Chapter 17: The Maid’s Service

“Good morning, Keiji-sama.”

When I opened my eyes, a maid was standing beside my bed. She wore a white headdress, a black dress that fell just above her knees, and a frilly white apron. Her brown hair was glossy, and her flawlessly beautiful face was accentuated with only a hint of makeup. Her ample chest pressed against the fabric of her apron, and her long, slender legs extended from beneath the hem of her dress. With her hands clasped before her, she bowed her head politely.

“It is now seven in the morning,” she announced. “Time to wake up, Keiji-sama.”

“…Keiji-sama? Are you half-asleep again?”

“Th-That disgraceful display only happened once! You don’t have to keep bringing up one mistake!”

“A-Alright, I understand.”

Still, that doesn’t change the fact that Sayaka is not a morning person. Just seeing her up this early and trying her best is impressive enough.

“More importantly… calling me ‘Master’ yesterday was one thing, but adding ‘-sama’ to my name is a bit much…”

“I am a maid, so it is only natural for me to address you with ‘-sama’.”

“Going that far makes it feel detached from reality,” I argued. “Just use ‘-kun’ with my name. And you don’t need to use such formal language.”

Though, she’s surprised me with formal speech before, so maybe it’s a bit late to be pointing this out now.

“I understand, Keiji-kun, is this acceptable?”

“Yeah, that feels just right. We can adjust as we go.”

I answered, my head still groggy with sleep, as I pushed myself out of bed and stretched.

Hmm? My eyes aren’t fully open yet, but isn’t this low-key amazing? To be called ‘Keiji-kun’ by the Hisaka Sayaka… She calls every other guy by their last name, no honorifics at all. This feeling of being special is insane… I could easily get lost in this sense of superiority.

“Keiji-kun.”

“Eh?”

Suddenly, the maid hugged me tightly, wrapping her arms around my back and pressing her ample chest against me.

“Wh-What are you doing!?”

“A morning greeting,” she replied smoothly. “Considering I received a one-million-yen contract fee, this level of service is only natural.”

Is she really planning on providing that kind of “service” to me? So much has happened lately that I was starting to forget, but I fell for this girl at first sight. To be woken up by her, to be called “Keiji-kun,” and now this intense hug… this is the result of using my family’s money to make Sayaka mine. Am I going to be okay? I was supposed to be leaving my scummy ways behind, but aren’t I just falling even deeper?

“After the greeting, shall I help you get dressed?”

“I’m not heading to a party. I can get dressed by myself… or rather, please let me.”

“Very well. I shall be waiting for you in the dining room.”

To my surprise, Sayaka backed down easily.

Phew, that was a close call. Has she forgotten that I’m the guy they called trash? Hugging me like that, with her chest pressed against me on my bed, when we’re alone is … If I wasn’t still half-asleep, there’s no telling what I might have done in a fit of youthful passion. Maybe I should have at least let her help me get dressed… Having a beautiful girl from my class undress me… that might be even more exciting than undressing her. A door to a new fetish opens—right, I should stop. I need to wash my face.

And so, I washed my face to wake myself up, changed into my uniform, and headed to the dining room.

“Wha!?”

In the dining room, a warm, inviting breakfast was laid out on the table. There was rice and miso soup, grilled fish and a rolled omelet, simmered vegetables, pickled eggplant, and even natto. It was a traditional Japanese-style breakfast, the kind you rarely see anymore.

“I woke up early today and had some extra time, so I decided to make Japanese food,” Sayaka explained.

“Th-That’s fine, but…” I started, grateful since I love Japanese breakfasts. But more than that— “Sayaka, you’re already changed?”

“Yes.”

Sayaka, standing on the other side of the table, was already dressed in her Sōshūkan Academy uniform. Normally, she’d stay in her maid outfit until she finished cleaning up for the morning, or at least until I left.

“Thanks to you, I’ll be able to keep wearing this uniform from now on. I wanted to show you a little early today.”

“Ah, so that’s what this is about.”

“I am officially a maid now, so I’m not particular about my attire. If you prefer the uniform with an apron, I don’t mind cosplaying for you.”

“Don’t call it cosplay.”

