Chapter 34

I swept my hair up and smiled with my teeth showing.

“But this time, I’ll give you some compliments.”

Jack’s eyes, which had been looking at me absentmindedly as though he couldn’t understand my words, showly grew larger to the point of popping out.

Step, step.

I could hear someone walking towards us from behind her.

However, I was neither surprised nor on my guard. I didn’t even glance behind me and continued to merely smile at Jack in victory.  Then, the sound of steps stopped.

He stood right next to me.

“You, this, that……!”

Jack, who was struck speechless, attempted to say something.

“Because you got half of it correct.”

Nine blinked his kind pink eyes and looked down at me. The figure of him wearing the uniform of the Fordebrandt Household’s butler now looked very familiar after an entire month.

“This bastard! This bastard……! I was right!”

At Jack’s cries of feeling wronged, I pulled out my sword and blocked the path in front of Nine and said jokingly.

“Right. But I didn’t hide Nine from you. And I can’t give him to you either.”

“What!”

Jack was about to run towards us in uncontrollable rage, but he wasn’t able to do as he wished due to the my sword that shone silver. He had become so incredibly agitated that his ears and tail had popped out and he was trembling.

“Now Nine is one of my people.”

I let fly one last bellow as I took in sight of Jack in front of me as though I was appreciating art.

“I’m the type of person who doesn’t give others my things without permission.”

That was a villainess you see.

***

“The second is…….”

The day I had made requests that weren’t requests to the Duke. I had made a request apart from asking for a vacation for the servants.

“I would like to hire a personal butler of my own.”

The Duke let out a sigh of relief after realizing my second request was not as extreme as the first I had made.

“Alright. It’s possible not to be satisfied with only one maid. I’ll put out an advertisement for the position…….”

“No. I already have someone in mind. I plan on hiring him.”

At my response, the Duke made a very bewildered expression. At that time, cautious knocks sounded on the study door, I smiled, and spoke.

“Come in.”

Even though it wasn’t the permission of the Duke, but my permission, the person who stood on the other side of the door opened the door without hesitation and bowed respectfully at the Duke and I in greeting.

A man so handsome that even the Duke gaped at one glance of him. A man whose curly hair was like the light blue sky, his eyes shown in pink, and the smiling face of the man remind others of a large, cute dog.

It was Nine.

“It’s this person. His name is Nine.”

I calmly introduced him to the Duke and nodded my head naturally.

“Right…… What, so what about his identity or a letter of recommendation?”

“Commoner. I will guarantee his recommendation.”

“But. It’s very dangerous to only look at a stranger’s face before you hire them.”

“I didn’t necessarily pick him because of his appearance…… He’ll be quite competent. And.”

At my glance, Nine nodded as though in assurance and opened his mouth.

“…… As you can see, there will be no opportunity for him to speak the secrets out loud.”

The Duke who looked at Nine’s cut-off tongue let out a sigh once. I looked at Nine with sad eyes and spoke.

“Whatever happens, I’ll take responsibility for it. He’s my person.”

“…… There aren’t any reasons for me to oppose your decision. Do what you would like.”

Nine looked at me and smiled blushingly.

I couldn’t help but say those words to the Duke for the first and the last time since my birth.

“Thank you.”

The Duke appeared as though he was unsure of what expression he should make.

***

“I was very surprised like Jack the first time as well.”

Though he threw a fucking fit when he saw Nine, in the end he could do nothing about the fact because Nine was now a part of the Fordebrandt Household. As a result, he was half-chased out of the estate without much of a fight. Currently, I was walking back to my room with the admirable Nine who had remained cool-headed in such a stressful situation.