Beatrice sighed after blowing Subaru away and then smiled gently in satisfaction. She then looked at her palm, which had just been used to violently blow him away, before softly gazing in Puck's direction.
"You deserved it… Bubby, here."
"Alright, alright. I'll see you later, Lia."
Puck, having gotten invited by the girl, floated towards her. Upon welcoming him into her palms, the door slammed shut for good this time. The opponent's turn now over, Subaru's came up, but he was badly wounded already and didn't have any energy left to do anything.
Subaru begrudgingly looked up at the twins, who were carefully adjusting the angle of the furnishings while trampling on him. "It's obvious that furniture is higher up on your list of priorities compared to little ol' me, who isn't worth a dime, but…"
"Oh my, did you hear what he just said, Sister. He is saying something absurd."
"Yes, I heard it, Rem. We can assume how dumb he is from his words."
"Verbal abuse!" Subaru shouted. "And if it's fine now, can you guys get off!? It seems like your underwear are pink and blue, too. That's the only thing I'd rate…pankration!"
The two of them stepped on his face, interrupting his words.
""Oooh, noooo.""
The twins synchronized, saying that in an indifferent tone, and moved away. As they watched Subaru stand up with shoe marks on his face, they held hands and brought their faces together.
"But sir…no, Subaru. You are going to be our colleague, right?"
"But sir…no, Barusu. Aren't you going to be a servant just like us?"
"Hey, one of you turned my name into a blinding spell."
It's a reference that kids make in elementary or middle school once in their life, and the pink-haired one pulled it out without knowing.
But they do have a point, and that is… "So my position is that? That of a manservant?"
"It would be best if you follow Rem and Ram's instructions and help them out with the work around the manor," said Roswaal. "Are you dissatisfied?"
"If there's something I'm dissatisfied with, it's with myself who mixes 'take care of me!' up with 'hire me!' …but it might not be so bad! Who knows, the girl I like might fall for me if she sees me working hard!"
I feel like a man can truly be a man by working and contributing to the community.
Subaru gave Emilia a quick glance, anticipating something, but she replied to it with a vague smile. "Well, I don't know much about that, but, best of luck?"
"Sure," replied Subaru. "You can be rest assured now that you are in the hands of a super professional! Though I have never worked before!"
He had never worked before and had never thought of working, either. He was an idler among idlers, thus he felt proud about his remarkable progress.
But those around him didn't get why he was being so cheerful.
"Sister, Sister. Rem was stupid to think that the work would get slightly easier."
"Rem, Rem. Ram was a fool to expect that she could slack off a bit."
"Sister, you need to learn how to sugarcoat your true feelings, alright!?" Subaru complained.
The twins did not even attempt to hide their disappointment. Subaru tried his best to defend himself, but even Emilia, who was next to him, heaved a tired sigh. He felt like his heart was going to break. His face looked really miserable, too.
"But," Emilia hastily started speaking, "from the looks of Subaru's fingers, I guess we can't blame him. He is stubborn, so I wouldn't ask him about it, but he was probably in a position where he didn't need to work."
"That line makes me seem shady if you take it out of context, you know," Subaru said.
"I'm trying hard to defend you, so don't make fun of it."
She poked Subaru's forehead and as if she were saying, "Bad boy." Not one to let such an opportunity go to waste, he grabbed her extended hand.
"Ah." Emilia exclaimed in surprise. Subaru looked at Emilia's arm and was astonished by the slimness and beauty of her fingers. It didn't look like the fingers of a working lady at all.
"Comraaade," teased Subaru.
"I reaally hate the way you pronounce it," Emilia retorted. "And we are not the same. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I'm in the care of the manor now, but I used to do everything on my own." She freed her hand, slightly pushing her chest out. "Hmph."
She's probably feeling superior to me since she can do chores. Though such childish gestures were something that made her look cute, Emilia thought she looked elegant.
"But I don't want to be treated as a useless person!" exclaimed Subaru. "It's not like I'm incapable of doing domestic chores, I am good at some things!"
"I see, that's a bit unexpected," Emilia replied. "What are you good at? Cooking? Laundry? …Or cleaning?"
"Sewing!"
"That's a surprise!" Emilia pouted to show that she wasn't happy with not being able to guess the answer.
It wasn't a lie or a bluff, Subaru really was good with needles. He could patiently pass the thread through the needle hole and mend things using it. It was one of his hidden skills.
"I can put buttons on things that have lost them, and I can mend things that got torn! I'm also good at…doing embroidery on accessories or clothes."
"It's hard to think of occasions where your skill could be put to use," Emilia said. "You are overly dexterous…"
I think so too, he thought. Unlike the old-fashioned household skills like cooking, laundry, or cleaning, sewing isn't that mainstream. It isn't a necessity, unlike those three, which see daily use.
"I wonder what Subaru's family was thinking when they taught him that…"
"They probably weren't thinking of anything; and I didn't learn from them, I learned it on my own."
"I see?"
Emilia looked curious but Subaru dodged it with a wave of his hand. "Well, leaving that aside."
After that, Subaru turned towards the twins, pointlessly puffed up his chest, and pompously said, "Well, then. I'll leave it up to you two to decide what you want me to do since you guys have been working here much longer that I have! I will exert myself to the ut…something."
"""Utmost,""" said the three of them in sync.
"Yeah, that."
The three of them had pointed their fingers at him and confirmed the word Subaru temporarily had trouble recalling.
Roswaal looked at the fine team play of the servants, then touched his chin and nodded in satisfaction. "Good," he said. "It's beautiful that you all are on good terms. Seems like there isn't any tension between any of you, which is a great thing for an employer, wouldn't you saaaay?"
"I feel like I can get along with them," replied Subaru. "It's like we have the same vibe or something? I'm definitely more compatible with them than with that loli!"
