Chapter 20: Autumn Days, A Heart’s Hesitation

The night deepened.

Doroshi awoke from a daze, stirred by the urge to use the bathroom.
The late summer-early autumn breeze carried a chill, making her hug herself tightly, her thin pajamas offering little warmth.

After squinting through a half-asleep bathroom trip, Doroshi, on a whim, tiptoed to the spare bedroom and quietly turned the doorknob.
“Huh?”
The bed was neatly made, but the red-haired figure who should’ve been there was gone.

“Little Ren?”

After searching the apartment, Doroshi found no trace of her.
Uneasy, she sank onto the living room sofa, glancing nervously at the front door.
‘Where’d Little Ren go? I’m worried.’

Sure, as a demon god, Ren was unlikely to run into trouble, but to Doroshi, she was a rare friend.
Ren’s presence had warmed her cold, dull life.

Doroshi knew Ren used polite language with others to maintain her perfect maidly demeanor and to keep them at a distance.
But with her, Ren’s respect was genuine, filled with sincerity.
Being treated so specially by a demon god brought Doroshi joy—and a sense of responsibility.

Since Ren had chosen to follow her, she couldn’t let her down.
She had to protect this hard-won life.

Now, separated from Ren even briefly, an inexplicable fear gripped her.
Perhaps she dreaded returning to that hopeless, lonely existence without Ren.
Maybe everyone needed someone like Ren to warm their life and accompany their future.

She didn’t wait long.
The door opened softly, and Doroshi whipped around to see Ren, in her maid outfit, stepping inside.

Their eyes met, and Ren paused.
“Lady Doroshi? Did I wake you?”

“No, no,” Doroshi said with a bittersweet smile, scratching her head.
“What were you doing, Little Ren?”

Ren blinked, then approached.
“I made a quick trip to the mansion. Some matters needed attention.”

“Oh, okay.”
Doroshi smiled, relieved.

Ren’s brows furrowed slightly, her purple eyes scanning Doroshi’s face.
“Lady Doroshi, were you… uneasy because I was gone?”

Caught off guard, Doroshi’s cheeks flushed, and she stammered, “I-I was just worried something happened to you!”

Noticing Doroshi’s attempt to hide her embarrassment, Ren didn’t call it out.
Instead, she knelt before her, wrapping her in a gentle embrace.

Her sweet, delicate voice whispered in Doroshi’s ear, lips curling slightly.
“It’s alright. As long as you don’t tire of me, as long as you need me, I’ll never leave your side.”
“Lady Doroshi, I’m right here, by your side.”

“…Thanks.”
Doroshi nodded softly.

At the same moment, on the streets of Yokohyo City, a phone screen glowed under the veil of night, displaying a photo.
In it, two girls walked side by side in a school hallway, one with long red hair.

The phone’s owner—a young woman in a trench coat—stared at the image with icy eyes.
“Finally found you.”

★

“What’s this?”
Fresh from brushing her teeth, Doroshi took a brown leather schoolbag from Ren, surprised.

At Shino University Affiliated High School, aside from uniforms, there was no rule mandating specific bags, so students chose freely.
Why was Ren suddenly gifting her one?

“It’s a custom-made schoolbag with bulletproof ceramic plates for minimal safety,” Ren explained.

Doroshi stared blankly at the bulletproof bag, words forming slowly.
“I… probably won’t need the bulletproof part, right?”

“Just in case,” Ren said, her expression serious, like a loyal vassal advising an emperor.
Doroshi gave a wry smile and accepted the unusual gift.

“Well, it’s pretty stylish, and the texture’s super nice. Thanks, Little Ren.”

“It’s my duty as your maid,” Ren said, clasping her hands and bowing slightly.

Doroshi transferred her books, stationery, and wallet into the new bag.
“By the way, didn’t you get one for yourself?”

“Lady Doroshi, I’m a demon god. Man-made bullets can’t harm me.”

“Oh, right. Demon gods are pretty amazing.”

“I’m but a humble servant, unworthy of comparison to you, Lady Doroshi.”

“…”
Unsure how to respond, Doroshi set the bag down, flashed a polite smile, and dug into the breakfast Ren prepared.

Today’s breakfast was pan-fried bacon from premium Berkshire pork, paired with mini apple tarts, a Bavarian white sausage, and a rich glass of milk—simple yet refined.
Doroshi worried her weight might explode at this rate and hoped Ren would consider that.

The bacon, smoked and fried, was tender and sweet, its rich aroma bursting in her mouth.
The apple tarts, cute and crisp, blended perfectly with the fruit’s sweetness, irresistible.
The white sausage, casing removed by Ren, was dipped in sweet mustard.
Biting into it, Doroshi’s eyes lit up—meat, parsley, mustard’s sweetness, and a hint of lemon zest collided, thrilling her taste buds.

Having a master-chef maid prepare three meals a day was incredible.
Doroshi knew she could never return to her old life.

After breakfast, she grabbed a toothpick, twirling it in her mouth, and headed to wash her hands.
Opening the bathroom door, she froze.
Ren, mid-way through pulling up her uniform skirt, stared back in shock.

“Eh?”

“L-Lady Doroshi?!”
Caught off guard, Ren lost her usual composure, hurriedly fixing her skirt and reaching toward Doroshi.

Doroshi slammed the door shut with a bang.

Behind it, Ren stared at the closed door, mouth slightly agape.

“Ugh.”
Leaning against the door, Doroshi pressed against it, heart racing.
They were close friends by now, right? Seeing someone change shouldn’t be a big deal.
But recalling the scene made her blush furiously.

“Making a fool of myself in front of Little Ren…”
She covered her face, cringing.
“It’s all your fault, Little Ren, for being too cute. Yeah, not my fault.”
In the end, Doroshi pinned the blame on Ren with a terrible excuse.