
by Cgwest
In the kingdom of Valedryn, every noble child receives a prophecy at birth. Some are destined to become heroes.Some become kings.Some become saints. And a very unfortunate few are marked as Villains. When starving orphan Lucien Vale tries to steal bread from a noble carriage, he expects prison—or execution. Instead, the girl inside saves him. Lady Seraphina Ashbourne, the youngest daughter of one of the empire’s most feared ducal houses, offers him food, shelter… …and a job. “From today onward,” she tells him with all the arrogance of a spoiled noble child, “you belong to me.” Lucien becomes Seraphina’s personal butler at the age of ten. There’s just one problem: Years later, Lucien discovers the truth. Seraphina is the future “Villainess” fated to die in nearly every prophecy, political timeline, and historical vision recorded by the empire’s seers. And somehow— Lucien remembers fragments of those futures. In every version of history, she dies betrayed, hated, or executed. So Lucien makes a decision: If the world insists on turning Seraphina into a villainess… Then he’ll become the terrifying shadow behind her throne. A butler trained in swordsmanship, assassination, etiquette, battlefield tactics, and forbidden magic. A servant willing to fight heroes, nobles, demons, and even fate itself— Just to keep his lady smiling.
| # | Title | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chapter 1 - Ashes Before the Crown | 0 |
| 2 | Chapter 2 - Ten Years Earlier | 0 |
| 3 | Chapter 3 - The Dog of House Ashbourne | 0 |
| 4 | Chapter 4 - A Butler Must Learn Everything | 0 |
| 5 | Chapter 5 - The Girl Feared by Everyone | 0 |
| 6 | Chapter 6 - The Boy Who Should Not Exist | 0 |
| 7 | Chapter 7 - The Weight of a Future | 0 |
| 8 | Chapter 8 - Winter Beneath Black Wings | 0 |
| 9 | Chapter 9 - The Noble Tea Party Disaster | 0 |
| 10 | Chapter 10 - The Girl Who Glared at Nobility | 0 |
| 11 | Chapter 11 - The Dance Beneath Crystal Lights | 0 |
| 12 | Chapter 12 - Rumors Beneath Snowfall | 0 |
| 13 | Chapter 13 - Tea, Lies, and Poisoned Smiles | 0 |
| 14 | Chapter 14 - The Boy Beneath the Ashbourne Crest | 0 |
| 15 | Chapter 15 - The Streets He Left Behind | 0 |
| 16 | Chapter 16 - The Warmth of Forgotten Places | 0 |
| 17 | Chapter 17 - A Place to Belong | 0 |
| 18 | A Quick Question for My Readers | 0 |
| 19 | Chapter 18 - The Weight of a Name | 0 |
| 20 | Chapter 19 - The Problem with Royalty | 0 |
| 21 | Chapter 20 - The First Lesson | 0 |
| 22 | Chapter 21 - An Evening at House Valemont | 0 |
| 23 | Chapter 22 - Snowfall and Rumors | 0 |
| 24 | Chapter 23 - The Winter Festival | 0 |
| 25 | Chapter 24 - His Royal Highness | 0 |
| 26 | Chapter 25 - Preparations | 0 |
| 27 | Chapter 26 - The Eve of Winter | 0 |
| 28 | Chapter 27 - The Winter Gathering | 0 |
| 29 | Chapter 28 - Far More Dangerous Than Expected | 0 |
| 30 | Chapter 29 - The Challenge | 0 |
| 31 | Chapter 30 - The First Dance | 0 |
| 32 | Chapter 31 - A Princess and a Problem | 0 |
| 33 | Chapter 32 - The Exhibition | 0 |
| 34 | Chapter 33 - What They Didn't See | 0 |
| 35 | Chapter 34 - The Orphan Butler | 0 |
| 36 | Chapter 35 - The Cost of Being Noticed | 0 |
| 37 | Chapter 36 - The Letter | 0 |
| 38 | Chapter 37 - The Last Winter Morning | 0 |
| 39 | Chapter 38 - Six Years, Four Months, Twelve Days (Special Chapter) | 0 |
| 40 | Author's Note — End of Volume 1 | 0 |
| 41 | Chapter 1 - Arrival at the Royal Academy | 0 |
| 42 | Chapter 2 - The Butler in Black | 0 |
| 43 | Chapter 3 - The Entrance Examination | 0 |
| 44 | Chapter 4 - Academy Rankings | 0 |
| 45 | Chapter 5 - A Name Worth Remembering | 0 |
| 46 | Chapter 6 - The Butler Appreciation Society | 0 |
| 47 | Chapter 7 - A Butler's Reputation | 0 |
| 48 | Chapter 8 - The Social Mixer | 0 |
| 49 | Chapter 9 - A Dance with Politics | 0 |
| 50 | Chapter 10 - Delegations | 0 |
| 51 | Chapter 11 - The First Delegation Meeting | 0 |
| 52 | Chapter 12 - Lessons Beyond the Classroom | 0 |
| 53 | Chapter 13 - Tea in the Garden | 0 |
| 54 | Chapter 14 - The Eve of the Assembly | 0 |
| 55 | Chapter 15 - Opening Ceremony | 0 |
| 56 | Chapter 16 - The Kingdom's First Crisis | 0 |
| 57 | Chapter 17 - Across the Negotiating Table | 0 |
| 58 | Chapter 18 - Shadows Behind the Reports | 0 |
| 59 | Chapter 19 - The Assembly Banquet | 0 |
| 60 | Chapter 20 - The Weight of a Crown | 0 |
| 61 | Chapter 21 - The Final Council | 0 |
| 62 | Chapter 22 - The Results | 0 |
| 63 | Chapter 23 - The Most Popular Butler | 0 |
| 64 | Chapter 24 - An Invitation from the Headmaster | 0 |
| 65 | Chapter 25 - A Day Without Duties | 0 |
| 66 | Chapter 26 - The Choice Before Him | 0 |
| 67 | Chapter 27 - The Advanced Lesson | 0 |
| 68 | Chapter 28 - A Name Worth Remembering | 0 |
| 69 | Chapter 29 - The First Suitor | 0 |
| 70 | Chapter 30 - The Space Between Them | 0 |
| 71 | Chapter 31 - The Winter Gathering | — |
| 72 | Chapter 32 - What the Nobles Saw | — |
| 73 | Chapter 33 - A Butler's Boundaries | — |
| 74 | Chapter 34 - The Practical Examination | — |
| 75 | Chapter 35 - A Question of Suitors | — |
| 76 | Chapter 36 - The Dinner Invitation | — |
| 77 | Chapter 37 - The Things I Never Say | — |
| 78 | Chapter 38 - The Choice Beside Me | — |
| 79 | Thank you for reading | — |
| 80 | Update and sorry | — |