“Eh-, well then, thanks for the hard work!”
When the store closed, the sky had started to whiten. Saito and Louise were standing there unsteadily. They were so tired, they felt like they were going to die. They were completely exhausted doing a job that they were not accustomed to.
“You all worked your best, it seems. We're in the green this month.”
Scarron started handing out the wages to the girls that worked in his store and the cooks in the kitchen, who were all letting out shouts of joy.
It seemed today was payday.
“Here, Louise-chan, Saito-kun.”
Thinking “We're getting some too?”, Saito and Louise's faces lit up for a moment, but... the only thing in it was one thin scrap of paper.
“What is this?”
Saito asked. The smile from Scarron's face disappeared.
“A bill. Saito-kun, how many plates did you break? Louise-chan, how many customers did you anger?”
Louise and Saito looked at each other and sighed.
“It's okay. Everyone makes mistakes at the beginning. Just try your best from now on and pay back the bill.”
And... the sighing didn't stop after that.
The room given to Louise and Saito was reached by following a corridor lined up with the guest room door... and using a ladder to climb up and reach the attic.
No matter how you saw it, it wasn't a room that was made for people to live in. Being dusty and dim, it seemed to have been used as a storage room. Broken cabinets and chairs, wooden cases holding wine bottles, and barrels... All kinds of objects were piled up. A rough, wooden bed had been placed there. When Louise sat, her legs gave in which caused her to flop right down.
“What is this?!”
“A bed, right?”
While wiping away a spider's nest, Saito opened the small window. Doing so, the bats that seemed to live in the antic flew in screeching and hung onto a beam.
“What's that?!”
“Probably our roommates.”
Saito said with a calm voice.
“You want a noble like me to sleep here?!” Louise screamed angrily.
Saito silently picked up the blanket on top of the bed and cleared away the dust. Then he laid down and put the blanket on himself.
“Come on, let's sleep. Scarron-san already said it. I wake up at noon and prepare the store. You're going to clean the store.”
“Why are you fine with this?!”
“It's not much different from the way a certain someone usually treats me.”
Saying that, Saito, probably because he was tired, quickly fell asleep.
Louise moaned “uu~” and “mu~”, but she gave up after a while and snuggled in with Saito. Worming around, she placed her head on Saito's arm.
It was definitely a horrible place... but there was one thing to be happy about.
That maid wasn't here.
Geez, I don't know, what's so good, about this, familiar! That maid that likes Saito isn't here. That is honestly very wonderful. I-, don't really, like-, this but... Louise muttered in a slightly happy mood, moving her cheek near Saito and closing her eyes.
Blushing, she whispered, “I'll have you treat me kindly during this summer holiday.”
And also... pick up the rumors in the city and give detailed reports to Princess-sama. Thinking that it was going to get busy soon, Louise fell asleep.
But.
Louise's little bit of happiness was splendidly crushed. The cause was the night of the next day. The “Charming Faeries” Inn was thriving that day too. Louise was wearily carrying food or drinks out just like the previous day.
The drunken men had two types of reactions when they saw Louise.
First were the people that looked at Louise, who was small at various parts of her body, and said “This store is using kids?” angrily. To these customers, Louise served them plenty of wine. She had them drink the bottle too.
On the other side, there were the customers that had special interests.
Only Louise's outer appearance was idiotically cute, so in reverse, it was a wonderful thing to people with this line of thought. These people underestimated Louise because she looked obedient when she was quiet and reached their hands out towards her small butt or thighs. To those people, Louise decided to serve them her palm.
She served that on both cheeks, and at times, even on the nose.
Unable to act with courtesy at all, just like that, Louise didn't end up receiving any tips and was told “Stay here and observe what the other girls do” by Scarron and forced to stand in a corner.
Yes, the other girls were skilled. They smiled brightly and didn't get mad no matter what someone said or did. They smoothly conversed and complimented the men... And when the men tried to touch them, they would kindly grab that hand and prevent them from touching. Doing so, the men would try to win the girl's favor and splurged out on tip. There's no way I could do that. Louise frowned.
The family I was born to in this world is the Vallière family, who are nobles and mages. And what's more is that they are a duke family! If I go back to my territory, I'm a princess! Louise thought. Even if you told me the world will end tomorrow, I couldn't act that courtly towards them. What's more, in this embarrassing outfit......
Outfit?
Louise realized at that moment. She was in the same camisole outfit as yesterday. Even she thought that interiorly, she's not cute, but she was quite something on the outside. She scanned and found a mirror in the store. Then she made numerous poses in front of the mirror. She tried holding her thumb in her mouth and fidgeting.
Yep. These clothes are embarrassing, but I'm cute. A noble even if I rot. None of the girls here can match the nobility I let off. Right. Surely. Probably.
Maybe Saito is enchanted by my appearance, she thought and became happy. What, idiot? You're late to realize my charm. Surely he'll be like “aah, Louise is cute, amazing, aah, such a cute girl was beside me... I didn't realize it... Yet I was so engrossed with a maid... Having her wear a sailor outfit and twirling around... I regret it... This stupid dog is regretting it.”
Hmph. Are you an idiot? Sure took you a long time to realize your master's charms. But you're just a familiar, so don't look at your master in that rude way. Go and polish my shoes or something! What? You can't. You can't touch your master. For a dog, where are you touching? But if you promise to serve me for the rest of your life, I'll let you do it for a little bit. But in return, kneel down on the ground. Kneel down on the ground and apologize for all of the times you slighted me. Got it?
Fantasizing that far, Louise covered her mouth to restrain her chuckling. Then looking sideways... she stole a glance at the kitchen thinking that he was entranced by her by now.
There! That stupid dog is washing dishes with that stupid look!
Eh?
Indeed, Saito was intently observing the area that Louise was at while absent-mindedly washing the dishes. But... He was not looking at Louise. Louise followed his glance. What was there was a girl with long black hair that was rolling with laughter with a customer. It was Jessica.
Louise's pink-blond hair started surging.
Again, you and that. That black hair.
Observing Jessica even more, she followed his glance by milli-units. Jessica was wearing a tidy one-piece that opened at her big breasts. Saito's eyesight was homing into the cleavage that poked out of her one-piece.
Her breasts. Do you really love those apple-like things so much?