My name is Rem, and I am currently working as a maid for Roswaal Mathers. My job consists of cleaning, cooking, maintenance and also personal guards for his mansion.

Yesterday was quite different compared to the usual, as we had two new members residing in the mansion. One boy with black hair, wearing strange attire, and the other a child with snow white hair. I do not know the specifics of what transpired with Emilia-sama that relates to them, but at the very least I am expected to show proper respect to our guest. Even if they might look out of place.

However, as the day went by, that scent was present, ever so slightly. It was almost unnoticeable to me, and frankly, it infuriates me how I could have possibly missed it. This smell, this light but clearly present stench, can only belong to those Witch Cultists.

It was for this reason that I have opted to speak as little as possible to not incite my brewing hostility. Even now, as I stand in front of the doorway, watching the boy falling into a deep sleep, the thought of ending his life circulates in my head. But I can't.

According to Beatrice-san, just having the scent doesn't prove that you belong to the cult. Although such a thought of a person being born with such a scent is a difficult thing for me to believe, I can only trust that judgment to be the right one, for someone as unknowledgeable as me.

Besides, if my actions were to hinder my sister's work, then I truly won't be able to forgive myself.

With that, I heave a sigh, before quietly pace myself over to the bedside. Leaning over him, reaching for his exposed neck, I pinched at it, awakening him from his slumber.

"..mm?" The boy muttered, his eyes still barely open. The scent was still faint.

"I have finished your uniform." I calmly spoke, making him widen his eyes in response.

"Ah, already? Um…Rem-san, right?"

"Yes."

"Thanks!" He spoke in an awfully cheerful tone.

"Here, try it on and see if it fits." I toss the clothes over as it lands on his head.

"Alright, but…"

"What is it?" I looked at him, noticing his downward gaze. Following his eyes, I found a girl sleeping soundly on his lap. She was in a position where any sudden movements would likely wake her up.

Seeing his precarious situation, I let out another sigh, before turning back to him. Placing my hands below the girl's head and shoulder, I then gently lifted her up, allowing the boy to slide away. Once he was done, I slowly lowered down to the sheets.

Hmm? Isn't this… As I got nearer to the girl, something that I hadn't picked up before entered my nose. It was similar to what the boy had, only fainter. Or perhaps his was just more noticeable? Nevertheless, this only furthers my suspicion.

What kind of coincidence would it be for two people to appear bearing the smell of the witch? No matter what, such an occurrence can only bring danger, even if these two don't have any connections to that cursed cult.

"Um..is everything alright, Rem-san?" The boy suddenly called out to me as I was deep in thought.

"...Yes, nothing is wrong."

Even so…this is still based on my own thoughts. No matter what I think or believe, I simply don't have enough evidence nor concrete reasons to be any more suspicious of them. I am just a maid, so I should only focus on doing that. I'll just have to make sure that these two don't do anything abnormal.

"So then, how is the uniform?" Settling my thoughts, I inquire the boy.

"It fits perfectly. You're really amazing at this." He says as he flares his arms around. With his hands still inside the sleeves, it made him look quite ridiculous. But at least it fits, so I suppose my job is done.

"If that's the case, then I shall be taking my leave now."

"Hmm? Ah, wait a moment! You don't need to be so formal with me like that, you know? I'm a butler now, so we are basically colleagues. Just call me by my name."

"...Right."

For someone that seems like they have never worked a day in their life, who only got accepted into the job because they requested it, asking me to treat them as an equal? It was almost an insult. I held back my frown as I looked at him, before turning away.

I can accept you living here rent free and dirty the place with your hands. I can accept your cheerful attitude that seems overly joyous all the time. And I can even accept the fact that you are now working here. But that does not mean that I am willing to accept you as a member, not until you prove it. Especially when you are carrying that scent around.

"I truly do hope that you will do well in your job. For my sister's sake at least…" I whispered those last words, yet my tone clearly came off more aggressive than I wanted. I really am too careless today, it's pathetic. Staying near him will only worsen my mood.

And so, not waiting for a response, I strode away.

"That was weird…" was what Subaru thought to himself. It didn't seem like the girl was very fond of him. He wondered for a bit what he did wrong, yet failed to come up with any reasons.

"Well, I suppose there's no point in trying to think further. I'll just have to improve her opinion of me through my actions. Yeah, I'll do just that." He concludes while mentally pumping himself up for the work. He'll make sure that not a moment would be wasted, especially not in this new life of his.

"Anyways, I guess I'll have to go meet up with Ram-san then?"

"...hah…"

"Hmm?"

He turned his head, his eyes focusing onto the bed. Sleeping peacefully, the rabbit girl snoozed. It was quite adorable if he was being honest. Too adorable at that. It made him almost want to just stay here and watch her sleep.

