Chapter 7: Let’s ‘study’ and ‘go for a walk’ together!

After finishing lunch neatly and waiting for our stomachs to settle, it’s 1:30 PM.

“Well, young lady, it’s time to learn about etiquette.”

“…What’s that?”

“As the young lady knows, I am a servant and the young lady is a noble, right?”

“Yes!”

“So there are actions and words to keep between each other.”

“For example, I don’t hit or ignore the young lady.”

“I always speak to you with respect.”

“Like that.”

“The young lady won’t hit me or anything, right?”

“Of, of course not!”

“I won’t hit Mana!”

Mm-hmm, just as I expected from a kind-hearted young lady.

“Good.”

“Not only in the relationship between the young lady and me, as I just said.”

“When the young lady meets a grandfather who is much older than you, or when you meet a baby smaller than you, there are also actions and words to keep.”

“We call all these things together ‘etiquette’.”

“Etiquette… It’s kind of complicated.”

“It’s complicated if you try to memorize everything one by one, but the young lady already knows many of the answers.”

“…I do?”

“Of course.”

“Here, and here.”

I lightly press the young lady’s head and chest with my finger, tap, tap.

“With the young lady’s thoughts and experiences, you already know a lot.”

“…I don’t understand what you mean… It’s difficult…”

“All etiquette is basically about not doing to others what I would dislike.”

“Not hitting or cursing someone carelessly, that’s the basics of etiquette.”

“Not hitting.. or cursing someone..”

“Just as I cherish the young lady.”

“If the young lady also cherishes someone, you wouldn’t carelessly do something that person would dislike, right?”

“Yes!”

“So, etiquette is when everyone says, ‘Then let’s not do things that we would dislike to each other!'”

“Aha… I understand!”

Actually, etiquette is not that simple, though.

What I told you now is the beginner level…

I don’t plan to teach the young lady about life as a noble young lady all at once.

Well.. it doesn’t look very comfortable. That.

“Well, first, I’ll teach you how to greet someone you meet for the first time.”

“Yes!”

“First, put your hands together…”

“Together…”

“Bow your head slightly.”

“..Like this?”

“Yes!”

The young lady clumsily follows me and bows.

“Well done!”

“I did well?”

“Yes!”

“It was perfect!”

“Ehehehe…”

The young lady quickly becomes happy again when I pat her head.

“Then…”

I teach the young lady a few other greetings.

Even though it’s her first time, the young lady follows along well.

“Good.”

“Let’s do what we learned today again?”

“Yes!”

I just need to teach her little by little, every day.

I’ll be with the young lady for at least another 8 years.

She’ll quickly graduate from these basic morals and etiquette, right?

Then I’ll teach her the etiquette between servants and employers… and later, I’ll teach her a little bit about the etiquette when meeting the Count and Countess.

“Oh, you’re doing so well~ Good!”

“You’re full of elegance!”

“Really?!”

“Am I pretty?”

“Yes!”

“You’re very pretty~”

Like that, for about an hour, I talked with the young lady about various things and explained various etiquettes in a light and fun way.

“Today’s lesson will end here, Young Lady!”

“Since you followed along well, I’ll make you a delicious dessert as a reward!”

“Dessert!?”

“Are you going to make cookies?”

“Today, I’m thinking of making you a pie.”

“Pie..! I know that!”

“I saw it in a book!”

“Whatever you’re imagining, it will be a pie beyond that.”

“If you want, shall we go outside and eat?”

“Ah, no, I don’t like outside… I’ll eat inside.”

“Um.. Yes!”

Luckily, there’s a pumpkin in the food storage.

If I make a wonderful pumpkin pie, surely…

‘Mana is the best!’

…I’m, confirmed as a perfect maid.

Mm-hmm..!

“Good.”

“Shall we hurry to the kitchen?”

“Yes!!”

Let’s go~~

After having a snack, I played with various toys with the young lady on the second floor.

Children learn not only by studying but also through experience.

