Head Butler of the Fallen Villainess-Chapter 91 - 20th Days (3) | A Conversation with Miss Adventure (3)

The moment the intense pressure within the small confines of the tent disappeared, Anastasia let out the breath she had been holding—relief washing over her as the suffocating weight lifted from her chest.

Even so, her eyes remained wary as they fell upon the grinning female adventurer...

"..."

"Hmm? What’s wrong, my lord?" Vivian mused, her voice laced with amusement as she tilted her head, noticing the lingering stare from the red-haired lord.

Anastasia continued to remain silent...

She still remembered the intense bloodlust this woman—no, this assassin—had exuded mere moments ago, and she realized that it was the same kind of bloodlust she had felt last night during the failed banquet.

And she remembered how suffocating it had been—even if it was not directed toward her and even if it had been brief—how utterly oppressive that presence had felt.

But just now... being at the receiving end of that same bloodlust was... a horrifying experience, to say the least.

For a split second, she had thought her heart had stopped—that her life had reached its final moment.

But it hadn’t.

Fortunately, she did not meet her end there...

And it was thanks to him—Sebas.

The butler, who had also "turned off" his own overwhelming presence, now wore an exasperated look as he regarded Vivian. A stark contrast to the sharp, unwavering aura he had projected just seconds prior.

However, the moment he noticed Anastasia watching him, his expression softened. The exasperation faded, replaced by something calm—reassuring. A silent promise reflected in his gaze.

’Don’t worry, you are safe.’

It was the same reassurance he always gave her...

And deep down... she appreciated him for it.

Truly, she did.

His unwavering support, his quiet strength—it was a comfort beyond words.

And because of that... the nagging irritation that had been tugging at her since Vivian’s arrival slowly unraveled, replaced by something firmer. Something more certain.

Yes... she was the lord of this land. She could not afford to be shaken.

With a steadier grip on herself, Anastasia faced the female adventurer once more.

But this time, there was no lingering resentment. No misplaced frustration.

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Instead, she held herself with the composed authority befitting a noble... nay, a lord of a region.

"Miss Vivian," Anastasia spoke, her tone even. "I must apologize."

"...Huh?"

That, of all things, seemed to catch the assassin off guard. Her grin twitched, her brows raising slightly.

"Wait, really? For what, my lord?"

"For revealing your secondary profession in such a manner," Anastasia stated, watching Vivian’s expression closely. "It was not my place to do so, and I admit—it was rather brazen of me."

A beat of silence. Then—

"Oh~? No problem~."

"W-what...?" Anastasia blinked, taken aback by how effortlessly and nonchalantly the female adventurer had brushed it off. "A-are you sure...?"

"Ahaha~, no harm done, my lord~," Vivian dismissed the unexpected apology with the same carefree attitude, seeming as if the matter was of little-to-no concern to her.

And Anastasia could only weakly nod to her, somewhat glad but also perplexed by how easily the assassin dismissed the matter, as if it truly did not bother her in the slightest.

"I-I see..."

However, there was an unmistakable glint of curiosity in Vivian’s eyes. "Though I do wonder—just where did you hear about me and my secret life, oh Lord Anastasia?"

"H-huh?" The lord herself flinched slightly, startled by the sudden shift. "W-well, I heard it from... Sebas."

"Ah—so from Sebastian, huh?" The female adventurer immediately turned her attention to the butler, a playful pout forming on her lips. "Spreading a woman’s secrets, are we? How cruel~."

Sebas, in turn, merely sighed, his expression flat with mild exasperation as he gave a light shrug.

"I was simply informing my master of any potential threats," he stated matter-of-factly. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Vivian puffed up her cheeks in exaggerated offense, her pout deepening. "How rude, Sebastian. You make it sound like I’m some kind of dangerous woman."

Both Sebas and Anastasia stared at her, deadpan.

"..."

"..."

Neither of them could tell if she was being serious or just messing with them again.

But, surprisingly, Vivian’s expression shifted. While still playful, her demeanor turned more... reassuring and friendly.

"Well, just so you know, I don’t have any intention of targeting you, my lord. Nor any of your precious subjects, for that matter~," she admitted, leaning back on the cloth bed casually. "I know, I know, I can be a bit much sometimes, but... I do have a line I won’t cross, you know."

Anastasia blinked, caught slightly off guard.

She hadn’t expected those words coming from her...

"...Also," Vivian muttered lightly, rubbing the back of her neck with an almost sheepish air, "I suppose I should apologize for some of the things I said last night. I might’ve been a little... harsh."

For a moment, Anastasia could only stare.

Vivian’s usual playfulness had softened—just a little. Not quite serious, not quite teasing. But still, there was something oddly sincere in the way she spoke.

Anastasia hesitated, not knowing how to react.

"...I see," she finally murmured, somewhat perplexed, but also... glad. A feeling of relief to know that the woman in front of her actually meant no harm.

But before she could dwell on it, Vivian tilted her head, shifting the conversation entirely.

"ALTHOUGH, I’m still wondering—why are you even here?"

"H-huh?"

"I mean, come on, the esteemed eldest daughter of Duke Rosavich? And the fiancée of the Crown Prince to boot? You must’ve done something real bad to get exiled here, huh?"

Anastasia stiffened.

The question was so casual—so offhanded—but it struck her like a bolt to the chest.

Vivian... didn’t know?

It should’ve been common knowledge. Her crime. Her disgrace. Her sin. The reason why she was cast aside and sent to this wretched land.

’So... why...?’

Anastasia’s hands curled slightly, an uneasy feeling creeping into her chest.

But before she could respond—

"Actually, this is a matter of concern of mine as well," Sebas interjected, his calm voice breaking through the growing tension.

Both Anastasia and Vivian turned to him, surprised.

The butler regarded them both with his usual composed expression... though there was a certain weight behind his words.

"Later, I would like to clarify as much as possible regarding this matter," he continued. "For the sake of my employment under Lady Anastasia, I must ensure there are no more... misunderstandings, alright?"

A brief silence followed.

But it was broken by Vivian, who let out a low whistle in amusement. "I’m sensing some juicy scandal~."

Anastasia, however, could only swallow, the unease lingering at the back of her mind.

Just... how much of this truth was Sebas planning to uncover?

And more importantly—

Would she be ready to face it?