Chapter 23: The Maid’s Anxiety

“Welcome ho—ahhh! K-Keiji-kun!”

“I’m home, Sayaka,” I replied, stepping into the manor’s grand entrance.

Sayaka, who had skipped her duties today, stood waiting for me. The moment her eyes landed on my face, her usual composed “welcome home” faltered, slipping into something far less maid-like.

“W-What happened to your face?”

“Just got caught up in some unfair violence, that’s all,” I said lightly, brushing it off as I started down the manor’s polished hallway.

“W-What happened while I was resting?” Sayaka hurried after me, her voice rising with urgency. “I need to call Maki-san, call her now. I have to buy some info!”

“You don’t need to contact Maki, I’ll explain everything myself. Wait, you actually exchanged contact info with Maki?”

Girls always seem to form connections out of nowhere, don’t they?

“No dodging!” Sayaka insisted, undeterred. “Explain exactly what happened, in chronological order, objectively, and accurately, okay?”

“That’s a tall order.” Still, guilt tugged at me for making her worry.

I stepped into the living room and sank into the plush sofa, letting the tension in my shoulders ease. Sayaka’s footsteps pattered away, only to return moments later. In her hands, she clutched an old-fashioned first-aid kit, her expression a mix of determination and concern.

“We had something like that in the house?” I asked, eyeing the first-aid kit in Sayaka’s hands.

“I checked the contents, and surprisingly, nothing’s expired,” she replied, setting the kit down. “Looks like emergency supplies get restocked every few years or so.”

“Makes sense. If this place was completely neglected for years, the manor would be in way worse shape.” I leaned back on the sofa, glancing around the pristine living room. Who’s been handling the cleaning and restocking? Probably some hired company, I figured. This was a Kiyomiya family property, after all—a standout house in the neighborhood. They wouldn’t let it fall to ruin.

“Alright, I’ll patch you up, so start explaining. If I think you’re lying, I’m switching from gentle mode to mean mode.”

“You’re already plenty mean… Ow, ow!” I winced as her fingers brushed the corner of my mouth, where a bruise throbbed from the earlier hit. Had she already flipped to mean mode, or was she just clumsy? Gritting my teeth through the sting, I gave her a brief rundown of the day’s events.

“So… to sum it up simply, Fujikawa’s a pervert?”

“Guess even a noble family dating back to the Heian era ends up with a pervert or two after a millennium,” I said with a shrug. Normally, I’d hesitate to expose someone’s twisted nature, but with Fujikawa, there was no need for restraint. There was even suspicion he’d stolen Sayaka’s special scholarship slot, so I had no reason to hold back.

“Still, I learned something from all this.”

“Learned something?”

“That standing out all of a sudden isn’t a good idea. It’s… well, maybe half—no, probably seventy percent my fault, but causing a scene in the classroom isn’t great.”

“That’s completely reasonable.” She agreed. No matter the reason, stirring up trouble in class was never ideal. When a girl—especially the top student and the most beautiful in our grade—suddenly bursts into tears in the classroom, it’s bound to send ripples.

Of course, calling a classmate to the clubroom to rough them up over it was way out of line, but Sayaka and I weren’t blameless either.

“There, all done. Just a small cut on your lip. It’s not a big deal.”

“Huh, kinda anticlimactic. I took a punch, after all.”

“…”

“What?”

“No, it’s just… Keiji-kun, you seemed like the last person who’d get into a fistfight.”

“I am the last person for that. Fistfights aren’t exactly aristocratic, you know,” I shot back, though I didn’t exactly see myself as some noble.

“At the very least, you were lying about how strong you are in a fight,” she pressed.

“I didn’t lie. I never told anyone I was weak in a fight,” I countered. Maki-san had already picked up on my physical strength, dropping hints that I could probably handle Fujikawa and his crew with raw power if I chose to.

“You could’ve just shut Fujikawa up with force from the start, right? Acting all carefree and grinning without even hinting at your strength—that’s practically the same as lying.”

“Honestly, I’ve barely been in real fights before. I wasn’t even sure I could take him down. Plus, there’s no guarantee violence would’ve solved anything.”

“True, it might’ve been better if Fujikawa just became a full-on enemy. A pervert’s way more trouble than an enemy. You can crush an enemy’s spirit by beating them down, but a pervert might just enjoy it.”

“If it was just me, fine, but if he starts messing with you or Maki-san, that’s a problem. That Fujikawa jerk—maybe I should make him transfer schools.”

“That’s a scary thought… If you did that, you’d be no better than the people who tried to strip me of my scholarship.”

“I know, I know. It was a joke,” I reassured her, waving a hand. I really did mean it as a joke.

