We went back towards the residence and picked up ojousama’s luggage we left with Tris.
The three of us went up the stairs and into the entrance hall.
The interior is luxurious, almost as if we just entered a high-cla.s.s hotel, the s.p.a.cious hall was decorated with chandeliers, elaborately patterned carpet, and the walls are lined with vases, statues of naked women, and heavily framed landscape art. Above all, this residence has a huge gap between its interior and exterior design.
“Well then, Arina-san should go this way.”
While we were being splendidly stupefied, Tris called for Arina.
“I will have you work together with our maids from today for as long as you’re staying here. We will treat you the same as the other maids.”
“Y… yes! P, p, please take care of me!”
Since it’s her I thought she’d start crying and say something stubborn but she unexpectedly replied with a proactive response.
“…. will you be all right?”
I said to her in a somewhat worried voice, but Arina firmly said, even with her face pale,
“I promised Yuu-kun I’ll do my best.”
“All right. But don’t push yourself too much. If anything happens run to me or ojousama immediately.”
“Y, yes. I’ll do that.”
“—shall we get a move on now?”
Seeing Tris becoming impatient, Arina went to him.
“Oi, you, you’re free right.”
Tris then called one of the maids.
“Take Yuuki-dono to Demy-ojousama’s guest room. It’s the innermost guest room, got it?”
“Yes, Tris-sama.”
“All right. …. well then Yuuki-dono, I will call you when it’s time to eat.”
I shouldered the luggage and nodded.
Following the guide maid, I went up a flight of stairs.
“Ah, right. —please don’t be too overt, I sincerely beg you of this.”
Tris said so as he went away.
Don’t flirt too much, was probably what he meant.
Since it’s all an act it’s not like I can really flirt with her.
“This way please.”
Maid-san guided me towards the guest room.
The corridors were also pretty wide.
I lived in a 1DK dorm room, which probably will fit snugly here.
There’s windows on my right hand side and furnishings on the other wall.
It’s like a miniature art gallery.
At the room at the end of that art gallery, Maid-san stood to a stop.
“This is ojousama’s room.”
After giving me a short introduction, she spun round and grasped a fixture that looked like a gigantic carabiner attached to the door. The door knocker, if I’m not wrong.
Then she knocked, *knock* *knock*.
[Who is it?]
Lady Demy responded from inside.
“Your attendant Yuuki-sama is here.”
[Bring him in.]
“Excuse me.”
*click*, Maid-san opened the door.
“Please,” she said as she bowed.
I went in.
“Excuse me,” Maid-san gave a deep bow and closed the door.
…… this royal treatment kind of makes me nervous. I can’t calm down at all.
“Aren’t you a little too tense?”
Lady Demy, sitting on the king-size canopy bed, saw me being uncomfortable, and heartily laughed.
“Haah…. I can’t get used to residences like this.”
As I said that, she laughed again.
The room is about 20 tatami in size.
More cramped than I thought.
There was an antique-looking dresser garnished with a flower, and in the center of the room there was a round table with four seats.
The expression ‘antique-looking’ had felt strange ever since I came here.
Anyway, since quite some furniture had been laid down, the room already had a “lived-in” feel.
“What should I do with the luggage?”
Since I had the t.i.tle of ‘attendant’ for now, I should do my job.
“Just put them somewhere, come here.”
She requested me to do my other ‘job’.
…… Hmm, does she really need to use me that far.
Let’s just do what she says for now.
I headed for the bed and sat down a bit of a distance from her.
But Lady Demy quickly closed that gap. Then for some reason she rested her head on my chest and leaned her weight on me.
Seriously?
Princess, this is going to make me misunderstand.
In confusion, I stayed there in silence.
“…… what’s wrong?” she said as she looked at me with upturned eyes.
That look in her eyes, it’s almost as if she was saying:
‘Be gentle with me, like always☆’
Is that a.s.sumption just a DT virgin’s wild delusion?
“T, that geezer Tris said not to lose our restraint too much.”
“Nonsense. Just ignore that stuck-up guy.”
She completely turned into an ero-ojousama.
I can’t, I can’t tell how far I’m allowed to go anymore!
(Hold it! Do we really need to go this far!?)
