"My lady, I have brought your new butler with me. May I be permitted to come in and introduce the two of you?"
Rui watched the door to her room with an intense gaze. No one else was in the room to criticize her for not keeping up appearances so it did not matter to her what she did.
What did matter to her was knowing that her family's trusted butler had betrayed her. The man had dared to make a fool out of her by pretending not to heed her words. She will have to rectify this right now.
'But for now, let's play along.'
"You can come in now."
The door opened and the head butler entered the room. His smile was mysterious and charming. He had been a good-looking man when he had been young and thus selected for the job as the head butler.
Rui watched the unimpressive man enter the room behind the head butler. He was a pretty little thing but did not look too bright. Rui was surprised to see that it was not the head butler's son who came in there.
"My lady, this child here is Hobbit, your new butler. I hope you both get along with each other."
Rui observed the orphan in front of her with critical eyes but Hobbit did not notice it. He continued to openly observe Rui with his eyes, and they ever roamed all over her body.
She wanted to take this orphan's eyes out for daring to look at her with such a lust-filled expression but she did her best to calm down. There would be a time and place for everything.
"Head butler, this is not the man I asked to be my butler. I want the man I asked for back."
The head butler smiled a calm smile, his eyes sparkling with experience. He was used to Miss Rui's tantrums and he also knew how to calm her down. He had such a strong hold on his miss that he was sure he would never be punished no matter what he did.
"Miss, the new butler you selected was deemed to be unfit for the role. I met up with him but he was a hardy boy who did not know manners. Surely a trained child such as Hobbit would be more to your liking."
The head butler explained as if he was talking to a child and not to a fully-grown teen. Hobbit also looked excited to see his foster father handle a high-ranking lady like this.
Rui could read the greed and anticipation in their eyes and it disgusted her to no end. She wanted to teach them both a lesson about respect and knowing their place.
"Head Butler, I don't want him. Even if I did not get my choice in butler, I am not going to take this man as one. I don't like his looks or his body."
Hobbit flinched but the head butler was calm. He expected something like this to happen.
After all, his Miss was a shallow person who was attracted to a handsome face. She was not going to like the plain face Hobbit had after seeing a delicacy such as Yohan Strout. Even the head butler had to admit that Yohan Strout had been a good-looking fella.
"Miss, I know you are disappointed but this arrangement is only temporary. A new competition will be held for this position soon and you can select someone to your liking then."
Hibbit flinched as he looked at the head butler in betrayal. He tried to ask the head butler what he was cooking but the head butler did not reply. He continued to ignore Hobbit as he tried to pacify his miss.
Rui watched the first crack happen in the relationship but she was far from done. She had been denied by these two but she would no longer sit around.
She was about to tear the two a new one when the door to her room opened and the most unlikely person entered the room.
Sweaty white hair and piercing red eyes. A handsome face with a well-chiseled body.
It was Yohan Strout, the person she had been looking forward to seeing the whole time. Yohan had finally managed to make his way to Rui's room and the head butler looked shocked to see him.
"Sorry I am late. It took me a little time to understand the meaning of that last test. But I hope I am not too late to come to your side, Mistress Rui."
Yohan bowed in front of Rui Abstel and Rui was speechless as well. But she quickly recovered as soon as she noticed the head butler heading toward the pair was an angry expression.
She was not going to lose her choice a second time.
_____________________
Hans watched his father leave his room with an angry expression. He wanted to relax but Hans had a feeling that his father was about to do something foolish which would cost them a lot.
He did not want to get caught in the aftermath so he decided to do something about it.
'The dark forest. That is where father said he left Yohan Strout. I will need to get him out of there somehow.'
Hans had no idea what made him so confident that Yohan Strout was still alive and kicking after a trip to the deadly forest. But he did not sit around to think over his feelings.
Hans had work to do and he was going to do it flawlessly. Maybe that would be enough to land him in Yohan's good grace.
There was something about Yohan that caused Hans to want to be close to him. There was a weird air of power and authority around Yohan that Hans had never seen before. Not even nobles made him feel this way.
He wanted to follow the man forever and even lay his life if it meant he would be able to prove his loyalty to Yohan Strout.
'I must have lost my mind.'
Hans complained but he did not stop. He quickly opened the door to his room and made his way out with his supplies. He quickly made it to the entrance of the forbidden forest and then waited.
He could feel a weird energy coming from inside the forest and then Yohan stepped out. He had a blood lily clutched in his hand and it was a bright red color.
But despite this, there seemed to be nothing wrong with Yohan and there was no smell of blood in the air. The blood lily had been tamed which caused Hans to feel shocked.
"Who are you? What are you doing here? No wait, you look like that darned butler who left me in there. Are you here to finish the job he started."
Hans flinched as soon as he heard Yohan's voice. It was dark and it terrified Hans into submission. He did not want to hear Yohan speak to him like this.
"I-my name is Hans. I am the son of the head butler but I am on your side. You see, I did not agree with my father and I believe you are an amazing man. I wish to serve you instead of any noble."
Hans's mouth worked on its own once he was in front of Yohan. The magic was pressing everywhere around him and it was making it impossible for him to breathe.
But Hans knew he had to push through his feelings and show himself as capable. Only then will he be able to survive in this harsh world?
"I see. So you wish to serve me instead of your father or any other weakling? I have to admit, you shocked me with your words and also intrigued me. Alright, I will welcome your service."
Yohan made a small cut in his palm and blood surged out of the cut. It was clear and red, becoming Hans closer to drinking a drop.
"Here, take it. Once you take my blood, you will be bound to me by a contract."
Hans knew that it was beyond foolish to go ahead and drink that drop without checking it out. What if this blood was tainted and caused Hans to die? What if it caused him harm?
But all that flew out of Hans's mind as soon as he was close enough to Yohan and magic worked its way through his body. Hans took the drop of blood that was offered and touched it.
As soon as he did, he could feel chains locked around him and he knew that his loyalty was sealed. He would be serving Yohan Strout forever from this day on.
He also felt the massive power that Yohan Strout had and it left him in shock. The man was so powerful but he had it so well. Yohan might be as strong as thier queen.
But why was such a strong man here and trying to secure his position as a butler? He could very well try and become the king f his realm.
"W-Why?"
"Shhhh, don't think too much. Now then, I shall head to the place I am needed before my new employer decided to fire me. Wish me luck, Hans."
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