Through many and diverse experiences, the young lady will grow up to be even healthier and more wonderful.

I just need to prepare those things.

And… um….

It seems like I have to go outside with the young lady today.

I subtly asked the young lady while playing earlier.

-…I get sick when I go outside. I don’t want to go out. I like being at home.

-Even if I go outside…

She showed this kind of reaction.

She probably doesn’t go outside because it’s safe inside the house…

So! I’m taking the young lady outside today.

Right now.

“Did you like dinner, young lady?”

“Yes!”

“It was so good!!”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

“Hehe… I’ve been so happy since Mana came.”

“That happiness will feel like everyday life from now on.”

“…Can I look forward to it then?”

“Of course.”

“Please look forward to it.”

“Then I want to live happily ever after with Mana!”

“Yes, yes, let’s live happily together, young lady?”

“Kyaaaa!!”

“Mana is the best! I like you so much!”

She seems to be in a good mood…

“Young lady, the sun is setting, would you like to go for a walk with me?”

“…Go out?”

“Outside the house?”

“Yes, how about it?”

“Hmmm…”

She doesn’t look very enthusiastic.

But at the same time, she’s pondering it.

Because I suggested going out.

“Don’t you feel stuffy staying at home all day?”

“…It’s stuffy.”

“Then go out with me.”

“It will surely be okay.”

“…But when I go outside and get sunlight, it hurts.”

“It will be okay if you go with me.”

“….Really?”

“Because the sun is setting?”

“Don’t worry.”

“I’ll prepare everything for you. Young lady, you trust me, right?”

“…Yes, I trust Mana.”

“Then I will prepare for the outing?”

“…!”

The young lady who is firmly determined is cute…

Of course, I’m not just saying I’ll go out with the young lady.

Even if I look like this, I’ve prepared everything, you know?

“Then to the young lady’s room.”

I pick up the young lady, come to the room, and prepare for the outing.

First, change from indoor clothes to outdoor clothes.

“Young lady~ Arms straight up!”

“Straight up!”

“Well done~”

“Ehehe..”

Then, put on magically treated gloves.

“What’s this?”

“It’s gloves.”

“This will block the sunlight.”

“Wow…”

“And a hat, too.”

I gently place a white hat with a long brim on the young lady’s head.

“It suits you very well, young lady?”

“You’re very pretty.”

“…Pretty?”

“Yes, you’re very beautiful, cute, and pretty.”

“Ehe…”

Ah, look at her face turning red.

…So cute.

Without realizing it, I bring my finger to the young lady’s cheek, poke.

It’s soft, chewy, and bouncy.

“Hmm? Why?”

“…Young lady, aren’t you too cute?”

“Th, that’s because Mana sees me that way.”

“Is that so?”

“I’m really worried.”

“What if someone kidnaps the young lady later?”

“Th, that won’t happen!”

“Because I’ll chase them all away!”

..How reassuring.

“Well, shall we go out, young lady?”

“…Yes.”

The sun is setting.

Of course, it’s not completely set, and the last of the sunset remains, illuminating the world.

But this much is okay.

The hat and gloves I put on the young lady are all magic items that block UV rays.

And above all, if the young lady can come outside even a little.

“Young lady, have you ever gone outside before?”

“N-no… I haven’t.”

“Even at night?”

“Night is.. scary.”

“It’s dark and black.”

“Sometimes when the moon is out, I feel good when I look at the sky through the window.”

“Then today will be your first time going outside.”

“…Yes.”

“Thank you for your courage.”

I hold the young lady’s hand tightly and stand at the entrance.

Well then, shall we go out, young lady?

“I’ll, open the door?”

“Huh…?”

I forcefully open the heavy central door, and the setting sunlight peeks through the gap and peers into the house.

“Uwaa..!”

“It’s okay.”

“This much won’t harm the young lady.”

“Haa… Haa… It doesn’t.. sting.”

“Right?”