I whispered a protest.
She’s asking me for more acting than what a DT cherry can perform.
Then Princess raised her index finger and gestured, *shhhh!*
(The maid is listening in from behind the door. Let’s give them a little something to gossip about.)
Ah.
Haah….
I see, it’s something like that.
I can understand somewhat, on the other hand the overly refreshing feeling made me dissatisfied, or maybe I should say slightly disappointed.
“Hey, stroke my hair like you always do.”
For a moment she switched into Princess Rosé but immediately went back to Lady Demy and made her demand.
“…… or should I throw you back out to the streets?”
Lady Demy has a s.a.d.i.s.tic disposition, huh.
Well it’s an act, after all, so if I stay confused here it’ll be my offense.
Let’s make a counterattack.
Umm, ahem.
“I don’t mind being thrown back out into the streets, but…”
I said as I hugged Lady Demy’s shoulders and pulled her in.
Disregarding the little yelp she made, I looked into her eyes.
“Won’t you be the one having it hard then?”
“……………………”
Lady Demy looked into my eyes with an astonished look in her face.
Fuhahahaa, she’s surprised, she’s surprised.
She wouldn’t have imagined I’d strike back.
She was dumbfounded for a little while.
“W…… what’s that, you cheeky. Even though you can’t live without me.”
“You can’t go on living without me, either, right?”
Ah, was that too pretentious just now?
Well, Princess Rosé herself said it’s all right to be a little theatrical, after all.
“~~~~~…………!”
Her face turned red as she looked away.
They say women are full of disguises, but it’s amazing how they could be this cute even when it’s just an act.
“No, as I thought, you better go.”
“Are you sure?”
“Y, yeah, that’s right. An insolent uncivilized b.u.mpkin like you, you’re fired!”
Ah, this is that, right.
I think this can be called a ‘tsundere’ in terms of our world.
“Is that so? Well that’s too bad.”
I pushed her aside and stood up.
“Ah……”
Immediately, Lady Demy raised a regretful voice.
I guess I should make one more push.
“I’ll be a little lonely, but since I’m your ‘attendant’, I’ve got no choice. I’ll do as you ordered. It’s been my pride to wake up to a high-cla.s.s woman like you every morning. —though from today onwards it’s going to be just a memory.”
Ooh. That was a nice line just now.
I’m proud of myself.
I can’t say this unless my partner’s ‘setting’ is someone who’s madly in love with me, though.
“Ah, W, …… wait!”
Lady Demy became impatient and held me back.
“Yeah, all right, I’ll wait.”
“T, that’s not what I mean!?”
“‘That’s not what I mean’, I don’t know what kind of order that is. I’m uncivilized, after all.”
“Uuu…. e, err.. umm.”
Lady Demy disregarded her own dignity and looked for the words to say to me.
Then—
“You understand, right! Don’t go, I don’t want you to go! I, I, I want you to stay with me!”
She finally broke.
Casting away her decorum, she became a girl seeking companionship with all her heart.
—The servant wears the pants in the love relationship with the high-handed lady….
Yeah.
This would be good to spread in the gossip network, wouldn’t it?
“Can’t be helped. Since the Archduke’s daughter says so, the commoner has to obey. —But you know, from here onwards…”
As I was saying that I stood up pretending to leave and opened the door.
“Hyaa!”
The maid who guided me here flopped down to the floor.
As Princess Rosé said, she was clinging to the door listening attentively to our soap opera act.
“—I’d like to continue without an audience.”
I maliciously said to Maid-san.
Maid-san stood back up with a pale face and frantically said.
“I, I heard nothing! I saw nothing!”
“Seems so. What to do, ojousama?”
“……. Never do anything like this again. Got it?”
“Y, yyyyyyyyyess! Eeee, excuse meeeeee!!”
Maid-san ran away screaming.
“Right, now n.o.body should be coming here.”
I closed the door, feeling accomplished.
“How was it!? Wasn’t that a perfect gigolo-like act I did!?”
I put my thumb up, asking for Princess’ opinion.
Immediately she buried her face in a pillow with a bang.
“Yuuki-san……”
“Hm?”
“……… went too far.”
Like that, she groaned ‘uu– uu–’ and won’t come out.
