Chapter 29 – The Childhood of the Mistress & Servant
Sumire's POV
"Ojōsama…are you sure about this?"
"Trust me, Sumire. I did a lot of thinking over this. It has to end. Today, if all possible."
"I…I-I see…"
I did not know what to think when Ojōsama requested me to meet her at the café near the hotel. Saying that she wishes to speak with her father once more.
To be honest, I was a little worried.
I was deeply aware of the feud Ojōsama was having with Kotobuki-sama. And for the longest time, my thoughts on the matter were rather split.
I truly am disgusted with how Ojōsama and Miharu-Ojōsama became sisters. And because of that (plus a bit of jealousy), I hated Miharu-Ojōsama at first. I wanted Ojōsama to stop acting like a child and return to the mansion to apologize. And forget about Miharu-Ojōsama for good.
But at the same time…I have never seen Ojōsama so happy before. It was like Miharu-Ojōsama was that missing key in her heart to turn her output on life for the better.
As a maid, my main job is to make my mistress happy. And honestly…those two finally meeting each other was the only happiness she ever needed.
I am not entirely sure who to side with. The mistress that I grew up and served for most of my life…even calling her Onee-chan before any of this ever started. Or her father…the head of the family and has the absolute say in everything.
This event may be just as nerve-wracking for me as it will be for Ojōsama.
And all I can really do is hope that it ends on a happy note...
"W-Well…I am sure it will work out, Ojōsama. And shall be there too if you need any help."
"Thank you, Sumire…but I want to do this on my own. I only called you just so you can get my parents to meet with me."
"H-Huh? O-Ojōsama, why would you…"
"Sumire…be honest with me. You told them that I was going to Okinawa, didn't you?"
"Wh-What?! Ojōsama, I would never do something so immoral to you as to…"
"Sumire…"
…
…
…
"*sigh* O-Okay. Yes, I did. It was an order made by your father." I admitted in a defeated tone.
"I see. I always had that feeling in the back of my mind." Ojōsama then went silent for a bit.
"Ojōsama…"
"They should be here any minute now, right? Thank you, Sumire. You may leave now."
…
I wanted to refuse. I really did. Ojōsama clearly needs help in this dire time…meeting with her parents after six months of being estranged from them…I wanted to stay. But to disobey an order from your master or mistress is basically a one-way trip to a crappy life.
And I didn't want to risk it.
"Y…Yes, Ojōsama." I finally said with a bow before departing from the café. Leaving her to deal with an ordeal that has been troubling her since the day she was told about having a half-sister over a year and a half ago.
…
…
…
Or…at least, that was the plan.
Once Ojōsama turned around, I quickly made a mad dash to the nearest building and hid behind the corner. Being ever so cautious for her to not notice me.
My deepest apologies, Ojōsama. But I cannot leave you behind this time. I am doing this to look after not only you, but…but to also…
"Sumire?"
"Eeek! M-Miharu-Ojōsama?!" I yelled in a panic when I saw the one person I was just thinking about suddenly appeared in front of me. I then quickly dragged her behind the building before Ojōsama could possibly notice her.
Me and my easily startled self…
"M-Miharu-Ojōsama! Wh-What are you doing here?!"
"We just finished practicing a little so I came out here looking for Mugi. You know where she is?"
"W-Well…yes, I do. But…"
Damn your extremely bad timing…
"L-Look, Miharu-Ojōsama. You need to leave. Now."
"Huh? Why? You said you know where Mugi is, didn't you?"
"I do know. And that is why you need to leave. Things could get worse if you are around."
"If I'm around? Sumire, what are you talking about? Where's Mugi?"
She is not going to understand unless I tell her. I am sorry for this, Ojōsama...
"*sigh* Miharu-Ojōsama…Ojōsama is meeting with her parents."
"Wh-What? Seriously?"
"She wants this family feud to end. As it brings her nothing but stress and unhappiness."
"Stress? Unhappiness?"
"Surely, you have noticed this, correct?"
Miharu-Ojōsama went silent as she lowered her head down in sadness.
