Chapter 569: The Butler's True Feelings
Chapter 569: The Butler's True Feelings
That was what Diana had thought, but she soon realized she had made a critical error.
She was still assuming that Vanessa chose men based on sexual compatibility.
What if that was a misunderstanding from the very beginning?
Thinking of it that way, it made sense why Vanessa had lost her heart to my beloved during their second encounter.
Any other man, in that situation with Vanessa, would have lost his mind and tried to go all the way to insertion. But it seemed my dear husband had managed to restrain himself.
As expected of the man I love. How could he be so wonderful?
But Diana’s prediction was, once again, off the mark.
No. To be precise, it wasn’t completely wrong, but it wasn’t entirely right, either.
“While Sir Guwon was releasing the skill… I lost my reason to the overwhelming pleasure. To the point that I… desired Sir Guwon’s body myself.”
As Vanessa spoke, she bit her lower lip hard, her expression showing how sorry she was just thinking about it again.
Vanessa looked like she could die from guilt, but Diana wasn't nearly as angry as Vanessa seemed to think.
No. To be honest, she was even feeling a little pleased.
And why wouldn't she be? It meant that even when that Vanessa had made a move on him, her wonderfully amazing husband had resisted, didn't it?
This wasn't just the doting thought of a fool bragging about her family; viewed objectively, Vanessa was a beauty without a single flaw.
And he had resisted her, even when she threw herself at him. Just how much must he love me to act that way, even when I’m not around?
My beloved… my wonderful beloved… I’ll have to give you a kiss when I see you later.
The Diana who had been burning with rage just moments ago over her husband’s potential affair was already gone.
“I-Is that so… So you…”
Diana desperately suppressed the corners of her mouth, which were trying to curl into a smile, and lowered her voice.
But Vanessa wasn't finished.
“…Yes. I am sorry. I never knew I could lose my senses to such a degree over mere pleasure.”
Frankly, Diana understood completely.
She, after all, had been thoroughly ravaged by Guwon on many occasions.
My beloved is quite incredible. Even I lose my mind sometimes, so I can certainly understand.
Of course, she didn't say it out loud. It would be embarrassing to admit that she, too, had lost control and become disheveled, no matter who she was talking to.
Instead, Diana reached out and gently stroked Vanessa’s head.
At that, Vanessa shrank back, her expression growing even more apologetic.
“To think I would lose my senses to the point that even my Polymorph would be undone…”
“Wh-What? You mean your Polymorph was undone?!”
So she didn't fall for him just because she saw my beloved's incredible patience? There was more to the story?!
The moment she heard Vanessa’s words, Diana had a good idea of what was coming next.
And seeing Diana’s reaction, Vanessa felt an even deeper sense of apology, hesitating for a moment on whether she should continue.
But she had already resolved to confess everything.
No matter how Lady Diana treats me after hearing this, I must tell her everything honestly.
“…Yes. And Sir Guwon… saw my true form… and… he… said… it was beautiful…”
Ah.
The moment she heard Vanessa’s words, Diana instinctively slapped a hand to her forehead.
My beloved… being honest is good, and being kind is good, too.
Complimenting Vanessa’s changed appearance was, of course, the right thing to do.
Still, still. Was it really necessary to drive the final nail in for a girl who already had feelings for you?
When you’re that kind to them, my beloved, any woman would fall in love with you.
And to compliment Vanessa’s true form, of all things.
Of course, my beloved would have had no idea what that meant.
He probably just instinctively sensed that Vanessa was insecure about her true form and gave her a compliment without much thought.
Haaa….
Diana realized that Vanessa’s feelings for her husband were far stronger than she had imagined.
Vanessa’s race was Dragonian.
In other words, a hybrid of dragon and human. In truth, Diana herself had only ever seen one dragon in her entire life.
By the time Diana was born, the species was already nearly extinct.
All due to the indiscriminate hunting by ancient mages for Dragon Hearts.
Long ago, when the theories of magic had not yet been established and only a select few wielded the innate magical powers they were born with, the Dragon Heart was an incredibly coveted prize for mages.
Of course, it would be a desirable item for mages today as well, but for the mages of the past who didn't know how to increase the mana within their bodies, the significance of a Dragon Heart was on an entirely different level.
That was why, despite being stronger than any other race, the dragons went extinct faster than any other.
But even among the dragons thought to be extinct, there was a survivor.
A dragon who, thanks to the innate magical power of Polymorph, was able to transform into a human.
And by a stroke of fate, Diana came into contact with that dragon and secretly protected it from other mages.
Thanks to Diana’s help, the dragon was able to completely assimilate into human society and start a family with a human. Feeling a great debt to Diana, the clan voluntarily swore to serve her for generations.
That was the beginning of the Vanessa clan, which had served as Diana’s butlers for generations.
For that reason, Vanessa’s clan had, for generations, been extremely afraid of showing their true form to others.
Of course, the only one who had directly experienced the Dragon Heart hunts was the first-generation dragon, but childhood education is a frightening thing.
The Dragonian clan, who grew up hearing such stories from their parents, became more and more afraid of showing their true forms with each passing generation, and their respect for Diana grew accordingly.
By the time it reached Vanessa, that feeling had become so ingrained it was almost like brainwashing.
In fact, Diana had made many efforts to eliminate that feeling.
When Diana founded the Mage Association, she went so far as to define the pursuit of the magical arts at the cost of others’ lives as black magic and expelled those who practiced it.
Because of that, the perception of mages had changed considerably, and now, even if a full-blooded dragon were to appear in the present day, there would likely be no group foolish enough to covet its Dragon Heart.
Moreover, the fact that the clan that always served by Diana’s side were descendants of a dragon had, by now, become an open secret known to all who needed to know.
