――Oh, Subaru, to die in such a pathetic manner.

Shaking his head to clear the daze, Subaru sat up and looked around.

Usually, he woke up easily, but the way he felt now was different from just pure sleep. As he tried to recall what happened right before losing consciousness, the first familiar thought that came to mind was the place he was in.

“This is the living room of the mansion… right?”

“Ah, Subaru, you’re awake?”

Immediately after his murmured affirmation, Emilia peeked in through the door.

With her silver hair tied in a braid, she brightened her expression slightly, walked over to where Subaru lay on the couch, and bent down to meet his gaze.

Staring into those round eyes, Subaru shrank his shoulders slightly and asked,

“Um, what happened, Emilia-tan?”

“I heard you scream as soon as you entered the mansion. Otto-kun and I were both startled. So we jumped in to see…”

“Was I sleeping or something?”

“That’s a bit misleading… but the gist of it isn’t entirely wrong, I guess?”

With a finger on her lips, Emilia tilted her head. From her demeanor, Subaru didn’t feel a sense of urgency regarding the situation.

Seeing her relaxed state made Subaru think whatever was going on wasn’t that serious, but there was still an oddness he couldn’t shake.

Just before losing consciousness, there was some sharp-toothed creature—

“Excuse me, Emilia-sama?”

A knock on the door broke through from outside, with a woman’s voice calling for Emilia. Looking in that direction, she replied with a simple “Yes,” and the door slowly opened.

While observing the door being opened casually, Subaru suddenly had a thought.

—Hmm, that voice sounded unfamiliar.

And soon, his suspicion was resolved by what was revealed on the other side of the door.

“A drink and a replacement towel—ah, you’ve awoken!”

With that, a beautiful woman appeared, smiling as Subaru’s gaze became riveted to her.

She had long, translucent golden hair, her posture perfectly upright. Every movement exuded refinement, and her graceful gestures felt utterly flawless.

Her outfit was a familiar serving uniform from Roswaal’s Mansion—specifically, a maid outfit, tailored with both cuteness and functionality, which she wore impeccably.

On the tray she held were a water pitcher and a towel, just as she’d said, which she quietly placed on the central table of the living room. If rated, it would earn a perfect score.

However, that only applied unless you factored in her intimidating build and smile.

Though the uniform was well-fitted, the wearer’s height and muscular physique were almost on par with Subaru’s. While a man would be considered strong, a woman with a similar frame immediately comes across as imposing.

Furthermore, her smile, born from perfect grace, was utterly ruined by the sharpness of the prominent fangs that were clearly visible from outside. Upon closer inspection, her narrowed pupils held an unusual sharpness, their green irises gleaming like a carnivorous cat eyeing its prey.

“How do you do? I am Frederica Baumann, a servant at the mansion of Roswaal L. Meiastars…”

“Scary face—!?”

Interrupting her polite introduction, Subaru blurted out his too-honest opinion. Upon hearing it, the woman’s expression slightly stiffened, and moments later, those fearsome eyes blinked a few times before tears began to well up.

“F-fuh…”

“Huh?”

“Stupid Subaru!!”

As she stammered and turned away, Subaru was left dumbfounded. Almost immediately after, he felt a sharp pain as Emilia yanked on his ear with an angry shout.

“Ouch, ouch!” Turning his gaze towards her, he found Emilia glaring at him with her gentle brows furrowed.

“How could you say that to a girl? Frederica has been nothing but devoted to Subaru…”

“P-please stop, Emilia-sama. It’s alright. I was wrong. I was just too happy that you called me back to the mansion and got carried away… forgetting that I don’t have exactly the most pleasant appearance.”

Frederica, contrary to her fearsome smile, was now pulling on Emilia’s sleeve while shaking her head.

“I’m sorry I startled you. And I deeply apologize for the earlier disrespect. To mistake the returning Natsuki Subaru-sama for a suspicious person…”

“A suspicious person…? Ah, wait. I think I’m starting to grasp the situation…”

Freed from Emilia’s scolding, Subaru rubbed his ears while contemplating Frederica’s comments. He began piecing together the events that led him to this point.

