Transmigrated Into Another World: Aim to be the Noblewoman’s Butler

Going back a while, right after Lady Juliette told me to prepare for our trip in the city, a very peculiar and interesting note arrived at my doorstep. I couldn't see who it was that slipped it from under my doorstep, so I was understandably on my guard.

"Meet me by the clearing near the courtyard as soon as you read this note, and don't tell anyone." It read.

The proper protocol for a threatening letter such as this was to report it to the headguard sir Lennox directly, but I had second thoughts. As ominous as it sounded, the hand writing on the letter was unusually beautiful, one that clearly exuded grace and nobility, maybe even on par with my lady's own hand writing.

Coupled with the fact that I had no idea what this person was planning or was capable of doing, I figured that not following the instructions on the letter was the worst possible thing I could do, they might have already infiltrated the estate for all I know.

So I decided that I would meet with this person and ascertain their intentions myself.

Right after I finished fixing up the disguise I'll be wearing for my "date" with my lady later in the afternoon, I quickly headed towards the designated meeting place. Of course I had a couple of hidden daggers in my person for protection, but my overall outfit was rather inconspicuous. Saying this, a number of servants did take notice of me, but that was a special case since I was still inside the estate and commoners would normally not be allowed inside.

Upon arriving at the clearing near the courtyard, I cautiously surveyed my surroundings, all the while readying my self for any surprise attacks.. but nothing came.

In fact, there was no one there.

I stood there waiting for almost a good fifteen minutes.

Now, being a proud and diligent servant trained by the esteemed sir Alford himself, I naturally valued honour and integrity to my work above all else, so this person standing me up after sending me that ominous letter greatly irritated me. With that in mind I decided to go back and report to the lord.

Just as I was walking back to the estate, a quiet rustle took my attention towards a bush at the far side of the clearing. I took a stance and prepared for an attack.

What followed was the crimson hair of a girl meekly peeking out of the thicket. Just one glance was enough to identify who she really was, which led to my current predicament.

"Haah.. haah.. haah.. sir.. Larc.." she struggled to say as she panted.

"I'm.. haah.. terribly sorry for coming late! Haah.. Onee-sama caught me and.. haah.. I got away as.. soon as I had the chance.. "

The girl in front of me who's trying her very best to catch her breath is none other than the third child, as well as the second princess of the Royal family of Seraphim, her highness Claudia Fau Sera Belmont.

It took a while, but after being initially dumbfounded by the sight before me I quickly collected my thoughts and rushed to the princess' side to help her sit down.

"Your highness, please sit down for now!" I exclaimed.

"Thank you, sir Larc."

The princess and I, you could say, have a history together. I had once unknowingly helped her out in the town square while she was in disguise a while back in Belmont, as well as acted as a mediator between her and my lady to whom she strangely had a somewhat strained relationship with, during the Prince's debut, so I was fairly acquainted with her at this point.

But what really troubled me right now was the overwhelming evidence that suggests that she was the one who sent that note to me.

Of course being a servant I had no right to criticize her for summoning me here and being late herself, and I couldn't just blatantly ask her for her reason while she was still out of breath, so I just put up with it and fanned her in hopes of giving her more air.

I moved to her side and produced a handkerchief from my breast pocket. As a man and a servant, I make it a habit to always carry two handkerchief in my person anytime anywhere, one for my personal use, and one to offer to anyone who might need it. I reached the handkerchief out to her and she generously accepted.

While wiping away the sweat that dribbled from her forehead, I couldn't help but think of how alluring she looked.

I mean, I am still a man after all so I hope I can be forgiven for thinking so. And even if I'm the personal butler of Lady Juliette, I was still taught by sir Alford to appreciate beauty where it lied, so I couldn't help but stare.

Now that I think about it, this is the first time that I actually took a good look at princess Claudia. The first time I met her she was wearing a disguise so I wasn't really able to see much, the second time was when she was having a quarrel with my lady, so her looks were at the very bottom of my concern. But right now, there was just the two of us, so I was able to just soak it all in.

Her porcelain like skin with slight dribbles of sweat that glistened under the sun looked as smooth as a baby's bottom, her lips that were a shade close to her slightly disheveled crimson red hair looked soft beyond imagination, her eyes that were as beautiful as a pair of rubies glint with a somewhat fiery majesty.

She was, to put it simply, on par with even Lady Juliette who's known as the rose of Carmine. Truly a beauty worthy of bearing the royal name Belmont.

Having been engrossed in my thoughts, I didn't notice that the princess had already taken a deep breath and slowly stood up to face me.

"Haa thank you, sir Larc. I do apologize for showing you such an unsightly sight." She said as she offered a slight bow.

Suddenly getting pulled from my thoughts, I took a while before realizing what had happened.

Now being a servant, I was quite used to offering respects to and greeting other people, but to have been offered a curtsey in return from a noble, especially a member of the royal family at that, I was extremely shocked and flabbergasted, it was nothing short of innapropriate.

I quickly took to one knee and offered an even lower bow.

"Your highness, You've no need to apologize to a servant such as myself. Please pay it no mind." I answered in a collected voice.

