I Won't Clear Up the Misunderstanding. I Don't Mind Being the Villainess. - Chapter 18

I got to the parlor five minutes before we were scheduled to meet.
Holger, the Head Butler, was already there, standing bolt upright. I wondered just how long he’d been waiting.
His white hair and the deep lines on his face suggested old age, but it was easy to picture him as a dashing young man.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”
“Not at all, Madam. And how should I address you?”
“Please call me Holger, Madam.”
“Alright. Have a seat, Holger.”
“No, Madam, I prefer to stand.”
With that, he walked me to my chair and then stood opposite me.
It would be easier to talk if he sat down, but I wasn’t going to force him.
After checking that I was settled, he bowed deeply.
“My apologies for the delay in introduction. I am Holger Courtenay, and I serve as the Head Butler here at the House of Duke Avenius.”
“I’m Erica. And I’m sorry this whole wedding has been such a stressful mess because of my family’s selfishness.”
My older half-sister, Rose, was originally supposed to marry the Duke. Instead, she threw a massive tantrum and pulled the outrageous stunt of forcing her sister to take her place the day before the wedding. Even if it was pre-wedding jitters, it was awful. I get why Kevin agreed to it, but I’m shocked my father and sister weren’t instantly pummeled. Because of all that drama, the wedding ceremony itself ended up feeling rushed and incredibly awkward.
Holger offered a slight, knowing smile at my apology. I understood why he couldn’t exactly say “You’re right, it was chaotic” or “Don’t worry about it.”
“Madam, as the Head Butler, I must apologize for the misconduct of the maid, Sera.”
He pivoted the conversation. I changed my focus, too.
“Sera is being fired, right? Did she have any help?”
“No, after questioning, we found that only the maid Sera was directly bribed with sweets by Lord Leo.”
“Bribed…?”
“That is correct, Madam.”
“…Just to be absolutely clear.”
“Yes?”
“Were the sweets given as payment taken back from Sera?”
“They were fully confiscated. She will also be skipping dinner tonight.”
“…I see.”
Sera had tried to excuse herself by constantly saying she was acting on Leo’s orders, but she had simply taken the bribe.
(No wonder she never reported it to Kevin or me…)
I sighed. Then I told Holger:
“Sera claimed that Lord Leo and his maid stole the sweets from her while she was bringing them to me.”
“That was a lie. She merely left the Duchess’s room, wasted some time, and then returned.”
“Right… How exactly are announcements made to the staff in this house?”
“Via the notice board in the servants’ quarters, and through staff meetings when needed.”
“Then, use both the notice board and a full staff meeting to announce Sera’s dismissal and the exact reason why. And, under no circumstances, are you to help her find a new job or give her a reference.”
“…Understood, Madam.”
There was a moment’s hesitation, but Holger agreed without argument. Misbehave, and you’re publicly shamed and sacked. I hoped making this clear to the servants would prevent future problems.
(We can’t have more people like Sera running around.)
Thinking that, I looked at Holger. He looked perfectly straight, but his lower back was pulled back slightly. Now I recalled that he was due to retire soon because of a severe back injury. Perhaps his back was already giving him trouble, and this was the sign that he was reaching his limit.
“Is your back hurting, perhaps?”
When I asked, Holger’s eyes widened, and he started to bow. I held up a hand to stop him.
“I apologies for my undignified posture.”
“I’m not scolding you. If you’re in pain, you can certainly stand in a more relaxed way.”
“No, Madam. If I were to commit such a discourtesy, I would have to resign my post as Butler.”
“…I understand.”
So that was why Holger left the story so easily. And the double reason for his preference to stand: it was easier than sitting because of his bad back. It made sense.
“May I ask a question?”
“Yes, Madam.”
“Lady Marbella is also being let go, right?”
“Not only that, but we will no longer employ any of her relatives or connections in the Dukedom, ever.”
“How long had she been the governess for the House of Avenius?”
“Twenty-two years, Madam.”
“And you, Holger?”
“I was appointed Head Butler fifteen years ago.”
So, Lady Marbella was a much older employee than Holger. And her long service record was being wiped out because of a stupid mistake.
“Lady Marbella’s educational policy was ‘the elder brother is king, the younger is a slave.’ Is that the traditional view in the Avenius family? Is that why nobody ever stopped her?”
When I said that, Holger’s face froze. It was better than him smiling and nodding, but I still felt uneasy.
“It seems it’s not the standard, then. So, neither I nor the next governess needs to follow Lady Marbella’s direction.”
“…Yes, Madam. Our handling of the matter was incorrect.”
“The Duke was also Lady Marbella’s student at one point. Was he educated that way?”
If he was, it would be deeply ironic: Lady Marbella, who flattered Kevin into thinking he was a king, would be condemned by the very tyrant she helped raise.
However, Holger shook his head, looking troubled.
“No, Madam… Lady Marbella was desperate to make up for a past failure, and her methods must have become increasingly extreme as a result.”
“A failure?”
Was that ‘failure’ how she raised Kevin? I managed to stop the question from leaving my mouth.
Holger, still looking severe, then spoke to me.
“Madam, I should inform you that Lady Marbella is protesting her dismissal quite strongly.”
“And what do you expect me to do about it?”
Holger just looked apologetic at my abrupt response.
“There’s nothing I can do. It’s the Duke’s decision, after all.”
“The Master… instructed me to tell you that he expects the issue to be sorted out by the time he gets back from the Capital.”
Holger said this with an awkward expression.
“Excuse me?”
Did that man just walk out of the house again after only just returning? And he left this mess for me? I instantly wanted to curse Kevin out loud.
Instead, I smiled. Though a vein might have been popping in my temple.
“Well… that’s an extremely sudden trip. Especially since the Master just claimed he had no urgent work.”
“He did say that, Madam.”
“Perhaps… he was embarrassed? After all, he claimed his only love was Lady Lily, yet he forcibly kissed me and then got angry when I suggested separate bedrooms?”
“…What?”
“Oh, don’t worry. He has agreed to separate bedrooms now. But… what a poor Master. So deeply in love with his late wife, and yet his own body won’t obey him.”
He must have been so utterly mortified that he fled the mansion to get away from me. When I said this with a perfectly phony, sympathetic look, Holger couldn’t look me in the eye.