"No no, calm down Natsuki Subaru. Now is not the time for such things! You got a job now!" He slapped his cheeks, pulling him away from the temptation. His reputation with the blue haired maid doesn't seem to be great already, he would be in trouble if he does something to drag it down further. So for now, he has to reject the once in a lifetime offer of being able to watch a girl sleep.

"Hah…"

As her quiet breathing echoed, he switched his attention down the end of her legs. There he found a white blanket, folded neatly into the corner. Grabbing hold of it, he then spreads it over her, careful as to not wake her up. He made sure to take a good long look at her sleeping face as well while he's at it.

Truthfully, he still hasn't fully processed what had occurred to lead him into this situation. First, he was transported to another world. Then he realized he was practically given nothing to base himself in, not even an objective or goal. Just to make it worse, he proceeded to get robbed before being saved by a silver-haired girl. Recalling the memory made him smile a bit, even if the outcome of that event led to him being killed.

Though, besides the girl and her cat spirit, another one accompanied them, and she was lying right in front of him. Thoughts and questions that he previously put aside started to flood back in, filling his mind with uncertainty and curiosity.

Just who is this girl? Was one of the most prominent questions in his mind. It was a valid question considering he knew next to nothing about her, and yet from what the spirit said, she was tailing him? But if he took that into account, combined with his other world knowledge, the reason she was following him would be that she was the one that summoned him. But that answer quickly fell apart as he realized that the rabbit girl did not seem to know about his ability, nor showed any signs that she was the one that brought him here.

Of course, he also considered that she simply followed him out of curiosity or perhaps for malicious intents, but that also didn't add up. And with all that back and forth, he always returned back to square one, his mind not reaching any conclusions.

But she did help me and Emilia-tan when we needed it, so at least she doesn't seem like a bad person. In another life, it was her help that managed to keep him alive, even if he still perished shortly after. So even if he's curious about her origins and the many questions that he wanted to ask her, he decided that he will once again set them aside. Besides, it wouldn't be nice for him as a friend to keep poking into another person's life.

"Alright then, I guess I should go find Ram-san now. See you later, Shirogi." With that, he silently reached for the exit, leaving the girl alone.

Silence accompanied the room, as a lone figure sat in the middle of it. On his hand was a black covered book, the pages worn and its color changed. Despite that however, the words inscribed in it were still very much clear to his eyes, as he quietly read through each line carefully.

This was not the first, nor would it be the last that he would do this however. Re-treading each line with careful precision. He had long since lost count of how many times he has done this, but it didn't matter.

Every event, every action and every little detail that was painfully inscribed into these pages, he had already memorized them all, word by word. He's confident that he could recite the entire thing if he so wanted, but that was not an excuse for him to ever abandon his book.

"Hmm, this is indeed strange." As he finished reading another page, his mind lapsed into thought.

"Everything seems to be going the same, yet that girl was never mentioned. How very odd."

Even since the arrival of that mysterious girl, this question has been nagging away at him. It would be simple for him to just ignore this so long as the events play out the same, but he at least wanted to know a little more about her. Unfortunately, her incapability of speech has halted any plans of him asking any information from her.

That only makes it all the more mysterious though. Can't speak, and yet she was seemingly let alone to navigate the capital's streets without any assistance? Her appearance resembled that of a child as well, so this detail was even more odd.

And the sheer coincidence of her meeting the two, and getting dragged into all of this, and her being completely fine with staying here? Without telling anyone close to her where she is or where she went? No matter how he looked at it, something wasn't adding up.

Why was she by herself? Her attire seems out of place from Lugunica's, so it didn't seem like she was even from here, so how did she even get here? Why is no one looking for her? Why does she seem to not care that no one is looking for her? Just who is she?

But perhaps, the most important question would be the ripples that her existence could bring to the events that were about to unfold. Knowing that the book does not detail everything, and the things that it does doesn't always happen exactly the way it was written, he would have just accepted this as such and moved on. But this was simply not the case. Everything about this was completely different from the ordinary. Why was her existence left out entirely? It truly baffled him that such a detail was glossed out.

"Perhaps…this was part of your plan, teacher?" He whispered to no one but himself. It was a foolish question, but one that made some modicum of sense to him. If the arrival of a third party was specifically left out of his knowledge for any reasons, he for the life of him could not figure what that may be.

"Do you not trust me enough, teacher? Or was it so important that you could not allow me to know?" More questions float into his thoughts, aimlessly asking the one who was no longer here. Yet even so, his mind still recalls her voice, calling to him whenever she needed him. He could never forget that voice. But his heart was now plagued with doubt.

If his assumptions were true, and his teacher did indeed leave something out, just how much did she leave out? A few, a dozen, maybe even a hundred? He did not know, but that uncertainty caused his mind to spiral. If his teacher was willing to leave out such significant information as this one, then it would not be such a stretch to presume that perhaps some details were not exactly as it seems. In other words, the chance that some of them might even be false was there.

