ARE YOU PUTTING THIS NECKLACE BACK ON ME?
OF COURSE.
HOW COULD I TRUST YOU ENOUGH TO LET YOU WORK WITHOUT IT?
I'LL BE ADDING IT TO YOUR DEBT NEXT TIME, SO DON'T BREAK IT AGAIN.
YES, YES.
WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO TAKE THIS NECKLACE OFF?
WILL IT WORK IF I HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO OVERCOME THE NECKLACE'S MAGIC, LIKE LAST TIME?
RIGHT, IF I MANAGE TO REGAIN THAT MUCH POWER,
I'LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF HERE THEN.
CAN I ASK YOU SOMETHING?
WHAT IS IT?
HAS THE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED NEAR THE BEACH WHERE I WAS FOUND BEEN RESOLVED?
IT SEEMED LIKE A PRETTY BIG DEAL.
YOU LITTLE PUNK,
YOU'VE GOT SOME NERVE ASKING THAT WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'RE A SUSPECT.
AW, COME ON~ I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING EITHER, SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS!
THAT INCIDENT HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE TEMPLE.
AFTER ALL, THE TEMPLE SPECIALIZES IN DARK MAGIC INCIDENTS.
EXCUSE ME FOR INTERRUPTING YOUR CONVERSATION.
YOU ARE...
I AM THE VICE COMMANDER OF THE MARS KNIGHTS, WHO HAS BEEN ASSIGNED AS MY LADY'S ESCORT STARTING TODAY.
MY NAME IS ALLEN. IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU.
Uh, um...
YOU AREN'T HIDING ANY ULTERIOR MOTIVES BEHIND THAT KIND FACE AGAIN, ARE YOU?
CONSCIENCE
DON'T WORRY, MY LADY. THE BEACH WHERE YOU WERE FOUND WAS A RESTRICTED AREA FOR OUTSIDERS,
SO WE ARE JUST GOING TO VERIFY YOUR IDENTITY.
ABOUT THAT... I'M SORRY.
IF YOU CAN'T TRUST ME BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED,
AH, YOU APOLOGIZED, SO IT'S FINE.
A KNIGHT ONLY SERVES THEIR LORD, SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?
BUT PLEASE DON'T LIE NEXT TIME.
AND...
MY NAME IS FREYA.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
YES, MISS FREYA.
THANK YOU FOR FORGIVING ME.
YES, YES~ BUT IF YOU STILL FEEL REALLY SORRY, PLEASE JUST DO ME ONE FAVOR.
TELLING HIM NOT TO LIE... WELL, I'M NOT REALLY ONE TO TALK.
STILL, IF I BUY HIS FAVOR LIKE THIS, SOMEDAY...
?!
I-I SHOULD GET GOING NOW.
I'LL BE WATCHING OVER YOU FROM AFAR FROM NOW ON, SO PLEASE DON'T WORRY! HA-HAHA, HICCUP!
UGH, THE GRAND DUKE...!
IS HE TELLING ME NOT TO DIG UP ANY INFORMATION FROM THE KNIGHTS EITHER?
He's seriously ruthless, that guy...!
...LET'S GET GOING AGAIN IF YOU'RE DONE WITH YOUR GREETINGS.
YES...
OH MY, IT'S THAT FEISTY GIRL FROM LAST NIGHT.
I WONDER WHAT KIND OF WORK SHE'LL BE ASSIGNED?
I REALLY HOPE SHE COMES TO THE KITCHEN...
BUT ISN'T SHE WITH COUNT NORBERT RIGHT NOW?
DON'T TELL ME... IS COUNT NORBERT GOING TO TRAIN HER PERSONALLY?
GOODNESS, REALLY?
THEN HE MUST BE PLANNING TO RAISE A BUTLER HIMSELF NOW!
A BUTLER...?
OLD MAN, YOU SAID BEFORE THAT THE GRAND DUKE'S RESIDENCE DIDN'T HAVE A BUTLER.
WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT?
I MEANT EXACTLY WHAT I SAID.
THE BUTLER POSITION IN THE GRAND DUKE'S FAMILY IS VACANT.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN A YEAR.
AS THE LEADER OF THE EMPEROR'S FACTION IN THE KADEA EMPIRE
AND THE SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE REMART CONFLICT ZONE, CADRIAN BALLOT.
BECAUSE THE GRAND DUKE HAS MANY ENEMIES BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE EMPIRE,
THE BALLOT RESIDENCE WAS ALWAYS A TARGET FOR ASSASSINS.
AND THE VICTIMS WERE MOSTLY THE BUTLERS WHO MANAGED THE MANSION.
THOSE WHO ARE SKILLED WITH A SWORD WANT TO BECOME KNIGHTS,
AND THOSE WITH STRONG MAGIC POWER WANT TO BECOME MAGES,
SO THERE WERE NO CAPABLE BUTLERS WITH THE POWER TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM ASSASSINS.
AS A RESULT, TEN BUTLERS LOST THEIR LIVES,
AND BEFORE LONG, THE BALLOT RESIDENCE WAS STIGMATIZED AS THE "GRAVEYARD OF BUTLERS."
