novelraw Chapter 116 : Chapter 116
Chapter 116 : Chapter 116
Chapter 116. The Butler (2)
In the estate-dense district of the royal capital, the street—usually quiet and deserted—was unusually loud today.
A large crowd had gathered, murmuring among themselves.
“They really made an example out of them.”
“But… is that even allowed?”
“It’s just too gruesome.”
“What kind of crime could possibly justify that…?”
Everyone’s attention was drawn to a single place.
At the front gate of Baron Miyatro’s estate, six headless corpses were boldly displayed.
All of them were hanging limply, decapitated.
They had been executed during the night.
What kind of crime could they have committed to end up like that?
Everyone could easily make a guess.
“They probably got caught trying to steal something.”
“Guess the rumor that the estate’s empty at night was false.”
“Of course it was. Think about it—would they really leave just the young lord behind and evacuate the entire manor?”
“Yeah, that’s just nonsense.”
High-ranking nobles always moved with escorts.
Even stepping outside the gate briefly, a knight would follow.
Let alone for nobles of the Council, who would be under close guard at all times.
There was no way the child would’ve been left alone at night.
“Idiots, trying to rob the place based on some dumb rumor. Serves them right.”
“Still, isn’t it a bit much? Even if it was meant as a warning, this method’s too extreme. Who hangs corpses like that these days? Must be a barbaric side of someone from the provinces.”
“I actually like it. If he’s the Watcher of the Abyss, he should have that kind of spirit. I heard he’s young, but he’s fiery.”
Countless conversations flowed among the crowd.
The street became even noisier.
Even though it was still early morning, the onlookers formed a raucous crowd.
“E-excuse us! Let us through!”
“Sirs! Please clear the way!”
A group of commoners struggled to push through the crowd.
A woman in a maid’s uniform, lightly armed guards, a cook, a gardener, and others—they were all servants of the Miyatro estate.
They broke through and stood before the manor.
Their faces turned to shock.
One of them was so startled that she fell on her butt.
“Kyaa!”
“W-what is this?!”
“Something happened during the night!”
“Open the gate now! Secure the baron’s safety first!”
One of the guards quickly opened the front gate.
The rest of the personnel rushed inside.
The onlookers who had been watching were now visibly flustered.
“Wait, the mansion really was empty?”
“Then who… who put up the bodies…?”
“M-maybe at least one knight stayed behind? I mean, there’s no way a young baron, even if he’s the Watcher of the Abyss, handled the intruders alone.”
“I heard from somewhere that the Watcher hasn’t hired any knights yet.”
A boy, barely ten years old—did he really slaughter six grown men and hang their corpses at the front gate?
It was too hard to believe.
Everyone stared at the manor with puzzled expressions.
As if to silence all questions, the front gate slammed shut.
But the crowd didn’t disperse. They remained there for hours.
The capital would surely be buzzing about the Watcher of the Abyss for days to come.
***
Butler Haman carefully peered out the window.
The street was packed with onlookers.
They were all gathered because of what Haman had done.
Beheaded corpses hanging in plain view in the capital’s most elite district—of course it would attract attention.
Haman let out a deep sigh.
“Should I… bring them back in after all?”
He had experienced something truly strange the night before.
Right before his eyes, the thieves’ heads exploded—and then, a chilling voice whispered in his ear.
───Your first mission. Hang the bodies at the front gate.
Haman had carried out the command as if possessed.
It felt like he had no choice but to obey.
He hadn’t even tried to guess whose voice it was.
Only after the sun rose did confusion set in.
What had really happened last night?
Whose voice had that been?
Nothing was clear.
Haman felt like he had been possessed by a ghost.
He clutched his head.
“What the hell is all this…”
While he was lost in confusion, a voice spoke behind him.
“You did well, just as I ordered.”
Haman turned instantly.
A boy with black hair and a cold expression—Yohan Miyatro—had entered the room.
As soon as Haman saw his face, his memory kicked in.
He looked incredibly familiar.
A portrait surfaced in his mind—the face of his employer.
Startled, Haman bowed at a ninety-degree angle.
“I-it’s an honor to meet you. I am Haman, your butler.”
Yohan smirked.
“This isn’t the first time, is it?”
Haman lifted his head slightly. A flustered look, mixed with guilt, crossed his face.
“The truth is… I wasn’t the one serving you until now.”
The impersonator Verdan had been pretending to be Haman.
Yohan shook his head.
“That’s not what I mean. Last night—we spoke, didn’t we?”
Haman swallowed hard.
“L-last night… You mean that was…?”
“Yes. I gave you your first mission.”
Haman raised his voice instinctively.
“T-that voice… that was really you, my lord?!”
He immediately covered his mouth.
Yohan shrugged.
“More or less.”
“S-sorry. I was so startled I raised my voice.”
Haman lowered his head again, ashamed and embarrassed, trying to hide his face.
Yohan quietly watched him.
‘What an amusing guy.’
