The Crown Prince Who Raises a Side Character

#35 Servant Cedric – The Villainess of Red Bell

#35 Servant Cedric – The Villainess of Red Bell

“One of the three pillars upholding the Kingdom of Virka.”

This was the assessment scholars offered of the Redvell Margraviate.

Furthermore, this “three pillars” business wasn’t referring to just anyone, but none other than the Royal Family.

A single noble house, categorized and considered alongside the very apex of the kingdom, the royals themselves.

And this evaluation of the Redvell Margraviate was, by no means, an exaggeration.

The territories directly governed by Redvell already constituted seven percent of the kingdom’s total area, and if you included the regions under their indirect influence, that figure rose to twenty percent.

They possessed immense wealth, having seized control of key trade routes connecting with other nations, and while their military strength might have been relatively lacking, it was only in comparison to the other two pillars – the Royal Family and the Duke house – lagging far behind, it remained beyond any comparison to that of the other sundry lords.

The current Margrave of Redvell was regarded as a hero, a remarkable figure who had single-handedly elevated the family from its declining state to its present position in a mere few decades, and his children, seemingly inheriting their father’s traits, also displayed competence in their respective fields, further enhancing Redvell’s reputation.

However, there was but one exception among them.

The Margrave’s youngest daughter, Claudia Redvell.

To enumerate but a few of the extraordinarily lurid rumors surrounding her:

-She kept a gargantuan, man-eating beast as a pet, and fed it those who displeased her.

-She perpetually reeked of blood due to her penchant for torture, and used intensely potent perfumes to mask the scent.

-The reason Margrave Redvell had deliberately selected the remote, rural territory of “Eched” as his youngest daughter’s personal dominion was because, if left to roam a larger estate, there was no telling what she might do.

A celestial flower in appearance, yet a cesspool of hell within.

Such was the dramatically contrasting assessment of the noble lady, Claudia Redvell.

Understandably, few would willingly choose to work under such a woman.

Therefore, those who sought employment at Claudia’s mansion in Eched were generally one of two types.

Those unaware of Claudia’s reputation, drawn only by the exorbitant remuneration offered by the Margraviate.

Or those aware of Claudia’s reputation, but whose circumstances were so dire that they had no choice but to endure it.

Of the two, the manor’s head butler, Bastian, favored the latter.

In the former case, they inevitably fled within days, but the latter held the *chance* to remain employed.

‘…But this interviewee… he seems to fall into the former category.’

So thinking, Bastian studied the young man before him with a keen eye.

Modest brown hair, matching brown eyes.

Not striking in his handsomeness, but with even, gentle features all the same.

There was a puppy-dog quality to his gaze, utterly lacking the hard glint of someone driven to the edge.

“So, your name is Cedric, you said. Where are you from?”

“The city of Colim, in the eastern part of the Izehren Empire!”

“A fair distance. What reason do you have for venturing all the way to the Virka Kingdom to seek work as a servant?”

“My father served the esteemed Knuck family of Colim as a servant for many years. Primarily as a kitchen assistant, if I’m honest. I’d always thought I would follow in his footsteps and serve the Knuck family, but alas, the Knuck family line came to an end, and my prospects vanished with it. Having known nothing but this path since childhood, I wandered in search of a new master, eventually hearing rumors of this estate and seeking it out!”

“Hoh… So you have some skill with cooking then?”

“Not perfect, perhaps, but I daresay I can prepare dishes that are…palatable!”

Swift and efficient, his overall demeanor was bright and cheerful.

That he was a foreigner and there was no way to verify the truth of what he said mattered little.

No, a Marquisate such as this might normally demand strict scrutiny, but Echad Manor, barely maintaining two-thirds of its staff due to the constant exodus of fleeing servants, could afford to overlook such minor oversights.

The real problem lay elsewhere.

‘Hmm… I wonder how many days this bright young man can last against the young lady’s venom.’

