Chapter Three: A Gathering Storm?

At Amanotsuka Academy for Girls, it was customary for the Domestic Arts students to serve lunch to the Societal Arts students. This was one of the most important duties for the girls aiming to become full-fledged maids.

Seraphs and Exousias saw to their own mistresses, of course, but they weren’t the only ones. The students with temporary mistresses as part of the room duty rotation heroically brought lunch to the young ladies they were serving and then ate with them.

This was to allow the two types of students more opportunities to meet, which in turn led to more Seraph contracts.

The room rotation changed every month, so now, at the start of June, a lot of girls could be seen frantically waiting on brand-new mistresses. Learning about mistresses’ tastes anew caused them no end of fuss. If there was an ingredient their new mistress didn’t like, they had to negotiate for less of it to be included. If there were rolled omelets, they had to find out if she wanted it with salt or soy sauce. If there was a salad, they had to order it how she liked, whether that was with sesame dressing or Japanese-style dressing without oil. Did she want green tea or Darjeeling? And so on.

Since I’d become Himeko’s Seraph on my very first day at the academy, I was in the fortunate position of not having to keep learning the culinary preference of a new mistress every month. I already knew everything Himeko liked and disliked, so lunch was a breeze for me.

It should have been, anyway.

The Kokonoe sisters assaulted us with their next round of questions.

“Look! A new one’s arrived!”

“What’s her name? What food does she like and dislike?”

“How should I know?” I replied, on the verge of tears.

“What about you, Kirara?”

“Uhm, just the name. Not so sure about her preferences.”

“That’s not good enough!”

“You’re slacking, Kirara!”

Behind us, the twins made a big show of sighing and shaking their heads.

What are they expecting? If we don’t know, we don’t know!

Of course, that wasn’t enough to make the Kokonoe sisters back down.

Kirara and I were being forced to recall the personal details of every young lady arriving to eat in the dining hall. June had spelled the end of our being treated like guests, or maybe the sisters had decided to play the older and wiser role. Either way, they’d made us stand by the doorway and state the names and preferences of every single mistress as they entered one after another. Naturally, we didn’t know most of them, so we were repeatedly being berated for our failings.

One of them stood behind each of us, clinging on with their arms around our bodies to keep us from escaping. From there, they whispered their impossible questions into our ears.

At first, I didn’t know why they’d bother with this. It wasn’t like we needed to know that much about anyone other than our own mistresses. However, after five minutes of drilling I started to have a vague inkling that gnawed at my mind, and after ten minutes a conclusion hit me that sent a shiver down my spine.

Whenever we couldn’t answer, they smoothly reeled off all the information.

“That’s Tokiko Zaizenji, okay?”

“Her family runs the Zaizenji shrine. She doesn’t like meat all that much, but she loves fish.”

“Her favorite fish are tuna and mackerel pike. She’s not so much a fan of yellowtail.”

“To drink, she normally goes for green tea.”

“She’s also fond of coffee while studying, though.”

That didn’t just go for this one example, of course. They had a detailed knowledge of every young lady who stepped into the room and could recall all their likes and dislikes at the drop of a hat.

They really have memorized all of this information, I realized.

When they’d first started up this little game, all I could think about was escaping from the twins’ clutches. However, when it became clear that this was a genuine educational exercise, running away was no longer an option.

As a member of the Sky Salon, and a Seraph serving Himeko, being told I didn’t measure up left me with no choice but to rise to the occasion.

To be fair, the Kokonoe sisters probably did see it as a fun way to torment us as well. From my point of view, though, we’d embarked on a task of such gargantuan proportions that it left me in a cold sweat.

“Now, on to the next one.”

“Ooh, this one’s a bonus round!”

Here comes a new challenger! Well, not exactly. When I turned to face the door, the head of the Paradise Palace, Asuka Nekoyashiki, stared back with a very bitter expression indeed.

The look on her face said that she didn’t know what idiotic nonsense we were doing this time, but whatever it was, we should keep her out of it. She quickened her pace and went right past us.

Lady Asuka’s beautiful forehead sparkled as she passed by. Not to be outdone, her tiara with a design of hearts strung together glittered just as beautifully atop her head alongside her ribbons.

The soft waves of her well-groomed hair extended to her back; her Seraph, Mei, had probably put her heart and soul into styling it. It had an entirely different kind of charm than Himeko’s straight hair.

We definitely couldn’t expect Lady Asuka to rescue us, but this was indeed a bonus round. This was someone we knew for sure.

“It’s Asuka Nekoyashiki.”

“Yes! Correct!”

“Can you name her likes and dislikes, too?”

“Uh...”

This one left me stumped.

Oops. I know her name, of course, but I’ve never learned about her food and drink preferences.

If it had been her fellow Paradise Palace member Erisu Kumashiro, this would have been a piece of cake. Thanks to a convoluted series of events, I knew plenty about her tastes.

“Time’s up!”

“Doesn’t look like you can tell us either, Kirara.”

“No,” Kirara admitted, hanging her head in shame.

“You’re not putting enough effort into your daily information gathering!”

“A Seraph is no ordinary maid, you know. It’s the mark of being an exceptional maid. If this is the best you can do, it’s just not good enough.”

I groaned pitifully, while Kirara said, “I’m so sorry!”

What could we do but meekly agree?

Kirara knew far more than me about the school and all its workings. She’d done plenty of research about the various ladies. Somehow, it still didn’t measure up. All we could do was stand there in awe at the Kokonoe sisters’ exceptional skill in collecting and retaining all this information.

“Let’s leave it there for today.”

“I’m starving.”

With that, the twins finally set us free.

By the time I grabbed my own lunch and sat down at the table with the other Sky Salon members, I was exhausted. “Sorry I’m late!”

Himeko greeted me with a kind smile. “I know you’ve been working hard.”

Incidentally, I’d served Himeko her lunch beforehand, so by now she’d already eaten about half of it.

“Sorry for starting ahead of time.” She brought a hand up to her mouth apologetically.

“You don’t need to be sorry at all. It’s my fault for being so clueless.”

