I Raised the Villain’s Daughter Too Well

As expected, the tea party held at the Imperial Garden in the capital was extravagant.
Children from noble families all over had gathered in small groups, chatting while flaunting their finest outfits.

—But the moment Firnea stepped out of the carriage, every gaze turned to her.
Even at a young age—or perhaps because of her youth—it was impossible not to notice her pure beauty.
Eyes filled with a mixture of admiration and jealousy landed on her, as her appearance reduced everyone else’s to mere play-pretend.

Firnea, seemingly unaccustomed to such stares, subtly hid behind my back.
“Why is everyone staring like that?”
“It’s because you’re so beautiful, my lady.”

I reassured her in the gentlest voice I could manage, while inwardly recalling Maclaine’s warning and keeping a wary eye on our surroundings.
As the tea party began, the children scattered across the garden to mingle.
As expected, several young heirs and heiresses approached Firnea. Most of them were either trying to flaunt their connection to House Seriratus, or simply curious about her reputation.

Firnea was awkward at first, but with my help guiding the conversation at her side, she gradually settled down. Still, her expression was filled with boredom.
“Virdem, when does this end?”
Firnea tugged at my sleeve and whispered.

“It hasn’t been long since it began, my lady.”
At that moment, a group of children approached us.
At the center was a girl in a flashy red dress—Lady Emily of House Laurencia.

She was known as the next "divine one" in the capital's social circles after Firnea, though her magical talent didn’t quite measure up. Rumor had it she harbored a quiet sense of rivalry.
In other words, her intentions didn’t seem particularly pure.
“Oh my, aren’t you Lady Firnea? What an honor to see you at an event like this.”

Emily greeted her with a voice laced with thorns, despite the smile on her face.
“Hello, Lady Emily.”
Firnea returned the short greeting just as I had taught her.
Emily looked Firnea up and down, then curled the corner of her lips.

“You’re just as beautiful as the rumors say. Like a doll.”
It sounded like a compliment, but her tone had a distinct edge of mockery.
“But still... you don’t say much, do you? Well, I suppose it must be hard for someone from House Seriratus to mingle with us ordinary nobles.”

The surrounding children giggled. It was a subtle ploy to isolate Firnea. She frowned in displeasure, but seemed unsure how to respond and just opened and closed her mouth silently.
I quietly stepped forward and spoke.
“The young lady simply finds unfamiliar settings a bit difficult. We’d be grateful if Lady Emily could kindly understand.”

Emily’s gaze turned to me.
“Oh my, the butler from House Seriratus is quite young, isn’t he? What was your name again?”
“I’m Virdem of the Serbus family.”

“Serbus? Oh, that servant house?”
Emily openly dismissed me, then turned her attention back to Firnea.
“Lady Firnea, would you like to come play with us for a bit? We’re playing a really fun game of hide-and-seek.”

“…Hide-and-seek?”
Firnea looked genuinely interested for the first time. But I caught a glint of malice in Emily’s eyes.
“My lady, you have an important meeting with some guests shortly…”

I tried to intervene, but Emily cut me off.
“It’s fine, it won’t take long. Right, Lady Firnea?”
Emily gently tugged on Firnea’s arm. Firnea hesitated briefly, but the desire to play with kids her age seemed stronger. She nodded.

“…Okay.”
“Great choice!”
Emily and her group led Firnea toward the deeper part of the garden. I followed behind with an uneasy heart.

The game began. One of the children closed their eyes and started counting. I couldn’t interfere in their play no matter how protective I was supposed to be, so I watched from a distance.
Firnea looked around, unsure of where to hide. Then Emily approached and whispered something to her.
“My lady, there’s a perfect hiding spot over there. No one will find you.”

She pointed to an old storage shed in the corner of the garden.
“That place…”
Something felt off. The shed hadn’t been used in a long time—dust was piled up everywhere, and the door was sealed with a rusted padlock.

I tried to stop her. But Firnea had already opened the door and stepped inside.
I didn’t miss the meaningful glances and smiles exchanged between Emily and her friends.
Click.

The moment Firnea entered, I heard the sound of something locking.
“Huh? Why… won’t the door…”
Firnea’s startled voice echoed from inside the shed.

Emily and the other children quickly fled the scene.
“Oh no, Lady Firnea accidentally got stuck in the shed?”
“My goodness, she’s going to get found by the seeker right away!”

They clearly intended to prank her. Their laughter faded into the distance.
I immediately rushed to the shed door.
“My lady, are [N O V E L I G H T] you alright?”