“I’m kidding,” she said with a slight smile. “I will wear my maid uniform properly. After all, I’ve become a real maid.”

“I-I see.”

An apron over her uniform isn’t so bad… actually, seeing an apron over the uniform I see every day at school has a certain freshness to it that’s quite nice. But if I say that out loud, she’ll definitely give me a look of contempt. Being looked at like trash by a cool and beautiful maid… how exciting. No, stop it. You’re supposed to be leaving your scummy ways behind, Kiyomiya Keiji.

“Are you playing dress-up with me in your head?”

“N-No.”

What a sharp intuition…

“Well, you’re free to think what you want, Keiji-kun,” she said, her tone light. “The food’s getting cold, so let’s eat.”

“Ah, yeah.”

I sat at the table and savored the delicious breakfast. The grilled fish was fragrant, the shijimi clam miso soup was soothingly warm, and even the plain white rice was glossy, plump, and cooked to perfection. It was so good my appetite roared to life, and my chopsticks hardly stopped moving.

“Phew, that was delicious,” I said after I’d finished. “It was even better than usual, Sayaka.”

“It’s my first day as a maid, so I put in some extra effort,” she replied, standing up with a smile that was nowhere near her previous icy demeanor. “Of course, I’ll maintain this level from now on. You can look forward to it.”

“…”

Wh-What is this smile? I knew Sayaka was beautiful, but I had no idea she could be this cute…

“Keiji-kun.”

“Eh?”

 

“From today onwards, I am truly and genuinely your maid. Please command me as you wish.”

 

“…”

That’s a sudden declaration… though I guess it’s fitting for the first morning since she officially became my maid.

“Well then, allow me to do one thing.”

“Kyah!”

I walked around the table and—SLAM—pinned Sayaka against the hallway wall.

“…I think the kabedon is a bit old-fashioned, Keiji-kun.”

“It’s a classic, time-honored method,” I retorted. “It’s not a matter of being in or out of style.”

I took a deep breath. “Sayaka, you don’t have a home, you’re not well-off, and you’re in an unstable position where your life could be ruined by a single act of harassment from the upper-class elites.”

“You know, that’s actually quite offensive.”

“Hear me out,” I continued. “But just because you’re in that position doesn’t mean I would make just anyone my maid.”

“…I am, for the record, aware that my face is rather attractive.”

“I won’t deny that your beauty is a factor. But that’s not all. It’s because you’re the Sayaka who stood at the top of Sōshūkan Academy and fought all alone that I let you stay here, got involved when your scholarship was revoked, and ultimately, decided to make you my maid.”

“Eh? What do you mean by…?”

I thought I said “I like you” in a pretty roundabout way, but I guess it didn’t get through. Even someone as brilliant and intuitive as Sayaka can be dense when it comes to romance.

“…Well, I’m heading to school. You should make sure you’re not late either, Sayaka.”

But it’s probably fine if she doesn’t get it just yet. Our relationship has only just changed from “landlord and houseguest” to “employer and maid.” There’s no need to rush things.

“Ah, wait a second, Sayaka.”

“What is it?”

“I forgot to give you this.”

“Eh? This is…”

I took something from my uniform jacket pocket and placed it in Sayaka’s palm. It was the master key to the Kiyomiya Family Old Manor.

“I’m counting on my maid to maintain this old mansion. Feel free to go in and out of any room you like.”

“Any room?”

“Of course, my room too. I don’t have anything I’d be embarrassed for you to see.”

“I can freely enter your room, too? Are you sure?” she pressed.

“B-Being questioned like that is a little scary,” I stammered, noticing her eyes starting to glint with scorn. “Only when I’m here… n-no, you can come in anytime!” I declared firmly.

It’s not like I have anything to hide… On second thought, I’ll just make sure to keep my phone on me at all times.

“A-Anyway… I’m leaving this mansion in your hands, Sayaka.”

“…Yes.”

Sayaka gripped the master key tightly in her hand.

I have separate keys for my own room and the others I use, so the master key is unnecessary for me. This is something that should be entrusted to the maid who manages the mansion.

“I am your maid,” Sayaka said, her face frighteningly serious as she pressed the key to her chest as if it were a precious treasure. “I will support your life with this key.”