A Maiden’s Unwanted Heroic Epic

Chapter 298 Sigh – The End       

‘My goodness, I did allow you to drink. But still, why don't you at least think about moderation? Flirting here and there, wherever you please—'

‘Ehehe, Selene, want some drink too?’

‘You do realize I'm in the middle of lecturing you right?’

And so, she took a sip of the wine that was poured for her――her memory goes up to that point, which was not the case.

Her memory of the event was clear.

Even when she drank too much, Selene didn’t possess the fortunate talent of having no memory of what happened due to intoxication.

Therefore, when she woke up in the morning, her mind regained its rationality and was clear, even though she was half asleep.

Looking down at the servant who was wiggling around, she saw ample breasts.

Looking up, she saw the face of a slightly sleepy-looking servant.

She yawned softly, then gave a slightly embarrassed smile and gave Selene a kiss.

"Good morning, Ojou-sama."

"..., Good morning"

Rising from the bed naked, the servant opened the dresser and put on her underwear.

Selene watched for a while, then playfully pinched her still-sleeping sister’s cheek as she yawned.

"Good morning, Selene..."

"Good morning..."

After a while, Krische opened her eyes and slowly sat up, stretching.

Her delicate naked body stretched supplely, and kissed Selene lightly.

Her eyes were still sleepy, but she slipped out of bed and sat next to Bery.

They exchanged greetings and kissed in the same way, and Bery, who had quickly changed into an apron dress, took out her underwear and helped her get changed.

She stared blankly at them, and yawned again.

Then, ‘*sigh*’, sighed.

All that's left was a sloppy pink-haired idiot――when she poke her cheek she turned away and said ‘noo’ in a sweet voice, it seemed she had no intention of getting up today either.

Usually she lazed around until noon, sleeping twice or three times.

At one point she thought about trying to improve her situation, but after a thousand years she had given up.

"What will you do Ojou-sama?"

"...I'll get up in a little while."

"Understood. Then please excuse us."

The two maids in apron dresses left the room together, and Selene sighed again.

It was truly normal.

To the general public, their relationship might seem corrupt and decadent, but it was just the way things had turned out.

It was too late now, even Selene was already used to it, and it was only natural.

Right is right.

Wrong is wrong.

The ethics and morals that she vaguely thought of were ultimately just a tool to make society run smoothly, a means to an end.

It encouraged what was socially correct and rejected what was socially wrong.

And at the same time, it was a chain that binds people.

‘Selene, can you compartmentalize the kind of love you have for Krische-sama ?For example, the love you have for Bery-sama, and the love you have for Kreschenta-sama.’

It was Elvena who said this――it was a long time ago, but it remains in her memory.

Selene's classification was, in the end, based on values ​​that seemed appropriate in general morality, and she loved Bery and Kreschenta just as she loved Krische.

Just as steel is steel even if the mixture ratio is slightly different, love is also love.

If they had touched skin back then, most of Selene's anguish surely would have disappeared.

The lines that seemed so important were merely lines within Selene.

――Selene woke up at dawn.

It wasn't late, but she was the fifth person to do so.

It was a matter of whether the sun had risen or not.

At that time, Bery and Krische wake up earlier than anyone else.

Elvena and Anne also began to move around the time the two started their activities, and Selene did not begin to move until a little later that day.

Due to various circumstances, she spent most of the year sleeping and waking in her own room, but sometimes she would sleep and wake in Krische’s room like this time.

First, she stretched her upper body.

Then she lightly poked the cheek of the idiot who was still sound asleep, confirming that she had no intention of waking up.

She got out of bed, took her underwear from the dresser, and did some light stretches.

She pinched the cheek of the idiot who was still sleeping soundly, and smiled wryly as she watched her turn away as if in reluctance.

She changed into her training clothes, a shirt and pants.

Selene's clothes and underwear were also kept here.

She went out into the hallway and went to her room.

She took her beloved sword and went out and Elvena greeted her cheerfully.

She looked incredibly happy.

"Good morning, Selene-sama. It's a beautiful morning today."

"......"

Selene silently approached and pinched her cheek.

Elvena, still smiling, looked at her, murmuring that it hurt, and then gently placed her hands on Selene's cheeks, drawing her face closer as if to kiss her.

When Selene jumped back and put some distance between them, Elvena looked even more amused.

“Fufu, that's hurtful.”

"Liar. You're the one who filled Krische and the others with nonsense.”

".....Nonsense?"

"You..."

