Lina feels like she is havinga roll of luck.
She didn't know what exactly had happened but it was already way past sunrise of the next day when she woke up inside Silvers' room. Despite sleeping on a couch, that was the most decent sleep she had had in months and she was feeling refreshed.
That was a very good sleep.
Afterward, she then noticed multiple piles of paper on the coffee tables beside her which she immediately recognized as her pending paperwork, or it was. Looking closer at it, the files have already been sorted out and signed (Silvers' sign is treated as good as hers). They are even separated already into different clusters and labeled to where they are to be mailed or dropped.
She cannot believe it.
Her week-long pendingpaperwork was all but completed and it was done by Silvers.
She has to pinch herself to confirm that she wasn't just dreaming. She then did a double-take of the paper to further confirm that they were finished and they indeed were. It is right in front of her and she still cannot believe it.
Just what has come to Silvers? As far as he knew, that old man loathes paperwork to the point that he'd rather let loose a dragon and let it burn the office rather than sit for an hour of desk work. Yet here, she was seeing the piles of documents, impeccablypiled and finished.
For all the magic she saw him do, this one has been the most miraculous.
All that was left for her to do now was to drop this paper back to her office and let her secretaries take them and bring them to wherever they were meant.
Why not have the secretaries pick the files from here? It is because access inside Silvers' office is heavily restricted and it cannot be entered by anyone unless Silvers himself lets them in. In fact, the moment she steps out of this room, even she will not be able to enter back therefore she has to carry all of the papers in one go. She stacked them into one pile in a crisscross pattern per cluster so that the file groupings would not be mixed up again and carried all of them out.
Her assistants greet her as she enters her office. Upon speaking with them, it appears that no one bothered to look for her as they are aware that she was inside Silvers' office, but since she was not coming out, they simply assumed that he intentionally locked her inside to finish the paperwork. However, since she had been missing for almost a day since yesterday, they moved all of her missed appointments to her supposedly free time today. Nevertheless, the closest one would be noon and she was still free until then.
After leaving the pile on her secretary's table, she goes to her personal room to freshen up. She wants a warm bath right now, especially since she just spent a night inside Silvers' office. While the coolness of that place was cozy, one would still feel cold after staying for a prolonged time and he just left her there without even lending her a blanket.
She spent the rest of the early morning in the training area doing some light exercise. She may be close to reaching the end of her twenties but she still has a figure to maintain. She was an adventurer herself before she got stuck on administrative work and all of those times sitting at the desk is not doing any good to her shape, especially in the belly region. While they were completely hidden by her normal attire, there was no way she could lie to herself, especially in the front bathroom mirror and the weighing scale.
She takes a quick shower after her workout then she heads out to the market to grab some breakfast. She would usually just order this as well from her assistants but since she has the time now (and is still bothered by the flab in her lower belly), she figures that a little walk outside would help thus she decides to buy one herself this time. It has also been a long time since she wandered around for leisure (Whenever she was out, either she had a meeting somewhere else or she was hunting Silvers like yesterday.)
On her way to her favorite café (she likes this particular one because Silvers is well known there and she can get anything for free by putting it all on his tab), there were a few things that caught her attention.
First is a couple of ladies, a noble lady, and her maid. While she doesn't particularly know the noblewoman, she recognizes that the lady has an Adeth lineage. Nevertheless, Instead of the noblewoman, what she finds more important is the maid which she recognizes as the very same maid from yesterday. They seem to be going to the same café as well.
The other thing that she notices is that there are people around who are actively spying on these ladies. She finds two different people, both keenly observing Miss Sherry and her mistress's activity. From the way the spies are behaving, however, they don't appear to be related to each other. Either that, or they were doing the worst kind of coordination.
Truth be told, this is not her business. She can either ignore the whole thing or at least notify one of the guardsmen and be on her way and she would not be held accountable for whatever. However, she finds the situation peculiar. That and the maid as well.
She heard some reports (or more like gossip from her staff) that Silvers was particularly interested in this maid. There were claims from witnesses claiming they had seen Silvers accompanying the said maid every time she was in the town.
Of course, there's only speculation about what exactly their relationship is. None has dared to confirm it from Silvers. If she would include the events from yesterday, in which not only did she find the two together but also Silvers letting himself be captured and dragged by the maid, the gossip may indeed be up to something.
Who would have thought that old fossil had that in him? For so long that she knows Silvers, that old man likes nothing else aside from a valid excuse to kill someone. His favorite pastimes were to feed fugitives to his owls and make craters. Now there is gossip about that monster is following a woman around? Is he even capable of that? If it is true, this would mean that Miss Sherry has just become a very important person for only she has that influence over Silvers.
Too bad, she rejected the job offer.
Anyhow, if Miss Sherry is here then there is a good chance, a possibility the Silvers would be around too. She wonders if she can replicate the situation from yesterday. Perhaps if she plays her cards right, he could make him do their accountings too!
Turns out that even the mistress was well acquainted with Silvers and that she even has a personal moniker for him.
It also surprises her that Lady Katarina happily took the bait and even agreed enthusiastically to come with her into the guild.
Most nobles have always looked down on their organization and saw it only as a lair of commoners and they would avoid the place like a plague. She thought that she would have to 'smooth talk' the lady first to convince her to come with her into the guild, but to her shock, it didn't seem to be needed at all. On the contrary, Lady Katarina appears to be enjoying the impromptu tour, observing the place with wonder and even asking some questions here and there. Her inquiries revealed that the lady has a skewed idea of the adventuring profession but sees it way better than common nobility, even looking into it somewhat in an oddly romantic perception.
The adventurers gave Lady Katarina an odd look as well and few raised an eyebrow, wondering what a noblewoman doing in such a place, but since she was personally being led by the guild mistress, no one did anything other than take a quick look before immediately averting their gaze.
By the way, she did some... tricks to get rid of those that were spying on the two. Just some quick misdirection here and there and she successfully lost their unwanted followers. With how uncoordinated those spies are, losing them off is but child's play.
