When mealtime arrived, Nanami put on gloves and began serving the dishes.
Her movements were steady and elegant, placing the plates without even a sound as they touched the table.
Even the way she poured the sake was graceful—just watching her was a visual treat.
This made Watanuki Kimihiro visibly collapse inside.
Miss Yuuko was once again upset. She subconsciously pulled out her pipe to ease her mood, but Akira tapped the table and said,
"Put the pipe down. It's bad enough you're tormenting Watanuki, don't drag my little Nanami into it too."
That nickname had just slipped out, and only after saying it did Akira realize it might be inappropriate to use in front of Nanami.
Her hand holding the sake bottle trembled slightly, but she showed no sign of displeasure and softly replied, "I don't mind, Mr. Ogiwara."
Of course, Akira did mind. He shook his head and said,
"Guests follow the host's rules. In my house, aside from not breaking or smashing things, there's only one rule—if you want to smoke, wait until the non-smokers are done eating, or go outside if you can't hold it."
Regardless of how far the conversation had gone, Miss Yuuko had already put down her pipe at his first sentence.
Then she picked up her wine glass and smiled as brightly as a spring sea of flowers.
"In that case, drink with me tonight, won't you, Ogiwara-kun?"
Akira chuckled, raised his glass, and clinked it against hers without hesitation.
He had bought low-alcohol sake today, specifically requesting a lighter one from the shopkeeper.
Plus, without Mokona the drink-pusher or any of her usual enablers around, and with Nanami by his side, Miss Yuuko couldn't possibly push him to overdrink.
In truth, Akira's tolerance wasn't that bad. He just tended to pass out because Miss Yuuko drank so wildly.
As long as they drank at a more normal pace, he wouldn't get drunk so easily.
The only problem was that with Nanami nearby, a new layer of pride—one that shouldn't exist—was now in play...
"No need to worry, little Aoyama. Your Ogiwara-san is quite a strong drinker,"
Just as Akira brought his cup to his lips and was considering this problem, Miss Yuuko cut in, beating him to it and setting him up completely.
Of course, this wasn't a literal trap, but rather one of face and pride.
Nanami, who had been hesitating over whether to refill the drinks, glanced at Akira's completely unreadable expression, then topped off both glasses.
"Alright, you don't need to bother anymore," Akira said as he took the sake bottle from her.
"Miss Yuuko isn't just any guest, so don't worry about formalities. Just eat normally, like usual."
"Understood."
That said, Nanami's every movement during dinner still reflected the refined table manners she had just learned at noon.
Restrained, noble—excessively so.
Watanuki, who had just started eating, was mentally collapsing again.
Akira, just picking up his chopsticks, glanced over and asked Miss Yuuko, "Did you mess with Watanuki again?"
"How is that messing with him?" Miss Yuuko stuffed her mouth with a generous bite of food, her face lighting up with a childlike grin.
"Just giving him a little motivation."
If it was just a case of Miss Yuuko accidentally dragging poor Watanuki into her antics, that was understandable—it was sometimes necessary.
But if he had to suffer through the entire meal, Akira did feel a little guilty.
He thought for a moment and then said to Nanami, "Go change your clothes."
Nanami hesitated again. "Is that… appropriate?"
Akira pointed to Miss Yuuko, who had her mouth full. "What's inappropriate about it? She's the only guest. See for yourself."
After a bit of thought, Nanami realized it was a bit strange for her to be the only one acting so refined.
She stood up, gave a slight bow, and returned to her room.
Watanuki hurriedly shoveled in a few more bites.
He had no idea what "change clothes" meant, but he feared that once Nanami returned, he'd once again feel too nervous to move his chopsticks.
And sure enough, when Nanami came back with a warm, sunny smile and started eating like a normal person, Watanuki nearly choked.
Miss Yuuko watched this "new" Nanami with great interest.
"As expected," she said with curiosity. "That was a mask, wasn't it?"
