Chapter 2: Life with a Maid

“I’m home.”

“Welcome back, Master.”

The moment I pushed open the heavy front door, I was greeted by a maid. A genuine, honest-to-goodness maid.

“I thought I told you to stop calling me that.”

“Oh, that’s right,” she said, her expression unchanging. “It’s just, when I’m in this uniform, the role takes over. You’re back late today, Kiyomiya-kun.”

“I was just killing some time on the way home.”

“Killing time on the way home… My, what an old-fashioned turn of phrase. I suppose the heir to a thousand-year-old noble family has a different sort of vocabulary?”

“I’ve never really thought about it,” I mumbled.

She’s one to talk, with that quaint, old-fashioned ring to her own speech. It seems to be a personal quirk of hers, so I decided it wasn’t worth pointing out.

I slipped off my shoes in the entryway and slid my feet into a pair of slippers. This place is known as the “Kiyomiya Family Old Manor,” a dignified, Western-style mansion that certainly lives up to its grand name. Built over a century ago, its exterior has been preserved almost perfectly, though it’s seen numerous renovations over the years. The interior has been completely modernized with central air conditioning, and the kitchen, bath, and toilets are all brand new.

“Living in a place like this, I feel like I’m going to get even more out of touch with reality.”

“That’s perfectly fine,” she replied smoothly. “You don’t need to concern yourself with such practical matters, Kiyomiya-kun. You can leave all of that to me.”

“Practical matters…”

Another one of those phrases you’d never hear in a normal conversation. Does living in a historic mansion automatically turn everyone’s speech back a couple hundred years?

“Speaking of which, aren’t you home awfully early?” I asked.

“As the one in charge of all practical matters, I have things to attend to. I came straight home without killing time.”

We continued our light banter as we walked down the long hallway and into the living room. Just getting to my room on the second floor of this massive place is a pain. But that’s a problem for later.

“Hisaka,” I started, “I’ve told you this before, but you don’t need to rush home just to change into a maid outfit and work.”

Yes, the person standing before me in a maid uniform was none other than Hisaka Sayaka—my classmate, the girl who sits next to me, the school’s only scholarship student, a renowned beauty, and the (provisional) maid of the Kiyomiya Family Old Manor. She wore a classic black dress that fell just above her knees, a crisp white apron, and a matching white headband. Aside from the slightly short skirt, it was a picture-perfect, classic maid ensemble.

An impeccable maid, at least in appearance. To me, the master of this manor, she’s just a freeloader.

“The uniform is important,” she stated. “People are, after all, judged by their appearance.”

“…”

When Sayaka spun around, her skirt fluttered up, offering a fleeting glimpse of her white thighs. My eyes were instinctively drawn more to her legs than to the uniform itself.

“Look, I don’t care about appearances. Just wear something more comfortable.”

Having a beautiful girl in a maid outfit around is… distracting, in more ways than one.

“But I’m only ‘provisionally hired,’ am I not? I must show my enthusiasm if I wish to secure a permanent position.”

“I don’t need a maid, provisional or otherwise.”

“If you say that, then this conversation is over.”

“Nothing’s over. Just because this is a mansion doesn’t mean we need a maid. That’s all there is to it.”

I sank into the sofa. The furniture, like the house, was old but of the highest quality. Hisaka left the living room, returning about ten minutes later.

“Here. Tea.”

“Are you even trying to act like a maid?” Her tone was so blunt it almost made me want to respond with polite language.

She placed a teacup on the hefty marble table in front of me.

“This is the essence of a maid’s duty,” she declared. “Brewing tea is fundamental.”

“Is that so…?”

Whether a maid was necessary or not, if the job was just brewing tea, it sounded pretty cushy. With that in mind, I took a sip.

“Hmm… it’s average.”

“Thank you for your candid feedback.”

“There’s no point in empty flattery. The leaves are top-quality, but you’ve managed to turn hundred-point tea into a fifty-five at best.”

“Your ‘candid feedback’ is starting to sound suspiciously like criticism.”

