Head Butler of the Fallen Villainess-Chapter 100 - 21th Days (2) | A Farewell… and an Overlooked Detail

A few hours had passed since the friendly bout between Sebas and Martha, with both of them having to clean up the new mess they'd made from their duel—which, fortunately, was only minimal damage in comparison to the previous one.

And now, at the entrance of Anastasia's walled region, all of its denizens had gathered along with their guest of honor—this time, not for battle, but to send her off and bid farewell to the woman who had, in one way or another, shaken their quiet frontier.

Leading them at the front was Anastasia, her steps steady as she walked ahead, the others naturally following in her trail.

Among them, Martha was still grumbling under her breath, clearly not over her defeat.

"Ugh... I almost had him that time," she muttered, crossing her arms in frustration.

"U-uhm... don't be so down, M-Miss Martha, y-you did your best back then—! Y-yes...!" Bella chimed in from beside her, hands nervously clasped together as she tried to console the knight. "A-and, well, y-you're improving a lot…! I-I mean, Sir Sebas wouldn't say that if he didn't mean it… r-right...?"

"Well, of course, I meant it, Miss Maid~."

"Wah—?!"

The man in question suddenly chimed in beside the poor, startled maid, smoothly inserting himself into their conversation.

"I'd say Miss Knight here is slowly getting better at handling her swordsmanship," Sebas remarked with an amused glint in his eye, his arms crossed as he nodded approvingly. "So, I'm looking forward to seeing her progress."

Hearing the rather genuine praise left Martha taken aback, surprised... and then somewhat flustered by it. She quickly turned her head away, trying to hide the faint redness creeping onto her face.

"T-thanks..." she muttered, clearing her throat as if to shake off the warmth rising in her chest.

As if to interrupt the moment, Vivian—now holding the familiar bloody bag filled with monster materials she'd hunted a few days ago—let out a long, exaggerated sigh.

Everyone naturally shifted their attention to the female adventurer, who stood before them with a melancholic smile, her gaze briefly lingering on the simplistic yet charming entrance of the walled region.

"...Well, well~ I suppose this is where I say my goodbyes," she mused, lifting the bloody bag slightly as she passed Anastasia.

But then, she turned around, and her melancholic smile shifted into one of genuine gratitude—especially toward the red-haired lord.

"My lord, thank you so much for your hospitality and all that," she said smoothly, before adding, almost too casually, "Oh! And also… sorry about the trouble."

The words left her lips so naturally that, for a brief moment, everyone stood frozen in place, somewhat taken aback by the unexpected apology from this rowdy adventurer.

But then...

"…sigh, honestly..."

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A sigh escaped Anastasia's lips. But... rather than exasperation, there was a small, tired smile on her face as she regarded the unpredictable adventurer.

"You are forgiven, Miss Vivi," the red-haired lord replied, her voice carrying the grace befitting of nobility. "But please… next time, I hope you refrain from going on another rampage when you visit."

Vivi blinked for a moment, somewhat surprised by Anastasia's leniency... before her surprise melted into a mischievous smile.

"Next time, you say~?" she echoed playfully, tilting her head as if she had just caught something amusing. "I didn't think you'd miss me that much, my lord~."

Anastasia merely let out another sigh at the adventurer's teasing, rubbing her temple as if already regretting her choice of words.

"You're an S-Rank Adventurer, and from what I can already tell, this place is practically your playground, isn't it?" she muttered, shaking her head in resignation. "Not to mention… now that I know there's likely nothing that can actually stop you from visiting... I might as well accept this new reality."

A beat of silence, Vivi's expression briefly frozen... but then—

"Pfft—AHAHAHA!"

The female adventurer threw her head back in laughter, finding the noblewoman's resigned acceptance utterly endearing.

Naturally, her boisterous laughter earned an exasperated sigh from Anastasia herself, along with wry smiles from her three servants.

But eventually... her laughter softened into a smile—a more subdued one.

Then... a rare moment of seriousness etched onto the Sonic Thief's expression as her gaze shifted back to the region behind her.

"…You know... I really do hope this place of yours becomes something great, Lord Anastasia," Vivi said, her voice quieter now, her eyes reflecting something almost wistful. "A haven for people like me… and for many others as well."

The unexpected sincerity in her words caught everyone off guard.

For a moment, they simply watched her, slightly surprised and taken aback...

But then... a smile formed on Anastasia's lips.