Bastian had witnessed time and again how servants, initially full of zeal, withered under Claudia’s temperament, only to abandon the manor soon after.

The thought of this young man following the same path tugged at his conscience, but what else could he do?

It was the Marquis’s desire that Claudia continue a life that, to onlookers, appeared ‘problem-free,’ and the current situation, with the mansion sparsely staffed and feeling starkly empty, went against that command.

Bastian needed to replenish the mansion’s workforce, by any means necessary.

“Good, we’ll start with a three-month contract. Though it goes without saying, if you quit before the term is up, you won’t receive any compensation.”

“Understood!”

‘If I assign him to kitchen help, there’s little chance he’ll cross paths with the young lady. He might be able to last a bit longer, that way.’

And that plan of Bastian’s crumbled, precisely one week after Cedric entered the mansion.

*

The reason Cedric’s presence became known much faster than Bastian anticipated was simple.

It was because Cedric was exceedingly competent.

“Cedric, you say? He’s a true gem. Understands everything quickly, and never forgets what he’s taught.”

“Normally, a new recruit needs days just to adapt, but Cedric’s been practically working at full capacity since the day he arrived. Everyone’s gotten a bit of relief thanks to him.”

“I haven’t had a proper break because there was no one to relieve me, but thanks to the new recruit, I think I can rest for a bit, at least.”

“He’s got a silver tongue, and he has a way of making people laugh. I think he’s the type who’ll fit in anywhere.”

Cedric’s assigned duty was kitchen help.

His movements were confined to the kitchen and the storeroom for provisions, and unless he was tasked with serving, which was unlikely, Claudia would have no reason to encounter Cedric.

In that respect, Bastian’s plan wasn’t wrong, but the problem lay in the attitude and atmosphere of the other servants.

It wasn’t as if the presence of Cedric suddenly skyrocketed the happiness index of all of them to the ceiling.

But, just as a red tulip is bound to stand out if it’s mixed in a flowerbed full of only white ones.

What Cedric managed to do was coax light chuckles or suppressed laughter from the staff, and even that was far too great a change compared to their faces, usually frozen with gloom and a sense of obligation.

“Hmm, so you’re the new servant that came in recently?”

It happened with such suddenness.

The kitchen staff, immersed in light banter while preparing supper, questioned their ears at the voice echoing from the entrance. They turned, then froze solid.

Two maids, pale as if fearing the tragedy to come, kept their heads bowed low.

And between them, a young lady stood alone, a smile gracing her lips.

Pale platinum blonde hair, and eyes the color of rose quartz.

Her beauty, a captivating blend of allure and youthful innocence like a flower bud on the verge of blooming, was breathtaking. Yet, the servants who saw her smiling face began to tremble, as if they had witnessed a monster.

Perhaps driven by the responsibility of being the highest-ranking member present, the head chef carefully spoke.

“A-ah, Miss. What brings you to such a humble… place?”

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

The doll-like, beautiful smile fractured.

Filled with utter contempt, fury, and irritation, the Crimson Velvet flower began to spew venom.

“When did I ever speak to you? By whose permission are you opening your mouth?”

“S-so sorry, my lady!”

“And where I go is my own business. Who do you think you are to prattle on? Just because you hold some title like head chef, you think my master suddenly looks like a joke to you or something? Huh?”

There was no elegance befitting a noble lady.

No dignified lecture or rebuke, nor any gentle or roundabout way of speaking.

The sight of her angelically beautiful features delivering threats and sneers like a street thug, one after the other, was not just incongruous – it was almost comical.

Thud.

It was then that Cedric stepped half a pace forward.

He hadn’t exactly made a great show of his footsteps. Nor had he uttered a single word, mind you.

But still, that seemingly inconsequential gesture possessed a peculiar power, capturing the attention of all those around.

A flicker of interest sparked in Claudia’s eyes.

Having lost her fascination with the chef, she turned her lips towards Cedric once more.

