Head Butler of the Fallen Villainess-Chapter 82 : 19th Days (4) | The Resolve of a Lord (1)

Silence.

Everything fell into silence.

The moment The Sonic Thief's words left her lips, the air in the room suddenly grew heavy—thick with something unspoken yet painfully present.

Everyone else at the table froze, utensils hovering mid-air, as if time itself had stalled.

Martha and Bella's eyes went wide, their mouths parting in stunned disbelief. Bella, in particular, trembled slightly—then, with a faint clatter, her spoon slipped from her grasp, landing onto the wooden tray with a sharp, ringing note.

Sebas, too, remained silent. His brows lifted ever so slightly in initial surprise, but his gaze quickly narrowed, sharpening as it settled upon the female adventurer.

And at the center of it all, Anastasia quietly lowered her utensil. Her movements were slow, deliberate. Her green eyes, once softened by the warmth of the meal, darkened as they locked onto Vivi—dangerous and unreadable.

Their shock and disbelief were quite apparent—like this brazen adventurer had just uttered the unspeakable. No... as if she had struck down something sacred without a second thought.

Yet, the woman who had thrown out those words so carelessly into the air remained unfazed. She simply picked up another bite of her meal, chewing idly as if she hadn't just shattered the unspoken rule of the room...

Nay, the rule of the region itself.

The heavy silence continued, gripping the air with an unrelenting weight.

Anastasia herself... hesitated for a moment. She tried to part her lips—tried to speak her thoughts—but hesitation and the uncertainty of truth held her back.

But eventually, someone else broke the silence—

"You damn scoundrel adventurer...!"

The sharp outburst cut through the air.

All eyes turned toward the source—!

Lady Anastasia's knight, Martha!

A dark shadow marred the knight's expression; her fists trembled and clenched hard...

Then—

BANG!

—with a sharp slam, she struck the wooden surface, startling both Bella and Anastasia!

She stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor, and leveled a deathly glare across the table at the still-nonchalant Vivi!

"I've had enough of your foolishness!" Martha seethed, her voice low but brimming with barely contained fury. "First, you trespass into Lady Anastasia's territory without her permission... Then, you belittle her hospitality and kindness...! And now this—?! You dare to insult my lady's honor?!!!"

Vivi blinked, tilting her head, an almost innocent curiosity in her expression.

"Wait... so Lady Anastasia isn't an exile?"

"—!" Martha's face twisted with fury. "...Such blasphemous words—!"

Before she could finish, another voice, timid yet firm, joined in—

"Miss Vivi... Lady Anastasia is not an exile."

It was Bella...!

Despite her usual meek demeanor... she had risen from her chair, standing beside Martha. Her hands clenched into trembling fists; her breath uneven...

But she held her ground—for her mistress's honor.

"Lady Anastasia..." Bella continued, her voice shaking, "...is a respectable noble and a good lord. She was not exiled—she was never exiled—but entrusted with the grand task of governing this land... and turning it into a land worthy of her nobility... all for the sake of the Kingdom of Florentia itself!"

The maid swallowed hard... trying her best to maintain her own composure... before she continued, "So... please... do not tarnish her grace any further. I—I ask that you apologize to Lady Anastasia at once!"

Anastasia's breath caught.

She stared at her two servants—one fiercely protective, the other unexpectedly bold. Their unwavering loyalty pressed against her chest, heavy with warmth... and guilt.

Because deep down—beneath their steadfast belief—she knew the truth was not so simple.

Vivi, still unfazed, merely echoed Bella's words with mild curiosity. "Grand task, huh? That's a first I've heard."

Anastasia, uncertain, shifted her gaze. Her eyes landed on the one person in the room who held the most rational mind...

Sebas.

He remained calm, watching her.

In fact, he'd been watching her from the very start. He had been assessing the situation calmly and was prepared to intervene at any given moment...

And only if it was what was best for the situation.

She saw his expression—unreadable at first... but, slowly, he gave her a nod.

And with that single, silent gesture... she understood.

'I got your back. So... speak your mind.'

She exhaled... steadying herself... then turned toward Martha and Bella.

"...Enough."

Her words were firm, composed.

"Please, both of you. Sit down."

"M-My lady—?!"

They both stiffened at the request.

"B-But, Lady Anastasia—!" Martha started—

"I appreciate your support." The mistress cut her off, her tone remaining firm; unwavering... though gratitude flickered in her gaze. "Truly... However, this is my conversation to have. I will not allow you to be rude to our guest of honor."

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Martha clenched her jaw, glaring daggers at Vivi, but ultimately, she obeyed. Bella followed suit, though worry still lingered in her eyes, and both of them returned to their seats.

Once they settled, Anastasia turned to Vivi.

"Miss Vivi... I thank you for your patience," she said, her voice polite yet stern. "Now—clarify your words."

Vivi blinked at first, still as if unsure what the red-haired lord was requesting of her. But then, as if replaying the moment in her head and finally remembering...

"What...? About you being exiled?"

A bitter pang struck Anastasia's chest at the mere mention of that word—exile.

"...Yes." She steadied herself. "Please... explain how you came to that conclusion."

"Hmm..."

Vivi hummed in thought... before shrugging.

"Well, it's a pretty common rumor floating around the Guild."

"...Rumor?"

"A rumor has been going around in Florentia, especially within the Guild, saying that a noble was just recently getting sent—or exiled—to the Garden of Hell as punishment for their crime."

At the word 'crime,' Anastasia flinched once more. The same kind of bitterness, if not greater than before.

The Sonic Thief herself didn't seem to notice the red-haired lord's momentary reaction and simply continued, "And well, I also heard that the eldest daughter of Duke Rosavich went missing, so I just put two and two together."

Silence.

Anastasia. Martha. Bella.

All three were wordless.

Because despite being a mere rumor—there was an undeniable truth within Vivi's words.

Martha and Bella turned to their mistress, worry clouding their faces.

But Anastasia... only sat there, downcast and silent...

On the other hand, Sebas remained still, watching. Waiting. He contemplated whether to intervene—

But he noticed something.

Slowly... Anastasia finally lifted her head—Her emerald eyes burned with renewed determination...!