#335
It’s totally driving me crazy, right?
I found myself slightly troubled by Olivia’s suggestion.
‘What should I do about this?’
I may be a petty noble with a soda pop attitude, but I know at least the basic etiquette of being a guest.
The only one Kurosawa invited was me.
So, Olivia is technically an uninvited guest.
Of course, considering Yuji’s nice and gullible personality, it wouldn’t be a problem if Olivia meddled in, but…
[Partner. Are you really going to refuse my lovely sister’s request?]
The Black Prince’s voice echoed in my head.
Well, I was planning to gather everyone after the New Year’s shrine visit to announce the ski trip anyway.
Having Olivia along, even if just a little, wouldn’t matter much.
In any case, if I tried to refuse, she’d forcibly push her way in.
That would just make things harder for me, so it might be better to simply allow her now.
Having made up my mind, I nodded.
“Do as you like.”
“Hum! Then I’ll take it as a yes!”
The corners of Olivia’s mouth lifted with a smirk.
Even if she acted all tsundere, she couldn’t hide her joy.
“I will accompany you for the safety of the lady and the master as well.”
Beside me, Bella spoke politely.
What?
Bella too?
“Why are you… Don’t tell me you’re not using that ridiculous excuse about securing quantities, right?”
“Indeed, master’s master. You are spot on.”
Bella chuckled at my words.
Now both Olivia and Bella are coming along?
My head started to throb.
Since I already allowed Olivia to come, I can’t exactly tell Bella not to show up.
It can’t be helped.
“Just take care of it.”
“Thank you, master’s master.”
Watching Bella bow, I took a sip of my black tea.
The subtle fragrance of tea lingered at the tip of my nose.
*
The holiday season had begun.
The bustling streets of Tokyo, a city with a population of ten million, were packed with holiday-goers, and the shopping districts were flying off the shelves with New Year’s lucky bags.
On the outskirts of Tokyo stood a Traditional Japanese Mansion.
It might not be as large as the Shinozaki Mansion, but it was an astonishingly sized mansion given the land prices in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo. The name “Kurosawa Yuji” was engraved on the doorplate.
This was the residence of the great hero, the Messiah who saved the world and humanity from a great disaster, the leader of the Five Crowns, and the swordsman Kurosawa Akira.
The Kurosawa Mansion had been burned to the ground during the attack by the Messiah who murdered the swordsman, but it simply wouldn’t do to leave the home of Japan’s iconic hero in ruins.
So, the Kurosawa Mansion in its restored glory, thanks to the budget allocated by the Japanese government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and the Japan Hero Association, was quite the sight to behold.
The mansion was too vast for Kurosawa Yuji to live in alone, and with no servants around, it was difficult to maintain. Therefore, he mainly stayed in the dormitory until his sister, Haru, showed up.
Moreover, the mansion was filled with painful memories from that tragic day ten years ago, which made Yuji feel guilty for not being able to protect his family. He couldn’t bear to set foot in the mansion.
But that was no longer the case.
His sister, Kurosawa Haru, whom he thought was dead, had returned!
Thus, Yuji was finally able to invite a friend over after a long time.
Although he felt the pressure from Haru, he thought it would be better to spend the New Year with his friend, Kim Deok-Sung, rather than just the three of them—Haru, Kusunagi, and himself—in that vast mansion.
It was also an opportunity to strengthen the bond between his precious sister Haru and his friend, Kim Deok-Sung.
Just as Yuji was lost in these thoughts…
“Hey, Kurosawa-kun? I’m also going to join you for this year-end invitation! As his exclusive maid, I must be by that fool’s side to assist him!”
On the morning of the invitation day, an unexpected guest burst in while Yuji was on his way to pick up Deok-Sung instead of Haru, who was busy getting ready.
The unexpected guest was Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte.
The girl who went by the glorious title of the Platinum Princess, a princess from the French royal family with a high sense of pride, claimed to be Kim Deok-Sung’s exclusive maid.
Next to her stood Kim Deok-Sung, wearing his usual slightly annoyed expression.
