The Butler of the Villainess Has Returned

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 4

Ian broke the long silence and spoke.

“You stole my technique.”

“This is driving me crazy, seriously.”

I explained with words, demonstrated the technique, and even resorted to hitting, yet he still wouldn’t believe me.

I threw down the tree branch and shouted.

“What on earth do I have to do for you to believe me?”

“Answer my question, and I’ll believe you.”

“Ask me anything.”

Our sturdy old gentleman crossed his arms and pondered his question.

“Since you seem to already know my name… Fine! What’s my epithet?”

“You are the Sword Saint.”

“What’s the name of the swordsmanship I created?”

“It’s Nightscape.”

“Surely, you don’t know the name of my iaido technique, do you?”

“You named it Comet, didn’t you?”

Ian flashed a refreshing smile.

“It seems you might be right after all.”

“How many times do I have to tell you!”

“Who would have thought the infamous swordsmanship thief was such a young boy?”

“Yes! That’s corr―!”

I stopped mid-sentence and looked up.

“What?”

As I stood there with a dumbfounded expression, the old gentleman’s gaze softened slightly.

“So, you’ve finally admitted it.”

“No, that’s not it at all―”

“You still look young, so I’ll pretend I didn’t notice. Just don’t do it again.”

This is seriously driving me crazy.

I tried my best to keep the fact that I had regressed a secret, but at this point, I had no choice.

“Ian.”

“What is it?”

“From now on, I’ll tell you everything without hiding a single thing.”

I had to reveal everything to gain Ian Estevan’s help.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Ian nodded.

“Go ahead and speak.”

I had to use everything I had to achieve a better ending than in my previous life.

Hah.

After taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth.

“I am a regressor.”

2.

Ian Estevan.

Born into the Estevan Marquisate, a noble family renowned for swordsmanship, he was called a genius of the sword.

At the age of five, he manifested aura. At ten, he entered the realm of an expert, and by twenty, he became a Sword Master.

At thirty, he ranked first among the Top 10 Strongest on the continent, and by forty, he had no rivals left.

Ian lived a life befitting his fame.

It was a life where wealth came without desire and possessions without effort.

-I envy you.

That’s what I said in my previous life.

It must have been when we were sitting across from each other in an overgrown garden, having a conversation.

-Yuri.

-Yes?

Ian gave a bitter smile.

-I have nothing left.

-That’s too much of a joke.

-It’s the truth.

I looked around.

A massive mansion, though unkempt, rare creatures visible beyond the crumbling warehouse, and above all, his overwhelming swordsmanship skills.

After listing everything, I asked.

-Then what are all these things I’ve mentioned?

He chuckled.

Ian reached into his inner pocket and pulled out the keys to the warehouse and mansion.

-If you want, I’ll give it all to you.

-What?

-The mansion, the wealth in the warehouse. But in return, can you grant me one favor?

-Of course!

After placing everything in my hands, he spoke with a sorrowful smile.

-Bring back my wife and daughter.

I couldn’t say a word.

It was only later that I learned Ian’s wife and daughter had been killed by a Demon God’s Cultist.

It happened during the process of trying to recruit Ian, the Sword Saint, into the Demon God’s Cult.

-Twenty years. For such a long time, I wielded my sword for revenge, but in the end, I achieved nothing.

A long silence followed.

As if to change the mood, Ian grabbed my hand and pointed to various parts of the garden.

-Despite being of noble origin, my wife used to personally tend to this garden.

He particularly liked the tree she had trimmed into the shape of a duck.

-My daughter loved my sword. That’s right! She was the one who named it Nightscape.

He still couldn’t forget the sparkle in his daughter’s eyes, brighter than his own sword spirit.

-Yuri. I don’t know what kind of life you’ve lived. I probably never will. But… if I may dare to say one thing…

Ian’s lips trembled.

-Revenge is not a good choice.

He had noticed.

Though he might not have known about my regression, he had sensed my deep entanglement with the Demon God’s Cult, my choice of revenge, and my intent to learn the sword for that purpose.

-How did you know?

Ian added just one sentence.

-The eyes never lie.

3.

“I can’t believe it.”

Ian let out a sigh.

From the beginning of my story until now, Ian had been staring only into my eyes.

Even so, he asked again.

“I’m sorry for doubting you so much, but could you tell me a few more things?”