"Y…Yeah. I've noticed. Since day freaking one on Labor Thanksgiving. She hated the fact that she was all alone simply because she wanted me in her life. I may not understand why her parents are so adamant about keeping me out…but whatever the reason is, Mugi's the one suffering. Not me."
"And you did not do anything about it?"
"As if I could do anything about it. I never knew until the night Mugi blurted it out in my face. And she knew a year in advance. How was I supposed to help her when I was in the dark about it longer than she was?"
"You do possess a point…" I said with a sigh.
"So, Mugi's really going to confront her parents, huh? I wonder how it's going to play out."
"I wonder that myself. which is why I stayed here instead of heading back to the hotel as Ojōsama ordered me to. I feel so ashamed."
"Well, I'm sure you had your reasons. You're just as worried about Mugi as I am, aren't you?"
"How can I not? She is my Onee-chan. I-I mean Ojōsama! Geez, I cannot believe I said it again…" I blushed from the embarrassment I gained from saying such a thing. Especially in front of Miharu-Ojōsama.
Who, let us be honest here, is her true sister. Not a fake such as myself...
"Hey, Sumire. I've been meaning to ask…what was Mugi's childhood like?"
"Ojōsama's…childhood?"
"I mean…you've been serving her since you both were kids, right? Surely you know what she was like back then, right?"
"Well…yes. I do. But why do you want to know?"
"It's just…something that's been on my mind lately."
"I see."
We both went silent for a bit as the topic of this conversation made the atmosphere quite awkward.
"Well…if you truly want to know, let us go somewhere else and talk about it. I really do not want Ojōsama to catch me spying on her."
"Oh, yeah. Mugi would be really pissed if she knew we were here. Though, who would get it worse? Me or you?"
"Please. You would simply get a simple scolding while I would lose my livelihood. Disobeying your master or mistress is heavily frowned upon in the wealthy community."
"Well, damn. Rich people are total pricks, huh?"
"For once, I can totally agree with you, Miharu-Ojōsama." I gained an exasperated sweatdrop.
The two of us didn't go that far. Mainly, another café that was near the beach. just so that Ojōsama wouldn't catch us and accuse us of spying on her. Even though that was my original intent.
After we each ordered a smoothie, I was mentally preparing myself to tell Miharu-Ojōsama what it was like growing up with Ojōsama. There's honestly so much to remember. I hope that I can tell it all correctly.
"I have been living with the Kotobuki family since…pretty much since I was born. And the Saitō family has been serving the Kotobuki family since even before that. But back then, I didn't understand that part. And I saw Ojōsama as an older sister. Which is why "Onee-chan" would sometimes slip out of my mouth."
"Woah…so, you were like the original sister. But then I came along and took your spot, huh?"
"Well technically, this "spot" in question was not mine, to begin with."
"Huh?" Miharu-Ojōsama was confused.
"My family originated in Austria. And when we were brought to Japan by the Kotobukis, we were forced to change our last name. Unfortunately, I do not know much about my Austrian side. So, I cannot tell you what that was."
"I see..."
"Anyway…As a child, Ojōsama was receiving special education for gifted children. She rarely left home and never got to experience elementary and middle school life. Meaning, she never got to play with children of her own age. And it really affected her. Emotionally."
"Emotionally? Was she depressed even back then?"
I shook my head yes. Trying not to shed a tear.
"Because she was alone most of the time, Ojōsama's childhood wasn't the greatest. When there were times I would sneak home yuri manga for her to read…or the random chances where we would see advertisements for those types of anime where it was mostly a group of girls doing random fun stuff together, she would get sad and depressed about it. Wishing that she could experience such a fun life. Instead of being cooped up in the mansion walls 24/7.
There were even times when she would resent her parents, the butlers & maids, and the private teachers who constricted her freedom to live her own life. It was that bad."
"Man…I never knew Mugi had it that rough. How come she never brought it up?"
"Probably because Ojōsama truly wants to forget about her childhood. And I honestly do not blame her for wanting to do so."
"Damn…wait, so if Mugi was always secluded from the rest of the world, how is she currently attending Sakuragaoka?"