In essence, the mystery person Subaru had encountered as soon as he entered the mansion was—

“It was Frederica, who returned to the mansion, mistaking me for a suspicious individual. Then Emilia-tan came in after and cleared up the misunderstanding… right?”

“Spot on… you’re quite sharp.”

“Yeah, I can’t really miss that kind of context… although, before that…”

Confirming that his inference was correct thanks to Frederica’s affirmation, Subaru gestured with his jaw towards her while glancing at Emilia, who had her arms crossed, clearly displeased. The meaning behind that gesture, and what was reflected in her expression, was painfully clear to Subaru. Hence, he stood up from the couch and faced Frederica.

“I sincerely apologize for saying something so awful in our first introduction. I realize that I behaved completely inappropriately towards a lady, especially in my sleepy state. I don’t know whether it should be boiling or grilling… but please don’t go too hard on me.”

With a somewhat timid yet straightforward apology, Subaru lowered his head.

The fact that their first encounter began in such a poorly construed manner was undeniable, but while Frederica acted in self-defense against a suspicious intruder, Subaru’s comment represented a totally unwarranted mistake.

Should it genuinely bring her anger to rest, he was prepared to endure whatever punishment came his way. Ideally, without any physical pain; perhaps just some harsh words to cut deep into his soul.

However, Subaru’s somewhat conflicted determination was soon swept away by Frederica’s amused smile.

“Hehe, you’re quite the interesting one.”

With her hand covering her mouth while suppressing a chuckle, Frederica mimicked Subaru’s apologetic posture.

“I must apologize in return. I was testing Subaru-sama, following the words of Emilia-sama.”

“Testing?”

In response to Frederica’s statement, both Subaru and Emilia tilted their heads in confusion, not quite understanding.

While it made sense for Subaru to be perplexed at her words, it was odd to see Emilia wear a similar expression of doubt. Frederica, seeing their bemused faces, deepened her smile.

“Given my sense of responsibility to protect the mansion, I acted in haste, disrespecting you, the guest. I’ve accepted it is now my duty to offer my head in apology.”

“Wait, that’s a bit fast on the draw! I’m a reasonable guy; couldn’t we talk it out?”

“Emilia-sama has strongly insisted as much. She passionately praised Subaru-sama to the point that I felt embarrassed to listen…”

“Huh!?”

Surprised by Frederica’s unexpected words, Subaru gasped and turned to look at Emilia. There she stood, blushing and trying to hide her embarrassment.

“Frederica…”

And yet, instead of being the Emilia they all knew, she glared at the maid with an unfriendly expression. Upon hearing this, Frederica replied nonchalantly, “Oh dear, that’s scary.”

“As always, Emilia-sama lacks cuteness. Normally, in this kind of situation, one should blush and panic no matter the truth behind my words.”

“Huh, is that so…? Not happening today! I’ve learned my lesson from being fooled!”

“Frederica’s eyes narrow when she’s lying, I watched closely!”

“I wasn’t aware of that. Speaking of which, Emilia-sama, have you noticed that your ears lengthen when you lie?”

“Liar!?”

Emilia, formerly pointing a victorious finger at Frederica, now frantically grabbed at her own ears, but having elicited such a reaction was already a victory for Frederica.

Stumbling Emilia wasted no time realizing her defeat, while Subaru, watching the exchange, sighed and shrugged.

“Guess it’s a total loss for me. …Do I need to introduce myself as Natsuki Subaru?”

“Yes, of course, I’d gladly accept that introduction. Let’s ensure we get to know each other properly.”

With that said, Frederica revealed a smile filled with sharp fangs, removing her hand from her mouth. The stark contrast from earlier reactions to now suggested she wielded her smile as a weapon, and Subaru felt completely drained as he faced that reality.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“By the way, I’ve heard a little about this. There was a maid who quit just before I came to the mansion. It’s been about a month since I arrived, so… she quit about three months ago?”

