Sebastian’s every movement was calculated, precise, a reflection of the unyielding devotion he bore for his young master. Bound by their contract, he obeyed without question, yet loyalty had grown into something heavier, something almost possessive. The thought of another butler—Claude—hovering around his master churned a bitter storm in his chest. Just imagining the boy laughing at Claude’s attention sent a flash of irritation rippling through him.

When his master’s voice called him, Sebastian followed silently, his dark eyes fixed on the boy as if to shield him from the world. Once inside the room, he took the boy’s coat with practiced ease, draping it over the chair in a smooth motion. But his hands lingered for a heartbeat longer than necessary, reluctant to release the connection.

Sebastian’s gaze flicked briefly toward the door, as if Claude’s presence might appear from nowhere, and he spoke, his tone calm but laced with an unmistakable warning, a shadow of the anger he carefully restrained.

“Young master… I suggest you keep your distance from that other butler.”

There was no question in the words, no polite suggestion—only the unshakable conviction of someone who had devoted himself entirely to protecting the boy, and perhaps… a hint of something more.