"Ah, yes. About that…what caused that happened 3 years ago. When I was first made aware of my family's role in the household. It was the first time Ojōsama showed any sign of rebellion. And it truly made a mark."
"Whoa…what happened?"
"Well…"
*3 YEARS AGO…*
"*whine* I don't want this~! We won't be able to play with each other anymore~!"
"Sumi-chan…" Onee-chan went silent for a bit. "…Don't worry. You wouldn't have to do any of those silly rules."
"H-Huh? Wh-What do you mean?"
"I've kept this a secret for a while now…but I am running away."
"Wh-What?! R-Running away?!"
"Shhh! Sumi-chan, please keep it down!" Onee-chan covered my mouth in a panic.
"S-Sorry…but Onee-chan. Why would you think of something like that?"
"Because…I am truly unhappy here, Sumi-chan. Being cooped up inside this mansion…not allowed to enjoy the simple things regular girls do every day…being treated as this "special child" when I'm actually not. I hate it all, Sumi-chan. I hate it and I wish to escape it all."
"W-Wow…"
"And you can come too, Sumi-chan."
"Wh-What?!"
"Runaway with me, Sumi-chan. We can both start over together and finally be happy. Living the lives we always wanted. And I'll fully take care of you as your precious Onee-chan."
"B-But what about your parents?"
"Honestly…screw them."
"O-Onee-chan!"
"Excuse my language. But that is how I feel. In order to truly feel what happiness is like, I must discard my overbearing parents…and anyone else who stands in my way. It may sound cruel and ungrateful...but it is the only way."
So, that is how she truly feels…now I know.
"So. What do you say, Sumi-chan? Please come with me. I don't want to be alone anymore. Let's finally be happy together, Sumi-chan."
"Onee-chan…" I went silent for a bit. "…I truly understand how you feel. But I cannot run away with you. My family's loyalty to your family will not allow me to. And honestly…I think this idea is truly reckless of you, Onee-chan."
"S-Sumi-chan…" Onee-chan lowered her head as tears started falling from her eyes. "…I-I see. S-So, you are one of them, as well. I thought I could trust you, Sumi-chan! I thought you of all people understood how I've been feeling all these years! I thought you were my best friend!"
"I am your best friend, Onee-chan!" I shouted. Making the whole room silent as we both had tears in our eyes. "S-Sorry..."
"N-No…I should be the one apologizing. I took out my ever-building anger on you. Though, I truly wanted to do that with my parents…"
"Onee-chan…"
"Anyway…if you excuse me, Sumi-chan, I must get back to packing. I'm leaving tonight, by the way."
"T-Tonight? Wh-Where are you going to go?"
"I'm not sure. But anywhere would be better than here."
"I see…" I went silent for a bit. "O-Onee-chan."
"Yes, Sumi-chan?"
"I…I…I won't tell anyone. What you're doing. I'll keep it a secret for as long as I can."
Onee-chan didn't respond at first. But she did get up and hugged me tightly as more tears ran down her face. Not letting go in the slightest.
"Thank you…Sumi-chan. I'll truly miss you."
…
"I-I'll miss you too. Onee-chan." I returned the hug with zero hesitation.
*PRESENT TIME*
"Later that night, Ojōsama really did run away. But she was safely found the next morning. Turns out she did not go very far."
"Woah…so even back then, Mugi resented her rich girl lifestyle. What did her parents say?"
"*sigh* As you would expect, her parents were very angry at her for pulling off such a stunt. They increased the number of people watching her and it was to the point where Ojōsama wasn't allowed to leave her room unless it was a major event of the sorts."
"Geez. They did all of that after that ONE time? Ain't that a bit overprotective?"
"She did that multiple times. 8, to be exact. Ojōsama is the type of person to never give up on what she wants."
"Yeah…that does sound like Mugi, alright." Miharu-Ojōsama gained a sweatdrop.
"But then one night, when Ojōsama was planning her 9th attempt to run away, I managed to stop her. And even crazier, convinced her to stop running away and listen to her parents."
"Really? How'd you do that?"
