Day One

The prolonged breakfast had finally come to an end. It got extended even longer due to Subaru's complaints about the lack of servant. It was later explained that Roswaal gave other servants a leave of absence in order to prepare for the Royal election.

Roswaal: "For the time beiiing, Lady Emilia, please follow your usual schedule. And Ram, show him.... Subaru.... around the manor. Tanaka, you can follow Rem and help her out.."

As the master of the manor, Roswaal gave orders crisply, his posture and gestures full of dignity, though the size of his collar tended to obscure his grandeur.

Subaru: "Alright then." He then added, "But seriously, the number of residents here nevertheless is still super small! There are only six people and a cat living here, excluding me!"

"Counting Bubby as a cat is extremely disrespectful, in fact." Beatrice interrupted Subaru's surprise, clearly unhappy with him.

Subaru waved his hand in a clumsy manner and responded to her words. "Alright, alright," he replied. "Excluding me, there are five people living in this mansion along with a furball and a drill… Are you thrilled now?"

Beatrice: "…I've heard you say that several times, but what's that "drill" you speak of, I wonder?"

Subaru: "A drill is a man's soul, a man's dream."

Piquing the little girl's curiosity, Tanaka pointed his finger at the side of her hair.

Tanaka: "It's your hair shape, it resembles something in our world called a drill which I'm not going to explain. Anyway dude, are you using weird idioms that they won't understand on purpose?"

Subaru: "Huh? Me, on purpose? Nah, never."

Being the third wheel in their conversation, Beatrice was displeased and decided to leave, "It was stupid of Betty to ask you that, I suppose. Roswaal, is it fine for Betty to return now? I want to relax with Bubby."

Beatrice rubbed her eyes and turned towards Roswaal, her gestures matching her image. In front of her was Puck, who was still on the dining table. He placed his hand on his hip and threw his chest out. "I'm super fluffy, yes."

Looking at the unusual sight of a cat standing on two feet, talking and laughing, both Tanaka and Subaru had conflicted feelings.

Subaru: 'Just looking at him is kinda pleasant'

Tanaka: 'I will never get used to this sight'

"I heard about your liiiiiittle encounter with Tanaka aaand Subaru earlier, and I knooow you aren't veeery compatible with them," said Roswaal, a sly smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "but since you guys are going to be working together from now on, so be a bit friendlier, please."

"Betty has made all the possible concessions, I suppose," Beatrice replied, her voice dripping with annoyance. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes narrowed in frustration, as she crossed her arms defiantly. "Asking for more wouldn't leave even the head of the Mathers family unharmed."

Suddenly, Beatrice's tone shifted, and the atmosphere in the room changed. It felt as if the air had grown heavy, and Subaru couldn't help but feel a tinge of fear. The cause, of course, was Beatrice, but her transformation was almost unnatural, making Subaru wonder about her true power.

Tanaka, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the sudden change in atmosphere. He simply raised an eyebrow and offered a deadpan response, "Wait, did you just say that we will be working together? Is child labor legal in this country?"

Subaru inwardly shook his head, thinking he might have finally found someone who was worse than him at reading the mood.

"Betty is in a bad mood at the moment, I suppose. You'd better watch your mouth, human. Don't get cocky because I let you off the hook earlier in the hall, I could still turn you into stone and shatter you into pieces if I so desired, in fact," she replied with lowered brows after hearing Tanaka's comment.

Tanaka simply shrugged, "First of all, I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to the boss. Second, I'm from another world and I'm going to work here for the time being, so it's only natural for me to ask questions. Finally, threatening to use violence each time you get ticked makes you look immature, unlike what you are trying to act."

Beatrice: "That's a petty excuse to hide the fact that you are weak, I suppose."

Tanaka: "I'm not denying that I am just the way you are not hiding the fact that you are barbaric."

Subaru, attempting to ease the tension, chimed in, "Shhh dude, she can suck your mana or something and it seriously hurts, she did that to me earlier."

Tanaka's eyes widened in shock, "SHE WHAT??"

Beatrice: "That's an absolutely terrible way of putting it, I suppose."

Despite the pressure emanating from Beatrice, Subaru gasped at the little girl's intimidating aura that made him almost reflexively get in a defensive position. In contrast, remained unfazed and maintained a nonchalant expression throughout the exchange.