...??
DIDN'T THE BUTLERS DIE BECAUSE THE KNIGHTS ARE INCOMPETENT?
WATCH YOUR MOUTH!
THE GRAND DUKE'S FAMILY DOESN'T JUST LET ANYONE IN.
WHO KNOWS WHAT KIND OF SPY MIGHT SLIP IN!
CONSCIENCE
BESIDES, THE GRAND DUKE'S ORDER OF KNIGHTS IS A SMALL, ELITE FORCE THAT PARTICIPATES IN EVERY WAR,
AND THEY EVEN SUBJUGATE THE MONSTERS AROUND THE BALLOT FIEFDOM!
EVEN THOUGH SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED TO THE BORDERS FOLLOWING HER GRACE, THE FORMER GRAND DUCHESS,
THE KNIGHTS REMAIN STRONG!
THE REASON THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY PROBLEMS IN THE GRAND DUKE'S FAMILY OVER THE PAST YEAR
IS BECAUSE THE KNIGHTS ARE INCREDIBLY STRONG!
WELL, NOBODY TOLD HIM TO GO AROUND MAKING EVERYONE HATE HIM.
...Y-YOU ALL WORK VERY HARD.
THEN, WHY DON'T YOU BE THE BUTLER, OLD MAN?
...TAKE IT EASY WITH THE CURSES. I VALUE MY LIFE TOO.
YOU'RE THE ONE SAYING HARSHER THINGS, OLD MAN.
...WELL, DO YOU THINK I JUST SAT AROUND DOING NOTHING?
I EVEN TRIED TO GET A FEW PROMISING KIDS
FROM THE GRADUATING CLASS OF THE BUTLER ACADEMY JOBS HERE.
...AND THEY ALL ENDED UP LEAVING.
...SO THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
IT'S A TRAGIC STORY, BUT IT CAN'T BE HELPED.
FOR A SERVANT SERVING A MASTER WHO IS FREQUENTLY AT RISK OF ASSASSINATION,
IT'S A COMMON OCCURRENCE.
SO THE INFORMATION I NEED TO FOCUS ON HERE IS...
I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT WHAT IS THE BUTLER ACADEMY?
MY, I ALMOST GOT CAUGHT UP IN MY FEELINGS.
IT'S A PRESTIGIOUS ACADEMY IN KADEA WITH A LONG HISTORY.
I'M NOT TRYING TO BRAG, BUT I'M THE ONE WHO FOUNDED IT.
IT'S A SHAME I COULDN'T RAISE A BUTLER FITTING FOR THE GRAND DUKE'S FAMILY, THOUGH...
...I SEE.
A BUTLER FITTING FOR THE GRAND DUKE'S FAMILY...
ISN'T THAT
ME?
Since I Can Catch Assassins With Ease,
I Should Be Able To Gain The Grand Duke's Trust Quickly.
Then I Can Easily Take Off This Dog Collar,
AND FIND OUT ABOUT THIS BODY'S PAST WHILE I'M AT IT, RIGHT?
Hehe... I Failed To Recognize Such Capable Talent. What Is It That You Want? I'll Grant You Anything.
Serhin, I'm here~
AND WHEN THE GRAND DUKE LETS HIS GUARD DOWN, I'LL TAKE IT TO SERHIN...!
...THIS FEELS LIKE DEJA VU.
WHAT ARE YOU GETTING ALL FIRED UP ABOUT THIS TIME?
FROM NOW ON...
WOULD IT BE ALRIGHT IF I SERVED YOU AS MY MASTER?
WHAT KIND OF CRAZY PERSON IS THIS...?
WELL, THE TOUR ENDS HERE.
MAKE SURE YOU MEMORIZE THE EXACT LOCATIONS OF THE MAIN BUILDING AND THE ANNEX.
YOUR STOMACH IS CERTAINLY GOOD AT ANSWERING.
You definitely ate two hours ago.
THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN DRAGGING ME AROUND ALL DAY, MASTER.
STILL, I'VE BEEN CALLING HIM MASTER ALL DAY,
SO HE ISN'T FREAKING OUT LIKE HE WAS EARLIER.
HUH?
THERE'S STILL ONE FLOOR LEFT, ISN'T THERE?
MASTER, AREN'T WE GOING UP THERE?
RIGHT, YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE 5TH FLOOR OF THE MAIN BUILDING.
PARDON? WHY IS THAT?
YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW THAT MUCH.
FROM NOW ON,
THE 5TH FLOOR OF THE MAIN BUILDING IS A RESTRICTED AREA,
SO DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT GOING UP THERE.
THE KNIGHTS ARE INCOMPETENT...
WHAT ARE YOU DOING OVER THERE, MISTER ALLEN?
The enchanted necklace is put back on and added to the debt. The black magic incident at the place on the beach where she was found has been transferred to the Temple. Allen, Vice-Commander of the Mars Knights, is assigned as Freya's escort. It is learned that the mansion is a butlers' graveyard, where ten butlers have died. Freya decides to become a butler to gain trust and get rid of the necklace.