If anything, Fujikawa made a good “temporary enemy”.

If I’m going to shed my loser image and climb the ranks at Sōshūkan Academy—if I was going to shake up the school’s hierarchy—surpassing Fujikawa, who sat near the top, was the clearest path forward.

“Sayaka, you’re my maid,” I said, gently placing my hand on her cheek.

“Kyah…”

“Things took a weird turn, but I decided I’d take responsibility and make you my maid. I’m gonna enjoy living a life that’s more than just being a nobody.”

“…You’re trying to sound cool, but it’s not that cool.”

“Oh, shut up,” I grumbled, feeling the heat rise to my face. I was just trying to drop a dramatic line, that’s all. I’d saved the girl I liked, hired her as a maid, gone along with the chairman’s schemes, and beaten down an enemy from my childhood—all in a whirlwind of events. With so much happening at once, how could I not get hyped up?

“I’m kidding. Keiji-kun, you are cool.”

“W-What’s that, all of a sudden?”

“…It’s not sudden. I’ve known you were cool for a while now.”

“I’ve never been complimented like that in my entire life.”

“You took in a stray cat like me and accepted me as your maid. How could you not be the coolest? Are you an idiot?” Sayaka huffed, her tone teasing but warm.

“Don’t throw in a diss at the end!”

“I can’t say stuff like that without joking a little! Besides…” Her voice trailed off. “I’m sorry, Keiji-kun. You got hurt seventy percent because of me, and I was just… here in the manor, alone, and…”

“You were just taking a break, right? Honestly, it’s better you weren’t there. If you had been, you might’ve gotten caught up in it too.”

“You’re so cool. I’ll say it as many times as I need to. Compared to you, I’m…” Sayaka’s voice faltered, and she looked down, her hand brushing against her waist. A bundle of keys—master key included—jangled softly, catching my eye. Had head maids in the old days walked around with such a clinking array?

“Oh, you used the master key? I told you, you can go anywhere.”

“But I might’ve been the worst.”

The worst? What was she talking about? Sayaka didn’t elaborate, and the moment passed, leaving her words hanging in the air.

Late that night, as I pored over my books in my room, it hit me.

Something felt… off. The books on my desk were neatly arranged, the closet door I always left ajar was firmly shut, and my bed sheets were tucked in with crisp precision.

“Did she clean my room and snoop around for anything suspicious while she was at it?” I muttered, piecing it together. “That’s no big deal… but after what happened, I guess she’d be worried.” While I was tangled up with Fujikawa, throwing punches, had Sayaka been here, searching my room for anything strange? It wasn’t a big deal, but calling herself “the worst” over it seemed a bit dramatic.

My gaze drifted to the full-length mirror in the corner, now draped with a cover. “Oh, there’s a cover on the mirror. Come to think of it, don’t they say you should cover mirrors for occult reasons, like warding off evil or something?” I mused. I never bothered checking my outfit, so the mirror had gone unnoticed.

“The mirror’s been polished too. She didn’t have to go this far… Oh, crap.” As I pulled off the cover, I caught sight of my reflection. The bandage on my face was peeling, curling at the edges. I’d washed my face earlier to shake off some sleepiness, hadn’t I? I thought I’d been careful, but I must’ve scrubbed as vigorously as usual.

“Better put a new one on, just in case,” I muttered, reluctantly stepping away from the desk. “By the way, Sayaka, where did you get that first-aid kit from?”

It was the first time I’d ever seen that kit, after all. Was it stashed in the living room, or maybe some storage room for household supplies? “I still haven’t got a clue where anything is in this old manor,” I admitted, feeling a twinge of guilt for bothering Sayaka this late. But oh well.

The Kiyomiya Family Old Manor had a separate annex across a covered walkway, where the servants’ quarters were located.

“Last time, when I carried Sayaka in a princess carry, I didn’t notice… but the annex actually looks newer, doesn’t it?” I mused, crossing the walkway and climbing the stairs just ahead. Probably, they added it later when the number of servants grew after the main building was constructed.

“It’s the second floor here, right… yeah, this is it.” One door stood slightly ajar, light spilling out from within. Last time, I’d been so focused on carrying Sayaka that I hadn’t paid attention to my surroundings. This was practically my first time in the servants’ quarters.

“This should be the right room… right?”

“Yo, Sayaka. You awake?”

“Huh?” A voice answered from inside, followed by a clatter of footsteps. The door swung wide open.

“Keiji-kun? What’s wrong?” Sayaka stood there, still in her maid outfit, her expression a mix of surprise and concern.

“Sorry for bothering you this late. I just wanted to know where the first-aid kit is.”