I was extremely grateful to have a mistress who showed so much concern for her maid. Not everyone had that.

“I know it must be tough, but it looks like the Ayakas want to spend more time with you, so I want you to stick with them for a while. I think it’ll be worthwhile for you as well.”

“Okay. You got it.”

Even if Himeko hadn’t made that request, I was sure I wouldn’t have been in any position to refuse.

Honestly, I was seeing the Kokonoe sisters in a new light. Given how little passion they usually showed for their maid duties, they’d done an unexpectedly thorough job of memorizing all these key facts. Even though they appeared not to care that much about anyone but themselves, they still had respect for all the Societal Arts students and were no doubt being careful to avoid offending any of them.

It must have taken a huge amount of effort too. Maybe they’re secretly more hardworking than they look.

I’d originally assumed they had a bad attitude because of the less-than-deferential way they talked in the Sky Salon, but their work there was impeccable in every other way.

The twins’ way of entertaining guests, serving tea, cleaning up, and even minding the finest details when it came to setting the table—looking back, they did their work as maids almost perfectly. In fact, there was no “almost” about it.

That meant that if I threw away my preconceptions, their abilities were equal or superior to those of the other experienced Seraphs working in the Sky Salon. Being personally tutored by maids of their caliber was actually something to be grateful for.

Besides, it’s not like I was doing anything else educational during my lunch break. This is sure to come in handy eventually, so I might as well learn what I can.

“I had them all wrong. If they know so much about all those ladies, the Ayakas must really be giving it their all as maids. And all for Lady Kagura’s sake!”

It had taken this long, but I finally felt some admiration toward the sisters. I felt embarrassed admitting it out loud, but those were my true thoughts.

“Hah! What are you talking about?”

Music Ayaka—the older of the two, with music notes on her ribbons—came back with her own lunch. After placing it on the table, she put me into a bear hug from behind.

“Are you sure you haven’t misunderstood somehow?” she whispered in my ear.

As she did so, she began fondling around the region of my butt, being careful to ensure Himeko couldn’t see.

“Hey!” I said, trying to wriggle away.

The voice in my ear continued. “Giving it our all as maids? Total nonsense. Listen to me: the reason we collect all this data isn’t just to get a grasp on their personalities and preferences. It’s also so we know their weak points! The better you know your enemy, the more you can use their favorite things against them to build up trust, leaving them open to manipulation. This wealth of information lets us twist things to our will. We do it all for ourselves. The reason we’re teaching you two our knowledge is partly to kill time and partly to experiment on you cute little newbies. We’re trying to see how differently things turn out if people like you try to make use of the same information we have.”

“Oh,” I replied nervously.

She giggled. “Never forget that we have every student, Societal Arts or Domestic Arts, right in the palm of our hands.”

That shows me for finally looking up to them.

Well, by their nature, the twins didn’t fit neatly into the way the academy was set up, so this did feel entirely in character for them.

“You’d better catch up with us fast, Misaki. Otherwise, you’ll only fall deeper and deeper into our clutches.”

Saying that, Music Ayaka stroked my bottom again.

“I’ll do my best! I mean that!”

Smiling, I lightly pinched the backs of the Kokonoe sisters’ hands and heaved a tiny sigh.

✤

A figure approached the Sky Salon members’ table.

“I know you’re eating, but do you mind if I join you?”

This phrasing was probably just Lady Angelica being extra polite. By now, we’d more or less finished eating lunch and were enjoying a modest post-lunch tea party.

Yes, the new arrival was none other than Lady Angelica. Her beautiful blonde hair rustled when she moved her head even a little. She had eyes of the same golden color with narrow, slit-like pupils. When those eyes looked my way, I always found myself dazed, like I was a captive being drawn toward her.

On her head, she wore a hairband decorated with crosses and a tiara with an image of a bat worked into it, which sat at an angle.

Those deep, golden eyes met my gaze. My back straightened as if it were a conditioned reflex.

Only days ago, I’d found out Lady Angelica’s true identity. I still struggled to believe it, but I’d seen that she was a vampire. Since then, I’d found myself trying to keep some distance from her. I didn’t know if it was fear or a deep subconscious urge to avoid involving myself with her as much as possible, but for better or worse, I’d naturally started avoiding her.

“Good day, Lady Angelica,” came the mild-mannered response from Kagura Mikage, the head of the Sky Salon. “By all means. We don’t mind at all.”

The president of the student council had personally come to chat. It would be rude not to give her the welcome she deserved, even if we were in the middle of our own conversation.

Lady Kagura casually raised her hand, apparently to signal the Kokonoe sisters, but after a moment’s thought she instead said, “Kirara, prepare a place for her.”

“Yes, milady!” Kirara replied, standing up with delight.

Recently, Lady Kagura had started giving Kirara orders quite a lot. It looked like she’d started trusting in her as a Seraph.

“Oh, there’s no need for all that. There’s just been a slight change of plans, so I came here to tell Himeko.” She put her hands on Kirara’s shoulders and said, “My apologies!” before sitting down.

The broad smile Kirara directed at Lady Angelica was a rare sight on her face. “Please don’t apologize. I’m grateful for your kindness!”

She’d become pretty used to how to behave in these situations.

After smiling back at Kirara, Lady Angelica started talking to Himeko.

“It’s about that exchange student. Apparently she’ll be coming here a little sooner than expected.”

“Oh, really?”

“I want to go over the plans again, so can you meet me in conference room one after school today?”

“Sure, no problem.”

“And when you do...” she began, glancing my way for some reason.

I don’t like where this is going!

“I’d love for you to bring Misaki along with you.”

I knew it! I thought, grimacing.

Himeko tilted her head in confusion. “That’s unusual.”

“I know, but it’s related to the exchange student. I want to ask a thing or two about Misaki’s friend, you see.”

Realization dawned on me as to what Lady Angelica was talking about. The friend she was referring to was Sara, and the exchange student was undoubtedly the mistress Sara had told me about.

“I certainly don’t mind bringing Misaki along. Are you all right with that, though, Misaki?”

