Head Butler of the Fallen Villainess-Chapter 88 : 19th Days (10) | The Aftermath of A Messy, Flimsy Secret

Sebastian… Sebas scanned through the 'battlefield' where he and his 'former adventurer' buddy, Vivi, had clashed…

And he couldn't help but facepalm at the sight.

The ground was a mess—scarred with deep grooves and uneven patches where their movements had torn through the earth.

Scattered debris littered the area, kicked up by the sheer force of their exchanges. Yet, for all the chaos... the damage was mostly contained.

Thankfully, their fight had taken place mostly in a relatively empty lot near the top-left section of Anastasia's walled domain, sparing the more occupied and crucial areas from destruction.

That sheer fact alone was a relief for the head butler...

But even so…

Sebas exhaled through his nose, irritation quite evident on his face—because now, he was going to have to clean up this mess.

On the sidelines...

Anastasia, Martha, and Bella—the mistress and her two aides—stood frozen.

Stunned.

Mouths agape, they had just witnessed what was both the most climactic and anti-climactic end to a duel.

Not to mention… the single most unique—and possibly most humiliating—way for someone to be taken down.

And yet, there he was, Sebas, their head butler... already shifting into work mode, scanning the aftermath of the battlefield... possibly thinking of how to clean up the mess he'd made...

All while completely ignoring—no, possibly abandoning—his supposed "sparring" partner, who remained sprawled out in the most un-ladylike position imaginable.

Though, eventually, the butler's eyes landed on the three of them... and his serious expression mellowed out into a small smile.

"Yo~! Guys~!" he called, nonchalantly waving at them.

And they could only blink, staring at his cheerier demeanor. They weren't exactly in the right state of mind considering the chaotic turn of events that had just happened...

And Sebas himself noticed this quite well as he approached them.

"Lady Ana," he called once more, specifically to the redheaded mistress of his, his usual composed expression softening into concern, "...are you three alright?"

That snapped them out of it—at least, for Anastasia, who blinked again before nodding.

"Y-Yes… I'm fine," she confirmed, though there was still hesitation in her voice—one that was not missed by the butler.

The butler himself... studied her carefully... remembering how shaken she had been earlier...

And he couldn't help but feel guilty over it, remembering once more that Anastasia WAS still dealing with her own 'demon'—the 'incident' with the Crown Prince.

So, much to their surprise... he bowed his head.

"—! S-Sir Sebas...?!"

"...My apologies," a somber, yet sincere tone laced his voice. "I... I messed up. Literally, I've just made a mess of your region, my lady…"

"S-Sir Sebas..."

"But that's not all," he added, his voice lowering slightly, tinged with regret. "I'm sorry for my carelessness. I should have stopped Vivi before she caused trouble in your domain."

Anastasia opened her mouth, as if to refute him—but then hesitated. Her fingers lightly curled into her dress, her gaze wavering.

She wasn't sure how to respond... whether to accept his apology or reject it entirely. A mix of emotions swirled inside her, making it hard to form the right words—

But suddenly—

"I'm sorry!"

"—!"

Bella's voice broke through the moment, startling everyone. They all immediately turned their heads to the flustered maid.

"B-Bella…? What are you apologizing for?" Anastasia inquired, her previous nervousness turning into confusion, but more so toward worry for her blonde maid.

The young maid herself... clenched her fists, her face filled with guilt.

"I... I-I'm sorry, everyone," she continued to apologize, choking on her tears that were threatening to spill. "T-This… t-this whole thing with Miss Vivi suddenly attacking Sir Sebas—it was my fault!"

She finally managed to confess, her voice shaking. "I blurted out S-Sir Sebas's name… a-and I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret…"

Silence fell over them.

Anastasia and Martha exchanged looks, both of them looking guilty themselves.

After all… they had known about the circumstances behind his name. They had been trying to keep it secret, especially in front of the Sonic Thief, in respect to the butler's wish for anonymity.

But... they'd neglected to inform the maid.

And so, with a knowing glance at each other...

"I'm... sorry, Bella," Martha said sincerely. "I should have explained things to you properly."

"Indeed, I should have as well," Anastasia admitted with a regretful nod. "I apologize for my blunder, Bella..."

...They both apologized.

"H-huh?"

However, that only made Bella more flustered.