Upon reaching the third floor, this is where this is going to get more interesting. Again, his office cannot be entered without his permission. Even she, despite being the guild mistress and the highest authority in this building, cannot access his room. They can't use force to break in either.
Why?
Because that room, that office doesn'tactually exist, or at least that room was never in the guild in a sense. If Silver is not around, that room is but a typical conference room with nothing but a large table and severalchairs in it. If he's present, he would turn that room into his office and once he is done with it, the room would simply revert to its original state.
Since she left this morning, his office should no longer exist there by now.
But it is. It is still there!
What is more, is that even the room's entrance was changed. The room now has a metal knob-less door with a closed-eye icon engraved on it in gold. While Miss Sherry points out the obvious difference from yesterday (for which she agrees), Lina can hardly hide his delight because it means that the marvelous room remains there.
The number of times she had ever seen that door was a lot fewer than the times she had ever entered his office, which both can easily be counted by hand. The only time that door ever appears is if that mystic office of his were 'anchored' or 'bound' in that room (as Silvers explains it) which means Silvers is expecting someone to access the room even when he is off.
Now, if she recalls correctly, that door would only open for the person Silvers were expecting. Any attempts to open the door by anyone else would curse the offender by either petrification or by blasting them with magic, or worse case, both (There was a history of a once proud thief who tried to force his way into that room. They heard a loud explosion and they later on found pieces of the petrified remains scattered around the area. It took his party almost a week of puzzling his pieces together and about a month of pleading to convince Silvers to undo the curse.)
If her speculation is correct, the door should open for Miss Sherry.
And it did.
They are all taken aback when the eye on the door opens and gazes at each of them. It is only thanks to her background as an adventurer that she manages to steel herself and not show any sign of distress but she will not deny that the engraved eyes suddenly opening and looking at them surely catches her in a surprise.
The door recognizes the maid as expected. It only takes a passing glance at Lady Katarina and her but it looks at Miss Sherry twice and even stares at her shortly before finally giving them passage into the room.
'SUCCESS!' Lina cheers internally.
As soon as the door opened, her interest was once again caught by Lady Katarina. Both Miss Sherry and Lina are on their toes and are very cautious about everything in the room but the young noblewoman rushes inside with excitement. She approaches the different devices and Silvers' belongings, calling them unheard names and handling them with familiarity, even playing with some of them until Miss Sherry intervenes. She did not ask questions on what is what unlike how she did when they entered the guild. The expression on her face is that of nostalgia instead of astonishment. It makes Lina wonder if the noblewoman has been here before, to which her valet quickly denies and she doesn't seem to be lying.
It is this same thought the reason why she does not stop Lady Katarina when she suddenly starts digging through one of Silvers' cabinets. She knew what she was doing, especially in that part when she started controlling the office through a controller artifact she found on the cabinet. The lights go dim and a screen emerges from the wall displaying erratic scripts until it changes into Sorcein followed by some music. Then she gets some... oddly shaped wands from the cabinet before changing the music, and starts singing with it.
Wonderful, just Wonderful.
Music had never been her cup of tea, thus her experience and knowledge about the subject were extremely limited, still, she could confidently say that the song Lady Katarina was singing was nothing but spectacular and unique.
The door suddenly opens revealing Silvers and a group of young people behind him. She immediately recognizes the three of them, which are the royal twins and the son of the prime minister. All except Silvers have their attention locked on the singer while the latter simply pays a passing glance and then turns his full attention to the maid instead, at least until Lady Katarina finishes singing.
Silvers casually criticizes the performance like it was nothing new to him and the singer responds in the same manner. They talk without a hint of formality too, ignoring each other's station. After a short back and forth, he sends her to greet their friends while he and Anne set the food on the table (Lina helped too!)
Lina is already holding a plate and is about to get a slice of the meal when Silvers points out that the papers she brought to him were blanks.
Those were supposed to be their month's accounting documents!
She rushes out of the room (not before grabbing a slice from the closest box of pizza and stuffing it into her mouth) and heads straight to the accounting room to get the correct pile.
By the time she got back, the doors to the office were already closed.
She knocked.
The eyes on the door simply looked at her with a deadpan expression.
"Mistress Lina! Your meeting with the director of the Merchant Guild is about to start..." She then hears her secretary call her, and with that, she lets herself fall on her knees and cry as her secretary forcefully drags her to her meetings.
Music has always been Alan's specialty. Back when he was still a child, it was the only thing he could claim to be better at than his twin brother. It has been so long since that rivalry mattered to him but music remains his passion. He plays piano the most but can also play almost every instrument with the only ones that aren't those he has never touched before and even then he is confident that he can learn to play them properly. He can write notes, he can imagine the music by just reading its sheets, and he can confidently say that he can play even the most difficult songs.
The only part he is not confident in is his actual singing voice, but he is assured that he's not bad at it, at least according to the words of his music teachers.
So yes, if anyone asks if he knows a thing or two about it, he can confidently say that he indeed has.
Yet this kind of music that Katarina performed just now both and yesterday, makes him dumbfounded.
The song from yesterday was one thing, though while he had never heard that song before, he didn't find anything special to it(aside from the language, he could not determine what language was). He won't deny that it was grandiose and the music was great, but it's a typical opera song if he is to say.
The song he witnessed just now... is definitely something.
The upbeat tempo, the playful melody, and the harmony of sounds that he has never experienced before.
It baffles him."I never knew that you could sing like that!" He praised the singer.
Katarina just looks at him and winks then continues to devour her slice of pizza. Of course, she would prioritize food over him. Not that he could blame her, the food was good and he was already on his third slice.
"How did you even know that song?" He continued to ask and he noticed her being alarmed upon hearing his inquiry. She looks at him and swallows slowly.
"Err...I-ah..." Unable to form a sentence, she panicly looks at Silvers. The said man just raises an eyebrow and shrugs. "F-from the phone! There were songs saved on this phone, I was listening to them lately!"
"Smooth!" Silvers snickered.
"Can we play some while eating?" Alan asked, "If possible, something like the one you just sang."
