(Sorry for taking so long to update. The device I use to write my fanfic broke and I had find a replacement. I'm back now and will hopefully be updating more frequently)

Chapter 6

It was the following day after the events in the Lute house and Emilia had kept her promise. Sitting in a room with four people, two maids, a pair of twins by the looks of it. A man, and Emilia, of course.

The only way you can tell the twins apart is by their different hair and eye color. One had blue hair and blue eyes and the other had pink hair and red eyes. They were both sporting maid uniforms.

With them was a tall, rather handsome and well-built man with long indigo hair and heterochromatic eyes, the right one being blue and the left one being yellow. His eyelids are decorated with purple eye shadow, though the left eye's is longer. He wears a lavender coloured make-up that accompanies his unusual outfit comparable to those similar to a clown or jester, consisting of a black hat, a top and bottom with different shades of purple, along with red and black boots and a cape. He also has a chain surrounding his right ankle.

"Itsuki, this is Roswaal L Mathers. This mansion's ruler." Emilia introduced Itsuki.

"So, Its~uki!" Roswaal said in an odd manner of speaking. Almost as if he sang Itsuki's name. "Emil~ia tells me you are looking for a jo~b."

"Y-yeah..." Itsuki stumbled over his words. "I just arrived in L...L... er..." he trailed off, having forgotten the country he was in.

"Lugnica." Emilia said for him.

"Thanks." He said quickly before continuing. "I just arrived in Lugnica and I don't have any money or a place to sleep. So I was wondering if you would be willing to hire me?"

Roswaal closed his eyes as he thought it over.

"He did help me track down my stolen insignia." Emilia said.

"Ve~ry well." Roswaal said. "You may work he~re."

Itsuki couldn't help but smile.

Minutes later

Standing in one of the many dressing rooms, the two maids, Ram (pronounced Rahm for those curious) the pink haired maid, and Rem, the blue haired maid, took Itsuki's measurements for his butler attire.

"Your measurements are just a bit shorter than Roswaal's." Rem said.

Once done, Itsuki looked between the two.

"What now?" He asked.

"You will wait until your clothes are ready." Ram replied in a sort of monotone. "Until then, I will show you around the mansion."

"Alright."

Going from room to room, Ram showed Itsuki the ins and outs of the mansion. Showing Itsuki both Ram and Rem's rooms, she showed him Rosewaal's room as well as the main bathing room.

Stepping foot inside, Itsuki was immediately awestruck by the massive bathtub in the center of the room.

"This is where we all bathe ourselves." Ram said, still talking in her monotone voice.

Before moving on, Itsuki looked to Ram.

"Where is, uh, where is my room?"

Ram didn't reply as she simply left the washroom. Following in silence, Ram led Itsuki to one final room.

"This is your bedroom." Ram said. "Keep it clean and tidy. I will find you when Rem finishes your uniform."

"Sounds..." before Itsuki could finish that word, Ram was already halfway down the hall. "...good."

Taking a deep breath, Itsuki opened the door and stepped inside his room.

"Until Subaru comes to, I guess I should do my best around here. Afterwards, I'll get some answers."

A few hours later

Having gotten his outfit from Rem, Itsuki now sported a fancy looking butler outfit which matched his dark hair color nicely.

Itsuki was put to work by the twins, which he was pretty happy about. Now, Itsuki had something to do until Subaru woke up.

Having been handed a broom, Itsuki was sweeping the floor in the main entrance.

"Hard at work already?" A familiar voice called to him.

Looking back, Emilia stood in a pink nightgown a few feet away.

"Yeah." Itsuki shrugged as he continued to work. "It helps pass the time."

"But aren't you tired?" Emilia asked. "You hardly got a winks worth of sleep."

"I prefer to keep busy." Itsuki replied. "I can tell this job is going to be better than my previous. A lot more physical movement, plus a large range of things to do."

"Glad you already like it." Emilia gave a smile.

Hearing her walk away, Itsuki quickly called her name.

"Emilia."

"Was there something else?" She asked as she turned to face Itsuki once more.

"When he wakes up, would you tell Subaru I need to speak with him? It's important."