Puck: "Betty is the caretaker of the Forbidden Library in Roswaal's manor."

Beatrice: "Bubby!?"

However, such an atmosphere was dissipated by the comment of the grey cat who had leisurely intervened. The kitten was biting on a corner of something similar to a 'Pain au Chocolat'.

Puck: "Sweet! Delicious! Yummy!"

Subaru couldn't help but smile at the sight of the talking cat indulging in his snack.

"Sorry to bother you when you've lost your sanity due to the sweetness, but I'm also curious about that, so can you tell me about that in detai…oh, you're just so soft and fluffy." Subaru approached Puck to question him, but his hands reflexively went towards Puck's ears, gently petting them. Puck seemed to be enjoying the attention, gobbling down the rusk speedily as Subaru petted him.

Tanaka: "Since this guy has the attention span that is comparable to a goldfish, I will be the one who will listen to details."

Puck: "Roswaal is 'somewhat' of a magician," Puck explained. "The Mathers have a long history, so there are books they don't want others to see. So, Betty is guarding the Forbidden Library according to her contract with him so that such books stay away from the public eye. Is that right?"

"Yes, that's right," Beatrice confirmed, her irritation momentarily forgotten. "Everything Bubby says is always right, in fact."

Tanaka: "Contract? Do you mean she signed papers for that job?"

Emilia: "Two parties can form oaths, which are usually made between spirit-sensitive humans or Demi-Humans, and Spirits. By doing this, the formerly mentioned parties form a symbiotic relationship with Spirits, contracts can either be magically binding or honour-binding. For example, I have a contract with Puck."

Subaru: "Communicating becomes easy when Puck enters the frame, fluffy," Subaru added. "I hereby bestow you the title 'Peace fuzzball', fluffy."

"Your sentences are ending in fluffy," Emilia informed him.

Subaru hastily let go of Puck's ears after Emilia coldly pointed out that his sentences were ending in a funny manner. He had just proved how addictive petting could be.

Subaru: 'The tragedy of loving a fuzzball. How ironic.'

"The addictiveness of a fuzzball has backfired on me… Hey, wait!"

As Subaru was acting like a tragic character, Beatrice ignored it and fearfully reached out her hand, touching Puck's ear. The sensation surprised her, and her cute face drooped as the feeling on her fingertips sent her into a state of bliss.

Subaru: "Come Tanaka, try petting him and it might solve your anger issues."

Tanaka raised his hand in the air denying the invitation, "Sorry, but I will pass."

"Puck, don't get carried away," Emilia chided. "And stop eating that many sweets. I won't let you stay on my shoulder if you get really fat because of it."

"Hahaha, are you jealous? You want to be the most important person, don't you, Lia? Worry not, for the place where my heart returns to is always you. Even if I waver like a floating cloud during a windy day, I'll always return to…meow, meow, meow, meow!"

The force pinching Puck's head increased as he said his cheesy pick-up line, making him give up. She looked at the limp Puck and sighed, then grudgingly looked at Subaru.

"My child got this bad influence from you, Subaru…" Emilia lamented.

"Is it, though? Isn't this how he naturally is? And you tamed him by doing an iron claw. I feel like I just witnessed the dark side of a Journey to the West-like household," Subaru retorted. "But then, you were useless yesterday when you were needed… Hey, you'll end up being a useless cat who's all talk and no bite at this rate."

"Bubby is fine like that, in fact!" Beatrice retorted. "He just needs to exist and that makes everything better! The rest of the things are just a part of Bubby's charm, I suppose!"

"Your worship of him is extreme, isn't it!?" Subaru exclaimed. "That being said, "Guardian of the Forbidden Library" stimulates my nerdy mind. More about that in detail."

Beatrice: "What Bubby told you is everything about it. If I have to make it easier… It is that room you entered, I suppose."

Subaru nodded, "Oh, that place filled with books."

As the conversation took an unexpected turn, Subaru shared a random memory, "Now this conversation kind of reminds me of that time in middle school when our kendo club became infamous for having a secret stash of our 'forbidden' books. It's sad how juniors got caught by the teachers reading them; they tried to shift the blame onto us, but we just feigned ignorance. Ah, how nostalgic."

Tanaka, who had just heard Subaru's non-related story, shook his head, "Wow, as I thought, you are really a scumbag."