"W-Wait! N-no—! Y-you don't have to apologize to me—! E-especially L-L-lady Anastasia—!"

But even so, the two of them couldn't just let it slide, the guilt clearly evident on their faces as they looked at the overwhelmed maid.

And Sebas, who had been watching from the side... felt a bit frustrated.

Not just because of his guilt—that alone was already enough of a headache—but more so because he felt this whole exchange was going in circles.

"God, this is never going to end, is it...?"

"S-Sir Sebas? Did you say something?" Anastasia blinked, tilting her head slightly.

And eventually...

"Sigh!"

"W-what-?!"

He let out a big sigh that startled everyone—! Instantly snapping their attention to him.

"S-Sir Sebas...?" Bella was the first to react, her voice small, uncertain. The tears that had been on the verge of spilling were held back by his sudden interruption.

"...Look, again, I should have neutralized any threats before they became a problem," he admitted, before his gaze softened. "But more importantly... I should have been more upfront about myself with all of you. This whole mess was because I was being half-assed about this whole secrecy thing... and now it came back to bite me."

Their silent yet conflicted expressions said it all; none of them could refute his words.

Then, his gaze landed on Anastasia.

"Lady Ana... I did promise you that I'd tell you... everything, right?"

"...Yes, you did."

"...And I will. I'll tell you... and even you two as well," his gaze shifted to both Martha and then Bella, "...about who I am, and why I took this position as a head butler."

The three of them were visibly taken aback; surprised!

They somewhat knew how delicate the circumstances were regarding his employment with Anastasia… yet, here he was, willing to open up.

The weight of his words lingered over them, leaving the three women silent.

But then—

"Later," he added, snapping them out of their thoughts as he gestured toward the still-ruined landscape of Anastasia's domain.

With Vivi still knocked out in the background, still sprawled out in a rather undignified position for all to see.

"...Let's put that discussion aside until AFTER I clean up this mess."

And with that, his gaze shifted toward the ruined lodge house behind them… a bittersweet smile forming on his lips.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

"...And I really am sorry about that, too," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know how much effort you all put into that place."

The three ladies turned to the wreckage, their expressions souring as the reality of their ruined lodge settled in…

And it only piled onto the butler's already mounting guilt.

"...I'll rebuild it, from the bottom up if I have to," he declared, surprising everyone. "...Alone, alright? That's my punishment for all of this—"

"Not a chance, Sir Butler," Martha interrupted, arms crossed. "We're all responsible for it."

"Huh...? Ugh... look, don't feel bad for me, alright—"

"She's right, Sir Sebas," Anastasia cut him off before he could argue further. "That lodge was something we built together… and we should rebuild it together, too."

"...Lady Ana..."

"T-that's right! W-we should all rebuild it together—!" Bella chimed in, fighting back against her nervousness as she wiped the corner of her eyes, clenching her fists with determination. "I... I'll do my best to help, too!"

Sebas was taken aback by their unwavering stubbornness; despite everything, they still insisted on sharing the burden with him.

For a moment, he debated pushing back against their decision… but then, he sighed, a small, resigned chuckle escaping his lips.

"...It can't be helped, huh," he mused, a familiar smile of amusement gracing his face—the same one the three ladies had come to know well.

Then, turning to Anastasia with a knowing look, he spoke—

"Lady Ana... if you would?"

She knew what he meant—her role as both their master and as the lord of this (temporarily ruined) region of hers.

Her face brightened amidst the night, renewed determination shining in her eyes.

She took a deep breath.

"Everyone," she declared, her voice firm, unwavering, "starting tomorrow, we'll rebuild this lodge—together."

Her gaze swept across her three servants; her expression resolute.

"No one shoulders this burden alone. We'll clean up the aftermath, assess the damages, and restore what was lost… as a household..." a warm yet determined smile curled on her lips, "my household."

They all collectively nodded to her resolve, firm smiles forming on their own.

"And until then…" Anastasia gestured toward the unconscious Vivi, her brow twitching slightly. "Someone, please move her somewhere less... unsightly."

Despite the exhaustion of the night, despite the mess surrounding them, a small chuckle passed between them.

And as one—Sebas, Martha, and Bella placed a hand over their chests, bowing their heads in perfect unison—!

"As you wish, my lady!"