"I will." Emilia gave another smile before walking away.

With her gone, Itsuki continued his work.

A few hours later

Having swept most of the main hall, Itsuki leaned against the wall for a bit of a break.

"Hey, Itsuki!" A voice called out to him from down the hall. Looking to the source, Subaru, wearing his usual tracksuit, approached Itsuki. "Emilia said you had something important to talk to me about?"

"Yeah." Itsuki pushed himself off the wall. "Come with me."

"Another special side quest for me?" Subaru asked, mostly to himself.

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever. Just come with me."

Leading Subaru to his room, Itsuki opened the door and pulled Subaru in by his arm.

"May I ask what this quest is abou-"

"This isn't some video game, dammit!" Itsuki snapped suddenly.

"Whoa. What's got you in a-"

"I was fucking killed! Then I relived the exact same events three goddamn times! And the only other person who seems to remember shit, is you!" Itsuki pressed his index finger into Subaru's chest. "Someone who thinks this world is one big game! And I want to know why that is!"

Subaru was silent for what felt like forever.

"You remember everything?" He asked.

"All the previous loops. Yeah." Ituski crossed his arms. "Now. Would you care to answer me? Why are we looping?"

"I don't know."

"Bullshit."

"No. I really don't know!" Subaru repeated himself. "All I do know is that we loop when I use Return by De-"

Subaru suddenly fell over, clutching his chest and gasping for air.

"Subaru..?" Itsuki called to him softly.

Catching his breath after a few seconds, Subaru rolled onto his hands and knees, coughing.

"The hell just happened to you?"

"I'm not entirely sure..." Subaru said. "It felt like my heart was being crushed."

Itsuki fell silent as Subaru recovered. Once he did, Itsuki didn't know if he should ask anymore questions.

"Is there anything else you wanted to ask?"

Itsuki paused before speaking.

"I have a ton more things to ask but maybe now isn't the best time." Itsuki said.

"N-nah, I'm fine." Subaru stretched.

"I insist."

Itsuki, once again, fell silent for a few moments before speaking.

"Along with the looping, I also know you're from Japan." Itsuki stated.

Before Subaru could say anything, Itsuki began to explain.

"The ten yen coin you had on you. Your other worldly tracksuit. Your references to video games. All of these clued me in." Itsuki crossed his arms. "I'm from Japan as well, but unlike you, I can read the words here."

"So...is that what you meant when you said we were pretty much in the same boat?" Subaru asked.

"Yeah." Itsuki began to pace around the room. "What I want to figure out is why we're the only two who remember anything. As for how we loop, you seem to know something."

"I can't seem to be able to tell you, though." Subaru said.

"Well...answer me this then."

"What?"

"Are you controlling when we loop?" Itsuki asked.

Subaru fell silent as he figured out how to answer.

"Technically." Subaru answered after a few short seconds. "It seems to rely on...what happens to me."

Itsuki ran a hand through his hair.

"Then that means you take the lead on this." Itsuki said. "I guess you're stuck with me until this stops."

"You don't have to stick around." Subaru told him.

"I'm not so sure about that." Itsuki replied.

"Why not? I'm not exactly forcing your hand."

"No. But this looping is." Itsuki replied. "Say, for example, I leave and start a life of my own with a girl or something."

"Okay..."

"If you continue to loop, then I'll continue to loop as well. Making it so my personal life would be near impossible if I kept reliving the same day over and over." Itsuki said. "So, you see, because of this situation, I'm kinda forced to stick around 'til the end. I don't mind, though. You seem like a pretty interesting guy. I'm curious to see what'll happen next."

Subaru fell silent once more.

"Guess...I'm glad to have you along then."

"Good." Itsuki headed for the door but suddenly stopped. "Another thing."

"Yeah?"

"You might wanna cool it with the video game references a bit. This world isn't a game. We were both killed at least once already. This place is dangerous. I'd appreciate it if you acted with a bit more caution." Itsuki said.

Even with Itsuki's back facing him, Subaru nodded his head.

"Yeah. You're right..." Subaru agreed.

