The Butler of the Villainess Has Returned

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 1

Just then, it began to rain.

Rather than saying it “fell,” it would be more accurate to say it “poured”—a violent downpour.

Yuri briefly lifted his head.

A dark red sky, a dusky land, and a horizon obscured by the black haze of demonic energy.

The only thing visible was the battlefield where he sat collapsed and its immediate surroundings.

There were only corpses.

Shattered bodies were strewn across the battlefield, and rain-soaked field rats gnawed at them.

Nothing else mattered anymore. Yuri lowered his head again.

“…Young Lady.”

A woman lay across his knees.

The current head of the House of Salvatore and the master Yuri had devoted his life to serving.

Frey Salvatore.

Yuri reached out with trembling hands to smooth Frey’s bangs.

Except for her bluish skin, she looked no different from when she was alive.

“Please wake up, Young Lady.”

Yuri leaned over to shield Frey from the falling rain.

“If you sleep on the ground, you’ll catch a cold.”

After finishing tidying her hair, he clasped Frey’s hand in his own.

“See?”

He tried to smile as he had before.

“Your hands are so cold.”

Of course, he failed.

“Sleep well, Young Lady.”

Yuri decided to accept it.

“…May you rest peacefully, just as you wished.”

The fact that the Young Lady had fallen into an eternal slumber.

***

How much time had passed?

A strange stillness began to settle over the battlefield, now cold and lifeless.

The rats that had scurried among the corpses and the crows that had hovered in the air, waiting for their chance, had vanished.

Even the swarming insects began fleeing in the opposite direction of the horizon.

It soon became clear why.

[How curious.]

A deep voice filled with innate malice echoed from ahead.

[Even with the world in this state, a human still survives.]

The sheer malice mingled with the vast demonic energy made his brain throb just from hearing it.

The Demon God Thanatos.

After stepping into this world through the Demon God’s cultists, he had annihilated the Empire’s entire military force in just thirty days.

And it wasn’t just the Empire.

While toppling the Empire, he had also awakened dormant monsters across the continent.

Destruction occurred simultaneously, and Humanity’s Final Stronghold was Margrave Salvatore’s Territory.

Even that had fallen, betrayed from within by a Demon God’s cultist who had awaited the right moment.

Yuri was the sole survivor of this world.

Thanatos knew this.

[How fortunate.]

Twitch.

The corners of the Demon God’s mouth twisted into a grotesque grin. He spread his arms wide as he approached Yuri.

[I have a proposal for you.]

There was no response.

[If you choose a corpse and devour it entirely, I will spare your life.]

Still, there was no response.

He wanted to kill that human right then and there, but he held back.

That human was the last toy remaining in this world.

[…You’re a lucky one.]

Exercising patience, he moved closer.

And then he saw it.

The woman cradled tenderly in the man’s arms.

The corners of the Demon God’s mouth twisted further.

[Is she your lover?]

A vein bulged on Yuri’s forehead.

[How touching.]

Thanatos paused for a moment in thought.

He racked his brain, trying his best to devise a way to make this amusing.

Then, he came up with an idea and smiled.

[Alright! If you devour that woman entirely―!]

Slice.

Thanatos’s vision suddenly wavered.

The world seemed to rise sharply.

It didn’t take long for him to realize.

The world hadn’t risen; his head had fallen.

How?

Before he could even process the question, a man with jet-black hair approached.

With deep blue radiant eyes flashing, he spoke.

“Be quiet.”

The mud-stained sole of his shoe filled Thanatos’s vision.

“The Young Lady is sleeping.”

Crunch!

With those final words, the Demon God’s head exploded.

***

Right after the Demon God appeared.

“Damn it…”

A familiar blue window appeared before his eyes.

[Choose.]

[Option 1.]

[Return to the past and save the world.]

[Reward: A third chance. (2/3).]

[Option 2.]

[Accept the destruction.]

[Reward: Rest.]

I am a regressor.

I have lived two lives so far, and I failed in both my first and second lives.

In my first life.

By the time my memories began, I had already been abandoned in the back alleys of the capital.

-Hand over everything you’ve got.

-I don’t have anything.

-Then steal something, you bastard!

They were your typical villains.

They gathered weak children, forcing them to beg and pickpocket, and took most of the earnings.

Ultimately, to survive in a survival-of-the-fittest world, I chose to become ruthless.

If I couldn’t win against someone while they were awake, I’d wait until they slept and smash their head in with a rock.

When they came swarming for revenge, I mercilessly targeted their weaknesses and bit down hard.

-Aaargh! My ear! My eaaaar!

-Ptooey. This isn’t edible.