"It seems like you really didn't like being compatible with Beatrice…" murmured Emilia pitifully, ending the long and noisy breakfast exchange with those words.
Roswaal clapped gently and drew the attention of the remaining four in attendance, and then pointed at something that looked like a picture frame hanging on the wall. Subaru followed Roswaal's finger and looked at it, then frowned to show his confusion.
—The frame didn't have paintings like the ones he had seen here and there in the hallway of the manor, it had a small crystal, slightly larger than a fist held within it. The crystal was giving off a mysterious, dim dark blue glow and was being gazed at by all five of them. The tall man spoke while pointing at the crystal. "Loook, it'll be almost halfway through Water Time soooon. Let's hurrry up… Ram and Rem: do as I told you before. Lady Emilia: do visit my room for a moment. Alright everyone, off you go."
The harmonious breakfast had come to an end after Roswaal gave everyone their assignments.
Rem quickly began clearing the dishes from the table, Emilia sighed melancholically, thinking about her upcoming schedule. Roswaal walked over to Subaru, who had been left behind by the others, and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Weeell then, I'll be expecting a lot from you. Of course, I'll pay you since I've hired you. You dooon't need to worry about that."
"I'll ask you the details regarding the conditions of my employment later…but for now, thank you for your hospitality. Should I call you sir or something?"
"Ahaaa, you can call me Rosy if the guests aren't around. It is somewhat refreshing being called by a nickname."
Roswaal closed his yellow eye and winked, then waved lightly and left the dining room. A moment before leaving the room, he gestured lightly at Ram with his eyes, and the pink-haired girl nodded again and again, her face turning red as if she had been given some sort of instructions.
The twins were indifferent when it came to expressing themselves via facial or verbal means, but their nonchalant attitude crumbled away while interacting with Roswaal. The word 'loyal dog' crossed Subaru's mind.
"Alright, Barusu," said Ram.
"Oh, so you are gonna go with that."
"Yeah, well, Barusu. Master Roswaal has instructed me to give you a tour of the manor, so kindly follow me and don't get left behind."
"It's not like I'm Emilia-tan, so I'm not gonna run off or anything."
"Su-ba-ru!!"
Emilia puffed up her cheeks at Subaru's teasing. It felt very fresh to him when she called out his name by pronouncing each syllable separately. He then pointed his finger at her while giving her a broad smile. "It's a harmless party joke. You would not be able to turn into a wonderful queen if you cannot even take a joke like this, Fräulein."
"What's fraulein…?" asked Emilia.
"It's something you need to learn along with the rest of the stuff. Life is like climbing an endless mountain without any supplies. If you are lazy about collecting the items known as knowledge in between, you'll end up dropping out at the third station without reaching the top."
Emilia got quiet and widened her eyes. It seemed like she was impressed by what Subaru had said.
Seems like the statement from a dude that dropped out of school carries a different weight.
Subaru was hurt by his own self-deprecatory thought. "Well then," he said, then glanced at Ram. "I don't want to leave, but I guess we have to. Let's go, boss."
"Yeah, let's do that, Barusu. Lady Emilia, we'll be seeing you later."
Subaru started following the girl heading towards the door after she had curtsied, her pink hair swinging here and there. Emilia looked at them. "Subaru, I need to give it my best, but…you can give it your best, too."
"What's up with that? It makes me really happy. I feel extremely motivated now. Are you a goddess?"
Subaru lightly 'curtsied' with his tracksuit and bowed, following Ram's example. He left the dining room after putting a peculiar expression on Emilia's face.
Ram, who had stopped after she was out in the hallway, turned her indifferent expression into a frown. "There's a difference between what's expected of a maid and what's expected of a manservant."
"I know, I know. But, if I were to do housekeeping, I wanted to do it with elegance and glamor. Wait, do you have a uniform for me?"
After all, it would be tasteless to start working as a servant in a tracksuit.
Of course, there's no doubt about it being the best when it comes to ease of movement but… "It's natural to long for prestigious clothing when you are sent to work in a nobleman's manor. It might come as a surprise, but I look good in formal wear."
"I agree that clothes are important," said Ram. "Just the right clothes for you… Yes, I'm sure there are some."
"I see, I see. Then let's start with that. I am the kind of person who focuses on the aesthetics first! I start my preparations for an exam by cleaning the room so I can focus on my studies."
And then he didn't actually study after that.
Subaru gave her a thumbs up accompanied by a gleaming wide-toothed smile. Ram was looking his body up and down while lifting her fingers and muttering. "Hmmm."
It seemed like Ram was able to measure the approximate clothes size needed for Subaru just by doing that. She nodded in satisfaction and pointed in the direction of the upper floor.
"There is an anteroom for the servants upstairs. You'll find your clothes there. Considering your size, you'll fit into Frederica's, who left two months ago."
"Oooh, you left just at the right time, Frederica… Isn't she a woman, though?"
"Her size is almost equal to yours, Barusu."
"But the gender is different, right?"
Ram stopped walking and turned back, giving Subaru an icy look. She then sighed as if she were tired and touched her forehead. "You said that you wanted to do it with elegance and glamor, so I was kindly going to make your wish come true. What are you complaining about?"
"If it were Emilia-tan, it would be understandable, but who would benefit from me wearing a maid's outfit!? What would I do if it benefits me after I develop a weird kink!? There's a possibility of me developing such a kink and I don't want that!"
After entering this other world, various new kinks have been blooming vividly. If this opens a door for cross-dressing, then there would be no trace of a man named Subaru Natsuki left!
Ram reacted to Subaru's shouting by covering her ears, then looked at him, who was breathing heavily, and spoke up with a bored expression. "I can't do this without Rem. Let's go."
"It's amazing that your ability to go at your own pace surpasses mine."
