Clearly, that question meant the two had compared notes and realized neither of them had gone.
But was this something he could admit?
If Nanami found out it was Hayasaka Ai who came that day—and that something even happened—she would probably break down in this cicada-singing summer heat.
Since the truth couldn't be told, he had to bluff his way through it. But even bluffing required finesse.
If he said he went with another woman, it might deliver an extra blow to Utaha—something like "I could've gone with anyone and still wouldn't have picked you"—and he might get bitten for it.
Saying he had work sounded too fake.
Saying he went to a brothel… that wasn't great either.
So in the end, Akira went with a simple "Fine, I didn't go."
For some reason, after hearing that answer, Utaha looked quite pleased, even muttering something along the lines of "stubborn old man."
As for the considerate Nanami, for some reason, she seemed to fall into a somewhat self-blaming mood.
Though he was curious, Akira, feeling a bit guilty, chose not to pursue the topic and instead focused on anticipating the arrival of Saturday.
Then, he thought of something exciting, fun, and even beneficial.
[Will you be busy tomorrow? And did you get that morning off?]
On Saturday morning, Hayasaka Ai received this message on LINE.
She glanced indifferently at Nanami, who was focused on trimming plants nearby, then quietly looked back at her phone and replied:
[I got the morning off. No guest appointments so far either.]
"Miss Hayasaka, is this alright?"
Hayasaka Ai raised her head, carefully examining the seasonal plant Nanami had just trimmed.
With a hint of praise, she said, "Yes, you're picking this up quickly."
Nanami let out a relieved breath. "Phew, I can finally tidy up Ogiwara-san's yard a bit."
Hearing that, Hayasaka gently reminded her,
"Before tidying, remember to ask Ogiwara-san about his preferences.
The Shinomiya family values pleasing symmetry, but judging by Ogiwara-san's garden, he might lean more toward a natural aesthetic."
"Yes! Understood!"
Nanami wasn't wearing her usual maid uniform today—this was her casual attire. After all, that uniform was far more decorative than practical, and not suitable for gardening.
As for how Akira managed to correct Nanami's overly rigid maid persona overnight, Hayasaka Ai was utterly amazed.
Her respect for Akira's seemingly limitless capabilities only deepened.
[Describe your room layout in detail. Also, is there any surveillance in the house?]
Reading this new message, Hayasaka realized what Akira was planning and quickly replied:
[No need for that, Ogiwara-san. Let me come to you instead.]
Nanami was focused on trimming another plant and casually asked,
"By the way, Miss Hayasaka, how do you know what Ogiwara-san's yard looks like? Have you been there before?"
Hayasaka's hand trembled slightly.
"Yes, after he helped me with something once, I returned the favor by making him dinner.
Both the yard and the interior were so novel and interesting to me that they left a deep impression."
"Haha, so Miss Hayasaka saw all those cat towers too. Ogiwara-san really loves cats—he even carefully installed window mesh, which hardly anyone uses."
Yeah… and back then I thought it was some kind of cage for imprisoning women.
I walked in half-convinced I'd be locked up and subjected to all sorts of twisted torture until he got tired of me...
A third message came through on LINE.
[Don't worry. As long as there's no surveillance, no one will notice me. Also, please don't travel back and forth overnight. It's too exhausting and will ruin my mood, which might affect my interest.]
That last reason left Hayasaka no room to argue.
Besides, heading out late at night after a full day of work for a "first time" would indeed be physically taxing.
If she could rest immediately afterward, sleep peacefully until noon the next day—it did sound much more comfortable.
Hayasaka let out a resigned sigh and replied:
[Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Ogiwara-san. For privacy reasons, there's no surveillance in the house.
At night, there's only one security guard who patrols the garden irregularly. My room is on the east side of the first floor, second from the south.
No one lives in the room next door.
After 8 p.m., work in the detached wing ends, and everyone starts bathing and winding down.
After 9:30, there'll be no more staff activity. You can come after that.]
"Miss Hayasaka, are you chatting with a friend?" Nanami suddenly asked.
Hayasaka's heart pounded. She first confirmed that Nanami couldn't see her screen from her angle, then kept her voice and expression calm.
"Yes, just some classmates from school."
"Somewhat unexpected."
"Oh? Why?"
"Because Miss Hayasaka is always so focused at work. You give the impression of someone who doesn't pay attention to anything outside of work."
That's true. Normally, even if she had to reply to messages, she would wait until break time.
But this time… it's not just classmates.
If she didn't know Nanami wasn't the type to play mind games, she might have thought Nanami was testing her.
"Well then, Miss Hayasaka, I've finished here. Should I return to your room to resume the theory lessons?"
Nanami wiped the sweat from her forehead, holding her gardening shears, and smiled brightly.
But that sunny smile couldn't wash away Hayasaka's growing guilt. In fact, the brighter the light, the deeper the shadows.
She nodded slightly. "You go back and rest for a bit. I have something else to take care of. If I'm not back in time, start your self-study."
To ease her guilt, she had to step away from this sunshine for now. Just a moment to catch her breath.
"Thank you for your hard work, Miss Hayasaka." Nanami gave a slight bow.
"I'll head back first. Oh, and I should clean your room too, right? Shall I change the sheets and air out the bedding?"
Hayasaka's pupils widened slightly.
"No... no need to…"
"But isn't this just our routine housekeeping training? Why the sudden formality, Miss Hayasaka?" Nanami smiled.
"Tomorrow's Sunday, after all. Sleeping in freshly cleaned sheets can really help you recover from fatigue. That's my personal experience!"
"...Alright, then I'll leave it to you, Miss Aoyama."
"Consider it done! I'll make sure you get a good night's sleep tonight!"
Nanami walked off happily.
Hayasaka glanced at her phone again. A new message had arrived.
[OK, I'll be there around ten tonight.]
[Understood. I look forward to your arrival.]
After replying to the final message, Hayasaka raised her head and squinted up at the real sunlight.
Thinking about Nanami, who was now changing her bed sheets, she suddenly felt dizzy.
Ah… what kind of situation is this, where the mistress helps prep the bed for the maid who's about to get secretly devoured?
Hayasaka dragged her heavy feet under the eaves, leaning her forehead against the wall.
Then she weakly raised her hand and began thumping the wall—once, twice, again.
"I can't—this is too much—I'm going to die—ugh—"
___
Read 20 Advanced Chapters on p@ tr eon (.) com/HalflingFics
Also, please point out my mistakes in the comment, thank you!
Don't forget to leave a review too~ Actually, please leave one.
Check out the other translations too
___