Chapter 6 - How Unfair Life Is

Kirche glanced at the clothes and widened her eyes. "Is that attire? Wait, are you Zero's summoned servant? They must be, who else on this floor is as diminutive as her?" She looked me up and down, a playful expression on her face. "She's so lucky."

I shook my head and quickly passed by her, avoiding getting involved in any situation that might lead Louise to blame me. I had seen Saito get into misunderstandings too often and come out worse for wear, unaware of it all. "Sorry, thank you!" I said as I walked away.

"Wait, you haven't told me your name yet," Kirche tried to stop me, but her words fell on deaf ears.

I descended the tower, cursing the fact that Louise's room was one of the highest in the school... Was she perhaps trying to compensate for her lack of personal height? I chuckled to myself as I wandered through the dark schoolyard, unable to help but glance occasionally at the two moons above.

One was blue and twice the size of the other, which was a pinkish hue that almost mirrored Louise's hair... I wondered if they held any significance, since Saito was usually depicted with a blue jacket that would have matched the other moon perfectly as well.

Shaking my head, I continued to look around, trying to find where the servants lived so I could commission them for cleaning... And maybe bump into Siesta while at it.

After about an hour of searching and getting lost, I finally found a door in the wall that seemed to lead to the kitchen and the rest of the staff residences. With a sigh of relief, I entered and was met with a bustle of activity. Some people were busy scrubbing pots, while others seemed to be enjoying a well-deserved break, playing cards or simply chatting amongst themselves.

One of the maids noticed me immediately and her eyes widened. "Ah! Who are you? That hair... Wait, you're that dead guy!" she exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention to me.

I felt uncomfortable being suddenly thrust into the spotlight. Before I could articulate a response, the maid approached me, with a mix of surprise and compassion in her expression. "Seriously, you looked like a corpse when Miss Valliere summoned you... At least they made the effort to heal you after injuring you in the first place."

Another servant joined the conversation with a mocking smile. "Yeah, but it was probably just to save face from their failure. I mean, just look at what happened yesterday," she remarked, eliciting furrowed brows among those present.

My curiosity peaked. What exactly had happened yesterday? I couldn't help but ask what had transpired yesterday.

"What happened yesterday?"

The maid sighed solemnly before responding, "Siesta ended up accidentally offending Mr. Gramont."

"Yeah, something about her revealing her relationship with a freshman student to his girlfriend. I was there, it wasn't even her fault!" another interjected.

Concern gripped me upon hearing this, and I pressed for more details. "Wait, so in the end, what happened to Siesta?"

The maid beside me gritted her teeth indignantly as she replied, "For offending the son of a count, Siesta received 50 lashes and was expelled from the academy without pay."

I felt like the ground was vanishing beneath my feet. Siesta was expelled? One of the most beloved characters from the anime was removed without me being able to do anything about it. While this spared her from the clutches of Count Mott, who had essentially coerced her into becoming his lover, it also left me powerless to use her to advance the plot.

A sense of helplessness washed over me as I processed the injustice of it all. It was a stark reminder of how cruel the world I had immersed myself in could be.

I rubbed my face in exasperation, feeling a sudden urge to give up before remembering why I had come here. "Um, could any of you help me with this?" I said, holding up Louise's clothes in my hands. "I don't have much experience hand-washing things. In my country, we usually use machines for that kind of stuff," I explained, hoping to find understanding among the servants.

They looked at me with a strange expression, but one of them stood up and tossed her cards back onto the table. "I can show you," she offered, looking me up and down curiously. "But... can I know your name?"

"Ah, right, my name is Mash," I replied, noting the peculiarity in her gaze.

"My name is Fay," she said as she gestured for me to follow her.

I followed her as she carried some equipment and cleaning products to a nearby well. I watched attentively as Fay showed me how to use the washboard and properly rinse the clothes. In the process, she seemed very interested in me, asking questions that made me uncomfortable. I opted to keep my answers vague, feeling a slight unease at her insistence.

In the end, my hands were red and raw, the chemicals combined with the harsh conditions had taken a toll on my skin. I chuckled lightly at my difficult situation. It was like a fish out of water, and obviously, I couldn't wash clothes to save my life... But at least I managed to finish it.

"That should do it... It's a bothersome job, I know," Fay admitted resignedly. "But let me tell you something that will bother you as much as it bothers us... Nobles can cast a spell and clean their clothes completely, making all this effort unnecessary... If only they could be bothered to take care of themselves." She shrugged and continued, "Anyway, I'm heading back to the kitchen, take these to your 'master' after putting away these things." She pointed to the wooden bucket we had been using.

I nodded silently, watching her walk away. I wondered how long I would be forced to wash Louise's clothes before I could prove my worth. I had only done it once and I knew I didn't want to do it again, the chemicals had made my skin itch incessantly. "How unfair life is," I murmured to myself.

I decided I would try my luck tomorrow, attempting to persuade Guiche to see if I could improve my shitty situation. On the bright side, at least Louise hadn't 'blown me up' yet... Right? I sighed, gearing up to face another day in this strange world full of challenges and complications.