Take Responsibility

[Ruin Lv. 35]

[Job: Academy Student]

[Favorability: -70]

[Favorite Conversation Topic: Yuria]

[Disliked Conversation Topic: Inferiority Complex About Magic]

With the hope that he'd learn some humility, I gently pressed down on Ruin's head. A cute little crack rang out.

"Gah! Ack… Gaaah, you fucking bastard! Let gooo!"

It was a shrill squeak, like the kind you get from kids' squeaky shoes. Strangely addictive.

Ruin wriggled desperately. He clearly didn't appreciate my disciplinary touch.

"Don't move. You're gonna dirty the floor."

Cleaning that would be a pain. A small crack had formed in the marble floor. I'd meant to shut him up, but I'd put more strength into it than I thought.

But what could I do? He pissed me off. I decided to blame Ruin for it. It was that green-haired punk's fault. I couldn't stand his slimy face acting all buddy-buddy.

"Ruin."

"You fucker."

Crunch. I could hear his teeth grinding. I responded by pressing down harder on his head.

"When someone calls you, answer humbly. Got it?"

I added one more thing.

"Oh, right. And no swearing in our mansion."

In this mansion, only Olivia could swear. Not me. Not outsiders either. It was a rule set when she was three. She insisted it was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her house, so she could do as she pleased, and the butler had no choice but to obey.

A guest who didn't know basic etiquette was annoying, but treating even such guests kindly was the butler's duty. Swallowing my irritation, I decided to explain. Swearing was bad anyway.

"Didn't I tell you at the academy? You have to know when and where to speak."

"Don't lecture me, you little shit!"

"Don't yell. You'll wake the young lady."

I pressed down on Ruin's head again to restore his humility. He twisted his body violently. Then he conjured another red orb in his hand.

Ruin leaped up and unleashed a barrage of fireballs at my face. Why the hell did this green-headed guy use fire magic? The guy had zero sense of romance.

As I mentally scolded Ruin for losing his romantic soul, the hot orb closed in on my face. I didn't dodge.

It was hastily made, so it wasn't that powerful, and it didn't feel very threatening.

-Boom!

A small alert chimed, and Ruin's orb fizzled out with a pathetic pfft. As the blinding light faded, Ruin's dumbstruck face came into view.

I grabbed his wrist and slammed it to the floor.

Crunch.

"Gaaaaah!!"

"Shh."

I humbly pressed down on his head again.

"You think you'll get away with this?!"

"You thought you would?"

Ruin trembled like a third-rate villain. He didn't look like a sub-male lead at all.

His favorability window still listed the heroine's name, Yuria, so he was clearly still smitten. But what could you do? In the original story, she dumps him like trash.

His sunflower-like devotion was endearing, but knowing he'd get shot down as "just friends" in the original made him pitiful.

"Get your head straight. Stop whining to Yuria every day and at least run errands for her to score some points."

"Don't talk down to me!"

"I don't want to, but you're too pathetic not to."

Ruin was overwhelmingly strong, no doubt. In the novel, he starts awakening properly after saving the heroine from danger, but even before that, he was on the strong side.

He just had zero talent for picking opponents. Mikhail. The Third Princess. Hell, he'd even picked a fight with Olivia and gotten wrecked like a dog.

"Getting beat every day is embarrassing. Pick easier targets."

I deliberately scratched at his nerves. I'd taken plenty of hits from these punks at the academy, so payback was fair game. Who could call it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wrong?

What I'd done was saintly compared to what they'd pulled on me. And I was the villainess's butler.

If asked whether I was good or bad, I'd say bad. Sure, I'm a good person, but as the villainess's butler, I couldn't just take hits like a pushover. Repaying double was an occupational hazard.

Ruin ground his teeth, cursing me silently. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Desperate to escape my grip, he flailed like a fish. Fireworks exploded from his hands. My back stung.

He was probably still casting spells. If only he could stay still like a proper fish, but sadly, I only had two hands.

"Haven't you changed at all in a year?"

His mosquito-weak magic didn't faze me. I mentally summoned my status window.

A status window that looked rock-solid no matter who saw it. It was the essence of my 13 years.

Personally, I think protagonists in novels with poison, ice, and regression as mains should at least have full poison immunity as a basic trait. Not optional—essential.

