“You’re going to the Royal Capital, right? I’m coming with you!”

After the guests had departed, Subaru shattered the air of relief in the reception room with that very first line.

He opened the door without warning and brought a tray with tea to the table. He silently handed cups to the two individuals involved in the meeting, who were looking at him without a word.

“Hey, the snacks are limited to 300 yen, and don’t stay up late just because you’re excited about the departure!”

With an attitude that made it clear he assumed he would be going along, Subaru chattered on. The two receiving the cups – Emilia and Roswaal – exchanged glances.

“See?”

“…True.”

Roswaal, with one eyebrow raised and a smirk, was met with Emilia’s slightly weary response. Not liking the vibe they were sharing, Subaru twisted his body and revealed his dissatisfaction with a dramatic flair.

“Don’t share those knowing looks! I’m jealous! I want to be part of the conversation and join in the singing lullabies!”

“By the way, who mentioned the trip to the Royal Capital first… Was it me who accidentally let it slip?”

Emilia placed her hand on her forehead in embarrassment over her slip of the tongue and then slowly shook her head. Turning back to Subaru, she began with, “Well, you see…”

“We’re not just going for fun. We have important matters to attend to… Yes, really important ones.”

“I get it. It’s related to the Royal Selection, right? I know it’s a huge deal that shakes the nation. But still, please, take me along!”

Subaru knelt on the carpet, hands together in a prayer-like stance, begging.

Emilia wondered how to respond to such a plea, glancing around the room for assistance.

“What’s wrong? Oh, I guess you’re free to choose as your heart desires.”

One was watching the situation with a grin.

“This tea… Could it be made from Ram’s secret stash? No, that’s a bit far-fetched… But if it’s Balus, anything is possible…”

Another was utterly entranced by the aroma of the tea leaves being used.

And the last one piped up.

“Isn’t it fine to take him along since he’s so eager? It seems Subaru-kun has acquaintances in the Royal Capital, and considering he was injured and brought to the mansion, he should show his face and reassure them.”

Surprisingly, they were now in the position of backing Subaru instead of the sensible reactions one might expect.

“Nice assist! Rem, Rem, come here!”

“Yes!”

In response to Subaru’s beckoning from where he sat on the carpet, Rem eagerly smiled and glided over to sit next to him. Like a well-rehearsed routine, Rem offered her head, and Subaru, with a cheerful smile, skillfully stroked her blue hair.

Seeing Rem’s happy face as she purred contentedly, Emilia suppressed her curiosity, thinking, “Ah, I might want to do that too.”

“By the way, what do you plan to do by tagging along, Subaru? It’s true the Royal Selection has something to do with this, but for you…”

“If you say it doesn’t concern me, I might cry! I want to be involved, even if just a little, in whether Emilia-tan becomes Queen… And for that, I need to be close enough to reach out!”

“That’s why I said you can’t come.”

Matching Subaru’s eager gaze, Emilia furrowed her brows.

While she appreciated his feelings, she knew she had already received enough from him. He saved her life, and just a few days ago, he even risked his own life to save so many others. It was pitiful how much Subaru was unaware of the debt he owed.

Wanting anything more from him now would be too greedy.

“If I take Subaru with me, he’ll definitely push himself too much. I don’t want that. Understand?”

“Emilia-tan, you don’t get it! I absolutely hate pushing myself to the limit. I won’t do anything beyond my capacity!”

Crossing his arms and sitting upright in a seiza position, Subaru declared boldly.

Actually, he was being quite assertive about it. Then he continued,

“But if it’s within reach, that’s a different story. Especially if it’s for Emilia-tan. Right? Please understand.”

“I-I can’t… understand that…”

Emilia was puzzled as to why Subaru was being so stubborn.

After all he had gone through, she thought it would be better to let Subaru rest.

Why would he insist on pushing himself in a condition that isn’t fully healed?

Surely he didn’t mean his usual banter was serious or anything.

As Emilia’s thoughts plunged into confusion, Subaru looked up at her with eyes like a lost puppy. As silence fell over the reception room,

“Okay, okay, that’s enough.”

With a clapping of hands that shattered the atmosphere, it was Roswaal who spoke.

He had been watching the exchange between the two with a thoughtful look and now said,

“I see no progress here, so I’ll just resolve it quickly. – Subaru-kun, you are to accompany us to the Royal Capital. This is a direct order.”

“Roswaal!?”

“Yay! We can talk, Ros-chi!”

Roswaal disregarded Emilia’s reluctance, catching her off guard. In contrast, Subaru’s face lit up with joy, and he gave a thumbs up in response.

However, Roswaal quickly shook his head, saying, “Now, now, but… Subaru-kun going to the Royal Capital is solely for treatment purposes. The matter of the Royal Selection is completely separate. Understood?”

“Treatment…?”

Subaru tilted his head in confusion at Roswaal’s words.

He was puzzled, and just as he tried to stand up – his legs had gone numb from sitting in seiza for too long, and he tumbled forward, only to be caught by Rem beside him.

“Whoa! …Nice catch, Rem. But maybe do it a bit better next time.”

