Head Butler of the Fallen Villainess

Anastasia let out a small breath before giving a firm nod.

"Sebas, Bella. Take Miss Sophie to the lodge house."

"Yes, my lady," both of them acknowledged in unison, immediately stepping forward to carry out her order.

But just as they were about to leave—

"Oooh! The lodge house?" Vivian's eyes sparkled with excitement. "It's been so long since I last saw it. I wanna come too!"

The cheerful declaration should have been harmless enough, but it immediately earned her a sharp glare from both Anastasia and Martha.

"…?" Vivian tilted her head, completely lost as to why the two of them were suddenly looking at her with such deep distrust.

Sebas, on the other hand, merely chuckled, while Bella gave a wry smile, already understanding why they were wary of Vivian's presence at the lodge. Miss Sophie, however, was simply confused by the shift in attitude, which she had just seen before with the knight of Lady Anastasia.

"Are you sure you won't destroy my lodge house this time?" the redhead lord asked with a teasing smile.

"Hmm?" Vivian blinked, a faux confusion on her face. "What are you talking about, my lord?"

"...Have you already forgotten what happened to the first lodge house?"

"...Ah, that one."

Vivian had conveniently forgotten about that, which served to further displease Anastasia.

The very first lodge house that Anastasia and her servants had built… which no longer existed thanks to her.

"Pfft! That was an accident," Vivian waved her hand dismissively, trying to laugh it off. "C'mon, I'll be on my best behavior this time! I promise!"

No one looked convinced.

Anastasia let out a tired sigh, rubbing her temples. "If you break that promise… I'll send Sebas to deal with you."

"Oho~?" Vivian actually perked up, suddenly looking far more interested than she should. Her mind was already spinning with ways to break her promise on purpose.

But before she could voice any of those thoughts—

"Vivian," Sebas said, his voice gentle yet somewhat stern as he spoke her name.

That was all he said—just her name, softly spoken too.

And surprisingly…

"…Fine, fine," Vivian relented with an exaggerated sigh, "I'll be a good girl… just for you~."

And Sebas himself let out an actual exasperated sigh... before then turning into an amused, if tired, smile—already had gotten used to her usual antics.

Anastasia, however, merely felt annoyed by the entire exchange. She didn't voice it aloud, but the irritation still burned within her...!

"Sebas!" she suddenly snapped, startling both Sebas and Vivian.

"Y-yes, ma'am?"

"Please guide our guest to the lodge house! NOW!"

The unexpected sharpness of her command startled him even more!

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" he responded instinctively before quickly approaching Sophie, who was still thoroughly confused by everything, and Bella, who had been waiting for him.

Meanwhile, Vivian... only giggled.

The Sonic Thief had a pretty good grasp on the young noblewoman all too well.

That frustration? That irritation? She knew—it had nothing to do with the lodge house and everything to do with how she acted around Sebas... and she was thoroughly enjoying this bit of knowledge.

"Later, My Lord~" Vivian teased, giving a playful wave as she followed after Sebas.

Anastasia's fuming glare bored through the back of the retreating adventurer, while Martha—who had also been glaring at Vivian (though not as intensely as her mistress)—now found herself confused by the mistress's sudden shift in mood.

< | X | >

Sebas and Bella led Miss Sophie to the newly rebuilt lodge house, with Vivian trailing behind them, her steps light and eager.

The lodge house stood in the same spot as before, nestled in the northeast corner of Anastasia's domain.

The old building had been thoroughly cleaned out, its foundations completely erased, and in its place... a newer, sturdier lodge now rose, taller and more robust than the one before.

"Wow~! Home sweet home~!" Vivian exclaimed with a playful grin... as if she had seen the same lodge house as before she'd involuntarily destroyed it.

Because... the lodge did look identical to the one that had been destroyed—same wooden frame, same design, same size. It was as if the past disaster had never happened.

Sebas nodded, a calm smile on his face.

"Yes, but this time, we made it with sturdier wood," he explained, leading them closer to it. "Given the kind of trouble that might happen in the near future, we figured it was best to improve... the materials."

If they couldn't control the cause, they might as well make it so that their facilities were 'adventure'-proof.