"Good idea!" Katarina happily obliges "I'm sure I can pick some from my playlist here" She immediately wipes her hands with paper towels and picks the artifact she introduced to them 'Tablet' that looks like a wider version of the smartphone. After tapping its glass several times, a written message appears on the screen saying 'Falling In Love Slowly' and then the music starts playing.
[Play:Falling In Love SlowlyEnglish Cover by Megami33]
The music indeed has a similar tune to the previous one, but unlike the last one which Katarina has to actually sing, this time someone else has done the vocals as it's already included in the song being played. Obviously, he basks into the music both on its every note and lyrics. Most of them did the same as well.
In between her bites, Katarina sings along with the music, and from the second chorus, Sophia joins her as well. The two completely overshadow the actual vocals from the music.
"That was great!" Katarina praises Sophia "How did you know this song?"
"I don't, though the tune was catchy and I feel like singing with you, so I did."
"Oh!" Katarina exclaims. Alan was sure that she felt a hint of disappointment from Katarina.
"Can I join you for another song? We can have a duet!" Sophia then offers "But, let's listen to the song first so I can familiarize myself."
"Of course!" Katarina's expression quickly bounces back. "We can listen while we're eating, then we can sing right after!"
"Does this mean you will sing for us again, Lady Katarina?" Maria hopefully asked.
"Yes, but only if you sing as well. It'll be embarrassing if I'm the only one who will sing!" She smiles at everyone and then at Sophia. "You can select a song here... here you can sort them by genre, those with lips icon beside the name means they have vocals, while those without are just instrumentals for Karaoke." She hands her the 'tablet' and teaches her how to use it. He leans forward to listen as he wants to try it as well. The others do the same too, except Nicol who seems content with just watching over his sister as usual.
"What is 'Karaoke'," He asked.
Katarina then went on to explainthe culture and tradition of some faraway lands where people like to sing. 'Karaoke' is the device used to play pre-recorded music so people can sing into it and the activity of singing iscalled 'Karaoke' as well. Oddly enough, for all of the knowledge he has about music, he has never heard of such a device before.
He also notices that from time to time during her explanation, Katarina would subtly look at Silvers from the side of her eye, and the said man just will just give her a thumbs up.
'What are they up to?' He can't help but wonder.
Nevertheless, they have such a device now and he intends to use most of it. It's not what he had planned for today (He doesn't have any) but he was glad that his twin brother had (forcefully) brought him. He would not give Gerald the full credit though and despite how bleak the latest events were, things were never boring with Katarina around.
Just as they had planned, the first hour of their stay was spent on snacks and listening to various music, mostly from Katarina's suggestions.
Silvers watches the group of young folks treating it as a Karaoke booth.
Upon informing Katarina that there are modern entertainment devices in the cabinet, he was expecting her to go for the gaming consoles instead of the Karaoke machine. Not that he was surprised by her selection (just a little) but she indeed made a nice pick. It caters not only to her own amusement but the enjoyment of others as well without making her friend's mind be blown a little too much out of the cultural and technological gap.
The fourth prince is the only one genuinely interested in the device and he keeps asking Katarina questions pertaining to it and the songs that were being played. As for most of the others, they are acting the usual, plotting how they could use the current scenario to get close to their idol. Maria was literally fangirling to Katarina right now, wishing to see her idol perform some more. Meanwhile, Mary, Sophia, and Gerald were practically digging on the list for what song they could sing to impress Katarina and preferably sing with her. Sophia is the one operating the tablet and she is doing so like it was her second nature. The young lady Ascart doesn't know it herself yet but she surely is familiar with the said culture and activity.
The ones that didn't join were Nicol, who is content with just seeing his younger sister being joyous, and the younger Claes who is...having a panic?
As for Katarina, she was eating. In between the slices, she would suggest some songs that the group would immediately play and listen to. They started with the anime openings and endings as per Katarina's suggestions. After a while, they moved to regular rock and pop songs.
Well, he can leave them to their own devices at the moment.
Switching his attention to the sole maid in the room, he finds the lady that he is courting, standing at the side of his desk and watching her ward and everyone as he does. While she is not doing it to the extent of what Miss Cambell is doing (rather creepy) right now, he can surely see that Miss Sherry also enjoys watching her mistress perform and is hoping to see more. He can never have enough of seeing her with an awed expression on her beautiful face. It may not be pointed at him but seeing her like that is already a win regardless.
With (mostly) everyone currently dining, it seems that her maid instincts make her want to be at her mistress' side to assist her, but her role of serving Katarina has been swiftly overtaken by a combination of Maria and Mary. Therefore with nothing else to do at the moment, she ends up joining him on this side of the room.
"You really just gonna stand there?" He asked.
"Yes?" She gave him a quizzical expression. "Is there a problem?"
"Yeah..." He points to the vacant office chair stowed under the other desk. The same one she used yesterday. "Please take a seat, we have a vacant chair."
"I am fine, I should remain-" She raises a finger to prove a point but he interrupts her. He stands and tows the aforementioned chair to her.
"I insist" He pleads "I'm familiar with servant etiquettes and such, but you are just as much a guest as they are..." He pauses. That statement, while true, was not entirely accurate. This maid here is way more important than the rest of the guests he currently has. "You could sit in my chair if you want?" He then offers his seat to her instead. "It's soft and comfortable."
"No! I-"
"Either that you sit, or I'm getting rid of everyone's chair and we would all be standing."
"..."
"..."
"You can't be serious!?"
"But I am." He shows her his hand readying to snap his fingers.
"Blackmail, really?"
"..."
"Fine!" She finally relents.
"Finally! That ain't hard, was it?" He returns to his seat as well.
"And it'salso not necessary!" She then retorted with a hint of annoyance. "Staying on my feet for long does not bother me."
"It does for me." He turns his chair toward her and leans forward on his desk "3, barely reaching 4."
"What?"
"The amount of hours you slept last night. You have quite a pair ofbags under those eyes."
"..." She deadpanned at him.
"Thought I wouldn't notice?"
