Lover? (1)

"Here you go."

Finden Ai handed me a cup of black tea with informal but polite language.

After taking a sip, I pushed the cup away.

Before I could say anything, a complaint came out of her mouth.

"Do you have to be a picky eater, master?"

"Finden Ai, it's your first command-"

I kept my eyes on the book I was reading and said:

"-Don't prepare tea again. In North Whedon, tea is precious, but you treat it like pig urine."

"This little...!"

At my words, she was about to curse, but I ignored her and continued reading the book.

If you asked me if I liked books, that was a bit ambiguous. Although I often read novels for killing time. I liked games and visual media more.

As a person living in the 21st century, this could be seen as natural, but I had a slightly different reason; I moved my hobby in that direction because phones and computers were difficult to touch by a ghost without a strong spirit, and ghosts often interfered when I borrowed books from a bookstore, tearing them up and demanding compensation.

But the book I was reading now was not for entertainment purposes.

The reason I was reading now was simply to gain knowledge. Because no matter how much basic knowledge I gained, as a person who suddenly fell into this world, it wasn't enough.

So, I didn't read the book because I wanted to, but because I needed to, and especially when it came to magic, accumulating its knowledge was even more important.

My thoughts broke as a strange smell began to waft into the room.

Despite wanting to continue reading, I had no choice but to close the book due to the strange smell that was tickling my nose.

"Ah, Skram."

[Yes, master.]

Skram appeared in the empty space near me at my call.

Finden Ai also looked around with a strange face, but of course, she couldn't see Skram.

"What is this smell?"

"Smell? What are you talking about?"

As Finden Ai didn't know my question was for Skram, she butted in. But when I gestured for her to close her mouth, she crossed her arms and made a pouting face… It was unsuccessful in moving my heart though.

Ezoic

[On Wednesdays, a smell leaks from the basement of the mansion.]

"Wednesdays?"

[Yes, that's right. I tried to check it out myself, but a fierce evil spirit was blocking the way, so I couldn't confirm it.]

"...."

I rubbed my chin with my hand and glanced at Finden Ai.

"You can't smell this strange smell, right?"

"Yes, I have better senses than the average person, so if there was a smell I wouldn't miss it."

"Okay."

Just as I was thinking about checking the basement, I heard a knock from outside.

When I nodded, Finden Ai strode forward with steps uncharacteristic of a maid and opened the door firmly.

"Umm... Miss Deia?"

"Did you forget the honorifics I taught you?"

"I remember. It's just too annoying to use them."

"That's even worse."

After a short argument between Finden Ai and Deia, Finden Ai, the maid, had the role to bow down and welcome her master's sister. But instead of bowing down, her neck stiffened even further.

As if Deia also knew that it would be a waste of time to deal with her, she passed by Finden Ai and said, "Five minutes."

I had been wondering if our bet got buried in the rubble, as she didn't show up before today.

'I guess she's finally done dealing with the Gocheolsang guild's members.'

"Finden Ai, leave."

"Yes."

Finden Ai left with a trailing voice, and Skram had already disappeared before I could tell him to.

Diea stood still with a pocket watch in her hand.

-Click.

"Start."

Deia, like a wooden puppet, stood with an expressionless face while her eyes were glued to the stopwatch.

I just watched her in silence.

Tick-tock.

Tick-tock.

Time continued to pass. And even Deia, who was clenching her teeth with her arms crossed at first, eventually relaxed after a minute.

Two minutes passed like that.

In the end, as I continued to silently stare at her for the full five minutes, she frowned in disapproval.

Her lips twitched. She seemed to have wanted to ask something, but she turned her body abruptly and left.

Finden Ai, who came back naturally after Deia left, shrugged, saying it was not fun.

"You wanted to talk about something, but it was so quiet... Did you both have a written conversation?"

"You don't need to worry about it. And from now on, don't eavesdrop on my time with Deia."

"Ha, you have a lot of requirements. Unfortunately, just like my nose, I have good ears, so I can hear things even if I don't want to."

Finden Ai bragged and proudly tapped her ears.

I stood up from my seat and sighed, thinking that I needed to change her attitude.

"When I spend time with Deia in the future, be outside the mansion."

"...But it's only 5 minutes. Why do I have to go outside?"

"Consider that your cigarette break."

"Ah, I see."

Finden smiled broadly and nodded her head as if she was satisfied.

Since smoking was prohibited in front of me and she seemed quite frustrated, I allowed her such a break so that she'd become less annoying to be around.

"Then, let's go."

"...Where?"

Finden couldn't hear what Skram told me, but I didn't feel the need to explain.

She had no choice but to follow me from behind anyway.

As I walked silently outside, Finden Ai's grumbling footsteps followed me like a shadow.