Hisaka glared at me. Maid or not, her attitude wasn’t much different from how she acted at school. The only real change was the outfit. Well, that and the fact that at school, she wore black-rimmed glasses and her hair in pigtails, while here she took off her glasses and let her hair down. And, of course, she sometimes jokingly called me “Master.” I really wish she’d stop. It puts me in a good mood against my will.

“Well, enjoy your tea. I’m going back to my cleaning.”

“Wait, hold on. That’s what I wanted to talk about.”

“What is?” she asked, tilting her head slightly. She had the look of a cool, mature beauty, but then she’d make these disarmingly childish gestures. It was completely unfair.

“I want to talk for a bit. You should sit down too, Hisaka.”

“A maid cannot possibly sit in the presence of her master.”

“It’s fine, you’re only provisional. Now sit. It’s hard to talk when one person is standing.”

“You’re so difficult…” she muttered, reluctantly perching on the corner of the L-shaped sofa. Am I the bad guy here?

“Look, Hisaka. You really don’t have to work as a maid.”

“I have no intention of being a freeloader in this mansion.”

“…”

Hisaka Sayaka—this classmate of mine—had shown up at my doorstep just a few days ago. I myself had moved into this old manor less than two weeks prior. Upon starting high school, I’d moved out of the Kiyomiya Family Main Residence, where I’d lived my entire life. It was one of the family “traditions”—Kiyomiya men must leave the nest at least once and live separately. The official reason was probably to foster independence, or maybe just to let us live freely for a while. When something is called a tradition, it’s hard to argue against it. Besides, it was actually convenient. I’d wanted to leave home anyway.

“But I’m the one who’s freeloading,” I said. “I left home, but I still get living expenses and an allowance. I’m completely spoiled.”

“And on top of that, you’re living without any parental supervision. You’re even more spoiled than the average young master,” she retorted.

“Harsh. And that’s exactly why I can’t have a live-in maid and sink into an even lazier existence.”

“I never said I would let you be lazy.”

“Huh?”

“I will perform my duties as a maid—cooking, cleaning, and laundry. But I will not tolerate picky eating or leftovers. I will scold you if your room is a mess, and if you get your clothes filthy, you’ll skip dinner.”

“Are you my mother?!” Getting my clothes muddy at this age would be pretty pathetic, though.

“Now then, let’s have a serious talk,” she said.

“Hm?” I thought we were already having one.

“Kiyomiya-kun, you haven’t taken a proper look at this mansion. That’s why you can say something as naive as not needing a maid.”

“You mean this place is too big to maintain without servants?”

“…”

Hisaka’s large eyes widened even more as she brought her hands to her cheeks.

“This is the face of a maid who is shocked by your surprising perceptiveness.”

“You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”

“Not at all. I, for one, would be delighted if my employer were competent.”

“I’m not your employer, and I have no intention of becoming one.” Being teased was one thing, but being expected to provide a job was another problem entirely.

“But if you don’t hire someone, this oversized mansion will fall into ruin.”

“…”

“The only people in this old manor are you and me, Kiyomiya-kun. Just the two of us. Just the two of us.”

“Could you not emphasize that part?”

The sheer size of the mansion sometimes made me forget, but she was right. Hisaka and I were living together, just the two of us. A teenage boy and girl under the same roof. It would be hard to deny it if someone called it cohabitation.

“The first floor has a living room, a reception room, a dining room, a kitchen, a parlor, a game room, a study, and a library. The second floor has six bedrooms. There are four toilets and three baths. The basement has three more rooms. Furthermore, the extension wing has five servants’ quarters—it could easily accommodate ten people for an overnight stay.”

“I didn’t even know all that.”

As Hisaka said, this mansion was ridiculously large. Honestly, I’d given up on trying to grasp its full layout. Or rather, I didn’t care, since I could get by just fine without knowing.

“I make rounds through the entire mansion every day. Except for your room, Kiyomiya-kun. Which is always firmly locked.”

“…Sorry about that. Ever since I lived at the main residence, I was taught to always lock my room.”

“I understand. We must respect each other’s privacy. Besides, I couldn’t get it open with a wire.”

“You did what?!”

This mansion might be old, but there’s no way an amateur could pick these locks. In fact, I’d heard they were custom-made and nearly impossible to duplicate.