Haman wasn’t good at hiding emotions. He was completely transparent.
Yohan didn’t dislike people like that.
In fact, he liked them.
“You get startled by a lot. Was seeing blood really that shocking?”
Haman looked Yohan over.
“N-no. It’s just… you seem so different from last night.”
Yohan looked like a young boy, no doubt about it.
His voice hadn’t even changed yet, and his frame was small.
The person in the dark last night and this Yohan—they were clearly different.
In a calm voice, Yohan asked,
“Last night—did you see anything?”
Mapheltan had been hiding within Chimya.
He likely hadn’t been seen, but if there was even a small chance Haman had glimpsed Mapheltan’s essence—Yohan would have to take measures.
Haman sensed a strange chill from Yohan’s voice and expression.
He quickly shook his head.
“No! I saw absolutely nothing! I was just… too shocked by everything that happened…”
Yohan cut him off.
“There’ve been several break-ins at the estate lately. I may have overreacted last night. Don’t let it bother you.”
But still—could such an oppressive presence really come from just being “on edge”? And what was that overwhelming power?
To Haman, everything about it was strange.
The young boy in front of him—Baron Miyatro—was completely shrouded in mystery.
And now, Haman was to serve him.
“…It was all my incompetence that caused this. Please, feel free to cast aside this useless servant.”
He didn’t mean it.
Haman didn’t want to be abandoned again.
Yohan smiled.
“Before that, let me ask you one thing. Why did you step in last night?”
Haman was weak. He had known he might die, yet he still rushed toward the intruders.
Yohan wanted to know the real reason why.
Haman answered in a barely audible voice.
“I was taught that protecting a master’s property, even with one’s life… is the minimum duty of a butler.”
He was naive, but sincere.
He might have lacked skill, but he had conviction.
Yohan found Haman quite likable.
“I see. Don’t ever forget that mindset.”
Haman’s face began to brighten.
“A-are you… allowing me to serve as your butler?”
Yohan nodded.
“Let’s get along well, Haman von Legersch.”
He extended his hand.
Haman wiped his palm on his trousers and grasped Yohan’s hand with both of his own.
“I’ll serve you with unwavering loyalty!”
Yohan patted his shoulder and said,
“Now let’s go eat. I’ll give you the key notes over breakfast.”
Haman needed retraining.
The two of them headed straight for the dining room.
The staff preparing breakfast couldn’t even meet Yohan’s gaze.
In a single night, he had become someone to fear.
***
Yohan remained locked in his office all day.
He had a lot to think about.
The biggest headache was the House of Marquess Leonar.
‘…Why would they…?’
The Leonard House never engaged in political backstabbing.
Their motto had always been ‘direct confrontation.’
Yet they had planted a spy in the Miyatro household.
From a political standpoint, it wasn’t that odd.
The Leonard House served the royal family as royalists, while the Miyatro House was part of the noble faction aligned with Count Staviana.
But the problem was who had devised this scheme—Marquess Leonar’s House.
For Yohan, who had read the original story, this situation was baffling.
He fell deep into thought.
Ever since his possession, many things had deviated from the original.
Every time, it came down to a single cause.
Whenever Yohan acted, something happened—something that didn’t exist in the original story.
This time was likely the same.
The cause behind Leonar’s uncharacteristic behavior… must have been triggered by Yohan’s own actions.
What could it have been?
After thinking all day, he arrived at one conclusion.
The royal capital raid. Not long ago, Mapheltan had led an army of elves to attack the capital.
During that, the divine barrier protecting the capital had briefly broken.
Which meant the capital was no longer a demon-exclusion zone.
Several demons—unrelated to Mapheltan—had slipped in during that gap.
Sightings of demons were spreading across the capital.
Yohan suspected that Leonar’s strange behavior stemmed from this demonic phenomenon.
In short, someone from their house might’ve been possessed by a demon.
‘Hmm… maybe I’m overthinking it.’
The thought kept spiraling, but it was the only theory that made sense.
No other explanation came to mind.
Yohan leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily.
He felt deeply uneasy.
‘Should I go meet the Marquess?’
As he debated, a knock came at the door.
“This is Haman. May I enter?”
“Come in.”
The door opened.
Haman stepped in.
“My lord, you have a visitor. From the House of Leonard."
Yohan’s lips curled up.
Perfect timing.
“Bring them in immediately.”
Haman pulled a notebook from his inner coat.
Scratching his head awkwardly, he said,
“B-but the sun is about to set…”
He had recorded everything Yohan said word-for-word in that notebook.
One of the notes had instructed him not to host guests at night.
Yohan chuckled.
“You’re better than Verdan, you know that?”
“Eh? What does that…?”
“Nothing. More importantly—”
Yohan trailed off, slowly tapping the armrest of his chair.
‘Visiting someone else’s home at sunset?’
It was extremely rude.
There had to be a reason behind such behavior from the Leonard House.
After a moment, Yohan slowly spoke.