"You're going to the
With that opening line, Subaru shattered the relieved atmosphere of the reception room in spectacular fashion.
Without any warning, he flung the door open and set a tea-laden tray on the table. Without a word, the two parties in the midst of their meeting looked at him, and he handed them cups with a "here, here—"
"Snack budget is capped at three hundred yen, and don't stay up late just because you're excited about the trip!"
Subaru steamrolled ahead at full speed, proceeding on the assumption that his accompaniment was a foregone conclusion. The two who received their cups—
"See?"
"...Yeah."
Emilia's weary response overlapped with Roswaal's smirking acknowledgment as he raised one eyebrow. Subaru didn't like the air of mutual understanding between just the two of them, so he squirmed with a drawn-out "Whaaat is thaaat" to broadcast his displeasure.
"Don't go understanding each other with just eye contact—it's making me jealous! Let me join the conversation, rope me in, sing me a lullaby!"
"Wait, who did I tell about the Royal Capital trip to...? Did I let it slip...?"
Emilia pressed her hand to her forehead as though ashamed of a slip of the tongue, then slowly shook her head. Turning back to Subaru, she prefaced with "Listen," as though explaining something to a child.
"This isn't a vacation. I was summoned on important business... yes, very important."
"I know that. It's about the Royal Selection, right? I get that it's a nation-shaking matter. Buuut, I'm still asking—take me with you."
Subaru dropped to his knees on the carpet and pressed his palms together in a desperate plea.
Faced with this supplication, Emilia looked around the room at the assembled faces, seeking help. But— "What's the matter? Ah, ple-e-ase, don't worry about me. Feel free to choose as you see fi-i-it."
One simply declared his intention to spectate, grin intact.
"The aroma of these tea leaves... could it be
One was consumed with worry over which tea leaves had been used in the tea brought to them.
And the last one— "Why not? He wants to go so badly, so just take him along. There seem to be people Subaru-kun knows in the Royal Capital, and there's the matter of him originally being brought to the mansion after getting injured. You should show your face and put their minds at ease."
—which should have been the most level-headed reaction of the bunch, except she had somehow landed in Subaru's camp.
"Nice assist!
"Yes!"
Responding to Subaru's beckoning from the floor, Rem smiled brightly and glided to his side. Already like a well-practiced routine, Rem offered her head, and beaming Subaru employed every bit of his refined technique to pet it without mussing a single strand of her blue hair.
Watching Rem purr happily while he did as he pleased, Emilia restrained the curiosity that made her neck itch to ask "Oh, maybe I want that too."
"Anyway, Subaru—what do you plan to do if you come along? It's true this is related to the Royal Selection, but for Subaru that's..."
"If you say something depressing like 'it doesn't involve you,' I'll cry. Whether or not Emilia-tan can become king—well, queen—on that precipice, I want to be involved even from the fringes. And to do that, I at least need to be within arm's reach."
"That's exactly why I'm saying I can't take you!"
Emilia looked back into Subaru's brimming eyes and furrowed her brow.
She was glad for his feelings, but she had already been saved by them enough. He had saved her life, and just a few days ago he had nearly lost his own trying to save so many others. He was painfully unaware of it himself, but the debt she owed him was immeasurable.
To receive even more from him on top of that—she couldn't allow herself that kind of indulgence.
"If I took you along, you'd push yourself too hard again. That's what I don't want. Do you understand?"
"You're the one who doesn't understand, Emilia-tan. I hate overdoing it, acting recklessly, and being foolhardy. I never do anything beyond my capacity."
Subaru crossed his arms and straightened even while kneeling, making this declaration with outright brazenness.
At this thoroughly shameless proclamation, Emilia followed up with "But—"
"If I'm within arm's reach, that's a different story. Especially when it comes to Emilia-tan. Right? Please, try to understand."
"That's... I don't get it..."
Emilia couldn't understand why Subaru was pressing so hard.
He had suffered so much, been through so much pain. She wanted to let him rest already—that was her thinking.
