After enduring the dreadful morning encounter with my young miss, I was left with a sinking feeling of despair that gnawed at my insides.
"She saw it... she saw everything," I whispered to myself, the weight of embarrassment heavy upon my shoulders. Unlike previous incidents where she merely caught a glimpse of me without a shirt, this time she had witnessed me completely exposed.
Collapsed on the unforgiving floor, tears welled up in my eyes as I grappled with the overwhelming sense of shame.
"Haah-ha-ha... I really want to die right now" I muttered, the words escaping my lips in a bitter lament.
Nothing seemed to be going my way since the start of this dreadful week – mysterious nightmares haunting my sleep, the sudden loss of an old acquaintance, enduring grueling training sessions with the gorilla-like duke, and now the humiliating embarrassment of accidentally exposing myself to my young miss.
It felt as though the universe was conspiring against me, heaping one misfortune upon another.
As I sat there in silence, consumed by embarrassment and self-loathing, I couldn't help but wonder when my normal days would return.
Was this some form of karmic retribution for the violence I had inflicted upon others?
But then again, most of them deserved it, didn't they?
Lost in my thoughts, I found no solace in the stillness of the room, only the echoes of my own despair reverberating off the walls.
Truly if you're real oh heavenly father please take me now….
…
The entire day passed by in its usual routine, but one thing was markedly different – my young miss seemed to be avoiding me at every turn, offering up feeble excuses to evade any interaction.
"I-I... that's right, Mother called for me," she stammered, darting away hastily as soon as I called out to her.
"Oh, Taylor! I think Bella was looking for you. You should go now. Bye!" she exclaimed, her words rushed as she made a quick escape.
"I have something to do today, so maybe next time?" Even when I directly confronted her, she always had a ready excuse at hand.
Despite the frustration of her avoidance, I couldn't help but find her embarrassment endearing. But deep down, I knew I had to resolve the situation to restore our usual camaraderie.
However, as her butler, I understood my place – she was my master, and I was her servant. I had no right to force her to attend to my grievances.
And so, I resigned myself to the hope that this rift between us would be mended in due time.
After all, our bond transcended mere master and servant – it was built on trust, respect, and mutual understanding.
'T-that's right our bond was strong so everything should be fine….'
The entire day had been rough, to say the least. In preparation for my young miss's return to the academy, the duke and duchess had spared no expense, ensuring that everything was meticulously arranged to her liking. From personal items to souvenirs for her friends, the mansion buzzed with activity as servants scurried about, making final preparations for her departure.
As I stretched my tired muscles, I couldn't help but feel the ache in my shoulders from hours of carrying trays laden with beverages for the guests who had come to bid farewell to the young miss. The day had passed by in a blur of activity, leaving me drained and weary.
Glancing outside, I could see the first hints of evening descending, signaling that it was time for me to meet the duke at the training grounds. With a heavy sigh, I begrudgingly accepted my fate, knowing that I had no choice but to fulfill my duties.
But as I made my way towards the training grounds, a sense of dread washed over me. The memory of the unsettling encounter from earlier that morning – the unknown, eerie face that had mirrored my own – sent shivers down my spine. And now, to face the ugly gorilla like figure of the duke once again, it felt like nothing short of divine punishment.
'Haah… it's just one problem to the next….'
With a resigned sigh, I trudged onward, steeling myself for what lay ahead. Little did I know, this night would hold even more surprises in store
….
"You're here," the duke muttered, his voice tinged with sadness as he gazed up at the night sky.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked, my eyes narrowing as I observed his demeanor. Were those tears glistening in his eyes? Disgust churned in my stomach at the sight of his emotional display.
Shit….
The moment he turned to look at me was the moment I thought I might be in another nightmare; his face was already hard enough o face normally and now with his saddened look combined it only made It worse.
"Shey~~loRRR!!!"
He wasn't even pronouncing my name properly, just how long did he cry to reach this state?
"Uwaaghh!!!" he cried out loud
"She said she hates me!" he wailed suddenly, his voice cracking with anguish.
I recoiled in horror as he lunged towards me like a charging bull, his cries piercing the quiet night air.
"My baby… m-my dear sweet princesshhh… she-she said she hates me!!!! UWAHHH"
'Fucking hell don't cry you fucking Gorilla.'
This was worse than any nightmare I'd ever had. I watched in horror as he approached, arms outstretched as if seeking solace in a hug.
Without hesitation, I swiftly dodged his advance, sidestepping his outstretched arms.
With a sickening thud, he crashed to the ground, his face landing in the dirt with a dull thud. I couldn't help but feel a perverse sense of satisfaction as he lay there, mouth agape and covered in filth.
