3
When Rem entered her quarters, Emilia greeted her with a radiant smile and said, “Ooh, you made the tea today, Rem? It’s been a really long time!”
With her long silvery hair and crystalline violet eyes, Emilia was a vision of immense beauty—even to Rem, who regarded her sister Ram as a supreme being.
It was midafternoon. Lunch had passed, and the manor’s residents were busy with their own tasks as teatime approached.
Bringing Emilia a moment of respite with a tray of tea and sweet treats was part of Rem’s duties as a servant—though Subaru usually took on that role himself.
“Subaru and my sister went shopping in the village today. Their list was rather long, so they didn’t make it back in time for tea.”
“That’s too bad,” Emilia said. “That’s an unusual pairing, though. Usually, you go shopping with one of them, Rem.”
“I do, yes. But today, I made a special request for them to go together instead… I want my sister and Subaru to become better friends.”
Just as that morning’s conversations had suggested, Subaru and Ram weren’t necessarily enemies. In fact, to an outside observer, they seemed to get along just fine.
The only issue was that both of them could be rather closed off at times, and Rem wanted to change that.
“So I had to harden my heart and give them a little tough oni love,” Rem explained.
“I see. So you want them to be friends… Yep, that sounds like a good thing. I’m on board.”
Emilia clapped her hands and smiled brightly in agreement with Rem’s plan. But then she tilted her head, and after pondering for a moment, she added, “I always thought Subaru and Ram got along really well… Remember when they went with Puck into the forest to forage for tea ingredients?”
“Yes, and that did improve my sister’s opinion of him greatly. But I think they need another push, so I decided to give them one.”
The shopping list Rem had given them required them to run all over the village, which would take extra time. If, during that time, they managed to open up to each other a little more, then Rem’s Happiness Project would be one step closer to success.
The only issue was that Rem’s Happiness Project also required assistance from Emilia as well as herself…
“Hmm? Is something the matter?” Emilia asked.
“Oh, no, nothing’s wrong. In any case, that’s why I’m serving you today. My tea isn’t as tasty as my sister’s, and I’m not as good at small talk as Subaru, so my apologies in advance.”
With an emotionless bow to conceal the feelings inside, Rem pushed her cart into Emilia’s rooms.
Emilia’s rooms were more than twice the size of Rem’s or Ram’s and were located near Roswaal’s study. At the back of the main room stood an ebony desk, while in the center was a large table with chairs for hosting guests. Her bed was in an adjoining room.
Both her desk and dining table were covered in books and documents.
“Sorry about the mess. I’ll tidy up right away,” Emilia said.
“My apologies for the inconvenience.”
Emilia immediately started cleaning, while Rem prepared the tea behind her. Once the table was cleared, a steaming cup was placed on top of it.
“Wait, where’s your cup, Rem? Aren’t you having any tea?”
“No, Lady Emilia, I’m just your server. I couldn’t possibly join you…”
“But Ram and Subaru always drink tea with me.”
After a brief hesitation, Rem said, “Then I graciously accept your hospitality,” retracting her earlier statement and accepting Emilia’s invitation.
Her instincts as a servant resisted the idea at first, but since both Subaru and Ram did it, she decided to prioritize relationships over formality. (Though she did feel a twinge of guilt, recalling Frederica’s training.)
“I’ll have to apologize next time I see her…”
With a murmured apology for her senior maid, who was currently away from the mansion due to personal matters, Rem poured herself a cup of tea. Then she accepted Emilia’s offer and sat down for teatime.
“…”
Both quietly savored the flavor and aroma of the tea. No conversation naturally sprang up between them. Realizing this, Rem felt a slight bitterness—not from the tea, but from her own shyness.
Rem was naturally passive. She knew this well. She wasn’t as assertive as Ram, nor did she possess Subaru’s boundless energy.
Perhaps because of that, Emilia kept a bit of distance from her. The silence between them was proof of that, and Rem felt wretched for it.
I shouldn’t have accepted Emilia’s invitation—
“You know…it’s really nice, drinking tea in silence like this now and then.”
“…”
“Subaru always talks a lot, and Ram helps me with my studies, but being with you is really relaxing, Rem.”
The thin smile on Emilia’s lips and the sincerity in her words caught Rem completely off guard. A closer look at her expression showed no trace of insincerity. She truly meant what she said.
Rem was ashamed of herself for sulking, for thinking she was worthless just because of a little silence.
She glanced toward Emilia’s desk, searching for a conversation topic. “Your studies…how are they going?”
Emilia’s eyebrows lowered slightly. “Not bad, I hope. I’m very behind than the other candidates, so I have to work much harder.”
As a candidate in the royal selection, much was expected of Emilia. Beyond the wisdom to govern an entire kingdom, she needed the knowledge, education, and countless other qualifications that would become the backbone of that wisdom.
At present, she was still in the early learning stages, and even the most charitable assessment would place her far below the necessary standard. Yet the royal selection would begin before long.