< | X | >

A few days ago…

Anastasia had ordered Sebas and Martha to find a wood that could stand up to such extremes, and after much searching, Sebas had come up with the perfect solution—a rare tree in the Garden of Hell called the Durachis Oak, known for its near-impenetrable bark and resistance to both fire and decay.

Though under normal circumstances, such a tree couldn't be turned into lumber quickly.

Freshly cut wood—called green wood—still held moisture inside and needed to be dried out, or else it would warp, crack, or even rot.

Normally, the drying process involved leaving the wood to air out for weeks, but... Sebas had other ideas.

Sebas had dug a large square hole just outside the walled region, reinforcing the surface with earth magic to make it heat-resistant.

And then... he had dumped the freshly cut Durachis Oak into the hole.

With Anastasia's help, the two of them used their combined magic—fire from her, earth and flame from him—to heat up the hole.

A bona fide makeshift kiln!

The process was exhausting though. For days, Sebas kept the flames roaring while Anastasia rested, her mana not as limitless as his, though she kept up with him as best she could.

Sebas barely stopped, only to sleep and take the occasional break. But the effort paid off when the heat finally dried the wood, turning it into sturdy lumber.

With the lumber ready, the group had worked together to rebuild the lodge. They used the same blueprint as before, so the structure mirrored the old one exactly, but now it stood much stronger, its walls reinforced with the rare wood.

< | X | >

"I-it does look like the old lodge house, doesn't it, Sir Sebas?" Bella said quietly, inspecting the lodge with a small, approving nod.

"Yup~, and this time, it'll last," the butler agreed.

Sophie herself was admiring the humble yet sturdy lodge house with wide eyes—impressed that seemingly just four people had managed to build such high-quality accommodation.

Vivian, however, was far more interested in the result than the effort.

"It's perfect! Exactly like the old one, but better!" She walked around the lodge with a smile, inspecting every corner, the familiar feel of the place almost making her nostalgic. "I could get used to this!"

Sebas himself let out a small chuckle from hearing her praising, not minding the past destruction that Vivi had caused to the past lodge house.

Then... his gaze fixated on the lodge house in its entirety as he watched their two guests of honor wander inside of it.

He wasn't one to show his emotions easily, but even he couldn't deny that this project had been a point of pride for him. The satisfaction of seeing the lodge stand tall and solid, seemingly untouched by the past's chaos, was enough to make the grueling work worth it.

Eventually...

Anastasia entered the lodge house with Martha quietly following behind her. The air was still warm with the scent of freshly built wood, and the soft sound of Sophie's footsteps echoed as she looked around.

But, upon realizing the lord's presence, the guild representative smiled as she turned to meet Anastasia's gaze.

"So, Miss Sophie," Anastasia was the first to greet, her tone gentle yet direct, "Do you like the lodge house? Is it to your liking?"

Sophie's eyes lit up, and without hesitation, she nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, Lord Anastasia! It's quite wonderful! Much more than I expected." She seemed to breathe in the cozy atmosphere, the sturdiness of the new structure evident in her admiring gaze. "This will be a wonderful place to stay."

Anastasia allowed herself a small, satisfied smile at Sophie's approval.

"I'm glad to hear that. Now… about the guild branch you mentioned before."

Sophie turned slightly more serious, clearly understanding the gravity of the conversation.

"Yes, my lord," she replied respectfully, bowing her head slightly. "To officially bring the guild branch here, we'll need to prepare the necessary documentation, but beyond that, what we need most is land. A suitable plot to build the branch on."

Anastasia's expression shifted to one of consideration. She paused for a moment, her mind working. After a beat, she turned toward the door.

"I think I know just the place."

"Hmm?"

They all exchanged glances before following Anastasia as she led them outside.

They walked in silence for a few moments until Anastasia stopped at the top left corner of her domain, where the land stretched out flat before them.

It was empty… save for the faint remnants of a scar left from two duels not long ago. The earth there had at least healed, and the ground remained level… perfect for a new facility.

"This is the spot," Anastasia declared, her voice calm but resolute. "The land here is ideal for a guild branch!"