“Uh, Bonaparte wants to go together…”
“I know. Sorry, but let’s just go. You know, right?”
Deok-Sung said to Yuji.
“Hahahahaha…”
Yuji chuckled awkwardly.
He wasn’t oblivious to the feelings Olivia held for Deok-Sung, being the noble princess from France, unlike the other Japanese members who felt obligated to spend the holiday with family.
Thus, it made sense for her to come forward like this.
While he had a major mission to support his sister’s romantic interests, he couldn’t just dismiss Olivia without reason.
Besides, Olivia was Deok-Sung’s exclusive maid.
If she insisted on accompanying him using her rights and duties, Yuji had no way to stop her.
Scratching his head with an awkward expression, Yuji said, “Alright, fine. Bonaparte, please come along.”
“Hmph!”
Olivia turned her gaze and moved closer to Deok-Sung.
Deok-Sung let out a small sigh.
So, the trio — Deok-Sung, Yuji, and Olivia — boarded the train.
*
Clunk, clunk.
After some time on the train and a little walk through an alley, they finally arrived at the Kurosawa Mansion, just like in the anime.
The protagonist’s real home.
Yuji pressed the doorbell at the grand entrance, which had his name on the nameplate.
“Haru. I brought Kim with me.”
Yuji spoke into the intercom.
[With Deok-Sung? Just wait a moment! I’ll get ready super quickly!]
Haru’s voice bounced back through the intercom.
Crash! Bang! Thud!
Noises of things breaking and collapsing echoed from inside the house.
Hearing these sounds from behind the door, just like the scenes in anime where a heroine keeps the protagonist waiting, he couldn’t help but feel amused.
Creeeak.
Soon after, the heavy door swung open.
Oh, the heavy gate swings open.
Haru, wearing a casual t-shirt that shows off her shoulders and a mini skirt, peeks her head through the gate with her swaying side ponytail.
“Nishishishi. Deok-Sung oppa, my♥exclusive super cute gyaru☆little sister Haru is here······.”
As usual, with a nishishi laugh, Haru’s gaze shifts to Olivia beside me.
Haru’s eyes narrow.
Her lips puff out.
“What’s up, Olive unni? Why are you here? I didn’t invite you. I only invited Deok-Sung oppa.”
“I am Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte, Noble French Princess! His foolish personal maid! As his personal maid, I am bound by duty to assist him anytime, anywhere! Naturally, I must also protect him from mysterious invitations!”
In response to Haru’s protest, Olivia places a hand on her chest.
“Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!”
She covers her mouth with her other hand, letting out a refined lady laugh.
Seeing this, Haru’s eyes narrow even more.
She puffs her cheeks.
Whack.
Haru slaps Yuji on the back.
“Oppa. What is this? Your language is different!”
“S-sorry, Haru. But I can’t help it······.”
“Honestly, Yuji oppa is such a total pushover. Hmph······. Olive unni. Even if I kick you out, you’ll just barge back in, right?”
Zap.
Haru’s red eyes dart towards Olivia.
“Your wishes don’t matter! I’m his personal maid! Wherever he goes, I must go with him! Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!”
Olivia beams with excitement, letting out a refined laugh.
Her blue gaze clashes with Haru’s red one in midair.
“Well then, it can’t be helped. Come on in, uninvited Olive unni.”
Creeeak.
Haru pouts and opens the gate.
Suddenly, a well-organized traditional Japanese mansion appears alongside a Japanese garden that doesn’t quite fit with Tokyo.
Just like the scenes I’ve seen in anime.
As I was looking around, everyone entered, and the heavy gate closed behind us.
Smack.
Haru sticks close to me, crossing her arms as she speaks.
“Nishishishi. Deok-Sung oppa, welcome to Kurosawa Mansion. From now on, let’s do all sorts of things secretly together during the New Year’s! Nishishishi.”
Haru squints her eyes, pressing her ample chest against my arm.
The soft sensation felt on my arm.
Seeing this, Olivia’s brows raise up.