Why he would willingly push his not-yet-fully-healed body and force through something so reckless was beyond her.
His usual lighthearted jokes couldn't possibly be serious... could they?
Emilia's thoughts sank into a sea of confusion, and Subaru looked up at her with the eyes of a stray dog. As silence settled over the reception room— "Oka-a-ay, the-e-re now."
It was Roswaal who clapped his hands—literally and figuratively—smashing through the room's atmosphere.
He had been watching the exchange between the two with a deeply moved expression, but— "There doesn't seem to be any pro-gre-ss in this conversatio-o-on, so I'll settle things myse-e-elf. —Subaru-kun, you will accompany us to the Royal Capital. This is a master's order."
"Roswaal?!"
"Yes! We can work this out, Roswa!"
Roswaal trampled over Emilia's reluctant objections. At his words, Emilia looked caught off guard while Subaru responded with a joyous thumbs-up.
But Roswaal wagged his finger at both their reactions with a "Tch, tch, tch—"
"Ho-o-owever, Subaru-kun's trip to the Royal Capital is strictly for medical treatme-e-ent. It has ab-so-lute-ly nothing to do with the Royal Selectio-o-on. Do you understa-a-and?"
"Medical treatment...?"
Subaru tilted his head at Roswaal's words, puzzled.
He didn't understand, and as he moved to stand—his legs must have gone numb from sitting seiza-style—because he pitched forward spectacularly. Rem, who happened to be beside him, caught him by the scruff of the neck.
"Guehh!... Nice assist, Rem. But next time, try to be a little more graceful about it."
"Mmm, so petting is on hold...?"
Rubbing his neck, Subaru delivered his blunt critique, and Rem retreated with a dejected look. Subaru then turned back to Roswaal and leaned forward, pressing "So?" as though interrogating the true meaning of his earlier statement.
"What do you mean, medical treatment? Not to brag, but apart from the scars, I'm basically in peak condition. I'll admit there's room for a little rehab."
Subaru rotated both extended arms in circles to demonstrate his fitness. But that his body was not in top shape was well known to everyone in the mansion, Emilia included.
There seemed to be several inconveniences affecting his daily life, and those showed in his work around the mansion as well as the morning "radio calisthenics" and whatnot. The fact that he was trying to hide it from those around him—and that everyone could see right through it—only made it all the more pitiful.
On the topic of Subaru's physical condition, which had become something of a tacit understanding, Roswaal shook his head at Subaru's continued attempts to brush it off.
"You can't hi-i-ide it. Everyone knows about the aftereffects on your body. Using the Bocco fruit while completely depleted. Taking the fangs of the Wolgarm and having too many curse marks carved into your flesh—these are the main causes, but because of them the mana circulation in your body is now extremely sluggish. Thick as sludge."
"...You expect me to feel bad about something I can't even see?"
"Subaru. The mana that fills your body is your lifeline. When that flow is obstructed, it impedes the circulation of life itself. ...Please, just listen."
Whether he felt guilty about being found out or wasn't taking it seriously enough, Emilia told him firmly. Her words seemed to get through, and Subaru quietly apologized.
"Got it. My body's in a bad way. But how does that connect to getting treatment in the Royal Capital?"
"Treatment requires someone who is an expert in water mana. Did you meet the emissary who was just here?"
"The tall cat-eared girl? Honestly, not my type."
"That girl happens to be the finest water-mana user in the entire Royal Capital. With her help, it should be possible to recover from your body's ailments."
At Roswaal's words, Subaru made no effort to hide his distaste.
Emilia silently agreed with his assessment. That person's ability to see right through you, combined with her evasive manner—she was thoroughly disagreeable.
They'd been approached about the invitation to the Royal Capital, only to be roped into all sorts of unpleasant conversations on the side.
Still— "She's gone to quite some lengths, even borrowing that child's help to create an opportunity for your treatment. Don't you think you should accept Lady Emilia's kinde-e-ess?"
"Huh?"
"Wait, Roswaal! That's..."
