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Chapter 16
“But.”
At my words, Robber paused and looked back at me.
I flashed a confident smile at him and spoke.
“I can at least tell you one of the choices you have.”
“Excuse me?”
“How about becoming my person?”
For a moment, Robber blinked in confusion.
“You mean… your person, Lady Bellady?”
I said nothing more—just looked at him.
After a brief silence, understanding dawned on Robber’s face, and he jumped in place.
“The head butler must remain neutral and not side with any household faction!”
“And are you being neutral right now?”
“Of course!”
Then, after darting his eyes around a bit, he added quietly,
“Probably.”
“Was it Charles who said a butler must be neutral?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“You’re so good at listening to Charles, so how do you expect to step out of his shadow?”
“Well…”
As he hesitated, I continued in a soft voice.
“It’s not that hard, Robber.”
I could feel him leaning in, listening closely.
While sorting today’s paperwork, I went on.
“Right now, you prioritize the Duke’s orders above all else because he’s the master of this household, right?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Being my person just means changing that priority a little. You listen to me before you listen to my father.”
“But…”
“Father barely gives you any instructions anyway. Has he ever?”
Robber frowned slightly and shook his head.
“No, he hasn’t.”
“Exactly. So no one would even notice if you were on my side. And even if they did, who cares? You’re the head butler managing the inner workings of the estate. Isn’t it natural to take orders from the one in charge of internal affairs?”
Robber seemed to understand and nodded slowly. I smiled at him.
“Take your time to think it over. If you have nothing else to say, you may leave.”
“Ah… yes! Thank you so much today!”
Robber, now back to his usual energy, left the office.
‘He bounces back fast—must be all the crying.’
Just as I finished that thought, there was a knock, and two people entered.
“Lady Bellady.”
“How was my acting today, my lady?”
It was Stia and William—no, Zeppelin.
I gave Zeppelin a sly grin.
“You made sure no one saw you come in, right?”
“Even if someone did—”
Zeppelin tapped his face lightly.
His face began to shift and change.
“—I came in like this.”
A completely different face, voice, and figure now stood where William had been.
Stia clicked her tongue.
“Don’t play around with my magic.”
She snapped her fingers, and the illusion faded. William’s face returned—Zeppelin’s true face.
“Hahaha! It’s been so long since I’ve done something like this—I got a little too excited!”
He looked quite pleased.
I laughed with him.
“Well done, both of you. Especially you, Zeppelin. Your performance was flawless.”
“Thank you, my lady. Acting is a key skill for a Watcher.”
“And Stia, your magic was excellent as always.”
“Thank you, Lady Bellady.”
That’s right.
The “William” who had toyed with Robber all day was actually Zeppelin, disguised with transformation magic.
I looked at the siblings anew.
Transformation magic wasn’t that difficult in itself, but maintaining it naturally over time was very challenging. And this mansion had several security enchantments that could detect specific magic types.
‘Though I did intentionally weaken the second floor’s wards.’
Still, it wasn’t easy to fool everyone while sustaining that disguise.
And paired with Zeppelin’s unexpected talent for acting—it had quite the synergistic effect.
‘With skills like that, he could be a spy anywhere.’
This time it was just to deceive Robber, but next time… I’d use them on a much bigger stage.
“So, what happened to the real William?”
“Sixteen years ago, he was dealt with by the Duke’s orders,” Zeppelin said calmly.
“It was officially a punishment for betrayal,” Stia added.
I fell silent for a moment.
At first, I’d intended to find the real William. It felt like a waste to use both Stia and Zeppelin just to sway Robber.
Then Zeppelin told me something new—
‘William was actually a spy…’
When my father found out, he had the Watchers eliminate him swiftly. He told my mother—who had just given birth to me—that William had quit to care for his sick wife.
‘This wasn’t in the original story…’
Maybe it was too far in the past for the novel to mention.
“So you never found out why he betrayed the family?”
Stia shook her head.
“No. He never said who he worked for, or why he did it.”
“I see…”
“Should we investigate further?”
“…No, that’s enough.”