“Wh-what are ‘all sorts of things’?! I absolutely can’t allow anything inappropriate as his personal maid!”
Smack.
Olivia puffs her cheeks, pressing against my other arm.
“Nishishishi. Haru just meant we’d talk about what to do during the New Year. Olive unni, what naughty thoughts are you having? I’m curious! They say a tame cat climbs the kitchen stove first, but were you actually a complete perv pretending to be all innocent?”
Haru covers her mouth and laughs while looking at Olivia.
Olivia’s face turns red hearing Haru’s words.
“It’s, it’s too noisy!! That wasn’t the nuance at all!!”
“Nishishishi. No, no. What are you going to do about it? Totally enraging, right? Got nothing to say? Brain-fried, right? Ebe ebe ebe bep melong longerong!”
“Uuuuuuuuugh!!”
“Uhhh!!”
Olivia explodes with a groan when Haru sticks out her tongue.
This is a total mess.
My head already hurts.
“Ugh, it’s like you’re a man without any decency. Master, Kusunagi’s master can’t be like this.”
“Hahaha…”
From behind, I hear Yuji awkwardly laughing with Kusunagi, who has already emerged from her sword.
When did Kusunagi come out again?
I’m losing it.
[Partner. This is pure heaven.]
Heaven, my foot.
I sigh at the Black Prince’s words and enter the mansion.
As expected of the residence of Japan’s top hero, the interior of the mansion is far too spacious for just two people, just like in anime.
I see corridors with wooden floors, sliding doors, and tatami rooms.
Even though it’s just a house, a chill runs through it, making it cold.
Swish.
As soon as I step inside, Haru gestures with her chin and Kusunagi silently pulls out cleaning tools like a broom, a bucket, and a vacuum cleaner.
Gesturing at Kusunagi like that, what is Haru even?
“Alright, since we’re at our house, let’s start with the year-end cleaning. Nishi-shishi-shishi. Olivia sister, as the exclusive maid, I’m sure you’ll clean up well, right?”
Haru taunts Olivia.
The year-end cleaning she mentions refers to the Japanese custom of thoroughly cleaning the house before welcoming the New Year.
Olivia, seeing this, tightens her fist and trembles.
She places her hand over her chest.
“Of course! I’ll clean everything without leaving anything behind!”
Just as Olivia says that.
Swish.
My shadow swells, and she finally reveals herself.
Bella.
Her exclusive maid, who was supposed to come along with Olivia.
“When it comes to cleaning, that’s me, Bella. Please trust me with it.”
“Eek?! What, what’s going on? Bella sister is here too?”
Haru is startled by Bella’s sudden appearance.
“Yes, that’s right. I serve the master’s master together with the young lady. I’m an inseparable shadow of the master’s master.”
Bella naturally holds a vacuum cleaner in her hand while saying this.
Wait, when did you become my maid?
This is ridiculous.
I allowed her to join, but I didn’t expect Bella to say something like that.
Just when I was surprised, Haru suddenly regains her energy after a moment of silence.
“Well, fine. It can’t be helped. It’s good that we have more hands for cleaning. Everyone, follow Haru and let’s clean every nook and cranny of our house today! Sparkling clean! Nishi-shishi-shishi.”
Haru, wearing an apron and a headscarf, smiles while holding a rag in her hand.
I guess I have to clean too?
Just as I think this while holding a rag,
“Oh, Deok-Sung oppa doesn’t have to clean. You’re a special guest.”
Haru snatches the rag from my hand.
A special guest?
I don’t have to clean, which is nice, but is that really okay?
As various thoughts flicker through my mind,
“While Haru and the others clean, Deok-Sung oppa should just relax in that warm spot. Nishi-shishi-shishi. Once we’re done, Haru will come with a super cute JK love attack!”
Haru chants some weird skill name as she pulls open the sliding door.
And there it was.
An item that’s indispensable for winter in Japan.
A traditional Japanese heating device combining a blanket and a square table.
It’s a kotatsu.
Yeah, I was wondering when that would show up.
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