Walking on a red carpet is the dream of many people.
Usually, those who dream of it are people whose lives revolve around popularity—actors, celebrities, idols.
But what they long for is already beneath my feet. My steps press into a red carpet that stretches forward through an enormous hallway.
In this hallway, there are large windows lined up on my left side. The distance between each window is short—just five steps, and I can already feel the warmth of the sun and the whisper of the breeze against my left ear.
I glance at my right side, slightly raising my gaze.
"…"
Now I walk beside the Head Butler. His eyes stare straight ahead, not looking at me at all. Every step he takes is calm. He wears black dress shoes, similar to mine.
My gaze returns to the front, fixed on the hallway whose end I still cannot see. I don't know when exactly I will arrive at the destination, and I don't know what is waiting for me at the end of this hallway.
My thoughts drift back to the room from earlier. After Princess Reina left—for reasons I still don't understand—the Duke told me to follow the Head Butler, giving him a code word that only they seemed to understand. I still don't know what it meant. They only said the phrase, "That person."
I let out a short sigh. My back slumps slightly.
…Most definitely, this is going to be quite a long journey.
As fatigue quietly builds, I find myself glancing to the left while walking. The view looks distant—perhaps because we are on the second floor. With every few steps, the scenery shifts between wall and open air, revealing glimpses of beauty: lush trees behind black iron fences, flowers of all kinds filling the garden.
And there is a small white building. Its round roof is covered with creeping plants. The interior mirrors the shape of the roof, furnished with a round table and two chairs facing each other.
For a moment, my gaze is locked onto the beautiful building, before shifting towards the flower garden not far from there.
My eyes widen.
There, I see a figure cupping black flowers in both hands. Her gaze seems full of emotion. My steps stop instantly upon seeing her.
"…"
That figure now seems to be kissing the black flower in her hand, both cheeks blushing simultaneously.
When I see the figure clearly, I realize who it is—black hair, black eyes. It's clearly Princess Reina.
"…I didn't expect her to make that kind of face," I mutter.
The Head Butler—Razoru—seems to notice my absence and glances to the side. When he sees that I am no longer beside him, his steps stop. A long sigh escapes him.
He turns around, looking at me who is gazing at the bright window on the side.
"…Hey, Touji."
My body jolts, then I look at the Head Butler in front of me. From the expression he shows, he looks flat, but behind it he seems to be holding a feeling of waiting. I am silent for a moment, looking at the large window beside me, then I start walking again.
The Head Butler turns around, his steps echoing back down the hallway.
I run a little faster, catching up to the Head Butler to the initial position—beside him. Steps move together again. I look at the old man from the corner of my eye. My gaze rises slightly upwards, because of the difference in height. His eyes stare straight ahead.
"…Do you already know your duties as a servant, Touji?"
My eyes widen for a moment, before falling downwards.
My head shakes, softly. "…Not yet, sir."
He looks at me briefly after I give the answer, his eyes seem to hold a deep question from his flat eyes, then he returns his gaze to the front.
"…You, just need to wake the princess up every morning, clean her room, take her to the breakfast room, accompany her to play as the Duke ordered, and protect her—whatever happens. You have to do it, as if she is a part of your own life."
Hearing such an answer, my eyes can no longer help but widen. My gaze immediately turns to him, who said that with a flat face.
But…
My gaze falls back down. Fingers interlock on my chin.
In short, I just need to serve the princess, take care of her, and be her friend, right?
A thin smirk appears at the corner of my lips. Clearly this is an easy task.
Because in my old world, I had been a "corporate slave" for many years. There, my mentality has been properly trained. So clearly, a task like this is easier than being a corporate slave in my old world.
The Head Butler's gaze falls on me again. Seeing the faint smirk on my lips, he seems certain that I am underestimating the role of a servant.
He lets out a long sigh. His gaze returns to the hallway in front.
"…Never underestimate this job, Touji."
I glance at him again.
"Maybe you think now that this job is an easy thing. But when you feel it directly, maybe you will take back the words you said now."
His steps gradually slow before finally stopping. His calm brown eyes narrow slightly.
"Especially when you have to be her protector—when the world itself tries to attack."
My steps stop a few moments after he says that. For some reason, from his words just now, there seems to be a hidden message that I cannot yet understand.
World. Protection.
…What does it have to do with my job now?
He is silent for a few moments, before his body jolts, regaining consciousness.
"…Sorry. Let's go back to walking."
His steps move again. I who am there can only look for a moment, before following him again. Every step we take, emits a calm sound. Maybe this is all, thanks to the red carpet below that absorbs the sound. Time passes without me noticing, until two large brown doors come faintly into view ahead.
If I look from here, the door looks small. Every step I take continues to increase, the door gets bigger. I add my speed a little. And when my steps stop, a few seconds later, the person beside me follows me too.
My eyes widen.
"…"
Right in front of me now stands a massive brown door—far larger than the one in the Duke's room.
The man beside me stepped forward. He gripped the cold brown doorknob and pushed it firmly. At first glance, his hands looked thin, veins standing out beneath the skin. But when he applied pressure, it became clear—it wasn't thinness. His muscles were dense and taut.
"…"
The door slowly begins to open, the sound of heavy friction is heard gradually. Until the door opens completely, he spreads his hand—inviting me to enter.
For a moment, I hesitate before stepping forward. As I stand at the doorway, the Head Butler leans closer and whispers to me,
"…Your lessons begin tomorrow. And from then on, call me 'Master.'"
The words he said to me are immediately embedded in my mind. I nod, once. Then, my feet step again, towards the room that I don't know what's inside.
Once I am fully inside, the door is pushed, leaving him outside. The heavy creaking echoes once more.
BAMM!
The big door closes again.