“What’s this, the riffraff sticking together? Is that it?”

Despite the sudden insult, Cedric merely blinked, offering no response.

Claudia’s brow furrowed.

“Well? Aren’t you going to answer?”

“Ah, thank you for granting me leave to speak, young lady. I was in quite the predicament, unable to open my mouth as I pleased, you see.”

For a moment, Claudia didn’t quite grasp his meaning, but she quickly recalled her earlier admonishment to the chef, that he ought not to speak as he pleased. Perhaps this servant was attempting to mock her, using that very accusation against her.

Fury bloomed on her face, while the other servants paled.

But only for a moment.

Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, Claudia smiled sweetly.

“You, now.”

“My name is Cedric, young lady Claudia.”

“Yes, you. Being here, you must have some confidence in your cooking, wouldn’t you say?”

“I wouldn’t dare claim to be an expert, but I consider myself capable enough to prepare a meal that’s not lacking, at least for my own consumption.”

“Excellent. Tonight, you will prepare the evening meal. And bring it to my room, yourself.”

It was an unreasonable request in more ways than one.

To ask Cedric, merely a kitchen assistant, to prepare the evening meal was one thing, but to demand he bring it to Claudia’s own chambers was an altogether larger problem.

To have a male servant enter a young lady’s chambers – that in itself held the potential for an interpretation most unseemly.

Yet, Cedric, showing not even a flicker of hesitation, calmly returned the question.

“Though I am lacking, if it is your command, I shall do my utmost. But, might I inquire, are there perhaps any foods you dislike?”

“Things that taste bad.”

“Indeed, a most insightful reply. I shall prepare at once.”

Claudia watched Cedric as he began to gather ingredients, her gaze laden with suspicion.

The other servants nearby were, from some time ago, restless, as if finding the situation unbearable, but he alone retained a composure that displeased her.

Claudia momentarily considered striking him across the face, but swiftly amended her thoughts.

‘That composure of his is fleeting, in any case.’

Inwardly, a sly smile crept onto her face, but she did not forget to issue a warning to the others.

“Should any of you involve yourselves in this matter, you will be punished, so do not interfere.”

The kitchen servants promptly lowered their heads, and the maids, filled with trepidation, followed Claudia.

Arriving back at her own chambers, Claudia dismissed the maids and stepped inside.

Then, using a small blade, she made a slight cut on the tip of her index finger.

As the beads of blood welled up and fell to the floor, their volume rapidly began to swell.

-Grrrrr…!

Soon, the blood transformed into a monstrous beast.

Its overall appearance resembled that of a wolf, but it possessed two heads, each mouth of such immense size that it could swallow a human torso in a single gulp.

Claudia stroked the heads of the two-headed wolf as it nuzzled against its mistress in a show of affection, and instructed the beast

to pounce on Cedric the moment he opened the door and stepped inside.

I whiled away the moments, anticipating the sight of his face – that face which always seemed to declare ‘I can handle anything’ – crumble into terror and shock.

Then, a knock. Cedric’s voice followed from beyond the door.

-Young miss, I have prepared your meal.

A deep smile playing on her lips, Claudia answered.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Cedric wheeled a cart into the room.

At that instant, the wolf, who’d been poised in the corner, sprang towards him.

From the wolf’s maw, an ululation that would have paralyzed prey with fear– *whimper?!*

‘…Whimper?’

Claudia blinked.

She rubbed her eyes for a moment, then looked again.

The wolf – her familiar, who could devour most monsters for a simple snack – was flattened on the floor like a frightened stray, whimpering pathetically.

And standing before it, was Cedric, calmly dabbing the hand he’d used to flick its forehead with a handkerchief.

He turned towards Claudia, still dazed, and spoke with utter seriousness.

“Young miss.”

“Yes?”

“It is not a good habit for pets to attack human food. It’s also bad for their health. It seems you have spoiled him a bit too much.”

“…………”