After finishing the meal, we began cleaning up.
Usually, the maids would take care of everything, but since there was only one today, we decided to do as much as we could ourselves.
โLetโs carry it together.โ
โThank you, Miss Sara.โ
With the maid who had returned, Sara pushed a cart loaded with plates out into the hallway.
โLuria tooโฆโ
โLuria, wait a moment.โ
I was about to chase after Sara, but Mother stopped me.
โSara is helping to push the cart, so let her be.โ
After watching Sara walk away, Mother crouched down to meet my eyes.
โLuria, you did a great job looking after Sara.โ
โWell, I am her big sister.โ
I felt shy after being praised by Mother.
โBut Luriaโฆโ
โHm?โ
Mother wiped my mouth with a napkin.
After cleaning my mouth, she also wiped the table.
Normally, the maids would do these things, but since there werenโt many around today, Mother took care of it herself.
โWas I messy? I didnโt notice.โ
โYou were much messier than Sara.โ
I truly hadnโt realized.
When I looked at my clothes more closely, I noticed they were dirtier than Saraโs.
โLuria, look at the floor too.โ
When Mother told me to, I looked down at the floor.
Carro and Koruko were sitting quietly.
Darw, apparently full from the meal, was fast asleep.
โHm? It looks clean?โ
โCarro and Koruko ate what you dropped.โ
โWhat?โ
When I looked at Carro and Koruko, they averted their eyes.
I thought they were being unusually quiet, but they had been doing that all along.
โWell, it saves us the trouble of cleaning the floor.โ
โHmm, todayโs short-staffed with maids, after all.โ
I figured Carro and Koruko were being considerate, butโ
โThey always do this, even at the main estate.โ
โR-really?โ
โMaybe itโs time for you to practice eating without dropping food on the floor, Luria.โ
โHmmโฆโ
โKyui kyui,โ โKoo.โ
Carro and Koruko seemed to say such practice wasnโt necessary.
However, as her big sister, my dignity was at stake.
Starting tomorrow, I resolved to eat more neatly.
After chatting with Mother, I helped her carry the dishes to the kitchen.
Well, technically, we only carried them to the area just before the kitchen.
The kitchen was off-limits because servants from the main estate might come by.
After that, Mother gave some instructions to the maid and turned to Sara and me.
โNow then, shall we take a bath?โ
โA bath!โ
โThereโs a big bath in this annex.โ
โWow!โ
We hadnโt found the big bath during our earlier exploration.
It seemed weโd been too careless in our search.
โWoof woof,โ โKyuu,โ โKokko.โ
Darw, Carro, and Kokko seemed excited about the bath too.
Darw, overjoyed, ran circles around us.
He must have been refreshed after his earlier nap.
Carro, who had been walking on the floor, climbed onto my shoulder so he wouldnโt be left behind.
Flapping its wings, Koruko began walking ahead.
โKoruko, do you know where the bath is?โ
โKokko.โ
Apparently, Koruko knew.
It must have found the bath during its exploration of the annex.
โKoruko, are you better at exploring than us?โ
โKoo.โ
Koruko looked proud, walking forward as if to say, โFollow me.โ
Mother walked behind Korko , with Sara and I trailing behind her.
โShould we make Korko our team leader and explore again?โ
โโฆMaybe.โ
Sara didnโt seem too enthusiastic.
Her ears drooped, and her tail hung limply.
When I explained the water-dispensing device earlier, Sara didnโt seem to enjoy being washed.
โSara, donโt you like baths?โ
โโฆIf I get dirty, I have to wash up.โ
Sheโd said something similar earlier.
โWell, youโre not that dirty, so maybe you can skip the bath today?โ
โNo, letโs take a bath together,โ Mother said gently, patting Saraโs head.
โOkay, Iโll try my best.โ
Sara hugged her stuffed doll tightly.
โI see. But you donโt have to push yourself.โ
โThank you. Hehe.โ
I held Saraโs hand and followed Mother.
The destination was an unexplored part of the annex.
It was at the edge of the servantsโ living area on the first floor.
Many areas in the servantsโ quarters were off-limits because servants from the main estate might visit.
That was probably why weโd missed it during our earlier exploration.
โNormally, the maids use it,โ Mother said with a smile.
The family rooms had private bathing facilities, but the servantsโ quarters did not.
That was why a large bath for communal use was prepared.
โIโve never used the big bath at the estate before,โ I said.
โThatโs true. The maids probably prefer to relax on their own,โ Mother replied.
Apparently, there was a large bath in the royal capital estate as well, but Iโd never used it.
The maids likely wouldnโt feel comfortable relaxing if the family used it.
When we entered the changing room:
โSara, raise your arms!โ
โIโm fine. I can undress myself.โ
She refused when I tried to help her undress.
So I started taking off my own clothes.
โHm? Hmโฆโ
I struggled with unbuttoning my dress, butโ
โLet me help,โ Mother said, coming to my aid.
โThanks, Mama.โ
After I undressed, Sara was still fully dressed.
โHaving trouble?โ
Taking clothes off by yourself was hard.
The buttons were small, numerous, and there were even things at the back to deal with.
โI can do it myself.โ
โNo need to hesitate. Mama helped me too.โ
โโฆOkay.โ
I helped Sara undress.
โItโd be nice if clothes had a hole for your tail, huh?โ
โBut if my tail sticks out, itโll look weird and embarrassing.โ
โItโs not weird or embarrassing. Itโs cool!โ
As I said that, I noticed welts on Saraโs bottom once her clothes were off.