"No, that's not possible." He uttered, finding his own thoughts to be preposterous. It was ridiculous. Of course it was ridiculous. Why would his teacher, his own teacher, deceive him like that? In such an odd manner that didn't seem to offer any sort of benefits or advantage? It utterly made no sense for her to do that.

Yet, even as he tries to reject such a notion, that lingering doubt has been placed firmly in his mind. And with just a simple nudge, every action that he has ever taken and will take, everything that has ever been recorded into the book was now being put into question. But most of all…he was being put into question.

If there was even a small, tiny insignificant chance that the book wrongly detailed or excluded certain things that he had no knowledge of, just how much has he committed that was completely unnecessary? Just how many things has he done that he previously thought to be justifiable, only to now realize that perhaps none of them ever needed to happen? Just how much-

"Roswaal-sama?"

A voice called out from beyond his mind, as he lifts his head over to the source. Standing in front of a door to his room was a girl, her pink hair lightly shining under the sun.

"Ah…it's you, Ram." The man spoke, yet his tone was shaky. Was it always like this? It was then that he noticed a tug on his shirt as he turned his gaze downwards. His hand was holding firmly onto his collar near his heart, practically ripping it. How long have I been holding onto…?

"Roswaal-sama."

"Hmm?" Without him noticing, the maid had already stood in front of the man. Her hand reached out towards him, caressing his cheeks as she looked at him worryingly.

"Are you alright?" She softly asked, her voice slightly shaking. He parted his lips, but then closed it again. A few moments passed, he lifted his other free hand and held the girl's palm.

"I'm fine dear Ram. Juuuust a little headache, that's all~." He replied in his signature voice, stretching out certain words, yet the maid did not look convinced by it. Even so, she simply pulled her hand away as she gently spoke.

"You should rest then, Roswaal-sama."

"No, I'm afraid that I cannot do that as of now. There are still maaaany things that I need to look through." Releasing his grasp from his collar, he then stood up. "Have you been able to gather anything about those two yet?"

The maid only shook her head.

"I was not able to figure out anything else other than what is already known. For that, I deeply apologize."

"Don't be, it wasn't anything impoooortant anyways. Thank you for your help, Ram."

"I am just following the orders I have received, Roswaal-sama. There is no reason for me to be thanked."

"Mmm." He hummed in response, his mind now thinking about his next move. Regardless of the many uncertainties and the doubt that has been put into him, he cannot allow himself to back out now. Not when he has gone so far.

This is the only way to justify my actions. For those that have fallen by these hands, I truly am sorry. But I will make sure that your sacrifices are not in vain. A resolution, and his heart hardens. He will not falter, even on the brink of everything he has ever known to be revealed as a lie. For he has come too far, and there is no turning back. The only way to go is forward, for all those that he has stepped on to pave this road.

"Sooooo...what are you going to do now?" The spirit suggestively asked.

"What do you mean by that?" The half-elf responded, though her eyes revealed something deeper.

Sitting in front of a desk in her room, Emilia was having small banters with the cat spirit. But somehow, he was able to figure out that the girl's mind was not completely with him, which prompted him to ask her.

"Like I said. Aren't you gonna go check up on that girl?"

The girl flinched upon that question. It seemed like the spirit was right on the mark, heaving a sigh.

"You're too predictable Lia, but that's also something I love about you, so keep being that way."

"W-what are you saying? And why am I predictable?!"

"Simple, your desire is plastered all over your face. It really doesn't take much for someone to notice, you know?"

"D-do I really look like that?"

"You sure do."

"I see…" Her voice quickly trailed off as her eyes darted to the side. The spirit frowned upon seeing so.

"Lia, there's no harm in just asking. How many times do I need to tell you that?"

"I know, and I really am trying."

"Really?"

"Yes! It's just…I don't really know what she thinks of me."

Does she even like me? Was the question that plagued her mind ever since she got back to the mansion. It was a rather foolish question, she thought, for if the answer was no, the girl would not want to be near her. But she didn't, so at least she didn't seem to be bothered by her presence.

That makes two then…no, wait. Thinking harder, Emilia recalled past events that led to now. From her losing her insignia by Felt, to meeting Subaru getting assaulted by thugs, to then subsequently Shirogi. The key detail laid in the latter, being the reason for her to have met the rabbit girl.

She was following Subaru. At least, from what Puck had said, that was the case. If so, then it won't be a stretch to imagine that the only reason why she decided to come along and help her was because of him. She did not particularly care for her or her insignia, just the boy.

But, he doesn't know her, so why? Another question came into her mind as she kept pondering. If Subaru didn't know the first thing about her, then why would the girl know him? Enough to willingly follow him with someone like her.