“Before it starts, I want to become at least a little more competent,” Emilia confessed.
“I understand how you feel. When my sister and I were first taken in by Master Roswaal, our first task was to learn all sorts of things.”
When they had first left their village, Rem had been utterly ignorant of the outside world. What she learned at the mansion extended far beyond her duties as a servant. Aside from the basics of reading and writing, she had to study everything she should have known but didn’t. That was why it wasn’t mere lip service when Rem said she understood what Emilia was going through.
“You and Ram spent all your time studying at first?”
“Yes. Especially me, since I’m not as intelligent as my sister. I had quite a hard time.”
“So it was difficult for both of you… I guess there really aren’t any shortcuts. I was a little panicked at first…but I suppose I just have to keep moving forward.”
As Emilia’s voice grew quieter, Rem’s eyes widened at an unexpected thought. “Lady Emilia…do you also have moments of anxiousness?”
Emilia puffed her cheeks slightly. “Of course I do, silly. All the other candidates are really extraordinary. I’m already seen as a problem just for being a half-elf, but even without that, I spent most of my life in the forest before all this.”
Rem knew that Emilia had been born and raised in the Great Elior Forest, but beyond that, she knew very little about her life.
Looking back, Rem realized she had avoided getting too close to Emilia. That was due to her own insular, conservative way of thinking. To Rem, the most important things in life were her precious sister and the world that immediately surrounded her.
Rem had no particular interest in Emilia—neither positive nor negative. That was why, when it came to her, she only involved herself or assisted when Roswaal commanded it.
She also assumed that somebody as ever-positive and hardworking as Emilia didn’t need her help. Rem would take care of herself, and Emilia would take care of herself—it was best if they interacted as little as possible. Their shallow relationship had been based on that assumption.
But now—
“Lady Emilia, it really is a shame about your singing.”
“What?! Oh no, why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?!”
Rem’s remark made Emilia’s peaceful smile twist into a grimace, as if she was on the verge of tears. Watching this transformation, Rem maintained her nonchalant expression and continued. “You’re all thumbs, you’re a little too trusting at times, which makes you rather gullible. Also, you’re easily influenced by those around you…to the point that you’ll wear a bucket on your head.”
“But Subaru made me do that! Plus, it was an important lesson.”
“Yes, that’s true.” Rem then lowered her voice and murmured, “All of these are things I only learned in the past month.”
Because she had never tried to get to know Emilia on a deeper level, this was all Rem knew about her. But there were still some things she hadn’t mentioned.
Hearing the subtle change in Rem’s voice, Emilia stopped fuming and pressed a hand to her mouth and said, “Oh!” apparently realizing something. Then, with a playful grin, she said, “Okay then, my turn. Rem—you’re surprisingly really stubborn. Also, you love children’s books, songs, and poetry, but you’re not the biggest fan of mayonnaise. And…you and Subaru are very close friends!”
“Well put, Lady Emilia. I cannot refute any of that. That last part in particular was quite agreeable.”
“Hee-hee! Wasn’t it? But what’s come over you all of a sudden?” After proudly puffing out her chest, Emilia tilted her head in curiosity.
Rem awkwardly shook her head and said, “There wasn’t any deep meaning behind it. I just wanted to make sure of something. We’ve known each other for half a year now, yet so much has happened this past month.”
“Hmm…you’re right. Things have been really hectic since Subaru arrived. I’ve spoken with you and Ram much more often, too.”
“Yes, so, um…what I’m trying to say is…”
Unable to properly express herself, Rem fell into thought, searching for the right words. Emilia’s amethyst eyes reflected her patience as she waited in silence.
Seeing her like this, Rem made a decision. Truth be told, she had once felt indifferent about Emilia’s progress. Whether or not the future unfolded as Roswaal envisioned was of no concern to her.
But now, she could admit she had been wrong.
“I hope you come out on top in the royal selection, Lady Emilia. I doubt there’s much that someone like me can do to help…but even so, I’ll do whatever I can.”
“…”
“I didn’t care about supporting you before, but I’ve recently had a change of heart. It was because I got a chance to know you better, Lady Emilia.”
“…Even though everything you mentioned about me was really embarrassing?”
“…Well, yes, I suppose it was,” Rem admitted with a mischievous smirk.
Emilia puffed out her cheeks and whined, “Heyyy!”—then immediately burst into giggles. The two shared a laugh at the table for a while before Emilia said, “Thanks, Rem. That really made me happy. Yet another thing I need to thank Subaru for.”
“Yes…Subaru is truly wonderful.”
“He sure is. Subaru is a really good boy.”
As they shared their subtly different opinions about the boy, Rem and Emilia lifted their teacups to their lips.
The midday tea had turned into a much different affair than either had expected. However—
“Rem, may I make a request?”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Could you make me another cup of tea? I’m really in the mood for more of your tea today, Rem.”
* * *
And with heartfelt affection, Rem prepared Emilia’s next cup of tea.
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