Villain Family’s Strongest Butler

“She has monstrous stamina. It’s quite different from how frail she looks on the outside.”

Norbert clicked his tongue as he spoke of Freya.
The doctor had said that she wouldn’t regain consciousness until the next morning at the earliest.
“And I doubt the Grand Duke’s personal physician would lie,” Norbert muttered.
Despite her weak-looking exterior, she seemed remarkably strong on the inside.
None of it made sense. The incredible stamina, the aura already awakened in her body –
“She’s definitely suspicious,” he grumbled, “but turning the place upside down didn’t reveal anything worth taking her life for.

The fact that she had lost her memories was no reason to treat her like a monster.
Nor could it justify executing her just because she was found on Teridana Beach.
Norbert sighed. “Starting tomorrow, I plan to teach her her duties while keeping an eye on her.”

“I’ll leave her training to you,” Cardian said.
“She’s probably too frightened to move around right now. She’s probably resting in bed, if she has any sense at all,” Norbert replied, remembering his recent conversation with Freya.

“Oh-she called herself Freya…”

Cardian, who had been signing documents with casual disinterest, froze the moment he heard this. The abrupt change in his demeanor did not go unnoticed by Norbert.
“Does Your Grace know this name?”

Before Norbert could finish his sentence, the Cardian rose to his feet.
“Your Grace?”

But Cardian’s eyes were fixed on something behind the office door.
“The west annex.”

“The west annex, Your Grace?” Norbert echoed, confused.
It was the living quarters for some of the staff. Why would he mention it out of the blue?
Without another word, Cardian walked to the door and left the office.

“Y-Your Grace!”

Norbert hurried to follow him.

—

Outside the western annex of the Grand Duke’s estate:
Several knights had already gathered, murmuring to each other.

“Your Grace.”

“Your Grace!”

Seeing Cardian, Jayden – captain of the Mars Knights – along with his deputy, Allen, and several other knights, rushed forward.

“Your Grace, just now, in the annex…”

Jayden started to report, but Cardian raised a hand to stop him.
“I am aware. Wait here, all of you.”

Allen stepped forward immediately. “Then I will go up first, Your Grace.”

But Cardian shook his head. “I’ll go in alone.”

“Your Grace!” Allen protested.

“Norbert.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Make sure no one else goes to the second floor. Evacuate all staff outside,” Cardian ordered.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

After giving his orders, Cardian entered the west wing alone.

—

“Gah… I thought I was done for.”

I had barely managed to push the door open when I collapsed in the hallway, sprawled on the floor.
*Huff, huff.*
I could finally breathe, just a little.

I almost died this time.

Even after coughing up mouthfuls of blood, the aura raged through me for a while.
My entire body would turn ice-cold one moment, and scorching hot the next.
I really thought I was finished.

Just when everything seemed hopeless, a hazy, pale smoke began to pour out of my body.
From where I lay, I looked back into my room, which was still filled with that fog.

All that… came out of me?

It was like being in a steamy bathhouse.
“What a mess,” I whispered to myself.

I wiped the blood from my lips with the back of my hand and tried to calm my breathing.
At least I’d managed that.

Stretching my arm over my head, I opened my palm and felt a soft, blue aura gently ripple around it.
I could feel its energy circulating through my entire body – cleansing impurities on its own.

I was just hoping to open a path and get it circulating. I didn’t think I would reach the purification stage so quickly.

I thought it would take more time.
This only proved that the owner of this body must indeed be extraordinary.
I’ve felt something strange all along… and now it’s certain.

If this were an ordinary body with an untrained aura, it would never have survived such an ordeal.
No matter how strong my willpower is, there’s always a physical limit.
There must be more to the story of this body…

Just then, in the silent hallway – everyone else had apparently evacuated – a presence stirred near the stairs.

Thanks to the awakening of my aura, I could clearly sense this distant energy.
Keeping my head down, I turned to look down the hallway.
Beyond the fading haze, I spotted a figure.

Huh?

Startled, I propped myself up on trembling arms and forced myself to stand. My limbs shook badly, but I had to stand.

The person approaching with that powerful aura was none other than the Grand Duke.
My heart was pounding, as if it would fall into my stomach.
His presence bristled with deadly determination, reminiscent of how he felt on the battlefield.

Why is he here…?

I thought.
I must have caused quite a scene.
I glanced back at the smoke that filled my room and the hall.

I was hoping it wouldn’t get out, but… apparently it did.

I hadn’t expected the Grand Duke himself to storm over.

*Clomp, clomp.*

He walked towards me with deliberate steps.
From the way his eyes locked on me and the distance between us shrank, it was clear that he was coming straight for me.

So he’s figured out that I’ve awakened my aura?

I hadn’t intended to hide it – there was no point. It’s not like it’s easy to hide your aura.
Especially not for someone like me who’d just awakened it.

His footsteps echoed with frightening force. Slow yet powerful, measured yet suffocating.
My attention was glued to him until he stopped right in front of me.

He stared down at me, his purple eyes as calm as they were arrogant, taking my breath away.

“You begged to live,” he said softly.

“….”

His voice was so cold, like ice wrapped around my shoulders, and I realized I’d forgotten to breathe.

*Whoosh* I inhaled shakily.

“You… are here, I see,” I finally managed.

He glanced briefly into my room, then back at me.

“Have you decided to kill yourself?”

His tone was more of a mumbled observation than a question, but I still felt compelled to answer.

“No.”

“To do something so reckless…”

“…I did it to survive.”

“….”

“I was… just trying to live. To stay alive.”

He turned his full gaze back to me.
I couldn’t tell if my answer satisfied him, but the crushing weight of his aura seemed to ease.

He crossed his arms and gave me an expectant look, as if waiting for more.
I took a deep breath and continued,

“I have lost my memories, and I have nothing to call myself. It seems that this is all I can do. If I don’t get enough power to protect myself soon… well, there are people who would rather see me dead. So, if I manage to awaken my aura…”

He cut me off.

“Who?”

“Pardon?”

“Who’s trying to kill you?”

“….”

Well, Your Grace, for starters…
But I swallowed the words before they got out.

“Um, the old man…?”

“….”

I put the blame on Norbert. It wasn’t exactly a lie.

The Grand Duke rolled his eyes a little, obviously deep in thought, then spoke,

“You mean Count Norbert? You don’t have to worry about him. He’ll be your teacher now.”

“T-Teacher?”

Ah, that reminded me of the contract I’d signed. My forehead wrinkled at the memory.

Then Cardian tilted his head and said,
“By the way…”

“Yes?”

“I heard you remembered your name.”

Oh, so the old man had already reported that.
I nodded quickly.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Freya.”

“Yes, that’s my name.”

“Freya…”

“…Yes?”

He repeated my name in a deep, weighted tone, and my chest tightened at the sound. Even my head began to hurt slightly.
He says it so… naturally.

It felt strangely uncomfortable to hear someone else say my real name.
Anyone watching might think we knew each other well.

He fixed me with a steady gaze and asked,
“Other than your name, what else do you remember?”

“Nothing.”

“Are you going to lie again? You claim to have lost your memories and yet you have awakened your aura. Do you expect me to believe that’s a coincidence?”

I swallowed hard, a nervous lump in my throat.

“Now that you’ve awakened your aura, you must think you can purify more of the World Tree’s sap. You’re not afraid anymore, are you?”

“…”

He was truly like a mind reader.
A scary man indeed.