The 15th of the Month of Light. I decided it might be nice to just lounge around in my room for once, so I was busy catching up on some reading.
The book in my hands was Kuro’s "Complete Food Tour Guide: Sinfonia Kingdom Stall Edition."
Apparently, there were several different versions of this food tour guide just for the Kingdom of Sinfonia, and I was making my way through them one by one.
Naturally, the guide was packed with shops I’d never heard of, and Kuro’s highly subjective reviews and ratings made for an entertaining read. I made a mental note of a few places that looked promising so I could go try them out later.
While I was relaxing and letting my thoughts wander, there was a knock on the door.
"Yes? It’s open."
"Excuse me."
"...Lunamaria-san?"
After I gave her permission to enter, the door opened, and Lunamaria-san came in pushing a cart with a teapot on it.
Did she bring me tea? That’s rare...
"Milady received some high-quality tea leaves and wanted everyone to have some as well... May I brew you a cup?"
"Oh, really? Thank you. Go ahead."
"Understood."
She brought over a share for me and began brewing with practiced, elegant movements.
Hmm. When she was actually focused on her duties, Lunamaria-san really did give off the aura of a truly capable woman... It was just a shame that she turned into such a hopeless maid the moment she started playing pranks.
Still, she was reliable when it mattered, and her work ethic was beyond reproach. She wasn't all bad.
"...Here you go."
"Thank you... Mmm, this is great."
"I am glad it is to your liking. Miyama-sama, you are currently read— eh?"
"Hm?"
Lunamaria-san smiled as I gave her my thoughts on the tea, then she opened her mouth to make some light conversation... only to freeze solid the moment she saw the book on the table.
"M-Mi-Miyama-sama!? T-Th-That... could it be... the Underworld King-sama’s... Complete Food Tour Guide!?"
"Eh? Yeah, that’s right. You know it?"
"Of course I do!!"
"Whoa!?"
Lunamaria-san lunged toward me with terrifying intensity. Ah, that’s right—Lunamaria-san was a total Kuro fanatic. I guess Alice wasn't kidding when she said members of the Underworld King Fan Club would give their right arm for a copy of this.
"I-I’ve never seen a physical copy before... So this is the legendary..."
"...Y-Yeah."
"As a member of the honorable Underworld King Fan Club with a '7-digit number,' I have always dreamed of seeing it just once!"
"Wait, the Underworld King Fan Club has that many people...?"
Just how huge was this organization? If Lunamaria-san had a seven-digit number, that meant there were at least a million members. For real?
Even while we were talking, Lunamaria-san’s gaze remained glued to the book. She was practically drilling holes into it with her eyes.
"...Um, if you want, do you want to read it?"
"May I!?"
"Eep... Y-Yeah. Which volume would you like?"
"Which volume? D-Do you mean to say, Miyama-sama... that you possess multiple volumes of the Complete Food Tour Guide?"
"Ah, yeah... I have the full set."
"The full set!?"
Kuro told me she was giving me the complete set when she handed them over, so I was pretty sure I had them all.
When I told her that, Lunamaria-san’s eyes widened to dinner plates.
"...T-To think you have the entire collection... A-As expected of Miyama-sama. During my final interview, the Chairman told me that only the Chairman herself possessed the full set..."
"Final interview? Wait, do you actually have to take a test to join the fan club?"
"Yes. There are three exams—written, aptitude, and practical—followed by three rounds of interviews."
"That sounds terrifying."
What kind of organization was this!? A written exam? A practical? What for?
"...Just for my own curiosity, what kind of questions were on it?"
"The written portion consists of 500 questions pulled randomly from several subjects, like general education and magic. However, every year, 100 of those questions are always about 'Maid Studies'."
"...Ah, I see..."
Now that I thought about it, it made sense. The Chairman of the fan club was that monster of a maid... Yeah, the fact that I could just accept such a bizarre testing process once I realized it was Ein-san was a mystery in itself.
"W-Well, putting that aside... M-Miyama-sama? A-Are you truly certain it is alright for me to read this?"
"Yeah, Kuro told me I could do whatever I wanted with them. Do you want to borrow a few volumes?"
"...Miyama-sama, you were my Messiah after all..."
"I was not."
Since Lunamaria-san’s hype was reaching critical levels, I handed her a volume of the guide to shut her up.
She immediately began devouring the pages. Her eyes were scary... Those weren't the eyes of someone enjoying a light read; they were the eyes of a warrior heading into a final showdown.
"...A-Ah... How magnificent... How divine..."
"..."
Her reactions were way too over-the-top. Then again, I guess this book was just that precious to her.
In reality, it was just a collection of restaurant reviews... but to a fanatic, it was probably sacred scripture.
Lunamaria-san had completely forgotten why she came here in the first place. She sat down on the sofa in my room and just started reading. Um, aren't you technically on duty? Actually, I’d better not bring it up. She’s kind of scary right now...
Watching her, I let out a small sigh and pulled some cookies out of my Magic Box.
"...I have some cookies here to go with the tea. Would you like some too, Lunamaria-san?"
"Thank you, Kaito-san! I’d love some!"
"...Hm?"
"Ah..."
Something felt different just now. Lunamaria-san’s voice hadn't carried its usual cool, teasing edge; it had sounded innocent and unguarded, like a child’s.
It didn't seem like a performance, either. It was as if her "true self" had accidentally slipped out.
"..."
"..."
Lunamaria-san froze, her face going pale as sweat began to bead on her forehead.
An excruciating silence fell over the room. I didn't know what to say, so I just stayed quiet.
After a moment, Lunamaria-san stood up abruptly, still clutching the book. Her face looked like it might be turning a deep shade of red.
"...M-Miyama-sama. P-Please forgive my impertinence, but would it be acceptable for me to borrow this book?"
"Oh, yeah. Go ahead."
"T-Thank you very much. Good day!"
"Eh? Ah—!?"
The moment I nodded, Lunamaria-san vanished from the room at a speed that defied logic.
Was that... what I think it was? Was she actually embarrassed? I felt like I had just witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.
A few hours passed while I relaxed and continued my reading. Eventually, Lunamaria-san—who I thought had fled for good—returned to my room.
"...Um, Lunamaria-san?"
"...Miyama-sama, please take this."
"...What is it?"
She handed me a palm-sized parcel. It was slightly warm and gave off a faint, sweet scent... Snacks, maybe?
I tilted my head, wondering why she was giving this to me. Lunamaria-san averted her gaze, looking toward the floor, and spoke while desperately trying to maintain her composure.
"...Please consider it a form of hush money."
"Hush money?"
"Regarding the incident from earlier... please do not speak of it to anyone."
"...Got it."
"Thank you very much. Now, if you’ll excuse me."
Lunamaria-san was clearly trying to sound calm, but given that she adamantly refused to meet my eyes, I could tell she was at the end of her rope.
Still, looking at this package... pink paper, frilly ribbons... I have a feeling Lunamaria-san actually has some pretty cute hobbies.
The realization that I’d seen a side of her she normally kept hidden caused a small, natural smile to tug at my lips.
When I opened the parcel... I found it was filled with colorful marshmallows.
...Yeah, she really is kind of cute. That was a surprising discovery.
Dear Mother, Father—I witnessed the incredibly rare sight of Lunamaria-san getting embarrassed today. She gave me some seemingly handmade marshmallows as hush money, but between the wrapping paper and the ribbons... I think she’s surprisingly girly.