If given alcohol, Krische and Kreschenta would use it as an excuse to be spoiled all day.

Thus, drinking without permission was banned in the mansion.

However, since alcohol was essential in cooking, an outright ban was impossible, and Selene also enjoyed drinking to some extent.

Therefore, as long as they followed the rules, moderate drinking was allowed, with one glass of wine permitted at dinner and a drink allowed once every three days.

Restricting it too much would be counterproductive.

Krische said she aimed to be a fine servant like Bery and was usually serious (compared to Kreschenta) but was still a child at heart.

She constantly desires to be spoiled. Kreschenta had no concept of restraint in the first place.

Basically, her capacity for reason was only the size of a small bottle, and she was always on the verge of overflowing with the desire to be pampered, and Kreschenta had no concept of patience in the first place.

Allowing them to drink and then freely seek affection served as a release for their pent-up desires. If this outlet was taken away, they would use various means to break Bery's sanity.

‘While trying different wines for new recipes, Krische got a bit drunk... Ehehe, accidents happen sometimes. Right, Bery?’

‘Uh... y-yes, something like that...’

And Bery’s rationality was also often on the brink of overflowing desires.

This led to nothing but chaos and decay.

That's why she's been trying to be more lenient lately.

Perhaps that was why things at the mansion have been showing signs of stability lately, but recently they stopped having a drink once every three days, and there have been frequent incidents of the Twins getting drunk in the afternoon.

In these cases, 99% of the time, it was Elvena who was to blame.

But Elvena just tilted her head idly and said to herself in an exaggerated way saying, ‘What is it about?’

"I apologize if you’re referring to my unnecessary concern over Selene-sama’s recent fatigue."

"...It’s definitely noy just that. Who was it that said my fatigue wasn’t relieved because I was abstaining from my beloved wine?"

"...My apologies. That was all I could remember...maybe it's because I'm getting older."

"Don't blame it on age. You're really..."

Selene knew Krische had recently been into making cookies flavored with wine, likely Elvena instigation.

She thought she was satisfied with the toy Lira, but it seemed like she was secretly plotting something else behind the scenes.

Selene sighed.

Elvena usually knew when to make a move.

A roundabout little remark that could be interpreted in any way depending on the situation.

A remark that would lead Krische and the others in the wrong direction.

Very nasty.

"Fufu. I'll prepare the bath."

"...*Haa*."

Elvena smiled and ran downstairs, while Selene rubbed the corners of her eyes with her fingers.

Selene then went down the stairs and out of the mansion.

She swung her sword lightly as a warm-up exercise to shake off any distracting and evil thoughts, then gradually sharpened the blade in earnest.

A diagonal upward slash, rotating her body, she stepped in further and slashed to the side.

Her movements flowed seamlessly, and even a stroke that could cleave through plate armor was now a feint.

Her entire body was moving as she imagined it.

‘Hmm, mosha mosha is a little stronger? It’s ambiguous, though.’

Even approaching old age, Aleha's swordsmanship could be called that of a sword saint.

Just as Kolkis had said, Aleha's swordsmanship had been further refined even after he had gone.

Even his feint attacks carried weight, his sword strikes were precise, yet strangely soft.

To be able to swing a sharp, fast, lethal flash.

Up to that point was merely the entrance――like the work of putting together the pieces of a puzzle.

Being able to swing the sword at its fastest was a given.

On top of that, it was important to imbue yourself with the instantaneous judgment required to put together the puzzle in order to create an opening in the opponent to finish them off.

This is why the sword feels softer the closer she gets to the peak.

With the exception of the blow that will decide the battle, the faster the sword speed, the more risky it becomes.

An accelerated sword excels in one thing, speed, but it inevitably throws off the center of gravity.

The centrifugal force at work was something the human body could never withstand, and it was only by knowing this that she naturally understood the danger of swinging the fastest sword.

If both parties were able to swing their swords at their fastest, even the slightest shift in their center of gravity can be fatal.

What should be swung was not the fastest sword, but the shortest and fastest sword.

To avoid losing one's center of gravity due to the centrifugal force generated, one must keep it as close as possible to one's grasp, and yet one must shift one's weight and control one's center of gravity to give the sword power.

Thus, while the sword may appear soft and gentle at first glance, as the fastest flash was, two deadly flashes were assembled, and a cage of blades was formed in the blink of an eye.

For a long time, she had felt that she had reached the state she had long aimed for.