Perhaps she was a distant cousin of his that he had no knowledge of? But if so, the two looked way too different. Not only that, they were two different races, and she doubted that whoever the family member that brought her here would just leave their own child unguarded and by herself like that. Especially considering that she didn't seem to even be capable of speech.

As she continued this train of thought, more and more questions arise, with not a single clear answer in sight. She lets out a small sigh, getting tired from thinking about all of this. She was getting side-tracked.

What she truly wanted to know was not of the girl's origin, nor the reason as to why she did what she did, but rather, it was a much simpler question, and a selfish one at that. She wanted to know if the girl actually liked her.

It was an utterly self-serving desire of her, one that she was ashamed of even feeling that way. How can someone with such an appearance, ever hope for something like this? To be appreciated and fond to be around? No matter what, she could not see a way.

And yet, why did you let me dress you up? If the girl had simply refused her offer, she would understand and won't bother her from then on. But she didn't, and it truly caught her by surprise. If the assumption that the girl simply followed with her was because of the boy, then what would be the reason for the girl to accept her self-indulgent request? Unless...there was another reason?

A possible answer surfaced her mind, but she quickly shove it back down. It was something that she couldn't bring herself to accept, yet it was one that she so desperately wanted to believe in. The belief that the girl simply wanted to spend some time with her, no matter how unimportant it was.

The thought gave her a strange feeling, something that she hasn't quite felt before. The thought of the girl wanting to know more about her, and the possible opportunities for the two to bond over each other.

It made her excited, almost joyous, and yet, she didn't know how to respond to it. Does she really deserve to feel this way? Someone who bears such a resemblance to what was known as the world's calamity, the one who had wreaked havoc across the world. Can someone who possesses a physical lineage truly deserve to have anything?

To experience the little things in life, to enjoy the moments in-between hardships, to have…friends? Ones that she could rely on and trust? Is she deserving of any of that?

She wanted to say yes, her mind was screaming at her to answer the question as so. But she couldn't, for what she wanted was not important enough. It was simply just a selfish and greedy plea to no one but herself, something that she knows she doesn't deserve to have.

Another sigh, this time to herself. She used to think that overtime she will get used to this feeling, but some things just never get easier, no matter how much it knowing this, she still lets herself be vulnerable. She still lets herself be open to others. And all she got in return was shouts and curses, words of malice and fear. Each and every one of them tore away at her heart, eating her from the inside.

Yet she could not scream or beg for help, as no one would bat one look at her, let alone hear her cries. No one, except for her Puck.

"Why not just do your best?"

"Huh?" Surprised by the spirit's voice, she looked over to her side. Forcing her attention back on him, distracting her from her spiraling thoughts, Puck then floats over to her palm.

"You always keep thinking about so many things, that by the time you even manage to sort out one, the opportunity for it has long gone by. I can't bear to see my lovely daughter doing this to herself all the time."

"I-is that so? I'm sorry then…"

"Mm, don't be. I love you, Emilia. And because I love you, I want to protect you from everything wrong in this world. However, I want you to make an effort to keep reaching out to others as well."

"Reach out?"

"Yeah, to reach out. I can only guide you away from dangerous paths, but you have to find the path that you want to follow yourself. And the only way to do that, is to just do what you want to do, and what you think is right."

The spirit then floats towards the half-elf's cheek, caressing her gently as he continues.

"It's ok if you have all these bubbling thoughts inside you, but you shouldn't let it define your decisions. What you make is your own, and so you should always strive for the best one. And right now, you have a chance to pick that best decision."

"For…myself…"

Am I…really allowed to do that? To forever hold her peace, letting the world and the people around her decide her fate, or to break free from their shackles, and become someone that she wants to be. Emilia could not decide, for there was still too much uncertainty inside her heart. For each choice could possibly lead to a worser path, one that she might come to regret later.

But even so…I don't want to regret not choosing one for myself either.

As her mind came to a conclusion, she raised her hand towards her chest. Feeling her own heartbeat, she lets out a long breath, before turning her gaze back to the spirit.

"Let's go find Shirogi." She said, her tone resolute.

"Mmm, alright then." Puck nods, a smile spread across his face.

A strange sensation, one that it could not comprehend.

It could not "see", for there was nothing but pure white covering its "vision".

It could not "hear", for there was nothing for it to process.

It wasn't sure if this was supposed to be the way, or perhaps things have gone wrong. Even as it tried to ponder about it, its "mind" was too scattered and loose to even form coherent thoughts. Forever drifting in this purely white void.

Yet that "feeling" caught its attention. Something that it never knew it could even have. Something wholly different and new, leaving it with many things that it could not understand.

Despite that, it welcomed the new addition, unsure if it even should. Because for once, it "felt" like its will was being given a purpose. A goal. A reason for existence. To be something more than what it is. And so, it reached out.

