[Amelia’s POV]
Amelia was lost in thought for a moment.
Looking at her butler, she felt sorry for him.
He hadn’t adjusted well to the school-life even after a month.
Because of this, Amelia couldn’t help but feel regretful. It had been four months since she brought Hyunjin into her household.
Initially, she thought his duties as a butler would be straightforward, but after enrolling him in the academy, things became different.
Every day after school, Hyunjin would return home to assist her, leaving no time for himself. Wasn’t that taking away his free will? For three months, Hyunjin had faithfully fulfilled his duties.
“How can Hyunjin possibly get along with his classmates…?” she muttered to herself, gazing out the window.
She understood that making friends wasn’t something that could be forced, but wasn’t it excessive for him to return to the mansion immediately after classes for an entire month?
At least today, Hyunjin had approached her and asked if he could spend time with his classmates. But instead of encouraging him, she had told him to befriend Ryunosuke, finding it hard to suggest anything else.
“Ugh, idiot! Idiot! Why would I say something like that? Amelia, you fool!”
Amelia scolded herself, lightly knocking her knuckles against her forehead. If she genuinely wanted things to go well for Hyunjin, she should have asked him to act naturally instead of issuing an order.
She felt there wasn’t enough justification for her approach. “This isn’t right,” she muttered. She wanted Hyunjin to experience a normal life, even if it required her resources. Yet, she couldn’t justify giving him money unconditionally.
In her childhood, Amelia had learned an important lesson: relationships should always be give-and-take. It was her father’s teaching. A person who only receives without giving back cannot grow.
As a member of the Lionheart family, depriving Hyunjin of the opportunity to grow was unacceptable. To understand his circumstances better, she had asked Ed to investigate.
Ed discovered that Hyunjin was homeless, penniless, and without family. It had surprised her when he revealed he was Korean.
Giving money would have been easy, but doing so out of pity would have been unwise.
Noblesse oblige—nobility comes with responsibilities. Giving money recklessly could leave emotional scars, and that was contrary to everything Amelia had been taught within the Lionheart family.
Instead, she had offered Hyunjin an exchange. She welcomed him as her butler. Surprisingly, he had accepted the position willingly, something she hadn’t expected from someone so passive.
For three months, Hyunjin hadn’t asked for anything from her.
Amelia had thought sending him to school might bring about some change, but he remained the same—dutiful and reserved, like an unwavering statue.
Day after day, she searched for answers in his eyes, but what she saw wasn’t the gaze of a lost soul. It was the loyal expression of a butler sworn to his duties.
This stirred a deep sense of regret within Amelia. She wanted Hyunjin to explore the world, to be pampered and enjoy life.
“What should I do?” she murmured to herself. It was a question that had become her personal challenge.
***
[Third Person POV]
The head butler, Ed, called for Hyunjin.
Curious, he went to see him.
“You called for me, sir?” Hyunjin asked.
“Ah, Hyunjin,” Ed greeted him warmly.
“What is it that you needed?”
“Well, the young lady wanted me to speak with you,” Ed said, smiling.
“About what?”
“She’s decided to give you more free time in the future,” Ed explained.
“Free time?” Hyunjin repeated, tilting his head in confusion.
Ed nodded. “She asked me to tell you that she’d like you to use this time to strengthen your friendships after school.”
“Ah!”
“Is there something you’d like to share?” Ed asked, stroking his mustache lightly.
“The young lady mentioned a classmate named Natsuki Ryunosuke,” Hyunjin began. “She told me to find out more about him.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Perhaps the young lady is interested in him.”
“Hah, that’s not something I can assist with,” Ed remarked with a knowing smile.
Hyunjin remained resolute. “It doesn’t matter. I will do everything in my power to support her happiness.”
Hyunjin saw it as his responsibility to grow close to Ryunosuke to help Amelia, though whether this would genuinely help her was another matter entirely.
“There’s no better way than doing your best,” Ed encouraged him.
“Thank you for trusting me,” Hyunjin replied earnestly.
“Well, you are well compensated for your efforts,” Ed noted with a chuckle.
“I’ll strive to do even better in the future,” Hyunjin promised.
“What an admirable mindset,” Ed praised.
“Then, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll return to the young lady,” Hyunjin said, bowing politely.
“Of course.”
With that, Hyunjin headed back to Amelia, determined to fulfill her wishes.
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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,