“Yes, that would be the case. I resigned for personal reasons. I remember being terribly lonely leaving this place… though I returned far sooner than I expected.”

Frederica laughed, concealing her mouth, yet with her beautiful golden hair and striking gaze, she effortlessly seemed to emanate beauty.

However, her mischievous personality and sharp fangs unfortunately overshadowed that.

Still in the living room of Roswaal’s Mansion, Subaru had just started exchanging basic information with Frederica. As she continued her self-introduction, Subaru recalled a familiarity with her name.

“So, three months ago, you had already met Emilia-tan, right?”

“Hmm, yes, indeed.”

“Hmm, not a phrase you hear these days. And that sulking mannerism is pretty old-fashioned, cute there, huh?”

Without casting a glance at Subaru, Emilia sat on the couch, only redirecting her ears towards them while staying withdrawn.

Since her realization that Frederica had gotten the better of her, she had been acting this way.

Regardless,

“You said you just got back recently, which puts it within the last few days. Considering we left the village three days ago… or rather, including travel time, four days. Seems like quite a mix-up.”

“When I returned to find the mansion completely empty, I was quite surprised. Fortunately, there was a note in Lord Roswaal’s office, so I managed to avoid too much confusion.”

“A note?”

“Yes, from Ram. That girl summoned me here and yet didn’t handle the communications well… I suppose that’s just typical of her.”

Frederica’s halfway genuine smile suggested that she had spent considerable time with Ram, while there was undoubtedly a similar length of time shared with the missing Rem.

“So Ram called you back, huh…?”

“The reasons behind it aren’t entirely clear to me. However, I imagine Emilia-sama would understand, given that she is directly involved.”

As Frederica prompted, Emilia was now receiving their gazes on her cheek. She still maintained her “I’m currently furious” look as she turned her face away. However, it was quite obvious that she was peeking over with her half-closed eyes.

“Emilia-tan, get over the grudge… though I didn’t exactly make you mad this time, so you should actually apologize to Frederica.”

“I sincerely apologize, Emilia-sama. What happened back there was my fault. I was overly excited to see you again, and it led to my transgressions.”

“…You’re not gonna tease me about this anymore?”

“Of course not. I swear on my honor, I will never again dare tease Emilia-sama in this manner.”

However, Subaru felt that Frederica’s defense was lacking. But their beloved goddess Emilia seemed to accept her words without hesitation, her formerly displeased expression softening to one of “Well, I guess I’ll let it slide.”

“Alright then. I’m not angry anymore. Is this acceptable?”

“Yes, I deeply apologize, Emilia-sama. –You’re so easy to manage!”

The latter half of her statement was somehow heard only by Subaru, and he was startled to glance at Frederica, who feigned ignorance. Meanwhile, Emilia, unaware of being considered easy to deal with, placed her finger on her cheek as she pondered.

“Um, so, the reason Ram summoned Frederica back to the mansion… right?”

“Exactly. To summon someone they recently dismissed like that means there must be some urgent business… though, I think I can speculate on that.”

The urgent business involved the Witch Cult that had threatened the mansion and Araham Village just recently. Considering the skill they demonstrated before claiming Subaru’s consciousness, Frederica was another maid with strange capabilities, likely armed with some form of combat skills.

In other words, Ram summoned her back to serve as emergency combat support for the mansion—

“Because Ram’s ability to manage the household is catastrophic, and the situation within the mansion began to deteriorate… right? It seemed like every passing day, it got harder to find a livable space anymore.”

“What a dire reason! And it really rings true… I mean, I knew she believed she was hopeless at it! It was true, but come on! At least put in some effort to improve!”

The piercing disappointment in Ram’s abilities nearly shattered Subaru’s heart.

Emilia chuckled at Subaru’s callous remarks, scanning the living room—or perhaps the entire mansion as she continued to speak.

