Chapter 5: The Maid Confronts Her Rival’s Mother

Something’s off. I just came to the Maritsuji house to get some studying help, that’s all.

We’ve moved locations, and now we’re in the Maritsuji family’s reception room. The size isn’t much different from Maritsuji Anri’s room──another Japanese-style room with an impressive low table in the center.

“My, please make yourself comfortable, Kiyomiya Keiji-san, and──Hisaka Sayaka-san, was it?”

Before the alcove where a hanging scroll depicting beautiful mountains and rivers is displayed, Maritsuji Rina is seated in formal seiza position. As expected of the wife of the next head of the Maritsuji family… just sitting there, her refinement seeps out.

“Mother, Kiyomiya-san is our guest. Shouldn’t we have him sit at the seat of honor?”

Her daughter, Maritsuji Anri, is seated in seiza a bit away from the low table.

“Anri-san, we of the Maritsuji family decide the etiquette.”

Mother Maritsuji shot her daughter a glare, silencing her. I feel bad for Anri-chan, but the caliber is different…

“Kiyomiya Keiji-san, you may relax your legs if you wish. You’re probably not used to seiza. Despite its long traditions, the Kiyomiya family built a Western-style mansion upon moving to Tokyo, easily discarding old customs, after all.”

“You’re nitpicking over something as simple as how I sit, aren’t you?”

Indeed, as she says, I’m not accustomed to seiza, but it’s not unbearable.

“No, I also believe we shouldn’t cling to old traditions. As you can see.”

“……”

The image of the Maritsuji family matron would typically involve wearing a kimono, but this person’s appearance completely betrays that expectation. Her outfit of a blouse with sleeves rolled up and jeans doesn’t suit the image of the Maritsuji madam at all.

Originally from a branch of the Maritsuji family, she apparently worked vigorously at a company run by her natal family. It was an arranged marriage, of course, but her practical abilities were valued, and there were expectations for her to help rebuild the Maritsuji finances. Since they can maintain this huge mansion, Maritsuji Rina must have succeeded in turning around her in-laws’ fortunes.

“Um, Mother. Kiyomiya-san was invited for studying, so once the greetings are done, may we return to my room soon?”

“No. This boy does claim the Kiyomiya name, after all. We can’t just let him leave for free──or rather, we can’t let him go without proper greetings.” She paused, her gaze settling on me. “Once again──it’s been a while, Kiyomiya Keiji-san.”

“Yes, it’s been too long.”

I bow my head properly. From diagonally behind me, I can sense Sayaka also bowing her head. Sayaka is attending as a servant and doesn’t seem inclined to interject. That’s fine; there’s no need for her to get involved in this troublesome “hospitality.”

“She looks just like Maritsuji-san… except for certain parts of the body that make you want to deny the blood relation.”

Hey, cut it out.

Sayaka seems to want to appraise Mother Maritsuji. But, as Sayaka says, Mother Maritsuji’s blouse has a prominently swelling chest area. Sayaka also has an impressively large size for a first-year high schooler, but she doesn’t match Mother Maritsuji.

“Despite being raised with those breasts, Maritsuji-san is small. Perhaps the meals are too refined, lacking nutrition. Maybe I should let her have the same meals as the rambunctious boy at the old Kiyomiya residence.”

Your mutterings are too long, Sayaka.

Who’s the rambunctious boy?

It’s not that I eat a lot; it’s that Sayaka mercilessly serves huge portions.

“You there, the servant girl, something the matter?”

“No, just talking to myself. Pardon me.”

Sayaka bows her head again. I thought she was speaking loud enough for the Maritsuji mother and daughter to hear, but apparently not.

“Keiji-san, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Takatsugu-san, but is he in good health?”

“Yes, thanks to you, he’s unchanged.”

My father, the head of the Kiyomiya family, naturally has associations with the Maritsuji family. Or rather, the image is that prestigious families maintain exchanges even without specific business.

“Is that so? He’s well, then. I thought he had the magnanimous personality befitting a Kiyomiya head, not sweating the small stuff and being quite generous, and he hasn’t changed, I suppose.”

“……Yes.”

I haven’t shared that much information, though. In essence, she’s implying my father is an eccentric who would have a child with a commoner.

“Has it been about ten years since Keiji-san last visited our home? It’s good of you to come.”

“I’m terribly sorry for the long absence.”

Translating that, it’s something like, “What nerve does an illegitimate child like you have crossing the threshold of a prestigious family?”

“Um, Mother. That’s enough for greetings…”

“Be quiet, Anri-san. Interrupting others is against etiquette.”

“……I’m sorry.”

Even Maritsuji Anri can’t openly defy her parent like this.

“Maritsuji-san… I mean, the mother one.”

“Keiji-san, you have no right to call me mother. What is it?”

“Earlier, you mentioned the name Wakura Honoka. That’s my mother, right?”

If the conversation isn’t progressing, I have to ask myself. Wakura Honoka──the person I believed to be my mother, whose photo I kept hidden, but who turned out not to be my birth mother. Excluding Sayaka now, she’s probably the person I’m most curious about.

“Why did you ask Sayaka──our servant──about my mother?”

“Why, I wonder?”

“……I’m the one asking the question here.”

Mother Maritsuji isn’t exactly playing dumb; she’s tilting her head. Maybe I shouldn’t poke too much…? No, let’s probe a bit more.

“Or rather, do you know Wakura Honoka──my mother?”

