Chapter 4 The Person Of Destiny, Or Someone Like That
And so, with Kaine's guidance, Rhiannon's education bore fruit, and in just a few months, she improved──or rather, she improved a lot.
Nowadays, Rhiannon can endure things she doesn't like to some extent, and even though she grumbles, she takes her studies seriously.
Her tone has also improved significantly, and at the very least, she no longer refers to others as "you (anta).".
On top of that, since her only issue was a tendency to slack off, and she wasn't lacking in intelligence, her studies progressed smoothly.
Rhiannon was capable when she put her mind to it.
Rhiannon's father and the head of the Clahsen family, Fellui Clahsen, was overjoyed when he heard about her drastic change.
"I spoiled her because I thought it was due to losing her mother at a young age, but Rhiannon grew up to be a spoiled and uncontrollable daughter. It seems she's finally seen the error of her ways."
He secretly cried in joy, or so they say.
Fellui ordered Rhiannon to bring the skilled butler (Kaine) to his room.
"Huh? Father wants to meet Kaine...?"
"Yes. I must give a fitting reward to the person who has educated my daughter so well."
"...Um, Kaine is a very talkative and cheeky butler~you know?"
"Oh, that's intriguing. I'm even more eager to meet him now."
"If that's what you say, Father..."
Rhiannon made a reluctant face for a moment but reluctantly led Kaine to Fellui's room, emphasizing a hundred times, "Don't say anything weird to Father!".
In his room, Fellui immediately showered Kaine with words of appreciation.
"Well, as her father, I must say, being a butler to this spoiled daughter can't be easy. You've done a great job."
"Indeed, when I witnessed Lady Rhiannon's arrogant behavior, I often wondered what her parents were like."
"I am her parent! Haha... Hey, you're being quite rude, you know?!"
Fellui glared at Kaine for his impudent words right from the start.
Rhiannon grimaced, thinking, 'I told you so'.
"Father, Kaine has a bit of a sharp tongue, but he doesn't mean any harm..."
"That's quite a statement," Rhiannon glanced at Kaine's profile. Kaine definitely had a look that said he wasn't regretting anything, so she thought, (This is definitely malicious. More like full of malice...) and made a face of exasperation.
However, Fellui, the one in question, didn't seem to care and laughed grandly.
"Well, a little rudeness is canceled out by your contributions. I truly appreciate your efforts in educating my daughter. Your work as a butler is also known to be serious and excellent."
"I'm honored."
"On top of that, it seems you've been able to spot long-standing accounting errors at a glance and have even managed to tame a wild horse, right?"
"Wait, Kaine did all that!?"
Rhiannon looked at Kaine in surprise.
It was the first she had heard of it.
"I just did what I could. To be praised like that is quite humbling."
"That's amazing, Kaine! As expected of you!"
Rhiannon praised him sincerely.
Kaine looked a bit surprised at first, then slowly smiled.
"The greatest happiness is to hear such words from you, my lady. As a reward, please scold me later."
"Kaine, you really are something else..."
"People have various tastes, after all."
Fellui, who had been watching the exchange between Rhiannon and Kaine with a smile, cleared his throat.
"By the way, Kaine, my motto is 'the right person in the right place.' It would be a waste to keep such an excellent talent as my daughter's butler. I'm thinking of promoting you to chief steward."
"Me, chief steward?"
"Of course, I won't say your salary will stay the same. I promise it will be 3 times what you currently earn."
Fellui's proposal was an extraordinary offer.
However, Kaine made a serious face and shook his head gravely.
"No, I must decline. I'm, after all, Rhiannon's butler. I can't consider any position other than that."
"W-What! Is 3 times the salary not enough? Then how about more...?"
"No, I have absolutely no complaints about my salary, so please don't worry. After all, thanks to a certain high-maintenance young lady, I hardly have time to spend any money."
"Then, what else do you desire? A mansion, a beautiful lady, or perhaps a long vacation?"
"My wish is to serve my lady wholeheartedly as her butler."
Kaine was stubborn.
No matter how much Fellui tried to persuade him, he wouldn't budge, and eventually, Fellui gave up on convincing him.
With the negotiation failing, Fellui let out a sigh.
"Honestly, I never thought there would be someone who would turn down the position of chief steward. Kaine, this is unprecedented, you know!?"
"I told you, didn't I? Kaine is different."
Rhiannon giggled, elegantly sipping the now-cold tea.
Watching her, Fellui stroked his beard, impressed.
"Ah, the beauty of Rhiannon's gestures. It reminds me of my late wife. Truly, thanks to Kaine, Rhiannon has transformed. If only the matchmaking with Prince Werner had happened now, it would have surely gone well..."
"Please, let's not talk about that matchmaking anymore!"
"But, Rhiannon──."
"Father, I'm not worried about it anymore. I've thought a lot about it, and I'm convinced that my 'destined person' is that guy!"
Rhiannon clasped her hands together dreamily and let out a sweet sigh.
Kaine raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean by 'destined person'?"
"Oh, I guess I never told you? Two years ago, there was someone who saved me when I was attacked by kidnappers."
As she said this, Rhiannon blushed and explained.
When Rhiannon made her social debut and was secretly walking through the capital's shopping street, a thug suddenly appeared and tried to abduct her.
At that moment, she fell in love at first sight with the person who saved her.
"I don't remember his face well because he was wearing a deep hood... But I do remember he was tall and had very kind eyes. I desperately tried to ask his name, but he never told me. Don't you think being quiet is cool? Anyway, that guy is my destined person. I'm sure I'll meet him again when I go back to the capital!"
"...You're such a fool, aren't you? Just for that!
Kaine unusually raised his voice.
Unlike his usual carefree demeanor, he seemed quite flustered.
This was not the calm and collected Kaine we all know.
"I hate to break it to you, but reality doesn't work out like a romance novel, you know!? For the sake of the Clahsen family's prosperity, you should marry a gentleman of suitable background!"
"What do you mean by 'suitable background'? The person I marry will eventually become the head of the Clahsen family, right? No matter their background, the Clahsen family will always be a prestigious one."
"Please reconsider! To make someone whose background is unknown your marriage partner..."
"Why are you getting so worked up, Kaine? It doesn't matter. My determination won't change no matter who the other person is. Right, Father?"
With a tilt of her head, Rhiannon said, "Well," and Fellui nodded with a smile.
"Well, the feelings of my cute only daughter come first, after all."
"Even you, Sir Fellui!"
"Well, once she turns 16 and goes to the capital, Rhiannon might change her mind. She's quite the free spirit, and honestly, that's not something parents should interfere with."
As Fellui laughed cheerfully, Kaine muttered, "This parent-child duo is hopeless," with a look of despair, placing his hand on his forehead.
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