It was a natural reaction.

Whether he was the Sword Saint or a Sword Master, the idea of someone returning to the past was hard to believe.

“As much as you want.”

I began to slowly recount the memories I hadn’t yet shared.

The secret of the current family head of the Estevan Marquisate.

The secret between him and Ian.

The nickname only his wife and daughter had used for him.

And the thoughts he had confided to me alone, as well as secrets only Ian himself knew. I ended the story with Ian’s current physical condition.

“A few years ago, you lost the ability to wield a sword, didn’t you?”

“…That’s correct.”

“Even if you swing with all your might, it would only be at the level of a low-tier Sword Expert.”

“…That is also correct.”

Ian’s sword was not one meant to cut down enemies, but to protect the people he cherished.

Each time that sword was stained with blood, his heart wore down, and a few years ago, it had completely broken.

Ian placed his hand on the sword at his waist. Before it could even touch, his hand trembled.

“…With this, I have no choice but to believe you.”

In the end, he accepted the truth.

His eyes, once filled with doubt, now carried a silver flash.

“What was the conclusion of the previous life?”

“It ended in destruction at the hands of the Demon God who was ultimately summoned.”

“So, this is the third life, then?”

I nodded.

“Hah.”

The blue dawn light spilling from the horizon cast a cold glow on Ian’s face.

Creak.

Rising from his chair, he placed his right hand over his chest and bowed to me.

“The world owes you a great debt.”

Clench.

Unconsciously, I tightened my fist.

Two regressions, a third life.

Memories of myself, carrying everything alone and pressing forward endlessly, flashed before me.

“Ian Estevan, the Sword Saint, swears to you. Though my strength has diminished compared to before, I will use it to aid you.”

My nose stung, and tears welled up.

I raised my head, holding back the tears, and bowed to Ian.

“Please take care of me in this life as well.”

4.

Yuri hurriedly finished preparing to depart.

“It would be nice if you could rest a bit before leaving.”

“I would like that as well, but it’s almost time for me to meet the Young Lady.”

“In that case, there’s no helping it.”

Ian glanced at the mansion.

Though it was as disorderly as ever, today it seemed smaller than usual.

Watching this, Yuri chuckled softly.

“Please take care of Asha.”

“Don’t worry.”

That was the end of it.

Yuri walked away without hesitation. How many steps had he taken?

“Oh! Make sure to check under the bed!”

Leaving those words behind, he disappeared.

“The bed…?”

Returning home, Ian immediately entered the room where Asha stayed.

Once his daughter’s room, it remained just as it had been.

Upon entering, Ian was taken aback.

“Asha?”

The girl who had been lying on the bed was nowhere to be found.

“Asha!”

Ian stomped around the room. As he searched every corner but still couldn’t find her, unease began to creep in.

“Is Grandpa Ian?”

A child’s voice came from somewhere.

“Yes, this grandpa is Ian.”

“So Grandpa is Rin’s dad?”

Thump.

Hearing his daughter’s name after so long, Ian’s heart began to race.

The voice came from under the bed. Ian bent down, following the sound.

“Rin must have liked the dark.”

Unconsciously, Ian asked back.

“…The dark?”

“Yeah. And hide-and-seek too.”

That couldn’t be true.

Rin had been a child who disliked the dark.

Ian gritted his teeth and forced a smile.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, yeah. Do you know why she liked it?”

“I have no idea.”

Finally, when he checked under the bed, he found Asha lying there.

“She said that no matter how dark the place she hid, her dad always found her.”

The sunlight streaming under the bed illuminated the once-dark underside.

“And it sparkled.”

Asha was tracing something with her finger, slowly reading it aloud.

“Like the stars in the night sky, so beautiful it seemed to drive away all the darkness.”

Ian lay down beside Asha and looked up. Then, he saw the words written under the bed.

“Ah…”

Among the countless words written like stars, one phrase caught his eye.

It’s okay to fade for a while.

The nightscape rises every day.

Ian recognized it instantly. It was a sentence written by his daughter and wife together.

“…It’s okay to fade for a while.”

Ian murmured unconsciously.

“…The nightscape rises every day.”

At that moment, his sword gleamed. Asha gasped in awe.

“That’s what Rin was talking about.”