She had polished everything that could be polished, and there could be no greater step for Selene Christand as a swordsman.

It was surely the same feeling that Aleha had when he said he was satisfied.

But even though she felt that the end of her path was near, Selene continued to swing her sword.

When she imagined that eternity would someday come to an end, it used to seem like a misfortune, sadness, and frightening thing.

But Selene wondered what the end was.

Before, the end of life, death, was clearly a given, so she was certainly aware of  the beginnings and the end.

But such thoughts were probably silly.

For example, the goal of succeeding her father as a great general.

The goal of being with someone she loved like her mother.

At least Selene succeeded her father as a great general in name only, and was with people she loved like a mother――or so she thought――but even if she hadn't died after achieving such goals, life would still continue.

That's because it was merely a goal she thought of in the course of her life on her own.

Reaching a goal didn't mean the end of life, and most of life was a time of inertia with no goals.

In the first place, why would one think that life had a clear end, when one had never felt the beginning of it?

Only Krische has memories of when she was born――and even Krische wouldn't be able to answer questions like when the beginning was.

One day, a person suddenly realizes that they were in the midst of their life.

Being told how old they were and when they were born, vaguely.

She used to think too much about things.

I thought I should be more respectable, felt that life had a beginning and an end, and tried to find some profound meaning.

But meaning was an illusion.

Even her father, who was more respectable than anyone, and his subordinates, faded away into the past of history.

The history record only speaks of him as a great general loved by the people, but there was no way to truly understand what kind of person Bogan Christand was.

To many people living there, even that era was just a record from long ago, and there was no way they could understand how great people they were, what beliefs they held, what they fought for, or how much they trained their minds and bodies.

Whether they were great or not, time makes everything pass, and one day everything would disappear.

The world was in a much larger flow, and even human history was just a moment, and even dragons were probably the same when viewed in the context of that vast flow.

There were apparently many other planets besides this one that Selene could not even perceive, and even the battle for the survival of a nation on this planet, and the battle for control of the continent, when viewed in the vastness of the world, were like a grain of sand――or even an even smaller event.

No matter how lofty their philosophy, or how they lived their life, these didn’t even amount to a fleeting event, too small to even be seen.

Originally, there was no meaning anywhere.

And yet, if one were to assign meaning to it, it would be just a brief moment.

The time they spent with their respected parents and wonderful subordinates――the fleeting emotions felt by those who lived and spent time in that era, that was all.

And that was all that mattered to Selene and the others.

That was all, nothing more, and she thought that was fine.

She thought that everyone in the mansion was probably thinking the same thing.

Whether she died tomorrow or forever, Selene was alive now.

That was everything.

If we talk about the meaning of this repetition, it's happiness or unhappiness, fun or not―― that was all there was to it, and it didn’t really have much meaning.

We end today every day, and start today every day.

And humans were probably sloppy creatures, if they have time they waste it.

No matter how much you waste today in self-satisfaction, today would come again tomorrow.

If one was allowed to waste as much as they want, it was obvious that this was what would happen.

There was no meaning to swinging the sword.

If she must then, wielding the sword was fun.

That was all,nothing more.

There was no meaning to living forever.

If she must then, wasting time was fun.

That was all and nothing more.

Every day there was not much growth, just playing and sleeping, wasting the day.

She never thought of those days, complaining about not growing at all from a thousand years ago, as unfortunate.

And it would be the same as long as today continues.

Complicated matters like what eternity was, what the end was, were for ‘tomorrow's Selene’ to think about.

At least, that's what ‘today's Selene’ thought.

‘desuwa, desuwa, desuwa’ noisy voice echoes in the orchard.

Kreschenta was clinging behind Krische a little distance away.

Lakura fruit trees were short, only about ten shaku tall at most.

Their branches stretched out widely to the side, creating a green roof to monopolize the sunlight.

Their roots also spread widely underground, and undergrowth of flowers and plants covered the area beneath the Lakura.

They monopolize the sunshine from the sky and the nutrients from the ground, creating a territory, so no other trees could grow where Lakura fruit trees were.

In some regions, they were hated as greedy trees, while in others, they were worshiped as a tree of unity and were a symbol of the national flag.

There were various views――but the only thing those two were interested in was the fruit.

The fruit was endlessly sweet, with a good texture.

Selene would have liked it to be a bit more sour, but that was just a matter of preference.

At least in this world, the sweetness only further increased.

Several water cats were wandering around at their feet, pouring water on the roots of the Lakura from a watering can held in their mouths.

