2
“I think we should give Rem a day where she can just rest and do nothing.”
At the breakfast table, Subaru waited for everyone to be present before he raised this proposal. The other five sitting at the table widened their eyes in surprise. The most surprised of all was the girl with distinctive blue hair—Rem.
She froze at her spot beside Subaru’s seat, where she was serving food, and her head gave the most adorable tilt of confusion.
“A day…of rest? Um…oh dear, have I done something to offend you? So you want to punish me by not letting me wor—”
“Er, no, Rem. That’s not what I’m saying at all. If anything, I have nothing to complain about your job performance—you’re almost too perfect.”
“Hmm—?”
Even after Subaru’s explanation, Rem’s eyes were still filled with question marks. Her complete lack of awareness of the concept of overwork was a testament to the sinfulness of her master and those around him.
Feeling sorry for Rem, Subaru reached over and patted her head. She had recently taken a liking to this, and even though she didn’t know the reason why she was receiving such affection, she accepted it unconditionally with a soft smile.
“Soooo let me take a stab at what you’re saying. You, Subaru, wish for me to reconsider the way I treat my staff. Did I get that riiiight?”
While Subaru patted Rem’s head, Roswaal, the master of the house, correctly guessed his intent. The marquis was wearing his usual white-based clown makeup that morning, his purple lips twisting into a warm smile.
“Well, it’s not exactly a complaint, but it’s close to one,” Subaru answered.
“How daring of you, Barusu. How can you be so rude to Master Roswaal? A servant is far too lowly to complain to his master. And you are twice as lowly as that, Barusu.” Irked by Subaru voicing his opinion directly to Roswaal, the already cold Ram gave Subaru an extra-icy rebuke.
“I could do without the special treatment, Ram. But do you really not have any thoughts on the matter?” He frowned judgmentally at the maid, who worshipped the ground Roswaal walked on, and continued, “Rem works too hard… Or rather, all the staff in this mansion relies on Rem too much. It’s just too cruel.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Ram said, shaking her head adamantly.
Subaru sighed. “Okay, then…who made this breakfast?”
“Rem did.”
“Who woke up first this morning to do the basic cleaning and air out the place?”
“Rem did.”
“And who wakes you up, helps you get dressed, and brushes your teeth?”
“Rem does.”
“How have you gotten this far in the conversation without feeling ashamed?! What are you, royalty?!”
“Oh, I am not that exalted.”
“That wasn’t a compliment!”
Subaru emitted a tired sigh at Ram’s smug insolence and pressed a hand to his forehead. It was then that somebody who hadn’t participated in the conversation thus far raised her hand from her seat at the left side of Subaru and asked, “May I say something?”
She was a beautiful girl with silky silver hair and a voice like bells. Long lashes quivered above her amethyst eyes as she gazed at Subaru—it was Emilia.
She looked over at Subaru and Rem and said, “Okay, it’s very clear that Rem works really hard…but don’t the rest of you work hard, too, Subaru? Why do you want to give just Rem some time off?”
“Emilia-tan, I appreciate your concern, but real talk, this is a matter of workload and difficulty level. I was just thinking, in that regard, Rem works much harder than Ram and me.”
“You surprise me, Barusu. A useless half-wit like you, I can understand, but I accomplish every task I’m given efficiently. Don’t lump me in with you.”
“How can you say that when you only do the same workload as a half-wit like me?! For that matter, what were things like before I got here? Did you sisters used to split up the work I do now?”
“Now that’s a stupid question, Barusu. Rem did it.”
“Um, maybe you’re just oblivious, but nothing about what you just said is good, okay?”
Setting aside Ram, who was being impossible, Subaru turned to face the person who should be most involved in these negotiations—Roswaal. The master of the house seemed amused when he gestured for Subaru to continue.
“If you’ll let me backtrack a little,” Subaru said, “I’ve got more examples of Rem’s reverse-special treatment. Take that demon beast scare we just had. You know, that crisis we averted without casualties no thanks to you, Rozchi?”
Subaru was referring to the crisis that had transpired not long ago. There was an attack at Earlham Village by some urugarum, demon beasts that lived in the forest. They had miraculously managed to get by with no deaths and only a few injuries.
Secretly, however, Subaru had actually tasted the anguish of death several times, but that could be conveniently omitted.
“I did promise a reward for solving that crisis,” the marquis replied. “Now, given the contents of the reward you requested, Subaru, I suppose it doesn’t feel real to you juuuust yet.”
“Yeah, and, um…well, I do appreciate that.”
He shot a sideways glance at Emilia before murmuring his thanks to Roswaal. Emilia gave him a curious look: she didn’t know what Subaru’s reward was. He didn’t want her to know about all the arrangements he’d made for their date. He thought it was important that it seemed like he had prepared the flower field and the garland of flowers all by himself.
“Forget about my reward. It’s just…if you gave me a reward for resolving that crisis, don’t you owe Rem and Ram a reward, too?”
“Are you saying I should give the same special treatment to my staff that I would give to a guest like you? That is a rather luuuudicrous request, if you ask me.”
