Vanessa-san, who had shuffled over next to me, unwrapped her arm from my shoulder but continued to drink. She clearly had no intention of returning to her previous seat.
"But seriously... it's been such a relief since you started renting this room to me, Kaito-kun."
"Oh? But you were originally living at Lilia-san's mansion, weren't you? Wouldn't it be more or less the same?"
Vanessa-san... or rather, any of the servants or private soldiers at Lilia-san's mansion can be provided with a room if they wish. The servants have quarters within the estate; while they are smaller than the guest rooms—roughly the size of a room in a one-room apartment—the rent is deducted from their salary at a very low rate, and meals are included.
As for the private soldiers, there is a facility similar to a dormitory with a training ground located a short distance behind the mansion where many of them reside. However, some individuals, such as Sieg-san, the Captain of the Security Force, have rooms within the main house where they stay.
Of course, there are those who commute, like Luna-san. However, the fundamental issue is that Lilia-san’s mansion is located in the Central District, where the nobility maintain their estates. Since it is essentially a high-end residential district, it is difficult to find a room for rent nearby. Even if one could, the monthly rent would be astronomical.
If someone were to rent a room where the rates are cheaper, they would end up a significant distance from Lilia-san's mansion. This makes the daily commute a grueling ordeal, which is why there aren't many commuters.
Luna-san is a special case. Given her exceptional physical capabilities, she can arrive in a matter of seconds during the early morning hours when the streets are empty and she can run at full speed.
Furthermore, Vanessa-san already had a room at Lilia-san's mansion, and because of her position as the Head Maid, she was granted a larger room than the other servants. Therefore, I felt that moving to my house wouldn't have changed much for her.
"No, you see, living at your workplace... it's hard to describe. It's like there's always a psychological barrier engaged deep down. Even if I intend to spend my private time freely, it feels like there's a restriction somewhere. For instance, I can't exactly wander around half-naked after a bath..."
"Well, please don't do that at my house either. Still, I think I understand what you're getting at. Does the mindset change that much even if the two houses are practically next door?"
"Having that distinction of whether it's the workplace or not is huge, even if it's just across a connecting corridor. Plus, the rooms at your house are spacious and the rent is incredibly cheap... well, I do understand that the low rent is only thanks to the Bond of Love between us, Kaito-kun."
"I'm only taking it for form's sake, after all. Ah, could you pass me that bottle?"
"I'll pour it for you~"
The rent for the people I host, including Vanessa-san, is 100R per month—roughly 10,000 Japanese yen. To begin with, I don't actually need the money. I already have more wealth than I know what to do with, so I'm not looking for rental income; I simply rent the rooms out because people I'm close with requested them.
However, if they stayed for free, it would probably make them feel uncomfortable. So, as a formality to establish a proper rental arrangement, I receive 100R from each of them. People tell me it's too cheap, but since I'm gaining income just by renting out rooms I wasn't using at all, I'm not losing anything—if anything, I'm actually turning a profit.
"The baths and everything are all-you-can-use, too. I'm really being allowed to live the good life."
"Ahaha. For my part, the house was so big that I couldn't handle it alone, so I'm just happy that it's become livelier with friends living here. Well, even so, I still have rooms left over all over the place."
"Since it's the same size as Lilia-chan's mansion, of course they'd be left over. Well, I suppose you have Status Preservation on the unused rooms, so it's not like the management is a hassle."
"That's true. Even so, I wouldn't feel like renting to just anyone."
"It is your home, after all. You wouldn't want to do that unless it's someone you trust deeply. Hmm? Could that have been a roundabout approach just now? I like you too, Kaito-kun."
"Are you drunk?"
"I feel like I'm about to get a nice little buzz going~"
In fact, just as Vanessa-san said, the people I rent rooms to are those I am truly close to and trust... or to put it another way, only people I like.
Aside from family and my inner circle like Anima and the others, there are five people: Aoi-chan, Hina-chan, Vanessa-san... and Canalis-san? No, Canalis-san can be counted as part of the inner circle like Anima.
In that sense, Vanessa-san's words weren't wrong. If I were asked whether I liked or disliked Vanessa-san, I could reply that I liked her without a moment's hesitation.
"...Oh, this dried shellfish is delicious."
"Good taste. That is... let's see, where did I buy it?"
"Didn't you just buy it today?"
"Hmm, I went to the casino with my head full of gambling after I finished shopping and put everything in my Magic Box, so I don't really remember. I think it was on a North District street, though..."
"Weren't there shops with delicious cheese around there too?"
"Ah, there were. You mean that shop with the slightly strange sign, right? The cheese there is rich and delicious. It feels like a flavor better suited for enjoying with wine rather than as a snack for beer, though..."
"If it's for beer, would it be something like smoked cheese?"
"That sounds good. If it's smoked, it goes perfectly."
Even while having such idle talk while drinking, the conversation never faltered and remained enjoyable. It made me feel that we definitely shared great compatibility.
Serious-senpai: "These two are flirting quite a bit... That aside, I bet there's a God somewhere writhing in agony after getting hit by a stray shot."