16: 16.
The Butler Who Wasn’t Meant to Be 16: 16.
The Butler Who Wasn’t Meant to Be = Usopp’s POV = The day finally arrived.
For weeks, maybe even months, I had been waiting for this exact moment to come, replaying it in my head over and over again while adjusting plans that I could not fully trust and preparing for possibilities that might no longer exist.
Even though I kept telling myself that things had already changed, that my interference had already altered the course of events, I still had to prepare for a scenario that everything would unfold exactly as it had in those memories, which had a higher possibility.
That was the problem with knowing the future.
You never knew which parts would remain the same.
Kaya’s family was finally recruiting a new butler.
Despite everything, I was not particularly nervous, and that alone was enough to make me suspicious of my own confidence.
Still, I had my reasons.
I knew how Kuro operated, and patience was one of his most dangerous weapons.
He was not the kind of man who rushed into things without a plan, and more importantly, he was not stupid enough to kill Kaya’s family immediately.
If he did that, he would gain nothing but whatever valuables happened to be inside the mansion at that moment, which was insignificant compared to what he truly wanted.
Kaya’s family was wealthy, not just because of what they owned, but because of what they controlled.
Their businesses, their assets, their connections—all of those things generated continuous wealth, and that was the real prize.
Kuro was not interested in a single payday.
He wanted a permanent source of income.
That meant he needed time.
Time to gain trust — Time to manipulate — Time to turn himself into someone indispensable.
So even if he appeared, he would not act immediately.
That thought allowed me to remain calm as I positioned myself near Kaya’s mansion, pretending to rest under a tree while keeping a careful eye on everything happening around me.
I could not participate directly in the recruitment process, which was frustrating.
So my only option was to observe and gather information through whatever means I could.
At least, that had been my plan.
Reality, as usual, had other ideas.
To my surprise, Kaya’s father did not simply open a public recruitment for the position.
Instead, he chose to visit a merchant association in East Blue that he was affiliated with, using his connections to find a suitable candidate.
From a logical standpoint, it made perfect sense.
A man of his status would naturally rely on trusted networks rather than picking a random applicant whose background could not be verified.
Still, I could not help but wonder.
Was that his usual method?
Or had my letters influenced his decision?
I wanted to believe it was the latter.
When he finally returned, I paid close attention.
My heart beating just a little faster as I prepared myself to see a familiar figure step into view.
Dressed in black, wearing glasses, and hiding a murderous intent behind polite smiles.
That did not happen.
Instead, the person who arrived with him shattered every expectation I had, because it was not Kuro.
It was not even a man.
It was a woman.
And not just any woman.
It was Belle-mere.
For a moment, I genuinely wondered if I had somehow slipped into another dream, because there was no logical explanation for what I was seeing.
Standing there, wearing a butler’s suit that somehow managed to look both professional and slightly out of place at the same time, was Belle-mere, accompanied by her daughters, Nami and Nojiko.
Even though my past memories came from watching this world as if it were an animated story, there was no way I could mistake them.
Their hair alone made that impossible.
Orange, blue, and red.
That combination was far too distinctive.
I stared, probably longer than was socially acceptable.
“Oh, Usopp-kun, you’re here.” Kaya’s father’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I quickly shifted my attention to him, doing my best to act normal despite the storm currently raging inside my head.
“Yeah, I just helped my mom deliver today’s harvest,” I replied casually, because that was how I always spoke to him.
“Where have you been, old man?” My mother had tried to correct my attitude when I first started talking like that, but Kaya’s father himself had insisted that I continue.
Apparently, he enjoyed being treated like a normal person instead of someone everyone bowed to, which made me the only one in the entire village who could speak to him without excessive politeness.
“As you can see, I was recruiting a new butler,” he said, gesturing toward Belle-mere.
I nodded slowly, even as my mind raced.
So it worked, at least partially.
I had managed to change something significant.
I changed Belle-mere’s fate, Nami’s fate, Nojiko’s fate, and the entire Conomi Islands’ fate.
Honestly, I was really glad and happy.
But I hid it.
That meant at least one tragedy had been avoided, and the other one was at the very least delayed.
Kuro was not here.
Belle-mere was.
That was enough proof.
However, just because something changed did not mean everything was safe.
More importantly, this situation came with its own problems.