She didn’t even need to check, really. If Himeko told me to go with her, the answer was an instant, obvious yes.

“Of course.”

“Glad to hear it,” Lady Angelica replied. Then, with a teasing smile, she turned to Lady Kagura. “It might end up involving you as well, Kagura, but I’m afraid I have to keep it a secret for now. Teehee!”

That was apparently enough for Lady Kagura to sense a deeper meaning behind her words. Her expression grew more serious. “You’ve made me really curious, but very well. I’ll eagerly await the day you can tell me.”

“That’s all I came here to say. Goodbye for now!”

Lady Angelica gracefully lifted her skirt a touch and bowed her head, then departed.

✤

As soon as we were given the signal to leave class, I grabbed my shoes and told Kirara, “I have to go to a meeting with Lady Himeko today, so I’ll head to the Sky Salon after that.”

“Got it. I don’t know what they need you for, but if it’s something you can talk to me about, let me know later, okay?”

“Will do.”

Then I sped out of the classroom.

“Misaki, be sensible in the hallway.”

“Sorry, Ms. Hiyori!”

The teacher had left the classroom just before me and chided me as soon as she saw me running. I hurriedly bowed my head in apology and switched to a fast walk.

At my new, slightly more restrained pace, I headed for Himeko’s classroom. Normally I waited for her arrival at the Sky Salon, but today I thought it would be nice to go to her classroom and greet her there.

That meant getting a move on. Whatever happened, I was determined to arrive before Himeko left the room and be there waiting with a smile.

I walked along the fairly long passageway that stretched across the courtyard and made for the building with the Societal Arts students’ classrooms. As soon as I went inside, I found myself letting out a cry of astonishment and coming to a halt.

The classroom building we used was already so stunningly beautiful that I couldn’t believe it was part of a school, but the Societal Arts students’ building went a step beyond that. Words like “opulent” and “extravagant” were all that did it justice.

All over the hallway, there were large vases that looked so expensive, I’d probably have balked if I heard how much they’d cost. Brightly colored flowers stood proudly inside each one.

The walls were not mere coated concrete, but decorated from top to bottom with elaborate tiles. Even the handrails on the stairs were intricately carved, giving the ambiance of a castle or a palace.

Everything from floor to ceiling was markedly different compared to the Domestic Arts building.

This is too much.

I froze, momentarily afraid to even take another step. This was even more overwhelming than when I’d visited the classrooms of upperclassmen in the Domestic Arts program.

In fact, I was more than just overwhelmed. I genuinely felt worried that I wasn’t supposed to be walking these grand halls. It was like I was out of place, having strayed into another world where I didn’t belong.

However, if I didn’t get myself moving, I wouldn’t be able to meet Himeko outside her classroom.

Just as I let out a timid groan, someone spoke to me.

“Can I help you at all? Oh, it’s you, Misaki. What are you doing standing around here?”

“Oh, uh, I’m fine.”

I didn’t recognize the voice, but I was getting used to people knowing me even if I didn’t know them. I slowly turned around.

The girl I saw there was a Domestic Arts student. From the color of her ribbon, I could tell she was a second year. Her mid-length hair hung in loose curls, and her eyes were lively and filled with curiosity. A gentle smile warmed her lips. Even her posture was just as flawless as I’d come to expect from the older maids. I found myself gazing in admiration.

On her chest, the golden badge that marked her as a Seraph shone brightly. Her maid uniform wasn’t the ordinary kind either; it had some extra decorative touches. In other words, she belonged to a salon, and it was their special attire.

Incidentally, it was typical for Domestic Arts students to wear their regular school uniforms for morning classes, then don aprons to serve lunch to their mistresses and stay in them for the whole afternoon. If there was a subject in the morning that required being dressed as a maid, it was also common to just stay like that for the rest of the day.

In any case, even if I didn’t know this girl, it was a relief for an experienced Seraph to come and talk to me.

“Uhm, actually this place is so incredible, I’m wondering if it’s really okay for me to be here.”

When I said that, the second-year girl replied, “Yeah, I can understand the feeling. Everyone gets like that the first time. But you certainly don’t have to be nervous, Misaki. In fact, Domestic Arts students are always coming in here if they have errands to run. You don’t need anyone’s permission.”

She gave me an affable clap on the shoulder.

“Of course, good manners are important. You shouldn’t do anything rude. However, for the young ladies, it’s a normal, everyday sight to have Domestic Arts students around, so no one’ll notice. Well, they might notice you a little more than the others, but the point is, the Societal Arts students won’t be at all bothered by you walking through their classroom building.”

“For sure?”

“Definitely. In fact, a lot of maids come to greet their mistresses around this time, so you might actually stand out more if you keep hanging around here. See?”

I looked where she pointed. While I’d been frozen in fear, a plethora of students in maid outfits had begun crisscrossing the magnificent hallway. Even as we spoke, a steady stream of Domestic Arts students was entering behind me and going past.

And, if I really thought about it, a maid’s uniform actually began to feel really fitting for this scene. Why wouldn’t such a surreal and sumptuous place have maids everywhere you looked? It was only natural.

“I guess it’s normal after all.”

All my tension vanished. There was no need for it.

“Misaki, have you never been to the Societal Arts building before?” the girl asked, surprised.

“I’m afraid not. This is my first time.”

There was an element of the building being a little daunting, but mainly it was just that the older Seraphs at the Sky Salon tended to meet their mistresses there, so I’d just followed their lead. Not to mention that I had to get to the salon early to clean and get things ready for Himeko’s arrival, so I really didn’t have time to go to her classroom anyway.

I didn’t know how they did things in other salons, but in the Sky Salon at least, going to welcome the mistress outside her classroom wasn’t the done thing.

“All right, then. I’ll be your guide, if you like.”

“You will? Thank you so much!”

This Seraph I don’t even know is being so nice to me. Maybe being recognized everywhere I go isn’t so bad after all.

“I don’t mind one bit. We’re headed the same way, after all.”

“Really?”

“Yup. My mistress is in Lady Himeko’s class,” she said proudly.

“That’s a happy coincidence.”

