The Lady's Butler: I Reincarnated To Serve The Villainess

Chapter 234: Welcome Back To The North

It took the flame salamanders pulling the carriage a day to reach the North, and they got visibly slower when they entered the cold region.

Adrian’s clones had ended up using [Shadow Possession] on them, which was the only reason they had ended up making it to the Main estate in just a day.

He would’ve preferred if they had come by car, since Alvíss had some of those in handy, but it would’ve taken a day for it to reach the South.

It would’ve also been rude to reject the Grand Duke’s gesture, though Adrian was certain that he wouldn’t have minded.

Either way, they finally made it to the North.

"We’re here," Adrian muttered as he looked outside the carriage’s window, noticing the approaching gates.

"Hmm," Renelle nodded, though she seemed a bit nervous, and Adrian knew why.

Still, he just placed a hand over hers without saying anything.

His silent reassurance was all she needed as she took a deep breath and muttered, "Thanks."

The butler nodded and looked outside the window and at the approaching mansion as they had been let through the gates.

Adrian got out the moment the door to the carriage opened, looked at the Ardents standing in waiting, before giving a respectful bow and turning back to the open carriage door.

Renelle seemed to hesitate for a second before looking at his extended hand and taking it.

Adrian led her out of the carriage, and she immediately froze as she stepped out.

She had expected this, from the moment she saw the egg, she had been certain of what her butler had planned with it.

After all, she had seen what it was capable of in her past life.

But even then, she couldn’t help but freeze as she looked ahead of her, her eyes resting on someone she had lost twice.

"Mom?" Renelle let out in a trembling voice.

The Grand Duchess of the North, Serine Ardent, was standing just a short distance away from the carriage with a warm smile on her face.

She soon closed the distance and wrapped her arms around the still frozen Renelle and said, "I must’ve caused you to worry, my dear daughter."

"I’m sorry."

Renelle, the moment she heard her mother’s voice, broke out in tears.

The very same tears that she had refused to let out at the funeral flowed down her face in streams.

She clutched her mother’s clothes tightly as she sobbed, and Serine just calmly patted her back.

Even she had tears in her eyes, after all, the last thing she remembered was dying in her arms.

Before a flaming bird pierced through the void she seemed to have been floating in, and she found herself before her husband again.

Usually, when one died, the mana that made up their soul dispersed into Average, becoming one with her again, until that mana birthed a spirit or perhaps formed a new soul.

But since the North’s custom was to trap the body of the dead in ice, that mana stayed within the corpse, which meant her soul remained intact in her body.

Hence, the reason the Phoenix’s egg was able to bring her back.

It was a narrow window.

Any longer, and the mana would have begun dispersing regardless of the ice. The North’s custom had bought time, but time had a limit.

Fortunately, they had managed to try and revive her just in time.

Grand Duke Boreas looked towards Adrian and simply nodded.

That single silent gesture said all that he didn’t, and more.

His gratitude towards the butler couldn’t be measured, and try as he would, he was uncertain of ever paying him back.

After all, he had made their family complete again.

Renelle and her mother continued hugging for a while longer before Renelle finally calmed down.

Serine pulled back, looked at her daughter’s tear-stained face and smiled before wiping the tears off with a white handkerchief she had in hand.

"You must’ve been carrying so much guilt," She said after a while, placing a hand on her daughter’s head as she gently patted it, "it wasn’t your fault, okay?"

Renelle looked up at her mother before nodding, feeling a burden lifted from her shoulders.

She felt so incredibly light right now.

Serine looked at Renelle’s face for a while before turning to the figure behind her and saying, "You must be her butler, Adrian."

"It’s a pleasure to meet the Grand Duchess," Adrian greeted with a bow, "I’m glad to see you in good health."

"You can drop the formal tone, child," Serine said with a smile, "after all, I owe my life to you."

"I did what would ensure my lady remained happy," Adrian answered, "the Grand Duchess does not owe me for that."

"Is that so?" Serine asked, placing a hand on her cheek as she looked at the butler, "Even if my repayment involves me officially recognizing your relationship and giving you my approval?"

Adrian froze at that. The Grand Duchess seemed to drive a hard bargain, one that he couldn’t refuse.

"..."

He said nothing for a while, and a teasing grin appeared on the Grand Duchess’s face as she turned around and said, "Let’s head inside, shall we?"

With that, they walked into the mansion, with Serine leading them while holding Renelle’s hand.

Adrian, on the other hand, stopped in front of the Grand Duke and Cedric, who seemed to have something to say.

Cedric was the first to approach, and he simply extended his hand for a shake. Adrian looked at it for a second before accepting the shake.

"Thank you," the Ardent young master sincerely said, and the butler just nodded.

"Adrian," the Grand Duke called out.

"Yes, Master Boreas," Adrian answered, turning towards him.

"You have my gratitude," Boreas said. "And my trust, both without condition."

"Thank you, Master Boreas," Adrian responded.

Though, as he said, as long as Renelle was happy, that was all that mattered to him.

Boreas looked at him for a moment longer before nodding and heading inside.

Cedric followed, but not before glancing back at Adrian with gratitude, truly appreciating what the butler had done.

"It seems even I am in your debt, Adrian," a voice came from his side, and he turned around, noticing the butler with a monocle beside him,

Sebastian.

"Would you like a visit to the family treasury again?" The old butler asked, looking at the child before him with a smile.

Adrian thought of the offer for a while, though he saw no reason to enter the treasury again.

Sure, there were special weapons and magic tools inside, but there was hardly anything he couldn’t get Alvíss to make.

Besides, he didn’t think a weapon would fit him, given his shadow element was quite versatile.

"I don’t believe I deserve a reward for this," Adrian finally responded, "after all, what I did was in service to my lady, and that was simply me doing my job as her butler."

Sebastian looked at him for a while before smiling and nodding in satisfaction.

Although the child seemed to have strayed away from his training as a butler, which was disappointing,

At least he still stuck to some of his teachings.

"Well then," Sebastian said, adjusting his monocle, "if you ever change your mind, the offer stands."

Adrian nodded.

"Now then," Sebastian turned towards the mansion’s entrance, "shall we?"

With that, the two butlers walked in, with the intention of joining the family in the dining area.

The moment they walked into the dining room, Serine looked up at Adrian.

"There he is," she said pleasantly. "Sit."

Without hesitation, Adrian walked to the seat she was pointing at, a seat that just happened to be beside Renelle.

"Sebastian," Serine called out after Adrian had taken a seat, "you can also take a seat."

Sebastian didn’t bother denying the order since he knew how stubborn the mistress could be.

There was no one in the Ardent family who could win against her, so there was no use even trying.

Serine paused after seeing Sebastian taking a seat as she recalled something, so she asked, "Where’s Margaret?"

"Handling the food," Cedric was the one to respond.

"I see," she nodded in understanding before adding, "then she’ll join us when the food is ready."

With that, she clapped both hands together and turned towards Adrian with a smile on her face,

"Now then, Adrian, tell me about yourself."