Master and Slaves

On the way, I met a rare pair.

"Hm? Shopping?"

The ones I met were Lotte and Rine.

Lotte, as usual, wore nothing on top and only a navy blue waist skirt from the waist to below the knees.

And maybe for self-defense, she had a one-hand sword sheathed at her waist.

Rine had a thin pink short tunic bound with a red waist cord, and below wore bright sky-blue trousers.

"Yes. Lady Rine seemed bored."

"Buu!"

Lotte looked at Rine, who was behind her as if hiding from me.

Rine glared at me as if threatening.

I seemed to have been disliked quite a bit.

"I am disliked."

"So it seems."

I pulled back the hand I had moved to stroke Rine’s head and took the hemp-sack luggage Lotte held.

"You must not! Lord Hiroyuki, something like this..."

"No, if both are occupied, you cannot use that, can you?"

I looked at the one-hand sword worn at her waist.

If the right hand was free, she could draw the sword.

By the way, Lotte’s left hand held Rine’s right hand.

"If Lord Hiroyuki is here, I think it is unnecessary."

Lotte aimed at my left hand, moving to take the luggage back.

I too had a broadsword belted at my left waist.

This broadsword was for one hand, so if only the right hand was free I could use it.

"Then if the two of us can use it, all the better."

Just as Lotte moved to jump at my hand, I raised the left hand holding the luggage.

Lotte could not reach it, and glared resentfully at the hand holding the luggage.

"Phew. Understood. I will only be scolded by Lord Freit. Come, let us go."

Lotte said it sarcastically, then went expressionless and walked in front of me.

Damn. I had drink in me, so I might have overdone it.

Teased a little too much, maybe?

I smiled wryly and followed behind Lotte, who walked ahead without even trying to hide the angry air, and Rine, whose face grew sterner still.

...

I returned to Freit’s mansion with Lotte and Rine, but the ones who greeted us were only the maids of this mansion, and none of my Dules were there.

Even enter the mansion, and no one was there.

No, Freit’s maids were busily doing errands.

The maids wore clothes that properly covered their chests, so if the Dules mixed in there they would stand out.

Well, before that, it was impossible for me not to notice Muriel and the others... it should be.

I parted from Lotte and Rine and sat on the sofa in the living room, but could not settle and looked around for someone.

But no one was in this room, and there was no sign of anyone entering.

In time my stomach grew empty, and it growled.

The time was... 15:17:24.

Still quite early for dinner.

I had not eaten in the morning, and at the tavern of the adventurers’ guild I had only picked at a little snack.

If someone was there I would have them make something...

"I am hungry..."

"Shall I make something?"

To my monologue, muttered without knowing, Lotte, who had entered at a good time, answered.

"Ah, please. And sorry about just now."

I bowed my head and apologized for the prank just now, as a sign of thanks.

Lotte went round-eyed in surprise.

"...Always... something like that... ah, no, if something simple is fine I will make it. And Muriel and the others are holding a gathering in the large room at the back."

Hey.

Knowing I had been searching for Muriel and the others, she had not kept silent, had she?

Payback for that time.

But if I did something more, I might not get food.

Here I would stay silent and receive the meal.

"Please wait in the dining room."

I followed Lotte’s instruction and headed for the dining room.

In the dining room large enough for several carriages to stop, I sat at the end of a huge, long dining table where even if Freit, I, and all my Dules sat there would still be seats left, and waited for food to come out.

Sitting alone in a large space like this, it grew somehow lonely.

Not that much time had passed, but when I grew unable to stay and moved to stand, Lotte opened the door from the kitchen and entered.

On the plate on the tray she held, two white round things were set.

Lotte came beside me and set that plate carefully in front of me.

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Rice balls."

As Lotte explained, on the plate two round rice balls the size to fit fully in my hand were set.

Yeah. They looked delicious.

Slurp...

Damn. Drool was coming.

"I will eat."

I took one and bit it.

The cooked rice was neither too hard nor too soft, and I could tell it was gripped with exquisite force.

The salt was modest, but enough to bring out the faint sweetness of the white rice.

Bite another mouthful, and at once a strong taste spread in my mouth.

This was... salted fish?

The fish itself was not fishy, and despite being salted, the taste asserted itself firmly.

That became an accent to the somewhat monotonous taste of the white rice.

"Delicious."

"Thank you."

To my words, muttered before I could stop myself, Lotte bowed her head and thanked me.

Just as I moved to bite another mouthful, the door opened vigorously.

"Lotte! Finally... ah!"

The one who opened the door was Rine.

She called the name having found Lotte, but right after she found me, so she hid behind the door at once.

Now only her face was out from the door’s shadow.

"Buu!"

"Understood, Lady Rine."

At Rine’s booing Lotte nodded, then went to the kitchen once still holding the tray.

Even so, she understood well what Rine was saying.

"Then, Lord Hiroyuki, excuse me with this."

"Yeah, thank you."

Lotte returned at once, bowed to me, and left the dining room.

"Bleh!"

When Lotte left the dining room, Rine clung to Lotte in a hurry and stuck her tongue out at me.

"Let us go."

"Yeah."

Then the two walked the corridor.

Even so, when had Lotte and Rine become close?

At most, having been disliked, I did not pay much attention to Rine, so not knowing might be natural.

I waved at Lotte, who glanced this way just before she disappeared from sight, and finished the remaining rice ball held in the other hand.

....

I finished the other rice ball left on the plate too and moved to stand from the seat satisfied, and the door opened vigorously again.

The one who entered was Muriel, bringing Cathy.

Then she came to in front of me with quick steps and bowed her head enough to set it to her knee.

"I am sorry! Not knowing Master had returned, and no meal prepared..."

Behind Muriel, Cathy bowed her head the same.

"No, I do not mind. You had an important talk, did you not?"

"That is so, but... even so, it was not important enough to neglect Master..."

Muriel raised her head.

Then she averted her gaze from me to the top of the dining table.

Had she found something?

Follow Muriel’s gaze, and there was a plate with nothing on it.

"Master, if you will still eat, shall I make something?"

Cathy, who noticed the plate at the end of Muriel’s gaze, asked me.

"Hmm, right. But dinner is close, so could you make something light?"

"Yes! Excuse me!"

Cathy answered energetically, took the empty plate set in front of me, and entered the kitchen.