Chapter 24 (1/2)

“*ya~wn*”

The first day, morning.

I woke up on a soft bed.

In a room 10 square meters in size.

This is my private room, though only temporarily.

What hung on the wall were not maid clothes, but butler clothes.

It was given to me yesterday by Merry the sheep.

It seems that I had become his subordinate, an apprentice butler attached to ojou-sama.

“…… my terms of employment are that I have to get ojou-sama to suck my blood within these 3 days.”

If I couldn’t do that, then I would be returned to the slave house.

If I were returned to the slave house, I might be sold as a male prostitute next time.

“I have to do my best to get friendly with Chrisse ojou-sama so that doesn’t happen!”

I got up from the bed, full of motivation.

I changed into the butler clothes, and when I left the basement the hamster-eared maid was already waiting.

“G, good morning, Mercè-san”

“Good morning, Lute.”

This girl who was expressionless at first glance was the Vlad house’s head maid, Mercè, from the beast race, hamster clan.

Wearing a traditional maid uniform, she had her hands crossed in front of her.

She had small breasts, and a slender, tall body.

At a glance she looked the part of a capable maid.

“Sorry, it looks like I kept you waiting.”

“No, I had just gotten here, so please don’t mind it.”

Mercè spoke disinterestedly, her expression unchanging.

“Well then, since Lute is going to be taking care of Chrisse ojou-sama for three days from now on, you will be working with me.”

“Looking forward to working with you.”

She was the maid who had been looking after ojou-sama until now.

Which is why I was working as her helper for taking care of ojou-sama.

Also, Mercè was positioned as my overseer.

The one who decided that was the butler Merry.

Merry presented me with a few conditions.

Those were the 4 conditions.

Because she was going to oversee me, and moreover she hardly showed any facial expressions, I didn’t really know how to handle her.

She had the air of a demon mother-in-law or an office lady that would run her finger on a window frame and say “is this what you call cleaning?” once I was done with cleaning.

But contrary to my negative image of her, Mercè—

“I agree with Gigi-san’s opinion. I think something might change if Lute, who is similar in age, stays by her side. So do your best so you can stay. I’ll be rooting for you.”

“Thank you very much! Mercè-san!”

Who was I calling a demon mother-in-law or office lady?

Mercè-san is an angel!

At her urging, I started walking.

“Then let’s firstly wake ojou-sama up. Since I’ll be helping with ojou-sama’s morning preparations, please go to the kitchen and fetch her breakfast in the meantime. Do you know where the kitchen is?”

“Yes, I think I’ll be alright.”

“If you don’t know just ask any servant.”

“Understood.”

While having that conversation, we finally arrived at ojou-sama’s room.

Mercè-san knocked the door.

“Ojou-sama, excuse us.”

“Excuse us.”

Without waiting for ojou-sama’s answer, Mercè opened the door and went inside.

I followed along timidly behind her.

A sweet scent typical of girls tickled my nose.

The room was dark.

Thick curtains draped the windows.

The bedside lamp was put out, the only source of light came from outside the doors.

I looked around the room once again.

The room was rather spacious, about 2 classrooms in size.

It was decorated with plants, thick carpets where your feet would sink down to the ankle, a dresser, desk, table, sofa, clothing rack, plushies, and accessories made out of real glittering gems. Inside the room there were more rooms: a bath, toilet, and a kitchen.

It seems that the Count has spent money to make a room perfect for a hikikomori.

I shouldn’t be saying this as a former hikikomori—but the thought of “You should’ve used it to set your daughter on the right path” didn’t escape my mind.

“Chrisse ojou-sama, it’s morning. Please get up.”

Mercè-san called out to ojou-sama in the middle of the canopy bed buried in a thick feather quilt.

Her golden hair spread on the bed, the innocent-faced ojou-sama breathed steadily as she slept.

Her slightly reddened cheeks seemed soft, I was driven to poke her with my finger.

The sight of a child rolled up like a ball on a bed that could fit three adults and then some was rather cute.

“Ojou-sama, please get up.”

「…………！？」

……?!

When Mercè-san shook her shoulders, she finally opened her eyes.

But when I entered her vision, she widened her drowsy eyes as big as they could be in surprise.

She immediately covered her head with her quilt again.

Ojou-sama threw an uneasy glance at me, obviously on alert.

Mercè-san introduced me in order to dispel her wariness.

“This is the apprentice butler Lute who will be taking care of ojou-sama and also be your blood bag. Lute, greet ojou-sama.”

“Good morning, Chrisse ojou-sama. I am ojou-sama’s blood bag and caretaker, apprentice butler Lute, of the human race. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

I gave her the greeting I learned from Merry last night.

I put my right hand, fingers outstretched, to my left shoulder, put my left hand in a fist behind me, and lightly bow my head.

This is how a formal greeting is done around this world.

For women, they grip the edge of their skirt with their left hand and raise it slightly, otherwise it’s the same as men.

Ojou-sama used her magic device—the mini blackboard she used yesterday.

“Boys are scary so I’d rather not have a boy take care of me.”

Then ojou-sama hid herself just like she did yesterday.

After that, she won’t come out no matter how much we called.

1st day, morning… I failed at communication from the very beginning.

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

While I was in the room, Chrisse ojou-sama was afraid and didn’t come out.

There was nothing I could do, so I brought her breakfast to just outside her room, and left Mercè-san to take it inside.

Mercè-san and I then tidied up ojou-sama’s breakfast and had a late breakfast at the servants’ messroom.

“So long as you don’t fix ojou-sama’s wariness first, it’s impossible for Lute to stay in the Vlad house.”

Mercè declared while eating her bean soup, bean salad, and thick-sliced bacon.

Since I came to the Demon Continent there’s strangely been a lot of bean-based cooking.

“I’ve been thinking about it too, but really, what can I do to fix ojou-sama’s wariness?”

“That’s certainly true….”

Mercè-san stopped her hands from scooping up the bean soup and pondered.

“……Lute, it’s only been a short while, but it was nice to be working with you.”

“It’s still too early to give up!”

“It was a joke.”

Mercè-san delivered her joke in such a deadpan way, it didn’t sound like one.

While reaching her spoon out towards the bean salad, she proposed.

“What do you think of making her some snacks?”

“Snacks?”

According to Mercè-san―Demon races like sweet snacks very much.

Ojou-sama was no exception, she was very fond of sweet snacks.

During tea parties held at her room in the afternoons, she ate all kinds of cakes that doesn’t seem to fit her small body.

So I should have Mercè-san teach me and make some snacks with my own hands for ojou-sama to eat.

If I start now it wouldn’t be in time for her afternoon tea party, so I was recommended to make some jelly or cookies for the tea party that is to be held after dinner (this is also held at ojou-sama’s room).

In other words, the plan is to fix ojou-sama’s wariness and get closer to her through food.

“I see, it’s a good idea. By the way….. there’s jelly?”

“Don’t they have those at the Fairy Human Continent? It’s a snack made of slime powder. It’s transparent like water and soft, you put fruits and other things inside.”

It’s made of slime…..?!