Beatrice huffed, "Betty answered your question, but Betty feels that you are thinking of the dumbest thing in the world, and that's making me flare up with rage, in fact."

Subaru teased, "Now, now, little girl, don't let yourself get consumed by anger, or you'll end up turning into a mini tornado and wreaking havoc on your hairdo! Or even worse, you'll end up like this guy here." Subaru pointed playfully at Tanaka, who raised an eyebrow at the comparison.

Emilia: "Wait a minute, Subaru," Emilia added. "Did you just say you've entered the Forbidden Library?"

Subaru: "Yeah, I did enter it. But that drill loli took my energy from me… Like a gangster!"

Subaru's eyes turned even sharper while complaining, but Beatrice turned away and ignored him. Emilia now turned to her to ask something. "Beatrice…you didn't invite Subaru into the Forbidden Library, did you?"

Beatrice: "Not in a million years, I suppose. Why would Betty want to invite a lowlife like him? …He got the right answer to the Door Crossing, in fact."

In the background of their heartwarming conversation, Roswaal, who had been silent until then, touched his nose and exclaimed in surprise.

Roswaal: "It takes me a whiiile to reach the Forbidden Library if I try opening up the doors randomly, but you were able to enter it without her permission. Tanaka aside, You two must be quiiite compatible with one another."

""Haaah!?"" they both exclaimed simultaneously and turned towards Roswaal while frowning. They looked at each other, mirroring each other's movements, and started glaring. They followed the same flow and curved their lips into a pout.

As the two engaged in some sort of silly play, Tanaka approached Roswaal, his expression more composed. "Well, sorry about not being able to get along, but don't worry. Even though we are living together now, we have different jobs, and we won't have to interact that much."

Roswaal: "I suppose that's true," he replied, "but regardless, I do wish that you two get along with Beatrice. She has a bit of an attitude, but she is a good girl."

Tanaka nodded, "Sure, I will do my best, it's not like I want to pick a fight with a kid."

Roswaal smiled warmly at Tanaka's understanding. The two turned their attention back to observing the little girl and the young boy.

"Betty has had enough of this, I suppose! I'll leave you guys on your own, in fact!" Beatrice had finally lost her patience with both of them, she stood up, walked to the door of the dining room, and violently pushed it open.

But Tanaka noticed something there. "What? Where's the hallway?" he wondered.

Beatrice, who had stepped into the forest of jam-packed bookshelves, looked triumphantly at Tanaka. "This is Door Crossing. Burn this noble sight into your eyes and tremble. —I don't want to see your face for a while."

The door slammed shut, and the small girl disappeared behind it. Subaru was also bewildered by it, and they were further surprised when Ram opened the door again after it had been shut.

The door that had been violently slammed shut opened slowly. Behind it was a vast corridor that they had walked through to reach the dining room. It was hard to believe it had been connected to the library a moment ago.

"I see, so her magic can connect any door in this mansion to her room," Subaru observed, his curiosity piqued.

Meanwhile, Tanaka's thoughts went in a different direction. The scene that had just unfolded in front of him reminded him of something, "Does she have something to do with the recent loops?" he muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing in contemplation.

Ram: "Come now Barusu, Ram is going to show you a tour."

"Hey sister, you just turned my name into a blinding spell."

"Alright, I still have many more questions…but for now, thank you for your hospitality. Should I call you sir or something?"

"Ahaaa, you can call me Rosy if the guests aren't around. It is somewhat refreshing being called by a nickname, you too Tanaka, I wouuuuld like to hear you say it."

Tanaka: "No."

"Ah, hooow harsh." Hearing Tanaka's flat rejection, Roswaal began letting out weird noises, which made Tanaka's brain to start working again. There was something weird about Roswaal, he was called a clown by both him and Subaru, Subaru was also rude towards him and what happened now made him realize something.

Tanaka: "Is he perhaps a masochist?" Despite receiving such insulting comments, Roswaal didn't seem to be unperturbed at all, the gentle expression on his face unchanging. In the contrast, he seemed to enjoy it which made Tanaka shivers.

Subaru: "I was thinking the same thing, he's one of your typical M's."

"'Em'?" Emilia asked.

