Hmm...
My eyes. It's so bright...
Opening my eyes, I realise that the curtains were open and the sun was shining directly at me.
The day is it today again?
Oh, right, it's Saturday...
The date is...
I looked over at my alarm clock, which didn't go off when supposed to.
It's the 27th today. That means we have the whole week off because of Golden Week.
I slammed myself against my bed. I bounced slightly.
Sleeping is the best way to deal with this week off. So... I think I'll just... rest until later.
"Rise and shine, my new dog!"
"Ack!"
Upon hearing a loud shout, I was struck in the abdomen causing me to roll off of the bed.
"What the fuck?! Kuro, what do you think you're-"
As I looked up from the ground, it wasn't Kuro I saw, but that annoying mistress girl, Anastasia.
She looked down at me like I'm some sort of scientific specimen.
"Hmmm... You're much scrawnier than I thought you'd be. Someone could mistake you for a regular human."
That's when I noticed I was only wearing boxers.
"AHHHHHHHH! GET OUT!"
I jumped off the ground and turned Anastasia around, pushing her toward the door.
"Ah, okay. Just make sure to wear the clothes I put on that other bed."
She pointed to Kuro's bed. There was a shirt, trousers and a waistcoat, neatly folded and stacked on it.
"What's that for?"
"God, did you already forget? I decided to give you the Friday off, but you forgot about it. You're my slave until Sunday night."
Fuck. I did forget about that.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll wear it, just get out. I'll call you when I'm done."
I pushed her out of my room.
Walking over to Kuro's bed, I picked up the shirt and looked at it.
"Will this fit me?"
I put the clothes on anyway. The shirt was a tight fit but everything else was fine. Looking at myself in the mirror made me a bit afraid of how Anastasia got the information for my sizes.
I opened the door. Anastasia was inspecting her nails. She turned to me.
"I'm done."
"No, you're not."
Eh?
"I put on the clothes though."
"The clothes are fine... It's just..."
She pointed to my hair.
"That hair is messy. Gel it."
She called my hair, 'messy...'
I clenched my fist silently.
"I don't have gel."
"I put some in the toilet."
At least tell me before you start talking.
I went back into my room and carefully applied gel to my hair.
I remember doing this in my second year of middle school, Kei and the others started laughing at me. Even my gentle older stepsister, Yuki-nee.
Looking at myself in the mirror, I realised how stupid I looked. I mean, there's a strand of hair I couldn't gel. It makes me look even more stupid.
I closed the toilet door and exited my room, locking it with my student ID.
"Woah, you look good."
She said with a giant smile, sticking her thumb up.
"You know, coming from you, that doesn't give me much confidence."
Anastasia slapped me on the back.
"Come on, let's go."
She went ahead of me.
You know this is the first time I've questioned it, but does she really come from an important family in England? It's really hard to imagine. Especially when you see her like that.
--
"You've been standing there silently."
Anastasia spoke after putting down her cup of tea.
"Except for when girls talk to you."
I looked at her.
"Isn't this how a servant is supposed to be like? It's usually like this in manga, anime and TV dramas."
She sighed.
"Sorry, it's fine, if you're like that. It's just that I've been living with Sebastian most of my life that I'm used to his chatter. It's in the same class as silence."
"Wow, I feel sorry for you."
"Thanks."
We were in the cafeteria. Anastasia is sipping her tea bit by bit and I'm standing next to her, like a servant, which I currently am.
A lot of girls came walking toward me and we chatted for a little while. They said that I look better like this. Some weren't content with the idea that I was Anastasia's temporary servant.
That was to be expected though.
I sighed.
I guess this is the life of a servant.
"Sasaki, sit down."
"Eh?"
"I told you to sit down."
"Oh, no, that's not a problem, it's just..."
I sat down in the seat opposite her.
"Ever since we met, you've been calling me by names and 'Shoya Sasaki.' It feels weird."
"So, what? Do you want me to call you, my servant, by their full name?"
Anastasia seemed slightly irritated.
"N-no, I'm just saying that it felt weird."
"Anyway, I've been angry lately, so I feel like releasing my pent-up anger on you."
I jolted as if electricity shocked me.
"You're going to hit me."
"No, think of yourself as a listener and I'm a confesser of my sins."
"Oh, okay."
She looked down at the table, her eyes downcast.
"You may not know this, but... have you heard of Edward Kou Sabre Reishville?"
That name rings a bell... I think... Someone did mention that name to me... Oh yeah!
"Isn't he the strongest student in the school despite being a second-year?"
"Yes. He's my brother."
I stayed silent for a couple of seconds.
"Well, half-brother to be precise."
"He's related to you?"
"Yup."
Well, isn't that a surprise? I should've noticed since both of their surnames are the same.
"You're lucky to have someone like that as your brother."
I said.
When I said it, I had the intention of trying to comfort her, but it didn't go well.
"Lucky? Having that bastard as my brother is lucky?"
She muttered.
"I don't blame you for saying that, but let me tell you, Sasaki..."
I swallowed my saliva.
"He's nothing more than an arrogant bitch and a murderer."
"Murderer? Who did he murder?"
I asked, knowing that the answer wouldn't be good.
"That motherfucker... that piece of shit... He murdered my mother and little brother. Now, I only have a little sister, a father, who doesn't care about me, and a bitch of a stepmother."
"He did... what?"