Chapter 183: A Maid's Duty
Several days after I returned from Kagura.
I’ve finished with things I should do like treating my family with Kagura dishes, then arranging the ingredients, and giving the souvenirs.
Even when I spend too much back in Kagura, we should be able to earn back more than enough money and gain lasting profit from table tennis.
I have also explained the specific tools needed and the detailed rules about table tennis on the return trip to Tori.
After that will be the adult’s - Nord-tousan - area of expertise, so I leave it all to him.
But it won’t be manufactured in the countryside like Koryatt village since we don’t have a proper facility to make them. After that, Tori would probably be able to do a good job just like with the Reversi.
Building a system to earn a lasting income without having to work.
This is precisely a crucial step to have an ideal slowlife.
Being able to earn money without working at all, what a wonderful thing.
In any case, now I don’t have anything to do because of that.
Furthermore, Eleonora-neesan is also not in the mansion currently due to participating in the joint practice with the Knight’s Order in the royal capital.
Meaning, I don’t have to accompany Eleonora-neesan in practicing with her, or being exploited and ordered around, and thus my free time will increase.
In other words, I will have more free time.
So I have to spend this time meaningfully, right?
I’ve been thinking about it but, now it’s possible for me to idle around or do the things that I haven’t been able to do.
Unfortunately, it’s only a matter of time until Eleonora-neesan returns.
I don’t know the specific date of when she will return but, Eleonora-neesan said that she will be back in the summer. If I’m unlucky then she might already be on the way back and I don’t even have a week for myself.
So the time when there is no Eleonora-neesan is ten times more valuable than usual. I have to fully enjoy it.
So I thought, now I’m considering what should I do today in my room.
「For now let’s make the room cooler by releasing cold air with Ice magic」
Having decided that, I cast Ice magic and spray the cold air inside my room.
The sultry air changes into a cool one, and the room is filled with cold air.
I like the feeling when the hot air is being pushed away and the air turns cold.
It feels so comfortable when the nice and cold air is caressing all of my body.
After that, I close the window that was open to let the fresh air spread throughout the room. Then close the curtain and cut the room from the sunlight.
This will not make the temperature inside the room increase quickly.
Cause I won’t be able to come up with a good idea inside a sultry room.
It’s also important to prepare a comfortable environment like this after all.
I suddenly became thirsty, after adjusting the temperature inside the room.
It’s summer so as expected, I guess I’m going to have something cold. I feel like drinking fruit-based drinks.
Speaking of fruit-based drinks, it would be the grape juice we bought as we stopped by Kikka en route to Kagura.
Using Space magic, I take out a grape juice barrel, a cup, and a spoon that I stored in the subspace. When I bring the cup near the barrel’s tap and twist it, a beautiful purple grape juice came out.
After that, I slowly freeze the grape juice inside the cup with Ice magic, and it’s completed after it turns into a sherbet.
I stir the grape juice-turned sherbet with the spoon. After confirming that it has turned into the right shape, I scoop it with the spoon and put it into my mouth.
The sweetness of the concentrated grape spread inside my mouth along with the coldness.
Immediately after my throat is wetted, the fruity taste of the juice brings with it a refreshing feeling. The characteristic sourness of the grape and the coldness from the drink match-ed each other, and it’s truly irresistible in this hot season.
It’s also interesting that a crunchy sound resounded each time I chew on them.
Some people may like a different taste, but for me, I prefer a slightly stronger ice texture.
It’s like I’m eating a cold sherbet, but if it melts its texture will change and I’ll be able to enjoy a soft sherbet.
There are some fearless ones among my friends (previous life) who let it melt until the last minute and ate them in the most concentrated state.
Setting those aside, I think that even the same sherbet may have a slightly different taste.
I eat the sherbet by silently moving the spoon to my mouth while thinking about that kind of thing.
However, when you eat too quickly then your head will go *kiin*.
Nevertheless, it’s so delicious and I can’t stop the spoon.
「Ahー, I feel it!」
I unintentionally moaned while holding my forehead.
Despite knowing what would happen, I still did it.
This is the fearfulness of having a cold drink.
「I feel a cold air!」
Just when I’m holding my forehead that was suffering from the dull pain, a maid - Mina’s - voice resounded from the hallway.
Mina is in charge of cleaning the window right now, so she should have been on the first floor until a while ago……
Maybe, she could feel the cold air that leaked out from my room? Oh well, cold air is heavy anyway so it has the property to fall, but it’s hard to imagine that the cold air leaking out from my room has gone down to the first floor.
While I’m tilting my head in confusion, I can feel Mina’s presence moving in this direction.
Then she came to a stop in front of my room.
Then, maybe Mina is now sticking her body to the door of my room? There was a rattling sound coming from the door.
It’s scary for me - who is inside the room - when you silently make that kind of sound……
「………I knew it, the cold air is leaking from Alfried-sama’s room……」
I can hear Mina seriously saying that, as though she had found conclusive evidence.
However, Mina can’t come in.
Basically, there is a rule here that states, a maid can’t enter a private room unless they have some business with the owner of the room. Mina would probably not break that rule since Mel-san had explained the rule’s importance.
If she broke the rule then I - as the master - can complain to Mel-san and even she will be angry at Mina and will end up with something unpleasant.
Because of that, I can predict Mina’s next action.
Just when I’m sure of that, the door of my room was knocked.
