kscans

Chapter 402 - A Certain Girl's Tiring Time

"—My lady?"

It was less than ten seconds after she heard the noise.

Itsuki poked her head into the living room, vacuum cleaner still in hand, and tilted her head. She could sense a presence, but the room was empty of figures.

An intruder—such a needless worry didn't even cross her mind.

She moved quietly towards a specific spot and… there, she found a young girl lying on the sofa, breathing softly and happily in her sleep.

"…"

Swallowing the scolding that was on the tip of her tongue, and hiding the natural smile that spread across her face, Itsuki considered what to do—

—and pulled her smartphone from her maid uniform's pocket, brazenly taking a picture of the sleeping face.

The device made a clicking sound, but her cute lady did not wake up. Today, she had been excitedly talking about some 'White' this and 'decisive battle' that, so although Itsuki didn't quite understand, she figured something significant must have happened. She could see how tired she was.

Despite serving the Yotsuya family, Itsuki's interest in [Arcadia] was faint, and she was generally left out of conversations about the virtual world.

Of course, she wouldn't deny being a 'fan' of the 'adventure stories' Sora would recount with a radiant face… which brought her to the tenth photo.

If she took too many, she'd have a hard time organizing the data later. Satisfied for now, she put her phone away and gently stroked the girl's cheek.

"—…Nn… mmm…"

She was sensitive to touch. She wouldn't stir at the loud shutter sound, but she would always wake up to the warmth of another person. However, whether she would fully awaken was another matter entirely.

When Sora surfaces from a deep sleep, she's always dazed.

Itsuki smiled at the drowsy, sky-blue eyes that looked up at her, and the girl tilted her head and returned a soft, limp smile—truly, she was so adorable it was a problem.

"If you're tired, you should rest properly in your bed. You'll hurt your back."

"…Mmm… I'm sorry, I was going to get some tea…"

I see. So that's why she came down to the living room, only to run out of steam halfway. The fact that she was sleeping on the sofa, completely opposite from the kitchen, made Itsuki chuckle as she pieced together the sequence of events.

She helped her sit up, propping her against a cushion so she wouldn't fall asleep again, and on her way, she gave in to temptation and patted her head once more. Then, she went to prepare the requested tea.

If it was before bed, herbal tea would be fine. Half a mug, just enough to wet her throat. And a little cooler than drinking temperature, so her drowsy lady wouldn't burn herself.

"Here you are—Sora?"

"…Thank you very much."

Placing the mug on the table, she called out to the girl, who was starting to doze off again. Her consciousness seemed to have surfaced a little more than before, but she was still out of it.

It would have been too risky to serve her with an expensive teacup and saucer. Using a mug was the right choice.

Sora said her thanks, and as if to wake herself up, she gently kneaded her own cheeks before reaching for the mug. She slowly sipped her tea—

"Th… an… kou…"

She probably meant to say, 'Thank you for the meal.' Leaving behind those last, mumbled words, Itsuki's lady collapsed once more, her energy completely spent.

"…Fufu, fufufu…"

Really, she was so cute it was a problem—Itsuki couldn't help but spoil her, and it's all her fault that Itsuki has become so strong.

Knowing that her surrogate sister and mother was right beside her, the girl was completely at ease. This time, she wouldn't wake up even if touched.

Itsuki effortlessly lifted the slender body into her arms, gazing lovingly at her sleeping face.

"You're getting a lecture when you wake up, you know."

She whispered words she didn't mean as she carried her little 'master' to her room.