“It was a joke. But returning to the main point, it would be impossible for you to maintain this mansion alone, wouldn’t it, Kiyomiya-kun?”

“…It’s not that hard to maintain the space I actually live in.”

“Precisely. Kiyomiya-kun, before I arrived, you were living entirely in this living room, weren’t you?”

“Ugh.”

She’d hit the nail on the head. It was too much trouble to go up to the bedroom on the second floor, so I ate my meals at this table, sometimes did my homework here, tossed my clothes on the floor, and slept on the sofa. The living room alone is well over thirty square meters.

It was more than enough space for one high school boy, and sleeping on the plush sofa was actually quite comfortable. Since I only had to do minimal cleaning in this one area, you could even say it was a rational lifestyle.

“You’re thinking it was a ‘rational lifestyle,’ weren’t you?”

“Ugh?!”

She’s sharp. Should I also make a face expressing my surprise at the maid’s perceptiveness?

“Living alone in this mansion doesn’t mean you should live in a makeshift studio apartment. Would the Kiyomiya family’s ‘tradition’ approve of such a thing? Isn’t this trial supposed to be about learning how to manage servants and conduct yourself like a proper noble?”

“Ugh! W-Why do you care so much about Kiyomiya traditions anyway?”

“Because I wish for the person to whom I pledge my loyalty to be an admirable human being.”

Hisaka stood up from the sofa and walked over to me. Standing between the sofa and the table, her legs brushed against mine.

“First, let’s start with how you address me. Call me Sayaka. Since I am your maid, you should use my first name without any honorifics.”

“No, wait a minute. I keep telling you, you’re not a maid. Besides, if I start calling you by your first name here, I’ll slip up and do it at school.”

“I don’t mind. Being called by my first name won’t cause me any harm.”

“T-That’s true, but…”

As far as I knew, not a single student at Sōshūkan Academy called her by her first name. As a scholarship student at the top of her class, her unique personality had left her somewhat isolated.

“I want to become your maid, Kiyomiya-kun. So please, start by calling me Sayaka.”

“That’s what you want, but I have no reason to—hey, you’re too close!”

Standing directly in front of me, Hisaka bent down, leaning forward. While her frame was almost delicately slender, the chest of her maid uniform swelled impressively. Having her that close, leaning in so suddenly… her swaying chest right before my eyes was… dangerous.

“Kiyomiya-kun, as the master of this mansion, you should employ at least one maid. So, please, use me.”

“U-Use you? I can’t just treat a person like an object.”

“I’m not asking you to treat me like an object. Just… if you’ll hire me as a maid…”

She placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned in even closer, her lips near my ear.

“At school, our relationship will be a secret. But if you give me orders in private, I will obey.”

“…”

Not just here, but at school, too? Could I really make her sit at the desk next to mine in her gym clothes all day for no reason?

“…What are you thinking about right now?”

“N-Nothing. I’m not the type to order people around, okay?”

“I wonder about that. You seem to have some carnal desires hidden deep in that heart of yours.”

This girl’s intuition is unnervingly sharp…

“But, Kiyomiya-kun, at least agree to call me by my first name. Agree. Agree to it. You will agree.”

“A-Alright, fine! I get it, so just back up a little! S-Sayaka!”

“Understood, Master,” she said with a faint smile, taking a small step back.

Phew, that was seriously bad for my heart…

“This is the first step,” Sayaka declared. “I will absolutely become your maid.”

“Where does all this passion even come from?”

You were just criticizing the passion of mystery novel detectives, but you’re a far greater mystery yourself.

Hisaka Sayaka. My classmate, an aspiring maid… and a homeless girl. This girl in a maid outfit apparently has nowhere else to go if she’s kicked out of the Kiyomiya Family Old Manor. If she’s trying to secure her place here not as a freeloader but as a proper maid, then I can understand why Hisaka—why Sayaka—is being so desperate.

But does she really have nowhere to go? Even if she wants to stay here, is becoming a maid really her only option? I have several questions about Sayaka.

To put it simply—Sayaka is suspicious.

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