It was a curious case, but I decided to let it go.
‘I’ve got bigger problems right now.’
That’s when Zeppelin smiled proudly.
“Congratulations. The head butler is now in your hands, Lady Bellady.”
“Brother, isn’t that a bit premature? We don’t know for sure yet,” Stia countered.
“Didn’t you see the look on Robber’s face when he left?”
I chimed in.
“What did he look like?”
“He was dazed, but his eyes were sparkling. Like a child who received an unexpected gift.”
Zeppelin chuckled.
“I’ve felt this for a while—Robber Wehassen is surprisingly easy to handle.”
“That’s great, then.”
I leaned back in my chair, wearing a satisfied smile.
‘Emily was already on my side. Robber’s been won over. The estate is under control…’
“Time to begin proper training.”
Zeppelin’s eyes lit up.
“All preparations are complete. Just say the word.”
He looked just like a child who’d been given a present.
So really, there wasn’t much difference between him and Robber.
“Haaah, brother…”
Stia sighed deeply, clearly thinking the same thing I was.
*
“How was training, Lady Bellady?”
After training, I was resting in the shade when Zeppelin came over with a water bottle.
I took it and replied,
“It’s manageable.”
“Manageable?”
Zeppelin sat beside me with a shocked expression.
“You’re doing way more than our seasoned Watchers.”
“Zeppelin, this is the bare minimum to be called a genius.”
My half-joke, half-truth made him smile.
“You’re not just a genius. You’re a genius among geniuses.”
Well, obviously. I’m the big brother(?) of this novel’s heroine.
And everyone knows—if you’re in the main character’s family, you have to be insanely talented at something.
“If the knights of House Elton saw your progress, their morale would be in shambles.”
“Really? How skilled am I now?”
Zeppelin replied with complete seriousness,
“You’ve already surpassed most Watchers. You’d have no trouble against new knights—or even many experienced ones.”
His voice grew more excited as he continued.
“To reach this level in just half a year… not even the Duke was like this! I’ve had to stop myself from bragging about you every day. They all obsess over Meldor just because he’s the heir. But the real deal is right here—next to me, Zeppelin Vinsent!”
Zeppelin’s overflowing praise kept pouring out.
I took another sip of water, listening quietly.
‘For someone so stoic, he’s surprisingly dramatic.’
As he rambled on, my mind drifted.
Half a year ago, the day after everything with “William,” Robber came to me and dropped to one knee. Just like a knight making a vow of loyalty.
—From now on, I’ll follow Lady Bellady for the rest of my life! Like the knights I admired as a child—I’ll serve only one lord!
He must’ve read that somewhere.
Since then, time had flown by. Two seasons had passed, and winter was fast approaching.
During that time, I’d been busy managing the estate and undergoing Zeppelin’s intense training.
So busy, in fact, I could count on one hand how often I’d seen my father or Meldor.
‘Not that our few encounters were very pleasant.’
Still, I’d successfully seized control of the estate’s staff. They now watched me more than my father or Meldor and followed my lead.
Naturally—since I managed their salaries.
In society, people follow whoever feeds them—or in this case, pays them.
My parents and Meldor were too indifferent to bother micromanaging, but I was a demanding boss.
With Robber and Emily as my people, of course the staff would be mindful of my moods.
I also gave them plenty of carrots—literally in the form of bonuses.
‘In the end, everything’s about making a living.’
From the first renovation of the mansion until now, I had consistently given out special bonuses as promised.
And because of that, their loyalty had only grown stronger.
‘Money really is the best motivator.’
While I reminisced, Zeppelin—who had been praising me nonstop—suddenly changed the subject.
“Ah, by the way. Didn’t you say you had an appointment today?”
“Oh, that’s right.”
I stood up and dusted the grass off my pants.
“Zeppelin, you said I’m already on par with most knights, right?”
“Yes! Without question!”
“Good. Then it’s time for what both you and I have been wanting to do.”
“…Which is?”
Zeppelin tilted his head.
I stepped out of the shade and into the sunlight, smiling broadly.
“Bragging about myself.”