“Huh? Oh, it peeled off, didn’t it?” she said, glancing at my face. “Don’t worry, I have the same kind of bandages in my room.” She turned and headed back inside, and I followed slowly behind.

“Um, the bed’s fine, right? Sit down,” she said, gesturing to it.

“Uh, sure.” Sitting on a girl’s bed felt awkward, but if she was insisting, I couldn’t exactly refuse. I settled on the edge, trying not to overthink it.

Sayaka grabbed a pack of bandages and sat beside me. “Oh… Keiji-kun, isn’t your cheek a little swollen?”

“It’s starting to swell now, huh?” I touched the tender spot. “Whoa, Sayaka, your hands aren’t cold, are they?”

“No, it’s your cheek that’s burning up,” she replied, her soft, cool hand brushing against my skin. The chilly, smooth sensation felt soothing, and I caught myself relaxing under her touch. Ugh, that’s creepy, me, I thought, shaking off the moment.

“We should probably cool it with some ice.”

“No need to go that far. It doesn’t feel that swollen.”

Sayaka’s gaze sharpened, almost glaring. Then, without warning—

“H-Hey…!”

“Yup, your cheek’s definitely hot,” she confirmed, pressing her face gently against mine. The softness of her cheek, smoother than her hand, sent a jolt through me.

“…”

“Hmm… yeah, we need to cool it down. No ice packs, so ice will have to do.”

“R-Right.”

“Alright, let’s head to the kitchen then.”

“Yeah, I’ll come too. Gotta make sure you cool it properly.”

“You’re starting to sound less like a maid and more like my mom.”

“That’s because you’re such a handful,” Sayaka shot back, throwing me a sharp glance before heading for the door.

As we moved, a stray thought crossed my mind. “Still, Sayaka, when you came here, you only had one carry-on suitcase, right?”

“Huh? Yeah.”

“But you’ve got a ton of stuff, don’t you…?”

“…Don’t stare too much.”

“Oh, uh, my bad,” I said quickly, averting my gaze. Still, it was a girl’s room—a classmate’s, no less. Telling me not to be curious was asking the impossible. During the princess-carry incident, I’d just dropped her off and left without looking around. This was my first real glimpse of her space.

The room was small, with a bed, a desk, and a closet. The desk was a chaotic sprawl of items, and the closet looked ready to burst with clothes.

“There were a bunch of clothes in the other servants’ rooms, so I borrowed some,” Sayaka explained, noticing my curiosity. “Some of them fit me, so it’s fine, right?”

“Yeah, that’s totally fine,” I agreed. The manor had been practically abandoned for a decade—no one would care about using the stuff left behind. Though, I couldn’t help but wonder if clothes from over ten years ago really suited a modern girl’s taste.

“And your desk… you’re really studying, huh?”

“You’re definitely staring now.”

“No, I mean, I’m curious about the desk of the top student in our grade. Even your dictionaries look well-worn.” Notebooks, textbooks, study guides, and dictionaries for English and classical literature were strewn across the desk, their pages dog-eared and marked. Sayaka might excel at her maid duties, but she was kind of sloppy with her own stuff, wasn’t she?

“Hm? This notebook…” My gaze landed on an open notebook. I’d expected English sentences or math equations, but instead— “Recipes… and it’s packed with notes. That’s amazing.”

“H-Hey, wait…!” Sayaka’s voice shot up in panic.

I couldn’t resist picking it up. The notebook brimmed with handwritten recipes, each annotated with precise details—cooking times for meat and fish, tips for chopping vegetables, all neatly color-coded with red and blue pens. “Sayaka, you’ve been studying this hard for your maid work too?” I asked, genuinely impressed.

“I-I said, don’t look!”

“I mean, when I see something like this, how am I supposed to ignore it?” Holding the notebook just out of reach. Sayaka had mentioned learning maid work from her mom, but to think she’d been studying this diligently on her own… I felt a pang of guilt for not officially hiring her as a maid when she was putting in this much effort.

“I said, don’t look! Pervert!”

“Pervert!?” I echoed, caught off guard. To think such a childish word would slip from cool Sayaka’s mouth.

She snatched the notebook from my hands and clutched it to her chest, clearly mortified that I’d seen her meticulous notes. “You’ve got a surprisingly cute side, huh…”

“S-Shut up, idiot!” Sayaka shoved the notebook into a desk drawer and shot me a fierce glare, her cheeks still burning. That drawer was off-limits now, no question.

“Alright, my bad.”

“…Geez,” she muttered, her glare softening but still sharp.

Still, seeing Sayaka all red and flustered was a rare treat. In a way, maybe getting punched by Fujikawa and his goons had been worth it. This whole violent mess? I might’ve come out ahead, actually.