“It seems like the kitchen is over here.”
“Young ladies! No! This area is off-limits!”
When I tried to enter the kitchen, I was stopped by a flustered servant, who shouted at me.
“That scared me.”
“………”
Sara was frozen, shocked.
“I apologize for surprising you. I got flustered because I thought you might enter the kitchen.”
“Hmm? Luria wouldn’t steal anything, though?”
“That’s not it. The food brought from the main residence—”
Apparently, the servants from the main residence are bringing the food into the kitchen. So, it seems they are separating the areas where the servants can enter from the areas we will use.
“I see…”
“We divide the time and minimize the number of people entering, to be prepared for any possible situation.”
“Right. It would be terrible if it got passed to Father and the others.”
Actually, it’s not a contagious disease, so it wouldn’t spread. But we shouldn’t interfere with the precautions everyone is taking seriously.
“We’ll block the off-limits area with this rope, so please don’t pass through it.”
“Got it. Sara, do you understand?”
“………”
Sara was still frozen.
“What’s wrong, Sara?”
When I shook her, she seemed to snap out of it and started moving.
“Yeah, I understand.”
“Wow-wow.”
“Kyuu.”
Not just Sara, it seems like Daru and Carro understood too.
“Okay, let’s continue exploring the areas we can move freely in! Sara, come with me!”
“Okay!”
We continued exploring the other parts of the building, tapping the floor with my cool stick as we moved.
“Luria-sama, why are you tapping the floor?”
“……To find traps…”
“Eh… are there traps?”
“The likelihood is low. But when exploring, you can never be too cautious.”
“…I see.”
I had read that in an explorer’s book.
It seems like Sara respects my skills as an explorer.
The off-limits areas seem to be where the servants’ living spaces, the kitchen, and laundry rooms are, the places where work is being done. That’s where the support team from the main residence is likely working.
“This area seems free to explore?”
“Yeah. Every room is clean.”
The servants’ areas are off-limits, but it seems the areas for the master’s family are free to move around in.
After checking the first floor, we headed upstairs.
The second floor seems to be where the bedrooms are.
“This is the bedroom!”
I entered one of the many bedrooms with Sara and the others.
“It’s soft.”
“Yeah. The futons are dry!”
Even though it’s been unused for years, there’s no moldy smell. The caretaker has probably been maintaining it regularly.
“Sara, which room do you like?”
“Which room?”
“All the rooms are almost the same, but they differ slightly. Maybe the sunlight?”
“Hmmm.”
“As for me… I’d prefer a bigger room. Daru and Carro will sleep with me, after all.”
“Wuff.”
“Kyuu.”
I petted Daru, who wagged his tail happily, and Carro on my shoulder along with Sara.
“…So fluffy.”
“Sara, let’s sleep together.”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course, it’s okay.”
“Eh-heh, heh-heh… Thank you.”
Sara smiled happily.
After that, we discussed which room we should choose.
“This room has a view of the lake!”
“It’s beautiful. The sunlight looks good too!”
“Should we choose this room?”
“Yeah!”
“Wuff-wuff!”
“Kyuu~.”
Since Sara, Daru, and Carro all agreed, I’ll ask Mother to make this our room later.
The bed is big enough for Daru to lie on, so I’m relieved.
“Let’s explore inside the room too!”
“Yeah!”
“Wuff.”
“Kyuu.”
We checked under the bed, inside the drawers, and the water facilities.
Next to the room, there was a space to wash our bodies, just like my room in the main residence.
“Sara, come here.”
“Yeah.”
“Wuff!”
When I called Sara over to the washing area, Daru ran along too.
Daru flattened his back and,
“Wow-woof,”
He showed signs that he wanted me to climb onto him.
“Daru, not now. The water is cold.”
I didn’t need to wash myself right now. I was only showing Sara how to use it.
“Kyuu~.”
I petted Daru, who looked a little sad, and turned to Sara.
“Sara, if you twist that, water will come out from there. It’s cold.”
“Okay.”
Sara nodded solemnly.
“If you get dirty, you have to wash it off.”
Sara said this as if it was a sad thing. Maybe she doesn’t like washing herself.
“I once tried to use hot water to wash Carro, but ended up splashed with cold water.”
“Wuff~.”
“Kyur~.”
Thinking back to that time, Daru wagged his tail happily, and Carro shuddered.
Maybe Daru had enjoyed bathing together in cold water with everyone.
“Of course, that was when I was still a child.”
I made sure to emphasize that everything was fine now. It was important for my reputation as an older sister.
“At that time, Marion helped me.”
“Mom?”
“Yeah. So if something happens to you, I’ll help you, Sara.”
