48. Vishnal's Big Decision

The next day was the day that Vishnal would be evaluated for a title as a butler. Clorica was also being judged, but Arganan was more concerned for Vishnal. As someone stepping into an ambassadorial-esque position, Arganan was present to watch this event at the castle.

Sir Therius, Calista and Zael were also attending this event, partially curious to learn how the system of butlers worked in Selphia, and also wondering how things would turn out. Arganan noticed Frey standing on her own, and moved towards her quietly, noticing her sad expression. "Are you okay?"

Frey shook her head, looking up at him. "I'm not, I admit. Vishnal and I, we…"

"I heard from him about it yesterday." Arganan managed, swallowing lightly. "Why did you break up with him?"

Frey sighed. "I want him to be happy. And being a butler…that's his dream, Arganan. Who am I to stop him from pursuing that? I'm the problem in this case."

"But Frey…" Arganan started, but Frey shook her head.

"What's done is done." She managed, swallowing. "I can't hold Vishnal back from his dream."

Arganan looked towards Vishnal. There seemed to be a vacant look in his eyes, and his usual smile replaced with a serious frown. Clorica, despite her general narcolepsy, was thankfully awake as Volkanon spoke up, looking towards a man who Arganan presumed was the Butler Judge, Beyer.

"Mr. Beyer, if you please." Volkanon stated, looking towards Beyer.

Of course." The man took a deep breath, before looking towards Clorica. "First, Miss Clorica. The dishes you made and I sampled were excellent!"

Clorica gasped, then broke into a soft smile. "Thank you!"

He nodded in acknowledgement, before looking towards Vishnal. "Mister Vishnal. You are an expert at cleaning. No matter how faded the item, you make it shine like new after it's in your hands."

Vishnal nodded, his gaze focused on the Butler Judge Beyer. "Thank you."

"I have no doubt that you are worthy of being 1-Star Butlers. I'll confer the title upon both of them." Beyer concluded, looking towards Volkanon.

Volkanon seemed a bit surprised, eyes widening. Arganan guessed that the elder butler also knew well of Frey and Vishnal's relationship. "Vishnal, too?"

"Yes. However!" Beyer looked towards Vishnal. "Mister Vishnal…"

Vishnal swallowed, nodding. "Yes, sir. It's been done."

"What?" Clorica looked confused, frowning. "What about Frey?"

Vishnal could only shake his head. "That's…in the past now." He sounded deflated as he stated that, as Beyer nodded in approval.

"It's a decision well made, sir." Beyer commented. "In light of your brave decision, Mister Vishnal, I will confer your title to you. In honor of your talent, I hereby declare you 1-Star Butler."

That was when Arganan saw Vishnal's head lower, his gaze not meeting Beyer. Was he

Vishnal frowned, then shook his head firmly, before bursting out. "I decline the title!"

"What!?" Beyer gasped. Arganan thought he heard Frey and Clorica audibly gasp, and even Calista, Zael and Therius seemed startled by the outburst.

Vishnal, however, continued speaking, looking Beyer in the eye. "What's wrong with my master and over being one and the same? Being together means I can serve and protect her that much more closely!"

"But," Beyer started arguing, red-faced from potentially anger and also flustered from shock, "The reputation-!"

"What's a reputation?" The younger man interrupted, raising a brow. "Is it more important for us to protect our reputations than our masters? If we must choose between one or the other, are you saying that I should care more about how I appear in front of others than letting our masters shine?" His voice rose, and he kept staring down Beyer. Volkanon and Clorica were far too shocked to do a thing as Vishnal kept talking. "A reputation should NOT be the most important thing to a butler! It's our duty to be our master's closest guard and confidante. So, what's wrong with my master also being my lover?"

"I…uh…" Beyer tried to come up with an explanation, but his voice died as Vishnal sighed, shaking his head a little.

"I am honoured that you chose to grant me a title. Truly, I am. But if keeping that title means I have to deny my relationship with the Princess, then I don't want it. To me, being a butler is not about having pretty titles. Princess Frey gave me the push I needed. She told me to chase my dream, despite our separation. It made me happy, knowing that she thought of me. But…" A fire lit in his eyes. "I am a butler who lives for their master, no matter what. I won't ever stray from her side. That is the butler I dream of being!"

