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I stepped out of line and approached the Grand Duke, delivering the greeting I had prepared in advance.
“Your Grace, on behalf of the Mars Knights and all of us here, I sincerely welcome you home. Every servant of the ducal estate has been eagerly awaiting your return with one heart.”
I added that all this honor and glory would surely light the path of House Valot’s future.
The pitch of my voice was even, the pace neither too fast nor too slow, and my pronunciation was precise and clear.
Not a single flaw.
Maintaining my polite posture, I silently praised myself.
The fruits of hard work are sweet indeed!
Straightening my back, I looked the Grand Duke squarely in the eyes. Behind him stood the Mars Knights.
Perhaps because I was the one giving the welcome speech on behalf of all the servants, a ripple of murmurs ran through the once-stiff ranks of knights.
Some of them must have heard rumors that I had become the new butler of the ducal house, but others clearly hadn’t.
I could understand their surprise.
The Grand Duke stood before me, studying me quietly for a long moment. Only after the murmurs died down did he finally speak, slowly.
“…This is our first meeting, Butler.”
“…”
The rich, low timbre of his voice as he addressed me as “Butler” struck something deep within me.
It felt like a sign of recognition—a feeling so powerful I could barely put it into words.
I had waited so long for this moment.
But I can’t let my guard down now.
This was only the beginning. I needed to stay sharp.
I quickly collected myself and showed him the smile I had practiced countless times in front of the mirror.
“I did my best to keep the promise I made to Your Grace.”
The Grand Duke let out a short, amused huff.
“We’ll see about that in time.”
A pointed remark. Clearly, he was testing me, trying to shake my composure.
But I wasn’t someone who would falter over a single sentence.
Maintaining my smile, I stepped aside to clear the way.
“Please, come in. Your bath and meal are prepared, Your Grace.”
The Grand Duke nodded and turned to look over his knights.
He scanned the tense, still-assembled Mars Knights slowly and carefully, as if locking eyes with each one.
Then he uttered just one word.
“Dismissed.”
“…”
At that moment, a wave of joyous cheers exploded from the knights, breaking the silence.
The Grand Duke turned away from the raucous celebration and began walking toward the mansion.
It wasn’t a flowery speech, nor did he offer thanks for their hard work.
But somehow, I understood the weight of that single word.
Words that only those who returned alive could say, and only those who returned alive could hear.
The look he gave the knights just before he spoke said more than enough.
Behind me, the roar of the knights’ cheers surged like crashing waves.
The knights’ quarters were lively for quite some time.
There were passionate greetings between the returning knights and the staff who had awaited them.
On the first floor, tables were piled high with food, and barrels of liquor were stacked like towers.
“Drink until we drop!” someone shouted.
“Don’t jinx it, we just survived!” another retorted.
Even the silliest jokes drew hearty, unified laughter.
Finally free of tension, the knights were simply enjoying the moment.
As the mood grew more festive, tales of battle began pouring out.
How many enemy heads were taken in a day; what heroic feats were accomplished on the night of the ambush.
Knights and servants alike—those telling stories and those listening—carried on late into the night.
Splash.
I stirred the bathwater I’d prepared earlier with my hand.
Perfect.
Hot enough to loosen the muscles under the skin, but not scalding.
Exactly the temperature I liked best.
After long months on the battlefield, a steaming bath like this was something I came to long for.
The Grand Duke can’t be much different.
Everything seemed ready.
Towels, mild soap, sponge, and bath brush.
I neatly arranged everything the Grand Duke might need for his bath on a small side table.
Then my gaze landed on the soap sitting beside the brush.
I hesitated briefly, then picked it up.
Sniff—… Hoo—… Sniiiiff, huuuh—…
I brought the soap close to my nose and inhaled several times.
Hmm. No, this isn’t it.
Something felt off. The scent of the soap was not the same as the scent I’d noticed on the Grand Duke himself.
He doesn’t use perfume or oils, so how…?
It was like the cool air at dawn deep within an ancient forest—
The earthy smell of soil, the vitality of towering pines that seemed to clear the mind.
