Back at my duty as a butler, I couldn't help but notice that Sakuya was avoiding me, or more accurately, glaring at me.
I tried asking her about the whereabouts of the dry cloth, but her response was cold and distant.
"Sakuya, do you know where the dry cloth is?"
She looked at me with a slight glare and said, "It's outside... I hanged it."
"What do you think?" she retorted, her irritation evident.
Realizing it was better not to push further, I stepped back and whistled, trying to lighten the mood.
But the question remained: Why was she mad? I decided to find out and headed to the gate where Meiling was currently on duty.
As I approached her, I saw her standing there, seemingly asleep.
"Wow... Look at you, having a peaceful day," I mused, shaking my head with a smile.
I sighed and gently nudged Meiling to wake her up. "Wake up," I called out softly.
Meiling stirred and opened her eyes sleepily. "Oh, Shun. Sorry, I must've dozed off for a moment."
"It's fine," I replied. "But can I ask you something? Is there any reason why Sakuya is mad at me?"
Meiling chuckled. "Ah, that's just Sakuya being Sakuya. Sometimes, she can be a bit temperamental but doesn't take it to heart. It's just her way of showing that she cares."
Yeah, but she's rather mad at you sometimes for always dozing off duty...
"Cares?" I raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding.
"Yeah," Meiling explained. "You see, Sakuya has a strong sense of loyalty and responsibility to Lady Remilia, and she can get protective of her."
I nodded, taking in Meiling's explanation. It made sense, but I still felt unsure how to approach Sakuya.
"So, what should I do?"
"Just give her some time."
Meiling suggested. "She'll come around eventually. And in the meantime, why don't you try making her favorite tea? It might help lighten the mood."
"Tea, huh?" I smiled, feeling grateful for Meiling's guidance. "I'll give it a try."
With Meiling's advice, I decided to head to the kitchen and prepare Sakuya's favorite tea.
After some time, I carried a tray with a pot of steaming tea and a cup, making my way to the room where Sakuya usually spent her free time. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Sakuya, it's me," I called out gently.
There was a moment of silence before the door opened, revealing Sakuya, who looked surprised to see me with the tray.
"I made some tea for you," I said, offering her the cup with a warm smile.
She looked at the tea and then back at me, "Thank you," she said quietly, accepting the tea.
We sat down together, and I poured the tea into her cup. As we sipped the tea, a sense of calmness settled between us, and the tension faded.
"About earlier... I'm sorry if I worried you."
"It's not that I'm worried," Sakuya said, looking down at her cup.
"Rather than that... I'm rather worried about you for always causing incidents," she sighed. "Do you have insanely bad luck or something?"
"Haha... I don't know," I chuckled.
"Well then..." She stood up, walked to the door, and looked back at me with a smirk. "Wanna have a danmaku with me?"
My eyes widened in surprise, but then I smirked back. "Will that make you happy?"
She turned her gaze forward. "Depends."
I stood up, placing the cup of tea on the tray. "Deal."
The two of us headed to the garden at the back of the mansion.
Sakuya and I took our positions, facing each other with unwavering determination.
I took out my crystal and used the sharp edge to make my thumb bleed, allowing it to absorb my blood and transform into a crimson-blood sword. Meanwhile, she brandished her gleaming knives.
"Ready?" Sakuya asked, her eyes focused and sharp.
"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied, trying to match her intense gaze.
With a nod, we both leaped into action.