“Old man,” I said, narrowing my eyes slightly as I looked at Belle-mere, “won’t this be a bad influence on Kaya?
What if she starts smoking like this hag?” The moment the words left my mouth, I realized I had made a mistake.
A very big mistake.
BAM!
Pain exploded across my skull as my head was driven straight into the ground.
“WHO ARE YOU CALLING A HAG, YOU DAMN BRAT?!” Belle-mere’s voice rang out, and I barely had time to process what had happened before I found myself face-first in the dirt, my thoughts struggling to catch up.
My first conclusion was that it hurt.
My second conclusion was that she was fast.
Not impossibly fast, not at a level I could not perceive, but fast enough that I could not react in time even though I saw her move.
That alone was enough to completely shatter the assumptions I had about her strength.
I had always thought of her as strong for a normal person.
But this, this was something else.
“A-are you okay, Usopp-kun?” Kaya’s father asked, clearly concerned.
I raised a thumb from the ground.
“My head is already trained,” I said, my voice slightly muffled by the dirt.
My mom often hit my head.
She was so gentle in the past, but she had turned into a demoness now.
“All I did was being a little disobedient to make our life more colorful, and she hit me very often.” I complained while lifting my dirty face.
“Ara~, you shouldn’t make people misunderstand your mother, my dear son.” I froze.
Slowly, very slowly, I turned my head.
My mother stood behind me with a dark smile, which was never a good sign.
“M-mom,” I said, my voice suddenly much weaker than before.
“If your idea of making our life more colorful involves painting other people’s houses and releasing snakes into our fields,” she said sweetly, “then I believe we need to have a very serious conversation.” “I was improving the village aesthetics,” I protested weakly.
“And the snakes help with the rats!” “Cats exist,” she replied calmly.
Before I could attempt another defense, she grabbed me by the back of my collar and lifted me with ease, dragging me toward Kaya’s father.
“I have delivered the harvest and spoken with your wife,” she said politely.
“If you will excuse me, I will be taking my son home to teach him some important lessons.” I silently begged for help, but no one came.
In fact, they waved while smiling.
Traitors!
The next day, my head still hurt, my pride was severely wounded, and my curiosity had reached dangerous levels.
I had too many questions.
Fortunately, I did not need to go looking for answers because they came to me.
Kaya arrived, accompanied by Belle-mere, Nami, and Nojiko, tasked with showing them around the village so they could become familiar with their new home.
Perfect timing.
“I thought your dad would hire a man,” I said, tilting my head as I looked at Belle-mere.
“Aren’t butlers usually men?” “Oh?” Belle-mere raised an eyebrow.
“There are female butlers, you know.” “Really?” “Of course,” she replied, crossing her arms as if preparing for a lecture.
“Butlers and maids have different roles.
Maids usually handle general household chores, while butlers focus more on personal assistance.
It’s not about gender, it’s about responsibilities.” I blinked.
Somehow, I had triggered a full explanation.
“So there are male maids too?” “…
I think they exist, but they’re rare,” she continued.
“Men usually take on specialized roles like gardening or cooking, while maids handle broader household duties.
A butler, however, is closer to a personal assistant.” I nodded slowly, pretending to fully understand while mentally filing away the information.
“So that means…” I paused, then grinned mischievously.
“You’ll be taking care of his personal needs?” Belle-mere’s eye twitched.
“No,” she said flatly.
“I will be taking care of her personal needs.
I am Lady Kaya’s butler.” Kaya nodded happily.
“Father thought it would be better this way,” she said.
“He said a female butler would understand me better.” I nodded again, though my thoughts were elsewhere.
So that was it.
He changed the rules.
Instead of trying to identify the threat, he eliminated the possibility entirely.
It was simple and effective, and honestly, kind of brilliant.
Still, I could not relax.
Because if there was one thing I knew about Kuro, it was that he never relied on a single plan.
If this path was blocked, he would find another, which meant this was not over.
Not even close.
I clenched my fist slightly, my gaze drifting toward the horizon.
“Alright,” I muttered under my breath, a grin slowly forming on my face.
“Let’s see how many plans you really have.” Because this time, I was ready, even though I was shaking.
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CHAPTER 69.
The Witch’s Magic CHAPTER 70.
HolyRicekun