Two boys walked silently across a long hallway. As they walked, both boys couldn't help from stealing a look at the beautiful upholstery draped across the walls and rare art pieces from all around the world scattered along the hallway. At the far end, a medieval 16th century Maximilian armour glistened in the sunlight, its silver plating as shiny as if it was made just yesterday.
The younger one snuck a peek at his older brother. "Onii-chan, can you imagine how long it will take just to vacuum this hallway?" He whispered in a low voice. "And to polish that gargantuan scrap metal!"
"Shush." The older boy scolded gently, although the troubled expression in his eyes clearly reflected his younger sibling's opinion.
They are the Shibata boys. They come from a long line of elite butlers, having served the Hongo family for thirteen generations. Now at the age of 12 and 15 respectively, they have been summoned to meet their master, Hongo Kentarou.
They came to a stop outside a heavyset wooden door and looked towards the senior butler standing by the entrance for further instructions. He crouched down and held each of their shoulders. "Make our family proud," He said, pausing before finishing his sentence. "— my sons."
Master Hongo Kentarou was a very strong man, young Rihito noted to himself. No, not physically, the man was in a wheelchair after all; but it was the unmistakable show of strength reflected in his eyes. His body and heart might be broken, but his spirit was still strong and persistent. And the Master proved it the very next moment.
"Shibata Rihito and Kento, is it?" He eyed each of them critically. "It is about time you prove your worth. Let's hope that the both of you can redeem your family honour."
The boys winced internally at the reminder. Their father, Shibata Sato, had been the attending butler of Hongo Shotarou, their master's only son and heir. But in order to marry the girl he loved, Young Master Shotarou had left the Hongo family and renounced his inheritance. Even though the Master knew that his son's departure was of no fault of Shibata Sato, and that the faithful butler had tried his best to dissuade the stubborn young master from leaving; the fact remains that Hongo Shotarou had left the Family under his watch.
"So?" Apparently Master Hongo was waiting for their answer.
Rihito raised his head. "We live to serve, Hongo-sama." He recited the Shibata family motto in the most even tone he could muster.
"Good." The master seemed to be pleased by what he saw. "Rihito, you are old enough to leave home, so I will send you to the International Butler Academy in England for training. Kento, you will start by attending the butler training school under St. Lucia. If you perform well, you will be given the opportunity to receive your accreditation overseas as well."
Young Shibata Kento looked at his brother nervously. He was just an elementary school kid, after all. What did he know about being a butler? But his brother was studiously avoiding his gaze, so Kento simply bowed his head and prayed for the best.
Kento sighed for the umpteenth time as he turned off the hairdryer. Two weeks' worth of hairstyling curriculum! He was about this close to tearing his own hair out, never mind to 'brush and curl' some girl's hair!
"Shibata, focus!" The instructor yelled across the dressing room.
"Hai….." He replied sullenly, picking up a hair curler to continue his homework. The St. Lucia butler training school was driving him crazy. Why did he have to be born into such a family anyway?
I wonder how Onii-chan is doing in England. He wondered to himself. He knew from his upbringing, that butler training overseas was much stricter than in Japan. They were required to master several languages, in addition to extraordinary skills such as sword-fighting, diving and even nursing. Kento simply could not imagine himself going through such a rigorous training.
"Ah-ah, Rihito, always one step behind the Lady." The instructor corrected gently.
"Sorry, sir." Rihito took a step backwards. His training was tough, but Rihito was determined to do his best and redeem his family's honour. His father, his grandfather, and his great-grandfather have served the Hongo family for many generations. It was his duty to carry on the age-old tradition. Moreover, if he was deemed worthy enough to be the next Hongo family butler, then Kento will no longer be pressured to serve. So all in all, Rihito was doing it for his family.
"Now, swish, swish, parry – Rihito, your Master would be embarrassed by such poor techniques! Straighten your posture!" A loud yell disrupted Rihito's daydreaming.
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." He hurriedly complied. I will do this, for my family.
It was Christmas season in England. Sounds of chugging toy trains, tinkling chimes and jolly carols filled the air, cheering up the old and young alike. Smells of fresh cookies and strong whiskey wafted craftily towards unsuspecting shoppers, luring in last minute purchases before the holidays.
Shibata Rihito was the only one who was running with tears in his eyes, his satchel clutched tightly against his chest. I can't do this. He sobbed silently. He could not take it anymore. The stiff mannerisms, the hundreds and thousands of rules, the constant waiting on a person. It was hard for him to accept the truth, but he simply was not cut out to be a butler.
He hurriedly made his way into a cab before any kind-hearted Samaritan could attempt to console him. "To the airport please." He spoke in perfect English, his accent moulded to a tee by the rigorous training.
"Yes sir." The cab driver started driving. After a while, he spoke. "Young gentleman, I can tell by the way you dress and the way you speak that you come from a good family. What is the matter? Are you running away from home?"
