✦✦✦Idle Asides, No. 1 — Days Waiting at Home✦✦✦

The Fisalis manor in Rozhe, the capital. Breaktime with the maids in the servant’s dining room (but not everyone, since they worked in shifts). Today, Mimosa has joined her maid compatriots for a chat.

“I wonder how long the Master and Madam will be gone on their territory viewing?”

“Hmm... they said that Master would have two weeks off, so they’ll probably be back before that ends.”

“That’s not specific enough. Aah, it’s been two days already, hasn’t it?”

“Only two days.”

“It’s normal for the Master to be away, so I’m used to it, but it’s so quiet without Madam around like she always is.”

“Right?”

“She’s been sneaking around behind the previous duke and duchess’s backs to help us out lately, hasn’t she? I can’t get enough of the thrill.”

“You’re brave.”

“Even dull days are fun when Madam is involved.”

“Ah, I know, right?”

Each of them held their mugs and ate snacks as they chatted. Since Viola was always wandering... er, she was always up and about, it was quiet without her. The maids were all lonely without their bright, cheery Madam.

“But even though she’s not home, we still have our jobs to do.”

“Even though Rohtas isn’t here, Dahlia still is, after all.”

“Things are going normally because she’s here.”

“And the Master’s father is here, too. It’s completely the same.”

The former duke was acting as butler while Rohtas was away, even wearing the same kind of clothes as he roamed the manor. Of course, he dealt with the merchants, too.

“The merchant’s reactions are so funny, aren’t they? They’re all so shocked by the former Duke’s sudden appearance.”

“It’s a shock, alright~”

“Ahahahaha~!”

The maids all laughed as they recalled the faces they’d seen the merchants make.

“We should just let him do as he pleases until he tires of it. No difference to us, anyway.”

“You’re right.”

They all smiled warmly at the thought of the previous duke playing butler.

“Ah~ I wonder what the territories are like?”

“Hmm, I dunno.”

The subject changed to the duchy.

“I’ve never been out of Rozhe.”

“I was born out in the country, but it was in a completely different area than the Fisalis territories.”

“Grr... I wish I hadn’t lost the rock-paper-scissors tournament for who got to go with Master as his maid!!”

“Sucks, huh?”

One of them slammed her mug on the table in frustration. The other maids rushed to steady their own as they agreed with her.

“I would’ve been able to go if I wasn’t pregnant~!” Mimosa downed her herb tea, despairing.

“You couldn’t help it, Mimosa. It was just bad timing.”

“And if they’d taken you along, that would have brought out the Demon Lord.”

“I shudder to think about what’d happen if Mimosa was away for long...”

“Huh? What are you guys talking about?”

“Oh, just stuff.”

“Grrr~”

Mimosa was pouting cutely, but they had no idea what Bellis would do if Mimosa left him for long. Would he work without eating or sleeping? Would he cause a blizzard with the sub-zero temperatures around him? No one would be able to get anywhere near him when he was that angry! All of the maids shuddered at the thought of a Mimosa-less Bellis.

“But Mimosa doesn’t care about how pissy Bellis is, does she? She’ll just walk up and talk to him normally.”

“She can’t read the room.”

“And then Bellis just completely stops being unhappy and goes back to normal.”

“Whew, she’s so loved!” They all gave lukewarm smiles as they thought about how cute Mimosa was such an effective Bellis Neutralizer.

“Okay, calm down, everyone. We told Rosa to write us reports, so those should be here soon, along with the ones from Rohtas. Then we’ll know more about the territories and how Madam is doing.”

“That’s right!”

They all smiled as they thought about the territories. The fact that they’d go from worry, to relief, to excitement at Rosa’s report about Le Pied a few days later was a different story.

“Everyone, time to get back to work.” While they were chatting excitedly, they all heard Rohtas’s voice announce the end of their break.

“Okaaay! Wait, Rohtas? Huh!? What!?”

“No, it’s not Rohtas!! It’s Master’s father!!!”

Though they answered out of habit, they realized there was no way that Rohtas could be there. Turning to the door in shock... There stood the former duke, smiling, with his wife beside him, also smiling—albeit a little bitterly.

“I was mimicking Rohtas. How did I sound?”

“J-just like him!!”

“Woohoo!”

“I’m sorry about my husband.”

The maids stood at attention. The former duchess apologized with a strained smile. The former duke smiled happily. But while he was all smiles, the maids were all internally panicking, in cold sweats as they wondered how long they’d been standing there and listening.

“H-how long have the two of you been there?” A maid asked nervously.

“Hm? About when you started wondering what the territories were like.” Answered the former duke blankly.

(SAFE!)

The maids were all relieved. Then...

“We’ll go back to work~!” they said, scattering in all directions.