With the money I protected and stole, I managed to survive, occasionally helping those weaker than me.

But that didn’t last long.

Those with vile natures and weak dispositions always ended up forming groups.

-Die! Just die already, you bastard!

-B-Boss! At this rate, he’s really going to die!

-Who cares if he dies, damn it?! Everyone, stomp him!!

That’s when I met the Young Lady.

The Young Lady, mingling with the group that was trampling me, was kicking away without hesitation.

-Kyaahaha! This is so much fun!

At me, that is.

The back-alley thugs, intimidated by the Young Lady’s madness, backed away from me.

-What’s this? You’re not hitting anymore?

-…Who are you?

-Then I’ll just hit him by myself?

The Alley Boss grabbed the Young Lady by the collar.

-Hey! Who the hell are you?!

-…Frey.

-What?

-Frey Salvatore.

-Eek! F-Frey!

As soon as the Young Lady revealed her name, all the beggars except the Alley Boss fled.

-What the hell? Why are you all acting like this?

-Run, Boss!

-What?

-She’s a villainess! Villainess Frey!

But it was already too late.

-A filthy beggar… grabbed my collar?

-Y-Yeah, so what, you bastard?!

-Violence.

Whack, thwack! Smack!

-Wait! My bones! You’re hitting my bones!

-Does it hurt?

-Damn it, of course it hurts when you keep hitting my shin!

-I’m hurting too.

The one-sided beating continued.

The back-alley beggars, despite their upbringing, couldn’t defeat the Young Lady, who had been trained since childhood.

-You pathetic little bastards.

The Young Lady wiped the blood off her fists and extended her hand toward me.

-Hey. Get up too.

-…Why should I?

-If you don’t, I’ll beat you too.

-Sigh, suddenly I feel like standing up.

As if bewitched, I took her hand.

When I came to my senses, I had become the butler of the House of Salvatore.

-Yuri. Do you want to be my exclusive butler?

-No, I don’t.

-Do you want to die?

-I’ll do my best.

-Good. Start reporting to my room tomorrow.

I diligently served as the Young Lady’s exclusive butler until the year I turned fifteen.

-Yuri! I got top seat at the Imperial Academy!

-Congratulations.

-Can’t you react properly?

-Our Young Lady is the best!!

The Young Lady left for the capital city, receiving blessings from everyone.

That’s when everything started to go wrong.

-…Father. I want to quit.

-Foolish girl! Do you have any idea how much you can gain from the Imperial Academy?!

I found out later that the Young Lady had already been branded with the title of villainess.

She endured it for the sake of the family, but even that didn’t last long.

-Did you hear the rumor?

-What rumor?

-You know Frey Salvatore, right? They say she’s actually a Demon God’s Cultist.

Evidence to support the rumors had even been fabricated.

In the end, the Young Lady was expelled from the Academy.

-Get out immediately! We have no need for someone like you!

The Border Count of Salvatore disowned the Young Lady.

It was because of the rumors linking her to the Demon God’s Cult.

In this vast mansion, I was the only one who followed the Young Lady out.

-Let’s go.

-Get lost, Yuri.

-No.

-Do you want to die?

-You’re awfully threatening for someone who’s been disowned.

-What?!

-Hurry up, let’s go. We’ve got a long way ahead of us.

The Young Lady and I began wandering the continent as adventurers.

It was a somewhat happy life.

Though it wasn’t as luxurious as before, it was a life of unparalleled freedom.

Then, one day.

-Yuri! I made a friend!

-How much did you pay them to be your friend?

-Do you want to die?

Though she said that, I was relieved.

She had always wanted a friend.

However, the Young Lady had no eye for people.

-Elise is a Demon God’s Cultist?

-Get a grip and pack your things.

-No, Yuri. Elise would never do something like that, right?

-Damn it, I saw her kill someone with my own eyes!

-I… I need to meet her myself.

As if under a spell, the Young Lady left my side.

After preparing to leave, I set out to find her.

I found the Young Lady again in a cave teeming with Demon God’s Cultists.

-Young Lady!!

-…Yuri?

She was dying, stabbed in the heart by her most trusted friend, as a sacrifice for summoning the Demon God.

-How did you… get here?

-Because the Young Lady is here.

-…I’m touched, Yuri.

-Please don’t speak. Your wound is deep.

The Young Lady wiped away her tears and smiled.

-I wanted to experience love, not just friendship….

-Let’s do that. Let’s live and do it.

Tup.

The Young Lady’s hand touched my cheek.

-…I want to do it now.

The Young Lady mustered all her strength and kissed me.

-It’s my first kiss.

A wicked smile, characteristic of the Villainess.