“But thanks to Frederica’s return, the mansion is looking quite lovely now. I think it was wise of Ram to let someone who can actually manage things take over instead of stubbornly letting things worsen.”

“That hurts, Emilia-tan! You didn’t mean it, did you? Besides, I still believe that’s not an excuse for her to give up so quickly either!”

“As far as Ram is concerned, I felt grateful to have the chance to do some meaningful work again. Luckily, since you all were away, I could allocate the time spent caring for you to cleaning and tidying the mansion.”

Subaru couldn’t help but feel a sense of reverence towards Frederica’s diligence and capabilities. Yet simultaneously, he couldn’t shake the sobering truth that dwell in his mind.

Due to the influence of “Gluttony,” Rem’s very existence had been virtually erased from reality, leaving an emptiness in the dimensions of the world.

“There’s no way Ram could manage the mansion alone, which makes it entirely reasonable to seek help…”

That was why Ram had contacted Frederica, calling her back to the mansion. Without Rem, she couldn’t maintain its functionality; thus, Frederica had to serve as a substitute.

However, only Subaru knew that painful truth. Frederica came in response to being needed, while Ram couldn’t grasp how the disparity in capacity between them had escalated to suddenly warrant a return.

Naturally,

“I’m just introspecting, but… is there a requirement to be a little odd to be a maid at Roswaal’s Mansion?”

“…? Since Lord Roswaal is the employer, what kind of nonsense are you spouting, Subaru-sama?”

“Now that’s some pretty persuasive disdain!”

With that, Frederica nodded in satisfaction before straightening up her posture and gazing intently at Subaru. Her tone took a dip as she continued,

“By the way, the carriage outside has been left unattended for nearly an hour… should we not attend to that?”

“Huh? Oh, you’re talking about Otto. Right, it has been an hour… well, I guess it’s fine, really. I want to make sure Patrasche is taken care of and rested, but Otto doesn’t really need worry on that front.”

“After all we’ve been through together, you show your true colors, huh, Natsuki-san! I never thought I’d rank lower than a dragon in your eyes!”

With that exclamation, Otto burst through the living room door. He glared at Subaru, visibly annoyed, completing the comedic contrast.

Subaru slowly stood up, shook his head, and sighed.

“No, that’s wrong. You’ve got it twisted, Otto.”

“What exactly am I wrong about? Trying to retract that earlier statement now that you’ve said it is just… too late.”

“It’s not that I’m prioritizing dragons over you. I’m just saying your priority is significantly lower.”

“That’s just two steps down! It’s even worse!”

With Otto stomping his foot in frustration, Subaru felt a sense of satisfaction. He glanced out the window towards the main entrance, where, presumably, the dragon carriage should be parked.

As he followed Otto’s gaze, the latter frowned and spoke,

“Patrasche is already put into the stable. She’s rather prideful and difficult to handle, but she seems to want to avoid inconveniencing you, so she’s obedient.”

“When you say it, it really makes me question the ‘spirit’ of your words. If you anthropomorphized her, wouldn’t she fall squarely into the kuudere archetype? Like, where did that flag even go up?”

“I couldn’t tell you, honestly. Moving on…”

As if trying to avoid thinking about where Patrasche’s unexpectedly serious demeanor stemmed from, Otto steered the conversation to another topic.

This time, it was about the girl currently sleeping in the carriage, which ultimately resulted in—

“What should we do about the girl inside? Keeping her stuck in the carriage feels cruel, and if you’re busy, I could take her to her room.”

“—Don’t touch Rem.”

That was Subaru’s swift response to Otto’s innocent offer. The coldness in his voice surprised even Subaru himself.

The low, dark tone was heavy with sticky intent. Fortunately, it seemed the women hadn’t heard him, but Subaru quietly flinched at the abnormality of his own voice.

“…I’ll carry her in myself, so just stand down. Lifting a girl doesn’t sound like it’s going to work out well, especially considering your back might scream for mercy afterward.”

