NOVEL WEB Chapter 202
While I was busy helping Altera in the kitchen, cooking, carrying things around, and tidying up, slowly, family members started coming back one by one.
The first person to arrive was Lapiz.
She threw off her shoes like she was exhausted and then, seeing me, rushed over as if she had just recharged her energy.
“Oh, how do you like the outfit?! Do you like it? I put a lot of thought into the design, so is there anything uncomfortable or annoying about it? Maybe a rough finish or… ah, what if there’s a lint problem…?”
It was amusing to see someone who looked ready to collapse suddenly become so lively, but it was also surprising to hear her speak so quickly and clearly.
She grabbed my hands tightly and started firing off words like a machine gun; it was clear she was thrilled.
I couldn’t possibly pour cold water on her excited face like that.
Aside from the slight tightness and the questionable appearance, the outfit had no real flaws, so I answered with a reluctant smile.
“Well, it’s a bit tight around the chest, but I can get used to that. I like it, ma’am. Thank you for your consideration.”
Even though I answered in a way that usually reflected the proper demeanor of a lower-ranking person, Lapiz looked at me as if she found my reaction a bit strange.
“Is there a problem or something?”
Tilting my head in curiosity, Lapiz let go of my hands and took a step back, looking at her grandmother.
Her gaze seemed to question how much trouble I must have caused to be so well-disciplined—as if to say, “Did you really raise her like this?”
“I didn’t do anything, you little rascal. Isn’t it your fault for rolling over and shaking your tail like that from the start?”
It seemed Altera used “rolling over” as a metaphor for obedience, but cats aren’t animals that typically submit to anyone.
In fact, they only tuck their tails between their legs when they are scared. Showing their belly is something only dogs do.
But since she was the superior, I kept quiet.
Lapiz seemed to have understood to some extent.
“Grandma is a scary person just by sitting still!”
“Our little stone, am I scary?”
Lapiz chuckled as she playfully responded to Altera’s question.
“I’m not scared, but… you do act scary towards others.”
“That’s because they bring it upon themselves. If they came to me politely and sensibly, I would return the courtesy and treat them sensibly too. It’s really that simple, but they seem unable to manage even that.”
Altera sighed as if she really couldn’t understand it, as if returning citizens also had their own struggles.
However, I knew that if I continued down this path, I might not be able to say what I needed to, so I interjected, knowing it was rude.
“…If it’s uncomfortable for you, I can speak to you in the informal way I used to, just for you. Would you prefer that?”
“Yes, I’d like that. Right now… it feels a bit scary.”
Altera seemed slightly displeased that her conversation was interrupted, but since Lapiz reacted so eagerly, she merely looked on.
“You can call me whatever you want inside the house, but not outside, Lapiz.”
“Of course, Grandma.”
In just a day, I felt like I could see how things worked around this house. But that aside, I still had my tasks to complete.
“…As long as you can tell that much, I won’t say anything further.”
“Then I’ll call you ‘ma’am’.”
“…Can we drop the ‘ma’am’ part?”
“No way, or it’ll just get too casual. If you get too casual, you might forget your position. So, this is how we’ll do it.”
Lapiz, though somewhat convinced by my reasoning, made very clear that she wasn’t entirely pleased.
“Thanks for your consideration, ma’am. It’s nice to be able to breathe a little when things get stuffy!”
Once I said that, Lapiz turned her head away, indicating that she didn’t really expect a thank you.
I was left bemused, and after tilting my head in confusion, I looked to Altera for the next task.
“Looks like you picked up a little troublemaker.”
She said that to me as if I had done something. What exactly did I do?
—
Since a servant couldn’t share a dining table with the family, I was eating at a table set apart from theirs.
However, I couldn’t help but wonder if the quantity and quality of the food were appropriate for a servant. I wasn’t entirely sure, but isn’t it typical for servants to eat in a separate area with more modest meals?
This was just smaller portion sizes, but it was essentially the exact same menu that was served on their table.
It’s not that I was dissatisfied; the food was delicious. How could I complain about that? I just wondered if this was okay.
Feeling the pressure, I hastened my pace, knowing I couldn’t remain seated after they were done eating.
