Head Butler of the Fallen Villainess

Everyone gathered at the scene—Anastasia, Sebas, Martha, and Bella—all standing before their previous "guest of honor."

Vivian, the Sonic Thief and S-Rank Adventurer, had returned after a few days' of her supposed returned to Florentia.

Her sudden reappearance was already surprising enough... but what was even more shocking was the fact that she hadn't come back alone.

Because slung over her shoulder, like a sack of grain, was an unconscious woman.

With an almost casual motion, Vivian dropped the poor woman onto the ground... with a dull thud followed.

And then...

The woman's eyes spun wildly in place, her entire body twitching as if she had just endured the most turbulent ride of her life.

Sebas narrowed his eyes, then turned to the grinning adventurer.

"...Vivian," he began, his tone laced with suspicion, "did you drag this woman all the way here on your shoulder?"

Vivian didn't even hesitate, "yep!" she answered cheerfully, not a hint of guilt in her voice.

And then a long silence followed with everyone simply stared at her...

"What?" She shot back to each of them, not understanding why the sudden attention to her.

"...Nothing," Sebas eventually sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before shifting his gaze toward the unconscious woman. "...And just who exactly is this?"

At this, Vivian pressed a finger to her lips, her expression thoughtful.

"...Hmm. No clue!"

Another silence.

Then—four simultaneous deadpan stares.

"Oh, wait, wait! I do remember something!" She snapped her fingers in realization. "Madam Guild Master of Lionshold said this lady is some kinda Adventurer's Guild representative or something."

Martha crossed her arms, frowning. "Madam... Guild Master of Lionshold? What business would she have with this region...?"

Sebas, however, suddenly muttered to himself.

"...Ah, so The Madam has read my letter."

At Sebas's quiet remark, everyone instinctively shifted their attention to him.

Anastasia furrowed her brows. "...Sebas? What are you talking about?"

The butler responded with a calm, knowing smile. "I submitted a request to the Adventurer's Guild... to establish a branch in your territory, my lady."

Silence.

Total silence.

And then—

"EEEHHH?!?!"

The collective outburst shook the air.

"You—you did what?!" Anastasia nearly stumbled back.

"A Branch Guild here?! In this place?!" Martha gawked.

"Wait, for real?!" Even Vivian's usual easygoing demeanor cracked slightly. "I didn't even think about something like that—"

Sebas, as composed as ever, simply waited for them to calm down. Once their exclamations settled into stunned murmurs, Anastasia let out a deep breath and rubbed her temples.

"...Alright... please explain, Sir Sebas. What exactly do you mean by a Branch Guild?"

"As I mentioned... I've been making arrangements with the Adventurer's Guild to establish a branch in this region. It's part of my efforts to assist in revitalizing your land, my lady. If we have a guild presence here, it will naturally attract more foot traffic. Adventurers will have easier access to guild facilities, quests, and communication, making this land a far more appealing destination."

Anastasia listened intently, absorbing every word. She had never once considered such a possibility.

"...You mean to tell me you offered this to the Adventurer's Guild? Was this after everything with the Lodge House and the potential adventurer guests we had discussed before?"

Sebas, still smiling, shook his head.

"Not quite."

"Not quite?"

"I had already set this plan in motion far earlier," he revealed, his voice steady. "Given the state of this land, it was inevitable that adventurers would be among our first visitors. Rather than waiting for them to trickle in aimlessly, I thought it best to prepare in advance."

Once again, Anastasia was stunned.

He had planned this far ahead...?

She could only stare at him, utterly speechless at his foresight.

With that, Sebas took a step forward, his eyes shifting to the unconscious woman sprawled on the ground.

Reaching into his butler's coat, he began rummaging through its inner pockets.

Naturally, the others couldn't help but watch with curiosity. Even Vivian, still casually standing with her hands on her hips, raised an eyebrow.

"Uh... What exactly are you about to do to her?" Anastasia inquired suspiciously.

But Sebas didn't answer right away. Instead, he smoothly pulled out a familiar clear glass vial from his coat—one that immediately caught Bella's attention.

"Oh! Isn't that...?!" The maid exclaimed, her face lighting up with recognition.

Sebas simply responded with a small chuckle and a knowing wink before crouching down beside the unconscious woman. With practiced ease, he popped open the vial and carefully brought it close to her nose.

A clear vial... of smelling salts.

The effect was immediate.