“It also means I’m always hearing about Lady Himeko. Ever since she made you her Seraph, she’s been way more cheerful and talkative than she used to be, apparently. She’s also been joining in with the others bragging about their Seraphs.”

“Wow.”

So that’s what Himeko gets up to in her classroom.

“Anyway, while we’re chatting here, time’s marching on. Let’s get moving.”

“Okay. Erm, what’s your name, by the way?”

After all her help, it felt rude to not even know who she was. Plus, I’d inevitably end up telling Himeko later that someone was friendly enough to show me the way, and if I couldn’t even say who it was, she’d probably wonder what was wrong with me.

I didn’t think I’d ever be on the Kokonoe twins’ level, but it couldn’t hurt to start learning more information about the other people on campus.

If her mistress really is close to Himeko, though, maybe she’s offended that I didn’t know her name. Maybe it would have been better to secretly ask someone else afterward. It’ll be so embarrassing if I’ve met her before and forgotten.

Oh, this is why they have the “debut” system, right? If I’d memorized all the salon members I met that day, maybe I wouldn’t be in this situation. Boy, personal data is more crucial here than I expected!

“My name is Mari Sakuchi. You can call me Marie.”

“Marie, was it?”

It looked like Mari—or Marie, rather—wasn’t particularly bothered by my question, at least. As she told me her name, she put a mischievous finger up to her lips.

✤

During my first foray into the Societal Arts classroom building, I saw a surprising phenomenon.

The first-year students’ floor wasn’t too crowded, so it didn’t stand out all that much, but when we went up to the second-years’ floor, it hit me right away. Students in maid uniforms were all standing neatly in a line by the window near the entrance to every classroom.

As I followed Marie, I quietly asked a question from behind. “What are those girls doing?”

“Oh, they’re waiting at the stage door.”

“Like at a theater?”

“Exactly. They stand to the side and wait for their mistresses to leave the classroom.”

“Really? They don’t go and ask someone to tell their mistress they’ve arrived?”

When we’d gone to see Mei, Aoi had asked a nearby student to get her. I was thinking we could do the same.

Apparently not, though. “Nobody really does that. If our mistresses call us here on a specific errand, we go in through the back door and make a beeline for their desk.”

“Oh, I see. There’s a back door for that, huh.”

“There’s particular etiquette for that as well, of course. If the back door is closed, you knock twice before opening it. Then, even if there’s no one nearby, you politely announce yourself and bow before stepping into the classroom. Then you go straight to your mistress without looking around at anyone else.”

“I didn’t know about all these rules.”

Marie was kind of enough to give a visual demonstration of how to do it. Now that she’d explained it, it did seem silly to expect the Societal Arts students to play messenger for us.

“Well, they’re sort of like house rules. You won’t learn about them in class. The reason you haven’t been taught is probably because you’ve never been called here by your mistress before. If the time came, I’m sure she’d have told you all about them.”

“But if they can go in through the back door, why is everyone waiting out in the hallway?”

Couldn’t they just go straight in, I wondered?

“Simple. The Societal Arts students haven’t finished homeroom yet, so waiting’s the only option.”

“Huh? Really?”

Now that I looked around again, every single student out here was from the Domestic Arts program. I couldn’t see a single one of the ladies.

“Since there are always students who come here to greet their mistresses, the Societal Arts students’ schedule runs about ten minutes behind ours.”

“Wow, I had no idea.”

It makes sense, though. That’s why Himeko always arrives later than me to the Sky Salon. It’s not that she’s intentionally taking her time.

“There are also a few rules to keep in mind while greeting your mistress. Oh, Lady Himeko’s class is over here, by the way.” She looked up at the sign.

“Ah, so it is.”

There were already a few students waiting outside Himeko’s classroom. With a quick nod to them, Marie took up her place beside them. I followed suit and stood next to her.

“It’s nothing too complicated,” she continued. “You line up by the window near the entrance. That’s to avoid getting in anyone’s way if they’re trying to walk past. Also, everyone lines up in the order they arrived. Once you’re there, you stand up straight and fold your hands neatly in front of your lower body while facing straight ahead. When homeroom ends, nod politely at the teacher and students as they come out. When your mistress comes out, bow deeply and let her know you’re there, then walk over to her side to say hello properly once you’re sure it won’t block anyone’s path. That’s the general idea.”

“Got it.”

Were these all unwritten rules as well? Without Marie to teach me, I’d probably have bulldozed right through them.

“What you do after that depends on what you’ve arranged with your mistress, but first you might want to say she must be tired after all that work, so you’ll gladly hold her bag for her. Most ladies won’t make you hold their bag, but it’s still polite to offer.”

“Understandable.” I nodded again.

“Is Lady Himeko strict about that kind of thing?”

“No,” I replied quickly. I was about to underline just how little she minded, but I paused to think first.

Well, I suppose she probably doesn’t want a reputation of being a really tough mistress.

“Lady Himeko’s very kind. She never really says anything mean.”

“That’s great to hear. My mistress is a real stickler for perfect manners. She’s always nitpicking how I talk.”

Marie lifted her hands up slightly and sighed as if to say she was sick and tired of it.

I chuckled. She didn’t look like she was actually annoyed by it; it was the kind of complaint you see from someone who’s forged a really good master-servant relationship. It was honestly quite amusing.

“I think the ladies will be out soon. We passed a lot of time while chatting.”

Marie adopted a focused expression and stood perfectly straight. Folding her arms in front of her, she was so still that she looked like a beautiful painting.

That must really come with experience. Even though she’s been showing me her more fun, casual side, when the time comes, she can switch to full-on maid mode.

Imitating Marie, I stood with more precise posture than usual and waited for Himeko to arrive.

Not long afterward, the bell rang, and I could hear a lot of activity in the classroom. It sounded like homeroom had ended. This was followed by the noises that came with bags being placed on desks, things being tidied away, and smatterings of conversation.

I wonder when Himeko will come out? Will she be surprised to see me waiting for her? She won’t just play it off like it’s nothing, right? I mean, I doubt she’d do that.