Ummm.
……. now what should I do?
†
“Now where should I begin then.”
Inside the linen room, Arina murmured as she was putting on the maid clothes she was given.
Turning the Isky pigs into a bloodbath is easy.
But that can’t do.
Unless I settle this problem for Princess Rosé in a way the country can consent to, it’s going to be troubling later on.
In that case, finding evidence of rebellion is certainly the most direct method.
Can’t be helped.
I guess should stay quiet a little while longer….
After she was done changing she left the linen room and went to the kitchen. In the kitchen the ‘senpais’ came out and greeted her.
“I, I will be working hard from today, my name is Arina! P, p …. please take care of me!”
It was met with applause from everyone.
…… That’s weird, thought Arina, tilting her head.
The maids here are all young girls.
Since it’s not an Akihabara maid café, there should usually be a middle-aged head maid doing the managing.
“Now, should we first begin with your first job?” one of the senpais said.
She started with the management, is she the head maid?
“Yes, …… I’ll do my best in anything!”
Arina showed her enthusiasm.
She smiled as she nodded and brought Arina outside the kitchen.
“Umm…. outside?”
“Yes. There’s some work that a newcomer absolutely has got to do.”
—There’s definitely something here.
Her instincts say so but for now, Arina played dumb and went along.
‘Outside’ is at the back of the kitchen where the vegetables and grains are kept.
She opened a four-sided container-like basket with a lid that was put there.
What she took out was a chicken with its legs bound.
It was a still clucking, live chicken.
“Finish it,” Senpai-maid said with a smile as she thrusted the chicken at her.
I see.
I’m getting the dirty job.
Though maids do lots of things, there should also be the workers.
“U, um…, things like this, doesn’t the seller-san usually do it…”
“What are you saying? Then it won’t be as fresh, right? You want to give the masters and the guests spoiled food to eat?”
“T, that’s … but”
“You’ve never done this at home?”
“Y, yes…. Usually father would do something like this.”
“Really? But things are different here.”
Laughter can be heard coming from the kitchen.
They seem to be having fun seeing the newbie confused.
This always happens when trash gathers.
Aah.
d.a.m.n trash that can’t do anything if not in a group.
I want to make them all lick Yuu-kun’s shoes.
Though I can do it right away if I don’t have any other objectives… well, can’t be helped.
“Uu…. All right.”
Arina timidly took the chicken.
“Um. … I, I’ve never done this before. I don’t know how I’m supposed to do this.”
“Don’t act spoiled. There’s a knife there right? Then you just cut the ve…”
“Like this?”
Arina held the chicken by the head and pulled with all her strength.
Splat. The spine gave way, and a red splatter was drawn on the senpai’s clothes.
“Eek,” she froze in fear, but it’s not over yet.
*fwoosh*, blood sprayed out like a geyser from the body that hadn’t been drained of blood.
Whether it was or wasn’t a culture of butchering meat, there shouldn’t be many girls who’d still be composed after being drenched in blood.
“Kyaaaaaaaaa!!”
She’s not an exception, she screamed. «TN: Haze at the abyss, and the abyss hazes back at you»
The other maids would probably come running.
But that wouldn’t be fun.
Arina used magic to close the kitchen back door and seal it shut with a stick.
“Y, y, you! Something’s wrong with you! You’re not normal!”
“Huh, did I get it wrong? I’ve never done this before.”
Arina played dumb and picked up another chicken.
“I’ll do it better this time.”
“Enough, you, enough already!”
“Eh, um… but I want to quickly stand on my own like everyone!”
“No, stop, let the chicken go….!”
She wanted to stop her but she lost strength in her legs and couldn’t move. Pretending not to hear that senpai’s pleas, Arina once again pulled on the chicken’s head.
Fresh blood rained down on her once again.
“Hiii――…………”
The shock went over her limit, and she fainted with a flop.
So easy.
Arina released the kitchen door and the other maids came rushing out.
Of course, they all asked her what was going on here.
“I’m sorry. I was too clumsy with the knifework I frightened senpai.”
Arina gave a plausible excuse.
“…… can I have some fresh maid clothes for now?” she said as she unfastened the red-stained ap.r.o.n.