"I'm more concerned about how did you notice it at all. I spent quite a while covering them with makeup and glasses."
"I have good observation skills, in fact, I also know that you are quite peckish right now. " He then slides a plate with a slice of pizza on the desk towards her along with a cup of tea.
"I.." She is about to refute it as well but her stomach seems to have a different idea as it lets out a low grumble followed by her face having the same shade of color as the food he just handed to her.
She immediately hides behind her hands out of embarrassment.
"There there," he pats her shoulder "Uhmm... I can bring you a proper meal if you like?"
"You're not helping..." She retorted, peeking down from behind her hands.
In response to her comment, he picks up the pizza and lifts it close to her face. "Say 'ahh'".
This, however, just made the poor maid more embarrassed.
"Just what do you think you are doing!"
"Helping!"
"No you're not-" She is once again betrayed by her stomach making another grumbling sound. "Just give me that!" She snatches food from his hands and then turns to face the corner as she proceeds to eat it by herself. She makes a short pause after the first bite, then proceeds to eat the remaining piece quickly.
He hands her a paper napkin and her cup of tea which she both accepts yet she remains turned in that corner.
After a while, she slightly peeks at him and whispers a little "Thank you..."
He winks at her in response.
It's official, Anne wants nothing now but to be swallowed by a ditch or throw herself into a chasm.
She just embarrassed herself in front of Silvers, again, twice!
She really should have eaten more than a slice of bread for breakfast.
The situation starts to take its turn bad the moment Silvers arrives bringing those 'Pizza' with him. The moment she gets a whip, the aroma of the food entices her stomach making her remember the pitiful bread she ate in a hurry this morning.
Nevertheless, she kept her grace and stayed on the side. She plans on staying at her mistress' side but it would be too cramped if she did so. Lady Mary and Miss Campbell immediately flanked both sides of Lady Katarina, both doing the task that she should be doing hence her being driven away to the far side of the room with Silvers.
It was still alright, at least until Silvers turned to her. Somehow, he noticed her eyebags even though she spent quite a while making sure they were hidden (Not because she was expecting to see him, but for her mistress so that Lady Katarina would not notice. Part of the job is being presentable.)
Another thing he noticed was that she was hungry and handed her a slice of pizza. Her first idea is to decline but her body betrayed her before she gets the chance to. Her stomach growled. It was not loud but it was enough for him to notice, and not just once but TWICE!
With her hunger being known and the appetizing smell of the food, she lost her willpower to further decline and finally accepted the food. Still, she was still feeling embarrassed to show her face so took the food and ate while facing away from him.
This food called pizza was good. A little too greasy for her taste, but still a good food. Quite filling as well.
"Thank you," She whispered to him. She is still embarrassed to face him, but she is grateful.
She then feels a small bump on her chair, peeking behind herself, she finds that Silvers had moved his chair behind hers. Despite the backrest of their chairs, they are practically sitting back to back
"How are you feeling?" He whispers close to her ear. "Do you feel lightheaded or have any headache? Perhaps feeling tired?"
"I'm alright, I feel perfectly fine in fact..." she whispers back.
"I'm glad, but if you keep neglecting yourself like this then you won't be feeling like that for long." He counters, his tone was still gentle but serious, lacking the usual lackadaisical tune. "While I'd be glad to nurse you if you ever fell ill, I'd prefer that you don't get sick at all. "
"..." She cannot answer that.
"Please look after yourself as well, at least until the day that I can do it for you."
"You really t-think you'll get that far?" She made a quick retort, hoping to hide the burning sensation rising on her face and calm her heart that is currently beating way beyond what it should be at this moment.
"I am thrilled about the prospect of being so." He answers. "...Unless you are against the idea."
"...No...I" She tried to say more but her mind was drawing blanks. She neither can approve of the concept of being... with him. Though she would at least admit (only to herself but never out loud) that it's not a bad idea.
"You don't have to answer that but at least promise that you take care of yourself more too, and not just Lady Claes. You won't be able to take care of her if you are in poor condition yourself. I promise that you can expect my aid should you need it but let's hope that you won'tneed to."
"...Alright" was all she could mutter in response. Aside from her mistress, she hardly gets this kind of concern from anyone, especially since it's her job to do the 'caring' and not the other way around. This treatment she is getting from him is not something she is used to but it is sort of nostalgic...
A faint memory from the old times when she was the one being taken care of.
"Thank you!" He replied before sliding away with his chair back to his desk. Not even a second passed and he slid back her side for another whisper "But seriously, if you ever get sick, I'm gonna have to cross-dress as a nurse and break into your room to take care of you. So unless you're into that, don't ever get sick." He then slides away again like before.
"Wait, what?" His outlandish words break her out of her trance as her mind suddenly perceives an image of Silvers in a nurse dress. "Are you serious?" She exclaimed. Getting over her embarrassment, she finally turns around to face him.
"Get sick and you'll know!" He replied while laughing.
Looking at the screen of her phone, Katarina realized that 4 hours had gone in a flash.
"Sister, are you alright?" She heard her brother ask him in concern.
"Of course, why won't I be?"
"You're crying." He answered, "Does anything hurt? Is there a problem?"
Only then did she realize the tears flowing out of her eyes. She was indeed crying. But not because of anything bad, in fact, it's for the opposite.
She was happy.
She enjoys this day and she believes everyone does so as well.
She didn't expect to meet any of her friends today. She was supposed to secretly shop for gifts for them, a token of appreciation for everything they did for her, especially in the last few weeks. She wants to give them something out of the ordinary, and well, she was hoping for Shiro-san's help. Perhaps he can help her find or make something unique for everyone, perhaps something from her previous life that she can safely share with them?
At least those were the plans until Shiro-san arrived along with everyone and they ended up having a small party at his office.
First, they had Karaoke and pizzas for the first three hours. Karaoke was one thing, but she could hardly contain herself the moment she noticed the pizza that Shiro-san brought. She was so glad that Ms. Lina had collected them from the bakery before they got to buy anything and spoiled her appetite. While they were eating, she taught her friends the wonders of modern-era music as she taught them how to use Karaoke and they listened to the songs that she suggested. Sophia was the fastest one to learn how to use the machine (In a just short while, she has been using the machine as if she owns it) but Alan was the most enthusiastic at most, which was expected.
