Epilogue

Even after we finished and got back to Himeko’s room, she was still bothered by it. In the bath, she kept grumbling about it at length.

“I really think it was bad-mannered of her! You just don’t do things like that to someone else’s Seraph. You should have pushed her away!”

“Are you saying it’s my fault?” I replied, flustered. In the moment, I hadn’t really felt able to object, but I didn’t want to say that out loud.

“Come on, I’ll wash your hair and face, so close your eyes.”

“All right.”

Her hands gave my head a good scrubbing. She worked a lot more forcefully than usual, reflecting her state of mind. “I feel completely hoodwinked. I’d never have taken Erisu for someone who’d do a thing like that!”

“Yes, I know what you mean. I was a little surprised, too.”

“Surprised? Are you sure you don’t mean ‘overjoyed’?!”

“Yes! Totally sure! I promise!”

“You don’t sound very sure.” She put even more force into her hands. “Well, it’s no surprise that you’d get a lot of attention. You’re so charming, and such a fine maid.”

“You think so?”

“From now on, you have to exercise proper self-defense. Yes, I’d better inform the Ayakas as well. So far I haven’t had any problem with their affectionate treatment of you, but it would be no good if it went too far.”

It was like there’d been a sudden revolution in Himeko’s mindset. Putting Lady Erisu’s joke aside, I was glad to hear she’d pay more attention to the Kokonoe sisters’ sexual harassment from here on out.

“Ugh, doing that to my Seraph.” Himeko’s hands stopped moving. When I opened my eyes, she chided me straight away. “Don’t open your eyes yet. You’ll get hot water in them.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

I hurriedly closed them again. In the brief moment they’d been open, however, I’d caught a glimpse of Himeko’s face in the mirror. It looked like something was really troubling her.

With my eyes closed, I waited for Himeko to scoop more water over my face, but nothing happened.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Why has this got me feeling so gloomy? I don’t like it.”

Then I felt a soft sensation on my cheek. It continued for a few moments, then disappeared. Right after that, a deluge of hot water splashed down onto my head. Before applying any shampoo, she poured water onto me again and again and again.

“Uhm, Himeko, I think that’s enough now.”

“Right, yes. Probably.”

Her voice held a hint of embarrassment. I couldn’t see her face, so I didn’t know exactly how she looked at that moment, but I could guess.

I’m too nervous to lift my head right now either. That sensation just now, it had to have been... It was definitely... Those were Himeko’s lips, weren’t they?

My face burned like fire. I felt entirely unlike when Lady Erisu had kissed me. The beating of my heart grew quicker and I felt like the flaming sensation in my cheeks spread throughout my whole body.

It’s no use. I can feel a smile breaking out.

After that, we were very consciously aware of each other, but we didn’t do anything to draw attention to it. We just pretended not to notice anything, rinsed ourselves off, and got out of the bath.

A few days later, when life had returned to normal, some silver tableware was delivered from Lady Erisu addressed to me and Himeko as a genuine thank-you.

Along with those, some cookies arrived for the Kokonoe sisters, but when they bit into them, they screwed up their faces in disgust.

“I knew it! She’s out for revenge!” they said in unison.

It looked like Lady Erisu had decided to pay them back with cookies that fully reflected in her own personal taste in food.