Reincarnated in an Otome game as the ugly character in the background

When I woke up, I found Eli and Lily hugging me like I was a teddy bear.

Yesterday I was talking to Barbara, they came and questioned us, we calmed them down and then went back to the hotel to sleep.

In bed they were not the only ones, there was also Leila by my feet and Celia with Evelyn near my bottom.

I was a bit overwhelmed as they are leaving my body numb.

Even my good morning greeting is problematic, help.

◇

The girls woke up after a while, my body was still numb, Lily was the last one to do so, she was a bit sleepy, seeing me she gave me an affectionate good morning kiss.

The soft feel of her lips, tongue and breath played with my head.

Eli noticed it as she stretched.

"Lily-chan it's not fair. I was stretching to then do that."

"Sorry. Here you go."

She pulled away from me and Eli moved in to kiss me.

Celia and Evelyn wanted too, but I noticed Leila woke up.

She saw me and gave me a greeting the kind you'd expect from a dog.

That left me with a sharp pain in my jaw as she is as strong as a bear.

I fainted as my head hit the wall.

◇◇◇

"Again this place."

Glenn woke up in a white room, everything was white, from the floor to the ceiling.

It didn't have walls or a door, but he called it a room because he didn't know how to qualify it other than that.

Behind him was something abnormal.

As he turned around, he noticed a huge hourglass, it was six meters long and five meters wide.

Glenn watched as the sand fell.

"Last time I was here, I could estimate that it had about 6% left to run out, but now it's only 3%."

The clock was almost running out, Glenn had been here a few times.

He stared at it.

"The reason the time sped up must be because of what I did recently, right?... I wanted to help Miss Elize as much as I could, even if it takes time away from me."

His eyes wandered to the side of the clock, seated at a simple table with two chairs on either end was a mysterious hooded figure in black.

Glenn just stared at it.

"Time is what most need. At least, just until the first heir of Rosenberg Household is born, after that you can take me."

The hooded figure let out a breath and said in a familiar tone.

"You don't understand, time is enjoyed."

◇◇◇

Glenn opened his eyes, he was in his bed in a downstairs room.

He woke up late, that was rare for him.

He was sharing a room with Desmond, who for some reason has not returned, Razel said to leave him since he is like a cat, he will come back when he is hungry.

Barbara knocked on the door.

"Glenn, are you awake?"

"Yes, ma'am! Sorry for the lateness."

He quickly changed into his uniform.

He opened the door and there Barbara greeted him with something unexpected.

"Ta~dah~. I got you a present, it's casual clothes for a hot place like this."

"With all due respect ma'am, but I'm fine in my uniform."

"Don't talk nonsense, I noticed how you were sweating yesterday, besides this is your day off."

"Indeed, yesterdays over, I must pack to leave soon for the mansion. I told Claude to take over for a day and I'm already late coming back."

Barbara pouted at him, Glenn immediately remembered when she was little and showed that gesture.

"I told you, you don't need to work so hard. You of all people deserve a break, or do you want me to order you?"

"... No need."

"Fine. Get changed and come downstairs, we'll go to breakfast."

With a cheek to cheek smile she said to him.

Glenn said goodbye, as he closed the door, he stared at the clothes.

"How long has it been since I wore something that wasn't a butler's uniform?"

◇◇◇

Glenn went down the stairs, not wanting to use the elevator.

When he got to the first floor, Eli was thrilled to see him.

"It looks good on you Glenn."

Glenn was wearing an elbow-length Hawaiian shirt, shorts and sandals.

It had been decades since he'd worn anything like that.

"Sorry I'm late. It won't happen again."

"Don't be like that. We're on vacation, besides you weren't the only one who came down late."

Eli sent Razel a brief glance.

He squeaked at her.

"I was unconscious for a few minutes, have a little more mercy on me."

"Lily-chan healed you, then there's no problem with that."

"The blows to the head are severe. You never know you might have trauma."

"Trauma what?"

"Yohoo~."

With a cheerful smile Livie came down, dressing elegant again, Christina was wearing an appropriate dress with which she won't be able to have a heat stroke like yesterday.

Livie said to them.

"Is everyone ready, let's get some breakfast!"

◇

After Livie came downstairs, we went to a family restaurant.

Family restaurants are expensive, don't think they're cheap.

The reason they are expensive is that only nobles come to the coast, the commoners from the surrounding area work as peddlers so they are the ones who can afford to be here, even if it's just to work.

