2.2.6

And so, Subaru's life as a servant started with a bang.

With the conclusion of the unexpected session with Beatrice, Subaru used a dressing room to put on the servant's attire that Ram had given him. It was a white shirt with a black jacket and matching pants, doing no violence to Subaru's preconceived image of a butler. The problem lay elsewhere.

"Hey, Ramchi, I put on the outfit, but…"

Ram, waiting outside the dressing room until he'd finished, entered when called.

"Though I'd like to say something about how I've been addressed, is there something wrong with…?"

Ram, complaining as she made her way in, stopped mid-sentence as she got a good look at Subaru, putting her hand to her forehead.

"Indeed there is. Your shoulders, and also, your legs are too short."

"You mean my height?! The shirt's fine, but the jacket's real tight on the shoulders. I'm decently athletic, not that it gets me anywhere, but this super tight top makes me look like a macho man here."

Just as Ram had indicated, the shoulders were stiff because the sleeves were a poor fit. In particular, the armpits were far too tight for his shoulders to move. Subaru wondered if this was a natural problem when dealing with hand-me-down servant uniforms.

"I can roll up the sleeves, but the top's no good like this. I suppose I can handle shortening sleeves on my own, but…"

"So you have unexpected talent, Barusu… We cannot have you working in such a sorry outfit. It will bring the manor's, and Master Roswaal's, standards into question."

"He dresses like that and he worries about standards?"

Though Ram had a neutral expression, the tilt of her head made plain her displeasure, so he shut up. Subaru's "zipping" his lips with his finger brought a sigh out of Ram.

"We can do nothing for what is inside, but we can at least make you look presentable. At any rate, let's leave the shortening of the legs for later and just fix the top."

"Easier said than done, though? I don't have any experience with that, either."

Maybe I could manage anyway, voiced Subaru as he assessed the limits of his sewing skills, but Ram countered, "No need for concern. Rem, come over here."

"Come over here…? She's not gonna pop right in just 'cause you…"

"You called, Sister?"

"Waaaaah!"

As soon as she was casually called, Rem appeared right beside them, giving Subaru quite a fright. It was as if they were playing a joke.

The twins tilted their heads in unison as they watched Subaru's shocked, frozen reaction.

"What are you so surprised for?"

"What are you so scared for?"

"I'm not s-scared! Just a little surprised! That Twin Power thing's really something!"

Maybe it was some kind of twin "sympathy" they talked about on those supernatural investigation shows; that thing where they could read the other even when apart.

Seeing Subaru so shaken, Ram made a hmph sound.

"Of course it is no such thing. I spotted her happening to walk by and called out to her. Perfect timing."

"That last part sounds like it's rubbing it in somehow?"

Ram cut in.

"So what is it you need? I do not have much time to waste on Subaru."

"That uncaring attitude really hurts, geez! I'm the new guy! Be gentle!"

But the truth was that Rem was indispensable for maintaining the manor. Delaying her for any real length of time was surely a bad thing, yet Ram looked at Rem, pointing to Subaru as she stated, "Rem, surely you have noted Barusu's pathetic appearance?"

"His shoulders rotate oddly and his legs are too short. Also, his face is terrifying. And?"

"You just had to poke at two things I can't do anything about!! It's not like clothes; you can't change how your face looks no matter how hard you try!"

The sisters ignored Subaru's complaints as they continued to converse. Subaru, the odd man out despite being the subject, was left with nothing better to do than to roll up his sleeves.

"Barusu, hand Rem your jacket. You will have to do without it until tomorrow morning."

"That's a big help, but…sure about this? You've got a mountain of work, right?"

"Of course I am quite busy. However, handing it over saves time and trouble later."

"Ahh, right. Please and thank you."

Swayed by the sound argument, Subaru stripped off his jacket and handed it to Rem. Upon taking the jacket, Rem pointed to the dressing room and motioned with her chin for him to get in.