The actual singing started shortly after a meal by her as pleaded by Maria and there's no way she can deny her request. They did praise her every after-performance but she's sure they were just being overwhelmed because this was all new to them. Mary and Alan did way better than her. Gerald and Nicol did great as well. Keith and Maria were... let's just say they were the timid types. They were not bad at all but they were too embarrassed to sing more than once or twice.
The one who sang the most was Mary. She has a magnificent voice and her adaptability is to be envied. She only heard the song once and she could already sing to perfection. Unfortunately, for all of the love songs Mary has sung, her fiance barely reacted to any of them. Katarina could only wish that she could smack Alan for being has been singing one love song after another for her fiance and Alan is not even batting an eye on her. How could that guy miss all of those hints? If he keeps this up, she will need to have a word with the fourth prince on how to treat Mary right and he will surely hear an earful.
Prince Gerald did the same as Mary for Maria though he kept giving her an odd look, which she definitely understood. It is indeed awkward to serenade your crush right beside your 'fiance'. She would gladly step aside to give the pair of blonds their deserved space and moments but Maria will not let go of her arm.
Sorry Gerald!
She also has duets with Sophia. While everyone keeps singing their selected love songs, Sophia joins her jam of anime songs and even dances with her. She easily memorizes the steps and is even keeping up with her moves if not more.
They got lost in the moment but it became embarrassing once they realized that they have audiences.
Nicol only gets to sing once and he never gets to touch the mic again afterward. Gerald keeps stealing his songs.
With the exception of Alan and Sophia (The former was keen on trying everything and the latter had the same jam as her), every one of her friends sang only love-themed songs.
She should have expected it. They were in their golden teenage years after all. She was an otaku-chick in her past life and it never came to her mind back then that she would have a lot of Riajufriends.
She loves all of them nonetheless.
She somehow managed to make everyone sing. Well, almost everyone. Nee-sama and Shiro-san did not participate. Those two appear to have their own world in the side of the room, only stepping in to join them a few times just to assist them with something.
Oh! There are also moments where Silvers asks her to assist the ladies in using the lady's room. The girls may need a little help familiarizing themselves with it as the rooms were like the ones she had seen in hotels in her previous life, which are way different than the ones they have in this world. She tried her best to hold her laugh as she watched Maria and Mary's reaction to the concept of a bidet but failed drastically. In her defense, Sophia was the first one to break and let out a malicious giggle.
"There is no problem, Keith" She reassures her brother "I'm just so glad that I got to spend my afternoon with everyone today." And that's only half of it. The other half is that she is glad that even for a short while, she was able to relive an experience from her previous life. For a while, she can remember what she used to be, to recall what is to be Chiharu again, a regular teenager celebrating in a Karaoke booth with her best friends after the exams.
She sniffled as feels her nose starting to become runny.
Keith, attentive as always, quickly hands her his handkerchief to wipe her sniffles which she gladly accepts.
She then turns to Shiro-san who was silently watching them with Anne from their own side room and calls him. "Shiro-san!"
"Yes?"
"Thank you for inviting everyone today here today and letting us hang out in your office."
"I didn't invite anyone."He scoffs and turns to Nee-sama beside him "Present company, excluded of course, you, milady, are always here, please drop by more often"
Nee-sama just raises an eyebrow in response.
"You all just decided to drop in all of a sudden, even you!" Shiro-san turns back to her.
"Te-he!" She exclaims, scratching the back of her head. "Sorry bout that!"
"So long as you enjoyed your time then it's fine, plus I enjoyed my company as well so let's say we're even." He replies, pointing his hand to Anne's face which her Nee-sama quickly swats away. "Though why exactly were you looking to meet me, I wonder? You spammed my mailbox with 'Hey' and 'Hi' early this morning."
"About that, there is something..." She skips to the front of his desk"I..." She stops herself from speaking. There's no way she can ask his help to find a surprise gift for her friends if her friends are right here. "Can we speak in private?"
"Private? Can't you just tell itthrough a message from the phone? That should be private enough."
"I believe it's best for this to ask you in person. It's rather personal..." She pleads, clasping her hands together and slightly tilting her head for a little cuteness effect.
Here comes Milady again.
With those words of hers, she unintentionally causes another ruse, and seeing everyone's owl-like eyes, it is already turning for the worse.
"Katarina, " The third prince called Milady "Don't you think we have ... bothered Sir Silvers enough? Whatever you need help with, I'll be glad to help you instead." His lips were making a slight twitch, hardly keeping a smile on his face.
"Right!" Echoes Keith and Mary.
"If there's something you need, you can always ask us!" Maria added.
"I know, and I appreciate that you are always there for me, Truly! However, this is something I have to ask Shiro-san..." Lady Katarina addresses them with sincerity which makes them flinch. "Shiro-san, may I have a moment?" She then turns back to Sir Silvers and asks.
In response, Sir Silvers snaps his fingers and the room is then divided by a translucent wall that separates the space where Sir Silvers, Lady Katarina, and herself towards the others. The gang looks taken aback in surprise while Milady only shows only mild amusement.
"They can no long-"
"-ter, aaaah!"
Silvers' words were interrupted by Lord Keith suddenly entering their area, falling forward towards them. His words start from mid-sentence as they only start to hear him after he crosses the barrier. He tried to push or lean the wall separating them, expecting it to be solid, but he simply passed through like it was nothing.
Lady Katarina caught her brother in her arms before Lord Keith hit the table, though he ended up face-planting on Milady's chest.
Before anyone can say anything, Prince Gerald also crosses the barrier and quickly pulls Lord Keith back to their side. They can then see the gang scolding or yelling at Lord Keith though they cannot hear anything from that side.
"-as I was saying, they can't hear us here." Sir Silvers resumes "What's up?"