The rich merchants also put up their businesses.

In truth, I hate high prices, it makes me a little anxious to think that one day the economy will be ruined due to rising prices, although I heard that it is due to the strange natural phenomenon that happens.

Arriving at the restaurant, the waitress led us to a large table, gave us the menu and Livie said putting a hand on her chest "Leave it to me. The imperial family will pay with it, I'll use my allowance."

The allowance of a member of the imperial family is the same as what a world soccer player or a multi-award winning artist earns.

It is no joke to say that Cid told me that for them the allowance is just a small portion of what they will earn when they work.

I am really envious of him, but then I remember the emperor and it passes.

We ordered different dishes.

Leila ordered meat, a lot of meat... really a lot of meat.

Amy ordered something light, she was next to me, but for some reason she kept tapping my leg.

Is she trying to tell me something?

I'll ask her after I finish eating my extra greasy burger. Lots of cheese, veggies and meat on it.

I exercise now, so calories aren't an issue.

Except for...

"Yummy!"

"Isn't it?"

I watched as Lily and Eli ordered a bunch of food. More Lily than Eli in fact.

Sometimes I wonder if her stomach isn't a black hole in fact.

◇◇◇

"Shopping?"

After finishing their meal, paying the bill and watching Livie hand over large bills more than ten times, Barbara said to Glenn.

"Yes. We'll go get something for tonight. Razel-kun will go sightseeing alone, we don't want him to see the surprise."

"I don't want the twins to see it either, that's why I'm asking you to watch them until dinner time. We'll meet at this very spot."

Babysitting is a task Glenn can't do, that's because of what happened with his son.

"Ma'am, I..."

"I know. But Glenn, they are little girls, I'm sure a man like you who has to think about his retirement, can take care of some little girls. They say children give you vitality, you need it more than anyone else... or don't you want to?"

Seeing her sad expression, Glenn sighed.

"It's all right. Don't worry."

"Now we're talking'!"

"Girls, Glenn agreed, let's go quickly before he backs out."

Barbara ran with the girls to get away from him.

His pants were tugged by a small hand.

"Grandpa butler, Madame where did she go?"

Glenn stared at Claudia, Sophia was eating a cookie Lily gave her earlier.

He said.

"They went shopping, we were left on our own, where do you want to go?"

"We want to go for a walk!"

The twins shouted.

◇◇◇

Glenn took the girls to the shopping district. It was crowded with people.

The twins were walking around holding hands, they were going from corner to corner to visit the food and clothing stalls.

Glenn saw them and thought to himself.

(It's really weird taking care of children. Even when Miss Elize was born, the Duchess told me to hold her, I didn't know what to do.)

Glenn became sad as he remembered his son again.

(I'm no good at babysitting, I'll just accompany them and after I see the duchess I'll tell her I'm going back to─)

Quickly Glenn moved, he placed his hand on the shoulder of a man in a white shirt.

"Is there a problem sir?"

"Of course there is, what were you planning to do?"

"Obviously I'm going shop─"

"Don't try to be smart. I noticed how your left hand doesn't come out of your pocket."

"You had a plastic bottle in your right hand, you threw it into the trash can after quickly placing your left hand there which was covered by two men who passed precisely at that moment to cover for you."

"You were also on the side of the girls. What you were going to buy is an accessory for girls, you were going to give it to them while the salesman calls customers."

"Th-That's not true. I have a daughter and I was planning on giving this to her."

"Get your left hand out then."

The man began to sweat.

"Even if I am a commoner, the empire gives the right to privacy."

"I agree, but the laws also say to report if you see someone suspicious and you along with four other guys are suspicious to me."

Glenn's sharp gaze didn't blink for a second.

"I was about to let you off since it's none of my business what you do, but these girls are servants of the Rosenberg Household. I will not tolerate any disrespect or damage to property or employees."

"If you don't want me to break your arm, take your left hand out now."

"Shit!"

The man ran in the opposite direction they came from, Glenn saw him running away, he told Sophia who was licking a popsicle to give it to him.

"Please give it to me."

"Here."

Using that popsicle stick, Glenn ran in a hurry and within seconds got to where the man was, used that fragile wooden paddle and hit the man in the head.

He broke down of course, but that knocked him unconscious.

"Even if you are poor and have nothing to eat, committing crimes is unforgivable."