“Thank you. Eh-heh-heh.”
Sara smiled shyly.
“Yeah!”
I patted Sara’s head, thinking how cute her smile was.
“That being said, even I have a hard time with the controls, so don’t mess with it, Sara.”
“Got it!”
Sara nodded seriously.
“Wuff~.”
Behind her, Daru stood up on his hind legs, placed his front paws on the wall, and grabbed the lever with his mouth.
“Wait, Daru!”
“Wuff?”
“Daru, don’t mess with the lever.”
“Wuff?”
Daru tilted his head in confusion and looked at me with his eyes, silently pleading, “Why? Let’s play with water.”
It seemed he hadn’t listened to the conversation I had with Sara at all.
“Daru, if you get soaked with cold water, you’ll catch a cold.”
“Wuff.”
“If you mess with it just for fun, you’ll get scolded.”
“…Wuff.”
“Water play will have to wait for another time.”
“Wuff!”
It seemed that Daru was happy with the idea of “next time,” as he wagged his tail and pressed his big head against me.
“Daru really is just like a child.”
Sara and I gave Daru a good scratch.
At that moment, I suddenly looked out the window.
“Hm?”
“Is something being built?”
“It looks like something is being built.”
Outside the villa, a building that was too grand to be considered a mere shed was being constructed.
“Is it a birdcage?”
“I think it’s a house for people. The doors and everything seem like they’re meant for humans.”
“Maybe. You’re sharp, Sara.”
When I patted Sara’s head, she blushed and shyly turned her face away.
“Hmm? That’s the butler.”
The one overseeing the construction was the butler of the Duke’s household. A butler is the head of the servants.
“Let’s be quiet, and I’ll listen carefully to see what they’re building, okay?”
“Okay.”
I opened the window, enhancing my hearing as I did so, using my special skill. Of course, since it’s a skill, my height increased.
Sara moved her cute animal ears. Daru and Carro also moved their ears with serious expressions.
“A guardhouse?”
“Oh, Sara, you heard it too?”
“Yes. Sara’s ears are good.”
“Impressive!”
It seemed that Father had thought it would be dangerous for only five servants to be isolated as guards, so he was quickly constructing a building where around ten guards could sleep and stay.
The five servants who were isolated with us were responsible for guarding the mansion, while the other ten servants would secure the outside.
“Are they planning to finish it today?”
“That’s amazing!”
Apparently, Father’s instructions were to finish it by sunset.
I was worried that the carpenters weren’t angry about the tight deadline, but then I overheard them saying:
“With this kind of pay, we have no complaints.”
“Yeah, we can make our daughter’s wedding dress with this!”
“His Highness the Duke is amazing!”
It seemed they were being paid considerably more than the usual rate, which reassured me.
“Oh, I forgot something important. There’s no toilet.”
“It’s over here.”
“Yes, Luria and Sara have toilets, but… there’s no toilet for Daru and Carro.”
“Oh, right.”
“If this goes on, Daru and Carro won’t be able to use the toilet.”
“Wuff?” “Kyuu?”
It seemed Daru and Carro had realized the gravity of the situation.
“I’ll go ask Mother. We need to go to the kitchen!”
Sara and I climbed onto Daru’s back and headed toward the base, which was the lounge.
“Mother!”
“What’s wrong?”
In the lounge, Mother was writing. She had a pile of papers on her desk and was rapidly moving her pen across them.
“Daru doesn’t have a toilet!”
“I see.”
Mother didn’t stop writing. She seemed to be incredibly busy.
But this was an emergency.
“Carro is small, so Luria can just carry her to the toilet, but… Daru…”
“Wuff…”
“If this continues, Daru won’t be able to use the toilet, and he’ll get sick!”
“Wah… kyuu…”
Daru seemed worried when he heard that he might get sick, and his tail drooped.
“Don’t worry. Daru and Carro will get their toilets soon.”
Mother stopped her pen and smiled at me.
It seemed she had already given instructions to have the toilets brought over.
“Thank you, Mother! You’ve saved us, Daru.”
“Wuff!”
Daru wagged his tail happily at the news that he would soon be able to use the toilet.
“It seems Daru should also go for a walk. Could you handle that?”
“Leave it to me.”
Mother instructed one of the servants to take Daru for a walk.
“Wuff.”
Normally, Daru would be excited, but today he looked at me with concern, unsure if it was okay for him to go.
“Daru, you’re in charge of exploring outside.”
“Wuff!”
“Go ahead and assert your territory as much as you want.”
“Wuff!”
Remembering his important job of claiming his territory, Daru wagged his tail energetically.