As I was thinking that, the door quietly opened.

The person who came out first appeared to be the homeroom teacher. She wore a tight skirt and a floral blouse. With a scarf wrapped around her neck, she looked pretty stylish. Her brown hair hung down to her back in pretty curls. Overall, she looked completely the opposite of the more understated Ms. Hiyori.

She was obviously used to seeing students waiting outside her classroom, so almost as quickly as we all nodded at her, she returned the greeting. It looked like she was going back into the classroom after that, but she took three steps before suddenly backtracking. In an instant, all the students waiting, not just me, grew tense and trembled.

“My oh my, I thought I saw an unfamiliar face. You’re Misaki, if I’m not mistaken.”

Apparently, I was the reason she’d come back.

“Yes, erm, that’s me.”

She’s so close. She’s staring at me from right in front of my face.

Reflexively, I looked away.

“I see, I see. I’d been so hoping to see the one Himeko picked as her Seraph.”

She scrutinized me from every angle, not holding back at all.

“You definitely don’t seem like the meek, obedient type. You had an arrangement before you even joined the school, though, right?”

“Erm, yes. Exactly.”

I’d almost forgotten, but that was our story for the world at large.

“Well, well, well.”

She looked at me, somehow puzzled. Is there something weird about me? I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been found out that my contract’s only a temporary arrangement.

Even so, I was shaking inside.

Suddenly, the teacher grabbed hold of my skirt and lifted it up.

“Huh?! What are you doing?”

In a panic, I pushed my skirt down with both hands.

“I heard you and Himeko went shopping for underwear together, you see. I just wanted to know if that’s what you had on today.”

“What?! I don’t get it! I don’t get it at all!”

Admittedly, I was wearing that expensive lingerie right now, but that didn’t mean I wanted to show other people. The only one I’m happy to show is Himeko!

When I frantically objected, the teacher let go.

“Hahaha, I just wanted to check, that’s all. I wanted to see what kind of girl Himeko chose.”

Smiling, she clapped me on the shoulder.

“A maid who was meek and obedient and nothing else wouldn’t have been enough, I guess.”

She flashed a smile, as if she’d privately come to some satisfying conclusion.

“Sorry for surprising you. Actually, I’m grateful to you as well, Misaki.”

“To me? How come?”

“I taught Himeko in her first year as well, but since she got you as a Seraph, she’s become visibly more cheerful and much easier to teach.”

“Really? She has?”

“Think about it. If one of the students is also the deputy chairman, even I have to be on my guard, right? It also hasn’t been out of character for her to come across as rather tense, so I naturally ended up handling her with caution. These days, though, it’s fine to treat her like a normal student. That’s a huge help. Who knew getting a single Seraph would make such a big difference?”

Suddenly, a voice I knew well came from behind the teacher.

“Excuse me.”

That crystal clear voice was one I’d grown very familiar with. Without even looking, I knew right away that it was Himeko.

Having noticed her as well, the teacher whipped around in a flash.

“Oh, Himeko. I believe you have a meeting with the student council president today, don’t you?”

“Yes, that’s right. Ms. Hanamori, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t put strange ideas in my Seraph’s head. Actually, the bigger question is why Misaki’s here in the first place.”

So the teacher’s name is Ms. Hanamori.

“I thought I’d surprise you.”

“What am I going to do with you?” Himeko replied. Despite her words, she was clearly happy that I’d come. “For a moment I thought I saw a girl who resembled you, but then when I looked properly, it really was you. If you were trying to surprise me, you definitely succeeded!”

As she spoke, she wrapped an arm around me and gently drew me closer. I didn’t try to resist, and soon I was in her embrace, positioned comfortably against her chest. I had the feeling she was trying to save me from Ms. Hanamori’s evil clutches.

Suddenly, a series of high-pitched squeals erupted nearby; the Domestic Arts students just couldn’t help reacting to this sight. They soon covered their mouths and fell quiet again, but their gazes remained fixed on us. I forget how much attention Himeko always gets!

Himeko took one of my pigtails in her hand and softly stroked it. “I haven’t even taught you the rules you need to follow here, and you still followed them perfectly. I’m impressed. Clearly you’ve been studying up.”

I had an urge to just give in and enjoy the relaxed sensation for a while, but then I remembered where I was and snapped back to reality. “No, actually it was Marie here. She taught me everything.”

Marie promptly spread her skirt out wide to deliver a deep curtsy. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Mari Sakuchi. My mistress was kind enough to grant me the nickname of Marie, so please feel free to call me that.”

“Oh, so it was you, Marie. This is the first time we’ve ever spoken directly, but I know all about you, of course. I see you here all the time. You’re Sari Tsuyuki’s Seraph, aren’t you?”

“I’m honored by the fact that you know who I am, milady. That’s right, I’m the Seraph of Lady Rosalie.”

“Rosalie,” Himeko murmured, slightly perplexed. It looked like this was the first time she’d ever heard the name. “Right, that must be what you call Sari.”

Sari Tsuyuki is Rosalie, and Mari is Marie. I’m starting to guess what kind of salon Marie might belong to.

All of a sudden, a lone young lady appeared from the classroom, dashing out like the wind. “Marie, stop, please! I’ve told you not to call me that outside of the Salon!” With lightning reflexes, she put both hands over Marie’s mouth. Holding them there, she put on a smile. “My apologies, Lady Himeko. Mari is always blurting out such silly things.”

With her beautiful, lustrous black hair, the lady contrasted greatly with Marie. Apart from a one-sided crown braid, it was perfectly straight and hung to her shoulders. Looking at her bright-red, bashful face, I didn’t see the strictness Marie had described at all. Instead, she seemed like a sweet and sensitive mistress. Atop her head was a glimmering tiara adorned with pink gemstones in a rose motif.

She must be the head of a salon, then.

“Mmph!”

Marie tried to object, but Lady Sari kept her hands pressed so over her mouth that whatever she was trying to say, I couldn’t make it out.

With a hint of a smile, Himeko nodded. “I think it’s fine. You’ve just become the head of a salon, haven’t you, Rosalie? Using a new name makes sense as a way to highlight your salon’s unique flavor. It’s nothing to feel awkward about.”

