2. the most dangerous time is when you’re off guard

The shock she felt upon confirming the existence of adult toys lasted only for that day. After sleeping it off, she regained her composure and thought, ‘It’ll work out somehow…’ She spent her days leisurely until the founding anniversary.

While Lysith was resting in her room, she heard a light knock on the door. When she permitted entry, Head Maid Serena opened the door.

“Excuse me, Miss.”

“It’s fine. What’s the matter?”

“Someone has come, wanting to work as a butler.”

It hadn’t even been a week since they posted the notice. She thought it was faster than expected and, with the help of Eve and Serena, dressed up in a light green off-shoulder dress.

As Lysith walked towards where the applicant was waiting, guided by Serena, she noticed that Serena’s expression was subtly different from usual. Curious, she asked why, but Serena shook her head. However, upon persistent questioning, she reluctantly opened her mouth.

“I had a bad feeling. When I met his eyes…”

“His eyes?”

“I don’t want my personal opinion to negatively affect you, Miss… but it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.”

According to Serena, the man had red hair and gray eyes and was quite tall. His posture was upright, and though she hadn’t confirmed it, he looked like he would be good at his job.

Lysith already had enough headaches with the four male protagonists and didn’t want any more trouble. The thought of dealing with a spy made her sigh deeply.

Deciding to quickly dismiss him if he seemed suspicious, she paused. With a determined face, she instructed Eve, who was standing by the door, to call for a knight immediately if anything suspicious happened inside.

As Lysith entered the room where the man was waiting, he stood up from the sofa as soon as she stepped in. Just as Serena described, he had red hair and kept his gaze lowered, avoiding eye contact.

“Nice to meet you.”

His voice was quite pleasant. If Dietrich’s voice was deep, this one was slightly higher and more elegant.

Receiving his greeting, she sat on the opposite sofa and gestured for him to sit as well. His posture, as he sat, was as upright as Serena had said. Thinking he indeed looked like a butler, she spoke.

“So, what’s your name?”

“My name is Penchev Heinz. It is a noble surname, but I am closer to a fallen noble.”

She asked various questions about his name, age, parents, and family to find any faults, but he answered all of them clearly and correctly. There was nothing to catch him on.

According to Serena, who stood silently behind, he was indeed from a fallen noble family, and both his parents were deceased.

The remaining issue was how he handled his duties as a butler…

“…You’re quite skilled.”

“My father taught me.”

His skill in brewing tea, reviewing the ledgers he brought as examples, and other butler duties, even those not typically required of a butler, were remarkably perfect. It made her wonder if he was truly a spy.

However, if someone had sent a spy out of curiosity about her, there was no need for him to be such a perfect butler.

Though she was a Duke’s daughter, she held no real power within the family, much like any other noble daughter.

If they had any grudge against the Gronevelt Dukedom, she was living separately now. Of course, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

One thing she could fault him on was that he never made eye contact with her throughout the interview. Unable to hold back, she mentioned it, and he visibly flinched uncomfortably.

“Is there a reason you don’t want to show your eyes?”

“……”

“It’s okay, you can look up. I’m not the type to get upset or think it’s rude if a subordinate makes eye contact with me.”

Initially hesitant, Penchev eventually succumbed to her calm and gentle persuasion, slowly raising his head and lifting his gaze like a snail.

And the moment their eyes met, the system notification window popped up with a pleasant ding sound after a long absence.

[The male protagonist list has been updated!]
[Male Protagonist List]
– Dietrich Clonair
– ???
– Penchev Heinz
– ???

Lysith was quite taken aback by this development. She did think it was possible for a butler to be one of the male protagonists, but for it to actually be the first applicant who responded to the hastily posted job notice?

Seeing her momentarily startled face, Penchev, perhaps misinterpreting her expression, lowered his head again in a familiar manner, visible through the semi-transparent system window.

Panicked, Lysith quickly closed the system window and smiled at him, urging him to lift his head again.

“Oh, no. I didn’t say that because of your eyes. You can look up again.”

Hearing her hurried words, he slowly lifted his head again, revealing his light gray eyes.

