HTPTMOTMM Chapter 8

"Th-that didn't come from me."

"I know. That sound just now came from Dian the kitty."

"Dian the kit—! Don't call me weird things!"

Really, restoring the logout and video save functions was urgent in this game. Dian and I bickered as we sat at the table.

"Oh, look at this. Ta-da! Is this what you asked me to bring?"

When I lifted the cover from the other plate I'd brought, Dian's face brightened.

What he'd wanted was a cake decorated with purple flowers. The surface was coated with pink syrup, glistening appetizingly. According to Dian, it was a special dessert only available during welcome parties.

"Did you get two like I said?"

"Yes, you can have both if you want, young master."

I smiled contentedly and pushed both cake plates toward Dian.

Big sister is full just watching you eat. My mood had been low from seeing those corrupt adults in the dining hall, but our precious one is the best after all.

"No, I didn't want to eat both..."

But for some reason, Dian fidgeted restlessly with both cakes in front of him.

"This is... I mean, you're supposed to do it like this..."

Dian, wiggling both hands, spun the plates in circles.

When he moved the two cakes close together... what formed was a heart shape.

Gasp!

"C-cute...!"

Without thinking, I brought down the hand that had been supporting my chin and struck the table.

What, what, what! Even during all my time working as a maid, I didn't know—Tom the head chef had this kind of cute sensibility?

"They only make it like this when a new guardian arrives. But I never had a partner until now..."

Dian lowered his head and mumbled. He seemed a bit embarrassed but also happy.

"Aww, so you wanted to get two with me and make a heart?"

"I-I was just curious! What it would feel like..."

"So how does it feel?"

I grinned and poked Dian's cheek with my finger. I didn't need to hear the answer. Dian's face was telling me everything.

"Not bad, I guess..."

But even while saying that, he stubbornly pretended it was nothing—so very Dian.

"Me too."

I giggled and pulled Dian into a hug.

"I'm really happy right now."

I imagined how Dian must have looked, sitting alone at the table, enviously watching others. So I hugged him tighter.

The child who'd probably been craving human warmth breathed small breaths in my arms a few times, then cautiously raised his hands and hugged me back.

"...Me too."

Soon a very small voice settled by my ear like a feather.

"I'm happy too."

The first day that would surely remain the most meaningful among 44 meetings was passing like that.

3. Protect the Sunfish Young Master

Morning at the Redford Estate started early.

At 5 AM, employees woke to the sound of bells ringing in the corridors, then headed straight to the chapel after light washing and grooming.

"Now, let's do morning prayers today as well."

This gathering of all employees in the chapel for prayer before breakfast was a daily occurrence at the Redford Estate. After finishing the not-very-long morning prayer, they took turns going forward one by one to sprinkle holy water from a silver basin on their foreheads.

But the atmosphere in this chapel, bathed in clear, transparent morning sunlight, had been extremely gloomy lately. Everyone glanced at the person beside them with eyes full of tension, suspicion, and wariness.

Ever since three days ago, when the newly arrived Room 7 guardian killed the head maid. More precisely, since everyone at the Redford Estate learned that the head maid had been a Morose.

Until then, Head Maid Jane, befitting her position leading the employees, had never once missed prayer time. But despite that, no one had known she was a Morose until now.

That fact suggested that even daily purification with holy water couldn't expose a Morose hiding its identity.

So people couldn't let go of their tension, thinking colleagues they'd been socializing with might actually be monsters.

"Did you see the new Room 7 guardian?"

After finishing another bleak morning prayer, the employees crowded into their private dining hall.

Still, three days after the head maid's death, people were beginning to mingle and converse again little by little.

"Hard to believe someone who doesn't look the part might be an elite graduate. No wonder it was suspicious from day one when they killed a Morose..."

As expected, whispers about the newly arrived Room 7 guardian were most common.

"I heard the sound of a child running in the annex last night too. Totally creepy."

Also talk of the purple room in the annex where footsteps were heard every night.

"What about our bet? Now that the Room 7 guardian's here too, anyone want to change their pick?"

"I still think Room 1's Lusca or Room 2's Minuel have the best chances..."

And endless chatter about the Redford Estate's children passed through the employees' lips.

"Oh, Sara Rose! Hello!"