Emilia was incensed—though she couldn't exactly call it accidental—and pressed Roswaal. But Roswaal coolly brushed off her anger.
"Lady Emilia doesn't care much for that girl herself, ye-e-et. But there's Subaru-kun's body to consider, isn't there? So she nobly went along with the conversation, managed to wheedle out a concession one way or anothe-e-er, and arranged for your treatment. She's quite the brave one, wouldn't you sa-a-ay?"
"Ros-wa-a-al!"
With her behind-the-scenes efforts completely exposed, Emilia called his name, separating each syllable.
Her silver hair trembled with rage, and she could feel the blood rising to her face in fury and humiliation. She wanted to channel her surging mana and unleash it at that blue hair of his— "Emilia-tan, seriously?"
But Subaru, the very center of the matter, asked her this, and the impulse dissipated.
Trying to verify the truth, Emilia turned her face away with a guilty look.
"Because... it's partly my fault that Subaru's body hasn't healed. The reason he came to this mansion in the first place was because he was protecting me, and the whole business in the mabeast forest—if things were as they should be, I should have been the one to act, but Subaru did it instead. So this is just a small repayment, or... fair compensation for the damage..."
"Emilia-tan, you're being way too formal about this. It sounds so businesslike it's killing the vibe."
Subaru gestured his objection to Emilia's rapid-fire self-defense. In response, Emilia said "Anyway!" with emphasis.
"Subaru worked so incredibly hard, so he has every right to receive repayment for it. Otherwise, I couldn't face him on equal footing from now on. Besides, this way I won't have to feel that weird guilt every morning when I see him. Think of it as doing me a favor."
"That's a pattern I haven't seen in a while, but you've really been thinking that every morning?!"
"I haven't! I was just grateful!"
It had devolved into complete chaos.
She was truly hopeless when it came to putting her own thoughts into words. Subaru must think she was ridiculous, and when she tentatively glanced at his face, sure enough a wry smile had appeared.
However, he maintained that wry smile and crossed his arms.
"So in the end, Emilia-tan, you were in favor of my going to the Royal Capital all along. Then why did you put on that show of opposing me at the start?"
"If I let you think your demands go through that easily, knowing you, you'd definitely get carried away and push yourself too hard. You're a little troublemaker, and I know it."
"'Troublemaker'... haven't heard that one in a while..."
Subaru muttered under his breath with a tilt of the head, and Emilia stuck her tongue out in frustration.
At this, Subaru somehow wore a blissful expression—which, if it counted as some kind of payback, was a total win for Emilia. She quietly savored the satisfaction.
And then— "We-e-ell, that settles it then. Subaru-kun will accompany us to the Royal Capital. We'll use tomorrow for all the preparations, and depart the morning after. Does tha-a-at work?"
"Fine by me."
"No objection."
"We understand, Roswaal-sama."
At Roswaal's closing remarks, each person in the room gave their answer.
And so, the Roswaal mansion's plan for the trip to the Royal Capital was set.
* * * * * * * * * * * With Subaru joining the party, the Royal Capital trip was planned, and the departure set for the day after tomorrow.
Even with such a hasty schedule, the reality that the servants still had to carry out their daily duties around the mansion didn't change.
Subaru, too, was assigned rehabilitation work as a servant trainee and the simple task of tidying up the guest room, which he went about doing.
"So that means Ram's staying behind at the mansion?"
While carefully arranging the guest room sheets, Subaru asked Ram, who was behind him.
Ram, who was ostensibly supervising his work while doing nothing at all, nodded wearily.
"Yes. We can't very well have everyone leave the mansion at once. Normally Rem would stay behind, but this time she selfishly insisted she 'wants to go.' I let her have her way."
The elder sister who had gotten her way regarding her younger sister's wish wore a faint smile on her lips.
For all her sharp demeanor, Ram was soft when it came to Rem. Despite the trade-off of being separated from her beloved Roswaal, she didn't seem to harbor any resentment about it.
"You look kinda happy."