I guess you need to be this unshakable to survive here.
Subaru became melancholic after realizing how high the hurdles were before his first job experience ever.
△▼△▼△▼△
—Elsewhere…
"On the second floor, yes. Any of the rooms on the west side…of the servant's anteroom would do. You can have any room you like. I'll leave your uniform there."
"Alright, roger that. Well, let's see…"
After getting escorted upstairs, Subaru started looking at the rooms that were candidates for temporary accommodation and where his uniform would be given.
However, the rooms will be the same inside and only the placement of the rooms will be slightly different. If that's the case, then it would be more convenient to move around if the room is closer to the stairs. With this in mind, he twisted the doorknob of his chosen room.
"Alright, I'd like to pick this…"
"Bubby, you are wonderful. Your fluffiness is the best. You're just so fluffy and soft, in fact."
He discovered a loli petting a kitten in the library.
Noticing Subaru's presence, the girl with vertical rolls slowly turned her gaze towards him. Subaru looked at Ram, who was standing in the corridor, and saw her shaking her head.
After that, he spoke to Beatrice, who was right in front of him, while scratching his head. "Congratulations. I bless the birth of a new Fluffist."
"Just close the door already!" yelled Beatrice.
He was blown away by a magical force and collided with the wall of the corridor once again. The door was violently slammed shut, not paying any mind to Subaru, whose eyes had rolled to the back of his head.
"Damn…you…" he cursed.
Subaru shook his head. His vision was still flickering, and he even seemed furious now. He opened the door that had just been shut. He was going to complain to the flirt inside, but… "How dare you flirt with someone else's fuzzball! Pay me the compensation, the compen…sation?"
He stepped inside while shouting, his spit flying here and there, but all he saw was a simple room with a bed and a wardrobe. There was no sign of the library that had been there before. This must be the effect of her 'Door Crossing,' he thought.
"Once Lady Beatrice hides her presence, we won't be able to know where she is. We won't be able to find her unless we open all the doors of the manor since she won't come out on her own," said Ram adamantly, as if she were telling Subaru to admit his defeat.
She patted him on the back as if to comfort him. Feeling that sensation, he decided to admit his defeat—not. "I'm really mad now. That attitude of hers that makes me seem like a bad guy is to blame!"
He shook off Ram's hand and ran down the corridor as fast as he could after turning back. Ram watched him with her eyes opened wide while he ran to the door at the end of the corridor. "This one!" he shouted.
"Hyaah!?"
"That's amazing, Subaru."
He was welcomed by the girl's scream and the gray cat's praise.
He observed the shock on Beatrice's face caused by her door crossing getting breached again, then immediately rolled inside the library to avoid being blown away. He did a handspring followed by a headspring, a cartwheel into a roundoff, then a back handspring, and finally topped it all off with a spectacular backflip—landing right in front of the girl.
"Alright! 10 points!" praised Puck.
"You made the place very dusty!" Beatrice complained.
"It's because you don't clean properly! You shouldn't bring a cat into the library to begin with! They'll sharpen their claws using thick covers!"
"My claws have been cut short by Lia, so it isn't an issue," murmured Puck calmly next to Subaru and Beatrice, who were yelling at each other, but his words didn't reach them since they were too busy arguing.
The two were exchanging shouts so loudly that it seemed as if their voices would echo throughout the manor.
Ram reached the door leading to the forbidden library a moment later. As she watched them arguing, she murmured, "Leaving aside whether you two have a good relationship or not, it appears to be true that you two are compatible."
""—That's not true!!""
Their combined scream that morning shook Roswaal Manor to its foundations.
"Soooo, how did Subaru do?"
It was at night—the sun had already set in the western sky, replaced by a waxing crescent moon—when a secret report was being made.
The room was large, and in the center of it was a couch and table for welcoming guests. At the back was an ebony desk and a leather chair for the master of the room.
The desk was strewn with papers and quills, a still-steaming cup beside them giving off a slight, soft aroma.
It was a room in the center of the upper floor of the manor that could be judged as being an office at first glance.
Sitting in a leather chair, the one who'd kicked things off was a soft-looking man with long indigo-colored hair and blue and yellow eyes—Roswaal.
Though he'd asked it with something akin to a whisper, there was no doubt that it had reached the other party. And why wouldn't it have? The person he was having a secret conversation with was sitting close to him. She was sitting sideways on his lap, making her petite body even smaller as she did so.
"It has been five days since that spiel…no, four and a half days. Isn't it about tiiime you saw something?" asked Roswaal.
"Let's see. —He's no good."
The one whose ears were being whispered into and was submissively allowing her pink hair to be stroked was Ram. Only her and Roswaal were in the room. Her twin sister, who was like her other half, was not there.
That was simply because it wasn't Rem, but Ram, who was Subaru's instructor. Roswaal looked surprised by her unequivocal rebuke, then broke into a fit of giggles. He even coughed a little.
"Ahaaa, I see," Roswaal said. "So he's no good."
"Barusu can't really do anything," replied Ram. "He can't cook, makes a mockery of cleaning, and starts breathing heavily when I have him do the laundry. I can't trust him with any of them."
"That's quite teeerrible for a servant, especially the last one."
Guess it can't be helped since he is of that age, Roswaal thought, smiling wryly. Ram looked up at her master as she thought about what happened over the past four days. Whenever she recalled those short, yet rich, moments, even an outsider would be able to tell that her beautiful face became strained as the mask of indifference fell away.
"It's rare to see such an expression on you," Roswaal commented. "Is he that bad?"
"He is absolutely no good," Ram replied. "It isn't that he is bad at them, it's as if he doesn't know how to do those things. He must have been brought up very well, but he lacks etiquette if that's the case."