Further around them, fingertip-sized fairy (小人: Small Person/Dwarf/Midget) hopped around holding what appeared to be shovels or pickaxes, while other fairy with fish-like bodies from the waist down were watering the roots with watering cans.

Every time they saw a water cat produced by the crouching Bery, they would hop around it, or ride on its back for fun.

They've been seeing them a lot around here lately.

The orchard seemed to be a particular favorite, and they were springing up like bugs.

Probably because Bery was playing with them like this.

"Fufu, they're cute."

"...Please don't go near the mansion."

"I know. As expected it would be a real problem if they were allowed in."

They carry water wherever they want, mess with the soil here and there, and seem to have the goal of growing something, but they are just doing what they want.

They were like an even more simplistic version of Krische and Kreschenta.

It would be fine if they were in the orchard, but having the training yard tilled or waterlogged was unbearable.

She still remembers when they were cultivating mysterious mushrooms in the attic of the villa in the forest.

Her plan for a forest camp turned into a big cleanup covered in spores.

It was convenient in many ways if they were to spawn in the orchard, but it was a problem if they spawn just anywhere.

"It's unusual to see you here, Ojou-sama."

"A change of pace. That idiot ruined the stone statue I was almost finished with, and I haven't been feeling too great since then... Plus, I thought I'd take a look at how sloppy your work has been lately."

"My, Ojou-sama is just like Kreschenta-sama when you say that. Have you been infected?"

“…Don’t try to change the subject. I wonder what you're trying to do, drinking, getting drunk and flirting in broad daylight”

"A-ahaha...w-well, that's..."

Berry looked away in confusion, and Selene pinched her cheek.

"Uuh..."

"Your number one job is to educate those idiots so they don't get any more stupid. What will happen if you become one too?"

“...If you say that, then Ojou-sama was foo――ow, it hurts…”

"Shut up. I'm angry."

‘Good grief’ Bery said, taking her finger away and stroking her cheek, glaring at Selene, saying it was unreasonable.

"Even Ojou-sama can't be so strict with the two of them, right? And I'm trying my best in many ways....But more than that, those two are so adorable that sometimes I get tempted..."

“…Your true colors are showing.”

That's the kind of woman Bery was.

If you cracked her head open, it would surely overflow with wicked thoughts.

“True colors? Besides, think about it. I’m the youngest and least experienced in the mansion now… I think a little relaxation should be allowed.”

"... You keep calling me Ojou-sama, but you only act younger when it's convenient for you."

"My, fufu, do you dislike being called Ojou-sama?"

“There you go again, trying to change the subject… I’m not falling for that.”

‘How troubling’, Bery laughed, not looking troubled at all.

Selene sighed deeply.

"My, your happiness will slip away."

"I want to know who you think is to blame for that."

"...Ojou-sama is very strict with himself. I'm sure Ojou-sama would never push the responsibility onto someone else. I know that very well."

"Unfortunately, a long time ago, I was told that I was too serious, so I changed my mind.... I wonder who it was who told me that."

"Is that so... you've met a very good person."

"Yes. That person really has a very good personality."

Bery shook her shoulders happily like a young girl.

When Selene glared at her, Bery stroked her cheek and told her not to make a scary face.

“Don’t treat me like Kreschenta. Just what do you think I am?”

“My beloved Ojou-sama of course.”

“...Do you always have to preface everything with 'beloved'?”

“Because it’s the truth.”

Bery, standing on her toes slightly, kissed her naturally and smiled.

Selene sighed in exasperation, and Bery took her hand, interlacing their arms as they walked.

Insults and earplugs, grass and wind.

Kreschenta, who repeated this exchange every day without getting bored, was truly a fool to be respected.

“By the way, Ojou-sama, the wine you prepared is just ready for drinking.”

"Don't try to lure me with bait... You know that, don't you?"

"... You're not going to drink it?"

"... I'll drink it, though."

‘Just a taste test, okay’, she added, glaring at Bery.

The modest bitter smile Bery let out was very unpleasant.

Even though her short stature mean she always looked up at Selene from below, it felt like she was looking down on her.

Being a servant was a very convenient position.

She said she would take care of her, but in reality she was always treating her like a child.

She will surely take advantage of this position and continue to treat Selene as her ‘Ojou-sama’ from now on.

"You really are the worst servant."

"Well, it seems you have been infected with Kreschenta’s disease after all. May I translate this as ‘I love you’?"

"I wish you could tell me how and why that translates as such."