Sensing that it wouldn’t be appropriate to unfurl my tentacles since it would look unseemly, I developed a routine of quickly eating without being too hasty.
Speeding up my eating, I managed to finish quickly. Still, I wished I could savor the flavors, but such is my life going forward.
From now on, I’d have to get used to this.
I moved my plate to the sink, waiting silently near their dining table, and soon, one or two people stood up, seemingly done.
They hesitated, as if just remembering I was there, and asked if I could take their plates as they returned to their seats.
“That seems… like a lot for you. Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Don’t worry about it. This is nothing for me, ma’am. Just go do what you need to do.”
“Well, it’s just… Maybe we could drop the ‘ma’am’? I don’t think you’ll listen anyway.”
“That’s exactly it.”
It might not matter for others, but with Lapiz, it probably didn’t make much difference at all, so I took off my gloves and extended my slime to wash the dishes all at once.
Lapiz saw this and muttered, “So it really was no big deal,” while fluttering around, cautioning me not to get my clothes wet.
One would think I made a mess as if I were leaving a baby on the waterside. Considering my age, I’ve lived far longer than Lapiz.
Maybe I had been around longer than her mother… but who knows, that’s not important now.
As I briefly let my mind wander, I finished washing the dishes. I hung them on the drying rack without overlapping them and finished tidying up the dining table.
“You can put that in the fridge… Ah, you already know. You’re surprisingly good at this…?”
Seeing me handle everything myself, Lapiz tried to help from the side but felt a bit awkward since I was managing just fine on my own.
“Of course, ma’am. Did you think I couldn’t do this just because of that pigsty-like room?”
Lapiz nodded silently in acknowledgment.
“…Well, that was just an exception. The room was dirty from the start, and anyway, I wasn’t planning to stay long, and it wasn’t going to be my room forever. This was the first time I’ve slept in a free person’s room, I think?”
I tried to explain that my room got messy because I was living alone, as I leaned back.
Her expression soured a bit when I mentioned I wouldn’t stay there long, but Lapiz didn’t seem particularly bothered.
“So, cleaning properly here means you’re planning to stay a while, huh?”
“Of course, ma’am. Would you mind stepping aside for a moment? Thanks.”
Lapiz seemed to have nothing better to do, trailing behind me as I did the household chores, which made me feel somewhat uncomfortable under the watchful eyes of her family.
Even if Lapiz ended up fixating on me after going through all that, Altera seemed to have taken a liking to my work ethic, but the rest probably didn’t feel that way.
Besides, having someone around who didn’t exist just a day ago was bound to be distracting.
It’s not like I’m necessarily better than a complete stranger… well, I’m not sure about that. I owe Lapiz for being such a hassle too.
“Ma’am, don’t you have something to do? As far as I know, I was under the impression you had some homework.”
My treatment would hopefully improve as I spent more time here, but I couldn’t expect anything good to come right away.
Having Lapiz tagging along was rather inconvenient.
“Ah, I do have some… could you help me with my homework, Blanca?”
But as I tried to find a way to shake off Lapiz, she instead pulled me along.
Even when I tried to refuse, I couldn’t due to her strength.
Since I didn’t have much to do, running away with an excuse wasn’t really an option either.
Dragooned all the way to Lapiz’s room like a lost kitten, she beamed at me, saying I could finally relax.
…I couldn’t exactly hit her for that.
Although it didn’t seem like a malicious act, I still asked her politely what in the world she was doing.
“Huh? I really just wanted your help with my homework!”
She was being completely honest and devoid of any ulterior motives.
“…Ma’am, can’t you at least do your homework alone?”
“That’s boring~ Besides, I have someone much smarter than me I can boss around!”
“Well, I can’t exactly say no since you asked, but you do realize that doing it this way won’t help you learn anything, right?”
“Yep, I know!”
This is going to be a disaster. For my own sake and for Lapiz’s, I had no choice but to help her with her homework, even providing explanations.
It’s definitely less efficient than working through it on her own, but at least it’s better than doing absolutely nothing.
As I helped solve her homework and gave explanations, suddenly Lapiz interjected.
“Hey… Blanca. Do you want to sleep together tonight…?”
And just like that, the bomb dropped.