"We may also wanna look around for new clothes." Itsuki said. "I don't wanna stick out like a sore thumb here and garner unwanted attention."

"I see your point."

"It's just a suggestion. You don't have to if you don't want to."

With that, Itsuki left to continue working.

"Hey! Hold up!" Subaru suddenly shouted out.

"What's up?" Itsuki asked as he looked back at Subaru.

"I just remembered, I had something important to ask you as well."

"Yeah? What's up?"

"I wanted to know..." Subaru began to rub his arm nervously. "What's your relation to Mili?"

Itsuki raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar name.

"Mili?"

"Emilia." Subaru clarified.

"Why do you- ooooh..." Itsuki smirked at the realized reasoning of Subaru's question. "You got a thing for the half-elf, huh?"

Subaru glared at Itsuki.

"So what if I do?!"

Itsuki shrugged.

"No need to get defensive, man." Itsuki said. "She's all yours. I met her the same day you did, so our relationship isn't that far beyond acquaintances. Also, Emilia isn't really my type. I have no intention of seeking a relationship with her beyond friendship."

Subaru's gaze softened at this.

"Sweet."

"Now, I gotta get back to work. Talk to ya later, Subaru!"

Hours later

Outside in the garden, Itsuki was helping Ram trim the bushes.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Itsuki said, getting the pink haired maid's attention.

"This question better not be a waste of time."

"Do you have to make it seem like everyone else is just a waste of oxygen? Damn, Ram." Itsuki sighed.

"That question was a waste of time." Ram said. "I suppose I-"

"I didn't want to ask that!" Itsuki shouted. "Jeez. I just wanted to ask: Rosawaal, he seems a bit o-"

"I will not tolerate any negative comments towards Lord Roswaal!" Ram growled, showing a lot more emotion now than previously while maintaining that same monotone.

Taken completely off guard by this, Itsuki waved both hands in front of him to try and ease the tension.

"That wasn't my intention!" He shook his head. "I was just curious about his odd manner of speaking. I find it rather soothing, actually."

Ram narrowed her eyes before letting out a breathless sigh.

"I am not sure as to why he speaks that way, but I do find myself rather fond of it as well."

Itsuki let out a sigh of relief.

"Once we're done here, feel free to take the rest of the day for yourself, Itsuki." Ram said. "Lord Roswaal will be returning soon and all of us will be gathered into the dining hall for dinner."

"Are you sure?" Itsuki asked. "I can still help out if you need."

"If that's what you wish." Ram replied. "But it'll be unnecessary."

"That's alright." Itsuki gave a smile. "I prefer manual labor like this. If I stop working, I'll most likely end up just passing out until there's more to do."

"Huh. You sound just like Barusu."

Itsuki cocked his head at the unfamiliar name. "Barusu?"

"That strange boy you brought here." Ram told Itsuki. "He said something similar. At least you seem to be more competent."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

A few hours later

Helping Ram and Rem set up cutlery, silverware and plates, the other mansion residents soon arrived. Among them was Emilia, Subaru, and a short blonde haired girl Itsuki hadn't seen yet. Her hair was styled into two drills with the ends turning a soft pink. As for her clothes, they were rather fancy.

Emilia, Subaru and the new girl were talking while the two maids and Itsuki readied the table.

Once it was all set, Rem and Ram stood on either side of the seat at the head of the table.

"Aren't you two going to eat?" Itsuki asked them.

"We eat at a later time when working." Ram replied. "And since you insisted on continuing to work, that includes you."

"Oh. Guess it's good that I'm not really all that hungry at the moment then."

Once Roswaal arrived, he sat down at the seat at the head of the table. Emilia sat to his right, the blonde girl to his left, and Subaru beside Emilia.

As Rem and Ram were on standby, Itsuki took his stance near the entrance of the room, having been ordered by Ram to do so.

Seeing Subaru take a spoonful of soup, he was the first to break the silence.

"This is way better than normal food."

"Mmhmm. Despite her appearance, Rem's cooking is quite impressive." Roswaal said.