“Just so you know, merchants often have to carry heavier goods, so I’m not as weak as you think.”

Otto responded immediately after a fleeting delay, riding along with Subaru’s attempt at casualness.

With a sense of appreciation towards Otto for being dedicated, Subaru let out a sigh.

No doubt he had overreacted. Though unintended, he realized the real issue lay in him growing overly sensitive, harboring animosity towards anything that dared interfere with Rem.

“This is not a good sign… Damn, it’s pathetic. Why am I always like this?”

Even when he thought he’d overcome one obstacle, soon after he stumbled into another one. Why couldn’t he maintain a straight stance in life, with something powerful driving him forward?

If only Rem were with him, if only he could viscerally look upon Emilia… if he had that with him, surely the unswaying determination would’ve come.

“I brought this on myself… No, I’m piling these debts onto Rem. What a freeloader I am.”

Surely there was a better way to navigate his situation.

Despite believing he’d done his best just a few days before the loop ended, there must have been a more perfect, flawless result out there. Subaru had bypassed the opportunity to find it and ended up settling for an imperfect future. Rem’s sacrifice was the cost of such compromises.

If only Subaru had been a bit wiser, perhaps he could have recognized the signs.

Before they evacuated the mansion, Subaru had given a letter to Crusch’s envoy that turned out to be blank. He assumed it was exchanged by the Witch Cult envoy alongside them, attempting to disrupt their plans. Yet that was mistaken, wasn’t it?

At that point, the Witch Cult could not have been aware of the presence of Subaru’s group, nor would they resort to such an indirect tactic as replacing the letter just to instigate distrust on Emilia’s side. Furthermore, why not alter it to include incriminating material instead of presenting a blank slate?

Why, then, was the letter blank? If it was not the work of the Witch Cult, then there was only one conclusion.

“The contents of that letter were written by Rem. It was I who asked it be delivered, and Crusch was the one entrusted to carry it—therefore, only the act of handover remained while the contents vanished.”

That was the fate that befell what was devoured by the power of “Gluttony”; a being consumed by the world yet left with a patchwork of confusion behind.

Erased from reality, what remained was a disconnected and convoluted world. The silent yet distinct discomfort from this erasure was one that could hardly be processed unless singularly focused.

If that happens, one truly wonders for whom it exists…

If he had deeply grasped that the letter was blank, would he have been able to think things through more thoroughly, uncovering the truth?

Recalling Emilia’s words, the letter arrived on the eve of the climactic day. If it had been blank then, Rem must have been attacked by “Gluttony” around then. When all was said and done, Subaru had just recently parted ways with Rem. A chance to regroup surely remained, albeit minuscule.

Yet in reality, Subaru missed that opportunity entirely. Why had he overlooked it? Now all he could do was wonder if there was no dissonance.

How could Emilia, who surely knew Ram was left behind in the Royal Capital, fail to bring Rem into their discussions despite the thoughts of both these two evading the topic?

“—Ah.”

And then, all at once, it dawned on him.

The instant he recognized it, Subaru let out a foolish sound as he placed a hand on his forehead. Swiftly moving towards the wall, he banged his head against it with force.

The impact and pain weren’t enough; he repeated the act, twice, thrice.

“Hey, Subaru!?”

The trio, taken aback by Subaru’s bizarre behavior, were momentarily stunned before Emilia called out, startled, grabbing his shoulder from behind and forcing him to face her as he continued to strike his forehead.

“What’s gotten into you? It’s not like you’ve never done something odd before, but this is a bit much… Ah! Look, your forehead is getting so red.”

“Honestly, I was just dumbfounded by my stupidity, seriously.”

Feeling the coolness of Emilia’s fingers on his forehead, Subaru vigorously shook his head in self-derision. Just as he said, his foolishness was utterly embarrassing.

Locking eyes with Emilia, he stated,

“Emilia-tan, I need a favor.”