"Oh, and I heard a bit about it that you gooot questioned a lot."
"His questions were also puzzling. I don't know what to do with him."
Ram gave examples of some of the questions to Roswaal, who had raised an eyebrow. He paid close attention to each of them.
"Hmmm." He put his hand on his chin, looking like he was pondering. "Indeed, the things Lady Emilia likes are a mystery."
"Master Roswaal, Master Roswaal, that pose of yours resembles Barusu's."
"Mmmmm, thaaat's embarrassing. It's frustrating…to think that I have fallen behind in the arena of being a freak, pervert, and oddball."
Ram sighed, trying not to be noticed by her frowning master, and was seriously thinking about what he had just said. She then changed her position in his arms and nuzzled herself closer. She fell deeper into his arms, then closed her eyes to savor his warmth, a large palm gently stroking her pink hair.
"Well then, Ram, let us get serious now. —So, what do you think about the possibility of him being a spy?" Roswaal continued without changing his tone, a smile still on his face. His question didn't specify who, but Ram knew who he was talking about.
Ram kept her eyes shut and recalled the face of a man, though not of the one whose warmth she was feeling. "I can't deny the possibility, but the chances of that are slim."
"Hmmmm, why do you think so?"
"For good or for bad…more like for bad…he stands out a lot. The way he infiltrated this manor and the things he did after that…and in the first place, he himself stands out like a sore thumb." Her answers came out in a stammering, yet coherent manner.
Despite Ram's reply coming in the negative, Roswaal smiled gently, as if he was satisfied with it. It was the smile of a master that said: I understand. And though he hadn't directed that smile at her, Ram felt her cheeks getting hot.
"Well, that makes sense. And if that's the case, then he truly is a third party with good intentions."
The chair creaked as he shifted his position on it. He had been facing his desk till now but was now facing the opposite side—towards the large window, where he could see the moon shining brightly.
He squinted his bicolored eyes, and the sight below made him smile as he spoke. "Buuut, it seems like he dooesn't know when to give up."
The view from the window was of the manor's garden. It was surrounded by a slightly taller fence and trees. The garden was not visible from the outside, but it could clearly be seen from the manor's window.
In a corner of the garden lit up by the moonlight, a silver-haired girl and a boy with black hair could be seen talking.
The boy was talking to the girl one-sidedly, as usual. But the girl listening to him didn't look displeased at all.
"The sight makes me smile," said Roswaal. "It's the kind of passion I don't have anymore."
"It makes women happy to be approached that much," replied Ram, even though it might have just been Roswaal talking to himself.
Upon opening her eyes, Ram noticed that her master was looking down at her from up-close.
Her lips quivered gently, her moist eyes meeting Roswaal's. But he continued talking anyway. "Do you think highly of Subaru by any chance?"
"…He is no good, but I don't think he's bad. He's not bad when it comes to learning household chores, since he's simply not familiar with them."
Ram's eyes showed dissatisfaction. Roswaal laughed vaguely at her slightly cold answer, then gently brushed her cheek with the hand that had been combing through her hair.
Roswaal had answered the expectations of the girl whose eyes were fluttering in euphoria. He then quietly closed his eyes and thought about her answer.
It's unusual for Ram to compliment someone. She did say that Subaru will improve if he gets the chance to learn things, though. It seems like the black-haired boy must be very much to their liking.
And that was making Roswaal happy.
"Considering my position, I neeed to be an obstacle for him," muttered Roswaal while looking down at the garden with his yellow eye.
"Both of them are kids," Ram replied, "so nothing will happen even if they are left on their own."
"You are right about that."
Faint laughter resonated in the office as the curtains of the window that overlooked the meeting of the girl and boy were drawn back.
—Not even the moon could see what happened in the office after that.
△▼△▼△▼△
It was at the time when the moon was proudly shining in the center of the sky and Subaru was in high spirits.
He smoothed out the wrinkles on the butler suit he was wearing and looked at the window to check his appearance again.
It's been four days since I started wearing this—long enough for me to get used to it.
"Not too shabby, not too shabby at all, me. I'm fine, I can do this. They say people look fifty percent more handsome than usual in the mirror after taking a bath. I feel like I'm experiencing that phenomenon now."
Whether I look 50% better objectively or not is a mystery, but telling that to yourself over and over is quite important.
With the aura of a good-looking guy, he took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Stepping on the low-cut grass of the garden, he walked towards a green corner of it—a place surrounded by tall trees, garnering most of the moonlight.
There sat a young girl, surrounded by a pale light, her silver hair shimmering in the moonlight.
A pale blue glow—a phenomenon similar to the light of fireflies—was surrounding the girl, and Subaru knew what they were: spirits.
Even taking that fact in consideration, the wondrous sight had a devilish charm that would not let go of the observer's heart.
Subaru stopped and gasped. The girl, who had been whispering with her eyes closed, abruptly opened her eyes as if noticing his presence. The two amethyst jewels caught sight of him walking towards her.
Subaru's heart slightly palpated after getting spotted before he was able to call out to her. He held his hand up, trying not to show how restless he felt.
"Su-Sup. What a coincidence! Who'da thunk that we'd meet up here like this?"
"You interrupt my routine every morning, so how can you say that? And how can this be a 'coincidence'… Don't we live under the same roof?"
The flow of the conversation went from Subaru not being able to hide his restlessness to Emilia replying with a sigh, which wasn't unusual.
Subaru took a sharp breath in the face of her attitude and said, "You can do this!" to himself to raise his spirits again. "Hearing 'we live under the same roof' really makes me horny."
"You say that sometimes, but what does 'horny' mean? It sounds really, really creepy."
Emilia hugged her shoulders and shivered as if she had felt a chill. Seeing her reaction, Subaru grinned and casually sat right next to her. The distance between them was three fists, and that iffy distance between them was a sign of him being a wuss.