"I'll try to live up to your expectations, Miss Vivi," the red-haired lord responded, her voice carrying a quiet yet firm resolve.

And seeing this, Sebas at her side couldn't help but let out a small chuckle—his own quiet sign of approval for his mistress with a smile of his own.

But, just as the moment settled...

Vivian suddenly turned toward them.

But this time, there was something else in her expression—a glint of mischief.

And her gaze shifted directly to Sebas—!

Both Sebas and Anastasia stiffened slightly, their instincts flaring up—a silent warning of whatever trick the mischievous female adventurer was about to pull...!

And then—The Sonic Thief made her move—!

In a swift, almost playful stride, she closed the distance, rising onto her tiptoes—her face suddenly mere inches from Sebas's own.

"Whoah—?!"

"W-what—?!"

Sebas flinched back, instinctively stepping away from the sudden intrusion of his personal space!

And Anastasia—her breath hitched as she witnessed the bold advance Vivi was making toward her butler. Even Martha and Bella were caught off guard, their expressions flashing with shock.

"W-w-what are you doing, Miss Vivi?!" Anastasia demanded, her surprise quickly twisting into something sharper—annoyance, frustration... and something else.

A strange, unwelcome yet somewhat familiar tugging sensation in her chest.

But the bold female adventurer simply ignored the red-haired lord's rising protests.

"Mhm~," Vivian hummed, her mischievous smile lingering as she met Sebas's gaze.

"…What are you trying to do?" the butler finally asked, his tone neutral yet edged with caution.

Vivian didn't answer right away.

Instead, her smile shifted—turning softer... before she leaned in just a little closer.

"…You held something back, didn't you?" she whispered, her voice just low enough for only him to hear. "I could tell from your face last night… when you told them all of those things… you didn't tell them everything, right...?"

Sebas's expression remained unreadable.

But—

The subtle narrowing of his eyes did not escape the Sonic Thief's sharp gaze.

Because... she was right.

He had not revealed the full truth behind the conspiracy—the scandal surrounding the Crown and, more specifically, the Crown Prince himself...

Because there was one thing—one singular truth—that, if spoken, might shake Anastasia's resolve... might interfere with her growth as a leader… and as a person.

And he couldn't bring himself to reveal that truth...

Not yet, at least.

And Vivian—while she didn't know what that truth was—had still pieced together that something wasn't adding up. Something was missing from the whole picture.

But even so... she didn't push further.

Instead...

A soft chuckle escaped her lips.

"Hah~ You've always been the sentimental type," she teased, stepping back, the amusement returning to her features.

As she withdrew from his personal space, Sebas exhaled—not in relief, but in acknowledgment of her understanding.

Vivian then turned—toward Anastasia, Martha, and Bella, all of whom were still taken aback, still processing the somewhat intimate exchange with varying degrees of confusion... and, in Anastasia's case, an unshakable discomfort she still couldn't quite place.

"Well, my dear lord~," the female adventurer drawled, her usual playful tone returning, "I'll be sure to spread the word about this place of yours. I'm sure plenty of adventurers would love to hear about it~"

Anastasia blinked for a moment. Both Martha and Bella looked equally surprised as well.

The red-haired noblewoman was still cooling down from the earlier frustration that had welled up inside of her... but eventually, she mellowed out, gathering her composure before facing the Sonic Thief.

"…I suppose that's not a bad thing," Anastasia admitted before exhaling once more. "Very well. I'll take you up on that offer, Miss Vivian. Thank you."

Vivian couldn't help but giggle upon hearing Anastasia's begrudging tone.

"Awww~, look at you, actually thanking me~."

And Anastasia merely gave her a dry look... the kind that said she already regretted those words.

"Please do not get used to it," she said flatly, earning another snicker from the female adventurer.

But before the banter could continue—

Vivian suddenly paused. Her smile faded into a slightly puzzled expression as she tilted her head.

"...What's wrong, Miss Vivi?" Anastasia asked, brow slightly furrowed in concern—a sentiment shared by everyone else.

"Wait… my lord..." she murmured, turning to Anastasia, a finger tapping against her lips in thought. "...What is this place of yours even called, anyway?"

Silence.

Dead silence.

Everyone's expressions turned blank as realization settled in.

Because they had only just realized it now.

Anastasia, Sebas, Martha, and Bella all simultaneously turned their gazes toward the frontier settlement behind them—the place they had all poured their sweat and blood into building.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

And yet... they had not yet figured out the name for this place.