--King's castle, outer corridor.

　It was a pleasant afternoon in the sun.
　When Futa came back to his room after finishing his business, he found a girl standing in front of the door.

"Hey, it's Rila.
It's .......

　I'm not sure what to make of it.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　Her beautiful blue eyes, her silver hair that twinkles like glass in the sunlight.
　The only difference between her and the princess, Futa thinks, is her slightly reddened cheeks and unsure expression.

What are you doing here?
"Oh, ......, no. I'm cleaning your room today.
Oh, yeah. Can you do that for me?
Yes.

　When Futa opened the door, she entered the room with neat movements.

　She had a brush in her hand, a broom and a dustpan.
　I didn't pay attention to it because Corona did it so well, but it's a lot of baggage.

　Her movements were somewhat unsteady, which worried Futa a little.
　Partly because it looked like a lilac.
　Feeling a little nervous, he called out to her.

"Do you need help?
No, don't worry about it. It's my job.
"Oh, really?

　Somehow.
　Yeah. Somehow, though, Futa felt a wall between him and her.
　I don't mean to say that I want you to have an open-door conversation with her from the very beginning. It's hard to be friendly with someone you've never met before, whether it's yourself or the princess.

　However, it seemed to me that she was blatantly distancing herself from him.

　If it really was something that she couldn't handle, like not liking men or, I hate to think it, smelling, then she might as well just leave.

　If it was something that I couldn't handle, I would rather leave.
　Not wanting to head out of the room without doing anything, Futa reluctantly began to train his muscles in the corner.

　Thinking it would be wrong to take up too much space in the middle of cleaning, he stood on his head and did push-ups.

　As he was slowly moving up and down, taking about 10 seconds at a time, he suddenly felt eyes on him and looked up.

......
What's wrong with you?　Do you need help?
It's not that.

　Her cheeks flushed, she turned away from Futa.
　She turned away from Futa and said with a gesture of wiping her hands.

At least put your shirt in your pants or something. ......
What?　...... Oh.

　If you think about it calmly, you're right. If you stand on your head, your shirt will naturally slip down.
　From her point of view, her abs would have been fully visible.
　Futa thought that a maidservant would be used to seeing a man naked, but her role was that of a double (or so Futa thought). She may not even be a maid.

　She may not be a maid by trade.

"Yes?

　With her back completely turned, the maid, Rilla, raises her voice in a slightly raised tone.

Is it always like that?
"Always. ...... Oh, Corona. I'm sure you'll agree that it's a great idea to have a good time.
I'm sorry." "Oh, really? ......

　In a quiet room, a sound like gulping down raw saliva.
　You'll be able to see the red face of Lila when you glance back at her.

　There was a man standing on his head, tucking his shirt into his pants with one hand.

"Yeah, ......?
Oh, did I do something wrong?
No, not at all.

　It's not that I'm not a good person, but I'm a good person.

　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea. The ribbon that tied her apron dress behind her back was slightly crooked, unlike Corona's.

　I wonder if she's not used to it.

What were you doing before you came here, Lila?
"......

　The slight response seemed to indicate hesitation.

　He shook his head, as if perhaps he did not want to say.

No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's sudden.

　We'll get to know each other better when we get to know each other better.
　I don't know if the girl in front of me has scars on her shins or not, but if she does, she did something wrong.

"Do you have any, uh, ...... hobbies?

　This man is not very good at changing the subject.
　I already regretted the words I said.
　This is like a blind date or something.

　But...
　Surprisingly, she suddenly looked up and said.



That's the first time you've ever asked me that.
"Oh, really?

　Her words without the article "to you".

　It was enough to cause Futa's misunderstanding.

　I'm not sure if you've ever been asked about your hobbies, or if you've been raised in a very closed environment.

I'm not sure. ...... Hobbies, yes. I'm not sure if I'd be able to do that. The rest is .......

　After collecting all the dust with a dustpan, she turned around and smiled slightly.

　It's not like the first time you met her, she had a relaxed look on her face.
　--It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　The maid's gentle smile caught Futa's attention for a moment.

"The fighting sword."
"What?
I like to look at it.
...... Oh. Yeah, I know. Spectacular, then.
Yes, I've been watching.

　So Lilla had a moment of thought.

"That's why I'm so shy when I show my face. Sorry.
"What, ......?　Oh, no, no, no.

　I can't help it.
　The princess's voice and her soft expression took Futa's attention.
　It's not the princess, he knows.
　But the fact that he saw his sword and thought fondly of it made him happy.

　In the event you're not sure what you're looking for, there are a few things you can do.

This is a great way to get the most out of your business.
"Well, that's ...... sorry. I'll be careful next time.
Yes. Please do.

　She raised the corners of her mouth loosely and turned away.

I've finished cleaning up, so I'll leave you to it.
"Oh, yeah. Thank you very much.
I'm not as good as Corona, but ...... please forgive me.
There's no comparison. You're doing a great job. That's good enough for me.
Yes, sir?
"...... Oh.

　Rilla tilted her head as Futa's words escaped her.

That was a little like Lilac.
...... That's the result of practice, I suppose. No, I'm talking about here.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're going to be doing.
　I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you have.

"Hey, Rila-san.
"Yes?
"What do you think of Lilac-sama?

　It was convenient for Rilla that the topic of Lilac had unexpectedly and naturally come up.

　With a clear face, she answered without emotion.

"I think it's fine for you to be my lord. What about you?
"Me?
Yes. What do you think of your Highness?

　She asked this question as if it were an extension of her daily conversation, as if she were completely unconcerned.
　He continued to endure the silence as he waited for an answer, desperately trying not to let out any pressure.

　Futa pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

　He shook his head.

".......

　Lira's poker face was slightly cracked.

　Shaking her head meant she was going to deny it anyway.
　I'm not sure what to think, and I'm upset by my own shock.

　But...

I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can tell Rilla-san about that.
"What?

　A gentle smile appeared on her face.
　It was a gentle but distant expression that Lilac had never seen before.

　Oddly enough.
　This time, Lira felt a strong wall between her and Futa.
　You and I are strangers. It's the first time I've ever felt that way.

I guess. To borrow a phrase from Corona, I don't know you very well. I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about that. I'll tell you anything else you want to know.



　Futa never told Corona about his vow that night.
　He's never even told Corona about his promise to her.

　--And Lila doesn't know.

Something else?
In the past, in my profession. That's a new story now.
......

　He shrugged his shoulders, scratched his head in annoyance, and said.

So, what is it?
"......
Take your time from now on.

　There may be places where you don't want each other to go.
　But still.
　I'm not going to give up on something I want to do before I've done it.

　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

"......

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.
　I'm not sure what to say.

I'm not used to being touched by a man. I'm sorry.
"Oh, really?

　I'm not used to being touched by men," she said, shaking her head.

But...

　But," she said, shyly.

I want to get to know you better, too.

　You'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.


















...... I'm in trouble.
"What?

　The princess's office.
　You can find a lot of people who are looking for the best way to get the most out of their life.

　The maid lying on the sofa with the same self-satisfied look is just plain rude.

I told you so. I've already told you. She won't tell me what Futa thinks of me at all.
"...... Princess, you know what?
What is it?

　The maid rolled over on her back and told her in a cumbersome manner.

I'm sure you're not the only one.
I'm not sure what to make of that.
I'm not sure if Rila-san is a better match for you than the princess?
Nah nah nah ......!