"So this was cooked by the one with the...blue...hair?" Subaru scratched his cheek. "I think I got that right. You made this?" He asked while looking to Rem.

"Yes, that's correct. I'm responsible for all of the cooking in this household. My sister doesn't happen to be very good atcooking." Rem said.

"Aaaah. So it's the old 'twins who are good at different things' trope, huh? So, your sister good at cleaning then, I take it?" Subaru asked.

"Yes, that's correct. My sister excels at housework chores. Especially cleaning and laundry." Rem said.

"So while you're good at cooking, you're probably bad at cleaning and laundry, right, Rem-Rem?" Subaru asked, causing an overwhelmingly powerful urge for Itsuki to rub his forehead.

"On the contrary, I'm generally good at all household tasks. I'm also better at cleaning and laundry than my sister." Rem said.

"Seriously?!" Subaru shouted while shifting his gaze to Ram. "Does your sister even have a purpose?!"

"You are tru~ly a unique young man." Roswaal spoke. "You come to the mansion of Margrave Mathers in the kingdom of Lugn~ica. And you say you don't understand a thi~ng."

"So what do you mean by that? Is something bad happening in this country?" Subaru asked.

"Well it is not in an agreeable state." Roswaal replied. "Which only makes sense. After all, Lugn~ica doesn't have a king."

Subaru stared at Roswaal.

"Now don't look so alar~med. There's no need to be concer~ned. E~veryone in this country is already quite aware of that cir~cumstance being their reality."

"Wow. Really? I expected a 'now that you know my secret I can't let you leave here alive' thing." Subaru said.

"Roughly around the same time the king went into hiding, an epid~emic began to spread throughout the cast~le. The king and his children are the last of his line. At this moment, the nation is being managed by a council of wi~semen. And that council is currently in the process of selecting a new ki~ng." Roswaal said.

Crossing his arms, Subaru began to think.

"Okay, I think I'm starting to get the picture now. On top of the king's absence, the Royal Selection is causing confusion in the kingdom. Suddenly, we appear from another country-" Subaru suddenly shot up. "Wait we're totally suspect here!"

Itsuki realized he and Subaru both, were indeed, suspect in this.

Keeping his composure, Itsuki simply continued to watch the events, doing his best to keep from interrupting.

"A~nd on top of that, you both made contact with Miss Emilia. Thus initiating a direct connection to my household. Aaaaaaahhh the dilemma."

"Actually Lord Roswaal." Emilia spoke. "I happened upon Itsuki whist overhearing he needed a job. I offered him a chance to speak with you. If I hadn't initiated conversation, he wouldn't be here now."

"I see. Nevertheless, it is still rather stra~nge. Even you have to agree, Miss Emilia."

"Hey, hold on a second. Why would the Lord of the mansion call her 'miss' Emilia?" Subaru asked.

"I'm not sure how things are where you're from, but here we address those with higher status respect~fully."

"But uh...that would mean Mili here is uh..."

"Officially, my current title is: candidate for the forty-second ruler of Lugnica." Emilia said. "With the backing of the honorable Lord Margrave Roswaal."

"What?!" Subaru and Itsuki shouted in unison.

Realizing his own outburst, along with the stares of Roswaal and the maids, Itsuki cleared his throat before regaining his composure.

"Sorry to surprise you like that." Emilia said. "I wasn't trying to keep it a secret or anything." Emilia placed her insignia on the table.

"Hey, it's that insignia."

"This qualifies one to be a candidate for king." Emilia explained. "It's a ceremonial touch stone that's used to determine if one is worthy to sit at the throne and lead this country as a monarch."

"Wait a second, are you saying you lost an insignia that qualifies you to rule the kingdom?!" Subaru practically shouted.

"I didn't lose it, it was stolen!" Emilia shouted back.

"That's the same thing!" Subaru crossed his arms. "What happens if you manage to lose that thing anyway? Will a government office issue another one?"

"Ooooooh what a dreadful scenar~io!" Roswaal spoke. "If you'd lost it then there would be no dou~bt. One who can't even protect a tiny insi~gnia has no business being entrusted with the nation's rule and th~at would be the end."