“W-what is it? Uh, just a moment, Subaru, your face is getting awfully close and it’s kinda scary…”

“Could you please insult the hell out of me for being such a hopeless idiot?”

“Huh?”

Emilia’s eyes widened in shock at his request. Recognizing her reluctance, Subaru grabbed both her shoulders to prevent her from escaping and drew his face even closer.

“Please. Just don’t forgive me; lambast me instead.”

“I-I can’t do that! I really don’t think you did anything wrong…”

“Please, just this once!”

“But what do you want me to do…?”

“Please! If you do this for me, I’ll dedicate my soul to Emilia-tan…”

“That sounds excessive! What am I supposed to do with that sort of weight?”

After several rounds of anguished pleading and hesitation, Emilia finally acquiesced. Clearing her throat softly, she shot Subaru a sideways glance.

“Subaru, you’re an idiot.”

“Ugh.”

“Such a troublesome brat, so obstinate, selfish, a little rascal with a rotten side, someone who gets carried away easily.”

“Uggh…”

“You worry about others without being asked, knowing your place yet being careless. Getting overly involved with the half-elf who is disliked. A coward who rushes in to help after we’ve had a spat. A fool who acts recklessly even when everyone else is scrambling to clean up after the mess, leaving you sleeping in apathy. Subaru, you’re an absolute nincompoop.”

“Never heard the word ‘nincompoop’ before… and hey, Emilia-tan!”

Expected to hear insults that tore into him, the words spoken were more heartfelt than expected. They pierced into his heart, revealing an ugly wound, yet somehow felt gentle too, cutting both his and Emilia’s heart at the same time.

Emilia, still trying to keep a serious face, pouted at him.

“What?”

“Wait a minute, so you really thought of me like that?”

“Honestly, it feels like a slip of my true feelings came out. I was caught up in the moment and wasn’t completely aware of what I was saying. …Do you think that was genuine?”

“Who knows. It’s tough to decide if an outburst was genuine.”

At the very least, Subaru had experience regretting words he spoke in the heat of the moment.

Whether such words were expressed because they quietly were this way inside him, or if they simply poured out due to the momentum at that moment, who could say?

Surely, no one would have the answer.

“Thanks, Emilia-tan.”

“I just grumbled at Subaru. So thanking someone for that… are you a bit of a pervert?”

“I’m a pervert exclusive to Emilia-tan. If you’re sending signals my way, no matter if it’s insult or abusive language, even haikus about traffic safety, it all ignites the pleasure centers!”

“Not entirely sure what you meant in that last bit, but it sounds like a seriously odd topic, so I’ll let that slide. …Did that satisfy you?”

After offering a teasing smile, a glimmer of unease sparkled in her eyes,

her gestures were as disarming as they were transparent, making it impossible for him to resist feeling drawn to her.

In response to her mannerisms, Subaru smiled broadly.

“Ah, it’s fine. No, wait, maybe not. I could use a courage-boosting kiss as a good luck charm…”

“Sorry, but the requests window for today has already closed.”

“Damn it! I messed up! Why am I always… running out of time…?!”

Subaru collapsed in despair, wrestling with his frustration as Emilia observed him with quiet amusement. After having a moment to lament, Subaru perked up, looking around the room.

“Anyway, that aside, I’ve got some pressing matters to address. I feel bad for leaving you both, but I need just a little time. I don’t think it’ll take long, but… what’s with that face, Otto?”

“I was seriously considering filing for damages after witnessing that cozy interaction between you two; though I’ll put off price negotiation for later… what are you planning to do?”

Otto, who had been excluded from their prior exchange, voiced his discontent upon seeing Subaru cross his arms in contemplation. Remembering that Otto had no idea there was another individual in the mansion yet to be formally introduced, Subaru pondered what words would best describe this scenario.

After a brief moment’s hesitation, he relaxed his arms and declared,

“I’m just going to visit the drill-loli hiding out in her musty room.”

And with those words, he completely sidestepped any responsibility to explain, leaving Otto utterly bewildered.