And just like so, a burst of light pierced its vision. A wave of emotions and senses flow through it, overloading its mind.

It could feel everything, experience everything, and hear everything. As mind numbing as it truly was, it still wanted it. And so it continued to bear with it, slowly coming to terms to what it would soon known as pain.

Eventually, its senses began to stabilize. It could pick up different sounds, and how to separate one from another. Grain-like sounds were the most constant, falling down in an endless stream.

It could feel a gentle breeze, leaving it shivering from the cool. Just then, that feeling quickly went away as soft, small clumps of strands began to envelop it.

As for its vision, so too could it see more clearly than before. Eventually, whiteness no longer filled its eyes, and instead, a loose shape of something slowly appeared.

"Hmmm, finally, you're here~"

That was all it could hear, as everything seemed to quickly fade away into darkness.

It opens its eyes, the flickering light from above shining down at it. Once properly awake, it began to move its eyes around. Wooden table placed in front, with a small pot firmly put on top of it. Other than that, there was nothing more.

As it continued to grasp its surroundings, a familiar sensation washed through it. It was warm and cozy, quite similar to how it once felt. As it moved its head down slightly, it noticed it was being covered by something.

Grabbing the helm of the object, it pulled away. Though it would have liked to stay in it for just a while longer, something else was occupying its mind. That was what it had just experienced.

What was that? It thought. It had never seen something like that before, despite its long life. Everything felt intangible to it, like being placed in an empty box with no borders to constrict you. It was left to do anything but it could do nothing. Until something happened.

Whatever that was, it broke the status quo, bringing it out from that box. Pulling it towards another place, a place where everything was real. And that voice…

Familiar, yet not at the same time. It could not discern just exactly who it was, nor the meaning behind their words, but despite that, it felt a sense of gratitude towards it. Maybe it was someone it knew, though it didn't know.

Regardless, it could not speculate any further, as the scene had ended too abruptly for it to draw any conclusions. For now, it decided to set that aside.

"..." Realizing what it just did, a frown appeared on its face.

Again, I did it again. Why am I doing this? It wondered, yet it did not want an answer. For to answer it would require the exact thing that it was trying to avoid doing. Yet, it seems that even if it liked it or not, it could not stop its mind from working. It no longer could stop it, no matter how much it wanted to.

Putting that problem aside, it took another look at its surroundings, and remembered something crucial. The boy. He was no longer present, and with that, it quickly got up from its place.

Turning towards the door, a knock rang from the other side. Walking over it, it carefully pulled the door, revealing a silver-haired girl standing behind.

"Shirogi, are you alright?" The girl asked.

What did she mean by that? Before it could figure out anything however, she then leans closer to it, her hand placed on its forehead.

"Mmm…" She hummed. "I don't feel anything, so at least you aren't cold. Could it be something else?"

"..mm." Unsure of how to respond, it simply stood there as the girl continued her inspection. As she pulled back, something caught its attention, as it reached over to touch it.

"Hmm? Oh, this?" She points at the thick object kept in her arm. "It's something that I wanted to ask you about, but I figure this might not be the right time for it, since Ram said you suddenly collapsed all of a sudden…" The girl said in a sad tone. Noting her expression, it only nudged harder onto the object.

"Huh? You really want to know what it's about? Um…"

"Lia…" The spirit spoke, breaking the silence it had kept itself in. "Don't you see she wants it? If she wasn't feeling alright, she would have probably not been bugging at it this hard."

"Y-you're right! Ok then! Uh.." Pulling the object from her armpits, the girl then holds it in front of it. She then flips it open, revealing the many thin and white pages encased in the thick container.

"This is a book, see?"

A book? Curious, it stared intently into the page. Plastered on it were scribbles of some kind, ones that it could not make out of any shapes or patterns. There were occasional images placed in the corners, but even so it still could not understand what they meant.

"Can you read any of this?" The girl asked, to which it simply gazed at her in puzzlement. Just the word "read" was leaving it in curiosity.

Noting it's confusion, the girl nods.

"I see, so you don't even know that…" Her voice trailed off slightly, before kicking back up. "Then, I'll teach you! I might not know much about anything, but at least I could help you learn how to write and read things."

"..."

"...A-ahhhh, only if you want me to, of course! I'm not forcing you to do this if you don't want to. I just wanted to know if you would prefer it if we uh, did…" Just as she mustered up the courage, the half-elf then hastily covered up her enthusiasm, though it only came out as nervous rambling.

"...Mmm."

"Huh?" Her eyes widened for a moment, seemingly surprised by its answer. It only lasted for a few moments however, as a smile spread across her face.

"Really?! You really wan- Ah ah, ahem. Um, uh, yeah, alright. We could do it, I will help you to the best of my abilities." Somehow, she was able to contain her excitement. It gave a smile towards her.