"I have a favor to ask..." Milady starts. Anne is pleased that her mistress allows her to stay despite stating that she had to talk with Sir Silvers in private. Lady Katarina proceeds to share the details of her actual intentions for going out today and she is asking for help in getting special gifts for everyone.
"...So I was hoping to get them something, perhaps something... modern, if you get what I mean?" Lady Katarina ends her request in a cute post with a not-so-subtle wink and hands clasped together.
"I see where you are coming from but you are missing one important thing." He raises a finger in the air. His immediate reply and blank expression seem to mean that Lady Katarina's charm did not affect him
Personally, Anne was relieved. On the other hand, her mistress may have unknowingly insulted Sir Silvers.
"Which is?"
"First and foremost, do you honestly expect me to make this 'modern' thing for you just because you asked for it?"
"I'm not asking for free, I'll be paying with my allowance and -!"
"Sweetie, I'm gonna stop you right there, I don't think you understand what you are saying." He replies with a stern voice. She rarely hears him use that tone but when he does, it makes even the ever-imposing third prince step appears that it has the same effect on her mistress.
"There are people that would gladly offer me a fortune even for the most mundane thing I would make. The ministry would gladly pay me a thousand gold for that [Mimeo Card] that I gave you and your friends, what more do you think they will do for that phone you are using?"
That confirms it, Milady indeed has offended him and from Lady Katarina's reaction, she just realized what she just did as well. Anne is about to step in to join and apologize on behalf of her mistress but Silvers raises his hand and signals her to stop and he speaks before she can do anything.
"I have my reasons for granting you and your friends those items but I assure you that it's not money, if that is all you will offer in exchange then I'm afraid that I won't be of any help." He explained.
"I'm sorry..."Lady Katarina muttered an apology.
"Second, this is more of a personal opinion of mine but I think what you are doing is kind of..." He continues once more while scratching his cheeks with his index finger. This time, his voice reverts to his usual nonchalant tone which immediately lifts the heavy atmosphere "What's the better word for it... hmm... lame?"
"What's wrong with giving them gifts?" Milay raises her head and asks.
"I didn't say it was wrong, I just feel that it's inappropriate..." He gestures for Milady to look at her friends outside the barrier and Milady does so. "I doubt that they stayed with you because of any material gain. They are your friends and not your employees. You are to show that you appreciate them and not to give an 'Employee of the Month' Award. While it's not a bad gesture of good faith, I'll find it unappealing to have my dedication returned by a mere trinket... Again, it's just my personal opinion."
"But I really want to get them something after all the trouble I caused them lately..."
"Seems to me that you already did!"
"Huh?!" Lady Katarina looks at him dumbfounded. "I have not given them anything at all."
"Try to recall what you have been doing ever sinceyou came here."
"I don't understand..."
"Look at them, look at where they are, and remember what you have been doing in the past few hours?"
"We were having karaoke..."
"Did you think they enjoyed it?"
"Yes! But does it have to do with me?"
"Katarina" Silvers called Milady in her name with a solemn and gentle tone. "If it wasn't for you, they would never experience it in their whole life."
"But all of these are yours! This is your place and stuff, I only accompanied them."
"True, but my point still stands, I would never even bring them here if it's just me. I doubt that they would even know me at all. With you, on the other hand..." Once again, he gestures for Milady to look at her friends.
"Oh!"
"It's you who turned a host of them and turned this little get-together into a small party. Everyone had a great time!" He then reaches out to her head and brushes her hair "You did great! And I believe your friends would think the same. That's enough payback for all the trouble, don't ya think?"
Lady Katarina bows her head once more, but this time it is no longer because of shame but gratitude. "Thank you, Shiro-san!"
"Tell that to them as well." He stops petting her head and moves his hand to her shoulder. "Sometimes, it is better to hear gratitude instead of an apology."
Milady nods "That quote sounds oddly familiar."
"You may have read it from 'before' "He answers her wink. "It's from a silver-haired half-elf... or was it a gray floating cat?" Silvers looks at the ceiling at the last part to wonder before snapping his fingers again, and the barrier vanishes.
Lady Katarina let out a short laugh and made a quick bow before skipping her way back to her friends.
"You don't have to apologize on her behalf, you know..." He whispers at Anne as she steps in closer to him "Or was that part of the job?"
"I am going to thank you, actually." She answered.
"You learn quickly." He chuckles softly "Guess you were not eavesdropping for nothing."
"No, seriously, I really want to thank you." She insists "You handled mistress well."
He raises an eyebrow at her "Did I? I honestly expect that you'll be mad that I denied her"
"On the contrary, I'm glad that you did, and you did it exemplary."
"Weren't you supposed to go along with her wishes?"
She shrugs "Would it be best if I did?"
"touché"
She returns to her seat beside him "The only one that would do what you did is Milady's mother, Duchess Claes. Most would simply fold to her bidding, especially if she asked them the way she asked you."
"Tough luck for her then. Too bad her charm doesn't work on me..." He shakes his head a bit. Then all of a sudden, he snaps his attention to her in alarm "Have she asked you to ask me, however, she would have gotten a better result... Does she know that?"
She giggles, slightly covering her mouth to suppress her laugh.
"...what?"
"Milady doesn't know it yet, however," She turns her attention towards her mistress who is currently bowing to her friends causing her friends to make bizarre reactions "You just taught her the concept of having connections. Don't be surprised if she figures out how to use it next time. You are a good teacher after all." She looks back at him for the latter part as she praises him.
Sir Silvers slumps his back on his chair and sighs.
Lady Katarina's request to have a private audience with Sir Silvers has gotten everyone on edge. Despite just being on the opposite side of the room, there is a magical barrier that separates them and is also actively preventing the sound from crossing to the other side. At the very least, the barrier was translucent enough that they could still see Lady Katarina, and Sir Silvers so they could at least speculate about what they were talking about based on Lady Katarina's reaction.
'If I could only see their faces, I can at least read their lips...' Mary thought to herself. Unfortunately for her, Lady Katarina is facing Sir Silvers, hence they can only see her beautiful back. Sir Silvers was facing them but his face was covered with a mask so she couldn't read anything from him as well aside from small hand gestures and head movements.