“Well, no, I suppose not. I’m just not used to it yet. It’s still kind of embarrassing.”

Her cheeks turning even redder, Lady Sari—err, Lady Rosalie—started poking Marie in the shoulder reproachfully. Now that the hands blocking her mouth were out of the way, Marie gasped for breath.

“I agree, Lady Rosalie,” Marie added. “You chose these names, so we should start using them with each other more often. No need to be shy!”

For good measure, she reeled off as many words of encouragement as she could, always repeating the name. “I think your nickname is so cute, Lady Rosalie!” and “The name Lady Rosalie really suits you!” and “I find it an honor to call you Lady Rosalie!” gushed forth relentlessly.

Finally, Lady Rosalie buried her face in her hands and sank to the floor. “All right. I get it. I’ll get used to being called Rosalie, so please, just let me be for now.”

“Certainly, milady.” Marie nodded in satisfaction.

Squeezing Marie’s hand tightly, Lady Rosalie raised her crimson face. “Lady Himeko, I’m sorry about all this. My Seraph’s not a bad maid, but she doesn’t always know how to tailor her behavior to the situation. I’ll give her a proper talking-to later, so please forgive us.”

“No need to apologize. To me, she looks like a Seraph who really cares about her mistress.”

Hearing this, Lady Rosalie mustered a half-smile. “You don’t have to say that, but it still makes me happy. In any case, we’ll be going now. See you tomorrow.”

“Yes, goodbye.”

With that, Lady Rosalie and Marie retreated swiftly like an ebbing tide, and soon they were gone.

Ms. Hanamori, who had quietly watched this exchange, lightly clapped both Himeko and me on the shoulder. “It looks like some beautiful new friendships are being made. Yes, that’s just how student life should be. Anyway, I’m heading to the staff room now. Take care!”

As she left, Himeko heaved a small sigh and called behind her, “Remember what I said about not putting any funny ideas in Misaki’s head!”

✤

When we entered conference room one, we found that Lady Angelica had arrived before us and had already gotten everything set up. Although it seemed plain at first glance, as you’d expect from a conference room, looking closely, it had a splendor well beyond the norm. The wall tiles and the engraving on the pillars really stood out. Even the table and chairs appeared to come from a high-class brand.

“Good afternoon. Sorry to have kept you waiting.”

Lady Angelica had been gazing out the window. She turned around and welcomed us with a warm smile.

A worry ran through my head. Is daylight safe for her? It was a needless thought, of course. She was clearly fine, or she wouldn’t have been hanging around during the day like this.

The scent of early summer floated on the breeze that entered through the half-opened window, tickling my nose. On the table sat binders that I assumed were filled with relevant documents, along with everything that would be needed for serving tea.

“Please, take a seat. I’ll make the tea, so feel free to relax.”

Then Lady Angelica set about making the tea herself.

“I’ll do it!” I declared in a panic, attempting to take the teapot off her hands.

She gently prevented me from doing so. “It’s all right. You made such delicious tea for me the other day, so today I want to return the favor.”

“But you shouldn’t have to do that!”

She giggled. “Just watch.”

While speaking, she briskly continued with the preparations. Her manner looked very experienced indeed.

“I’ve lived on my own for a long time. Don’t worry, I’m more than capable.”

Thinking about it, I’d never seen Lady Angelica with a Seraph or heard anything about her having one.

“I suppose I’ve never found someone I had the right affinity for,” she explained with a touch of melancholy. “There haven’t been any students who have really taken my fancy, and people tend to shy away from me a bit, so no one has actively approached me.”

If you were to ask me, I’d have said this was because of the powerful aura she exuded. She was absolutely beautiful to gaze at from a distance, which made you want to get a closer look, but actually getting close left you so dazzled that you had to look away.

Now that I knew who, or what, Lady Angelica really was—an undead being rather than a human—it all made sense. To people who had no idea, though, she seemed to have the inaccessible air of a celebrity, and that was enough.

“On the plus side, it’s made me a bit of a whiz when it comes to making tea.”

The tea she served left me stunned at the delicate balance of bitterness and astringency. It was incredibly delicious.

“This is amazing,” I told her. “Way better than mine.”

“No, don’t be silly. I definitely think the tea you served me tasted much nicer. It does just come down to feelings, but seeing someone take great pains to prepare something for me always makes my mouth water.” She looked at me with a smile, then turned to Himeko. “You agree, don’t you? When Misaki does something for you, no matter how small or trivial, it tantalizes your taste buds and makes you really happy, right?”

“Oh. Yes, absolutely!”

Himeko appeared slightly confused at being brought into it so suddenly, but she still gave a heartening reply. “Anyway, that’s enough about the tea. Why don’t we move on to the main topic?”

Clearly hoping to avoid being toyed with any longer, Himeko picked up one of the binders.

“Certainly,” Lady Angelica replied with a chuckle, looking satisfied.

She opened another of the binders. One had been provided for me, too, so I peeked inside. There I found a collection of pages filled with information about the young lady who was transferring to the school. It was a full personal profile in the style of a resume.

This must be Sara’s mistress.

The pages had been photocopied so it was all in black and white, but a photo of her face had been included. When I saw it, I reflexively let out a gasp of wonder. It was like cuteness and beauty were in perfect coexistence. She was on the cusp of turning from a girl into a grown woman, but with plenty of youthfulness still there. Yes, that was the impression this photo gave me.

She had defined features, with large eyes that showed a strength of will and a straight nose. Her long pigtails, tied with cherry-blossom-patterned ribbons, hung from just above her ears.

“This is Sakura, the one who’s transferring to Amanotsuka Academy. Himeko, this is the first time you’ve seen what she looks like, right?”

“Yes, I’ve only heard her name before. She looks really cute.”

“I quite agree. She’s an incredibly cute girl.” Somehow, Lady Angelica’s reply sounded laden with implications.

“Anyway, there are no problems as such. I just wanted to touch base with you because her transfer date has been moved up a little and we finally have all the official documents. Misaki, could you look through those as well, please?”