And with that, the two continued to exchange with each other, as the spirit watched on, happy that the girl had finally done something that she wanted to do.

"So uh…can I ask something?" The young boy timidly said, to which the pink-haired maid simply glanced towards him.

"And what would that be?"

"Do I…really have to do all of that?"

"Of course."

"That's insane then."

"And why so?"

"Why so? What you listed out was way too much for me to expect! Besides, I'm pretty new to this aren't I? So why is it that I'm essentially doing everything?"

This is madness! Is what Subaru's mind thought as he continued his tantrum. It made sense for him to be so manic about this though, as what the girl had listed out was nothing short but madness after all.

Despite being freshly recruited as an employee of this place, the amount of workload he has been given was frankly ridiculous. From cleaning most of the rooms in the mansion to washing the dishes, preparing the food, washing the clothes to even shopping for ingredients, and all of this in just one day!

Yet, to his total surprise, the maid only gave him a pitiful glance as she ignored his obvious frustration.

"Hmph, if you truly think that this is a lot for you, then you shouldn't have chosen to be a butler. Besides, this is nothing compared to what me or Rem do on a daily basis."

"Y-you're kidding right?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" She kept on walking as she continued. "Either way, these things need to be done by today, so I suggest that you should get going right about now."

"I-I know, ok? I just need some time to process this."

I really screwed myself over huh? Squinting his eyebrows, Subaru contemplates. Ram was right, he did choose this for himself, so there was nothing he could say about this. Even if it seemed all too extreme, he already knew what he was getting into by proposing this, though perhaps this only came as an afterthought. Would he really be able to do this?

As the question lingered in his mind, an image of a person appeared before him. Her beautiful silver hair and cute face. Her wonderful laughter as the moon shined onto her. A moment forever etched into his memory, one that he would cherish for as long as he lives. Well, so long as I get to see her smile, this isn't too bad a price to pay!

"Yosh! I'm ready!" Brimming with confidence, the boy held his hands in front, pumping himself for the job. The maid, surprised by his sudden shift in demeanor, stared at him in confusion, before sighing.

She was planning to tell him that Rem would be helping him as well, so the work will be done quicker and easier for him, but seeing the strange boy suddenly pumped with energy like that, she figured there would be no point. So with that, she quickly walked away, signaling him to follow her.

"First, the cleaning. The more important ones takes precedence, then after that would be the necessity ones, then after that would be-"

"I really appreciate you telling me this, but I think I would like it more if you could help me as well, Ram-san!"

Subaru groaned as he frantically scrubbed the bathroom floor, sprinting around the room.

"This is easy enough for you to do, there is no need for me to take part in it."

"Still, a little help would be nice!"

"Weren't you full of energy just minutes ago? Where did that all go now? Don't tell me that your determination is that little."

"Ahhhhh damnit!" With that, he scrapped even faster, causing friction to increase. It was obvious what would happen, as his foot moved just a little bit off than the last, causing his body to flip through the air.

As he lands head first onto the ground, the maid could only sigh.

"Ah Rem, you're here."

"Hello sister, I have finished taking care of the clothes."

"Very good, I'm proud of you Rem."

"There is still more to do however."

"That can wait for a bit, here, have some tea."

"Thank you sister."

"Um, I don't wanna ruin you two's mood or anything, but can any of you come and help me please?!" The boy screamed, his hand still moving away with the scissors given to him.

As the two sisters sat comfortably on a nearby table, drinking tea, he had cut down about half of the bushes around the mansion, his hands shaking from the amount of cutting he's been doing. There was still way more to go, yet instead of giving any help, the two maids were content to observe him as he tried his best to finish the job.

"Mm….it's a little jagged in some places." The blue-haired maid remarks, staring intently at the bushes.

"So you notice it too. This is way too messy of a job, clearly done by an ameatur."

"Yes, unfortunately though this "ameatur" does not have much to make up for it. He's barely holding on right now."

"Indeed, truly curious on why he is even doing this in the first place."

"Indeed."

"AHHHHHHHHHHH! Please stop! I get it, I get it, I'm bad at this ok?!"

As the boy screamed in agony over the abuse he was getting, a simple wrong move was all it took. And with it, came another scream, this one originating from actual pain.

Even later that day, both maids were unable to understand just how he able to cut himself with scissors.

"Good morning, Emilia-sama."

"Good morning to you too, Ram-san, Rem-san."

"Is there something you need?" Ram asked.

"Oh, nothing really. I was just wondering where Subaru was."

"As you can see, he is currently busy with something, so I'm afraid that he won't be able to attend to your presence right now."

"Mmm, I suppose you are right. I better not disturb him."

"Hey hey hey! Don't go deciding things on my behalf! I'm standing right here!" Says the young butler as he furiously scrubs away the kitchen sink, his sleeves pulled all the way up.