“Muuu, no more pets for me…”

As Subaru coughed while rubbing his throat at the cheeky remark, Rem retreated, looking dejected. He turned again to Roswaal, leaning in to ask the true meaning of his earlier statement, “So?”

“What do you mean by ‘treatment’? Not to put a fine point on it, but aside from the scar, I’m basically in good shape. I admit there’s a bit of room for rehab, though.”

He spun his arms around to demonstrate his physical condition. But everyone in the mansion, including Emilia, knew his body was not completely well.

It was clear he faced some inconveniences in his daily life that revealed themselves even in the mansion’s chores and the morning ‘radio exercise’ routine. His attempts to hide his deficiencies were painfully obvious.

Regarding the unspoken understanding of Subaru’s physical troubles, Roswaal shook his head and said, “No, no. Hiding it won’t do. Everyone knows there are aftereffects on your body. You used the crushed fruit in a depleted state. You were struck by an Urgalm fang, and you were marked with too many cursed seals… These are major contributing factors, and because of this, the mana circulation in your body is currently very sluggish. It’s all thick and gooey.”

“…Being told I’m not feeling well due to something invisible is just…”

“Subaru, the mana coursing through your body is literally your lifeline. If that flow gets blocked, it disrupts the cycle of life… Please, take it seriously.”

Noting Subaru’s disinterest after his condition had been revealed, Emilia pressed him further. It seemed he finally understood the gravity of the situation, as he muttered, “Sorry.”

“I get that my body’s in trouble. So, how does that connect to treatment in the Royal Capital?”

“For your treatment, we need someone who is an expert in water mana. Did you meet the envoy who was just here?”

“Oh, the tall cat-eared girl? Honestly, she’s not my type.”

“That girl is an exceptionally talented water mana user in the Royal Capital. With her help, your health issues can be resolved.”

Subaru’s face scrunched in evident dislike at Roswaal’s words.

He was clearly not a fan of the person in question, and Emilia silently shared that sentiment. Her piercing eyes and smoke-and-mirrors attitude were far from enjoyable.

Here he had come to learn about an invitation to the Royal Capital but was also dragged into a bunch of conversations he didn’t want to have.

Still,

“She’s the one who went out of her way to create this opportunity for your treatment and brought it to you. Shouldn’t you magnanimously accept Emilia-sama’s kindness?”

“Wait, what!?”

“Whoa, Roswaal! That’s…!”

Emilia angrily confronted Roswaal, unable to squarely put it to words without sounding accusatory. Yet, Roswaal merely maintained his cool demeanor, ignoring her passionate retort.

“Emilia-sama, it’s clear you aren’t fond of that girl either. But given that there’s a situation concerning Subaru’s health, you cooperated with a heart of consideration to negotiate this whole plan. Isn’t that charming?”

“Ro-zu-wa-ru!”

Having her secrets laid bare, Emilia pronounced his name syllable by syllable, her silver hair quivering with anger, flushed with irritation and embarrassment. Considering she wanted to unleash the swirling mana of rage built within her on him…

“Emilia-tan, for real?”

Subaru’s expression of confusion over the situation caused her anger to fizzle out.

As he sought to verify the truth of the matter, Emilia averted her gaze, feeling guilty.

“Because it’s also my fault Subaru’s not healing. The reason you came here was to protect me, right? And I should have acted regarding the Forest of Magical Beasts. It’s only fair that I make it up to you… or provide some kind of compensation, maybe…”

“Emilia-tan, your wording is so stiff. It makes it sound all formal and dull.”

As Emilia rushed to self-defend, Subaru interjected with gestures. To that, Emilia replied firmly, “In any case!”

“Subaru did so much, so he has a responsibility to accept what he deserves for that. Otherwise, I won’t be able to face him equally in the future. This way, I won’t feel like I owe him anything every morning when I see him.”

“Wow, that’s a new one, but you’ve been feeling that way every morning!?”

“I wasn’t! I was grateful!”

It was all a mess.

Struggling to articulate her thoughts felt impossible for Emilia, and Subaru surely felt a bit baffled as he glanced at her, his face adorned with an unmistakable bemused smile.

Yet, even with that smirk, he crossed his arms and said,

“In the end, Emilia-tan was for my trip to the Royal Capital all along, huh? So why the initial act of resistance?”

“If it seemed too easy to get my way, knowing Subaru, you would definitely get reckless. You know I’m aware of your mischievous tendencies.”

“Not something you hear every day…”

Muttering in a low voice and shaking his head, Subaru caught Emilia’s expression of petty satisfaction.

And a light flickered across his face, suggesting an air of poetic justice, which Emilia secretly celebrated.

“Alright then, looks like it’s settled. Subaru-kun will accompany us to the Royal Capital. Let’s take tomorrow to make all the preparations, and we’ll depart the morning after—Sound good?”

“Got it.”

“No objections here.”

““Understood, Roswaal-sama.””

With Roswaal’s conclusion, everyone in the room responded according to their roles, thus solidifying the plan for their trip from Roswaal’s Mansion to the Royal Capital.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

The planning of the Royal Capital trip alongside Subaru was finalized, and departure was set for the day after tomorrow.