Frey and Vishnal looked towards each other, but before Frey could say a thing, Beyer spoke up again.

"I see." Beyer cleared his throat. " But butlers cannot have a special connection to their master . The one who should protect becomes the one who is protected."

Vishnal swallowed, paused, but then shook his head. "Then I don't need to be a butler. I still have my other dream. I'll make Frey happier than anyone else! That's the dream I'll never give up!"

Beyer's jaw dropped at Vishnal's statement, but the young butler ignored him, looking towards a still-stunned Volkanon and Clorica. Vishnal cleared his throat, before speaking.

"Mr. Volkanon, thank you for all you've done for me. I'll never regret it." He then looked towards Clorica, offering her a soft smile. "Clorica, I hope you will still teach me how to cook better, even if I'm not a butler. And Frey…." He took a deep breath, before turning to face Frey, approaching her with a hand extended towards her. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Let's go."

"Vishnal." Frey breathed, staring up into Vishnal's eyes. For a moment, Arganan saw a picture-perfect scene of romance; Vishnal smiling at Frey, and Frey smiling back. If it wasn't for the current situation, they probably might have kissed.

"Wait!" Beyer called, but Vishnal shook his head, turning to face Beyer one last time.

"I love Frey. No one can make me give that up!"

And with that, Frey and Vishnal ran straight out of the castle, hand in hand as if this was nothing but a fantastical fairytale story from a romance novel.

Arganan, against his better judgement, couldn't help but pump a fist slightly, smiling. "Yes!" He had a feeling Vishnal would choose Frey. Be happy together, both of you.

"What?" Arganan paused, turning his gaze slowly to see Calista and Therius staring at him, stunned.

"Uncle?" Calista asked slowly, raising a brow. "Did you…?"

Arganan cleared his throat, lowering his fist. "I might have…encouraged Vishnal to think of what he truly wanted." That was all he said about his own involvement. He noticed Beyer clearing his throat, and he turned to face the Butler Judge.

"Arganan, I presume?" Beyer started, staring at him with a slight frown. "I've heard of you. The former Count of Lazulis, causing trouble with illegally riding an airship, taking part in the war against the Sechs Empire…"

"that would be me, yes." Arganan raised a brow, crossing his arms. "I know it must be troublesome to you, to lose a butler worthy of a high title. However…there was someone, once, who I tried to push into a high title of his own. I even offered someone's hand in marriage to sway that man to my side. But he saw how things really were, or would be, if he swore fealty at the time, and chose to do the right thing. I wanted to make sure someone didn't almost make a mistake like he did."

He noticed Zael and Calista exchange glances with each other, and even Therius seemed to understand what Arganan was talking about, even if he left names out of his explanation.

"Well…" Beyer paused, before looking towards Volkanon. "Mr. Volkanon, could you please bring Vishnal back here?"

"What?" Clorica burst out suddenly, her gaze snapping towards Beyer. "You mean…are you going to…"

Volkanon simply nodded. "I will return with Vishnal, Mr. Beyer. My apologies for all of this."

Arganan sighed, shaking his head. "I don't think he'll want to return, given everything we just went through."

"He will." Beyer muttered, just as Volkanon left.

Everyone waited in silence, or mostly silence, for Vishnal to come back. Arganan couldn't help but wonder if Vishnal would be okay. Was there a brutal punishment for butlers that abandoned their formal duties for love?

"Why?"

That was what Calista asked, looking up at Arganan. Her uncle stared back at her, before a sigh left him.

"I've caused a lot of trouble already." The former Count managed. "It wouldn't hurt too much for me to make more. Especially if it's for a good reason."

He noticed Calista about to ask something, but that was when Vishnal came back, accompanied by Volkanon and a worried Frey.

"Vishnal." Beyer gestured for Vishnal to approach him, and Vishnal swallowed, staring into Beyer's eyes as he did so.