「……Alfried-sama, it’s Mina. Do you have any problems there? 」
She won’t be able to enter unless she has things to do. So, she would probably think of making up something.
But unfortunately for her, right now I feel like taking this chance to spend my time freely. If Mina enters the room then I won’t be able to use Space magic and that will be extremely inconvenient.
And if we’re having a conversation here, then it would be possible for her to somehow force her way in, so it’s best to ignore her right now even though I feel pity for her.
「…………」
「Alfried-sama? Can’t you hear me?」
Mina knocked on the door again as she call out to me for the second time.
But I still stick to my plan of not answering her.
Just think of me taking a nap and giving up already.
「……could it be, are you sleeping? Sleeping again in this kind of cool room since morning, I’m so envious you know!?」
You’re envious of me, huh? It’s wonderful being able to spend my time in such a room with refreshing air even though it’s summer.
I’m sharing the cold air leaking out from the door with Mina, after all, so bear with it today.
「……mumumu, I also want to enter. But, I have no errand to let me enter and I will be scolded if I enter……no, it’s naturally my job as a maid to worry about Alfried-sama’s condition since he is the master, right? I mean, he might catch a cold if he was sleeping in such a cool room. That’s because Alfried-sama occasionally exposed his stomach while he sleeps. Yes, it’s a maid’s duty to enter their master’s room because they’re worried about them!」
Even though she usually won’t say something knowledgeable like that, she only says something like that when she’s in fine shape.
Though Mina used to be simpler than this in the past, who influenced her to make her like this?
Just when I was astonished at her change, the door to my room suddenly moved as it rattled.
Seeing that, I hurriedly close the door with Psychic, then I also lock the door just in case.
「Aahh!? Alfried-sama, you’re using strange magic to close and lock the door, didn’t you!? You’re actually awake, right!?」
Immediately after, I can hear Mina’s voice that was filled with resentment.
That was dangerous, I forgot to lock the door. That’s because Eleonora-neesan got angry when I lock the door, so it became a habit of not locking the door.
I want to spend the time relaxedly so let’s lock the door since there is no Eleonora-neesan right now.
「You’ve been so noisy since a while ago Mina. What are you doing?」
Ignoring Mina who is screaming while banging on the door to my room, heard Sara’s voice.
She probably came to check on Mina since she was so noisy.
Come now, get scolded by Sara, and leave this place.
「It’s terrible Sara! Alfried-sama suddenly said that his chest is hurting!?」
Just when I smile while thinking along that line, Mina - who should be in front of the door - comes out with something unexpected.
What is she saying now!?
「Is that true!? Let’s immediately enter the room to check up on him!」
「But, the room is locked so this is bad since we can’t enter………!」
「I’ll go get the spare key now!」
Sara - who took Mina’s words seriously - sounded so impatient as she yelled.
「No no, there’s really nothing wrong with me!」
「………eeh? Alfried-sama!?」
Sara - who was about to run to take the key - stared at me, looking bewildered.
And the moment I opened the door, Mina swiftly moved and intruded into my room.
「……haaaaaa, it’s cool. This place is heaven」
Mina muttered while looking ecstatic.
Good grief, this maid is true to her desire as always.
Sara nervously asks when I turn my eyes toward Mina with a stunned expression.
「……err, Alfried-sama. Didn’t your chest hurt?」
「Really, I’m fine. That’s because Mina wanted to enter my cool room that she lied and tried to make Sara help her to open the door」
When I explained the truth to her, Sara turned silent with no expression on her face. Her eyebrows twitched, and I can see a vein popping out when I look at her forehead.
Despite being terribly worried and anxious, it was actually for a rather stupid reason when she heard about it.
「………at any rate, Alfried-sama is also in good health today and nothing’s wrong」
「Un, thank you for everything」
When I answer Sara while smiling, she briskly approaches Mina who is on the room’s floor.
「Haa, the coldness of the floor is so irresistible. When I put my cheek on the floor――it hurts!? What are you doing!?」
「……no matter how you’re faithful you are to your desire, there are good and bad things you have to consider」
Sara pulled Mina’s ear while saying that with anger in her voice.
As might be expected, Mina’s lies this time may have been unforgivable for Sara
「Bu, but it feels this cool!? It makes you want to enter the room, right!?」
「Nevertheless, your lies from before are not a joking matter. Mina should try to do her best to suppress your desires a little more. I’m sure that you will think about something bad if you were given too much time on your hands. So I’m going to give you three times more work than usual so that you won’t think about some unnecessary things. There are a lot of works outside to be done, like procuring ingredients in the village, tidying the garden, and weeding」
「Making me work outside in such hot weather, that’s awful! There’s a devil here!」
Sara walks out of the room while strongly pulling Mina’s ear.
Humans will think and say some unnecessary things when they have free time after all. So I think Sar’s words have some truth in them.
「Pleae help me Alfried-sama!」
As Mina leaves the room into the hallway while her ear is being pulled, she asks for my help.
「Hey, it’s natural for a maid to worry about the physical condition of their master - namely, me -, right? If that’s the case, then not only the outside, you have to also properly clean the inside of the mansion so that I won’t be sick, okay?」
「Then, I will also add the work of cleaning the mansion」
Sara announced to Mina while grinning after hearing what I said.
「N, no way!?」
Mina’s sorrowful scream resounded through the mansion.
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