The woman's eyes snapped wide open, her pupils instantly sharpening as if her soul had been yanked back into her body. She let out a sharp gasp, her entire frame jolting as she shot upright on her rear.

"Hhaahh—!"

Her chest rose and fell in quick succession, the lingering sting of the sharp scent still burning in her nostrils. She was awake, alright—violently so.

It took her a few more seconds before her breathing steadied... and only then did she start taking in her surroundings.

And the first thing she saw—

—was a strange butler crouched right in front of her, watching her with an easygoing smile.

"Good morning, Miss Guild Representative," Sebas greeted smoothly.

The woman blinked at him.

Tilted her head.

And with a blank stare, she let out a slow, confused—

"...Huh?"

For a brief moment, everyone remained quiet, allowing the woman to fully regain her composure.

Slowly but surely, she took a steadying breath, pushing herself up from the ground until she was finally standing on her own two feet again.

With slightly shaky hands, she reached into her breast pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses. Carefully, she slid them onto her face, her fingers adjusting the frame despite the clear nervousness she felt… especially with multiple pairs of eyes locked onto her.

Still, she managed to straighten her posture, clearing her throat before speaking.

"...Ahem. My name is Sophie," she introduced herself.

Now that she was properly standing, everyone got a better look at her appearance.

She was beautiful, with rich brunette hair neatly tied into a small bun. Dressed in a crisp white dress shirt and a fitted pencil skirt, she certainly looked the part of someone who spent most of her time in an office.

And yet...

"...Sandals?" Anastasia muttered under her breath, her gaze flicking down.

Indeed, despite her otherwise professional attire, Sophie was wearing a simple pair of sandals—a sight that felt entirely out of place.

Everything about her screamed 'office worker'... or, in this case, someone who handled administrative work. And judging by the clear discomfort on her face, everyone could already tell—

This woman was completely out of her element.

She was someone who probably spent her days buried in paperwork, safe within the walls of a guild office... and now, she had been plucked from that comfortable world and thrown into this place, completely against her will.

That realization led to a slow, synchronized turn from Anastasia, Martha, Bella... and Sebas.

All four of them shifted their eyes toward Vivian.

Their expressions silently—but loudly—asked the same thing:

"You didn't actually kidnap her, did you?"

Vivian, completely unfazed, simply crossed her arms with a smirk. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I was just following orders from Madam Guild Master, alright?"

Despite her casual tone, her words only made Sophie visibly flinch.

Anastasia turned her attention back to the woman, causing her to straighten up on reflex.

"So, tell me," Anastasia began, her gaze firm, "Are you really the representative sent by the Adventurer Guild?"

Sophie hesitated.

For a second, silence stretched between them.

Then... with a quiet, nervous gulp, she finally nodded.

"...Yes, I am the Adventurer Guild's representative... regretfully..."

Sophie's reluctant confirmation only deepened the already perplexed silence among the group.

Anastasia stared at her, arms crossed, while Sebas observed with mild amusement. Martha and Bella exchanged glances, as if silently trying to process what kind of representative would arrive in such a state.

Even Vivian, despite being the one who brought her here, whistled lightly. "Wow, you sound really thrilled about this job."

Sophie let out a strained laugh, her glasses slipping slightly down her nose as she quickly pushed them back up. "I, uh... was not exactly given a choice in the matter."

"...I knew it," Anastasia muttered under her breath before throwing another sharp look at Vivian. "You did kidnap her, didn't you?"

Vivian raised her hands defensively. "Whoa, whoa! I said I was following orders!"

"That does not make it sound any better."

Sophie cleared her throat again, hoping to steer the conversation back on track.

"U-uhm! Forgive me for not being clear, my lady, b-but... well... the Guild Master did personally assign me to this. She told me, and I quote, 'Sophie, I trust you to handle this with the utmost professionalism.'"

She sighed, rubbing her temple.

"Before I could even argue, I was thrown onto Miss Vivian's shoulder... then dragged by this woman at breakneck speed all the way here."

Anastasia, Martha, and Bella all turned to Vivian again.

Vivian just grinned. "What? I saved time."

Sebas let out a small chuckle. "That explains why you looked like you'd been through a storm upon arrival, Miss Guild Representative."

Sophie could only groaned. "You have no idea."

But with a deep breath, she straightened up once more. "That aside... as I said, I am the Guild's official representative. I was sent here to discuss the establishment of a Branch Guild in this region."