Despite his heavy feelings, Rihito involuntarily choked back a laugh. Him, from a good family? Well, he supposed he looked the part. Dressed in a tailored Lords suit, speaking in perfect Queen's English, he probably looked the part of a wealthy young man.
"No, sir." He replied. "In fact, I'm heading home now."
The cab driver spotted a look of scepticism, but he did not press the issue and continued the rest of the journey in silence.
The journey back to Japan was an unusually long one for Rihito. The weight that was on his mind was that his return was dismally premature. He was yet to complete his butler training. He had barely completed two modules, and was a hair breadth away from failing the rest of his modules. At this point, he could hardly qualify as a C-rank butler, what more the S-rank butler required by the Hongo Family. He was so far away from his mark that he did not know what to do. And on top of that, Rihito had run away from the International Butler Academy and secretly returned to Japan.
Upon landing on his motherland, Rihito did not head home. He was too ashamed to face his parents. He wandered around and stayed in an internet café not far from Kurogawa, a small fishing village that his parents had chosen to settle down in not too long ago. He never knew why they moved all the way from Tokyo to Kurogawa, but as his family was going through a difficult time after Young Master Shotarou's departure, he did not have the heart to question them.
During the day, Rihito would walk around the village, making sure to stay within the thick bushes or in the forest in order to not be seen by his father. As he watched people mending their fishing nets and working at construction sites, he wondered what his future would be. He was merely 16 years old, with no formal education except for the useless butler training, how was he supposed to support his family? He thought about young Kento, who was already taken out of school at 12 years old in order to attend St. Lucia's butler training school.
"Dammit—" He closed his fist in frustration. Both of them were trapped. They did not have the requisite formal education to work in the corporate world, but they also lacked the passion to become a butler. No matter what, their futures were bleak.
A faint sob suddenly caught his attention. It sounded like it was coming from either a kitten or a very young child. Rihito got up and followed the sound. It seemed to be running around in circles. If he were to hazard a guess, he would say that it was a lost child.
Rihito decided to plant himself in the middle of the incoming child's path instead of going after him or her.
"Ouft." As he had predicted, the panicking child had bumped into him head-first. He steadied the child and saw that it was a young girl, around the age of 6 or so. Upon running into him, a small basket had fallen from her hands, scattering dozens of wild mushrooms on the ground.
"Ah! My mushrooms!" The little girl bit her lip, as tears began to fill her eyes again.
"Those are not edible, you know." Rihito commented casually, as he brushed dirt off her dress. "Are you hurt anywhere?"
The girl looked at him wearily, but perhaps the expensive jacket made itself useful for once, there was only a slight hesitation before she nodded and took a step forward towards him.
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." He said softly, as he carefully inspected her for injuries. He decided that she was not hurt; simply lost, afraid and very dirty.
He wrinkled his nose, his butler instincts kicking in to clean her up. Rihito rummaged through his pockets and realised that fate had a sense of humour. What were the odds that this lost little girl would bump into a butler trainee like him with a complete set of grooming tools? He took out a hair brush from his jacket. "Come here, ojou-chan, let me clean your hair." She nodded and sat down on a fallen tree branch.
He meticulously brushed her hair and took out all the bits and pieces of leaves that were stuck to her hair. Then, he extracted a wet wipe and began to clean up her tear-stricken face. Holding her hands, he looked at her dirt-caked nails and smiled. "Ojou-chan, come, let's go wash your hands. And if you're a good girl, we'll put on some nail polish as well."
Upon hearing the suggestion, the young girl looked up and gave him a bright smile. "Okay."
Rihito felt his heart soar upon seeing her dazzling smile. It felt exceptionally good to bring a smile to her previously sad face. "What's your name, ojou-chan?" Rihito asked as he picked her up bridal style.
"Mei."
"Mei Ojou-sama." He said cheekily, bestowing her with the equivalent title of 'princess'.
The girl giggled, seemingly to like her new nickname.
In Rihito's ears, it sounded as sweet as the chiming bells at the gate of heaven.
A thorough wash and some pink nail polish later, Rihito was satisfied with his little charge. Nestling her comfortably on his shoulders, he carefully studied the tracks she made in the forest and backtracked his way towards where she had come from. He stopped at the edge of the forest where a small wooden hut stood. "Okay, Mei Ojou-sama, is this your house?"
The girl nodded, happy to return home. "Thank you, Oniisan." She ran towards her home.
"We live to serve, Mei Ojou-sama." He replied softly to himself as she disappeared behind the wooden door. For the first time in his life, Rihito meant it sincerely from his heart.
"Do you know who she is?"
Startled, Rihito turned and saw his father leaning against a tree trunk, just a few metres away from him.
"Father!" He gasped. "Umm… I… That is…" Rihito realised he was in big trouble. How did he not see his father approaching? Now he would have to explain why he was not currently in England like he was supposed to?
