What does のに mean here? > > > **** My default interpretation here would be, since here is a na-adjective, that it would mean "despite". That is, the servant was disappointed despite the banality of her answer (that went against his expectation). The English translation, however, goes: > The servant was disappointed **by** the unexpected banality of the old woman answer. That is, the counter-factuality of "despite" is missing. Only causation is left. Is it due to the translator's freedom of interpretation or have I misunderstood this grammar point? How is used here?

It is + in two words.

It is not the = "despite" that you thought it was.

The nominalizes the adjective []{}. In meaning, .

is the correct particle to use in **** []{}= "to be disappointed **with** "

The translator is correct. There is no "despite" in there to begin with.