The freckled, brown-haired maid who'd been quietly listening to all the noise startled at the sound of her name. She turned to see Betty, who used the room next to hers in the dormitory. She'd been chatting with other maids and gestured for Sara Rose to come over upon spotting her. Sara Rose hesitantly approached them.

"H-hello, Betty."

"Sara Rose. You're assigned to Room 7, right?"

Sara Rose, a new maid who'd only entered the Redford Estate a week ago, still hadn't fully adjusted to the estate's atmosphere. So having fellow maids approach her first like this was something she appreciated.

"I've been in the kitchen the whole time and haven't seen them. What's the new guardian like? Not difficult?"

But Betty's question wasn't something Sara Rose could answer well.

"Well, it's only been three days... I'm not sure yet."

"Haven't they asked you to do anything?"

"Just... they lost their luggage and borrowed some clothes, but..."

Betty asked several more questions after that.

But with Sara Rose's mumbling responses each time, the other maids seemed deflated.

"I see... You really don't know anything? Too bad. Oh, we're at the dining hall. Enjoy your breakfast, Sara Rose."

They arrived at the dining hall and crowded off together elsewhere again, leaving Sara Rose alone once more.

After breakfast, the employees returned to their respective positions and began their assigned work.

Sara Rose also prepared washing water in time for her master's waking hour.

"Hey, Sara Rose! Wait a moment."

But while walking down the corridor, a woman wearing a red ribbon on her wrist appeared and snatched away the washing water Sara Rose had prepared.

"Ah! Wh-what are you doing?"

"What else? Lady Marianne is waiting, so I'll need you to yield again today."

The person who'd robbed Sara Rose of the washing water was the employee in charge of serving Room 1's guardian, Marianne. Her shameless expression suggested there was nothing wrong with what she was saying to Sara Rose.

"Th-that's not right! I heated this water! And Lynne will also be waiting..."

"My, that's why I asked you to yield, isn't it? You're making it sound like I stole it. What happened to colleague goodwill?"

Sara Rose seriously wondered if this was the workplace hazing she'd only heard about.

But before she could assert the unfairness and argue, a cool voice fell from ahead.

"And you. I hear you're excited because a guardian finally arrived for Room 7, but surely you don't think Room 7 is on the same level as our Room 1?"

Sara Rose shrank under the cold gaze pinned to her face.

The Room 1 employee snorted at Sara Rose, then left first, fluttering the red ribbon on her wrist.

Sara Rose trudged off to prepare washing water again.

From her week working at the Redford Estate, she'd learned there were implicit rankings even among employees.

The most arrogant were cases like the employee who'd just stolen Sara Rose's washing water.

Employees serving young masters and guardians likely to survive and "leave" the estate as adults were mostly haughty, following their masters' lead.

Some even tied ribbons in their master's room color conspicuously on their wrists, oppressing other employees.

In that respect, Sara Rose had bad luck.

When she first arrived at the Redford Estate, the only vacant position was Room 7's maid. So Sara Rose had no choice about her master from the start.

Of course, the estate's dynamics had shifted slightly three days ago when a guardian finally arrived for Room 7. But Sara Rose's treatment among employees hadn't changed much yet.

Though many showed interest as rumors spread that the new guardian was elite-trained... still, the dominant assessment was that since this was "that Room 7 young master," no one knew when he'd die.

Sara Rose climbed the stairs listlessly.

Recalling Lynne's room—shabby beyond belief compared to other guardians' rooms she'd heard about from employees—made her depressed again. That shabby room seemed to show Sara Rose's own future, having chosen the wrong line.

Knock knock.

"Lynne, I've brought washing water."

Finally arriving at Lynne's room, Sara Rose knocked.

No answer came from inside, but it was already waking time. So she entered to wake Lynne.

"Then excuse me."

Whoosh!

But the moment she opened the door, instead of dark silence, bright sunlight and wind rushed at Sara Rose all at once.

"Ah!"

Simultaneously, some white cloth flew toward her too.

She'd seen that pattern somewhere—it was the lace cloth covering the empty table. This modest room lacked even decorative items to weigh down the table. So the tablecloth, hit by wind from the open window, fluttered and flew to cover Sara Rose's face and body.

Sara Rose, unable to avoid the sudden combined attack of wind and cloth, swayed.

But before Sara Rose lost her balance and fell, the person in the room approached smoothly and pulled her waist into an embrace.

"Are you alright?"

A woman's low voice resonated from beyond the white cloth.