"Yes... I suppose it's because of the love I have for you."

“…Aren’t you embarrassed?”

Selene turned her face away with a pout.

A gentle breeze blew through the orchard surrounding the mansion.

‘――Love, purity, those sorts of things are different for each person. I can't say anything, but that doesn't mean it's healthy to worry about it alone. Not just love and romance, but even when you're worried, the answer you would get is most likely a stupid one.’

'... I suppose that's true given your personality.'

‘Haha, well, even if I’m like this, there was a time like that.'

The old man looked into the distance with a nostalgic look and a bitter smile.

'A worthy rival, you might say. No, regardless of what he thought, that's what I thought of that bastard Verreich. But unlike me, who only has the ability to swing a spear, he's top notch at anything he does. I've never been able to beat him at anything. He's a comrade who ate the same meal as me, but I still think he's a hateful, disgusting guy.'

‘I was quite jealous’, he said, but he didn't seem ashamed.

'There are people you think you'll never be able to beat. I was jealous of his talent, and no matter how hard I tried, it's his name that Bogan-dono calls first. I'm sure there are some people who can keep trying even if their efforts are not rewarded, but sometimes people lose their temper. ...I'm no exception to that rule, and I lose my temper sometimes.'

The old man looked endlessly amused.

'If you don't compare me to him, I'm pretty good too. I'll never be like him, but I'm doing pretty well. There were many times when I thought I shouldn't be so high-minded, that I'd be fine as second best. If he were to die in battle one day, I'd be number one. ...But emotions aren't logical.'

'...logical.'

‘No matter how much I try to think objectively and convince myself, when I see his face, I get angry and want to make him cry. It's not about being number one or number two, I realized that in the end I wanted to see him cry. At that time, I wasn't thinking about him being my number one subordinate or anything like that, I simply wanted to beat him. There was no need for clever arguments or questions.’

The old man――Kolkis continues to look at Selene.

His eyes have not changed since the old days, as if he were looking at the beloved daughter of his respected Lord.

‘If that's what he is to me, then Berry must be similar to Selene-sama. For me it's simple, if you're in doubt, just look at Bery's face again. I'm sure you'll forget all about being sulky that way.’

‘...How old do you think I am? I'm not sulking.’

‘As long as you think you've grown up, you still have a long way to go. No matter how old you get, your character doesn't change. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here, facing the sight of Selene-sama getting jealous no matter how old she gets, while on the verge of death.’

Selene, unable to come up with a response, groaned and turned away in a sulky mood.

Seeing her unchanged no matter how many years had passed, he smirked, stood up and lightly patted her on the head.

‘Selene-sama probably doesn't understand herself, but I've known Selene-sama since birth, so I can easily imagine. ...Even after a thousand years, Selene-sama will still sulk like this, get jealous, and sigh while complaining and grumbling at Krische-sama and the others.'

‘And so happily’, Kolkis laughed, and Selene glared at him.

But seeing Kolkis still looking at her with happy, gentle eyes, Selene sighed quietly――and noticing this, her brow furrowed even more.

‘...I wonder what kind of person I look like to you.’

‘Well, I'm just like Bery, the one you envy, quite an oddball. On the other hand, do you think there are that many people who are so eccentric that they would throw away their glamorous lives, and dedicate themselves to Krische-sama?’

The hand stroking her head was large and gentle.

‘...I don't think there are.’

‘Exactly. I think I can do it. I'm sure you'll be laughing at the idea of ​​something like that happening soon.’

He let go of her hand and coughed lightly, then lied back on the bed.

He looked up at the ceiling, his arms as a pillow.

‘Nothing good ever comes from thinking alone. ...The older I get, the more I think I should have talked to my son more, instead of being so stubborn. We started to talk less and less, and before I knew it, I no longer understood Gran, and Gran probably didn't understand me either. Even though I thought I'd seen him since birth, that's just how humans are.’

‘...’

'Problems that could easily be solved by meeting face to face, even if it was just a fight, can end up becoming complicated and big in your head before you know it.'

Then, he held up his own hand and looked at it.

'... Bery loved Selene-sama, and so did Selene-sama. Selene-sama didn't hate her after he died, and there's no reason to talk about jealousy now. On top of that, Selene-sama seemed to enjoy her days so much. ...When you think about it, it's a small thing, what if this had happened when Bery was alive?'

Then he puts his hand on his pillow again.

He closed his eyes and gave a bitter smile.

