2.2.9

—And so, half a day flew by.

"So tired—!"

As Subaru spoke, he flopped completely onto the bed, all his strength exhausted.

He was in the servants' quarters he'd been given. From that day onward, it would serve as Subaru's private quarters and sleeping space. It was a frugal room with a cheap bed, desk, and chair, so of course it lagged far behind the standards of the guest room where he'd been a patient.

"Well, the expensive stuff is really stifling, so this is A-OK…"

Burying his face into the pillow, he decided it still smelled and felt up to high-class standards. Now that he was off work, Subaru quickly changed from his uniform to his tracksuit, intending to go to sleep in clothes that he was more accustomed to.

"Man, they worked me to the bone. Work's hard work. I seriously get why Dad and they are so awesome in the working world. Even one day of this is nothing to sneeze at."

He let out honest admiration as he loosened his creaky body, thinking back on his first day at work.

Sure, there were lots of little details he didn't know, but he was still depressed at how bad a job he'd done.

The saving grace was perhaps Ram's attitude as an instructor.

"She's blunt and to the point, but she's gentler and more polite than I expected, really… Ah?"

He lifted his face at the abrupt knock on the door. As he did so, he heard a voice from the door's direction.

"It's Rem. Subaru, is now a good time?"

"Ah, sure, sure. I'm not doing anything weird, so come on in!"

"That makes it sound more suspicious rather than less, but pardon me."

Rem opened the door and entered the room, still dressed in her maid outfit. For a moment, Subaru raised his eyebrows at Rem's visit, but he understood the reason as soon as he saw the black jacket she had in her hands.

"Wait, you don't mean you're done already? This redefines the words fast job."

"It is nothing so grand as re-tailoring it altogether. I would have to take more care if it were one of Master Roswaal's outfits, but this will do for you."

"That made it sound like you, um, really cut corners?"

Rem made no reply as he took the jacket, briskly opening it and putting his arms through the sleeves. Before, the outfit's armpits were too tight and his shoulders could barely rotate, but…

"I hate to admit it, but you did it perfectly. My arms can go round and round… Ah, does it look good on me?"

"When combined with the rarity of your gray-colored clothing, nobody else's strange outfits could compare."

"Okay, that didn't sound like a compliment. Guess even I can tell that much!"

Having the manservant's jacket over a T-shirt made Rem's assessment a natural one. Indeed, it must have taken considerable effort not to laugh. But…

"What shall we do about the cuffs?"

"Cuffs… Ah, you mean for the pants. Crap, I forgot. With a needle and thread I could do it myself, though."

"I have brought some with me. Shall I adjust them now?"

It was a good-faith suggestion with no apparent ill will from Rem's side. She'd slipped in some choice words with it, but that was her style, so he let it slide.

Either way, Subaru wanted to repay the favor somehow.

"Okay, hand the needle and thread over here. My sewing skills are gonna get a whole new grade today!"

"I should expect more from the person who had showed such dexterity while struggling to peel vegetables for dinner today?"

"Keh-keh, underestimate me while you can. And by all means, prepare to be shocked!"

Looking like she was giving up on Subaru, sky-high with confidence, Rem took a fantasy-world sewing kit out of a pocket and handed it to him. He took it, finding that the contents matched up pretty nicely with what he could expect from home. With a practiced hand, he passed the thread through the needle and pulled the cuffs of the trousers up over his knees.

"Mmm, hmm, mm-hmm."

As Subaru made a singsong sound, Rem let out a sigh of admiration.

"…I am shocked. You really do have experience."

Subaru moved the needle in a brisk, lively fashion. Before he finished humming, he pulled it up.

"Okay, one side done. Take a good look. I sewed it right, didn't I?"

Subaru stretched out the pants to show off his own work. Rem drew in her chin in plain acknowledgment.

His mood improved by the reaction, Subaru began working on the other cuff when Rem spoke abruptly.

"Ah…Subaru, about the conversation at noontime…"

"Mm, noon? Noon, what happened then?"

"Ah…er, if you have forgotten, it's quite all right."

Rem made a small shake of her head in front of Subaru, who still had his head down. Narrowing his eyes at her reaction, he recalled that they'd discussed fixing his hair when preparing dinner.

