Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Inviting Lize to the Club
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"Lize, the Academy's starting to feel kinda fun these days."
"Is that so...?"
"The clubs seem like they'd be fun too, and I've even made a couple of friends lately, you know?"
I was lying on the bed in my dormitory room, casually chatting with Lize like that.
"Why don't you hang out with me in the club room? It seems like it'll be super fun to decorate... Hmm... everyone's having a good time."
"...I'm fine. Being in a place full of nobles... it'd just cause trouble for you, Young Lady."
"Huh..."
"After all, I'm just a maid... and the people in the club are all from high society..."
"Hmm..."
It's not a problem at all...
It really wouldn't have been an issue even if Lize worried about it. Ella and Karen didn't have any real aversion to her anyway, and the other two probably wouldn't mind much either.
In fact, those other two might even like it—they'd get someone to brew their tea and help with annoying chores, a maid on hand.
Of course, our Lize didn't seem to think that way at all, but that's how I saw it, at least.
"You're really not coming with me?"
"Yes."
"Hmm... really...?"
"Yes."
Isn't she being too stubborn...?
There's absolutely no way Lize would be a bother or anything like that, so I couldn't figure out why she was worrying so much.
Of course, Lize had always tended to... put herself down a bit when it came to me.
Honestly, I couldn't really understand why Lize felt the need to belittle herself. She had a pretty face, she was cute, and her personality was great, wasn't it?
Plus, even as a maid, she made pretty good money.
"If you say so, Lize... guess I can't force it."
I just said that and flopped back onto the bed.
If Lize herself was refusing, dragging her along by force would just make her hate it.
I personally liked teasing Lize or messing with her a little... but I never made her do anything she truly disliked.
"But Lize, there's nothing left to clean anyway—why are you always tidying up?"
"It's already clean enough, but I just want to give you the best environment possible, Young Lady."
"You don't have to—it's already spotless..."
The room was small to begin with, and Lize had always cleaned it so diligently that the dormitory room was genuinely pristine.
She was cleaning even now, to the point where I thought she overdid it.
"Forget work—just come sit here."
"...I'm fine, but."
"It's seriously so clean there's not a speck of dust, so just rest. Anyone would think... we had some kind of germ phobia or something..."
"...Understood."
With that reply, Lize sat down beside me in her cute maid outfit.
She used to keep some distance when I told her to sit before... but now she just sat right next to me like it was normal.
Personally, this kind of change made me pretty happy.
I had no idea what Lize was thinking as she sat there, but anyway.
"Hmm..."
Lately, there'd been a lot going on at the Academy, and a lot to do, so honestly, I was tired.
Weird people suddenly showing up, overhearing other students talking... yeah.
"...Young Lady?"
"Hmm? Can't I do this?"
I was just tired, so I used Lize's thigh—right there next to me—as a pillow.
I'd often used Ella's thigh as a pillow before, so this should've been familiar to Lize too.
"I'm tired."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, the Academy's been exhausting lately."
"Hmm... I wouldn't know. I don't go into the Academy itself..."
"That's true..."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault. It's the Academy weirdos who are the problem."
It really wasn't Lize's fault at all, was it?
If anything, Lize was like a sanctuary for me—a place where I could relax completely.
Yeah, being with Lize really was that comfortable.
I'd grown up with her, spent time with her since I was little, so it made sense.
"Is it because of those things you mentioned before?"
"Mm-hmm."
"...I'm sorry that there's so little I can do for you."
"Huh? No, you haven't done anything wrong. If anything, you're the reason I'm so comfortable."
"Is that so..."
Hearing that, Lize's expression softened just a little.
She didn't show it much, but Lize secretly loved praise.
Truth be told, there weren't tons of compliments I could give her anymore. We'd been together so long, and I'd already praised her plenty?
Pretty, cute... stuff like that—she seemed kinda used to it by now.
"Hmm... Lize, don't you wanna go back home for once?"
"I do miss the mansion personally, but staying in the Academy dormitory with you... is nice too."
"Me too."
The dormitory was great, but I did miss the mansion a little.
I missed Rozalin, and Ashley who slept all day... yeah.
Of course, aside from those two, home wasn't exactly full of fun, but they were a big reason I was looking forward to break even more.
"I wonder how Mother's doing."
"Madam's probably fine. She's such a wonderful person..."
"That's true."
I didn't think Rozalin was struggling or anything.
If anything, Ashley—who probably had even more work now—was the one I worried about.
Before coming to the Academy, I'd made a new contract with Ashley, so she must've been busier for sure.
"Hmm... well, she's probably doing fine."
She's probably just sleeping like always right now, isn't she?
Ashley was still snoozing away, and Rozalin was quietly sipping rose tea in the garden or her room, lost in thought.
***
Two months had passed since Camellia left for the Academy, and the Leonhardt Mansion was unusually quiet compared to before.
William Leonhardt, patriarch of the Leonhardt Family, was still out and about for business as usual.
Just two main people left in the mansion.
"...Ashley."
"Yeees... Madam..."
In the garden sat a black-haired woman and another with tousled sky-blue hair.
The two were quietly sipping tea and milk, passing the time with idle chat.
"Camellia still has about four months before she comes back, right?"
"Probablyyy..."
"Sigh..."
"Yawwwn..."
One kept yawning with a weary, work-tired face, while the other sighed deeply with a dissatisfied expression.
It was a sight that probably would've surprised Camellia a bit.
"Ashley, it's so boring."
"Sleepy..."
"You've only worked four hours."
"...Yawwwn..."
Unlike with Camellia, Rozalin made much more use of Ashley these days.
Regardless of Ashley's personality or habits, Rozalin acknowledged her magic skills and utilized them fully for mansion management.
While her daughter Camellia had given Ashley every convenience—letting her sleep freely for pay—Rozalin offered no such leeway.
She started assigning Ashley the trickier parts of the garden and fountain that the servants found annoying. And plenty of other tasks besides.
"I never thought the mansion could get this quiet. It's so boring."
"...I'm tired."
"Should I give you more work?"
"Eee..."
"If you just finish what I assign, I don't pile on more that day, so isn't that enough?"
"Hmm..."
It might've surprised Camellia a little.
This Rozalin was a bit different from the kind, benevolent one Camellia knew.
"That's true..."
But even so, Ashley responded casually, as if used to this side of Rozalin.
"...She's doing fine, right?"
"She sends at least one letter a week..."
"You can't tell everything from letters."
"...Yes."
Ashley gave a half-hearted reply, like she'd just heard something annoying.
Having seen and heard this side of Rozalin plenty already, she saw no need to take it seriously.
"She did make some friends... Sigh..."
"...She seems like she can handle herself."
"Of course Camellia's not a bad kid at all, but that girl is a bit... unique, you know? More mature than her age would suggest... and different from other kids her age in a lot of ways."
"...Seems like she'd make something other than friends."
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing."
Ever since Camellia left for Solchemia Academy, Rozalin had been worrying about her daughter often.
Camellia had known she'd worry, but it was more than even she expected.
"Sigh..."
She'd started sighing far more than before lately.
Watching Rozalin like that, Ashley just thought...
'...I just wanna go to my room and sleep already...'
That was it.
Having heard Rozalin's laments, worries, and sighs nonstop since Camellia left, Ashley felt nothing special.
"Sigh..."
"Yawwwn..."
A lazy afternoon in the garden, the scenery shifted once again.
While Camellia spent time casually with various girls at the Academy, the two simply passed their time like this.