"Well, I…" I then froze in pure shock as the reason that my intervention worked was because of something that, now thinking about it with a more self-aware mindset, is really embarrassing. Like SUPER embarrassing.
"Sumire?"
"U-Um…i-it is nothing important. F-Forget I mentioned that last part."
"What? Oh, come on. I wanna know."
"I-It was a long time ago. Th-The details of that night are just a little bit fuzzy. S-So to speak."
"So, you remember getting lesbo books for Mugi but you can't remember what you said to make her put up with her overbearing parents? What sense does that make?"
"H-Hey, they are NOT lesbo books! They show the true heart-breaking struggles of two teenage girls who must hide their everlasting romantic love from the discriminating close-minded simpletons of modern Japanese society. They are COMPLETELY different!"
"So, you read them too..." Miharu-Ojōsama gained a sweatdrop.
"Tch! Th-That is not the point!" I blushed even more.
"Ugh. Whatever. It's still weird how you can't remember how you convinced her."
"Hahaha. Yeah, too bad. It truly does suck that I cannot remember something so important…and embarrassing…to Ojōsama's current mood as…"
"…Promising to marry me once I graduated high school?"
"Yeah, like tha…" I then froze once more as I recognized the voice that had suddenly said that. And once I had turned around, I began to panic hard.
"Eeek! O-O-O-Ojōsama?!"
"Mugi? How'd you know we were here?" Miharu-Ojōsama asked.
"To be honest, I knew you both were spying on me back at the café. Thanks to Sumire's shouting earlier."
"M-Me and my big mouth…" I whined.
"Wait a second. What did you mean by "promising to marry you"?"
"What else, Miharu? Three years ago, Sumire promised to marry me once I graduated high school."
"S-Seriously?! You said that?!"
"*whine* Ojōsama! Why did you admit such a thing?!" I whined even more as my face was beyond red at this point.
"Well, Sumire…it was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Forgetting such a thing wasn't possible in my depressed state of mind at the time."
"*sigh* I guess that makes sense."
"So, how would that work, exactly?" Miharu-Ojōsama asked. "I mean…I don't know the consent laws in Japan, but I'm pretty sure by the time Mugi graduates, Sumire would still be a minor. And a minor proposing to marry an adult is not only weird and uncommon but also illegal. Maybe if Sumire lies about her age, it could possibly work. Though, you'll have to keep a low profile and not do anything rash like…oh, I don't know…run for a government office spot or something like that. They'll probably dig up your file and discover your real age. And then they'll definitely arrest Mugi for banging a 16-year-old. And I hear that prisoners don't take to kindly to child molesters. Last week, I saw this show where this guy wanted to meet with a 12-year-old girl, but then got ambushed by the police while they went "STAHP RIGHT THERE, PERVERT!". And the guy nearly pissed his pants as he…"
"Miharu!" Ojōsama yelled.
"What? I was just getting to the good part."
"It seems you have forgotten what we were just talking about, Miharu-Ojōsama…" I gained a sweatdrop.
"Ah, well. Hey, how'd that talk with your parents go, Mugi?"
…
…
…
"Mugi?"
Ojōsama went dead silent as she lowered her head down to the ground. Looking like she was about to cry.
Just like what had happened three years ago…
"O-Ojōsama?" I asked.
"U-Uh, yeah…a-about that. Th-They *sniff* Th-They never showed."
"What?! Oh, come on! Are they THAT self-centered to not meet with their own daughter?!"
"M-Miharu-Ojōsama!" I yelled at her.
"I-It's not that. I-In fact…th-they had a very good reason for not showing."
"A good reason?" We both asked. We were very confused as to what Ojōsama was talking about. But after she fully explained…It had turned this once simple feud about immoral romancing and a secret sister into a whole new problem in its own right.
And I do not know if we will be able to get through this one.
"M-My father…i-is in the hospital. H-H-He *sniff*…H-He died."
Author's Note: Story's back! And with a new problem on the rise for Mugi. She learns that her father has passed. And right when she wanted to reconcile with him. How would she cope with such a huge loss in her already depressed-filled mind? Find out in the next chapter.
Thanks for reading. Later.