CHAPTER 171……………………………………
When I finished looking around the bedroom and went down to the lobby, Kyle was waiting for me in sky-blue loungewear.
I had changed into the pink indoor dress the grand duke’s housemaid had prepared—clearly a matching couple’s outfit.
Even though the engagement ceremony had just taken place, the servants of the grand ducal house were treating me with the meticulous care as if I were the true lady of the house.
“I feel bad being this excited.”
Eventually, neither of us would need a lover, and when that time came, we would naturally break off the engagement.
Already being treated like the lady of the house made it hard for me to fully open my heart, worrying that the grand ducal family might be the ones getting hurt later.
“Let me prepare some warm tea first. Please come this way,” said the butler.
But because of his attitude, I couldn’t bring myself to close off my heart.
The Obelrn grand ducal house’s butler was different from any butler I had seen before.
Then again, the butlers I had seen were very few.
There was the butler of the Inferna family, blinded by ambition, and the butler of the Slurnt marquis house, who answered coldly as if leaving their soul behind while collecting a paycheck. That was all.
Yet even so, it was obvious at a glance that the Obelrn butler was truly a proper butler.
“Yes, this is it. This is what a butler should be like.”
The butler waited for us with perfect posture, and after a polite greeting, he naturally began to guide us.
Kyle, the owner of the mansion, surely knew the way—but it seemed he was considerate of me, his guest, and let the butler lead.
“I can’t believe such a perfect butler exists here.”
I wanted to rush to Zeros and proclaim that the secret of this mansion was its butler, but I held back, walking lightly.
Before visiting the mansion, I had assumed that Kyle was using his power to protect the mansion’s secrets, but now my thoughts had changed completely.
“In a noble family, events in the mansion should be contained within. That’s how it should be.”
I couldn’t control everything that happened in the royal palace either, but I made sure that whatever happened inside the princess’s residence didn’t leak out.
So I understood just how much effort Alberto, the butler of the Obelrn grand ducal house, must be putting in.
“Is there anything else you need? There might be things that were hastily prepared and uncomfortable, so please let me know—I will arrange them right away.”
He seemed to mean that he would prepare anything I might need while drinking tea. Truly, I felt as though I had encountered a talent I could never have imagined, right here.
“It would have been wonderful if our Roellin had a butler like this. What a shame.”
It’s true that good people are always near other good people. Alberto, a flawless embodiment of a butler from head to toe, pleased me so much that I felt my gaze naturally purified.
“The bedroom was wonderfully prepared, so nothing else is necessary. Especially, I really liked the small paper with a ribbon on the table.”
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a ribboned bell.”
“At one time, this butler was asked by the master to place a bell with a ribbon in the master’s bedroom. Of course, the master has never rung it even once. But now, all the staff here think that aspect of the master is very admirable.”
“So now you don’t put a ribbon on it for Kyle? Seeing unused objects can be unpleasant, I imagine…”
I asked excitedly, like a child solving a riddle. The butler looked at me with a satisfied smile. He didn’t say yes or no.
Apparently, discussing this topic further wasn’t appropriate.
“Now that I think about it, the bell isn’t annoying anymore. How thoughtful,” Kyle said.
The perfect butler’s cheeks turned red at the praise. It was amusing, but I was glad to notice such a trivial thing.
Kyle in the palace always seemed to wear some kind of armor, but here, he had removed it, and appeared softer, which was interesting to observe.
“Comfortable? Have I ever felt this comfortable in a strange place before? Maybe it’s because the butler approached me first.”
The Obelrn grand ducal mansion was a completely new place for me.
Anyone would feel uneasy in an unfamiliar space, and a grand building can be intimidating.
Yet here, I was confident that anyone who came would feel at ease.
“The ribbon on the table was placed so that guests wouldn’t need to call the staff one by one. But if the master wishes, we can find the most suitable color and place it,” the butler said.
Kyle shook his head, indicating it was unnecessary.
It was a simple conversation, but everything about it made me feel at peace.
After thinking the trip was ruined by the rain at the temple, the view outside the windows of the Obelrn mansion now looked as stunning as a city nightscape from a luxury hotel.
“Miss, please have a seat here,” the butler said gently, pulling out a chair at the tea table without making a sound.
Watching him, I couldn’t help but smile.
He had a charm that made others feel good.
“Thank you,” I said.
The butler nodded politely, and I noticed him pulling out Kyle’s chair as well.
The mansion seemed to have more people than I expected. After Kyle sat down, the butler approached us gently.
“What kind of tea would you like?”
As soon as he spoke, I saw maids standing behind him with tea. Kyle frowned as he inspected the glass bottles.
“How did they know the tea Elufe usually drinks?” he asked, puzzled.
The butler nodded gracefully.
“I heard that Miss Elufe, the master’s fiancée, loves tea so much that she prepares tea parties herself, even at the palace. So I, the butler, made some effort for the lady.”
“So you prepared it in advance?”
The butler smiled and nodded at Kyle, who asked in disbelief.
“It is a butler’s way of ensuring the master never lacks anything. Now, since the lady has her preferred tea, please take your time to choose.”
Here, I felt protected.
It felt like receiving kind service at a fine restaurant.
At this moment, I realized something strange.
I was experiencing a calm here that I had never felt in the familiar royal palace.
“Even though the palace with Roellin felt like home, I didn’t expect there to be a place like this…”
It made sense, if I thought about it. The palace was familiar but unforgiving of mistakes. I was always busy, doing my best to avoid being criticized by other nobles.
“Of course, I had no time to care for myself.”
I was in a state of constant vigilance. I didn’t want to die young again.
So I tried my best at everything I could change. Simply not being engaged to Lekanon brought me an unprecedented sense of ease.
“Do you have any recommended teas?”
People who loved tea often enjoyed making it too.
I asked hoping to see the butler’s joy, and his eyes sparkled unusually.
I instinctively felt that he thought I was testing him.
“Since you must have been tired from coming on a rainy night, I recommend a tea called ‘Night,’ wishing you a comfortable and warm evening at the Obelrn grand ducal mansion.”
“Night?”
I had never heard of it before.
A maid holding a small glass bottle opened the lid and placed it in front of me.
“‘Night’ was made by this maid. It contains lemon balm, which has a calming effect; chamomile, which promotes deep sleep; and honey, which relieves fatigue. The lemon scent of the lemon balm combined with the sweet honey makes it pleasant to savor and perfect for a late-night tea.”
Everything was so perfect that I thought if I ever lived a new life here, this would be how I wanted it.
Of course, Kyle was extremely wealthy, so whether the butler would follow me was another question…
“It’s so comfortable and enjoyable that I just want to stay here with them.”
“This is exactly the tea I want to try. Its name fits this moment perfectly,” I said.
Kyle turned his gaze toward the large window, showing the rain pouring outside.
As our eyes followed, the butler slowly moved and slightly opened the window.
The sound of the rain pouring through the opening sounded like gentle music.