“It doesn’t sting, right?”

“I, it’s strange.”

“It used to sting before.”

“When was that?”

“Uh… When the sun was out?”

“It’s probably because the sun is going to sleep now.”

“When the sun goes to sleep, it shines weaker than usual.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes, that’s how it is.”

For a moment, I let go of the hand I was holding and go outside the door.

Hmm, it’s still warm. I really like spring.

“Young lady, would you feel a little more relieved if I blocked the sunlight for you?”

“…Yes.”

“Then. I’ll stand here.”

I stand outside the door with my back to the sun and extend my hand to the young lady.

“Let’s take a walk together, young lady.”

“It will surely feel good.”

The young lady looks at my hand and eyes and hesitates for a long time.

She must be scared.

Because she only has bad memories of being outside.

She might have been in pain, as if burning in the hot sunlight.

She might have been teased by others for being strange.

That’s why.

“You can do it.”

She needs to come outside now, before it’s too late.

Before staying inside the house becomes a habit.

Before going outside becomes a strange thing.

Because it’s too precious a life to live only inside the house.

“Huu… Haa… Huu… Haa…”

The young lady takes several deep breaths and looks at me.

Everything is difficult, scary, and nerve-wracking at first.

It might be difficult if you’re alone.

“I… I’m going?”

“Yes, young lady.”

Even if it seems infinitely easy to others.

If it’s infinitely difficult for that person.

Surely.

Having someone cheering you on by your side can give you great courage.

“Eeyaaaaaaap!!!”

I quickly catch the young lady, who jumps into my arms rather than just holding my hand, and hold her in my embrace.

And I spin her around a few times, round and round.

“Well done, young lady.”

“…I, came out.”

“Yes, you came out.”

“…Yes, I came out.”

“That’s amazing.”

“Not everyone can easily have that kind of courage.”

“…It doesn’t hurt.”

“Right?”

…Yes, it doesn’t hurt.”

I hold the young lady for a few minutes.. feeling her small heart beating fast, and then put her down.

The young lady carefully.. steps on the grass and soil.

“How is it?”

“It’s different from the wooden floor, right?”

“…Yes. It’s different.”

“Shall we walk slowly?”

“…Yes.”

I hold the young lady’s hand and carefully walk inside the fence.

There’s no need to go that far.

Later, there will be a day when the young lady waves her hand from afar and tells me to hurry up.

Today, little by little… it’s enough to walk on the grass.

“The ground.. is hard but soft.”

“Yes, you are stepping on the soil now.”

“…It’s a strange feeling.”

The young lady only clung to me for the first few steps, but now she’s holding my arm with both hands and walking slowly but surely on her own legs.

“Whoa… It’s strange…”

“Is it fascinating?”

“Yes… It’s fascinating..”

Pitter.. Patter.. The young lady walks around stepping on the soil.

“…I want to walk some more.”

“Yes, if you wish.”

I walk beside the young lady, matching her pace.

Rustle rustle…

The young lady wanders around absentmindedly stepping on the soil for a long time.

“Young lady.”

“Look at the sky.”

“There’s the moon.”

“Moon?”

The young lady raises her head at my words.

“Woooow…”

The young lady might not know because she was walking around absentmindedly, but the sun has already set and it has become the time of the moon and stars.

“It’s pretty…”

“It is.”

“It’s really pretty, isn’t it?”

“Yes.. It’s really pretty.”

Blankly.. The young lady gazes at the sky.

“…It’s prettier than what I saw at home.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“…Mana.”

“Yes, young lady?”

“…Thank you.”

“…Yes.”

Like that, the young lady and I stared blankly at the night sky, and we came back inside the house around the time the chilly wind started to blow.

She said she didn’t want to go in.. but it’s not good to be outside for too long.

The next day, after washing in warm water and sleeping while hugging each other.

“Achoo..!”

“I’m so sorry, young lady!!!!”

“N-no… Achoo!”

The young lady caught a cold.