Surprised by Emilia sudden question, Subaru tried to conjure an answer, "An M, Emilia-Tan is an AY-AY-AY OUCH-OUCH, it hurts."

Grabbing him from the ear, the pink haired maid spoke up, "Quit wasting time Barusu on useless things, Ram doesn't have the whole day to show you around and we still have work to do."

With that, Ram took charge and dragged the teary-eyed Subaru through the vast corridor.

"Let's head to work then, Tanaka," Rem spoke up, breaking Tanaka from his stupor as he observed the unfolding scene.

"Ah, yes, I'm coming." Upon being called out, Tanaka shook the lingering thoughts from his head and followed Rem. After all, it wasn't wise to jump to conclusions in a place where he didn't know anything.

*********************************************************************************************************

After a that, the workers split into groups, Ram went out to find a proper outfit for Subaru and to show him around and then they went to work. As for Rem and Tanaka they started cleaning rooms after another and now when the afternoon came, all the workers now are gathered at the garden for their next task of grooming trees.

Ram: "Listen to this Rem, Laundry, cleaning, and this... Barusu is useless at them all."

Rem: "It's the same here sister, Tanaka is extremely slow and now he can't even hold the scissor properly."

"Sister, you need to learn how to sugarcoat your true feelings, alright!?" Subaru complained, feeling the sting of their critiques.

"What do you mean I'm slow? My pace is fine, it's you who's extremely fast," Tanaka retorted, not willing to accept the criticism.

"You two, you shouldn't treat your underlings so harshly," Emilia intervened, coming to check on Subaru's progress at work. "From the looks of Subaru's fingers, he was probably in a position where he didn't need to work. I guess we can't blame him. As for Tanaka..."

She fell silent for a bit as she stared at his stared at his hands. "That's a weird way to guess whether someone used to work or not," Tanaka remarked, "but to answer your question: Yes, I worked before, but it was mostly in customer service and cleaning tables. I have never taken care of a garden before."

Emilia looked surprised at Tanaka's response, "You worked in a shop, Tanaka? That's surprising."

Tanaka instinctively frowned, recalling how Ram said the same thing earlier. "What's surprising about it?"

Subaru couldn't help but add fuel to the fire, "You have scary and mean eyes that are not fit for customer service. Heck, they are even meaner than mine."

"Well, at least I don't have short legs," Tanaka snapped back.

Subaru quickly rebuked him, "You shouldn't make fun of other people's appearances."

Tanaka retorted, "You're the one to talk!"

Emilia tried to ease the tension, changing the topic. "But didn't Subaru say that Tanaka comes from a rich family? Why did you have to work?"

Tanaka didn't want to delve into his situation with his family, so he chose a simple response, "I guess you could say I wanted to earn money on my own and not just receive it."

Emilia replied with understanding, "It sounds unusual, but I don't dislike making an effort."

Subaru chimed in with a hint of self-deprecation, "Ahhh, my background as a shut-in won't earn me any positive points! Alright, I don't want to be treated as a useless person!"

Getting fired up, Subaru held the scissors with enthusiasm and began cutting the leaves with determination. However, his enthusiasm got the better of him, and he accidentally hurt his finger, letting out a weird sound of pain, "Owchhhh!"

Tanaka averted his eyes from the scene and continued to work.

The early afternoon work was finally complete, and it was time for their break. Tanaka walked past Ram, intending to head to the shower.

"Since it's our break, I'm going to take a shower, okay?" Tanaka informed Ram.

Ram simply stared at him, her expression unchanged.

"Even if you stare at me like that, Ram won't go to the shower with you," she retorted.

Tanaka sighed. "No one asked you to do so."

Ignoring Ram's unimpressed demeanor, Tanaka kept walking inside the mansion searching for the bathroom, he suddenly stopped in front of a door. After a while, he stopped in front of a door.

'I think it was this one.'

He opened the door and was met with an unexpected scene.

In the room, Beatrice was delicately pouring tea into Puck's cup. The small cat spirit sat on the table, his fluffy tail swaying as he observed Beatrice's every move.

Beatrice: "Hey Bubby, do you like more sugar in your tea, I wonder?"

Puck tilted his head, considering her question. "Hmm, a bit more sugar couldn't hurt! I like my tea extra swe...."

As they engaged in their playful banter, the door suddenly swung open, and Tanaka barged into the room, catching Beatrice and Puck off guard.