The only face she could see was Miss Anne's but the maid was just standing silently on the side.
In times like this, she couldn't help but envy the valet for having the privilege of staying beside Katarina and being privy to her secrets and all.
From what little they could see, they noticed that Lady Katarina started the conversation with a little bashful attitude which then turned to jolly. Silvers said anything that quickly made Katarina apologetic. A little more in the conversation and it seems that Lady Katarina has bounced back to her cheerful self after Sir Silvers pets her head and taps her shoulder. That sight however earns mass disapproval from everyone based on the resounding hiccup and gasp she heard (She made a gasp too). It really ticks them off seeing Sir Silvers being touchy with Lady Katarina (Lord Keith's little accident moments ago was also frowned upon) especially since they can see that Lady Katarina was extremely delighted by his gestures.
He is not even in the race and yet he keeps on overtaking everyone's lead.
'How dare he?!' Mary exclaims to herself. The others are surely having the same thoughts as well.
Soon enough, Lady Katarina turns around and skips towards them and the barrier vanishes on her back as she crosses them. "Everyone!" Lady Katarina calls to get their attention as if she doesn't have them yet.
Taking a final glance at Sir Silvers and Miss Anne, the two simply resume talking with the former appearing to be... defeated? Not that she investigated that matter any further, especially since their angel was now standing in front of them.
"Thank you!" Lady Katarina bows to them "For yesterday, no... not just that. Thank you for always sticking up with me! I'm certain that I have caused you all sorts of troubles, especially yesterday and in the past weeks..."
"Damn right, you did!"
"Alan!" Mary yells at her fiancé for interrupting, and the others frown upon him as well.
Lady Katarina chuckles "I truly appreciate everything you did for me. Truly, I am so glad to have all of you as friends. Thank you!" Despite the bright smile beaming on her face, they can't help but also notice the tears welling from her eyes.
Everyone is stunned. No one was able to say anything. Lady Katarina is not lying in her words as they can feel her sincerity. However, they can also sense there's something behind those tears and they were not due happiness as much despite Lady Katarina's insistence.
"I know I owe you all a bunch already, but if it's not too much to ask, I hope we can do this more often," Katarina asks her friends, shamefulness be damned.
She knows that this day is coming to an end. She doesn'teven have to look at time to know that. Unfortunately, she just remembers that it is not the only time that is coming to an end.
Just two weeks ago, the event where Katarina got accused of all of her 'apparent' wrongdoings to Maria occurred. While the event passed in the best way possible for her, the fact that it still happened despite all the steps she took is proof that the story will continue taking its proper plot.
She still doesn't know who Maria is going to choose and whatever route they are right now.
Her time is running out.
'Today is a good day! I am having a great time!' She thought to herself, suppressing not only the leaking tears but also the intrusive thoughts that were creeping into her mind.
She wants to have more good days like this to come, for when the day she either gets killed or exiled, she will have great memories to recall before her life, as she knows it, ends (once more).
"Of course!" Sophia practically jumps on her and puts her in a tight embrace. "We'll be glad to accompany you anywhere, Lady Katarina, right brother?"
"Indeed," Nicol answers with a nod "Just let us know and we'll be there."
"I'm coming too!" "I'll always be with you, Lady Katarina!" Said Mary followed by Maria as they flank her from both sides and embrace her just like Sophia did. She extends her arms wide and returns the hug to the three ladies clinging to her.
"You don't even have to ask," Gerald steps in between Sophia and Mary "Though perhaps we can go somewhere with just the two of us, sometimes?"
"Prince Gerald, Please, Sister want all of us to be present, it will never be just the two of you, Your Highness." Keith answers Gerald before turning on her "Also, I would always be with you as well, sister. "
"Count me in too!" Alan joins in "You're quite troublesome but it's never dull with you around!"
"Thank you!" She exclaims. slipping through the arms of the three ladies hugging her, she went and gave each of the boys a quick hug as well. She started with Gerald, then Keith, then to Alan, and finally to Nicol.
"I heard that you're the one who carried me from school and back to my dorm room yesterday." She comments as she stands before Nicol for his turn. "I'm sure you have it difficult, I'm way heavier than Sophia."
"Not at all." He replies "I didn't notice any difference between you and my sister."
"But I'm clearly bigger than Sophia. Does this mean she is heavier than she looks?" She jokes.
"No! That's not what I meant..." They both look at the younger Ascart who is now frowning at her brother.
"Thank you!" She says to him and then she gives him a very quick hug like she did to the others.
She then went back to the center of the room to address everyone again, "Everyone, I can never thank you enough. It won't be much, but if there's something I can do for you, please let me know!"
"It's alright, sister!"
"Don't worry about it, Katarina!"
"Don't mention it, we are all glad to help!"
Her friends answered her in chorus.
Except one.
"Can you sing another song for us, Lady Katarina?" Maria asked shyly.
"Sure!"
While it's good that her friends don't want anything in return, it does not sit well with her that she practically didn't give them anything. Even with Shiro-san's advice, she still wants to have something for them in return. So when Maria stated her request, she could feel her motivation firing her up. If Maria wants to see her sing again, then she'll give the blonde friend something remarkable.
Originally, this song was not her cup of tea. She first saw it when her older brothers would unapologetically switch the channel of their TV while she was watching an anime and changing it into a music channel to watch and listen to the song. She can barely understand English back then so has little to no idea what fuzz is all about. Nevertheless, her brothers seem to enjoy them so much.
She encountered the song again when she was just playing the song randomly one morning while she was resting right after tending her fields. She watched a recorded concert and with her having a better grasp of the language now, she also likes the song as well as other songs from the same artist (who looks like a bolder version of Maria).
The feel of the song seems to be... inline with the genre that her friends like so perhaps they would like this one better than her anime songs. The choreography was a little flirty. She can only imagine how weird and terrible it would be if she was still in her 5-foot Chiharu body, but since she is currently in a taller, and even more beautiful body of Katarina Claes now, she would probably get a better result.
