Touhou: I Became a Butler of the Scarlet Devil Mansion

Loyalty

As I took a hesitant step forward, my curiosity getting the better of me, Flandre Scarlet drew a flaming spear with a swift and eerie grace that sent shivers down my spine.

What the...!?

As Flandre lunged toward me with the blazing spear, panic surged through me like an electric shock.

my reflexes kicked in, and I instinctively tried to dodge, but it seemed futile in the face of such a supernatural attack for a human like me.

"Shit...!" I cursed under my breath, anticipating the imminent impact.

Then, inexplicably, time came to a sudden halt. It was as if someone had pressed the pause button on reality itself. I found myself frozen in place, unable to comprehend what was happening.

In the eerie stillness, I watched as Flandre's flaming spear hung in mid-air, her malicious intent frozen in time.

And just as abruptly, time resumed its natural course, and I was no longer in harm's way. Confusion gnawed at me as I blinked, trying to make sense of what had just transpired.

"W-What just happened?" I mumbled, my voice trembling with bewilderment.

A reassuring hand rested on my shoulder, and I turned to see Sakuya, her calm demeanor providing a semblance of stability amid the chaos.

"A-Are you alright, Shun?" she inquired, concern etched on her face.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine... Was it you who saved me?"

Sakuya nodded in confirmation before casting a reproachful glance at Flandre.

"Lady Flan," Sakuya addressed her, her voice carrying a hint of reprimand, "If you want to play, why not play with Reimu instead of the new servant?"

Flandre, ever unpredictable, tilted her head to the side, her eyes dancing with mischief. "New? Servant?" She then shifted her gaze to me, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

"Ohhh~ You~ I see~ So you're the new butler that the fairies were talking about."

"Words spread like an infection, I see," Sakuya sighed, a hint of exasperation in her tone. "I should punish those fairies."

Flandre continued to regard me with a peculiar fascination, her demeanor shifting from aggression to a more playful tone.

"Say~ I wonder why my sister got interested in you?~ Do you have a power like Reimu and Marisa who can keep up with me? If so... Let's play~"

As Flandre's laughter filled the air, she made a whimsical attempt to fly toward me. However, before she could reach me, a sudden barrier materialized around her, encasing her in a shimmering, translucent prison.

"No, That's enough," came Reimu's authoritative voice, her talisman held firmly in her hand.

Flandre's pout was as extravagant as her previous enthusiasm. "Reimu...! You're being a killjoy here!"

"That's right, That's enough." Footsteps, graceful and confident, approached from behind. An enigmatic presence accompanied them.

I turned to see Lady Remilia herself, a knowing smirk gracing her features. "My little sister, you shouldn't be rude to our new servant. He's quite new to this land, you know."

Flandre's expression shifted from pouting to gleeful surprise. "You mean he's not from Gensokyo!?"

Remilia's response was equally nonchalant. "Yeah~ It's quite rare for a human to be here in our mansion."

The Scarlet Devil then turned her attention to Reimu, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "And you, Reimu, don't you think you have much better things to do than breaking anything on your way? And how did you even know that a new human arrived here?"

Reimu let out a resigned sigh, explaining, "It's from the Bunbunmaru Newspaper. Aya's wind picked up the information and put it in her article."

Remilia's crimson eyes gleamed with understanding as she nodded in acknowledgment. Her gaze then shifted to Sakuya, who was seemingly prepared for the next course of action.

Sakuya gave a subtle nod of assurance, disappearing momentarily from our sight.

"Tch, Fine... I'll let this off once, but if something goes awry, you know what I'm going to do next, right?" Flandre huffed, her tone still tinged with playful annoyance.

Remilia responded with a mischievous smile. "Be my guest~"

Reimu turned her attention to me, her gaze expectant. "I hope you know what you're doing here." With that, she took flight, departing through the broken window.

Remilia then addressed me, her tone more measured. "Now then, Shun, how about you follow me? I have something for you to do."

I blinked in surprise. "Hm? Lady Remilia, where are we going?"

She glanced back at me over her shoulder, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "To my room."

I fell silent, Nodding in agreement, I followed her.

Flandre, however, wasn't quite content to be left out. "Hey! What about me?! You're going to leave me out of the fun?!"

Remilia's tone shifted to one of authority. "My dear little sister, stay there and be quiet."

Huffing in mild protest, Flandre turned away and began to entertain herself by playfully harassing the fairies who had resumed their work.

Eventually, I found myself inside Lady Remilia's room. It was surprisingly spacious for a single occupant, with gothic elements adorning the decor.

"Shun, have a seat on the bed," Remilia instructed her tone calm but filled with intent.

My heart quickened as I hesitated. Something was afoot, and I couldn't help but feel a touch of nervousness.

She moved closer to me, her fingers gently gripping my cheeks. "Fufu~ Your heart is beating fast~"

I couldn't help but feel self-conscious under her playful scrutiny. "P-please don't make fun of me."

She simply smiled, reassuringly. "I won't~"

Then, in a sudden and unexpected turn of events, she leaned in, her face drawing nearer until her lips met mine in a kiss.

And then she let go of me and looked at me with an enigmatic smile.

"Lady Remilia?"

"Yes, Shun?"

"I feel something burning in my body."

She reassured me with a gentle tone. "Don't worry about it."

I tried to hold on to her words, but before I could comprehend what was happening, I felt myself growing faint. The world around me blurred, and I fell unconscious, collapsing onto her bed.

Back to the present.

The darkness shrouded my vision as I kept moving towards the mansion. A chilling voice echoed in the void.

"It's suddenly gone dark, huh..."

"It's probably just one of your imaginations~ but can I ask you something?~"

A shiver ran down my spine, and I couldn't help but respond hesitantly, "Who... who's there?"

A sinister silence settled in, interrupted only by the eerie whistling of the wind.

"May I eat the one standing before me?~"

"Hmmm, Do you know the saying 'Good medicine tastes bad?'"

The voice chuckled ominously. "Hehehe~ I feel like I've heard that line before~"

(Author-sama: In Webnovel the title of this chapter is "A Memory Before The Storm".)