-Make it more passionate in the next life.

Even that moment was beautiful That Day.

But that was the end.

-Yu…ri….

The Young Lady collapsed right then and there.

-Tha…nk you… for everything.

-Young Lady! Please, open your eyes!

-Run… away. Yu…ri….

-Aaaah!! Please, Young Lady!!

-I’m… sorry….

With those final words, she breathed her last.

Like a pill soaked in moisture, my sanity dissolved.

For the first time in my life, I felt a surge of rage.

-You bastards!!

I charged at them alone.

-So you’re the one Frey liked.

Slice.

My neck was severed by the Young Lady’s closest friend.

Thus began my second life.

It started once again in the back alleys of the Capital City.

But my path was different this time.

In this life, I knew the future.

-Sir, you’re the former Sword Saint, right?

-How do you know that…?

-That’s not important. Please teach me the sword.

I found the Sword Saint and learned swordsmanship.

-Sister, you’re a mage, right?

-Yes, so what?

-Teach me how to sense mana.

I clung to wandering mages in the streets and learned about magic.

-Bro, how much can you bench?

-A thousand.

-Teach me how to train, please.

I spared no effort or means.

Until I met the Young Lady again, I focused solely on training.

A month passed like that.

I succeeded in manifesting Aura.

I completed the forging of my Mana Heart.

I learned some of the Sword Saint’s techniques and built a basic physique.

-Get lost.

-Yes, ma’am.

After driving away the beggars, I waited for the Young Lady at the place of our first meeting.

-Damn, those f*cking old bastards.

The moment I heard the Young Lady’s voice.

I almost cried without realizing it.

-Young Lady!

-…What’s with this beggar?

-I’m so glad…. Truly, I’m so glad….

I embraced the Young Lady and wept bitterly.

-Wh-what’s wrong with this guy…?

In the end, just like in my previous life, I was taken in by the Young Lady.

-Yuri, you’ll be my exclusive—

-Yes!

-…Don’t interrupt me if you don’t want to die.

-…Understood.

Even after becoming the Young Lady’s Exclusive Butler, I didn’t neglect my training.

I also monopolized fortuitous encounters that I’d only heard of in rumors in my previous life.

-What have you been up to lately?

-Nothing at all.

-And yet you’re sneaking out every night?

-Being a righteous thief is my dream.

I sought out those who were supposed to die and saved them, selecting trustworthy individuals to form a secret society called Moonlight.

When I turned 15.

-Yuri! I got Second Seat at the Imperial Academy!

-I got Top Seat.

-…You took the exam too?

-Yes.

-…Why?

-Because my dream is to be a righteous and strong thief.

-You damn brat!

I followed the Young Lady and enrolled in the Academy.

-Have you heard the rumor?

-What rumor?

-You know Frey Salvatore, right? They say she’s actually a Demon God’s Cultist.

-Finally, I found you, you wicked woman.

I rooted out everyone who had framed her.

-Eek! I’m not the wicked one; Frey Salvatore is!

-Shut your mouth before I break all your teeth.

-W-what?!

-If I catch you slandering the Young Lady again, I’ll steal your family’s genealogy and kill everyone listed on it.

-Hic!

I kindly asked them to refrain from such behavior.

Thanks to that, the Young Lady graduated safely.

The Young Lady received offers from all of the Five-Colored Magic Towers but declined them and returned to the House of Salvatore to become the Next Family Head.

-Don’t I get anything?

-Do you want to be a maid?

-…I think I’d rather stay as your butler.

-That’s why I told you to join the Imperial Knight Order.

-No thanks. I don’t want to go somewhere that requires hard work.

-So you’re saying you’ll slack off as a butler?

-Oops.

During the day, I served as the Young Lady’s Exclusive Butler, helping her grow into the Next Family Head.

At night, I acted as the Captain of the Secret Knight Order, Moonlight, striving to eradicate the Demon God’s Cultists.

-Ugh! If I could just sleep peacefully for one day, I’d have no other wishes!

Both the Young Lady and I were worn out from exhaustion, but compared to my Previous Life, we were indescribably happy.

Watching the Young Lady grumble that her bed seemed unscientific, I firmly resolved to keep things as they were.

[*Warning]

[The Demon God Thanatos is manifesting.]

And I failed.

After the Demon God’s Cultists came the Demon God himself.

The World began to crumble in an instant, and once again, I lost the Young Lady.

And now.

[Choose.]

[Option 1.]

[Return to the past and save the World.]

[Reward: A third chance. (2/3).]

[Option 2.]

[Accept destruction.]

[Reward: Rest.]

I stood once more at the Crossroads of Choice.