Assassination attempts are inevitable for protagonists. There are always villains jealous of someone better, and eventually, someone will try to kill you.

I feared that. I knew the future, after all. No matter how quietly I lived, I'd stand out. Even pretending not to know, I'd have to act like I did—that was the transmigrator's fate.

Health first for transmigrators, right? So I bonded with the villainess over poison. Simple reason: to build resistance.

-Ricardo, my stomach hurts.

-It's fine. It's good for you.

-I think it's from that mushroom soup you made earlier.

-How was the mushroom?

-Flashy. Really flashy.

-That's what's good about it.

The prepared are strong. So I stacked up on resistance skills. Used the original story to build them, snagged opportunities that wouldn't derail the plot, and toughened my body.

And I milked favorability quests for all they were worth. After 13 years transmigrated, getting stomped by a sub-male lead would mean forfeiting my transmigrator badge.

I gazed at my status window with a satisfied smile.

"Hic!"

A hiccup sounded. It was from Hanna, Ruin's green-haired companion.

She stared at me wide-eyed, hiccuping away.

"Hic…"

"Ah…"

"Hic… Heh… Hic!"

Her hands fidgeted helplessly. My junior looked mortified at showing such an embarrassing side.

"Sorry for showing you this. I got too excited reuniting with an old friend."

"Friend…?"

"Yeah, a friend."

Hanna wanted to go home. Ignoring her wish, I continued my deep conversation with the guest.

"Ruin."

"This monster fucker."

Squeeze… No sign of humility yet.

Should I knock him out?

Red aura flowed from my hand.

Hanna was dumbfounded.

Why does that guy have aura?

Aura was the symbol of talent. Among elite knights, how early you awakened it determined your superiority.

The fastest in the empire was at 25, so what was this guy, wielding aura like it was part of his body?

Even Mikhail-senpai, hailed as academy history's greatest talent, hadn't manifested aura yet.

-Crack.

Chills ran down her spine watching the butler toy with Ruin's head like a plaything.

What the hell is that guy?

Hanna could only watch quietly.

"Gaaaaah!! You fuck, I'll kill you!"

"Voice too loud."

Crunch. A brutal cracking sound filled the room.

"I said you'd wake the young lady."

"So what! Whether that bitch wakes up or not ain't my problem!"

"It is your problem."

I told him straight.

"Or you'll never speak again."

I held no grudge against Ruin. I was glad to see an old friend after so long. Sure, past grudges had me riled up, but if we aired it out and talked nicely, we could be friends again. That's what I thought.

"No magic to restore your voice yet, right? Keep yapping if you wanna make one yourself."

Ruin finally shut up. Seeing he was ready to talk, I decided to instill some principles.

"You can curse me at the academy. Even curse our young lady there."

Everyone's equal there. You could even talk down to a princess. Rules are rules. Sure, retaliation follows at your own risk, but free speech is guaranteed at the academy.

"But not in our mansion."

My grip tightened. I wasn't mad… or so I thought. Guess a switch flipped a bit.

This is dangerous.

I sensed it. Provoke him more, and his sub-male lead arc ends here.

I spoke softly, avoiding further agitation.

"I'm doing this 'cause I'm worried you'll screw up outside. You can't live at the academy forever."

The truth. Live happily in that greenhouse academy, then step into society and casually say "Hey, long time no see" to a noble? Your head rolls.

"So listen up."

Advice from someone who's been in the real world.

"Don't act tough. You'll end up dead."

After knocking Ruin out, I walked toward Hanna.

She flinched, shoulders trembling. I offered my hand.

"Sorry."

"Ah… No, it's fine."

I bowed with genuine apology.

"Really sorry. No excuse for showing you that mess."

"It's okay. More importantly, I have another appointment."

Hanna hurriedly grabbed her bag. She wanted out of this house ASAP.

I subtly blocked her path.

"No, your companion will need time to wake up. Rest a bit."

"I'm fine, really!"

I said firmly.

"Go rest upstairs."

"Pardon??"

I looked up at the second floor.

"It's too loud─────you fuuuucking idiots!!!"

A familiar voice rang out. I glared at the blissfully unconscious Ruin. I genuinely wanted to kill him.

"Looks like the young lady's awake. Mind keeping her company?"

You wake her, you deal with her. I had no intention of letting Hanna go until she'd put Olivia back to sleep.