"I need to take your measurements. You can't take them yourself, can you?"

"…I feel sorry for making you go through all this trouble."

"I do not mind. Someday, you shall repay me for this. With interest."

"That doesn't sound quite right, but you seem dead serious. So scary!"

Subaru and Rem left the haughtier-than-thou Ram in the corridor and went into the dressing room.

The dressing room held not only servant uniforms but various changes of clothes for Roswaal as well. Everything felt like it came straight from a circus dressing room.

When his gaze left the area with lord's attire of rather poor taste, several more flowery outfits drew him in. One of them was an outfit he'd seen at the royal capital, so these were no doubt outfits for Emilia.

"I'd love to have her model all of those, twirling around and showing them off…"

"What are you mumbling about? Get over here, please."

Summoned by the especially sharp voice, Subaru obeyed without further kidding around. The middle of the dressing room had no booth for trying on clothes, but it did have a divider for that purpose, and there awaited Rem with a slender measuring tape. The elaborate imprint on the tape marked it as a high-quality item.

"Stand straight over there. Stretch out your arms so I can measure your arms and shoulder height."

"Okay, roger that. Thanks."

Turning away from Rem, Subaru reached out both arms as she had instructed. Subaru stretched his short frame as much as he could while Rem wrapped the tape around his arms and back.

Subaru's shoulders quivered with a sensitive sound when he suddenly became aware of her soft touch and breathing.

"Please do not make strange noises, Subaru. It is unpleasant."

"I couldn't help that! This is tough on a guy on more than one level!"

Faced with Rem's cold, heartless words, Subaru searched his mind for any change of subject.

"By the way, there's Rozchi's and Emilia-tan's clothes in here, but I don't see any dresses for you, Ram, or the loli. They in another room?"

"Lady Beatrice changes her clothes in her private quarters. Sister and I do not wear clothes other than these, so we do not require different outfits. We change in our own quarters."

Subaru raised his eyebrows at Rem's matter-of-fact reply. Then Rem, having just finished measuring him, wrote something on a nearby memo. Subaru crossed his arms and looked at her.

"You don't have any other kinds of outfits, so what, it's all maid outfits? What about when you go out and days off?"

"It is no hindrance to our work here at the manor or when accompanying Master Roswaal in public. I think it is a quite logical way to present our status without need of an explanation."

"Logical ain't the point here… I think a beautiful girl has a duty to wear pretty clothes and bring joy to others."

"Sister may be another matter, but no one would be pleased were I to dress up."

"Maybe I would?"

"Would pleasing you do me any good, Subaru?"

"Maybe it'll make me work harder at the servant's life. That's logical, isn't it?"

Rem had the slightest look of surprise at Subaru's comeback. Subaru, pleased at cracking her neutral expression, twisted the corners of his lips into a grin.

"I do not know why you would go so far as to say that, Subaru."

"Even your hairstyles and outfits are the same! Your personalities are different so at least pick different clothes! …Or something like that. I mean, the maid outfits look good on you, and it does kinda work for twins like you girls."

In her current outfit, she was cute with room to spare, but their attire was identical down to the haircut. Precisely because they were twins, he wanted to see some individuality, the essence of human emotion.

That was how Subaru felt, but…

"—ness."

"Eh?"

"None of your business. What is wrong with my being the same as Sister?"

It was hard to believe, but Rem's expression was more glacial toward the wide-eyed Subaru than before. Subaru unintentionally hemmed and hawed, the exchange of small talk until just earlier seemingly long forgotten.

"…Let us go back and not speak silly things. I cannot leave Sister waiting any further, and there is a great deal you must learn, after all."

Her demeanor permitting no dissent, Rem turned her back on Subaru and headed to the room's entrance. Subaru, more confused than before, walked behind her as he murmured.

"That's being a little too into your big sister…"

He sighed, concerned about where his relations with the seemingly unflappable girl would go.