[Part 1/4]
The morning of a maid is early.
"...!!"
Her body, already accustomed to waking up at a fixed time, was awake even earlier than usual. The maid, who served the Hotoya family, got up with a somewhat sulky expression. She rubbed her eyes to clear her mind.
"Face..."
She washed her face with the water from the water bottle she had prepared the night before. She brushed her teeth. She stretched her shoulders and neck to loosen up her stiff muscles. She got her blood flowing again after a night of stagnation.
"Clothes and hair too, I suppose."
She changed from her nightclothes to her work clothes, and then styled her hair. She also did some light makeup while looking in the mirror. This took her about half an hour. As a maid of the Hotoya family, she couldn't afford to look sloppy. Even if the masters laughed it off, it was a matter of etiquette.
"However..."
She had more time than usual, but she couldn't start work early. No, that would earn her a scolding. It wasn't just her own work, after all. Onitsuki and Oumi's maids, as well as the laborers, would gossip about her. And if she were to rush her master, that would be even worse. Someone who couldn't read the atmosphere would be ostracized.
"...I'm troubled."
She was at a loss, not knowing what to do. Hmm, was there something she should be doing in secret? No, she was diligent. She had already done all the necessary work beforehand. So, how should she kill time....
"..."
She took out a letter from her luggage. She carefully unfolded the single sheet of paper and read its contents over and over again. As she read, she smiled....
"Hehe."
"What are you looking at?"
"Eh? Kyaaaah?"
Suzune, who had been suddenly called out to, turned around to see a face right in front of her. It took her a moment to realize it was her friend.
"Iruka, what time did you come in?"
"Just now?"
The wolf girl pointed with a carefree gesture. At some point, the shouji paper door had opened without making a sound. It was as if she had used her half-youkai physical abilities to move stealthily.
"~~~~! At least call out before entering!! What if something important is happening inside?!!?"
"What were you doing?"
"What are you talking about!!?"
Suzune retorted, her tone dripping with sarcasm, as Iruka poked her head into the room. Iruka let out a pained "Ow!" as Suzune's hand came close to her head. Suzune had seen through Iruka's overreaction, knowing that the girl was prone to exaggerating. A simple slap from a normal person wouldn't even leave a scratch.
"You're really bad at this, Suzune... If you don't take jokes, men will look down on you. If you're not used to playing around, they'll think you're easy woman."
"I don't plan on getting used to it, and I don't have that kind of money from men anyway!!"
Suzune cut her off sharply, without hesitation. She wasn't bluffing. As a matter of fact, Suzune sent most of her part-time job earnings back to her family, and only kept a small amount for emergencies. From her childhood experiences, Suzune had developed a negative view of using money for leisure.
"...Hmph. Ah, I see."
Iruka muttered, her tone unsettling. Suzune raised an eyebrow at Iruka's attitude, and in the next instant, Iruka had pinned her against the wall.
"H-hey? K-kyaa!? N-no!!?"
"Aren't I saying you're not used to playing along? So..."
It was a classic wall slam, followed by a chin lift, and a decisive line. Iruka's usual charming demeanor and tone made her a natural ladies' man, effortlessly captivating women like a wild, rugged hero.
"..."
"..."
"...Huh?"
"..."
"Let's react, Suzune?"
"Tei."
"Ughya."
The awkward silence was broken by Iruka's prompt, accompanied by a powerful chop to her nose. It hit the mark, and the effect was remarkable.
"A-ah..."
"I wasted time on something pointless. Thanks to you, I might be late now."
Suzune gazed out at the scenery beyond the shouji paper door, taking in the height of the sun. She let out a deep breath, her eyes cold as she looked down at Iruka. Her gaze was filled with disdain and contempt.
"U~... Are you embarrassed or something? What's the content of the letter, anyway? Can you tell me?"
"There's etiquette even among close friends. You shouldn't intrude on someone's private matters with your dirty feet."
"But I'm not wearing sandals, I'm barefoot?"
"You seem to lack etiquette too."
"Tei," she said and took out the hand knife once more. Then she carefully returned the letter to the shelf, and stuck a light, cursed seal on the letter. The cheap, official product from the imperial court didn't have much power, and it was more like a confirmation to see if it had been opened without her noticing.
"Tch..."
"Come on, let's get to work. Those who don't work don't eat."
Suzune said this to Iruka, who was sulking, and then left.
"..."
Iruka was left alone in the room, staring at the sealed shelf. It was easy to break the seal and see what was inside, but...
"That's just great."
It wasn't like her friend was joking, but Iruka thought she could tell the difference between something that could be joked about and something that couldn't. Was it okay to accept a drink from some servant? It was hard to tell. She might get possessed by a youkai at any moment. She might as well drink.
"...But when did they meet?"
From her expression, Iruka could tell that her friend had feelings for the person she was corresponding with, and She didn't think she was being betrayed. It wasn't like she was hoping for a tragic love story or anything. It was her life. Suzune could do what she wanted. But...
(It's not like I want them to be unhappy or anything.)
It wasn't like Iruka wanted her friend to suffer or anything. And it wasn't like her friend was a guy who was used to women or anything. This was the city. It wasn't like some innocent country girl was going to get deceived and meet a terrible end or anything. Iruka was worried.
...It felt like a maternal instinct, but Iruka couldn't think like that.
"Is there's some kind of plot or something?"
Iruka said this half-jokingly, but she fell silent.
It didn't feel like something that could be joked about....
The servant's morning was early.
"!!"
My body, which had grown accustomed to the regular time, was earlier than usual. I opened my eyes wide and jumped out of bed, doing some acrobatic moves. The first thing I did after waking up was to count. What was I counting? It was something I knew.
"...Well, their sleeping face is too awful."
I'm counting the number of people, one by one (though I'm not sure if I should count them as "people"), while setting up the chaotic scene, with people sleeping on the floor, stealing each other's futons, and kicking each other's faces.
"There's one person missing."
I catch a whiff of a faint, unique smell from my nostrils. There is one lost futon. My gray brain cells are working to find the answer. The direction I'm heading is the laundry room.
I hear the sound of water. I get a bad feeling, but it's just my imagination. The bucket that fell over was from the kitchen, not the well. If it were from the well, it would've been a big deal, and I would've gotten scolded later.
"So, you're the culprit, huh?"
"Huh?!"
I make a sudden declaration from behind. The futon with a stain is being dragged, covered in sand, and the water from the bucket is spilled all over the floor. The scene of the crime is being secured.
The kid with a raccoon-like face is looking up at me, trembling.
"Uh, about that..."
"Hey, just bring me the futon. Take a bath, and then sleep on the spare futon. And if you wet the bed, report it to me right away. Got it?"
The kid nods, still looking scared. This isn't good. I squat down and match my gaze with theirs. I try to speak in a gentle voice.
"If you can't say it, then go wake up your siblings and ask them to help. I'll make sure to keep the rules, or else I'll get scolded by your mom. Please?"
"..."
This time, they nod with a "yes." Well, I guess that's good enough for an outsider like me. I don't have high hopes.
"Shall we go?"
I take the futon, and the kid, who's all wet and dirty, follows me to the bath. The bucket can wait. I'll refill the water bottle later.
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