"Oh, about the hair? I half thought that was a joke. You gonna do it?"

"No, I just thought it was very impertinent of me. You may be a coworker, but you are also Lady Emilia's savior, so our positions are different."

"That kind of stiff attitude will just crimp my style… Wait, that's what you think?"

Her statement, that she couldn't treat him as a simple coworker because they stood apart, stuck in his ears.

Seeing Rem raise her eyebrows at the question, Subaru began roughly tugging on the hair on his head.

"To be honest, I'm not good at picking up on stuff like that. Sorry to…make you worry about it."

"No, I am simply saying it cannot be helped. Please forget about it."

"I can't just let that go so easily. People are petty like that. Now, then…"

Subaru put a hand to his forehead, lowering his eyes as he looked at Rem. She seemed not so much regretful about her slip of the tongue as she seemed chastened by Subaru's admonition. That helped him decide what to say.

Subaru lifted a finger as he made a suggestion.

"Okay, I'll give you my one condition. If you're okay with that, I'll totally forget what you just said."

Rem closed her eyes briefly before nodding with a look of resignation.

"Condition…you say? I understand. I will hear you out."

Subaru made a strained smile, not intending to draw out that big a reaction, and then said…

"If you fix up my hair and give it a little brushing, I'll forgive you."

"…"

Unable to take Rem's silence in the face of his counteroffer, Subaru raised his voice.

"The silence is kind of painful to me here, you know."

Rem's pale blue eyes reflected Subaru in them as she sighed a little.

"Lady Emilia already pointed this out, but you desire very little, Subaru."

"That's weird. I thought we'd be making up instead of you getting all shocked like that…"

"As I have heard from Sister how you gave her perverted looks when you were alone, I was rather resigned to something less decent."

"Slander's a horrible thing!!"

He was scared that Ram's gossipy statement would make sparks fly with Emilia in short order. He'd have to establish a direct lifeline with Emilia before that could happen.

Subaru was still plotting countermeasures against Ram in his head when Rem grasped the hem of her skirt.

"I accept your condition—I shall go along with your idea."

And so, with a prim and proper bow, she accepted his suggestion for smoothing things over.

Her performance drew a laugh out of Subaru as he looked down at his hands.

"Hey, I wrapped up shortening the legs while we were talking. I did it right, huh?"

The work complete, Rem took hold of the trousers, acknowledging his work…

"…Yes, you did. You get full marks for sewing. But much like yourself, I do not think it will be of use, Subaru."

…then poured cold water all over him.

"Huh?! I thought we just made up here?!"

Combined with Subaru's retort, the earlier awkward atmosphere had fully lifted.

Subaru returned the sewing kit to Rem before stroking his own forehead.

"So, about my hair…when do you wanna do it? It's tough to do it today 'cause it's so late."

"That is true. I would like to get it done as soon as possible, but I will be working in the evening for several days…unfortunately."

"We'll just have to make the time. Man, it's really been a while since I had my hair styled!"

He'd been cutting his own hair since he got into middle school, nearly five full years earlier. He was good enough to do it by touch without using a mirror.

"Well then, it is getting late, so I will excuse myself. You will be working in the morning as well. Can you wake up on time on your own?"

"Honestly, not all that sure there. I'm good at waking up if I have a clock, but there's nothing like that here, so maybe not? Don't you have roosters or something?"

Faced with Subaru's unreliable reply, Rem reluctantly launched him a life raft.

"…This seems severe, so Sister or I shall wake you in the morning."

"Seriously? I feel bad to use my seniors in place of a clock, but…"

"It shall do us no good to have you sleep into the afternoon, after all."

"What kind of oversleeper do you take me for?!"

"Someone who could sleep away the entire day, I imagine?"

It took a while for Subaru to realize that this was a joke, by Rem's standards.

After the banter, Subaru thanked Rem as she left for accepting his suggestion.

She passed through the doorway and waved a hand as she went out of sight.

"Whatever comes out of their mouths, they're sisters through and through, huh."

Rem was superficially polite as she slipped in the dagger; Ram was arrogant. But just the same, they were considerate to the point of overbearing, something Subaru thought was highly desirable in coworkers.