Two days had passed since the Konohana family social gala.
It was Monday morning. Waking up, I remembered that I was still here, at the Konohana manor.
"...Right. I'm still her caretaker."
I’d been dreaming about last week—about the time I’d charged into this manor alone to save Hinako.
Looking back, I was surprised I’d acted so boldly. But at the time, I’d been so certain that Kagen-san’s methods were wrong, and I’d been desperate to save her.
"Alright, time to get to work."
I changed into my school uniform and attended the morning servants' meeting. After that, I headed to Hinako's room as I always did.
"...She’s fast asleep."
"Mnn, mngh..."
Hinako had kicked off her blankets, her belly button exposed as she let out a soft sigh in her sleep. Seeing her looking so peaceful made the warmth of my new daily routine feel real.
However, I couldn't just stand there and watch her all morning. I gently shook her.
"Hinako, it's morning."
"Nnh... Itsu... ki?"
"Yeah."
I pulled open the curtains, letting the sunlight flood into the room. Hinako sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily.
"...Morning."
"Good morning."
I turned toward her as we exchanged greetings. In the brightened room, Hinako let out a massive yawn, followed by a heavy sigh.
"I don't want to go... to the Academy."
"Don't be difficult."
Maintaining her public persona might be exhausting, but attending the Academy was hardly useless. Eventually, I wanted Hinako to want to go there for her own sake. I suppose that was part of my mission as her caretaker.
I couldn't afford to forget how close I’d come to being dismissed. I needed to keep my head in the game.
As those thoughts drifted through my mind, I noticed something on her face.
"Hinako, look up for a second."
"Nnh...?"
She looked up at me wonderingly. I reached into my pocket and pulled something out.
"What's that?"
"A handkerchief. You’re drooling, so I thought I’d wipe it off."
"D-drool...?"
Whether her brain just wasn't in gear yet or she was simply stunned, Hinako just repeated my words. A moment later, she looked down in a sudden panic.
"What's wrong? Why are you hiding your face?"
"I-I'll wipe it myself... Don't look at me!"
I placed the handkerchief in her outstretched palm, and she immediately started scrubbing at her mouth. We should have been well past the point of being embarrassed by me wiping her face, but for some reason, she was acting strange today.
"I brought your change of clothes."
"...Mm."
Hinako gave a small nod.
Waking her up was always followed by helping her get dressed. In the beginning, the experience had been so stimulating it made my head spin, but I’d recently managed to get a grip on my composure. The sense of awkwardness was long gone.
"...Get out."
"Huh?"
"Just get out, quickly!"
Hinako sat there, clutching the change of clothes to her chest. Her words hit me with a shocking force.
"................What?"
With her face turning a deep shade of crimson, Hinako pushed me out of the room. The door shut behind me with a soft thud.
"...Hmm."
That definitely wasn't my imagination. Something had been off with Hinako ever since the social gala. To be precise, her attitude toward me had shifted. Up until now, she’d been much more straightforward about clinging to me... I wondered what had caused this change of heart.
"Maybe she'll go back to normal after a while...?"
I waited by the door for ten minutes until she finally emerged. As I’d expected, she hadn’t managed to dress herself properly, so I ended up having to help her after all. Her shirt was buttoned unevenly, and the zipper on her skirt was snagged on the fabric. The only difference was that while I was fixing them, Hinako kept her eyes bashfully averted.
After walking Hinako to the dining hall, I went back to my room to grab my school bag. On the way, I ran into Ms. Shizune.
"Itsuki-san. Did something happen with the Young Lady?"
"No, I don't think anything happened, but..."
If anything, it was her behavior that was strange, but there hadn't been a specific incident.
"The Young Lady informed me that starting tomorrow, she no longer wants Itsuki-san to wake her up."
"What?"
"I’ll ask one more time. Did something happen?"
She fixed me with a stare usually reserved for criminals. I needed to clear up that misunderstanding immediately, so I explained how Hinako had been acting since the gala. I figured Ms. Shizune might have some insight.
"The Young Lady's behavior is strange, you say...?"
"Um... did I do something to make Hinako hate me?"
"No. On the contrary, after that recent incident, it’s become quite clear that the Young Lady is very fond of you, but..."
Hearing that was a mix of pride and embarrassment.
"She doesn't seem to be ill, but I’ll keep an eye on her as well. Please report back if you notice anything else."
"Understood."
I left Ms. Shizune and headed back to the dining hall. It was almost time to leave for the Academy.