'I'm sure Selene-sama probably wouldn't have been so deeply worried. Selene-sama would have gotten worked up over Bery and exchanged words. Within a week, Selene-sama would have complained about Krische’s 'moving', but Selene-sama would have helped her. That girl is stupid, and Bery is hopeless, and complains to me every time Selene-sama visits me.'

‘That's all I can say’, Kolkis said, closing his eyes and smiling.

'I wonder if that's true?'

'Yes, I'm sure. Selene-sama talks like you are a normal, upstanding person, but as I said, to me, you and Berr are similar. ...I can't help but laugh at what Selene-sama is saying after all this time.'

'... How rude.'

Selene looked at his face and laughed quietly.

'Kuku, that's true. Please forgive my disrespect, Your Excellency the Marshal.'

Then she closed her eyes and nodded quietly.

'Guess I have no choice but to forgive you.'

'For your loyalty,' she continued.

Selene's life a thousand years from now was pretty much what he had imagined it would be.

Sometimes she sulked, sometimes she got jealous, she complained and whined, and she sighed almost every day.

She had tried to ban herself from sighing several times, but it never lasted even a day, let alone three days. Not a day went by without her sighing.

However, if she were to deny one thing he said, then at the very least, Selene was a normal, upstanding person among them.

Otherwise, Selene wouldn't sigh so much.

There was no need to use vague terms like ‘probably’, Selene was certainly the one who signed the most in history.

It was a disgrace to be considered similar to Bery, Selene was much more normal.

Thinking about such things, she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the soft bed.

Feeling the slight movement next to her, Selene sighed softly.

"...My. Sighing in the morning."

A whispering voice rang out, and she opened her eyes slightly.

Her large, slightly sleepy eyes looked right at her.

She gazed at the red-haired woman from a distance where their breaths could mingle, and without a word she reached out and pulled her soft cheek.

"...And whose fault is that?"

"It's as if Ojou-sama is saying it's my fault."

She sighed again as she pulled her cheeks further.

‘...Look, this is just a tasting――’

‘That's an excuse! That's unfair! You tell us not to drink, but you're drinking wine by yourself!’

‘Uuu... Selene, you lecture Cliche and the others so much, but when it comes to yourself, you make excuses like that.’

‘Don't put me in the same category as you. I'm――'

And so, Krische and Kreschenta appeared in front of Selene and Bery as they were tasting.

The two started making a fuss about wanting to taste the wine too, and threw a tantrum――they had been drunk all day yesterday.

She gave up midway through, and drank heavily at night.

But, as expected, her brain didn’t have the convenient function of losing memories when drunk.

Her memory was very clear.

As she pinched her cheek, Bery smiled happily and kissed Selene slowly.

"Good morning, Ojou-sama."

"Good morning."

Berry chuckled and gently removed Selene's fingers that were pinching her cheek, and sat up, her ample breasts swaying.

After that, after lightly caressing Selene, she slipped out of bed and put on her underwear and apron dress.

Krische, who had been moving around fidgetly, rolled around and approached Selene, and, not knowing whether she was awake or asleep, she said ‘kiss’.

Sighing in exasperation, she kissed her, and Selene hugged her while she was going ‘ehehe’ in a soft voice.

"Good morning, Selene."

"...Good morning."

Saying this, she sat up and stretched her white naked body.

Then she slipped out of bed and went to Bery.

*Pyon, pyon*, she hopped around and asked for a good morning kiss, and while being spoiled, she was helped to get changed.

As she was watching this absentmindedly, Bery, who had finished putting an apron dress on Krische, approached and called out to her.

"What will you do Ojou-sama?"

"...I'll get up in a little while."

"Understood. Then please excuse us."

The two in the apron dresses left the room together, she sighed again.

She kicked the side of the pink-headed girl who was sleeping soundly in bed.

‘Noo’, she said in a sweet, squishy voice as she turned her back.

She had no intention of getting up today either, and was probably planning to laze around and sleep until noon again.

What a hopelessly lazy creature she was.

The light streaming in through the window indicated dawn.

As she gazed upon it absentmindedly, she sensed that everyone else besides Krische and the others was beginning to wake up, so she sat up and stretched slightly.

She twisted her body from side to side and took a deep breath.

Even her breath sounded like a sigh, and she sighed again as if exasperated at the thought.

All she could do today was sigh.

Just how many times would she sigh today?

Thinking absentmindedly about this,

"...Fufu"

She quietly let out a chuckle to herself.