"Why did you dodge?!" he demanded angrily, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Why shouldn't I?" I retorted, my voice dripping with contempt. After all, why should I offer comfort to a man who probably was at fault here?
"This was supposed to be our moment, you know! At least comfort me like the man you are!" the duke exclaimed, his voice filled with desperation.
"What the actual fuck are you saying?" I retorted incredulously.
'Since when was it considered manly to comfort another man?'
There was no way I was going to indulge him in his self-pitying nonsense.
Whatever had caused my young miss to hate him was likely his own fault, and I had no intention of placating him.
"So, you're cursing at me now?" he snapped, his anger palpable. "I was planning to be lenient with you today after yesterday's incident, but seeing as how you're so energetic, our training will be twice as hard!"
With a furious flourish, he grabbed onto a sword using sword telekinesis with his aura and hurled it towards me.
"COME, YOU FUCKER! A MAD BASTARD LIKE YOU NEEDS TO GET BEATEN UP AND TAUGHT A LESSON!"
I flinched as the blade sailed past me, narrowly missing its mark. What had gotten into him? Normally, he scoffed at my curses whenever we spoke.
But I could only surmise that being hated by his own daughter had pushed him over the edge.
'I guess the young miss truly is his greatest weakness…'
It seemed that even the mighty duke was not immune to the sting of rejection and hatred…
The moment I caught the sword he threw, he launched into another attack, relentless in his assault.
It was clear that this muscle-headed gorilla preferred brawn over brains. What was the point of that oversized head of his?
'Did he even possess a brain in the first place?'
Our swords clashed once more, and I could feel the force of his strikes bearing down on me with even greater intensity than before. This wasn't just a spar anymore; he was deadly serious.
Despite my desire to ask about what had happened yesterday, I knew it would have to wait until he had calmed down. So, for hours on end, the duke and I battled it out. And of course, I lost – spectacularly. My face was a canvas of bruises and cuts, the result of being pummeled relentlessly by the gorilla. He wasn't kidding about making our training twice as hard.
As I lay on the ground, coughing up blood, he merely stood over me, his expression unreadable. It was as if he expected me to rise and continue the fight.
"Hey is that all you got you inconsiderate brat?!" he shouted.
"…"
I wanted to give up now and rest, I had too many things to think about and solve… I had no time for his emotional bullshit.
But looking up at him through swollen eyes, I felt a surge of determination.
I may have been thoroughly beaten, but I was determined to land at least one hit.
'Ugh..!!'
Cough…! Cough…!
Of course, it turned out to be nothing more than a futile fantasy as I was quickly overwhelmed once again when I attempted to stand.
….
With a heavy thud, my backside hit the ground, signaling the absolute limit of my endurance. But even then, the duke and I didn't cease our relentless sparring. He continued to push me, hurling insults and forcing me to consume the healing potions he had prepared. Weren't those things expensive? How could he be so cavalier about wasting them? If the financial manager of this household caught wind of it, they'd likely faint at the thought.
I was so exhausted that I couldn't even muster the strength to lift myself up, even when I reached for the sword lying on the ground for support. All I wanted was to rest, to escape from the relentless onslaught of the duke's training.
"You're starting to see it again, huh," he suddenly commented, breaking the tense silence between us.
"See what?" I replied, confused by his cryptic remark.
"The path," he clarified.
Ah, yes, he had mentioned that before – the notion that I could see some sort of path. Wasn't it called the sword path? But even if he claimed I was beginning to see it again, it wasn't as clear as it had been before. The white lines that always seemed to manifest when I cut through the air, leading me to the flesh and bones of those I had struck down – they weren't exactly prominent during my sparring sessions with the duke.
'In the past maybe I could see it clearly but now…'
Maybe it had something to do with my opponent's strength…. if so, it wasn't a reliable way to gauge someone's strength.
"Your sword sense is also good, probably even better than when you went mad yesterday... your essence, well, you would have to work on that. If my hunch on what happened to you yesterday was true, then you're greatly fucked!" the duke remarked casually. It was perplexing – was he seriously training me despite his earlier outburst? Perhaps he wasn't even mad in the first place. And why did he keep talking without explaining everything?
"Hey, can you at least tell me what exactly happened yesterday—" I began, but he didn't let me finish my words as he kept rumbling on.
"In just a few days, your aura will probably manifest. Well, that is if you can see your world by then. Whether you accept it or not is up to you," he continued, flashing me a smile that resembled a gorilla.
"You're training with me is complete. Well done! You're free to go now," he declared before disappearing like a cloud of smoke.
'Did he seriously just leave me here?'