I Was Reborn as the Female Antagonist's Servant-Chapter 28 – The Head Butler’s Past

"Back then, I was a teenager, only sixteen years old—newly chosen to be a personal attendant like you. At that time..."

***

A man was lost in a long corridor, circling the same stretch over and over again. There were no clues—only a vague direction toward a room on the second floor. That man was me—Razoru. A teenager already burdened with strands of gray hair.

I looked around, but there was no access to the second floor. I had seen the staircase earlier—the stairs that led upward. I had followed a male servant who guided me through the place, including a room with a large door—where the sound of wooden swords clashing echoed endlessly. However, after I left that room of those who adored violence, the servant who had been guiding me disappeared without a word.

And now, I was lost. Not knowing which way to go.

Before the tour began, the Duke had told me to return quickly to the original spot—because he would introduce me to his son, who would become my "Master."

I let out a long sigh. "At this rate, I’m going to be late." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

I looked around, not many clues to be found. My steps began to move a few moments later, searching for the staircase I was looking for. I was also searching for a room, hoping there was someone I could ask. However, every room I went to was empty. Some rooms were empty, and one room contained a long table, like a dining area. This time I was truly lost in this mansion.

In the midst of my confusion, I noticed a woman who seemed older than me. She was taller, her face already touched by time—for reasons I could not explain, I assumed that at once. She wore a neatly fitted apron over her slender frame, along with a tall hat that clearly marked her status.

Seeing her, I knew this was an opportunity. I approached her, then bowed about fifteen degrees—performing Eshaku.

"Excuse me, Head Chef."

The woman in front of me noticed me. She greeted back, also performing Eshaku to me.

"Ah... Yes. What is it, Sir?"

One of my eyebrows rose. I was surprised why she called me that. But after thinking about it, there was a more important matter, more important than the title.

I raised my body. "Sorry, but may I ask something?"

She nodded, allowing it.

I cleared my throat a few times, before briefly lifting my square glasses. "Excuse me, where is the access to the stairs to get to the second floor? I’ve been looking for it, but I still can’t find it."

Before she answered my question, she seemed to examine my clothes for a moment. The clothes I wore were a combination of neat white and black clothes—the usual attire of a personal attendant. A few moments later she looked at me again, her head slightly tilted.

"You are... Prince Shachi’s personal attendant, Sir? How did you get so far here?"

I nodded. "Yes, Ma’am. I am indeed the personal attendant to the prince. The reason I got here is because the Duke told me to familiarize myself with the inside of this mansion."

She nodded, seeming to understand what I said, before finally her fingers touched her chin. "Isn’t there usually a guide for something like that? Where is your guide, Sir?"

I let out a long sigh, before answering, "There was one earlier, Ma’am. However, he’s gone now, leaving me after introducing me to one room."

And from that moment, I promised to guide the new Personal Attendants myself. Because it’s a bit bitter to be abandoned like this.

She nodded, again understanding what I said.

She smiled faintly. "Alright, Sir. I will guide you there!"

I smiled hearing her answer. And without further ado, I immediately performed Saikeirei—a substitute for my gratitude in my heart.

After that, she began to guide me to the stairs. In the middle of our journey, we chatted casually. She asked me a lot about myself, one of which was...

"I didn’t expect the prince’s Personal Attendant to be an old man," she said while looking at me on her right side.

She raised her head, putting her fingers under her chin. "What I heard from some people was that the Personal Attendant for the prince was a young man." She looked at me again. "But well, you can’t trust rumors, can you?"

Hearing what she said, I could only let out a short sigh. I looked at her beside me, who was slightly taller, weakly. "What the rumors said is true, Ma’am."

Her eyes slowly widened. "Eh? But, your appearance..."

"It’s a genetic factor from birth, Ma’am," I replied.

She nodded, facing forward. "Oh... So you’re still young, huh?"

I nodded, agreeing with what she said.

After seeing my reaction, she fell silent. A few moments later, she changed the subject—this time addressing me not as "Sir," but as "Personal Attendant Razoru."

***

"And from there, she and I continued to get to know each other. We became closer, until she considered me her own son. When I became Head Butler, she immediately changed my call to what it is now. And because of her, when I was still a teenager I was able to meet my wife who was her subordinate—both of them were chefs in the kitchen. From the marriage of my wife and I, a son was born whose nature is almost the same as yours—Akira. That’s my son’s name."

I saw a small smile on his face when he reached the end of the sentence. From that smile, I felt a deep longing from his gaze that slowly softened. I saw his hand holding the black hilt of the katana sword on his left side tightly. I didn’t know for sure why he did that.

But, he said I look like his son?

Suddenly I remembered his strange behavior all this time. Starting from scolding Big Brother Fukuro, until he smiled faintly at me—even though when he first met me, he was never like that.

So, his slightly strange behavior all this time, is because I look like his son.

I understood for some reasons.

A few moments later, his body jolted—waking up from his reverie. He looked at me again, releasing his hand from the katana hilt, then fiddling with the middle of his square glasses.

He cleared his throat a few times. "Sorry. I was spacing out and ended up confiding in you."

I shook my head, before my gaze fell down. "It’s okay, Master."

I raised my head, looking at him in front of me. A faint smile greeted me afterwards. "Well, if there’s anything else you want to tell me... you can tell me, Master! I will always be ready, to be your student or to be a second figure of your son!"

He who after hearing my words, immediately made his eyes widen. For a moment he was silent for a moment, before lowering his gaze slightly down.

"Th-thank you."

I only looked at him with a smile, without saying a word.

The light that fell upon the table slowly withdrew, then vanished. The sound of birds in the distance gave way to the calls of owls from the dark forest. The sun, still faintly visible, sank beneath the horizon. The orange sky shifted into deep blue. The clouds thinned and scattered—revealing countless bright stars. The round moon rose quietly, taking the sun’s place—though its glow remained faint.

The Head Butler began to look around the place. The atmosphere was so calm. Not long after, he got up from the chair—looking at me who was looking up at him.

"Come on. Our break time is over."

Hearing his direction, made me also get up from the chair. He looked at me for a moment, before walking—leaving me behind. I looked around, before following him. Fireflies flying everywhere, made the garden so beautiful. The sound of crickets that could be heard, the gentle breeze blowing the flowers in the distance, before touching my face.

I inhaled the air for a moment, before finally strengthening my steps.

I walked, a little fast until I was already beside the Head Butler. He glanced at me beside him for a moment, before turning back to his original direction. We passed some flat stones below, passed the doorway, until we were inside.

In the middle of our walk, the Head Butler suddenly stopped. A few moments later, I stopped as well, turning toward him behind me. We stood in silence for a moment before his flat eyes slowly narrowed.

"...Touji. Go back to your room first. I have something to take care of."

After he said that, he immediately turned his back on me—going in the opposite direction. I could only tilt my head, watching him who was getting further away and looked blurry.

What’s wrong with him?

I don’t know.

It’s not my business. I yawned, covering my mouth. Whoa... Besides, I’m also sleepy now.

My steps continued to walk, echoing the red carpet below without paying attention to what the Head Butler was doing. My body was slightly bent, wiping the corner of my eye that shed sleepy tears.

And what I was thinking now, was just to quickly get to my room and immediately sleep on the soft mattress.