“I was classmates with Kiyomiya Takatsugu-san and Wakura Honoka-san. We were students at the same Sōshūkan as you all.”

“Ah, so that’s why…”

I don’t think it’s particularly coincidental. Many children of Kyoto’s prestigious families living in the capital enroll in Sōshūkan.

“It’s not that nostalgic, though. During school days, I was distant from your father, and I had even less contact with Wakura Honoka-san.”

“……I heard Mother was a scholarship student.”

“Yes, I hear that system was abolished recently. That’s quite something. I thought it was an unnecessary institution even while I was enrolled.”

“……”

I end up staring intently at Mother Maritsuji’s eyes.

“Keiji-san, what is it?”

“The abolition of the scholarship system was too sudden. The principal wouldn’t tell me, but I suspect someone pushed for it behind the scenes.”

I voice my suspicions without holding back. The other party is from high society and has lived more than twice my years. Even if I try to probe her intentions, I can’t win.

“I haven’t pressured Sōshūkan or anything. I think the scholarship system is unnecessary, but stripping rights from current scholars would be vulgar. It seems the Toyohara family has been tainted by barbaric Tokyo ways.”

“……Pardon me.”

I can’t win at probing intentions──but it doesn’t seem like she’s lying either. The Maritsuji are, in a way, a family whose hallmark is “refinement.” It might be unthinkable for them to crush the system knowing it would leave scholarship students in the lurch.

“Ah, I remember one thing. I was on the library committee during school. I often saw Wakura-san in the library. I wondered when she studied; she was immersed in the library, reading books indiscriminately.”

“……The library books are free, after all.”

Mother──I’m not sure if I can call her that, but perhaps she enjoyed books as free entertainment. Sayaka also enjoyed 30-yen used books, taking similar actions…

“So that’s how it was…”

I could hear Sayaka’s faint murmur from behind. She must have thoughts about her real mother’s behavior.

“Seeing that servant girl suddenly reminded me of those days. I don’t even remember Wakura-san’s face well. She was famous, but she was a student with such a thin presence.”

“I barely remember Mother’s face either.”

“It’s unfortunate she passed away young. We were distant, but she was excellent, so it’s a loss.” She paused, her gaze shifting. “Now then… that servant girl.”

“I’m Hisaka Sayaka.”

“Sayaka-san… The Maritsuji family has no fortune. But we have enough leeway to hire one more servant.”

“What are you talking about?”

Sayaka seems to be tilting her head, but seriously, what is this about? Maritsuji family servant?

“Sayaka-san, won’t you work for our house?”

“Huh!?”

“Mother, pulling her away so suddenly?”

I nearly stand up in surprise, while Maritsuji casually interjects.

“W-What are you saying, Maritsuji-san!”

“I like that girl. Sayaka-san, I’m sorry for the lack of refinement, but I can offer a higher salary than now?”

“Eh…”

“Eh, my ass! Sayaka, is money making your heart waver?!”

What happened to the setup where you infiltrated the old Kiyomiya residence with various motives?!

“Just kidding. Maritsuji-san’s mother, I lack knowledge of etiquette and manners, so I can’t work at any house but the lenient old Kiyomiya residence.”

“If you lack etiquette and manners, all the more reason. Our house specializes in teaching etiquette. You probably didn’t learn much at the current Reizen house?”

“……”

T-This person knows Sayaka was freeloading at the Reizen house in the past. She acted like it was her first time meeting Sayaka, but she had investigated beforehand. What a devious person… as expected of Anri-chan’s mother.

“Kiyomiya-san?”

“Nothing at all.”

I reflexively shake my head at Maritsuji’s voice, which seemed to read my mind.

“Maritsuji-san… I mean, Rina-san.”

“……Fine. For the sake of my old classmates’ faces, I’ll allow that address.”

“Thank you.”

She probably thought it was better than being called auntie or something. I’ll call the mother Rina-san and the daughter Maritsuji.

“Rina-san, I am the only son of the Kiyomiya family head.”

I readjust my sitting position, placing both fists on the tatami.

“Kiyomiya and Maritsuji share the same Taiga family status. Of course, I won’t lack respect for you as an elder and the wife of the next head, but I won’t accept being treated lightly from now on. As one who bears the Kiyomiya name, let me say just this.”

“……So you’ve started using the Kiyomiya name.”

For just a moment, Rina-san directed eyes at me as if seeing something amusing. I think her mouth was faintly smiling too. It was also like the smile of a carnivore that found prey to torment.

People of the aristocratic class have shaken hands with those they hate to the bone while wearing full smiles. Perhaps the Maritsuji family, which strongly inherits noble blood, has inherited that habit as well.

“……Hisaka Tsukasa.”

“……”

My ears caught Sayaka’s tiny, tiny murmur.

My real mother supposedly swapped her own son with the Kiyomiya family’s daughter──what kind of person was she? Even now that the truth of the switched child has been revealed, a sly boy who wears the Kiyomiya name like armor to stand against Maritsuji──did Sayaka see the shadow of her foster mother in my such appearance?

“That’s fine, Kiyomiya-san. You have to be like that, after all. Mother, I’m really glad I called him here today.”

Fufu, fufufufufu, Maritsuji Anri laughs.

Now it’s you?

The three women present are giving good reactions to my uncharacteristic statement. Sayaka was concerned about why Maritsuji called me, knowing some issue would arise, but was it that she wanted to see this side of me?

Whether coming to the Maritsuji house today was the right choice──well, I’ll find out eventually.

By the way, I came here today for a study session, right?