While he was doing this however, the maids simply stood and observed his movements, almost like they were waiting for him to make an error before barraging him with sly insults and remarks. It was absolutely infuriating to him, and made only more so as one of them was clearly enjoying this a bit too much.

"Barusu, there's still a spot you missed. Stop gawking at Emilia-sama with those filthy eyes of yours and focus."

"I'm trying alright? But Emilia just looks way too stunning for me to look away." Though it was embarrassing to have her see him in this state, he was still ecstatic to know that she came looking for him. So against all odds, a wide smile still plastered on his face.

"I-is that so?" Emilia says, surprised by his remark. Seeing a chance, he quickly took it in stride.

"Yep yep, you're so wonderful that I simply can't turn my head away. I just want to do nothing but gaze at you!"

"E-eh? Wouldn't that be really weird? I mean, surely you have other things to do than watching me all day?"

"If it comes down to it, I would gladly take my chance of watching you then anything else! I mean it!"

"Really? I'm…happy to hear that." This time she could only timidly answer, her face slightly redden. His smile only grew wider each second.

Right before he could speak another word though, he felt a pull from his cheek, stretching his mouth wide as he gasped in pain.

"That's enough of you." Rem calmly remarks, though her terrifying glare says otherwise.

"Ow ow! Auright! I-m soarry! Pluese stop pulling!" The boy yelled out in pain. Eventually, she then lets go of him as he tearfully touches his cheeks.

"Hmph, you're lucky Barusu."

"How is this considered lucky?!"

"If it was me instead of Rem, I would have done much worse."

"You can't be serious!"

"Are you testing me?"

"No ma'am!" Still holding onto his cheek, he violently bowed in front of the maid, with her expression holding a triumphant one.

"Pfft..hahaha!" Unable to hold it anymore, Emilia lets out a loud laughter. "Hahaha! S-sorry, your face is just so red a-and…Hahaha!"

Witnessing the girl's wholehearted laughter, the three only gazed on. Eventually, Rem spoke first.

"Alright, I'll help you with the rest."

"Wait, really?!"

"Yes, or else we will be here all day."

"Alright!" As the boy cheered, the blue-haired maid only let out a small sigh, before turning her attention towards the kitchen.

"Mm, then I'll leave you to it then. Do your best ok?"

"You bet it!" With that, Emilia promptly leaves, as Subaru returns back to what he was doing.

As Ram watched on the two, a simple thought lingered in her mind. Something regarding her sister's gaze, particularly at the boy. Her sister, acting more or less the same, yet there was…something else. Something hidden away behind her exterior, yet she could not figure out what that might be. Regardless, she quickly put that thought away, and began joining in to help. She will ask about this later.

A lone girl sat inside a room, fidgeting about as she waited. It's legs brushing against each other, unsure of what to expect.

Just a while ago, it had accepted to learn with the silver-haired half-elf, and by doing so, was now told to sit here as she went to look for something. What it was it did not know, but frankly, that was not important to it, as other things circulated in its head.

Despite agreeing to this, it was entirely uncertain on why it did. Was there a reason? It doesn't think so. It was purely curious onto what the girl was holding, and nothing more. Perhaps it should have thought about it a bit more.

But doing that is also not good either, so it can't. But if it did, then it might not be so nervous right now. Its mind got more and more heated as these two opposing thoughts fought against each other.

Before it's thoughts could spiral anymore though, a crack was heard, followed by the sound of a door opening. Turning towards the source, it spots a silver-haired girl standing, her arms holding a wooden object.

"Sorry for making you wait so long, Shirogi." The girl softly spoke.

"...Mm." Well, there's no backing out now, it thought.

With that, the girl promptly sat next to it, laying the thick object she had brought with. It was a big square shaped, hard cover covering its outside. As the girl opens it, white thin slides appear, gliding across the frame.

"Now then, I think we should start from the very beginning, if that's alright with you?" Despite being asked however, it continued to gaze at the book in front of it. The many symbols and black shapes scattered inside each single page of this was wholly new to it, something it had never seen in its lifetime. It couldn't help but be enamored by what it was seeing, paying no attention to anything else.

Noticing its intense gaze, the girl nervously sweats, but a smile still finds a way towards her face. With that, she quickly flipped the book all the way to the beginning, at the very first page.

As she did so, her hand reached over as she grabbed a hold of a stick-like thing, and handed it over to it. As it held onto the strange object, the girl explained.

"Let's start by writing something simple, ok? Something that can be easily recognizable and remembered, like…oh, I know!" She then points towards a part of the page.

"Here you can see all the glyphs that make up a word, and what strokes are required to create a certain word. If you combine these three glyphs here, you will get the word "she". Pretty simple right?"

"...Mm."

"...Is something wrong?"

"..." It fiddled around the stick, staring intently at the glyph being shown to it. Despite hearing what she said, it frankly didn't quite know what this word could mean, eyes narrowing.