To which she replied in a somewhat panicked way.

"Ah! You don't need to kneel, sir Larc! Please stand up, and I should be the one to apologize, so please forgive me!"

"There's nothing to forgive, you're highness." I answered. "That would undoubtedly be impertinent of me."

"Noooo! There's no such thing! I'm seriously the one at fault! Please stand up!"

After a while of the conversation goimg back and forth like this, I decided to relent and stood up. I dusted off the dirt that stuck to my knees and fixed my posture before facing the crimson red haired girl in front of me.

Seeing this, the princess showed relieved smile. I say relieved, but the figure of the princess smiling while holding her hands close to her chest was nothing less than enchanting, but I digress.

"Thank you, sir Larc." She said.

"There's nothing to thank, your highness."

After recollecting ourselves, the princess and I decided to talk under the shade of a tree. There she stood opposite to me as she brushed her hair to her ear in the cutest way imaginable."

"Now then." She said as she fixed her posture. "I won't take too much of you're time, sir Larc. So I'll get straight to the point."

Just as she said that I could've sworn I saw a faint glint in her eyes, a glint that I frequently saw from the Carmine siblings, especially when they find something interesting. Seeing this glint come from the second princess of the kingdom sent a shiver down my spine.

"I heard from the servants, sir Larc. It seems that you're having some money problems?" She asked as she looked to me with worried eyes.

Ouch.

She was hitting one of my sorest spot.

As a personal butler of the only daughter of a ducal house, it's safe to say that I make a pretty decent amount of money for a servant. So me being broke at the moment was nothing short of a mystery.

In this world, there are only a handful of things that may drain a man of his money, so you would normally be able to guess what I was spending my money on, but that wasn't the case.

I couldn't refute what she was asking me.

Yes I am indeed having money problems, and yes I've been trying to borrow money from some of the servants, but not because of the reason one would normally think of.

"I think I have a gist of what's going on."

Fortunately though, the princess' next words blew my embarrassment away.

"The day we met at the town square, you were carrying an unusually large amount of money for a servant. Ah! I meant no disrespect, of course!"

".. None taken, your highness, it is true after all."

In reality, those two gold coins were actually a year's worth of savings. I know it's not much, but because I frequently bought different kinds of books, and considering my station in life, it was a fairly decent amount of money.

In retrospect, I probably overpaid that sly bastard. A couple of silver coins would've probably sufficed. But considering the fact that I only had those two gold coins, as well as my adrenaline being at it's peak at the time, I didn't really pay any attention to how much money I lost.

"You were going to buy a gift for lady Juliette, were you not, sir Larc?"

The princess continued asking me while staring directly into my eyes.

If lady Juliette's sapphire blue eyes looked like a tranquil sea drawing you in, Princess Claudia's ruby red eyes looked like a raging fire that would devour everything in it's path. Both beautiful and majestic, but in a different way.

The assumption she made was correct, so I could only look down and nod my head.

"Indeed so, your highness."

Hearing this, princess Claudia's eyes looked even more worried, almost to the point of tearing up, but at the same time I could also feel a slight longing in there, as if she was touched with something.

It was probably my imagination.

"So.. because of.. my.. foolishness.."

She was murmuring something under her breath, but since I couldn't make out what it was, I just stayed quiet there.

Suddenly, the princess looked up with fiery eyes once again.

"I've decided, I'll give you money for now, sir Larc."

"..."

"..."

"... Ha?"

I couldn't understand what she was saying at first, but upon further realization it hit me.

The princess paying me back? That's absurd! In the first place it wasn't even her that was the cause of that incident, so there's really nothing for her to pay me back for.

"Y-you're highness is too kind, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline." I answered meekly as I bowed my head. "To accept money from your highness would be too impertinent for me."

"Wha--- why?! Don't you need the money, sir Larc??"

"Kuh!"

She hit me on my sore spot yet again.

I did indeed needed the money, and desperately if I might add. But if word got out that the princess gave money to a servant, let alone the personal butler of Lady Juliette, I'm pretty sure that it'll cause a scandal.

[... But I do need the money.]

[... Gah! It's just so hard.]

Just as I was contemplating with my self, the princess suddenly drew close to me.

"If.. if giving you is too much, then what if I just paid you for the two gold coins you spent that day?" She asked as she held her hands close to her chest.

I was taken a back by how close she was to my face, close enough for me to catch a whiff of her alluring scent. I'll have to admit though, that made me a bit flustered not gonna lie.

Although I was quite surprised by her words and actions, what she did next was the absolute icing in the cake that left me floored.

She drew close to me and held my hand. An absolute no go, especially for a servant like me to a royal like her. It wouldn't be far fetched to say that I could get executed for something like this, so I decided to quickly let go.

But she held me strong.

"Y-your highness! Please.. could you let go?"

"It'll just be me paying back someone some gold that I owed them to!"

"I-I understand that princess, but--"

"Please don't be like that, sir Larc! It wouldn't sit well with me!"

"P-please, just calm down--"

"Ahh, but I am gonna have to ask for a favour though!"

