Knock…!
Knock…!
As the insistent knocking on my door echoed through the silence of the house, a shiver ran down my spine. Who could it be at this hour?
"Who is it?" I called out, my voice betraying a hint of nervousness.
But nobody replied and the knocking continued.
"It isn't the young miss, is it?" I muttered to myself, dread pooling in the pit of my stomach.
Oh no!
She can't see me in such a shameful state.
Quickly, I dashed to the washroom, the urgency evident in my every move.
With trembling hands, I splashed water on my face, hastily wiping it dry with a towel.
My eyes darted around the room in panic.
"Where's my suit?"
I muttered frantically, realizing that I had only woken up wearing a shirt.
The realization hit me hard - my current attire was utterly inadequate, a shameful ensemble for a butler serving in this prestigious household.
There was no time for my usual meticulous grooming routine; I hadn't even had a chance to comb my hair properly.
'Shit, shit... this is bad,' I cursed under my breath, the weight of the situation pressing down on me.
I needed to compose myself before whoever was outside decided to enter.
With a sense of urgency, I began unbuttoning my shirt, intending to change into something more presentable.
Click…!
But before I could even start undressing, a sudden click filled the air, followed by the creaking sound of my door swinging open abruptly.
And then, her voice, the voice of my young miss, cut through the tension like a knife.
"Sorry for the intrusion—" she began, her words faltering as her eyes fell upon me, standing there half-naked in the midst of my frantic preparations.
With wide eyes, she let out a startled scream. "I-I'm sorry!"
Bam…!
Before I could even utter a word of reassurance, the door slammed shut with a resounding bang, cutting off any chance of explanation or apology.
I stood there in stunned silence for a moment, the weight of embarrassment settling heavily upon my shoulders.
Despite my best efforts to maintain my composure, I had inadvertently exposed myself in the most humiliating manner possible to the very person I was sworn to serve and protect.
"Haha... to think I would show such a miserable sight to my lady," I chuckled bitterly to myself, a bitter twist of irony tainting my laughter.
As a butler of this house, I'm better off dead…
….
As Stella strolled through the grand halls of the Krasius mansion, a heavy sigh escaped her lips, laden with disappointment.
"In the end, he didn't come," she mused to herself, frustration evident in her thoughts as she pondered Taylor's absence since yesterday.
Despite her longing to see him, she hadn't caught a glimpse of her personal butler, Taylor, for what felt like an eternity.
'I couldn't even introduce the two to each other'
'Even though Sophia could've stayed the night she had to leave so early like that, how disappointing…'
She was waiting all day for Taylor to attend to her and Sophia yesterday but to think that he immediately went to sleep after her father's unknown orders… it left her slightly frustrated and annoyed.
She understood, of course, that her father, the esteemed duke, had summoned Taylor for matters of importance.
But wasn't Taylor supposed to be at her beck and call, her constant companion?
The abrupt intrusion of her father's demands upon their limited time together, especially since her enrollment in the academy, left Stella feeling neglected and resentful.
Even though her heart yearned for his presence, she couldn't help but notice Taylor's subdued reaction since their reunion three weeks prior.
Gone was the exuberant joy and boundless enthusiasm that had once characterized his greetings. Instead, he seemed distant, almost aloof—a far cry from the eager companion she had known before.
"Usually, he would smile with such happiness, and his eyes would light up with joy at the sight of me," Stella reminisced wistfully.
"But now... has that little brother of mine finally grown up?"
Considering the amount of alcohol, he consumes ever since he became 18 that might be truly the case, right?
Her mother had mentioned that after attending to her father's requests the day before, Taylor had retired to his quarters.
Being the compassionate and understanding mistress she aspired to be, Stella refrained from disturbing him, opting instead to grant him the rest he so obviously needed.
Yet, despite her attempts at magnanimity, a gnawing sense of unease lingered in Stella's heart.
As she continued her solitary walk through the mansion's opulent corridors, she couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between them—something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
"He's somewhat cold atmosphere does make him look cooler and probably slightly more handsome, but even still, to sacrifice our time together as well as our natural dynamic like that is unfair!" Stella grumbled; her stress palpable in every word.
Shouldn't she come first in his mind whenever needed? Her mental discomfort was just as important as her physical ones.
Despite her efforts to convey her desire for a more open relationship yesterday, Taylor had remained steadfastly professional, treating her with the utmost respect and formality.
While it was undeniably pleasant to be treated gently like a lady, especially by someone as handsome as him, Stella couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment.
After all, weren't they supposed to share a bond akin to siblings?
'He doesn't even call me older sis now…. Oh how I miss him say that with that cute voice of his'
'I would've forgiven him for ignoring me yesterday, considering he's probably tired from the thing Father requested of him but...' Stella glanced at her watch, noting that it was already 10:30.
The fact that Taylor hadn't attended to her after all this time only fueled her frustration.
In her eyes, he was failing as a butler.
Despite feeling a twinge of sympathy for Taylor's potential exhaustion, Stella knew she couldn't continue to keep her frustration bottled up inside.
It was only a matter of time before it boiled over, and she couldn't risk inadvertently taking it out on him.
Well, she honestly just wanted an excuse to reprimand him and, of course, to see him right now, but that didn't matter in the first place; she was his master. It was only natural for her to see him.
