Chapter 207 Ch 205: The Vacancy

Hobbit did not say anything until he reached his room. Once he was in the safety of his own space, he finally decided he needed answers from the Head Butler.

"What the hell? Why did you just decide that I will have to share my post with that undeserving man? What if our plan does not work because of Yohan Strout's presence?"

Hobbit was beyond pissed and for good reasons. He had tried so hard to make it this far. He had endured hours of training as well as lectures to be as perfect of a butler as he could. He needed others to acknowledge him.

And then there was Yohan Strut, the man who had appeared out of nowhere and taken what Hobbit had worked hard to achieve without any effort.

The world was unfair and Hobbit hated it. That was why he knew he had to succeed in meeting the queen through Lady Rui and make the queen fall for him.

That was the only way to change this world.

"Calm down Hobbit. I know that things did not go according to our plan but that is no reason for you to panic like this. Yohan Strout might have been acknowledged by Lady Rui but that does not mean anything. We just have to make sure the others do not accept him."

The Head Butler knew what needed to be done to remove the obstacle known as Yohan Strout. And it was to use the power of pressure to get Lady Rui to dismiss him.

Lady Rui was a fragile lady with a fair reputation. She would fold under the pressure once it was put on her. They just needed to give her an excuse to be pressured.

"But are you sure this would work in our favor? That man managed to return from the forbidden forest. Who knows what he is capable of?"

Hobbit was not fearful of Yohan but there was an uncertainty in his mind. His instincts were telling him not to anger Yohan Strout.

"I am sure it will work. Yohan Strout is nothing more than the dirt under our feet. I am sure we will get an opportunity to get rid of him soon."

Hobbit could not bring himself to agree with the Head Butler but he allowed the Head Butler to make decisions. The Head Butler knew what he was doing, having removed all his competition so far in his life.

_______________

Yohan did not return to his room as soon as he was dismissed. He had more pressing matters to attend to at the moment.

And by that, he meant that he needed to visit Hans to know what would happen next.

Yohan had a good idea of what the Head Butler was planning for him but it was always better to be safe than sorry in such situations. Hans was an undisputed help for Yohan at this point.

Hans was fairly easy to track. The man did nothing to hide his presence from Yohan and even seemed to be seeking the man out.

"S-So, did you make it to Miss Rui in time?"

Hans looked flushed when he asked this question. His body was full of sweat which indicated that he had worked hard to reach Yohan.

"Yeah. Things went pretty much as I expected them to go. Although it stinks that I will have to share my title with another person, I did become the butler."

Yohan watched Hans's eyes widen at the news. This was an unexpected outcome and one no one had seen coming.

"Share title? Did you invoke the old law that allows the next heir to have more than one butler? Are you trying to make your life difficult?"

Hans could not believe what he had heard from Yohan. But at the same time, Hans knew why this happened as well.

His father would not have backed out when pressed and this was the only solution. Lady Rui had likely folded under the pressure as well, allowing this to happen.

"Look Yohan, I don't care what happens to most but Lady Rui is a fragile maiden and prone to worry. It would be better for you not to cause her trouble."

Hans tried to reason with Yohan, wanting him to understand the importance of his current position. But Yohan looked more amused than anything else at his words.

"Huh? So even if you think Lady Rui is a fragile soul that needs protection. How sly of that woman."

Yohan's words did not make much sense to Hans but he knew that he would not be able to change Yohan's mind.

In this situation, he wanted not to get involved.

Alas, his wish would not come to pass. As the pair talked, a maid neared their position and stood directly behind Hans, scaring him effectively.

"Lord Hans, lady Rui, and the head butler are calling for you. They need you in the discussion room immediately."

Hans had a bad feeling about this call. He could tell that his father was cooking something that he would not like.

But still, Hans could not refuse a direct call from lady Rui without incurring her wrath. It would be shameful and dangerous as well.

"Hans, if Lady Rui asks you to take up the vacant position you should do so. You will not be able to protect her from the sidelines."

Yohan's hand rested on Hans's shoulder as he walked past him. Hans's bad feelings worsened as soon as Yohan's words reached his ears. He had an inkling about what Yohan was telling him

'No, it is not a possibility. I will turn down Lady Rui if this is the reason I am being called for. I do not have any drama in my life.'

This was what Hans thought about this matter but he still hoped that he was wrong.

When he reached the room, both his father and Lady Rui had a serious looks on their face. It made Hans fear for his life.

"Hans, come in and close the door behind you. I don't want the next words I say to get out of this room."

Hans did as he was ordered. He was getting nervous now, standing in front of Lady Rui and his father. His father looked scary and disappointed for some reason.

"Hans, your father told me that you denied his request to be my butler. However, I would like to ask you again - would you not reconsider and be my butler? We need to fill the third vacant position urgently."

Hans wanted to deny this request.

In fact, he had come here to deny this exact request. All he had to do was to open his mouth and deny himself this position.

But standing in front of Lady Rui, Hans found himself not being able to look away from her. Her gaze held too much power and authority. It bound Hans in place.

"Hans, not as a lady but as a friend, I would like to ask you to reconsider. Please, I need a neutral party like you as my butler to ensure that I make the right final choice."

Hans's heart beat painfully in his chest. His lady was asking him for a favor that he was thinking of denying. What kind of man eas he?

'I am afraid of my choice. Do I want to go against my competition? I don't think I have enough courage to do so.'

Hans opened and closed his mouth as he tried to come up with a response. His father was looking at him with disappointed eyes and they made Hans flinch. He did not want to disappoint his father.

"Hans, nothing is pressuring you. I just want a trusted person by my side in these trying times. So won't you be that person?"

Lady Rui looked and sounded desperate. Seeing her like this made Hans's heart lighter and he wanted to help.

'Hans, if Lady Rui asks you to take up the vacant position you should do so. You will not be able to protect her from the sidelines.'

Yohan's words flashed across Hans's mind and he ultimately ended up making his decision. He just hoped that he would not come to regret it soon.

"My lady, it would be an honor for me to serve you and all you stand for. Although I cannot promise to be your exclusive butler, I promise to help you find the right fit for this role."

For the first time in his life, Hans watched his father look satisfied with his decision. His father might be convinced that Hans was on his side.

'The jokes on you old man. I think Yohan Strout is the one I need to serve and help.'

"Well then, with this all things have been decided. We will begin the real test tomorrow. Make sure you rest up Hans. you will have to work hard."

Hans knew he would have to work hard. He was the son of a head butler and he knew all the responsibilities of one. He had been trained to take up this mantle his whole life. He will make sure he held the front until someone more capable could take over for him.

"Of course my lady. I shall not disappoint you with my work ethic. I will make sure you do not have a hard time in the future."

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I'll be taking tomorrow off so there will be no chapter.