It seemed like Emilia had gotten used to Subaru sitting next to her like that, so she didn't point it out. Given that he had been sitting next to her during her morning routine and at meals, it was no wonder she no longer had any energy to do so.
Subaru was pumping his fist inwardly at her unspoken acceptance. Therefore, his voice henceforth naturally oozed with uncontrollable joy. "So, so, what are you doing? What are you doing?"
"You are like a child… It's just an extension of my morning routine. I can meet most of the spirits in the morning, but there are a few that I can only meet during Darksun."
Understanding what she meant, Subaru responded with a nod. Darksun was an expression of time specific to this world, which went from approximately six in the evening to six in the morning for a total of 12 hours. On the contrary, the time from six in the morning to six in the evening was called Brightsun. They were used instead of the AM and PM used in Subaru's world.
On a side note, a day was 24 hours and almost as long as it was in his world. The time when people were active was the same, so Subaru was relieved that his internal clock hadn't gotten disturbed.
The time had further classifications, but Subaru hadn't learned much about it yet. This was because his senior, who had a harsh training policy, had given more priority to teaching him about job-related skills than stuff like that. It seems like she really wants to make things easy for herself.
His bottled-up feelings about his grueling four days of training spilled out internally. But as he was doing so, Emilia continued to talk with the friends she could only talk to during Darksun.
A friend that you can only meet during the night has a bit of a bewitching ring to it.
Subaru felt weirdly embarrassed and rubbed his nose. As he continued to watch the quiet conversation between Emilia and the spirits, he muttered, "They look like will-o'-wisps."
The spirits, who had been calm until then, began moving swiftly, surrounding Subaru's face—soon after, he suddenly felt a sharp pain. "Buwah! Ow, ow, ow! It feels like I'm being poked with toothpicks!"
"Don't make them angry by saying something insensitive like that!" Emilia exclaimed. "They aren't listening to me anymore."
Bearing an indifferent attitude towards Subaru as he was being attacked by the spirits, it seemed like Emilia shared their feelings. However, she showed her virtue when she said, "It can't be helped," and cast healing magic on him, still in pain after the spirits had ceased their assault.
A pale glow alleviated Subaru's pain, and once he finished rolling around on the ground, he looked up at Emilia. As he laid there, she continued her wondrous meeting with the spirits right in front of him.
Suddenly, Subaru noticed that he was gazing at the beautiful girl and spirits in awe. This is what had made him feel embarrassed before, leading to him making a snide remark, but when he cleared his mind, it didn't look all that special.
His embarrassment faded away into nothingness.
I just need to empty my mind and look at it nonchalantly.
"It isn't a fun thing to watch, is it?" muttered Emilia, perhaps because it was so unusual to see Subaru being so quiet.
Subaru sat up and gently waved his hand in denial at the slightly sorry tone of the girl surrounded by spirits. "No, there's no way I could get bored when I'm with you, Emilia-tan."
"Wha-."
His straightforward answer made Emilia blush and choke on her words. Subaru looked at her and recalled what he had just said, making him redden up to the tips of his ears.
He had spoken from the heart, so it just sort of came out, but he hadn't been prepared for that.
A sudden silence fell between them. Subaru was embarrassed, so he deliberately made some noise. "Aah, aah," he began. "And you see, we haven't had a chance to sit down and have a laid-back chat in a few days, right?"
"Yes, that's right. You were busy learning how to do chores around the manor. Yes, you were giving it your all… Yeah, you worked really…hard…"
"Your supportive words make me so happy and miserable. It makes me want to cry."
He'd dug his own grave with the conversation he started to change the atmosphere, but now he was tweeting his sorrow.
Subaru started drawing circles on the ground after realizing how pitiful he was. Emilia's hand wandered about in the air, an awkward look on her face as she wondered how she could comfort him.
Subaru's reputation after starting his new life as a servant a few days ago was that of someone who was good for nothing. Even if there had been some sort of favoritism and they looked past his faults, or he had bribed his higher-ups with a lot of money, things wouldn't have changed.
Cooking, laundry, and cleaning. Subaru had none of these domestic skills, which were essential for a servant at a manor, and had to acquire them.
At present, the three skills mentioned above were all C-grade.
"I only got an S when I put a button on a loose apron."
"You really are dexterous when it comes to that one thing."
"I wanted to grow up to be different and quirky rather than simple and boring."
It's the result of being brought up in a household where 'anything goes.' I think it's crazy that I managed to develop my sewing skills in all that.
"Oh, but I am confident about my bed-making skills. I dreamed of being a hotel worker when I was in the first year of high school. I used up half of my summer vacation to practice."
"Is that the reason why my bedsheets have been reaally tight for the past three days…?"
"I made your bed with all of the love and energy I could muster."
What happened was that he had been so moved when he saw it that he put in a great deal of effort into making her bed, to the point where Ram got taken aback by it.
"This is the room where Emilia-tan sleeps and this is the bed she sleeps in. And these are the sheets and blanket she gets wrapped into! Muhaaa!"
The amount of energy he'd put into it was so extraordinary that Ram had to give him a time limit when it came to making Emilia's bed.
"Oh, I see. I'm glad there's something you can be confident in."
Emilia smiled happily at the fact that there was a chore that Subaru could do with confidence, oblivious of what had happened during that.
Subaru kept quiet, not saying a word. He was crying tears of blood while his consciousness was being stabbed again and again. "Besides…" said Emilia to Subaru before continuing. "It's admirable that you have been able to keep up with your other work without giving up. Ram and Rem were praising you in secret. Did you know that?"
"Are you for real! My seniors get all soft when I'm not looking at them, huh. They really are doing 'Tsunderation'. But they aren't doing it right if they don't do it in front of me!"