Bang!

Tanaka's eyes roamed around the room with an air of indifference, taking in the sight of the massive library that surrounded them.

Tanaka: 'Ah, it's that place.'

Tanaka's eyes roamed around the room which he had briefly witnessed before with an air of indifference, taking in the sight of the massive library that surrounded them. The shelves stretched out as far as the eye could see, reaching from the elegant marble floor to the lofty ceiling adorned with intricate carvings.

As Tanaka's gaze lingered on the library, memories of his childhood flooded his mind. He couldn't help but compare it to the library his father had built at home—a grand collection that had instilled in him a love for reading and learning. His father, despite their wealth, had always emphasized the importance of education, encouraging Tanaka and his sister to keep learning.

The library was a treasure trove, but Tanaka's attention quickly shifted back to Beatrice, who now wore a resentful expression, clearly displeased with his sudden intrusion. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her lips curled into a scowl as if she were about to unleash her wrath.

Beatrice: "What do yo..."

But before Beatrice finish her sentence, Tanaka swiftly closed the door, leaving her speechless and unable to voice her displeasure.

SLAM!

Beatrice: "Honestly, how rude! Barging in and out without a single word. Who does he think he is, I suppose?"

Puck: "Oh, Betty, you're taking it too seriously. Tanaka's not a bad person, you know. He just has a...weird personality. Plus, both him and Subaru have a lot going on in their minds considering the fact that they are from beyond the great cascade."

Beatrice, still a bit irked, sighed and replied, "Do you really believe that they are from the Great Cascade, Bubby? They appeared out of nowhere, and there is also something about that guy I can't put into words, in fact..."

Puck, lazing back, responded, "As I thought you sensed it too, Betty." He then added with a hint of curiosity, "Well, there's no reason not to believe them. Their black hair, the state of their gates, and the pictures they showed in that thing called a phone. It's true that their description of their world is far more different from what we imagined, but they didn't seem to be lying."

Beatrice reluctantly agreed, "That's true, I suppose. In any case, that's enough about them. Please drink your tea, Bubby."

Meanwhile, the scene changed abruptly with a resounding slam.

Tanaka: "Oops, wrong room. My apologies," he muttered nonchalantly as he retreated, leaving Beatrice fuming in silence.

Tanaka: 'Maybe I should have asked about the bathroom location'

Then Tanaka shook his head at the passing thought, it wasn't worth hearing a second of her nagging, he can just keep looking until he finds it.

He pressed on, opening door after door, hoping to stumble upon the much-needed sanctuary of the shower. His perseverance paid off as he finally reached the thirteenth door, revealing the entrance to the shower.

Tanaka: 'Dammit, I ended up wasting too much time'

With the fact that he got three tours around this mansion, Tanaka figured that he can find the bathroom on his own, in the end his persistence cost him a lot of time searching.

Tanaka: 'Alright, let's finish quickly, although I doubt anyone will come now.'

With that thought in mind, Tanaka stepped into the shower, ready to wash away the stress, that until...….

Bang!

Subaru: "Sorry for intruding, but if Emilia-Tan is here, then thank you very much."

Tanaka let out an exasperated sigh. Of course, Subaru would appear just when he raised a flag like that.

Subaru: "Ah, so you are here, don't mind me, oh there's a massive bathtub and you are not using it?"

Tanaka just glared at him, "Can you leave? I will finish up quickly."

Subaru: "Why tho? We can just do it at the same time and it will take less time. Oh, or are you that type of rich people who don't like public baths?"

Tanaka: "Is something wrong with that? Don't you think it's weirder that people are okay with taking a shower with others."

Subaru seemed unfazed by Tanaka's retort. "It's okay, I have a towel."

Tanaka: " One layer of clothes isn't enough."

Bang!

The sound of the door being slammed open again.

Roswaal: "—Hey, may I accompany you?"

Their banter was interrupted as Roswaal's voice filled the bathroom, Tanaka was horrified at the sight.

Right in front of Subaru's eyes was a naked nobleman with a hand on his hip. A cool breeze blew between his legs, reaching him. Naturally, since they were in the bathroom, the tall man was naked. Whether it was just how noblemen were, or because it was only natural to do in a bathroom, he was buck naked and wasn't even trying to hide his Excalibur. He was standing there at an arm's length, looking down at Subaru with his Excalibur swaying in the wind.