I was being completely overwhelmed by the princess. Although I was significantly bigger than her, her will and determination was beyond me. I had a feeling that no matter what I said, she would still come out at top.

This has always been a problem for me even in one of my past lives. Back when I was still Ryouma of Japan, I had trouble saying "No" to anyone, especially if that person was insistent enough. Often times I would just get dragged by the atmosphere and agree to their wishes. I thought that I grew from that when Larc was born into this world, but it seems that that's not the case.

"Kuuh.. "

I could only groan as the princess looked at me with teary eyes that made one want to protect her. A dangerous power that rivalled my lady's own ability to elicit a desire to be worthy of her.

"O-okay your highness." I stammered as I put some distance between us. "Okay, I understand, please just calm down for now."

Thinking about it rationally, this would solve all of my problems. I would have enough funds to get my original gift plan for my lady, plus I won't have to swallow my pride and borrow money from miss Milin or anyone else. On the other hand, if anyone were to find out about this, I'd be in serious trouble, especially moreso if my lady learns of this.

After a while enduring the princess'anticipated look, and contemplating the pros and cons of the situation, I decided on the most acceptable compromise.

I know for a fact that Princess Claudia will not allow me to not take her money, and I know that if this were ever to get out, it can't be known that she paid me back for something that is expected of a servant like me, regardless of who my master is.

So with those things in mind, I spoke.

"I will humbly accept your higness' offer."

"Yes!" The princess exclaimed. "That's good, sir Larc I--"

"But."

Before the princess could finish her sentence, I cut her off while directly looking at her, an act that is considered very rude, especially to royals. But it didn't seem to affect her that much.

"I cannot take payment for something that I did on my own accord, your highness."

That was a given. Like I've said, my actions at the time were just what you would expect for a servant, especially for a member of a royal family. So it cannot be seen that I got paid because her higness owed me something.

However.

"Instead, I'll be offering a service in exchange for that money, your highness." I continued.

This was the only way I could think of that would save face for the both of us if it were ever to be known. Because I gave a service in exchange for monetary subsidy, it would just be a normal consumer producer interaction.

I could see from the look on Princess Claudia's face that she was pleased with my proposal, you could even say that she was downright ecstatic by the apparent shimmering of her ruby like eyes. But that's probably just my imagination.

"Although I may not be as good as the artists who spent years perfecting their crafts, I can offer you paintings, poems or something of the likes your high---"

"Accompany me."

"..."

"..."

"..hm?"

The princess suddenly cut me off as I was numerating the services I could offer in exchange of her money. But what was more baffling was her request.

Accompany her, you say? She said that with such Dignation that I unconsciously bowed down. Perhaps this is the Servant that was drilled into me by sir Alford.

"Your highness, I'm afraid I don't understand. What do you mea--"

"I meant what I said, sir Larc. Accompany me tomorrow in the town square of Sundgard."

She cut me off again.

"Your highness, by that do you mean, going to the town with my lady and the rest? Or?"

"No, no, sir Larc." She answered. "I meant the same way you're going to accompany lady Juliette later this afternoon. Just the two of us as well, of course."

[What the hell is going on?! Just a minute ago she was acting quite meekly and even downright frantic. But now she's dictating everything with such confidence, one would think that she had foreseen everything. And how'd she even know about mine and my Lady's plans?!]

My mind was running in circles. Could the princess really have planned this from the very start??

"Uhm.. that would be difficult, your highness. As you know, I am lady Juliette's personal butler, so my place is naturally by her side."

"That is true."

Hearing this sent a shimmer of hope in my heart. It seems that the princess realized the error of her request, I can't just leave my lady's side to go with her to the town after all. That would just be disrespectful.

Unfortunately, that shimmer of hope was crushed.

"However, tomorrow lady Juliette, along with Onee-sama and Jorgé Onii-sama will be going to their ancestral home."

"..."

"..."

[Oh no..]

"If I remember correctly, only members of the Carmine house are allowed to enter? So sir Larc would naturally be left here in the estate?"

[Oh no..]

"Is that right? Sir Larc?"

"T-thats.. indeed correct, your highness."

What the hell just happened. I couldn't quite wrap my head around the entire predicament. Did the princess plan all of this just to get me to accompany her to the town? Why would she even want that? To mess with my lady maybe? This is all too much to handle right now.

Just as my head was spinning, Princess Claudia once again drew close to me and bopped my nose, greatly startling me.

"Then, it's decided. Tomorrow after they leave, you shall accompany me to the town, just the two of us." She proclaimed as she started walking back towards the estate.

"Ahh, you can buy the gift then, sir Larc. And I think you best hurry back! Lady Juliette's probably waiting for you now!"

She continued as she disappeared into the castle, leaving me in the clearing still trying to make sense of what just happened.

Normally I should be excited. After all, I did manage to secure back to back dates with two world class beauties. Had I still be in Japan, people would've died of jealousy.

Unfortunately, I wasn't in Japan, and the two girls that I would be accompanying today and tomorrow happen to be the daughters of the two most powerful men in the Kingdom. I couldn't think of this predicament as anything but unfortunate. But hey, atleast I solved the problem with my Lady's gift.