"You don't know what it is?" The girl asked again, to which it nodded.

"I see…Mmm…how should I say it…" She fell into thought for a bit, before turning back to her.

"Think of it like this, this word is used to address you and me, because we are the same."

The…same?

"I'm not quite sure why, but for boys, like Subaru, the word here would be "he", and for girls, it would be "she". So that's why we are the same, "she"."

"...Mm." With that, it silently turns back towards the book, eyes facing the word in front. As the girl's explanation settled into its mind, its hand began to twitch. Its eyes flipping up from the book down towards the paper in front of it, scratching out the symbols similar to the word being referenced.

Once done, i-she then showed it to the half-elf.

"Hmm…well…" The girl said hesitantly. "It doesn't look too bad…"

"?" Confused about her answer, she then took another look over the paper.

There was only a single…thing? Written on it? She has no idea, for all she saw was a bunch of scratches poorly splattered across the white paper. It was a miracle that it looked anything more than just spilled ink.

"..."

"I-it's ok Shirogi! We can take our time to practice. Eventually you'll get better!"

"...mm…"

And so, the two continued their session, talking and learning till the day slowly dimmed, and the world turned dark, for another day is rising.

"Over here, Rem." She waved her hands towards a room near them, to which the blue-haired maid swiftly followed.

"What is it, sister?" The girl questions.

"I want to talk about your behavior these past few days."

"My…behavior?" Leaning her head to the side, she gave Ram a confused look. She could not tell what her sister was hinting at.

Noting her expression, Ram heaves a small sigh.

"I'm mainly talking about the way you act around our newest member, Subaru."

"Ah…him." There was a slight hitch to the girl's response, as if she was taken aback by the mention of his name. This only re-affirms what Ram had been suspecting however.

"Did he do something to you, Rem?" There was an almost palpable sense of hostility brewing from her question, startling the blue-haired maid.

"Of course not. He had not done any such things to me."

"I see…" Confirming the worst has not come to pass, Ram relaxes her shoulders. "Then why are you so tense around him?"

"I…"

"Not only that, but you seem to always keep your eyes on him, no matter what you were doing. Putting your focus elsewhere is something you don't normally do Rem. Unless of course…is there something about him?"

"..."

"Why aren't you answering?"

Faced by her sister's words, the maid could only stand in silence, much to Ram's dismay. It was already obvious that any further questioning would lead to nowhere, not when this is something that Rem herself isn't willing to share even to her. And so, Ram could only puff out another sigh.

"Tomorrow, I want you to take a shopping trip with Subaru and our other guest, Shirogi."

"Huh?! But sister!" Rem said, shocked by what she heard.

"I'll take care of things while you're gone. You can sort out whatever you have in mind with him once you go." Turning to her sister, she then says in a firmer tone. "Just make sure that you don't do anything rash while you're there."

"...Yes, sister." Unable to go against the pink-haired maid's words, Rem defeatedly says, lowering her head.

"...Rem."

"What is i-ah?"

Before she could finish her sentence, a warm sensation enveloped her body. Arms wrapped around her, Ram spoke in a soft voice.

"I'm sorry if I was too harsh on you, Rem. Forgive me."

"H-huh? N-no! You aren't like that at all, sister!" Flustered, Rem broke off her facade for a moment, flailing her arms around in confusion.

"Mm, is that so?"

"O-of course! I'm the one who was wrong, so please don't say that!"

"I see, then for your punishment, let me hold you for longer."

"Mfph!"

For what felt like forever, the two continued their embrace, feeling the warmth of each other. A smile was present on the pink maid, while small beads of sweat fell on the blue maid's face. Eventually though, Rem gave up on trying to pry herself away, and carefully wrapped her arms around her sister, feeling her dear sister's body.

This continued for a while, as the flickering sounds of laughter echoed behind the two.

Down below laid two people, happily conversing with each other. As a promise was uttered by one of them, the other jumped in excitement. With that, the events could finally begin.

AN: Well then, I suppose this did took less time than the last one. See? I wasn't lying now was I? Though granted this was significantly shorter than the last and it still took me months to finish so...

Anyways! Enough about that! Hope you enjoy this chapter, or at least find it interesting. I certainly had a hard time figuring out just how the hell I'm suppose to write this, but I'm somewhat ok with how it turned out. I hope I was able to somewhat give a decent sense of each character's perspective of each other and their relationships to the best of my abilities!

Now, the next one would definitely be longer than this one considering that it's the end and a new beginning for the story going forward, so I will try my best to make it great! Also, this one shouldn't take another few months to be done, at least I hope so! So expect it to come sooner than this one heh.

With that, I just about ran out of words, so Imma leave you all here. Till next time!

P.S: I got a cover art now! Thank you Dorugi!