"Happy... perhaps. That child, who could only think of doing her best with whatever was given to her, now has a will of her own. Maybe that's what makes Ram happy."
Ram wasn't the only one who had found Rem's nature frustrating—Subaru certainly had too. But as her twin who had been together with her since birth, Ram must have wanted to do something about it many more times than Subaru could ever count.
In that sense, Subaru and Ram were kindred spirits who shared the same feelings about Rem's nature.
But Ram turned a sharp gaze on the like-minded Subaru.
"The only thing I can't stand is that the catalyst turned out to be this kind of man."
"I'm sick of hearing that! The fact that I had some small influence on Rem's heart is an undeniable reality! Now eat your heart out!"
"Hoora."
"Whoa?!"
A single incantation, and a gust of wind erupted, sending Subaru flying onto the bed. He landed right on the freshly arranged sheets, crumpling them, and surfaced from the sea of white fabric as though swimming.
"Hey! No magic! We said no magic! Losing a verbal battle and retaliating with magic is super nasty!"
"It's not retaliation. I simply dispersed the dark emotions that had built up in my stomach by directing them at Barusu."
"That's what people call retaliation, or taking it out on someone, or venting your frustrations!"
Ram turned away as Subaru said this, and he went about tidying the sheets once more.
His body was far from peak condition, but his nimble fingertips hadn't changed, and the beautifully arranged white fabric was impressive enough to make even him admire it.
"Still, being driver, personal caretaker, bodyguard, and tour guide all in one... I'm at a loss for words at Rem's versatility."
"You're missing the self-proclaimed title 'Subaru-kun Attendant.'"
"That's her own unofficial fan club, though."
Well, he couldn't deny it too strongly given how much he relied on her.
In any case, the main party for this trip would be the four residents of the Roswaal mansion: Emilia herself, her patron Roswaal, Subaru—who had muscled his way in through sheer stubbornness—and Rem, who would serve as their caretaker.
As for those staying behind, it would be Ram and
"Don't worry. —Oni don't die from going three days without food or water."
"You're not seriously planning to cook for yourself, are you?!"
Subaru retorted to this brazen declaration of abdication, while— "If it were just you, fine. But what about Beako? If she comes downstairs and there's no food ready, I can just picture her going 'What is the meaning of this, I suppose?!' and throwing a massive tantrum."
"That's a pretty damning imagination that would definitely get you killed if she heard it. Beatrice-sama could just go herself."
"Don't casually admit that taking care of her is a hassle! Just make steamed sweet potatoes! Alternate between salt and mayo versions at each meal and it should last about three days, probably. Worst case, just straight-up drinking mayo would keep you going."
What appeared to be a slightly more reasonable proposal actually carried a subtle hint of just how unhinged Subaru's mayonnaise obsession was. Ram seemed to have no particular objection and nodded along.
Out of Beatrice's hearing, the miserable fate of her diet was sealed.
Having sealed that fate, Subaru waved his hands.
"If meals alone make me this anxious, what about the rest? Are you actually going to properly clean the whole mansion?"
"Don't be stupid, Barusu. Ram is better at cleaning than she is at cooking."
"But even that specialty is below Rem's! You really are just her sister in name only!"
"That's right. And that's everything."
Even though nothing had actually been decided, Ram fixed Subaru with a look of supreme confidence.
Faced with an attitude he didn't quite know how to react to, Subaru scratched his cheek.
"So what about the mansion work?"
"I set a condition in exchange for accepting Rem's selfish wish to go to the Royal Capital."
"Let's hear it."
"Simple. —When we return, we make up for all the missed time by working a full day straight."
Replaying Ram's words, Subaru was truly and completely struck speechless.
He looked at Ram with suspicious eyes. She met his gaze and flashed a fearless smirk.
"Understand what it means to leave the mansion in Ram's hands."
There it was—a declaration of abdication so refreshingly brazen it defied even Subaru's expectations.
It was such a breezily idle proclamation that it actually motivated the shut-in Subaru to go get his treatment and help Rem.