“Erm, yes! Sure thing!”

I felt sort of like I was prying, but if she’d told me to look, it had to be okay. Plus, my binder was thinner than Himeko’s, so I’d probably only been given the parts I was allowed to see.

“Well? Did anything stand out to either of you?”

What kind of a question is that? I mean, I can’t say that absolutely nothing stood out.

I was still busy pondering whether I should really say it or not when Himeko jumped in first.

“Ah, I see. Her arrival might cause a bit of a storm at the academy.”

“So you agree, then. I thought you might.”

“Yes,” Himeko replied vaguely.

I didn’t know what would cause a storm or how, but both of them had clearly reached the same conclusion.

“How about you, Misaki?”

Here goes. If they’ve both agreed on that, I guess it doesn’t matter what I say.

“Well, mostly I was thinking that Lady Asuka—or actually Mei, really—might want to invite her to join the Paradise Palace.”

To put it bluntly, Lady Sakura was not a tall young lady. If this data was still accurate, she was four foot seven, which made her a perfect candidate to join Lady Asuka and Mei’s salon. Combining that with her sweet appearance, Mei would want to snap her right up for sure.

“Heh, exactly. Rude as it may be to say it, Sakura is rather short, so Mei is certain to approach her. And don’t you think Kagura might do the same?”

“Huh?”

It seemed they were both in agreement that Lady Kagura would ask Lady Sakura to join the Sky Salon too.

“Sakura’s family runs a company that operates a specialized streaming service. They broadcast all kinds of programs that can be viewed not only within the UK, but across the world thanks to the power of the internet. That makes them quite influential, so Kagura would probably see her as an important connection to make.”

Adding to Lady Angelica’s explanation, Himeko said, “Advertising and publicity are essential to Kagura’s plans, after all. If she can get to know TV stations or digital broadcast companies, it’s only beneficial for her.”

“Right, I see,” I replied.

In the future, Lady Kagura was planning to start her own sporting goods manufacturer. She intended to expand by way of an exclusive promotional contract with Lady Minako. To get her business on the right track, getting her name out there had to be priority number one. It sounded like that was the reason she’d invite Lady Sakura to join.

“So it’ll be a battle between Lady Kagura and Lady Asuka, just like when we had the Salon Struggle.”

“Essentially, yes,” Lady Angelica said, not quite denying it. “The problem is, there’s a mechanism for taking over a salon, but not for stealing an individual member.”

“Huh?”

“Until now, even when someone was asked to join more than one salon, it’s never really come to blows. Salons tend to have a particular atmosphere that people either fit into or don’t, so even if someone got several invitations, things always seemed to work out. Kagura’s salon is a little different from the others, however. She’s collected a lot of people with particular goals in mind. Her personnel, you might say. Of course, everyone gets along really well, so the element of everyone fitting in is still there, but her highest priority is whether the members are the staff that Kagura wants to have.”

“Meanwhile,” she continued, “the Paradise Palace has a clear membership criterion, and Mei will do all she can to seek out those who meet it and offer them a place. I don’t think either of them will back down. That means words alone won’t bring the matter to a close, and the fight could be dragged out for quite a long time.”

“Oh,” I replied nervously. “I see, yes.”

It sounded like this could cause quite a problem. The two salon leaders didn’t get along too well. They were pretty much like oil and water. It hardly helped that Lady Kagura had the Kokonoe sisters there fanning the flames with their treatment of Lady Asuka, so they were unlikely to suddenly start getting along.

Is it really that bad, though?

“The reason the Paradise Palace wants Lady Sakura is more because of Mei’s insistence, right?”

“Yes, true,” Lady Angelica agreed. It sounded like Mei’s love of petite young ladies was well known.

“So if you can get Lady Asuka to talk Mei out of it now, maybe there’s still time.”

“That would be ideal, but if Asuka knows Kagura wants her too, she won’t just hand her over.”

“Oh. They really don’t like each other, do they?”

“It’s less that and more that Asuka has a fierce sense of rivalry. Part of it goes back to the fact that Asuka’s family business is competing for market share with one of the Mikage Group’s companies, so they’ve had an adversarial relationship with Kagura’s family for many, many years.”

“Gosh.” So it’s pretty deep-rooted, then.

“That’s where things stand. We need to find a solution now, while there’s time. Actually, there’s one other problem.”

Himeko arched her eyebrows. “There’s more?”

“This came as a real surprise to me, honestly, but there’s actually another salon vying for Sakura as well.”

“Another one?” I murmured.

Well, she’s an international student, really beautiful, and from a prestigious family. I guess no surprise that the salons are eager to bring her into the fold.

However, Himeko wasn’t so convinced.

“Is this confirmed information?” she asked with an unexpectedly serious expression.

“Yes. The head of the salon in question asked me directly when Sakura would be arriving.”

“But her arrival hasn’t even been publicly announced, has it?”

“No. We wouldn’t have informed the wider student population when her arrival date wasn’t set in stone and none of the preparations had been made yet. I quietly checked with the teachers and none of them had told anyone about it.”

There was something foreboding about this. An unsolvable mystery? Or a leak somewhere that needed to be plugged?

“The fact that Sakura is coming isn’t a secret in itself, so it’s possible this salon leader heard some other way—perhaps someone Sakura knows here at school. However, according to my information network, this salon leader isn’t connected to Sakura in such a way.”

“Who is the salon leader?” Himeko asked.

Lady Angelica waited a moment before answering. “Sari Tsuyuki.”

“What?” Himeko replied, shocked. “It’s Sari? As in Rosalie?”

I could understand her surprise. This wasn’t a name I’d expected to hear either.

“Yes, Rosalie is the name she uses inside the salon. The salon is called the Gloriana Guesthouse, and it was set up at the start of this school year with a motif of British traditionalism. Based on the salon’s theme, it’s not at all surprising that they’d want Sakura to join. The question is where on earth she found out the information.”

“That is quite concerning.”

Both Lady Angelica and Lady Himeko were lost in thought for a moment. It sounded like Himeko hadn’t talked to Lady Rosalie about the new student either.