"Yes, sir? You won't change my mind about quitting." He stated.

Beyer shook his head. "There's no need to quit."

"What?" Surprisingly, that came from Arganna himself.

"Allow me to explain." Beyer took a deep breath, before speaking again. "Before anything else, we butlers must have a boundless will to serve and to care. But, as you pointed out Vishnal, we began to pay too much to what others thought of us. We forgot to love what we do! Even I forgot." A soft chuckle left Beyer, and a smile came to his face. "You helped me remember how very important it is to love! I have seen your devotion to your master, Vishnal, and it left an incredible mark on me. Please let me grant the 1-Star butler title to you!"

Frey gasped. Vishnal's jaw dropped, staring right back at Beyer, before blubbering out, "R-Really?"

Beyer nodded. "Yes. Not only that but I beg you to guide the rest of us, so someday we too will have your passion!"

"I-if that's the case…" Vishnal looked back at Frey, who quickly nodded, and as he looked towards Arganan, the older man offered him a smile. Vishnal smiled back, before looking towards Beyer. "Then I would be happy to accept the title, sir! Thank you!"

The town of Selphia was filled with word that Vishnal received his 1-Star Butler title, but also could remain in his relationship with Frey due to his impassioned speech of being a true butler. Arganan was glad that such a thing happened, and he was happy for Vishnal and Frey.

Apparently the two were also now engaged, which happened shortly after the two initially ran away from Beyer and everyone else during the Butler Judging. Arganan hadn't expected that to occur so soon, but at least the wedding was something to look forward to. Frey had already personally invited him, thanking him for helping her and Vishnal with the whole butler situation, and Arganan was happy to attend. Vishnal initially suggested having the wedding right away; after all, Volkanon and the others in town could quickly set up a wedding. However, for the sake of Selphia's recovery from the still-recent war with the Sechs, they decided to delay the wedding by a season or two. Besides, this also gave Frey a lot more time to figure out her own wedding dress, so Frey appreciated having that extra time to decide.

Arganan was happy for them. He really was. Perhaps the wedding of Frey and Vishnal would cheer up those that still missed the dearly-departed Ventuswill, too, which would boster the town's spirits. It was exactly what they needed, in his opinion.

He was getting ready to sleep when Calista came by the Clinic to visit, to talk to him.

"What are you doing here so late?" What time was it, ten o'clock in the evening? "I thought you and Zael would be heading to sleep by now."

"We will be." Calista took a deep breath, looking up at her uncle. "I just wanted to talk about what happened earlier today."

Arganan sighed. "Let me guess," He managed. "It's the whole 'don't cause more trouble, because you made enough' speech."

"Surprisingly, no." Calista laughed a little, and Arganan stared at her.

"No? Then why are you here?"

"I just want to say that…I think you helped Vishnal make the right decision." Calista managed. The Countess of Lazulis looked her uncle in the eye as she continued. "I know it wasn't easy to do."

"Surprisingly, it was easier than I thought it would be." Arganan admitted. "I've known Vishnal since I first got here."

"You've gotten to know a lot of people. You think of them now, and not just yourself. At least, that's what I see in you. And that's why I think you'd be a great ambassador for Lazulis and Selphia's relations."

Arganan raised a brow. "Still trying to make me officially consider being some ambassador?"

"I don't see why not." Calista pointed out. "Besides, that also means I can let you come back to Lazulis to visit sometimes without too many people raising a fuss about it."

"The people back in Lazulis have a right to not support me after all I did back there." He sighed, shaking his head. "We both know why."

"But you also brought Lazulis prosperity during your rule. You have a working knowledge of both Lazulis and Selphia at this point. Why not use it to your advantage?"

She had a point. A soft chuckle left Arganan at that. "You're getting better at arguing for your case. Persuasion suits you well, Calista."

"I'd like to hope so." She smiled up at him. "It's one of the things I learned from you."

"At least I taught you something useful."

Calista did eventually leave to go back to the Bell Hotel and sleep for the night, and Arganan, too, went to sleep, knowing that things were different, but…better. He could live with this.