Regardless of how hectic the schedule became, the reality was that the servants still had to execute their daily duties around the mansion.

Subaru, resuming his rehabilitation as an apprentice servant, was assigned the simple task of tidying up the guest room.

“Does this mean that Ram is staying behind at the mansion?”

While carefully folding the bed sheets in the guest room, Subaru asked Ram, who was lazily monitoring the work.

Nodding with a hint of reluctance, she replied, “Yes. We can’t all leave the mansion unattended. Normally, Rem would stay behind, but this time she selfishly insisted on coming. I let her get away with it.”

Thus, the elder sister had approved her younger sister’s request, cracking a small smile.

Despite Ram’s serious demeanor, it was apparent she had a soft spot for her sister. However, she showed no signs of dissatisfaction at being distanced from her beloved Roswaal.

“You look kind of happy about it.”

“Happy… Perhaps. I suppose it makes me glad to see that child trying to express her own will rather than just doing her best according to others’ dictates.”

Subaru, of course, wasn’t the only one who lamented Rem’s nature. Ram had been with Rem since their birth. It’s likely that she had wanted to change her sister’s inclination countless times, significantly more than Subaru.

In that regard, both Subaru and Ram could be seen as comrades sharing the same opinion on Rem’s character.

However, Ram fixed a sharp gaze on Subaru and quipped, “The only thing I dislike is that the catalyst for this change is such a man…”

“I’ve heard enough of that! The fact that I slightly influenced Rem’s heart doesn’t change! Now go ahead and stew over that!!”

“Fuhrah!”

“Whoa!?”

A single chant summoned a gust of wind, sending Subaru flying onto the bed. In the mix of pillows and sheets he had only just rearranged, he floundered before finally resurfacing.

“Hey! No magic! No magic! Using magic to retaliate just ’cause you lost a verbal battle? Talk about a rotten attitude!”

“It wasn’t retaliation. I merely let out my pent-up negative feelings by throwing them at Balus!”

“That’s what people call retaliation or venting frustration!”

While speaking to a unimpressed Ram, Subaru rolled up his sleeves to fix the sheets again.

His body still wasn’t back to full strength, but his dexterity hadn’t faded, and he couldn’t help but admire how elegantly he arranged the fresh white linens.

“Speaking of which, a coachman, personal assistant, bodyguard, and guide all in one… I’m at a loss for words at how multi-talented Rem has become.”

“Don’t forget her self-proclaimed title of ‘Subaru-kun’s liaison’.”

“That’s an unofficial club she created herself.”

Well, considering how much he had benefited from her assistance, he couldn’t deny it too strongly.

That said, the main party for this trip consisted of four from Roswaal’s mansion—Emilia, the individual directly involved, her patron Roswaal, the spoiled Subaru who had earned a ticket to go, and lastly, Rem who would be in charge of taking care of the three of them.

The ones staying behind would be Ram and Beatrice, but—

“Thinking about it again, it sounds like an incredibly unreliable group left behind. Are we really going to be okay?”

“Don’t worry. —Oniichan won’t die even after three days without food or water.”

“Are you seriously not planning to cook for yourself!?”

Such was the bold declaration of leniency, met with Subaru’s objection.

“But what about Beatrice? I could totally imagine her crashing down demanding, ‘I came down here, and there’s no food prepared! What’s the meaning of this? Ukeeek!'”

“If she hears you, she’ll definitely blow you away. Beatrice should come too.”

“Don’t just casually expose that it’ll be a hassle to take care of her, caretaker! Just make her steamed potatoes or something! With salt and mayonnaise variations, it should last at least three days. Worst case, she could just suck on the mayonnaise!”

Subaru’s unfortunate yet peculiar proposal somewhat masked a disturbing preference for mayonnaise. Ram nodded in acknowledgment, showing no strong hang-ups about it.

In secret, Beatrice’s lamentable eating habits were already set in stone, completely confirmed away from her presence.

Having wrapped that bit up, Subaru waved his hands and said,

“With this much worry just for meals, what about everything else? Can you actually manage all the tidying up around the mansion?”

“That’s a foolish question, Balus. Ram is more capable in cleaning than cooking.”

“Yes, and it’s still below Rem’s level! You really are all ‘older sister’ in every sense!”

“True, and that’s all that matters.”

Ram wore a confident smirk, beaming down with pride that also made it challenging to respond.

Facing her demeanor, Subaru scratched his cheek and asked,

“So what now regarding the chores?”

“To indulge in Rem’s selfishness of wanting to go to the Royal Capital, I laid down a condition.”

“I’m all ears.”

“It’s quite simple. —Upon your return, you’ll work for a day for every hour you were away.”

Echoing Ram’s words, Subaru was utterly silenced.

He looked at her with skepticism. In return, she wore an adventurous smirk that threatened to deepen his sense of dread.

“Now you’ll realize what it truly means to leave the mansion in my hands.”

—A refreshing declaration of job abandonment left Subaru utterly flabbergasted.

It was enough to compel the recluse who just wanted to get better to assist Rem, sealing the promise for a more refreshing round of laziness ahead.

“`

 

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