the room.

The frightened servants wiped away tears as they hastily exited.

It was then that someone moved against the tide, pushing through the crowd that was receding like an ebb tide.

It was the brand-new servant who had just arrived, Lily.

Goodness… just like the protagonist of a dark romance.

A powerful first impression.

I scanned the disastrous room and glanced at the guard standing beside me like a shadow. As a knight, he should be stronger than an ordinary person, right?

At the very least, he had to be stronger than a fourteen-year-old boy.

“Sir Knight.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“From now on, do not take your eyes off me for a single second.”

“As you wish.”

His calm voice was quite reassuring.

“Promise me. If you see anything that threatens me, no matter who it is, you will not hesitate to beat them to a pulp.”

Sir Knight, do you know how I managed to get here?

My parents, who disliked even my attendance at small social gatherings, would never have easily sent me to be a servant here.

To persuade them, I had to give up everything.

[I promise. If you let me go as a servant to the ducal house, I will not show any interest in romance until I become an adult.]

I boarded the carriage right then and there, making a vow.