Though he seemed unsure what to do when their eyes met, as Serena had mentioned, she didn’t find his gaze unpleasant, uncomfortable, or ominous at all.

Judging by his reaction, he seemed aware that most people felt the same as Serena, but surprisingly, Lysith felt nothing looking into his eyes. Just…

“…Are you okay?”

“Hm? Oh. Is it because of that? Your pupils are somewhat cat-like. But aside from that…”

“……”

“You’re quite handsome, actually.”

Lysith spoke like she was joking, but it was both a fact and her genuine opinion.

His red hair neatly covered his forehead, and his hair at the back was tidily trimmed. His gray eyes, which matched his unique hairstyle, had cat-like vertical pupils.

Though his overall impression was gentle, it didn’t seem entirely soft. Additionally, there was a beauty mark under his left eye, commonly known as a tear mole.

Her words, which seemed sincere, caused his previously upright posture to crumble momentarily. His flustered appearance was quite amusing.

If the remaining two male protagonists were indeed the Emperor and the Master of the Magic Tower, then compared to the other three, who required caution, the one in front of her might be the easiest to deal with.

As she burst into laughter, unable to hold back, he looked at her, mesmerized, only to quickly avert his gaze when their eyes met.

Seeing Penchev like that, Lysith, still smiling, spoke.

“It’s okay, you can look up.”

At her words, he hesitated but eventually raised his gaze again.

And to him, Lysith gave a bright smile and delivered the final acceptance.

“Alright. You’re hired. I look forward to working with you.”

“…Of course. I will serve you with all my heart, Miss.”

His slightly trembling response made her feel as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Receiving his greeting, Lysith pondered how to wrap things up and remembered that this was an opportunity to check his favorability.

After hurriedly calling out the system internally to check his favorability, she was quickly disappointed.

[Favorability can only be checked with a specific skill!]
[This skill can be obtained as a reward from a sudden quest.]
[What is a sudden quest?: A quest separate from main and sub quests, given unexpectedly at specific moments.]

Wondering how she was supposed to know if his favorability reached 100, she quickly dismissed the thought. Rather than getting angry, she nodded like a player quickly adapting to a broken game.

‘Yeah. What do I expect from this?’

“Then, Penchev, today… No, never mind.”

She considered personally showing the newly hired Penchev around but decided against it, thinking it might show excessive favoritism.

This world was too realistic in every way. The reactions of people and the consequences that followed. Naturally, she had to be cautious in her conduct.

More than anything, she felt embarrassed, and she valued human rights, preventing her from acting recklessly just because it was a game world. This made it hard to always think, ‘This is just a game.’

Besides, while it was natural to stay close to him to capture his heart, it didn’t have to be now. He seemed wary of others, likely due to his eyes, and wouldn’t easily let her close.

First, she needed to show that she wasn’t a master to be wary of.

Leaving Serena to guide him, she waved goodbye to him, who returned a formal greeting while cautiously meeting her eyes.

Seeing him seemingly checking if she truly didn’t find him ominous, Lysith couldn’t help but smile slightly.

* * *

Penchev adapted surprisingly quickly, to the point where Lysith was startled.

Two days after hiring him, Lysith welcomed him, now formally dressed in butler attire, and spent the afternoon sipping tea he had brewed after lunch.

“There’s not much time left until the founding anniversary…”

“Miss, aren’t you getting a new dress tailored?”

“Oh…”

At Eve’s words, who came in with dessert, Lysith, realizing she had forgotten, glanced at Eve’s face.

“If I just wear what I have,”

“Of course not!”

“Yeah, I figured…”

To her, who lived on Earth, clothes were something to be worn multiple times. Unfortunately, in this romance fantasy world, it was natural to never wear the same dress twice.

She subtly suggested wearing the same dress again, but Eve’s face didn’t look good. She had to keep quiet, seeing Eve’s expression, which clearly showed concern for her well-being.

As Lysith showed clear signs of annoyance, Eve, after some thought, mumbled something softly.

“Or maybe…”

“Hm?”

“No, it’s nothing!”