"I have a half-day off tomorrow. Miss Aoyama, you can come around noon for the cooking training—just report directly to the chef," Hayasaka Ai told Nanami at the end of that day's training.
"I understand. Please rest well, Miss Hayasaka. Bye-bye~"
Watching Nanami's departing figure, Hayasaka Ai finally felt momentarily free from the grip of guilt.
She could finally focus on her own worries.
Because tonight… it was happening.
Just thinking about it filled her heart with unease.
That said, she didn't regret it—not after Akira had said, "Just muddle through the rest of the spy work. If something happens, I'll take responsibility."
With those words, she had finally broken free from the pain that had tormented her for over ten years.
She hadn't felt this light in what felt like forever.
Though now burdened with a new kind of guilt—stronger and more intense—it was still easier to bear.
Because in the end, human bonds had distance, closeness, and priority.
Between Kaguya, whom she had served for over ten years like a troublesome little sister, and Nanami, whom she had trained for less than half a month, she would inevitably choose the former.
"I'm sorry, Miss Aoyama..."
With a sigh heard by no one, Hayasaka Ai stepped through the mansion gate and disappeared from view.
That night, anxiety made it impossible for Hayasaka Ai to fully engage in work. Her mind kept drifting, and at one point, she even failed to hear Kaguya speaking to her.
After Kaguya's brief frustration passed, she began to worry and urged Hayasaka to rest early.
So after dinner, Hayasaka stayed with her mistress a while longer, then went to bathe early.
As usual, she hung up the "Private Use" sign outside the bath.
She then unfastened her uniform, took off her hair band—though her hair wasn't particularly dirty, cleanliness was extra important tonight.
She tossed a lounge chair into the bath, poured in two whole bags of bath salts, turned on her Bluetooth speakers for her favorite music—stereo sound, left and right—completing her pre-bath setup.
Then she dipped a foot into the bath to test the water.
As the warm water enveloped her calf, her long-held blank expression finally softened into a smile.
She even hummed softly along with the music.
Once she had acclimated to the temperature, she stepped into the bath, sat in the lounge chair, and submerged herself entirely, finally showing an O-shaped mouth and a face full of bliss—expressions no one had ever seen on her.
Her voice, slightly hoarse from being too relaxed, was nearly a moan as she let out a contented sigh like an old lady.
"Haah… this job is really exhausting. If I didn't occasionally soak away all the fatigue like this, I'd never last..."
Although summer break made things a bit easier, during school sessions, Hayasaka Ai operated at full capacity nearly all day—only resting between 11:30 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
When guests visited, she was especially busy, working herself to the brink.
This kind of workload was never meant for a seventeen-year-old girl. But in the Shinomiya family, the concept of "obeying labor laws" didn't exist.
Not that she noticed—she had lived the life of a perfect maid since birth. For her, this was just a daily routine.
But compared to a similar bath a month ago, this time her thoughts included one extra sentence:
"Thank goodness I met Mr. Ogiwara..."
Though she was Kaguya's personal maid, Kaguya held no real succession rights.
She had to rely on whichever of her three brothers came out on top.
Hayasaka's own family had been swallowed up as losers in that same internal power struggle.
They had to cling to someone just to survive within the vast Shinomiya household, let alone gain any real authority.
If not for growing up needing to read the room and survive between cracks, how could she have developed such a sharp and flexible mind—capable of enduring guilt while still weighing every consequence?
And now…
"So this is what it feels like to have someone to rely on..."
No longer needing to live in constant fear, no longer walking on eggshells. Even if something went wrong, she wouldn't be completely alone, helplessly awaiting punishment.
Hayasaka sank a little deeper into the bath, the heat reaching up to her throat. Though the comfort intensified, it also made breathing more difficult.
Her mind wandered back to her bath a month ago, when her mistress's love troubles had left her so frustrated that she'd grown impatient—only to find herself secretly jealous of Kaguya's experience.
Prompted by that jealousy, she had blurted out something she didn't even expect:
"Just once... If only I could fall in love with someone too..."
"Kidding."
It wasn't a joke.
But it was still impossible.
Akira only wanted her body—and there was still Nanami.
Her spiraling thoughts made her unaware of the rising water temperature and level. It wasn't until a wave of dizziness hit that she was pulled back to reality.
She clutched the chair's armrest, struggling to push herself up so her neck was out of the water. Gasping for breath, she slowly recovered from the oxygen deprivation.
How embarrassing. She had nearly passed out in the bath—alone in a room she had reserved for private use.
If something had happened, no one would've noticed.
She couldn't stay in any longer.
Climbing out of the water, Hayasaka showered thoroughly, washed her hair, changed into a bathrobe, and dried her hair as she returned to her room.
But as soon as she entered and reached for the light switch, she sensed someone inside.
It wasn't some sixth sense.
It was the glaring light of a phone in the pitch-black room.
"Yo, you're back early. I thought you'd be with that lady boss until eleven," Akira's voice came from the darkness.
Hayasaka quickly stepped in, locked the door, and drew the curtains. Only then did she finally breathe a little easier.
"You came too early, Mr. Ogiwara. The servants haven't all returned to their rooms yet..."
"As long as we don't get caught, it's fine."
Akira didn't even look up as he continued playing a mobile game. "If you still have stuff to do, don't mind me. You work, I'll play."
Hayasaka turned on the room lights and frowned slightly. Even if he said that, there was no way she could act as casually as if she were alone.
"At least wait until the servants have all returned to their rooms," she said hesitantly. "Even with good soundproofing, if someone passes by the door..."
"I know. That's why I said "do your thing first."
Tonight's theme might've been sneaking into a girl's room for something thrilling, but now wasn't the right time for that.
He could enjoy the tension on his own—no need to frighten her.
Akira understood the importance of pacing.
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