I knew Amelia cared about Ryunosuke, but from my perspective, it was embarrassing.
Still, progress in the event meant the story was advancing.
After school, as promised, I decided to meet Ryunosuke at the front gate. I thought it would be just the two of us, but what was this?
Aside from Ryunosuke, Sojuro was also there.
“Hey, you’re here!” Sojuro waved with a hearty laugh.
‘Why was that guy here?’ While I was thinking about it, Ryunosuke answered his question.
“Ah, Kim-kun, you’re here?”
“I’m here, but… who’s that guy next to you?” I pointed to Sojuro and asked Ryunosuke.
“Oh, Kiba-kun? I’ve gotten close to Kiba-kun, but I don’t think I’ve managed to get close to Kim-kun since starting school. It so happened that Kiba-kun mentioned he had a little talk with Kim-kun, so I called him.”
Looking at the guy who said this casually with a smile on his face, I couldn’t help but feel a little irritated.
The reason why the days had passed without any notable events for a month must have been because I hadn’t spoken to the main character.
It was strange that Ryunosuke suddenly talked to me, but if I thought of it as part of the natural flow of events, it made sense.
I rested my chin on my hand and pondered.
‘Is this story going to progress regardless of what I do?’
In the end, it seemed inevitable that I’d have to interact with Ryunosuke, whether I wanted to or not.
“What’s wrong, Kim-kun?” Ryunosuke asked with a worried expression.
“Oh, no. So why did you call me?”
“Because I want to get to know you better. Can we hang out today?”
“Of course.”
Hang out.
I hadn’t experienced such a normal daily life in a long time.
I hadn’t gone to karaoke, browsed a bookstore for paperbacks, or done anything remotely ordinary.
Ever since I was first hired as Amelia’s butler, my life had been repetitive and dull. Could I ever go back?
I didn’t know, but I decided to accept the current situation.
Ryunosuke’s reason for reaching out to me was simple—he wanted to be friends. I had to understand that.
“Now, shall we go?”
“Oh! Where are you planning to go today, Natsuki-kun?”
“Nothing special. Just hanging around and having fun.”
Ryunosuke and Sojuro chatted as they walked.
***
In just a few hours, I found myself talking a lot with them—about our tastes, preferences, and dislikes.
Of course, I already knew everything about them, but if the story would progress on its own whether or not I stayed away from Ryunosuke, it was more convenient to get closer to these two.
Above all, there were things about me that I knew they didn’t. That made it necessary to spend time with them to build genuine connections.
Friendship worked that way.
Even as I faithfully carried out Amelia’s orders, something about it left me feeling uneasy.
When I returned to Lionheart’s mansion after spending the day with them, Amelia was the first to greet me.
“You’re back now, Hyunjin?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“How did it go?”
She was curious about Ryunosuke, of course.
I recounted his hobbies, tastes, likes, dislikes—every detail about his actions.
“I see,” she said.
“Yes.”
After listening to my report, Amelia’s expression softened, tinged with pity.
“Are you having any trouble?”
“No, Hyunjin. Did you have a good time today?”
“Yes, it was fine.”
“Seeing you like this makes me feel at ease too. If you ever need to talk, let me know, without holding back, okay?”
“As long as I have you, I’m fine with anything, my lady.”
Amelia smiled brightly, oblivious to my true feelings.
As long as she was happy, I was content.
The future I envisioned was one where Amelia achieved a happy ending without losing anything precious. I was prepared to give everything to ensure that.
What was true, pure love? It wasn’t about unilaterally confessing your feelings.
True love was ensuring the happiness of the one you loved, even if it meant they ended up with someone else.
I hoped for an ending where Amelia and Ryunosuke were together. What she desired was different from what I wanted.
As I mused over these thoughts, Amelia interrupted me.
“What kind of strange expression are you making, Hyunjin?”
“Yes? Ah… it’s nothing, my lady.”
“Remember this, Hyunjin—you’re a proud servant of the Lionheart family.”
“Yes, my lady. I’ll always do my best to uphold your dignity.”
“Good! Oh, by the way, Ed has been looking for you.”
“The head butler? What does he need?”
“Why don’t you go find out?”
Edgar, calling for me?
Well, considering I’d been learning the duties of a butler for three months now, it probably wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
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Check out my other projects: Rehabilitating the Villainess, Pushover Extra Trains the Villainesses, I Picked Up an Amnesiac Witch, My Summons Are Special, My Wife is the Devil,