Nanami calmly admitted,
"Yes. I couldn't treat someone of such high status with a normal mindset. Miss Hayasaka—my maid mentor—helped me develop that professional persona to avoid embarrassing Mr. Ogiwara."
"Wonderful, truly wonderful. You're an excellent girl."
With a faint smile, Miss Yuuko added meaningfully, "To think someone is willing to wear a mask for you, Ogiwara-kun."
Now that is how you talk.
If Nanami had said she was just trying to keep her job, it would've sounded rather dull. Even if she did it well, it wouldn't have stood out.
But the phrase willing to wear a mask for you… it sounded deeply affectionate.
Akira sighed and poured himself another drink. "Miss Yuuko, you really are getting on in years."
Miss Yuuko's smile now seemed to carry a hidden blade.
"Oh my—suddenly I feel like smoking. Come outside with me for a bit, Ogiwara-kun?"
"Nope. Help yourself. Goodbye."
Was she kidding? If he went out now, he'd definitely get beaten to a pulp.
And as a professional "seal," the most important thing was the attitude of I love how jealous you are, yet you can't lay a hand on me.
There was no way he'd give her the chance to reverse that.
So even as he refused, Akira turned to Nanami and said, "No rush. Take your time and enjoy your meal. She doesn't want to smoke—she just wants to beat me up."
Hearing this, Nanami, who had been about to eat faster, slowed down again, even adopting a hint of refined etiquette in her pace.
Seeing her so cooperative, Akira couldn't be more satisfied.
What's the mark of a true personal maid?
One who doesn't stab you in the back—and when he saw Miss Yuuko sulking and drinking silently, Akira felt that today, he was completely in control.
But he didn't expect Miss Yuuko would still manage a comeback after three rounds of drinks.
It happened when she staggered over with an obviously fake drunken sway, muttering praises as she reached out and tried to lift Nanami's chin with her finger.
Akira smacked her hand away. "Shoo, shoo. Don't go touching my maid. Even I haven't dared tease her yet."
Miss Yuuko chuckled goofily. "Oh really? What if I told you I already teased her once at the door earlier?"
…What?
Akira's mood instantly collapsed.
But then Miss Yuuko handed him a sweet olive branch that left him speechless.
"Little Aoyama, do you like flowers?"
Nanami, who had been watching Akira's shocked face, turned her attention to Yuuko and replied, "Hmm? Yes, I do."
"When Ogiwara-kun gave Watanuki a welcome gift, I couldn't show up empty-handed today, could I?"
Miss Yuuko pulled out a small pouch and handed it to Nanami.
"Inside are a few flower seeds. Not as extravagant as Ogiwara-kun's gift, but they carry some meaning."
Akira had already warned Yuuko that Nanami wasn't someone from the "other side," so she never spoke about youkai-related matters, and simply used "extravagant gift" to allude to the karmic merit he had given.
Nanami instinctively wanted to decline, but Akira added, "It's just a return gift. Take it and see what you can grow."
Thinking that flower seeds weren't anything too valuable, Nanami accepted them and gave a polite thank you.
"I'll have Watanuki deliver some water that's good for raising those flowers later," Miss Yuuko said seriously.
"Make sure to only use the water I send."
Nanami nodded repeatedly, indicating she understood.
Akira remembered that Miss Yuuko's household water was purifying water. While not extremely rare, it was certainly high-quality and special.
And since she said the seeds had some meaning, he was curious about what they'd grow into.
But that was something to find out later. For now…
"Let's keep drinking, Ogiwara-kun! We mustn't waste good food and drink!"
Yeah, just as he expected.
Akira raised his cup and glanced subtly at Nanami.
Honestly, drinking more tonight wouldn't be an issue.
He had already been thinking about asking Nanami to stay over—but the timing hadn't been right, and their relationship hadn't quite reached that point yet.
Now, though, the time and familiarity were just about perfect—and this felt like a golden opportunity.
With that thought, Akira downed his drink in one swift gulp.
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