The next morning, I woke up screaming and tumbled out of bed. I looked around in a panic and realized I was still in the same bedroom Kia had shown me yesterday
“So, it wasn’t a dream?”
“Good morning.”
I gasped. When I turned toward the voice, I saw Astress sitting in front of my bed, neatly folding laundry.
“Astress?! What are you doing here?”
“Folding the laundry, of course. As a maid of the Diablo household, I am expected to do so every morning.”
“Alright, but couldn’t you have knocked before you got in?”
“I did, but you were simply too fast asleep to hear me.”
There was an awkward pause in our conversation.
“Hold on. Let me help you.”
“I appreciate your offer, but I must politely decline, Mister Ikitayashi?”
“Mister Ikitayashi?”
“Yes. That is how we are taught to address our guests.”
“I see...”
I walked over to my bed and sat down.
“Sooo… how long have you been working here already?”
“Since I was six years old.”
“Then, how old are you—”
Astress immediately shot me an angry glare.
“N-Never mind.”
“*Sigh* We ought to remove such rude remarks from your mind if you wish to continue working here.”
“We?”
Astress stood up and folded her hands in front of her.
“Yes. Lady Kia informed me last night of your wish to work here. She asked whether I would be willing to serve as your tutor, and I was happy to accept. Henceforth, I shall teach you the customs, manners, and duties expected of a servant of the Diablo household.”
“You’re going to teach me?”
“Correct, lest you have someone better in mind?”
I quickly shook my head and apologized.
“No, no. You’re fine.”
Astress raised an eyebrow.
“‘You’re fine’?”
“Ah—sorry.”
I stood up quickly and gave her a deep bow.
“My education will be in your care.”
“Wonderful. I am expecting great things from you.”
She picked up the laundry basket and walked to the door.
“With that, I will take my leave. I expect to see you this evening.”
Before she could say anything else, she was already gone. A few seconds later, Kia came to my room.
“Good morning, Shako!”
“Morning, Kia!”
I noticed right away that she was wearing something different. She wore dark-red latex leggings that went up to her waist, tall black high-heeled boots, and a white, frilly top with gold accents and long sleeves.
“Is something the matter?”
“No. I was just surprised by the outfit you’re wearing.”
She looked surprised.
“Ah, this? This is my formal wear.”
“Your formal wear?”
“What? You really thought I would wear such a bold outfit every day?”
I had to admit, the outfit she wore yesterday didn’t exactly scream ‘I’m a princess’ to me. That’s why I was so surprised when she told me. Then again, I don’t really know the customs of this world, so I thought maybe she does wear things like that all day. Anyway, I’m getting off track.
“Would you mind joining me for breakfast? There is something I would like to show you after that.”
“O-Of course. Just give me sec to put on my clothes.”
I closed the door for a moment of privacy. When I turned around, I saw that Astress had left me a new set of clothes: a black suit and black shoes. I put them on, checked myself in the mirror, and felt a bit embarrassed about how I looked. Still, I knew I’d have to get used to it. After that, I opened the door and met Kia outside.
“You look quite dapper,” she commented jokingly.
“You think so?”
“When have I ever lied to you?”
“Was that meant to be rhetorical?”
She laughed quietly.
“Well, shall we?”
…
In the dining hall, Kia and I sat down while two servants brought out our breakfast. We had golden-brown slices of bread with something like jam, a small bowl of mixed fruit, a salad, and tea that smelled amazing. As we ate, Kia leaned towards me.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
“I slept somewhat decently, yes.”
A brief silence followed. I wasn’t sure what to say. After everything that happened yesterday, waking up in a strange castle still felt unreal. Part of me had hoped that, like I said before, I would wake up back home and realize that this was all just a bad dream.
“Were you hoping that everything that happened yesterday had all been a bad dream?”
I looked down, feeling dejected for a moment.
“Is that wrong of me to say?”
Kia shook her head.
“No, not at all. I understand how traumatic yesterday must have been for you. You died, only to wake up in a world you had never seen before, surrounded by people you did not know. I imagine there is still quite a lot for you to process.”
“Yeah…”
“I was thinking, Kia… why are you doing all of this for me?”
Kia looked at me with a hint of surprise on her face.
“I’m not trying to sound ungrateful or anything. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me so far. I’m just curious… why go through so much trouble to help someone like me?”
Kia was quiet for a second before her expression softened.
“I suppose I have my mother to thank for that.”
“Your mother?”
“She always taught me that those who are fortunate have a responsibility to help those in need. Whenever she came across someone who was struggling, she would do whatever she could to help them.”
She paused and looked out the window.
“I remember seeing how grateful those people were. It made me feel a little jealous. I wanted to become someone like her—someone who could give people hope and make them feel that they were not alone.”
She looked back at me.
“So when I found you yesterday… I simply could not leave you behind.”
I didn’t know what to say. For a moment, I was completely caught off guard.
“Your mother sounds like a really nice person.”
“She was.”
Kia’s voice quivered a little when she said that, but she quickly pulled herself together.
“She taught me many things while she was alive. Helping others was only one of them.”
“I remember your father said something like: ‘Though your kindness is wonderful, you shouldn’t let your judgment be blinded by it.’”
She took a sip of her tea.
“He is not wrong. A ruler must demonstrate both compassion and firmness toward their people. Striking this balance is tough, and I admit I am still seeking this balance.”
“I can’t fathom what it’d be like to walk in your shoes.”
Kia looked at me again with another look of surprise.
“What do you mean?”
“The expectations, responsibilities, and duties with which you have to deal every day.”
I stopped for a moment.
“I know I wouldn’t have the strength to take on all of that.”
Kia smiled softly.
“It is not quite as unbearable as you make it sound.”
“Well, it seems rather overwhelming to me.”
She gave a soft laugh.
“I suppose it can be at times. There are certainly days when I long to set all my responsibilities aside and simply live an ordinary life. Yet I have also grown accustomed to it.”
Kia put her hands in her lap and looked down for a moment.
“Being born into a royal family means taking on certain responsibilities as soon as you are old enough to understand them. That has always been the way of life I have known.”
“So you just… get used to it?”
“To a certain extent.”
She turned to look at me.
“In addition, I believe there is a reason I was given these responsibilities. If I have the power to improve people’s lives, then I prefer to use that power rather than complain about having it.”
For a moment I thought about what she said.
“I suppose that does make sense.”
Kia smiled.
“Moreover, you would most likely find your own responsibilities overwhelming should you be given them all at once.”
“Yeah, probably.”
I scratched the back of my head.
“I am barely able to keep track of my own problems.”
“That is not surprising considering the circumstance you are in.”
And with that, we went back to eating. Mr. Luzel stopped by to ask if we liked our meal, then headed back to the kitchen.
After we finished eating, Kia led me to the other side of the castle. We passed through the main hall again, where the servants were already hard at work. Watching them made me question if I was really suited for this job. Still, I didn’t have many other options. After another long walk, we reached a set of sliding doors. Kia opened them and invited me in.