“Anyway, that’s where Misaki comes in.” Lady Angelica looked at me with a meaningful gaze.

“Me?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t ask anything too taxing of you. I just want you to talk to Sara a little.”

“You do?”

“Yes. You’re her friend, so you might have heard already, but when Sara lived in Britain, she used to serve Sakura.”

“Oh!” I replied awkwardly. “I had no idea!”

Since Himeko was there, Lady Angelica had spoken as if this might be the first I’d ever heard about Lady Sakura. Himeko didn’t know the full details of what had happened with the ghost scare. If I didn’t maintain the facade, she’d find out that I’d broken the rules and gone wandering around at night. I’ll have to thank Lady Angelica later.

“Related to what we just discussed, I’d like to know if Sara’s spoken about Sakura to anyone else. It would also be great if you could get some more specific information about Sakura herself.”

“What kind of information?”

“Hmm, let’s see. I mostly want to find out about her personality, I suppose. If she’s going to get caught up in a whirlwind of drama the moment she arrives in Japan, it would be great to know how she’ll react to that. If she will be amused by it and accepts the system we have here, that will be fine, but if not, we might need to use our influence on the competing salons.”

“I see.”

Is Lady Angelica always doing this—looking at the school as a whole and giving out orders to help things run smoothly? Even though she’s a vampire, there’s no denying she’s working hard for the school’s benefit. She’s definitely a great student council president.

“I was surprised that Rosalie knew, but I don’t think she’ll cause a big problem. For now, let’s just wait for Misaki to report back.”

“Yes, that sounds like a good idea.”

Both ladies closed their binders, indicating that the topic of Sakura was closed.

“Misaki, that reminds me,” said Lady Angelica.

“Yes?”

“Could you tell Sara the date Sakura will be arriving?”

“Are you sure that’s all right?”

“Definitely. She’ll probably hear about it in a letter or some such anyway, but why don’t we tell her first and surprise her?” A mischievous smile appeared on her face. She gave a wink. “She’ll be coming on the first of July. That’ll be when she moves into her dorm room, then she’ll start attending classes the next day.”

“Got it. Sara’s going to be really happy. I just know it.”

“Yes, it’ll be a big load off her mind.”

This meant it was a little over two weeks until Lady Sakura would be here. Hearing that would definitely calm Sara’s mind and finally start putting the ghost business to rest once and for all.

“Now, I have one more topic to bring up.”

Himeko tilted her head. “Oh, really? What is it?”

Clearly, Himeko hadn’t been aware that there was anything else.

“Yes. It’s almost time for the Little Princess to be chosen.”

“Ah, it is around that time of year, isn’t it?”

Lady Angelica had used a term that wasn’t familiar to me. I wondered how many more concepts there were specific to this school outside of Seraphs and Exousias.

“This may be a little unorthodox,” Lady Angelica said, “but I think Misaki would be a good candidate.”

“Misaki? I see.”

Wait! Hold on a minute!

“Yes. Since she became your Seraph, she’s received a lot of attention. I don’t think it would be odd for her to be given the title.”

“Hey, could you please slow down?” I interjected in a panic. A voice inside had me whispered—no, screamed that if I didn’t say something, it could spell disaster. “What is this ‘Little Princess’ thing, anyway?”

Even without asking, I had a feeling it would be nothing but trouble.

“The title of Little Princess is essentially an award given to a first-year student.”

“What kind of award?”

“So, I’m sure you’ve seen the two girls sitting next to me when I have tea in the courtyard.”

I thought back to the people I always saw there next to Lady Angelica. One was a pale-skinned, dreamy-looking girl who seemed the very definition of a lady, while the other was lively and came across like a dependable older sister.

“Those two have the titles of Princess and Knight. The Princess is chosen every year to serve as a role model for the other students, while the Knight is an escort chosen by the Princess. The pair are involved in various school events.”

“We have a head maid in our class, which is kind of similar. It sounds like the Princess might be the Societal Arts version of that, kind of.”

“It’s not far off. And the Little Princess is essentially a Princess in the making—in theory, at least. Recently it’s been a title awarded to the first-year student who stands out the most. The Little Princess hardly ever gets chosen to be the Princess, so it’s not treated as too important a title.”

This is too much. Giving that title to someone from the Domestic Arts program sounds more than a little unorthodox. It would make me stick out like a sore thumb!

“I get the feeling it’s more than just a title. You don’t just get the award and then go on your way, do you?”

Lady Angelica responded with a devilish chuckle. “You’re a sharp one, Misaki. Whoever’s awarded the title of Little Princess is a candidate to be the next Princess, even if that’s unlikely in practice, so you act as the Princess’s assistant.”

“But I can’t do that. It’s too big a responsibility!”

“Really?” Himeko said. “I think you’d be good at it.”

Though she was apparently enthusiastic about the idea and tried to encourage me, she didn’t quite get it.

“Listen, Himeko. If I take on a huge role like that, I’ll have way less time to take care of you. You realize that, right?”

Her face darkened. It looked like she hadn’t thought of that until I pointed it out. “Lady Angelica, I’m terribly sorry, but Misaki will have to decline. Perhaps it would be better to choose from among the Societal Arts students as usual.”

She’d done a full 180 in the space of seconds.

Sighing, Lady Angelica replied, “Fair enough. I thought it might be good to give to Misaki. It would be a breath of fresh air at the academy. It’s not every day that someone of the caliber to become Himeko’s Seraph turns up.”

“I see what you mean, but it’s still a no.” She wrapped an arm around me, pulling me in close as if to say she’d never let me go.

Thank goodness. Himeko’s firmly against it.

“Understood. I thought I’d float the idea, but forget I said anything. That said, if you ever change your mind, Misaki, we can definitely give you the title, even if it means a change to the system.”

I let out a reluctant grunt and held up my arms in an X shape to emphasize that it was never going to happen.

I didn’t know if she was amused by this gesture or if she just found it ridiculous, but either way, Lady Angelica put a hand up to her mouth and giggled softly.