"Mei Ojou-sama – you called that little girl. Do you know who she is?" His father repeated, staring into the distance.
"No, father. She was just a little girl whom I found lost in the woods."
Shibata senior gave him a look that made Rihito feel three inches tall. "In another life, that would have been your Lady, Hongo Mei-sama."
"Huh?" Rihito replied in disbelief. The little dirt-caked girl with flour on her dress, the real heir to the Hongo Family?
"Yes. That is Young Master Shotarou's daughter. The Lady you were born to serve." His father said with a tinge of sadness in his voice. "But that is neither here nor there. Your Lady is now Hongo Shiori-sama, and she will be expecting your full commitment."
Before Rihito could reply, his father continued. "Three weeks ago, Kento ran away from St. Lucia. I am yet to find him. Due to his disobedience, I have been dismissed from the Master's service. The Master has replaced me with two younger butlers, identical twins named Akabane Ukon and Sakon. They are the sons of another prominent butler family. But I suppose that is my own cross to carry." His father stood up and started to leave. "Do whatever you want, Rihito. But don't come back to your Mother and I, until you have become a man."
"Wait, father!" Rihito called out as a thought just struck him. "Is that why you moved us to Kurogawa? To keep an eye on Young Master Shotarou?"
His father paused in his tracks but did not look back at him. "We live to serve, Rihito." With those parting words, he left.
Rihito sat alone in silence as he processed the information that had been shared with him. Apparently, Kento, like him, had ran away from his butler training; which had resulted in his father's dismissal from the Hongo household. That, and his Lady was someone else named Hongo Shiori-sama.
But most of all – Hongo Mei-sama!That revelation shocked Rihito. He had met his destined Lady! Mei Ojou-sama – what a beautiful name. He thought to himself. Her smile was as bright as the sun to him, and her laughter like music to his ears. He wanted to stand by her side, to teach her to hunt for mushrooms, to paint her nails with glittery nail polish, to make her smile and laugh all the time. For the first time in his life, he wished that he was an S-ranked butler who was qualified to serve his Lady. If he was able to serve Mei Ojou-sama, Rihito knew that he would climb any mountain and slay any dragon to get that S-rank pin. But – she was no longer his Lady, not now, not anymore. As usual, fate was being exceptionally cruel to him.
"Why, god, why —" For the second time that day, Rihito cursed his miserable fate.
He sat there for hours, until a joyful voice called out to him, rousing him from his depressed state. "Oniisan! Are you there? Where are you? Oniiiiiiiiiiii-san!" She shouted at the top of her little lungs.
Rihito hurriedly right himself up to make himself look presentable. "Yes, Mei Ojou-sama?"
"Here—" The little girl pushed through the bushes and made her way to him. "This is for you." She opened her little hand and gave him a golden pin.
"This is—" Rihito's words got stuck in his throat as he saw that it was the golden S-rank pin that had been beleaguering his thoughts. "How – how did you get this, Mei Ojou-sama?"
"Father gave it to me!" She exclaimed proudly, her little chest puffed up into the air. "He said this is a special reward for my Guardian Angel. Father says that someone who could tame my hair so beautifully definitely deserved a special reward."
Rihito felt goosebumps all over his body as he closed his fist over the elusive golden pin. It was his father's, he realised with a start. His father must have surrendered it to Young Master Shotarou right before the latter had left the Hongo Family, as a mark of unwavering loyalty from a butler.
"Oniisan, are you my Guardian Angel?" The little girl asked, conveniently plopping herself into his lap.
He ran his fingers through her hair lovingly. "That's right, Mei Ojou-sama. But for now, I have to go somewhere to earn my Guardian Angel wings. When the time is right, I will come back for you. I promise." He pressed a kiss to her hand. She giggled. He smiled.
I will become a butler that is qualified to serve you, Mei Ojou-sama. No matter how long it takes or how painful it is, I will earn my wings to become your one and only Guardian Angel.
(Ten years later)
The mood around the village was sombre, like a black cloud hanging over everyone's heads. The death of the Shinonome couple came as blow to everyone's hearts, since it was a small village where everyone knew one another.
A lone figure walked down the narrow street, a shiny golden pin secured steadfastly on his lapel. Despite the gloomy situation and the weight he felt in his heart on behalf of his Lady, a small part of his heart was selfishly joyful over being reunited with her. He entered a small udon shop and had to take a few moments to blink back tears of joy at the sight of his beautiful Lady.
She stirred slightly. Rihito took a deep breath and braced himself for a life-changing moment.
"Are you awake, Mei Ojou-sama?" Does she remember me?
"Huh? Who?"
No, she doesn't remember. Nevertheless, he put on a brave smile.
"I am extremely sorry. My name is Shibata Rihito. From this day onwards, I will serve as Mei Ojou-sama's butler."