Definitely not this soap.
I set it down and turned—
—and froze.
Staring straight at me were violet eyes.
Eek!
I inhaled sharply in shock.
It was the Grand Duke.
When did he come in?!
I hadn’t sensed a thing. He must have deliberately concealed his presence.
That sneaky bastard…
Hiding his presence just to enter his own bathroom? He was definitely toying with me.
Annoyance flared hotly inside me, but I masked it perfectly with a polite smile.
“Welcome, Your Grace.”
“…”
He didn’t reply. Tilting his head slightly, he merely gave a low, thoughtful hum.
I swallowed dryly.
Why… why is he looking at me like that?
Then his gaze shifted—past me, to something behind.
I knew exactly what he was looking at.
The soap…?
Of course. The soap I’d just been sniffing like an idiot.
No way!
He saw that?
How many times did I sniff it? Three? Four?
Panic muddled my memory.
The smile I’d been holding began to twitch at the corners.
“…”
“…”
A suffocating silence filled the air.
The Grand Duke’s gaze returned to me. His violet eyes, sharp beneath narrow lids, pinned me in place.
One eyebrow lifted slightly. Then one corner of his mouth followed.
It was undeniable—he’d seen everything.
Damn it!
Humiliation surged through me. My ears burned like they’d been set on fire; my face was surely as red as a beet.
I decided I needed to get out of there immediately—before my head exploded from embarrassment or my heart gave out.
Forcing my lips into a tight smile, I spoke.
“My apologies for not timing things better. This won’t happen again, Your Grace.”
“…”
I bowed politely and began inching toward the door, avoiding his gaze.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave. If you need anything, please ring the bell on the sid—”
I stopped mid-sentence.
The Grand Duke had started undressing.
Ghk! My breath caught, and my steps froze.
He’d apparently discarded his armor elsewhere; he wore only a thin linen tunic and a black leather belt.
With a few swift motions, the belt hit the floor with a soft thud.
Naturally, the tunic followed.
This crazy—!
My heart plummeted straight into my stomach.
Through the swirling white steam, I caught glimpses of the Grand Duke stepping naked into the bath.
The steam concealed most of his body, but what little I saw was… striking.
So shocking, in fact, that I just stood there, frozen, mouth hanging open.
That’s…
That’s the Grand Duke’s body.
Of all the things I expected to see in this lifetime… this wasn’t one of them.
Splashhh—!
Water overflowed like a waterfall as he sank into the tub.
The sound jolted me back to my senses.
Nope. Time to run.
Whether it was the steam or my racing heart, my vision swam.
If I stay, my heart will give out before my brain catches up.
He had his back turned. It was my chance.
I lunged toward the door, hand outstretched for the golden handle—
—when the memories of the past two years flashed through my mind like a lantern slide.
…Wait.
Run away? Over a bit of soap sniffing and accidental nudity?
I couldn’t throw away my position as butler over something so absurd.
I’m the Duke’s one and only butler now.
I lowered my hand from the doorknob and slowly turned back.
The Grand Duke’s back was visible through the steam.
Come on. I’ve seen plenty of naked men before.
Expression blank, I looked at the back of his head for a moment, then calmly bent down to collect his discarded clothes from the floor, one by one.
After living practically on the battlefield, I’d seen more knights naked than I cared to count.
There was nothing to be shocked about.
There shouldn’t be, anyway…
Straightening up with the clothes in hand, I glanced toward the bath again.
The tub was one of the largest and most luxurious I’d ever seen.
And yet, with him sitting in it, it looked small.
His arms rested wide along the rim, and the muscles of his torso stood out in sharp, defined lines.
Without realizing it, my eyes traced those contours.
Snap out of it!
I shook my head vigorously, breaking the spell, and turned away.
I really need to leave now.
This was a good enough place to end things.
Holding his clothes tightly, I tiptoed toward the door.
Then—
“Butler.”
The Grand Duke’s voice, deep and heavy like shackles, caught me mid-step.