Ian covered his eyes with his arm. He couldn’t stop the tears from welling up.

“Grandpa?”

Noticing Ian’s state belatedly, Asha asked with concern.

“Grandpa, are you crying…?”

“No, no, I’m not.”

“You look like you’re crying. Are you okay?”

“…Grandpa is really okay. So could you stay like that for just a moment?”

“Okay! Got it!”

Ian quickly stood up.

But the tears wouldn’t stop.

The tears that fell endlessly shattered brilliantly on the marble floor.

“Wow…”

Asha looked at the spot where the tears had fallen.

The tiny droplets of tears sparkled like jewels in the sunlight.

“They’re so pretty.”

It was a strange morning where the child’s innocent smile and the old man’s sorrowful sobs coexisted.

5.

They were familiar beggars.

Sitting in a circle in the secluded alley, they watched me approach with wary eyes.

“Get lost.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Before a meaningless staring contest could begin, I managed to drive them away with ease.

I quietly closed my eyes.

-Yuri.

-Yes, Young Lady.

What came to mind was the farewell I had experienced with the Young Lady in my previous life.

-I don’t need you anymore.

-Pardon?

-I’m saying you’re fired.

Her tone was extremely harsh, but having served her for so long, I understood. She was indirectly telling me to run away.

-I can’t leave you, Young Lady.

-You’re so stubborn, you know that?

-Not as much as you, Young Lady.

The Young Lady grew increasingly pale.

Her frail body gradually stiffened, and dark red blood trickled from her lips.

-…Yuri. You’re still there, aren’t you?

-You told me to leave before.

-…That’s true.

She was slowly losing consciousness.

-…Still… there… aren’t… you…?

-…Yes, Young Lady.

I grasped her outstretched hand and brought it to my face.

-If we ever… meet again.

The Young Lady smiled through her tears.

-I’ll try… to be kind… then.

Without a word, I embraced the Young Lady. That was the last moment of my previous life.

“A kind Young Lady, huh….”

No matter how much I thought about it, it felt unnatural.

The word “kind” didn’t suit the Young Lady’s outward demeanor at all.

Our Young Lady was, how should I put it…

“Damn, those senile bastards.”

Yes, that kind of language suited her much better—

For a moment, my thoughts came to a halt.

“A noble duel, my ass. It’s just a place for them to show off how great they think they are.”

“What?”

“Senile bastards. They point me out to face a mid-level Sword Expert? Are they insane? They’re practically telling me to die, aren’t they?”

A familiar barrage of curses.

Before I knew it, I lifted my head.

Platinum blonde hair closer to moonlight than sunlight, crimson eyes that sparkled transparently, pale skin, and a voice as delicate as it was refined.

Everything about her was familiar to me.

“If you don’t like it, just say you don’t like it—”

Her eyes met mine.

“…What are you staring at, you bastard?”

Pfft.

Kindness, my foot.

Before I realized it, laughter escaped me.

“What? Do you think I’m funny too?”

“Of course not.”

I strode forward and knelt on one knee.

“…Who are you?”

Looking up at the bewildered Young Lady, I repeated the words I had said countless times before.

“I’m back, Young Lady.”

“Get away from me, you beggar.”

True to her promise from our previous life, the Young Lady kindly raised her middle finger.

Ignoring it, I asked her,

“You need an Exclusive Butler, don’t you?”

“Huh. How did you know that?”

“I happened to find out.”

I smiled brightly.

At this point in time, the Young Lady was feared by all.

Even the smallest gesture, like someone smiling at her, was enough to earn her favor.

After a moment of hesitation, the Young Lady asked,

“What’s your name?”

“Yuri.”

Her crimson eyes scanned me from head to toe.

Then, they curved upward in a satisfied arc.

“I like you.”

Her straightforwardness in saying exactly what she thought.

Yes, this was the Young Lady I knew.

The Young Lady extended her hand to me.

“Will you come with me?”

“It would be an honor.”

“It’s going to be tough. Are you okay with that?”

“That’s why I’m here.”

To flee from death and destruction and to meet the Young Lady once again.

The Young Lady beamed.

“Let’s go, Slave No. 1.”

A kind smile, ill-suited to her harsh words and her reputation as a Villainess.

Later, Yuri would describe that moment like this:

The Villainess’s butler had returned.

That’s what he said.