4. if someone acts like the tongue in your mouth, you should be suspicious

Returning to her mansion, Lysith faced a small dilemma.

Eve had brought dresses for her to change into, but they all had designs that exposed her shoulders, making it impossible to choose one. If it weren’t for the kiss marks on her neck…

Awkwardly smiling, Lysith asked if there were any other dresses, causing Eve to look at her suspiciously.

“Miss.”

“Y-Yes?”

“You know you’re acting suspiciously, right?”

Of course, I know… Lysith sighed inwardly and reluctantly moved her hair, which had been covering her shoulders, at a snail’s pace. There was no point in hiding it anymore. Especially since he had said he would visit her next time, it was better to come clean.

Eve’s eyes widened as she saw the marks on Lysith’s neck and shoulders.

“The Master of the Magic Tower…?”

“Yes.”

“My goodness…”

Though she already knew, Eve pretended to be surprised to spare Lysith any further embarrassment and left the room to fetch another dress.

“Haa…”

Lysith couldn’t understand how things had turned out this way. Now that it was known, her strategy to win over Penchev would undoubtedly become more difficult. Even if she told Eve not to tell anyone, it would be pointless if Ashites visited her soon.

She wished it were like a dating sim game where characters didn’t meet each other, but it was a hyper-realistic game… or whatever it was. Since she didn’t know what kind of game it was, she had no choice but to live as if it were reality.

When she thought of ‘reality,’ the gazes she felt upon entering the banquet hall came to mind.

Someone with weak mental strength would have been exhausted by those stares long ago. She didn’t know how the original Lysith was, but seeing how well she endured, she must have been immune to such things.

Still, she didn’t want to attend social events, be the subject of gossip, or care about rumors.

And all of this would only get worse after today.

Feeling a headache coming on, she pressed her temples with both hands to gather her thoughts.

For the time being, she had no intention of mingling with the social circle and needed to find someone among the remaining three to target. The easiest and closest was, of course, the butler, Penchev, but from what she had observed so far, he seemed difficult.

His facial expressions and emotions didn’t change much, and she couldn’t tell what he liked or disliked.

Moreover, his daily routine didn’t deviate from the ‘exemplary butler’ role. She had never seen him rest, and whenever they met, he was always working. He worked so diligently that it felt wrong to interrupt.

Of course, as the owner of the mansion, she could call him anytime she wanted, but her Korean sensibilities held her back.

‘If someone called me while I was working, I’d be annoyed…’

But giving up early and doing nothing didn’t sit well with her conscience. She felt it was better to try something.

* * *

Thus began Lysith’s ‘Get Closer to the Butler’ project.

Initially, she thought about sticking close to him, but that seemed impossible. She had to consider the eyes of the servants. She didn’t want to be caught making advances towards the handsome butler while maintaining a good relationship with the Master of the Magic Tower.

For a few days, she followed her usual routine of waking up late in the morning, having lunch, and then enjoying tea time. She pondered when and what topic to discuss, but tea time seemed the best opportunity for a relaxed conversation.

After much thought, she decided to talk about likes and dislikes.

People tend to get closer to those who share similar likes or dislikes. She heard that having the same dislikes was even more effective, but either would do.

“I have a question.”

“Yes.”

“Do you have anything you like?”

“No, not particularly.”

“Then, is there anything you dislike?”

“Nothing in particular.”

“……”

“……”

Can a person exist without likes or dislikes? Isn’t it natural for humans to have things they like or dislike?

Unaware of Lysith’s confusion, Penchev simply gave the best answer he could to the questions posed by his master.

After pondering his response, she asked another question.

“Hmm. Then, what do you think of me?”

“It’s inappropriate for a subordinate to evaluate their superior in any way…”

“I’m asking because I want to know.”

“……”

A story suddenly came to mind. A superior had asked a subordinate to point out their flaws, and the subordinate replied, ‘This very action…’

Surely, he wouldn’t say something like, ‘You’re making me uncomfortable with this question,’ right?

Nervously swallowing, Lysith waited anxiously, forgetting to drink her tea. Finally, his lips parted.

“I think you are a good master.”

“Is that all?”

“…Yes.”

Still, it was positive. After all, being considered a good master was much better than being labeled a bad or the worst master. It might have been the mindset of a subordinate turning into a yes-man in front of their superior…

But given his personality over the past month, he likely would have said if he thought otherwise. Quitting might not have been an option for him because of his eyes.

When she had asked him what he did before coming here, he evaded the question, implying there had been some incident. The continent might be peaceful now, with no major disturbances, but that was a general statement; individual experiences could be different.

His story was probably no different.

Asking him directly might be rude, but her instincts told her that this was the key to winning him over.

“Can I ask you one more thing?”

“Feel free.”

Lysith gazed at the red tea swirling in her cup and wetted her lips.

This was both the key to her strategy and undoubtedly his sore spot.

“…About your eyes.”

Penchev, who had been standing with his eyes downcast, seemed to lose his words momentarily upon hearing her question. Lysith quietly bit her dry lips.

It felt like an eternity before his low voice finally broke the silence, just as her teacup reached the bottom.

“It’s not a very interesting story.”

“It’s not a butler’s duty to entertain me with interesting stories.”

“……”

He always seemed like a person burdened with a sense of duty. It wasn’t just that he worked diligently as a butler, it felt more like he couldn’t step outside those bounds. As a result, Lysith knew nothing about Penchev as an individual, only as a butler.

That was why he seemed so difficult to approach.

However, a person as upright as he was would be easy to win over once the walls came down.

At Lysith’s words, he let out a heavy, silent sigh and began to speak, as if he was dredging something up from deep within.

“…I don’t know the reason.”

“……”

“Everyone who meets my gaze feels discomfort or fear without exception. My parents were no exception. They eventually got used to it, though.”

“……”

“So, although I learned the duties of a butler, I couldn’t use them until I came here.”

Penchev, who had been staring at the floor throughout his explanation, finally looked up and met the gaze of his lady, who was holding a teacup.

She was the only exception among all those eyes.

“……”

Lysith didn’t know what to say. She had a rough idea of what to expect, but hearing it directly from him carried more weight.

How should she approach this? If he were like Ashites, someone who kept to himself, she might have been more forthright. But facing those eyes that said, ‘You are the only exception,’ made her lips feel glued together.

“In short, that’s the story.”

“I feel like I asked something too heavy.”

“It’s fine. It’s better for you to know.”

“For me?”

“Yes. Given my condition, it’s only natural that you, my lady, should…”

“That’s not it.”

If nothing else, she could say this much.

She could guess what he was about to say, and she sighed.

“It’s not your fault, is it?”

“……”

“I know what you’re trying to say. For example, it might be difficult for you to greet guests because of your eyes.”

“…Yes.”

“Even if I had known that, I would have hired you. I’ve always said that skill is all that matters.”

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Lysith continued.

“Don’t think you deceived me.”

“……”

“Is that what you thought?”

There was no answer, but it was obvious.

She felt like she finally understood him a little. He was somewhat rigid and the harshest critic of himself. Yet, he knew how to yield when she commanded.

Regardless of rank, Penchev seemed easier to deal with than the other male leads.

The Grand Duke went without saying, and Ashites was so unpredictable that being around him was mentally exhausting. She hadn’t spoken with the Emperor yet, but his personality was so infamous among the nobility that she didn’t need to think about it.

In any case, learning a bit more about him today was an achievement, whether her words had any impact on him or not.