If tsundering is done wrong, then it can be mistaken as someone being spiteful. It's not really something I can recommend if the person on the receiving end is a noob. It would be a double-edged sword in that case.
However, Subaru wasn't an amateur and knew what a tsundere was from his vast romantic experiences (in dating sims,) so no one stood a chance if they tsundered in front of him.
But the only thing they seem to be interested in is that perverted noble.
"Well, the only one I am interested in is Emilia-tan, so we're even."
He shrugged his shoulders and tried to act like it didn't bother him, but since he was too embarrassed to say it out loud, it had only come out as a whisper. Thus, it seemed like it hadn't reached Emilia, either. She tilted her head with a bit of a confused look on her face and then changed the topic.
"But isn't it hard working that hard every day?"
"It's super hard and is seriously painful. I want to choose between your arm, chest, and lap and sleep on them."
"I see, I see."
Emilia casually dismissed Subaru's remarks and then proceeded to extend her slender arm, making the pale blue spirits gather around it.
It looked as if her white arm was the thing that was glowing. After witnessing that sight, Subaru was awestruck, letting out a dumb sound.
She smiled wryly at that and spoke. "You seem fine since you can still joke like that."
"Please sleep with me if I'm about to break."
"I'll think about it… Saying that kind of thing scares me, so I'll say no."
"I failed at making you say it!!"
Subaru held his head and fell on the lawn. He sighed while feeling the coolness of the grass as he looked up at the starry sky. A sudden gust of wind shifted his short bangs, making him reflexively look up at the moon.
"—Isn't the moon pretty?" he asked.
"Yeah, because it's out of your reach," Emilia replied.
"Guhah!"
"What happened!?"
Her unintentional comment shot down the expression of love he'd taken from classic literature. Emilia hastily rushed towards Subaru, who was holding his chest and moaning in pain. And then…
"Ah…" Emilia was shocked after she approached him. He was on the ground looking up at her. She looked at his chest with her amethyst eyes—and saw the hand placed there to express his pain.
His mistakes had kept piling up, and as a result, his left hand was covered in bandages.
"Oh, wait. This is lame. Effort is something you need to hide." Subaru hid his hand behind him, trying to conceal his embarrassment. He touched his head with his right hand and stuck out his tongue as if saying: My bad. "Tee-hee."
But Emilia's expression stayed serious.
Subaru was wondering what to do as he waited for Emilia's response, but then she lowered her gaze slightly and spoke. "Everyone, is really, working hard."
To Subaru, it sounded like she was admonishing herself. Upon hearing her say that, he let out an "Aah," understanding what she'd meant.
It wasn't just Subaru who was learning things from scratch at Roswaal Manor. Emilia was also in the middle of learning various things that a candidate to be queen needed to know.
It was the difference between a mere servant and a Queen. The level and number of things that needed to be learned by a Queen were far greater. The pressure she was feeling from all that must have been so great that it would be rude to even compare the two.
It would get tiring sometimes to carry such a heavy burden. She may have problems she can't share with others.
Emilia suddenly extended her hand towards Subaru before he was able to react. Her hand took hold of the hand of the arm he had hidden behind him and brought it in front of her eyes. She looked at his hands covered in wounds, then narrowed her eyes painfully after looking at it and asked, "Should I cast, a healing spell?"
Her question was so gentle. The warmth I felt during one of her treatments is something that can't be described with words, Subaru thought, as his new, freshly born wounds were crying out for the first time. It feels like the wounds are complaining and giving off a faint, tingling heat when I focus on them, but…
"No, it's fine. You don't need to treat them."
"Why though?"
"Hmmm, it's hard to explain, but…it's like, they are proof that I made an effort," answered Subaru with a grin as he pulled his hand away.
He clenched his worn-out fist in front of the beauty whose eyes were wide open in surprise. "It sounds unusual, but I don't dislike making an effort. If I didn't like it, then I wouldn't have trained every day. The feeling of being able to do something that you couldn't do before is a pleasant sensation."
He moved his hips with the rhythm, spun around, then stood up. Emilia panicked since it forced her to suddenly look up at him.
Then Subaru pointed his finger at her. "It's really hard and super painful, you know? But it's kinda enjoyable. Ram and Rem are really strict teachers, that loli gets mad at me, and Rosy doesn't say much, so his presence is pretty much non-existent."
"Roswaal would fly into a rage if you said that to him."
"Fly into a rage? Who says that in this day and age…"
In response to getting interrupted, Subaru bent backward and shot himself back into his original position like a spring-loaded toy with his hand held out in front of him, putting Emilia on hold. Then he spoke. "Well, solving problems one-by-one is the way to go. There's no way I'd survive here otherwise… And if I have to do something, it's better to have fun doing it, anyway."
In my original world, it was fine if I could live an easy life, but a life of peace and calm isn't something you can just wish for here.
If that were the case, then Subaru wished for it to be fun. It was him showing his stubbornness to the existence that had unreasonably thrown him into this world.
Upon hearing Subaru's words of determination, Emilia froze in place, as if her time had stopped. She just kept opening and closing her eyes, and then her serious expression faded away. "Yeah, you are, right. I think so, too. Aah, Subaru, you idiot."
"Hey, what? That wasn't the reaction I was expecting! Isn't this the part where you fall for me again!?"
"I haven't fallen for you toooo begin with. You are such a dummy… I am, too."
Subaru was using his body to form the Japanese kanji for 'life', and the last part of her sentence had not reached him.
Emilia was smiling as if some of the pressure she'd been feeling had been lifted. Subaru was enraptured as he gazed at her smile, unable to say a single word.
She's turning into an existence that words like 'cute' and 'pretty' can't even begin to describe. Yes, she's an… "E.R.G (Emilia-tan's Really a Goddess.)"