After selecting the song from the tablet, she steps in the front of the screen and readies herself, recalling a few of the steps she remembers and thinking of some that she had to improvise at some point.
Grabbing the mic from the stand, she took a deep breath and waited for the song to start.
[Play: Blank Space by Taylor Swift]
As the number counting down closely reaches zero, she feels a switch in her mind turns on.
'It's Showtime!' Inside of her, the Katarina council cheers.
'Thank God they were in a secluded place right now.' A thought shared among the gang.
Katarina is undeniably charming. No one from this room will deny that, and that is just Katarina being herself. One by one, people fall for her by just being around, all attracted by her kindness and alluring eccentricities. They know that she is not doing it on purpose, she is just being herself.
Katarina being Katarina.
However, sometimes a passing thought comes to the mind, wondering what it is like if she actually seduces someone intentionally and puts an effort into doing so.
"...New money, suit and tie
I can read you like a magazine
Ain't it funny? Rumors fly
And I know you heard about me
So hey, let's be friends..."
Her sultry voice resounds in the room with a serious tone matching the song. Her hips seductively move as she walks around the room while singing. Her hand-playing gestures, sudden smiles, brushing of hair, varied facial expressions, and directs winks with those dangerously sharp eyes of hers. It's all making them crazy.
Is this a dream? Are they just dreaming right now?
No.
Not even a dream can portray Katarina like this.
"...Cause we're young, and we're reckless
We'll take this way too far
It'll leave you breathless, mm
Or with a nasty scar
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane..."
Katarina shakes her head and pulls her hair depicting the lyrics of the song. Her eyes look into them and they feel like their heart has just forgotten to beat. She then walks aggressively towards them, like a hunter creeping on its prey and they can't run away. Not that they wanted to.
"...But I've got a blank space, baby.." Katarina extends her left arm to them while the other holds the wand to her face as she sings. She grabs the first one that her hand reaches, which happens to be Maria's lapel. She pulls the light mage towards herself and moves her hands below Maria's chin, making the girl look up at her as she looks down at the girl. Maria gasps for air as their faces are but a few inches away.
"And I'll write your name..." She winks before pushing her down on the couch. The light mage fully accepts her fate and falls helplessly. On the other hand, looking for her next prey, Katarina smirks playfully and makes a passing glance at each and all of them as she walks back slowly toward the front of the screen.
Meanwhile, Silvers watches Katarina's performance with a skeptical look.
'She doing it in purpose, she got to be...'He thinks to himself.
His partner, Anne, has long abandoned him starting from the moment that Katarina started singing. She moves closer in order to get a better view of her mistress and record the whole deed and he is left alone there behind his desk.
For someone who claims to be a weeb and an otaku in her past life, that girl is doing a good gyaru act with her performance. The sheer shock has already felled one of the audiences and from the looks of it, it won't be too long before the others are struct too. The steps she makes portray that she's crazy yet it's her friends that seem to be losing their minds.
Upon Katarina's next approach, Mary threw herself at the front, offering herself as a willing sacrifice.
"...Cherry lips, crystal skies
I could show you incredible things..." Katarina holds Mary's face and traces the marchioness' trembling lips with her fingers. Katarina then continues by closing in and putting her lips close to Mary's ear and continues to sing with her most sensual voice.
"...Stolen kisses, pretty lies
You're the King, baby, I'm your Queen..." The stimulation appears to be too much for the marchioness as her legs buckle and she falls down on her knees.
Following that, a particular albino girl decides to switch teams and is now acting as the backup singer, but only after dropping her own elder brother into the hot pan which is in Katarina's arms. Funny enough, that made Katarina step back and lose her composure for a bit but the concert continues nevertheless.
"...But you'll come back each time you leave..." She pulls him by the collar, making him lean forward and lower his head so that they are face to-face with each other. However, this approach turns out to be a double-edged blade as both of their faces become red.
"...'Cause, darling, I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream..." She pushes him (quite forcibly this time) while she also turns her back around to retreat.
Sophia is grinning from ear to ear it's a wonder she is not stuttering as she sings.
After playing with the Ascarts, Katarina spends another chorus dancing to herself. Then she goes back into the crowd and in between both Gerald and Keith.
"...Boys only want love if it's torture
Don't say I didn't say I didn't warn ya
Boys only want love if it's torture
Don't say I didn't say I didn't warn ya..."
During this part, she forces Gerald to sit at the end of the couch while she sits beside him, leaning her back against his chest and using him as a backrest. At the same time, she also pulls her brother's coat forcing him as well to sit on the opposite end of the same couch, she then raises her feet one by one and rests them above the younger Claes' legs. Right in front of him, his sister's skirt starts to slide, revealing a good portion of Katarina's bare legs (up until a little above the knee) which were enough to make her younger sibling pass out.
Anne gasped, (probably surprised at how bold her mistress could be) but she did not interrupt.
As for the fourth prince, he is on a different couch, hollering and enjoying the show.
The final part of the song was done by Katarina returning once again to the front for a duet with Sophia (they have done quite a few times and it's incredibly wonderful how those two girls were in synch. Silvers wonders how long it is before the two realize who's who and he is quite tempted to tip the glass in that direction.)
"...And I'll write your name, Tsk!"As the final beat passed and the song ended. The singer stands proudly while pointing at her audience. Seeing that her audience is just staring at her unmoving with their mouths agape, she starts to look at everyone else worriedly.
First, she looks at Sophia behind her, who is currently panting to catch her breath. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine! Just a little out of breath!" Sophia answers, "How did we do?"
"I don't know!" She replies, "They are not reacting or anything, look!" She then gestures to the young Ascart to see the state of their friends.
"You gals overdid it. You just broke them!" Silvers commented, approaching the two and handing each of them a can of cold orange soda. They both accept and a simultaneous sound of cans popping open follows.
'She didn't notice?' Silvers sighs.
Soon enough, the audience breaks from their stupor and they charge to the performers with overwhelming excitement.
Silvers goes back to his seat.