Subaru: 'It feels like a penis is looking down at me, which feels pretty damn humiliating.'

Subaru: "It's all reserved. I refuse."

Tanaka: "Are you an exhibitionist? At least put a towel for my eye's sake." He implored, hoping for even a shred of decency from the nobleman.

Undeterred by their reactions, Roswaal seemed to revel in his eccentricity, asserting confidently, "A nobleman has nothiinnnng to hide. In truth, I was hoping to speeeend time with the two of you bonding becauuuuuse I was curious about your world. Plus, It's a facility in my mansion, so is it not myyy property? I'll dooo as I wish."

Subaru: "First, Nobleman or not you, you do have something that needs hiding, second, since it's your facility, why ask in the first place?"

Tanaka, making a final desperate plea, "I will tell you anything you want, just cover that thing!"

Roswaal, seemingly undeterred by Tanaka's earlier comment, continued with a mischievous grin, "Oh, that's harsh. And youuu don't seem to understand. This bath is indeeeed my property, but…"

Roswaal knelt and got closer to Subaru, who was looking up at him with disgust from inside the tub, and then extended his arm and gently pulled the vulnerable Subaru's chin up. "Would iiit not also be correct to say that you are my property too since you are my servant?"

Chomp

Roswaal: "You didn't hesitate!"

Subaru took a big bite of the unpleasant fingertip holding his chin, making Roswaal yelp, then backstroked away from him.

Seeing the pervert noble staring at him Tanaka couldn't help but think, 'Oh hell no.'

He then began cleaning himself at the speed of light to the point his skin turning red, he finished quickly, took his clothes and covered himself with a towel in order to make a run for the exit.

But Roswaal couldn't resist taunting Tanaka further, "Oyaaa, are you refusing your maaaaaster's order to bond? Thaaaaat's quite bold."

Tanaka forced a fake smile on his face and flashed his middle finger at Roswaal. "Oh, please forgive me, sir," he said sarcastically. "As an apology for my insolence, I would like to ask for your forgiveness by offering my middle finger... at least my middle finger to you."

Tanaka turned his back to the door, facing Roswaal, and defiantly flashed his middle finger in his face.

Roswaal: "Hmmm? All you did was keeping only your middle finger up, but it feels like a humiliating gesture. I wonder why?"

Tanaka: "Hah, of course not! In our world, flashing your middle finger to someone is the ultimate way to beg for forgiveness!"

Subaru: "What happened to our silent agreement on not feeding his inner M?"

Tanaka, still holding his middle finger up, exited the bathroom without saying anything.

As he left the bathroom, the absurdity of his current situation made Tanaka question his choices in life.

Tanaka thought to himself, 'Maybe this is my punishment for quitting school.'

In the end, he simply shrugged, deciding to roll with the punches life had thrown his way.

Still slightly damp from his rushed shower, he bumped into Ram, who looked at him curiously.

Ram asked, "Tanuki, are you done showering already?"

Tanaka replied, trying to brush off the peculiar encounter, "Oh, you know, just another day, where you can't find the bathroom and end up stumbling upon a nobleman's 'Excalibur' in the process."

Ram, puzzled, asked, "Excalibur? What are you talking about?"

Wanting to erase the memory from his head, Tanaka quickly dismissed the topic, "Oh, nothing, nothing at all."

As they continued their conversation, Ram noticed something unusual about Tanaka's appearance.

Ram inquired, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Tanaka, genuinely confused, asked her, "What do you mean?"

Ram pointed out, "You're squinting your eyes."

Tanaka blinked in surprise, then suddenly realized the cause of it.

"Oh, I forgot my contact lenses in the shower," Tanaka confessed.

Ram raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding the context behind Tanaka's response.

Tanaka explained, "You see, I have bad eyesight, and I usually wear little things in my eyes to help me see better. Without them, my vision is always blurry."

Ram nodded in understanding, "I see, now you mention it, your eyes do look kind of different. Do you want to go back and get them?"

Tanaka hesitated, recalling the awkward scene with Roswaal and Subaru in the bathroom earlier.

Tanaka: "Umm, I think I'll just come back for them later. It's not urgent,"

And....

When he came to get them back, he couldn't find them.