“Virdem! The door’s locked! Let me out!”
There was a mix of panic and slight fear in Firnea’s voice. The padlock was old, but it looked sturdy. Naturally, we didn’t have a key.
“Damn brats…”

I gritted my teeth. I could blast the door open with magic right now, but that would only cause a bigger commotion. Drawing the attention of the other nobles would only further damage Firnea’s reputation.
I took out the all-purpose tool kit I always carried in my pocket. One of the skills taught in butler training was lockpicking. Back then, I wondered what use such a skill would ever be—but now, it was proving surprisingly handy.
Click, click…

Using a thin wire, I carefully manipulated the inside of the lock. After several attempts, a satisfying clack sounded as the lock opened.
When I opened the door, I saw Firnea crouched inside the dusty old shed. With no lantern, it must’ve been pretty frightening—her eyes were slightly red.
But she glared at me, trying hard to act like it was no big deal.

“What took you so long!”
“My apologies, my lady. The lock was quite sturdy.”
I took out a handkerchief and dusted off her face and clothes.

“Let’s go.”
Firnea silently took my hand and stepped out of the shed.
When we emerged, a few children who were still playing hide-and-seek looked at us in shock. The seeker was still off somewhere, looking for Firnea.

Firnea spotted Emily’s group—the ones who locked her in—and glared. Blue mana began to ripple in her hand.
“My lady, please wait.”
I gently took her hand to stop her. If she used magic here, it would only escalate the situation.

“Allow me to handle this.”
I reassured Firnea and approached Emily’s group. Emily was visibly flustered, but forced herself to act composed.
“Oh my, Lady Firnea. You’re out already? The seeker hadn’t even gone to look for you.”

“The shed door must’ve accidentally locked. Fortunately, I had a key, so we were able to come out right away.”
I lied smoothly and pretended to put the recently picked padlock back in my pocket.
“But Lady Emily, there’s something I find curious.”

“W-What is it?”
Emily replied with a tense expression.
“When the young lady hid in the shed, there was no padlock on the door. But right after she went in, someone locked it from the outside. I wonder if any of you happened to see who might’ve played such a prank?”

My calm yet sharp gaze made Emily and the others visibly anxious. They looked at each other nervously.
“W-We don’t know anything…”
“Is that so? Strange. It happened in such a visible spot. Should I perhaps ask the Imperial Guards to investigate? Locking a noble heiress inside a shed in the royal garden doesn’t seem like something we can overlook.”

At my words, Emily’s face went pale. She clearly didn’t want things to escalate.
“...It was probably just a mistake. Someone didn’t realize it was an old shed. We were all running around trying to hide, so…”
Emily rushed to make excuses. I found it pitiful but didn’t press further. I’d already accomplished my goal.

The noble children who’d been clinging to Emily started to quietly slip away.
They probably didn’t want to get dragged into this.
Emily would be spending the rest of this tea party more alone than she expected.

“I see. I’m glad it was nothing serious.”
I gave a slight bow and returned to Firnea.
“Shall we go, my lady?”

Firnea still looked angry, but she quietly followed me. Emily and the others didn’t approach us again.
Once we left the party grounds and boarded the carriage, Firnea finally spoke.
“Those little shits… seriously annoying.”

“Pay them no mind, my lady. It’s just the jealousy of lesser people.”
“But still—it pisses me off! Why did I have to go through that?”
Firnea’s voice trembled. She was clearly hurt by the unfamiliar experience of humiliation and betrayal.

I stayed quiet for a moment, then spoke.
“My lady, you’re far stronger and more brilliant than they are. Whether it’s with magic or anything else.”
“…Really?”

“Yes. But there are some things in this world that magic alone can’t solve. Sometimes, you have to endure. Sometimes, you have to respond with cleverness.”
“I don’t know anything about that.”
“You can learn. I’ll be there to help you.”

Firnea looked out the window for a moment, then turned to face me.
Her gaze held a complicated emotion I hadn’t seen before.
“…Virdem.”

“Yes, my lady.”
“…Thanks for saving me back there.”
“…Pardon?”

I was briefly taken aback by the unexpected gratitude.
“Uh… thank you.”
Firnea turned her head awkwardly and muttered.

“Also… teach me how not to lose to kids like that.”
Her tone was like a child discovering a new toy—but I could sense her sincerity in it.
I gave a faint smile.

“I’d be honored, my lady.”
For the first time since I began this life as a butler, I had received a proper command.