"I was thanking you, but you are joking around as usual."
As if a little mad, Emilia gave Subaru's forehead a little poke, making him take a few steps back with his hand held to his forehead. His gesture was somewhat passionate, and it wasn't just her imagination. She burst into delightful laughter after seeing his reaction.
"Nevertheless… I know you are working hard, but what did you do to get your hand injured that badly?"
"Oh, this one is easy. This evening, I got bit by a small animal that was playing with the kids in the village when I was helping Ram out with the groceries."
"Wasn't it a result of your hard work!?"
"It's more like the bigger wound is more eye-catching than the others…though I'm not the type to be hated by animals that much."
In his world, he wasn't the type of person that small animals would direct killing intent towards. He wouldn't have called himself a pioneer of the Fluffists if that were the case.
However, his trait, which had manifested itself involuntarily back in his world and made kids either like him or treat him lightly, was still active here.
"Those brats… They kicked, punched, and wiped their runny noses on me. That was the worst, damn it. I'll make them pay tomorrow, mark my words…"
"You look like you are good at taking care of kids, Subaru."
"That's a misunderstanding, Emilia-tan. I'm planning on taming them now and 'plucking the fruit' once they've 'ripened'. This is my Hikaru Genjification Plan."
"You don't need to act mean; you can just be honest and accept it."
Not taking him seriously, Emilia said, "Well then," then looked up at the sky and straightened her posture. "I'll be returning to my room. What are your plans?"
"I need to sleep next to you, so I'll head back, too."
"That part of your job can wait until your skills as a servant have improved."
"Woooaah, my desires are expanding!" howled Subaru while raising both arms up in the air. Emilia looked at him with a wry smile. He then twisted his waist and turned back. "Oh, wait. If it's fine with you, would you like to go with me to get revenge on the kids…no wait, on a date…no, to see a cute little animal?"
"You corrected yourself several times, didn't you…? But yeah, I…" muttered Emilia, having trouble continuing her sentence.
Subaru tilted his head at her reaction. That's not the reaction of someone who doesn't want to go out. If that's the case, then… "Cou-Could it be that you're embarrassed about your friends starting rumors about us going out…or something like that?"
"I'm not going to turn someone down by saying something so horrible!" Emilia exclaimed, putting a hand on her hip to show that she was angry. It was almost as if steam was coming out of her ears. After finishing her gesture, she looked down once again. "I don't mind, and I'm curious about small animals, too…"
"Then let's go!"
"But I might cause you trouble if I go with you…"
"Alright then, let's go!"
"…Are you even listening?"
"I am listening! Do you really think I'd miss a single word that comes out of your mouth!?"
"I hate you so much, Subaru!"
"Aaaaa! Aaaaa! What just happened!? IIIII caaaan't heaaar yoouuu!!" Subaru covered his ears and ran around to block out the sound.
Emilia laughed, as if taken aback by Subaru's boldness in immediately contradicting himself.
"Guess it can't be helped then," she said. "But only after I am done with my current studies and after you are done with your chores around the manor. That's the condition."
Having made Emilia promise to go on a date with him, Subaru clenched his fist and raised it in victory.
Seeing how easily Subaru's mood could change, Emilia shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "Speaking of which, why are you still dressed like that after finishing your work?"
"Oh, I just figured I hadn't heard what you thought about it. So how is it? Doesn't this suit me?"
"Yeah, let's see. You seem like you are really good at your job."
"I feel like I'll get crushed by the burden of your expectations!"
I'll note down here that there was a conversation like that.
△▼△▼△▼△
After picking a door at random, Subaru peered inside and casually spoke. "Yooo, loli, are you getting enough sleep? You'll stunt your growth and forever be a pipsqueak if you stay up too late, you know."
"…He has been breaking my Door Crossing like it's nothing," said Beatrice in a resentful tone.
He saw a girl sitting on a wooden step ladder in the back of the library, glaring at him. She was holding a thick, halfway-open book in her hands.
"You'll end up wearing thick glasses that look like the bottom of a glass milk bottle if you read manga at night in the dark. And you'll end up failing the entrance exam again and again of the university you want to go to."
"This incomprehensible nonsense again… Shall I turn you into stone if you act stupid, I wonder?"
"Sure, sure. I got you, I got you. Well, then go to bed already, good night." He waved his hand roughly and proceeded to close the door.
"Wait." Hearing that before he closed the door, Subaru halted his hand and looked back. He saw Beatrice leaning over a bit.
"Were you here to ask for something, I suppose?" she asked.
"Nope, not really," replied Subaru. "I figured I'd come say hi since I was on my way to bed. I was going to give up after opening three doors, but I got it right on the first try."
"This boy… What kind of a hunch does he have?"
Beatrice seemed tired as she pulled on one of her vertical rolls. Once she let go of it, it sprang back like a spring. It made Subaru's mischievous heart tingle a bit.
"Can I do that too?" he asked.
"Only Bubby is allowed to touch Betty, in fact. Betty has had enough, so go away already, I suppose."
"What's up with that attitude? You were the one who stopped me. Ha, I don't mind it at all though! I'm in a good mood, so I'll forgive you!"
After showing off how good he felt, he left the room, putting a scowl on Beatrice's face. However, as the door was about to close, he felt like he heard a tinge of loneliness in her voice. "—That has nothing to do with Betty, I suppose."
And that concerned him a bit.
"Eh, guess I gotta open the door again to ask her what's the matter."
The other side of the opened door was different; it had turned back into a simple guest room.
He felt slightly hesitant, but he didn't feel like walking around searching for the right door. He needed to wake up early tomorrow and finish his chores as fast as he could.