"Well, knowing those facts, I'd say I did a damn good job. And it totally raises my expectations for a nice reward." Subaru said in a rather creepy tone.

"Yeah, you're right about that. You're a true savior to me and I'm very thankful. So ask me for anything." Emilia said.

"Ah, yes, you heard the la~dy! Aaaaaany reward you desire. Just name it." Roswaal said.

"Well," Subaru stood up from his seat. "In that case, I have but one request: I'm starting to like this mansion. Hire me to work here!"

The room fell dead silent until Ram let out an adorable sounding sneeze.

A few days later

With darkness having draped itself over the ground, night time had descended upon the Roswaal mansion.

Washing the windows, Itsuki found himself surrounded by silence. The only sound that was made was the soft squeak of the windows as he washed them. That, and the sound of his own humming.

"My sister was right. You do seem to enjoy working." Rem said, having snuck up behind Itsuki.

"I do." Itsuki replied, continuing his work. "It's honestly relaxing here. The work isn't too stressful, the people are fun to be around, and the Lord of the mansion is a pretty cool guy. All in all, this place is definitely a step up from where I was at."

"Where you were at?" Rem asked, cocking her head slightly while narrowing her eyes. "May I ask what you mean by that?"

"Before this, I was working a dead-end job. Sitting at a desk all day filling out paperwork. My parents had disowned me, my siblings despised me, my girlfriend left me." Itsuki clenched the sponge in his hand, causing more water to slide down the window. "My life was a fucking trainwreck."

"From what you've said, this certainly does seem like a step up." Rem said, her tone showing much more emotion than her sister's.

"Yeah." Itsuki nodded his head as he got back to work scrubbing the windows. "Anyway, I'm almost done here. Is there anymore work to be done?" Itsuki asked.

"Nothing tonight." Rem told him. "Tomorrow, I'll need you and Subaru to accompany me to the local village for food and supplies. I'll also be showing you around so you can get used to the shops and houses."

"Sounds good." Itsuki said, placing the sponge in the bucket of water by his feet as he began to dry the windows with a rag. Once done, Itsuki draped the rag over his left shoulder before turning to face Rem. "I'll look forward to it."

Giving her a genuine smile, Rem stared at Itsuki for a few moments before slowly returning the expression.

"Get some sleep, Itsuki. For your first day of hard work, I'd say you've earned it."

"Sure thing. Once I return these cleaning supplies, I'll head to bed."

Minutes later

Having done as he said, Itsuki took off his uniform and folded it neatly before placing it on the desk in his room. Opening the closet of his room, Itsuki saw countless outfits inside, each one looking to be his size.

"Who put these here?" Itsuki asked himself as he retrieved a set of pajamas.

Putting them on, Itsuki yawned before collapsing into his bed.

"I'll figure it out later..."

The following day

Standing in the kitchen with the twins and Subaru, Itsuki and them were all using knives to peel potatoes.

A loud scream echoed in the small space as Subaru cut his finger.

"You are useless with a knife, Barusu." Ram spoke. "Hm?" Looking at Itsuki's work, Ram was amazed to see he had peeled just as many potatoes as herself. "At least Itsuki knows how to accomplish such an easy task effortlessly."

"How are you so good?" Subaru asked as he placed his injured finger to his lips.

"I used to live alone before moving to Lugnica." Itsuki replied. "So I had to make most of my own meals. My favorite involved potatoes so peeling them is child's play."

"Your vegetables are almost as lovely as sister's." Rem commented.

"I'd like a comment on my work too if you could muster one up!" Subaru snapped.

"How about: I pity the farmer who grew those vegetables." Rem replied.

"Stop being so cruel! You're breaking my heart!"

"If that's what it takes to break your heart then you are seriously thin skinned, Barusu." Itsuki said with a slight smirk.

"Don't you start calling me that too!"

"You don't know how to handle a knife, Barusu." Ram said. "You should hold it still and simply turn the vegetable. My best dish is steamed tatoes if I do say so myself." Ram said while holding up a freshly peeled 'tatoe'.

