6
The next morning, Rem woke up earlier than usual, took extra care with her personal grooming, accomplished the early-morning chores with more cheer than usual, and arrived at Ram’s room at the same time as usual.
“Sister, Sister, it’s morning. And a very lovely morning at that.”
“Nnn…five more minutes,” Ram said with a groan like she did every morning.
As she burrowed into her blanket, Rem pulled her up to her feet. Ram wobbled as Rem sat behind her and ran a brush through her pink hair.
“Sister, here’s a hot towel.”
Yawning, Ram took the hot towel from her sister. As she wiped her face, her senses gradually awakened. Meanwhile, Rem brought out her clothes, slipped off Ram’s nightgown, and helped her into her uniform. She was a pro at the job.
Rem hummed as she dressed her sister, who was fully awake now and broke into a smile.
“Rem…you seem to be in very high spirits this morning.”
“Am I? Well…yes, I suppose I would be. I had a very meaningful day off yesterday. And I owe it in part to all your hard work, Sister.”
“So…did you have a good rest?” Ram asked simply.
Rem thought over the last day—the lunch and dinner Ram and Roswaal had prepared, the way Beatrice sunbathed with her belly exposed as she dried the laundry, the way Puck flew in a sudden gust of wind, the way Emilia broke a pot mid-dusting and wandered around in circles on the verge of tears…and of course, the words she and Subaru exchanged on their little walk in the mountains…
Each and every memory made the answer quite obvious to Rem. “Yes, Sister. I had the happiest day off yesterday.”
“Good. That’s all I needed to hear.”
Ram closed her eyes and nodded in satisfaction after she saw Rem’s smile. This was an expression of heartfelt contentedness that not even Rem got to see very often. Ram let her peaceful gaze go to the window and said, “I suppose Barusu does have useful ideas now and again.”
“Oh yes! Subaru is amazing. You feel that way, too, don’t you, Sister?”
“I was about to feel that way, but now I’ve changed my mind.”
Rem puffed her cheeks childishly at her sister’s sarcastic reply. It was a side of herself that she only let her sister see. (Though, that list had expanded to include one other person now.)
After Ram was dressed, Rem clapped for her as she posed in front of the mirror. Then they stepped out into the hall just in time to see Subaru, yawning and walking through it. Spotting the twins, he stifled his yawn and waved. “Good morning, you two… Wait, why is the elder of you glaring at me first thing in the morning?”
“Like you don’t know? This is the face a lady makes when she finds a dead rat first thing in the morning.”
“Um, I hope that wasn’t a direct response to my question!”
Weighed down by the conversation in her room, Ram was extra icy with Subaru that morning. With a sheepish smile, Rem decided secretly that she would be extra nice to Subaru to compensate.
“Don’t mind her, Subaru. She’s just being honest with her feelings.”
“That’s a funny way of saying, I’m sorry my sister called you a dead rat!”
Rem wasn’t sure why, but she had failed. Sometimes, her attempts at kindness would miss, and that always confused Rem. Still, Subaru set aside his frustrations and took a deep breath. Then he looked at Rem and said, “By the way, Rem, did you manage to get some rest and enjoy your surprise day off yesterday?”
“Yes, of course. And I owe it all to you, Subaru.”
“Tsk!”
“Sister, you just cursed under your breath, didn’t you?” Subaru stared hard at Ram, who looked away in a huff. Though envious of their good rapport, Rem took satisfaction in the fact that she had found a joy even greater than that.
“Well, I’m glad to see that big smile on your face, Rem,” Subaru said, shyly scratching his cheek as he observed the unexpectedly big smile on the maid’s face. “So, Rem—you had a whole day to think about it. Have you chosen a reward yet? And don’t tell me you were too busy concentrating on relaxing to think of one.”
“Oh, I won’t tell you that. But you don’t need to give me a reward, because I already got it.”
“Whoa, for real? That’s news to me. Stupid Rozchi, I thought we were friends.” Cocking his head to the side, Subaru griped about the absent master of the house. But it was a simple misunderstanding. And a blatant false charge toward Roswaal.
Because Rem had already gotten her reward in full from Subaru’s suggestion. Everyone in the house had been mindful of Rem and had helped freely so that Rem could get the most out of her day off.
Everyone believed she was worthy of that. And she now believed she was worthy of it, too—what greater reward was there than that?
“ Your Rem is looking forward to putting in another day’s hard work!”
And that was why Rem’s smile was much sweeter that day as she looked at her two loved ones.
<Fin>
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