I woke up the next morning with a shout and somehow managed to fall out of bed. For a second, I had no idea where I was. Then I saw the same bedroom Kia had shown me yesterday, and it hit me that I was still here.
“So, it wasn’t a dream?”
“Good morning.”
I nearly jumped out of my skin. When I turned around, Astress was just sitting there in front of my bed, folding laundry like it was the most normal thing in the world.
“Astress?! W-What are you doing here?”
“I am folding the laundry, as is my duty each morning. As a maid of the Diablo household, it is expected of me.”
“Alright, but couldn’t you have knocked before you got in?”
“I did. However, you appeared to be in a deep sleep and did not hear me.”
We both kind of just stood there for a second.
“Hold on. Let me help you.”
“I am grateful for your offer, Mister Ikitayashi, but I must respectfully decline.”
“Mister Ikitayashi?”
“Yes. That is how we are taught to address our guests.”
“I see...”
I walked over to my bed and sat down.
“So, uh, how long have you been working here?”
“Since I was six years old.”
“Wait, so… how old are you then—”
Astress immediately shot me an angry glare.
“N-Never mind.”
“
Sigh
. If you intend to keep on working here, then we ought to remove such discourteous remarks from your vocabulary.”
“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?”
“That is correct, unless you would prefer another tutor.”
I quickly shook my head and apologized.
“No, no. You’re fine.”
Astress raised an eyebrow.
“If I may, I would suggest that a more appropriate response would be, ‘You are suitable.’”
“Ah—sorry.”
She picked up the laundry basket and walked to the door.
“If there is nothing further, I shall 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, long-sleeved top with gold accents.
“Is something the matter?”
“No, it’s just… you’re outfit kind of surprised me.”
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 that the outfit she wore yesterday didn’t really look like something a princess would wear. So I guess that’s why I was so surprised. But I don’t really know how things work here, so maybe that’s just normal. I’m probably overthinking it. Never mind.
“Would you mind joining me for breakfast? There is something I would like to show you after that.”
“O-Of course. Just, uh, give me sec to get dressed.”
I closed the door so I could change without anyone watching. Astress had left out a black suit and shoes for me. I put them on and checked the mirror. I looked kind of ridiculous, honestly, but I guess I’d have to get used to it. Anyway, I headed out to meet Kia.
“You look rather dashing,” she commented jokingly.
“You think so?”
“When have I ever lied to you?”
“Was that meant to be sarcastic?”
She laughed quietly.
“Well, shall we?”
…
We sat down in the dining hall, and a couple of servants brought out breakfast. There was fancy bread with jam, fruit, salad, and tea that smelled way better than anything I was used to. While I was still figuring out what to eat first, Kia leaned over.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
“I slept okay, I guess.”
There was this awkward silence. I had no idea what I was supposed to say. Even now, sitting here in some weird castle, it still didn’t feel real. Honestly, I hoped I’d just wake up at home and find out it was all some messed-up dream.
“Were you hoping that everything that happened yesterday had all been a bad dream?”
I stared down at my plate, feeling kind of pathetic.
“Is that wrong of me to say?”
Kia shook her head.
“No, not at all. I cannot even begin to imagine how strange all of this must feel. One moment, your life ended, and the next, you found yourself in a place you had never seen, with people you had never met. It is a great deal to take in, and I would not blame you if you still felt lost.”
“Yeah…”
A few seconds went by where we sat in silence.
“Hey, Kia… can I ask why you’re doing all this for me?”
Kia looked at me with a hint of surprise on her face.
“I mean, I don’t want to sound ungrateful or anything. I really do appreciate everything you’ve done. It’s just… why go through all this trouble for 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 how grateful people were when she helped them. Sometimes, I even felt a little jealous. I wanted to be like her, to give others hope and remind them that they did not have to face the world 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 mom sounds like a really nice person.”
“She was.”
Kia’s voice quivered a little, 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 be both kind and firm, and I will admit, I am still trying to figure out how to do both at once.”
“I can’t imagine what it’s like for you.”
Kia looked at me again, surprised.
“What do you mean?”
“All the expectations and stuff you have to deal with every day.”
I stopped for a moment.
“I don’t think I’d be able to handle all that.”
Kia smiled softly.
“It is not nearly as dreadful as you make it out to be.”
“Honestly, it sounds rather overwhelming to me.”
She gave a soft laugh.
“I suppose it can be, sometimes. There are days when I wish I could set everything aside and just be ordinary for a while. But I have grown used to it, for the most part.”
Kia put her hands in her lap and looked down for a moment.
“When you are born into a royal family, you start carrying responsibilities the moment you are old enough to understand what they mean. It is simply the life I have always known.”
“So you just… get used to it?”
“To a certain extent.”
She turned to look at me.
“Besides, I like to think there is a reason I was given these responsibilities. If I can make someone’s life a little better, I would rather do that than spend my time wishing things were different.”
For a moment I thought about what she said.
“I suppose that does make sense.”
Kia smiled.
“And if you were handed all your own duties at once, I suspect you would find them rather overwhelming too.”
“Yeah, probably.”
I scratched the back of my head.
“I can barely keep track of my own problems.”
“That is hardly surprising, given everything you have been through.”
After that, we just went back to eating. Mr. Luzel came over to check if we liked the food, then disappeared back into the kitchen.
Once we finished eating, Kia took me to the other side of the castle. We passed through the main hall again, and all the servants were already busy. Watching them, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was really cut out for this. Not that I had much of a choice. After what felt like forever, we finally reached a set of sliding doors. Kia opened them and told me to come in.