Stella, as the daughter of a high-ranking noble, was completely oblivious to the fact that most servants would probably face severe consequences—perhaps even beheaded—if their young misses were to meet them privately, let alone invite the said lady to a servant's room.
However, luckily for her, Taylor was quite exceptional in the household.
So, for now, it didn't matter...
She had even left her maids behind just to sneakily see him like this.
It was truly the act of an adorable yet air-headed young lady.
Perhaps the number of privileges the duke bestowed upon Taylor made her unaware of the danger she was putting Taylor's life in by social standards.
If another noble were to witness her behavior, they would probably faint on sight.
To see the young golden flower of the empire act in such a manner for a butler—it was simply unheard of.
Arriving in front of Taylor's room, the young lady Stella took a deep breath, steeling herself before she knocked on the door.
Knock...! Knock...!
"Taylor, good morning! Are you inside?" she called out, expecting the usual prompt response.
"…."
"…."
But to her surprise, there was no answer.
"Is he still asleep?" she wondered aloud, her brow furrowing with concern.
Trying once more, she knocked again, but still, there was no reply.
Confused, Stella reached for the door handle, intending to check if anyone was inside.
However, to her surprise, the door was locked.
Clicking her tongue in frustration, she attempted to knock louder, although her knocks remained soft due to her weak physical strength.
Knock...!
Knock...!
Again and again, there was no response.
Growing increasingly curious about whether Taylor was truly inside, Stella decided to utilize her magic. Focusing her mana, she activated her Clairvoyance spell.
[Clairvoyance Magic 1 star]
[Distant sight]
Her blue eyes glowed silver as the spell took effect, granting her the ability to see through walls and objects.
Though it was a basic spell, its usefulness was undeniable, making it one of the most popular spells taught at the academy.
Especially in the hands of the truly strong, like the academy principal who could utilize this seemingly simple spell to peer through vast distances, spanning several kilometers.
Though Stella's limit was a mere ten meters, it was still potent enough for her needs.
With a determined focus, she aimed to peer into Taylor's room and scan its contents, seeking confirmation of his absence.
However, to her astonishment, her vision didn't penetrate beyond the door.
Instead, all she encountered was a shimmering magic circle, effectively blocking her sight.
With a puzzled frown, Stella deactivated her magic and took a step back, rubbing her eyes in disbelief.
She recognized the spell immediately.
"Safety Interference Magic?" she murmured incredulously.
It was a complex enchantment designed to disrupt any espionage-related magic, while simultaneously offering protection by enclosing the intended target in a secure space.
"That explains why I can't hear any response from the other side," she mused, the realization dawning upon her.
The locked door, the lack of response—everything suddenly clicked into place. Interference magic was unidirectional, safeguarding only its intended target.
Whoever had cast the spell evidently meant to keep Taylor confined within his room, or keep outsiders from entering inside.
Within their household, there were a few mages capable of casting such intricate spells.
Her mother was one, she herself another, and lastly, the head maid attending her mother possessed the skill as well.
Yet, Stella couldn't fathom any reason for such a spell to be placed on Taylor's door—unless there was something they wished to conceal from her.
With each passing moment, worry began to take root in the young lady's heart, her pulse quickening at the thought of potential secrets being kept from her.
Without hesitation, she reached out and touched the door, immediately scanning the intricate pattern of the magic.
With practiced precision, she began to reverse the casting, straining to apply pressure on a single mana strand while simultaneously grasping the nature of the spell.
Fortunately for her, Safety Interference Magic happened to be one of her specialties.
As the magic dissipated, crackling red electrical zaps danced across the surface of the door, signaling the successful dispelling of the enchantment. With a determined resolve, Stella seized the handle and pushed the door open.
"Sorry for the intrusion—" she exclaimed as she stepped forward, intending to rush into the room.
But her words trailed off abruptly as her eyes fell upon the half-naked form of Taylor.
His red hair framed his face, slightly damp and tousled, with rivulets of water trailing down his chiseled body.
There was an intensity in his gaze that sent a shiver down Stella's spine—it was both cold and hot, an enigmatic combination that left her momentarily speechless.
It took only a few seconds for Stella to take in every detail of Taylor's half-naked form, yet it felt like an eternity as her gaze traveled from his face to his biceps, collarbone, abs, and chest.
Every contour of his physique seemed etched into her memory, recorded in vivid detail by the eyes of the young lady.
For a sheltered and innocent young woman like Stella, who had grown accustomed to the sight of chiseled bodies due to her father's imposing build and the presence of muscular knights in their household, it should have been nothing out of the ordinary to see a half-naked man.
And yet, there was something different about the way she looked at Taylor—a warmth spreading through her body, an unfamiliar sensation stirring within her.
"I-I'm sorry!" she stammered, her cheeks flushing crimson with embarrassment. With a sense of panic, she hurriedly retreated from the room, slamming the door shut behind her with a loud bang.
Pressing her back against the door, Stella found herself breathing heavily, her heart pounding in her chest. She brought a hand to her mouth, muffling the frustrated mumbles that escaped her lips.
"What are you doing, Stella?" she scolded herself, struggling to make sense of her tumultuous thoughts. "You already have such a wonderful fiancé..."
Despite her attempts to rationalize her reaction, the strange stirrings of emotion within her remained, leaving Stella feeling utterly bewildered by her own feelings.