Apparently, Mei didn't dislike him.
Or rather, it seemed like they were very positive about it.
"I didn't do anything to deserve that kind of thanks."
Even though he bowed deeply, I hadn't done anything grand.
I shook my head, not out of modesty, but simply because I thought so.
Seeing me like that, Mei narrowed her eyes.
She looks at me with a gentle expression.
"Lady Hime rarely laughed until she met Youhei."
Then she spoke quietly.
He told me why he was so grateful to me.
"She's skipped a grade, she's mature and calm... but Princess Hime is still only eight years old. I've always thought she could act a little more like a child. I wanted her to be able to be selfish and laugh innocently."
Recently, I've been seeing Hime smiling a lot.
So I didn't really think much of it, but... in fact, this change seemed to be quite a big deal to Mei.
"But I have this kind of personality... I'm good at my job, but I'm really bad at interacting with people. If I had a brighter personality, I could have made you laugh, Lady Hime... but I couldn't do anything."
"You're not good at it, what is it?"
"I'm not good at it. That's why I'm making Youhei-sama feel uncomfortable, right? I'm the adult, so I should be the one to take the lead."
...Indeed, he is a very affable type.
In fact, I was feeling overly nervous until just now. I think Mei-san has a unique aura.
It seems he is aware of this himself.
And that's why... he felt so useless when communicating with Hime.
"Whether at home or at school, seeing Hime-ojou-sama always have a blank expression on her face makes me feel really sorry. I wonder if she's become like me."
"Certainly, the atmosphere is similar."
Of course, I meant that in a good way.
Being quiet and calm is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I really like cool maids, so I think Mei's stance is good.
However, she doesn't seem to think so herself.
It seems like people are taking the word "similar" in a negative way.
"That's true. We may have become similar in that we're both unsociable and not good at socializing. I was really worried. We're still kids, so we should be able to laugh more..."
It was around the time that Mei was worrying about such things that I met Hime.
"But then one day, she suddenly started laughing. She started looking forward to going to school every day, and she became cheerful...and every time she did, Princess Hime would talk about you."
I wonder if meeting me had some positive influence on Hime.
When I heard Mei's story, I suddenly thought of this.
I'm not too sure about that myself, but if that's the case, I'd be very happy.
"That's why I'm so grateful to Youhei-sama. You've done enough to earn my thanks. Thank you for doing what I couldn't... Also, I'm so happy that you care about Lady Hime."
Mei said, giving a small smile.
When he gave me a gentle smile, I couldn't help but feel a bit startled.
I wish they would stop.
As a high school boy, he can't help but get nervous when a girl he likes makes that face.