Within seconds some imperial knights arrived, that's what the guards are called.

Glenn informed them what happened and then pointed out his accomplices.

They all applauded him, curiously they gave him a big reward as they belonged to a network of child kidnappers to extort money from their rich parents.

◇◇◇

"What should we do with all this money?"

Glenn was with the girls in a park.

They came to relax after what happened.

Claudia said.

"Grandpa butler, that money is yours, spend it on whatever you want."

Glenn looked thoughtful.

"Whatever I want... what I want is something that can't be bought."

Sophia asked him "Then what can you buy with it?" as Claudia walked away.

Glenn didn't know what to answer her.

Claudia went to a children's play set for big kids, since there were few kids, she didn't have to wait in line.

The play set looked like a mountain to climb.

She climbed it without the others noticing.

(Should I use this money for Madame? Or maybe I should use it for the twins?)

(I don't know what an infant want so I don't know what to spend it on─)

He quickly stood up and handed the money to Sophia before running off.

Claudia was reaching the top, due to her small feet she couldn't step on a boulder properly and she slipped.

"Uh."

She said as she was going to fall to a height of ten meters.

But before she reached the ground she was gently held by Glenn.

"Are you all right?"

"Y-Yeah. Sorry."

*Sigh*

"You shouldn't climb things that aren't for your age. It says right there that it's for kids older than you."

"Sorry..."

Claudia wanted to cry, Glenn remembered Eli when she broke an antique vase for playing with bow and arrow at the mansion.

He smiled at the memory of that unruly little girl.

"It's okay. You don't need to apologize, you just need to understand that one day you'll be able to do big things..."

A memory came into his head, his son was talking to him as they had a drink.

Glenn put Claudia down and then told them.

"Let's go buy presents for everyone, I'm sure they'll like that."

◇◇◇

Glenn and the girls came to a store that sold small gifts for special moments.

In his hand he observed a small teddy bear which he planned to give to Eli.

"Umm, will Miss Elize like this?"

"She still keeps some stuffed animals."

The twins were looking for things to buy for each other.

As he was inspecting an elephant, an elderly lady approached him.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, have a nice day."

"Thank you very much, I just wanted to tell you what cute granddaughters you have. They look really adorable."

Glenn was shocked, he didn't know what to respond after hearing that, but coming to his senses he said.

"I'm sorry, but they're not my granddaughters."

"Really? Oddly enough I've been unwittingly watching them most of the day."

"First I saw you in shopping district, it was heroic how you captured those criminals. Then I saw you in a park and how you ran to save her."

"And now how you tell them to look for suitable gifts for their family. I really thought you were her grandfather."

Glenn had a lump in his throat before he answered.

"I'm sorry, but they are nothing to me. I'm just a butler, I'm no good at babysitting either."

"In my opinion, if you'll accept it of course, you look like quite the grandfather. You care for them, look after them and above all educate them."

"It's totally different from me."

"You?"

"Yes. I am a former noblewoman from a margrave family. My husband and I only thought of fighting since we lived on the frontier."

"Because of our way of living, we managed to make our daughter just like us. One day, my husband died."

"I was devastated, I thought we were always going to be here for each other, but then I understood that the time we have with our loved ones and we should cherish it, put aside work and worry about family since, we don't know if we will see them again."

"That's why I brought my granddaughter here, to spend time with her since I couldn't do it with her mother."

What the lady said made Glenn look thoughtful.

It was because of his dream this morning.

"You don't understand, time is enjoyed."

What she said made him understand what that hooded figure was referring to.

"I see."

He showed a small chuckle.

"I thank you ma'am."

"Appreciate what?"

He flashed her a confident smile he hasn't shown in a long time.

"That I failed to appreciate what I had. I am not alone, I have people waiting for my return."

"Grandfather butler look, these dolls look like Razel onii-chan and the other older sisters."

Emphasized the twins to some dolls.

Glenn stroked their heads.

"I can appreciate what's left of my life to the fullest. Since I'm making important memories."

He took the girls' hands and they went to the cashier.

(One day, when we meet again hooded figure. I'll sit and have tea with you just as you want, I'll tell you everything that happened to me since you care so much about my time.)

"Girls, how about we go get some crepes later?"

"Yes, crepes!"

Glenn's life, someone who carries a secret and weight on his back, is slowly getting free of it, so he can enjoy what time he has left with the people who love him.