"How can you say that with a triumphant look on your face?! Dammit, just watch! My favorite blade, Shooting Star, will show you a thing or two about slicing-!" Subaru screamed once more as he cut his finger on the sharp knife.

"You should listen to Ram." Itsuki told Subaru.

With most of the work done, the sun had lowered a bit in the sky, painting the trees and grass a glorious crimson color. All that was left was to restock supplies from the local village.

Walking along the path with Subaru and Rem, Itsuki began humming the same tune he was humming while washing the windows.

"May I ask what song you are humming?" Rem said.

"It's called 'Next to You'." Itsuki replied. "It's one of my favorites."

"I like it." Rem told Itsuki.

Arriving at the village, Itsuki stayed with Rem while Subaru explored the village. Within seconds, Subaru somehow managed to get swarmed by a small group of kids.

Ignoring him, Itsuki decided to help Rem with the supplies.

"Here." Rem handed Itsuki the list.

Taking it, Itsuki could once again easily read the words on the strip of paper.

"This everything?" Itsuki asked.

"I have another list." Rem said, holding up another strip of paper. "This shouldn't take long."

Getting what was needed, Itsuki carried one bag of groceries while Rem carried the other. Itsuki would have had Subaru carry one, but he managed to get bitten by a puppy and injure his hand.

Deciding not to comment, the trio made their way back to the mansion in mostly silence. Except for when Itsuki would decide to chat up Rem to try and get to know her better.

"What's your favorite color?" Itsuki asked suddenly.

"Favorite color?" Rem repeated. "I don't have time to waste thinking about something like that."

"Favorite food?"

"Don't have one." Rem told him.

"Favorite animal?"

"Don't have one."

"Is there anything you like?" Itsuki asked. However, his question was answered with silence.

Arriving back in the mansion, Subaru went off to bandage his hand while Itsuki helped take the groceries into the kitchen.

"I appreciate the help, Itsuki." Rem said. "Feel free to return to your room."

With a yawn and a stretch of his arms, Itsuki accepted the offer.

"See you tomorrow." Itsuki said before heading off.

Walking into his room, Itsuki changed into a pair of pajama bottoms and a white shirt. Folding his uniform, Itsuki placed it on the desk before laying down on the bed.

Hours later

As Itsuki slept peacefully in bed, the sound of a chain being dragged across the ground echoed down the hall, making the dark haired boy slowly stirr. Rubbing his eyes, Itsuki got up from bed and opened the door, still half asleep.

Hearing the chain echo a second time, Itsuki was curious about the noise.

"Subaru?" He called out into the darkness of the hall.

No reply.

"Ram? Rem?"

This time, the chain echoing was his reply.

Walking through the hall, barefoot and groggy, Itsuki went to inspect the noise. He hadn't heard it before and felt the need to at least see what it was.

Making it halfway down the hall, Itsuki heard the chain was much closer now.

As he took a step closer, he was forcefully and violently thrown down the hall by a sudden force.

Rolling across the ground, Itsuki's mind hadn't fully processed what had just happened. Seeing a spiked ball attached to a chain resting next to his head, Itsuki glanced around, quickly realizing the pool of blood he was laying in.

His eyes widened as he scanned his surroundings. Spotting an arm laying a few feet in front of him, Itsuki's eyes widened even further as he realized it was his own severed arm.

"Haah... HAah... HAAH..!" His breathing slowly began to pick up as his brain processed the pain of his missing arm. "AAAAAAAAURRRRGH!"

Itsuki screamed in pain, rolling across the ground and leaving more blood trails as the dark liquid flowed from the spot his right arm was supposed to be.

"AAAAAUUUUGH!"

He tried to keep himself from screaming. He tried to think of ways to lessen the pain. He tried to keep his mind from racing.

But everything he tried to do was met with failure.

Itsuki could feel every drop of blood that flowed out of him. He could taste the liquid as it made it's way up his throat and out of his mouth, adding a gurgling sound to his screams of pain.

Hearing the chain echo once more, Itsuki looked to the source of the sound. However, all he saw was a pair of black boots before his head was crushed by the giant spiked ball.

End of chapter 6