“Okay, my guest status aside, is there any reason not to reward them? Besides, this is a great opportunity to be generous and get a likability boost from your servants. Max out their loyalty stats! Doesn’t that sound appealing to you, Master?”
As Subaru leaned in for the kill, Roswaal smiled and muttered, “Loyalty, eh?” with a sideways glance at Ram. Seeing the latter bow in reply to his glance, Subaru remembered one of his servants already had her loyalty stats maxed out and realized his playful speech had failed epically.
“You thwart me every which way I go, Ram.”
“Don’t even try to shake my or Rem’s loyalty to Master Roswaal, Barusu. Besides, from that declaration you just made, it would be perfectly acceptable to restrain you on suspicion of being a spy sent here to sow internal discord.”
“Wow, show a little mercy for your fellow survivor of that shitshow!”
Even though they had managed to achieve some impressive levels of cooperation, it hadn’t influenced his likability with Ram in the slightest. If anything, she was downright adversarial. Subaru was at a loss for what to say. However…
“But you knoooow, I don’t particularly see any reason to write off Subaru’s opinion, either.”
“Master Roswaal…”
“Don’t look so disappointed, Ram. I am noooot conceding the point. I’m simply saying Subaru’s point has merit. That crisis in the village was practically an oversight on my part. If I don’t offer even a little reward to those who so deftly resolved the crisis, people will start calling me an ungracious nobleman.”
“May I have your favorite quill as a reward, Master Roswaal?” Ram asked promptly.
“Somebody sure changed her tune on a dime!” Subaru groaned.
Roswaal obligingly handed Ram the quill in his breast pocket. Ram took it reverently, hugged it softly to her chest, and stepped back.
Nevertheless, Subaru had neutralized one of his final obstacles. He had gotten Roswaal’s approval, and Ram had backed off. The rest would be easy. All he had to do now was convince the person in question—Rem.
“Subaru?”
Rem, who had spent the entire conversation letting Subaru pat her head, blinked and looked at him.
“Seems like I won the right to a reward for us workers. All right, tell me any wish you’ve got. As long as it isn’t something that’s beyond Rozchi’s wealth or power, he’ll make it happen somehow!”
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t get her hopes toooo high.”
Subaru saw a clown cackle out of the corner of his eye, but he forced that from his mind. He focused instead on Rem, whose cheeks were noticeably pink as she smiled softly at him.
“Thank you so much, Subaru. But I am content just working here in this fine house with my sister and you. I need nothing more.”
“But that makes this entire conversation pointless!”
Technically, Ram was coming out ahead with her new quill.
Kindness and unselfishness were virtues, but the inability to express a desire when prompted had to be a vice. A vice of the people who’d made her that way, and of the girl who didn’t recognize her own desolation.
“Okay, how about we do the first thing Subaru suggested?” Clapping her hands, Emilia ended the conversation gridlock with an idea. “Hearing what you all were saying just now made me reflect a bit on my actions. I was relying on Rem’s help a little too much. And if I feel this way, then it’s only natural that as her colleagues, Ram and Subaru would feel the same.”
Emilia looked to Subaru for support, and he eagerly nodded yes.
“That’s why I’m in favor of giving Rem a reward,” Emilia continued. “But Rem says she doesn’t want a reward…and I can’t help but think that isn’t right.”
“Okay, but what are we going to do about it?” Subaru asked.
“I think it pains Roswaal very much to not give Rem a reward when she deserves one. Now, it’s not Rem’s intention to hurt his feelings—she’s a kind person—but it’s important for a master to reward good work…,” Emilia said profoundly. She then stuck her tongue out, smiled sheepishly, and added, “I read that in a book once.”
When Rem gave her a slightly startled stare in response, Emilia continued, “Don’t tell us you don’t want anything. Please think of something. You do so much for us. We just want to return the favor. I know it might be difficult for you, but please try.”
“Lady Emilia…”
Rem’s eyes had been opened, figuratively and otherwise. And Subaru, who hadn’t stated his case with that much logical precision, was enamored by Emilia’s speech.
“Okay, so let’s say we go with Barusu’s original suggestion. How do we proceed, exactly?”
Stashing her quill in her pocket, Ram regained her composure and posed the question to the group. Emilia raised a finger and simply answered, “Oh, that’s easy. Asking Rem to think about what she wants will be difficult for her. Since she’s always so busy with work, she has little time to stop and mull it over. That’s why I propose we give her a day off to rest and figure out what she wants for her reward.”
“Ohhh. Good idea.” Pleased to hear she had put more thought into it than he had, Subaru eagerly seconded Emilia’s motion. From their nodding, Ram and Roswaal also seemed on board. There were no signs of dissent.
All that remained was to get Rem’s opinion.
“Lady Emilia…I truly appreciate your consideration. I am ashamed at how thoughtless I’ve been. However, giving me a reward and a day off seems excessive. All I’ve done is caused you worry day in and day out. Besides, this house needs me…”
Rem looked down, murmuring disclaimer after disclaimer. But Subaru caught a glimpse of the confident, unyielding stubbornness in her voice. She would not be convinced. So instead, he commanded—
“Rem.”
“Yes? Um, Subaru, I don’t—”
“Take a day off.”
“All right, Subaru, if you insist!”
That settled it.
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