But despite all that, the deep-seated fear that had taken root in Vanessa’s heart over several generations did not disappear.
It went so far that Vanessa didn't just fear showing her true form to others; she had come to believe that her true form was hideous.
So much so that she used the power of Polymorph, passed down through generations, to avoid showing her true form even when bathing or sleeping, or even in front of Diana.
A brief aside. Some of you might be wondering how Vanessa can maintain her Polymorph state continuously.
Thanks to the magical theories Diana established, its significance has faded in the modern era, but being able to use magic innately still had its merits.
The biggest merit was that the efficiency of innately usable magic was exceptionally high.
That was also the reason why only Diana could use reincarnation magic.
The one who established the theories of magic was none other than Diana herself.
Naturally, she was the first to establish the theory for the reincarnation magic she wielded innately.
But the reason no one else could use that magic was because its efficiency was abysmal.
Diana could turn back her physical age by an amount corresponding to the levels she sacrificed, but other mages could not.
There would be no point in using reincarnation magic if you had to sacrifice 100 levels just to revert to the physical age of one level prior.
In any case, the difference in efficiency between innate magic and learned magic was that great.
The same was true for Vanessa. Unlike Diana, who couldn't maintain Polymorph for very long even at her current level, Vanessa could maintain it continuously.
In any case, to the Vanessa who hated her true form so much, Guwon had called her beautiful.
Just how deeply that single phrase must have struck her. Even Diana could hardly imagine.
He had, in some small way, helped heal the trauma of the dear girl she thought of as a granddaughter.
She wanted to praise him, thinking, As expected of my beloved, but she couldn't simply leave it at that.
You’ve completely sealed the deal in Vanessa’s heart, my beloved.
Diana’s head began to ache slightly.
Honestly, even if Vanessa had feelings for Guwon, Diana had thought she could just talk her down.
After all, Vanessa followed her words more than anyone else’s.
She probably feels guilty just for having feelings for my beloved in the first place.
So, she had planned to comfort her, offer counsel, and if necessary, assign the task of attending to Guwon to another maid. She thought that would be enough for Vanessa to get a grip on her feelings.
But now she saw that wasn't the case.
Vanessa’s feelings for her husband were far greater than she had imagined.
And with a personality like hers…
Now that she had fallen this hard, even if she were forbidden from seeing him, she might spend the rest of her life thinking only of him.
I knew she always wanted to be like me, but she didn't have to resemble me in this aspect…
“Huuu…”
Diana let out a deep sigh without realizing it.
“…I am sorry.”
And seeing Diana like that, Vanessa wanted to die from her own sense of apology.
I hate myself for betraying Lady Diana’s trust. And I hate myself for being unable to let go of my feelings for Guwon, even as I think this.
Lately, she had even tried deliberately avoiding Guwon to get a hold of her ever-growing feelings, but she couldn't stop her heart from pounding every time she heard his voice.
Just a moment ago was a perfect example.
When Guwon had called her over to tell her a secret.
She had definitely thought it was that kind of secret.
Fortunately, it wasn't, but even thinking that, she had told Guwon she would keep his secret and to tell her.
This was a clear betrayal of Lady Diana.
No. It was more than that. She had even been hoping that Guwon would want her.
Though Guwon had even called her an iron mask, tears unknowingly streamed from her eyes at the thought.
She couldn't even tell if these tears were flowing out of guilt for betraying Lady Diana, or out of sadness at the thought that she might never be able to see Guwon again.
And that made her hate herself even more.
But despite it all, she was still Lady Diana’s butler.
I may no longer be able to call myself Lady Diana’s butler, but at the very least, I will fulfill my duties as her faithful butler until the very end.
Before Lady Diana, who held such affection for someone like me, has to say the difficult words, I will be the one to bring up my punishment.
“Sob… Lady Diana… I… I…”
“Waaaaah!”
Just as Vanessa opened her mouth, Diana suddenly shot to her feet and began to frantically mess up her own beautiful, long silver hair with both hands.
“L-Lady Diana…?”
Vanessa could swear it was the first time in her life she had ever seen Diana act like that. She was so stunned that even her tears stopped flowing.
“Hmph… Fine.”
Looking straight at Vanessa, the still-beautiful Diana spoke as if she had made up her mind, despite her disheveled hair.
“Y-Yes…?”
“My husband is a lecher anyway. Sometimes, it’s a struggle for me to even take him once every three days. The more concubines, the better… No! That’s not it. Hmm. No matter how I look at it, that’s not right. Anyway, he already has two concubines! And there are several more candidates out there! Adding one more in you, Vanessa, won’t be a problem at all!”
Looking at the bewildered Vanessa, Diana spoke in a firm voice, as if she wouldn't say it a second time.
Though inwardly, she was thinking, Uwaaah… what on earth am I going to say to Miss Sara and Miss Leia…
But this was the first love of the girl she thought of as a granddaughter. And it was a love that might very well be her last.
To crush it like this was something Diana simply could not do.
Even if the object of that love was her own husband.
It’s not like he’ll wear out. I’m just sharing a little bit.
Diana desperately tried to justify her decision to herself.
“N-No, you cannot! I could never, ever allow that!”
For a moment, Vanessa couldn't process what Diana had said, standing frozen with her mouth agape.
But as she finally understood the meaning of Diana’s words, she objected, shouting at Diana for the first time in her life.
That, that kind of thing! I am Lady Diana’s butler! Out of pride, if nothing else, I could never do such a thing!
But Vanessa wasn't the only one whose pride was now on the line.
“Are you defying my order right now!?”
For the first time, Diana yelled at Vanessa.