“Wow, this is seriously ridiculous.”

Outside the window, Sebastian could be seen riding an old horse as he passed through the garden.
The old horse, which seemed to struggle under his weight, moved at a pace similar to that of a walking person, taking each step with great effort.
‘He probably couldn’t afford to borrow a young, healthy horse.’

What on earth did Espin see in that man to entrust him with the family’s seal and money?
Well, once you trust someone, you end up being deceived to the very end.
That was something I knew better than anyone else, having been scammed before.

“Ha, how can I mess with that guy?”

Having never scammed anyone myself, I needed a strategy to deal with him.

“If only there were someone who could explain what happened between Espin and Sebastian.”

Since I had read Espin’s story with such empathy, the novel’s contents were vivid in my mind.
However, because Espin was a mere extra, her presence in the novel was minimal, and detailed explanations were omitted.
While recalling the contents of the novel, a certain character came to mind.

“Right, the head butler!”

In the novel, even when Espin was cast out of the family, the head butler was the one who followed her to the very end.
If anyone could tell me the story, it would be the head butler, who had watched over Espin since childhood.

Sitting alone in the empty drawing room, I opened the door and called out to the maid standing in the hallway.

“Call the head butler here.”
“The head butler? He’s probably busy.”

The maid replied with a sullen expression.

‘Ah, right. Now that I think about it, Espin was ignored by the family.’

Espin, who lost her mother at a young age, had been a very lonely person.

Her stern father couldn’t give her much love, and after her father remarried, the new Countess and her daughter tormented Espin behind the Count’s back.

Espin, who was naturally sensitive and highly conscious of others’ opinions, only craved love more as they treated her worse, turning to strange people for comfort.
People like Sebastian.

But the Espin who had been like that was no longer here.

“And?”
“Pardon?”
“The head butler is busy, so what?”
“Well, the head butler is busy, and your matters don’t seem very important…”

“Wow, are you some kind of fortune teller? I haven’t even told you why I need the head butler, and you already know whether it’s important or not?”
“Pardon? No, that’s not what I meant…”
“Then why are you deciding whether what I need him for is important or not?”
“Well… your matters usually aren’t important…”

The maid, flustered by my unfamiliar demeanor, stammered her words. Then, as if regaining her nerve, she glared at me and continued.

“Young Lady, if you act like this, no one will like you.”

So this was how they used to crush Espin’s spirit. No wonder she was so starved for love that she ended up associating with someone as strange as Sebastian.
It was people like this, who chipped away at Espin’s self-esteem, that turned her into an easy target.

“Why should I care whether other people like me or not?”
“Pardon? What do you mean…”
“People like you, who might lose their jobs, fail to get a recommendation, and end up unemployed, worrying about how to make a living—those are the ones who should care about such things.”

As I kindly explained this to the maid, who clearly lacked sound judgment, her expression darkened rapidly.

“If you understand what I mean, run along now.”

Perhaps she wasn’t entirely foolish, as she quickly darted off.

“Young Lady, you called for me?”

Not long after, an elderly man entered the room.
Unlike the maids, he greeted me politely and looked at me with warm eyes, as if seeing his granddaughter. This was the head butler who had stayed with Espin until the very end in the novel.

“Yes. I have something to ask.”
“Of course. Please feel free to ask.”
“What do you think of Sebastian?”

“Sebastian, Young Lady…?”
“Yes. You can be honest.”
“Well…”

The head butler’s eyes wavered before he seemed to steel himself, his expression becoming resolute.

“With all due respect, Young Lady, it’s not my place to say this, but his background is unclear. His behavior is also unlike that of other nobles, and he doesn’t give off a good impression.”
“Sebastian is the prince of the Arcadia Kingdom. Do you still not trust him?”
“He is the prince of Arcadia Kingdom?”
“You didn’t know?”
“No, Young Lady. You only mentioned that he was an esteemed guest from outside the Empire.”
“Really? So, do you still not trust him?”
“My apologies.”

The head butler’s attitude of suspicion toward Sebastian was clear. Just like in the novel, it was certain he wasn’t in cahoots with Sebastian.
At least regarding this matter, he seemed trustworthy.

“Then, do you know how I met Sebastian?”
“Yes, Young Lady. You told me about it last time.”
“How did I meet him?”

The head butler’s face showed a questioning expression at my absurd inquiry.

“May I ask why you’re asking about something you already know?”
“I feel like my judgment has been clouded lately. I’d like to hear it from an objective perspective.”
“Well, I only know what you told me…”
“That’s fine. Just tell me.”
“As far as I know, it was during the festival a month ago. You bumped into Sebastian, who was being chased by someone.”

He was probably being chased after pulling some scam.
The situation was predictable without needing further explanation.

“I heard that to evade his pursuer, Sebastian put his arm around your shoulder and pretended you were his lover, successfully shaking them off.”
“And then?”
“The next day, he came to apologize and had a long conversation with you. After that, he started visiting the mansion every other day.”
“He only met me at the mansion, right?”
“Yes. You said it was dangerous outside, so you didn’t leave the house for a month.”

Sebastian must have scared Espin into staying inside, worried that his scam would be exposed if Espin talked to anyone outside.

“Did Sebastian ever do anything strange while visiting the mansion?”
“No. You specifically told us not to assign anyone to watch him, so I can’t say for sure, but…”

The head butler thought for a moment before speaking again.

“Usually, he would meet you in the drawing room and leave afterward. Occasionally, he seemed to spend some time in the garden before departing.”
“What did he do in the garden?”
“I’m not sure. It took some time before he left the estate, but nothing particularly noticeable happened.”

Spending time in a garden with nothing but trees and flowers, in a place where people wouldn’t easily see him.
‘There could only be one reason for that.’

He must have been meeting someone in secret.
In other words, there was a spy for Sebastian within this estate.

Well, from his perspective, he’d need someone to keep an eye on me.

“Head butler, do you know that I lent Sebastian money?”
“Lent? Didn’t you simply give it to him? As far as I know, you handed him 10,000 litas outright.”
“R-right. I just gave it to him.”

‘What? She just gave it to him?’
You foolish Espin. How could you just give him that money?
Even though it wasn’t my money, it made my blood boil.

“Alright, head butler. Today’s conversation has been very helpful. Let’s keep this between us. Don’t let Father know.”
“……”

The head butler stared at me silently for a long moment before finally speaking.

“Yes, Young Lady. Sniff.”

His voice trembled with emotion.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well… you seem different from usual, Young Lady.”

Had I already been found out? Other transmigrators never got caught, so why me…
At times like this, denial was the best strategy.

“What do you mean different? I’m the same. Look.”
“Your face is as beautiful as ever. But today, it feels like I’m seeing the old Young Lady again.”

The head butler pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his tears.

“After the late Madam passed away, you became very withdrawn. You were always so mindful of others and tried so hard to be loved. But today, you seem just like your younger self… It’s making this old man tear up.”

Seeing him cry while thinking of Espin, I couldn’t say anything in response.

“I’m sorry. It’s foolish of me to act like this.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Is there anything else you need me to do?”
“Oh, I’d like to meet Flaria and Haren of the Ameron Ducal Family. Can you arrange a meeting?”
“Yes, I’ll send someone right away.”
“And… I need to spread some rumors within the estate.”
“Rumors, Young Lady?”
“Yes. That I’m going around searching for something with great enthusiasm.”

Hearing my nonsensical request, the head butler’s tears dried up immediately.