"I need to go to the village and make up some excuses to get the kids out of the picture. Wait no, I need to do some research to find a place with a good view and figure out where the flower garden is… Preparation, that's the most important thing when it comes to all kinds of war! They say your victory or defeat is decided before the fighting starts. I can do this," said Subaru as he puffed his nostrils, his chest full of anticipation for the next day.
He skipped towards the room designated to him: a private room for servants. And then he took off and threw away the butler suit he was wearing and quickly changed into his tracksuit.
"This fits me the most when it comes to sleeping. The only thing that worries me is that it's the only tracksuit I have… I wonder if Rosy will cast a duplication spell on it if I ask him to."
Now it's a rare, one-of-a-kind item in this world. It's pretty important since it can be worn as casual clothing, but it needs to be treated with the utmost care.
If it starts falling apart, I can just get over it by saying that clothes can't be worn forever. It'll be sad to lose something that reminds me of my old world, but there's no point in looking back at things.
"And that's why I'll live hoping for a better tomorrow, gee-hee-hee."
Subaru grinned vulgarly and dove into the bed he had made. After being met with softness, he crawled under the covers, completely ready to hit the hay.
However, since he was too excited for the next day, he remained wide-awake, unable to fall asleep no matter what.
"Shit, you gotta be kidding me, body! Are you going to trample on my hopes for tomorrow!? Damn it, so my greatest foe was myself…"
Jesus. Subaru glared at the ceiling and sighed. But I have a trick for sleepless nights like this.
Subaru smiled provocatively at his restless body. "Take this, my secret trick—One fluffy Puck, two fluffy Pucks!"
A first-class Fluffist can imagine the furball he wants to pet and have a virtual petting session that feels like the real thing.
The gray, fluffy cat appeared inside Subaru's head, and it increased in number with each passing second. Eventually, Subaru's entire body was covered in furballs. His body was taken away to the far-off utopia, Avalon, a place of bliss and non-being.
"One hundred sixty…three…fluffy…Pucks…fluffy fluffy," muttered Subaru as his consciousness drifted into the land of dreams.
While imagining Shangri-La, he petted within his consciousness until he could pet no further—and then the lights went out.
△▼△▼△▼△
It feels like my consciousness is rising to the surface from the ocean's depths. This is the second time I'm saying this.
As Subaru opened his eyelids, the sunlight burnt his eyes. He then woke his slightly sluggish body up.
My head feels a bit groggy. Maybe I'm still a little tired. I did just start a brand-new job, so something like this had a possibility of happening…
…But today isn't the day to be saying such weak things.
Upon waking up, Subaru, who was someone who'd wake up in a good mood, immediately began going over the promise he'd made with Emilia the night before.
"Yeah, Subaru Natsuki—you will be a man today!"
He gave a thumbs-up to no one in particular, flashed his teeth, and struck his usual pose.
It was the day of promised victory. Rising up from bed was supposed to be the beginning of his wonderful day, but its beginning was thrown on its head by the twins looking at him in surprise.
Subaru covered his face and pressed it against the blanket, then swung his body in embarrassment. "Whaat iiis uuup wiiiith youuu guuuys! Sooo you were there all along! It's embarrassing! You guys should've at least let me know you were there! Woah, woah, woooah, it's really embarrassing!"
He floundered around, trying to banish his embarrassment.
As usual, the twins' expressions didn't change much in response to Subaru.
Being pointed at and laughed at don't feel all that good, but their reaction didn't feel good, either. It's like I failed at making a joke.
"No, wait a second. That reaction would hurt even a guy like me. You guys witnessed my delicate side, so can't you be a bit more… You know what I'm trying to say, right!?"
The twins looked at each other after hearing Subaru's desperate plea.
I was expecting to hear the usual cold, indifferent words from them… Well, that doesn't sound so good, either.
It was the moment Subaru thought that when they spoke up:
"Sister, Sister, he greeted us in a very friendly manner."
"Rem, Rem, he greeted us in quite a frank manner."
Something's off. Those were the words that crossed Subaru's mind.
Their indifferent manner of speaking was the same as usual—but something felt off about it.
"Hmmm, what? Isn't something weird? Bosses, what happened to you guys? Even if y'all are pulling a prank on me, this isn't the right time to do it."
While saying that, he started realizing what was off.
—It's their eyes.
The gaze directed towards Subaru—had lost the frankness it had till last night. It was as if they were looking at a stranger.
And the nail in the coffin was…
"Sister, Sister, it seems like the guest is a little confused."
"Rem, Rem, it seems like the guest has gone crazy."
—Subaru was rendered speechless after being called a 'guest'.
Despite the graceful ring it had, the words were sharp and fierce, and it tore deep into Subaru's heart. Feeling as if the pain were real, he grabbed his chest.
I don't get it. Their reactions are as if…
"Both of you…your joke isn't funny. Don…'t…say…something…like…"
He wanted to block their gaze that looked at him like he was a stranger, so he immediately lifted his left hand up and covered his eyes. However, at that moment, he witnessed something decisive.
—The first bandage had disappeared from his left hand.
The tips of his fingers that had turned coarse due to doing the laundry and dishes, the back of his hand that he had cut because he wasn't used to using knives, the bite mark on his hand left by a small animal while he was playing with the kids—all of them were gone without a trace.
Subaru had to accept reality after seeing all that. Suddenly feeling something hot deep inside his eyes, he pressed the blanket for a different reason than before.
He didn't want anyone to see his current face no matter what. He didn't want anyone else to see it.
He didn't want to cry while being looked at like a stranger by the people he loved. People he could have loved. People that he would have definitely loved.
"Why…did I go back!?" he wailed. While pressing his face against the blanket and baring his fangs, he howled with rage at the incomprehensible unreasonableness.
—At that moment, the loop that had tormented Subaru greatly consumed him into its whirl once more.
For the second time, the first day began.