The Villainous Me Turned the Losers into Blackened Bosses-Chapter 268 - Eir’s Wandering (1)

—

“So, I came here to tell you... you’re free.”

Carver sat primly on the sofa, a polite, almost business-like smile on his face, as if discussing a deal with a partner.

For once, the relentless rain wasn’t drumming against the window. Instead, clear moonlight filtered through the narrow gap between crowded buildings, illuminating the small ‘Hysterm cottage in the capital’.

Eir placed the steaming cup of black tea on the table.

Her eyes widened.

“Mr. Hysterm... Lord Hysterm, what are you saying?”

“Mm, expected reaction,” Carver murmured, seemingly anticipating her response. He tapped his high-grade cigarette, dusting ash into a long-neglected, dusty ashtray.

To Eir’s sensitive nose, the cigarette smoke wasn’t harsh; it even carried a faint, pleasant aroma.

Even so, she instinctively took two steps back.

The young master never smoked, even though it was common in noble social circles.

He’d casually mentioned once, “It probably wouldn’t shorten my life that much, could give it a try,” but always refused in the end, saying, “Your sense of smell is a precious resource; it shouldn’t be damaged by cigarette smoke.”

“I know this is surprising for you,” Carver continued, noticing her subtle withdrawal due to distaste. He stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette. “But... you are indeed free. From now on, you don’t have to choose the identity of ‘Hysterm family maid’.”

“N-No... Why? Eir... when Eir came to the Hysterm house, was told... told Eir was to serve Young Master Will as a maid for her entire life...”

“Correct. And he was the one who said it,” Carver cut off Eir’s trembling words with a blunt affirmation.

“Eh?”

“Simply put, Will doesn’t need you anymore. Mmm... As the one who ‘owns’ you, he believes your relationship with the Hysterm family isn’t one of employment, nor slavery. So, since he doesn’t need you, you can embrace the freedom you’ve dreamed of.”

Eir understood the unspoken implication behind Carver’s carefully chosen words.

Just like when she was first taken in, and only Will insisted she wasn’t a Hysterm slave but the maid he acknowledged would grow up alongside him.

Carver wouldn’t openly say he was willing to grant ‘freedom’ to someone considered a lifelong Hysterm servant, practically a slave.

The only one who could express that sentiment...

Was...

Only the young master.

It seemed... Carver...

Wasn’t lying.

`The young master doesn’t need me anymore!`

`The young master doesn’t need me anymore—`

`The young master doesn’t need me...`

`He...`

`Doesn’t...`

`Need...`

`Me?`

This didn’t feel like simple “not needing.” For Will, her ‘owner’, to say such a thing...

Was it...

`Abandonment?`

`’300 Questions on Blackening’, Question 1: First check, do you possess the conviction: He loves me, he would definitely never abandon me?`

“Hmm... Are you crying because you’re overjoyed? Alright, I’ll leave shortly, give you some time to process,” Carver interjected, breaking Eir’s internal ‘review’.

Eir hadn’t even realized the tip of her nose was tingling, stinging with suppressed tears. Her body fought to hold them back, surely twisting her expression into something ugly.

`Will said he didn’t like seeing her look like she was about to cry. As a wolf, she needed the tough resolve to tear down difficulties herself.`

“My lord, Young Master Will really... really said that? But... But I have nowhere else to go...”

“No need for false modesty. I’ve seen what Will’s done. While his methods for training elite dungeon delvers are... interesting, you’ve worked hard too. As things stand, you could walk into our Adventurer’s Guild’s new capital building tomorrow and apply for the S-rank assessment.”

Carver’s tone remained strictly ‘businesslike’, seemingly guiding her to ignore her feelings for Will.

“S-rank Shield Knights are very rare. Most adventurers either claw their way up solo or come from academies—both systems are better at cultivating offensive talent rather than defensive.”

He offered genuine praise, glancing at the shield prominently displayed in the center of the room—clearly a weapon requiring significant ‘wealth’ to custom-make, undoubtedly prepared specifically for her by Will.

“After all, only someone who starts out with partners behind them needing protection would choose a class that requires others, and is needed by others.”

However...

Every sentence from Carver was laced with subtle ‘personal commentary’, woven with ‘keywords’ purposefully, yet seemingly unintentionally, meant to remind Eir of Will.

“I... I’m strong? I... I can really leave the young master, go... go live alone?” Eir voiced the ‘confident’ statement with utter disbelief.

“You are strong,” Carver nodded. “The reward from a single A1-rank dungeon delve would be enough for you to take half a year off without needing any other missions... Thank him for his training.”

A single tear escaped Eir’s right eye.

“Of course... if you’d prefer to stay with the Hysterm family as an ‘experienced maid’, that’s also an option. Your Aunt Susan has retired. As the longest-serving maid in the Hysterm household, you could certainly fill the position.”

Carver pulled a card from his pocket and placed it lightly on the table. It was the business card of the Head of the Hysterm family—not his card as an Adventurer’s Guild administrator.

“This way... can I meet the young master?”

“Sigh...” Carver’s sigh negated Eir’s hesitant question. “He’s at the royal palace now. The royal family might not appreciate a maid we raised. But... you could try.”

“It’s just, he’s getting married. I’m truly unsure if Her Majesty Treya would appreciate having a personal maid who grew up with him.”

Yes.

The young master... no, Will was going to finalize the marriage contract with Treya.

He seemed happy.

Any feeling that something was wrong must be her own mistake.

He had a new life.

She really was...

`”Oh, right. If you’re interested in the head maid position, no need to find me at the old place you used to live. Just ask at the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“...Hm? The old house, what happened to it?”

“Moved ages ago. It was mainly just for Will to live in for fun anyway. After he left, we gradually moved things south. After all, back then... being close to the capital meant being far from other family businesses.”

Having said his piece, Carver showed no intention of lingering and stood up.

“My lord... Sir, you’re not staying? It’s very late, you should probably...”

“Oh, I did come to the city for some business, but I’m not staying here. It’s far too cramped. Probably only suitable for someone starting from scratch who has drive and patience.”

“Huh?” Eir felt there was a hidden meaning in his words.

“The Hysterm family does have a larger house in the capital. I’ll be going now,” Carver stated simply. “Think carefully about what comes next.” frёewebnoѵēl.com

***

“Ma’am? We’re here. Unauthorized vehicles can’t stop right at the palace entrance. You’ll need to get out and walk a bit, same as before.”

“Mm,” Eir nodded, pressing her fingers to her forehead.

The memory of the wooden door clicking shut as Carver left yesterday morphed into the small door of the carriage.

She... was still thinking about last night’s conversation with Mr. Carver.

Since she was now...

Someone who could stand on her own two feet.

There were some things she was willing to seek out Will herself to confirm.

Even if...

He was now within the royal palace—