[Part 4/4]
Her refusal seed reflexive. Amatsuru desperately, frantically prostrated herself, trembling as if her life depended on it.
"Hey... wait..."
"I don't care about any punishnt or exile! Just please, please let the girls stay here...!!"
"I'm telling you to wait!"
"Huh!?"
Grabbing Amatsuru by the shoulders as she apologized wildly, I yanked her to her feet and shouted until she finally fell silent.
She stared at , her eyes brimming with nothing but anxiety.
Trails of tears streaked down her damp cheeks.
"I'm... so sorry..."
"Don't say another word. Everyone's on edge."
Glancing towards the garden, I saw the kids stop their play and gather together, peeking over and whispering to each other in concern.
Shii and Fuumi especially wore expressions full of worry.
They were anxious about their mother's safety.
"...It's alright. I just gave everyone a bit of a scare. Co on, relax. I'm not going to do anything bad."
"...Everyone, those are Master's words. Please follow them."
Amatsuru continued after .
The kids exchanged glances and, though they seed unsure about my words, they internally felt relief and returned to their gas.
Amatsuru looked up at , trembling with fear as she apologized.
"I'm so sorry... for the trouble... Huh!? Master!!?"
Amatsuru tried to apologize again, but my actions caused her to react with a different kind of shock.
I pulled the older-seeming she close, pressing her face against my chest.
Wrapping my arms around her, I drew her in tight.
"Just do as you're told. It's an order."
I made it my priority to soothe her, to take away her worries, without a mont's hesitation.
I gently rubbed her back.
Helped her steady her breathing.
Held her close, showing her that there was no malice...
"Master, doing such a thing..."
"You don't like it? I do. Getting to hold such a beauty. You sll nice, don't you?"
Teasingly, I declared as I stroked her hair.
I combed through her delicate strands as if using a comb.
Pressing my chin to her head, the sweet scent filled my senses.
"Such things, I would never... Ah. But for soone like to be touched..."
"What's unclean about it. I wanted to hold you, so I did. Is that so bad? I am your Master, aren't I?"
I restated my feelings to my mother, who still humbly shrank with hesitation, by playfully, yet arrogantly, speaking in a way that's full of performance.
She gazes at , letting out a breath that's neither a sigh nor a response──more like an exhalation of resignation──and quietly submits herself to whatever I do.
I simply wait, frozen in this mont, letting the seconds drip by in silence.
"...'The outside' is a brutal place."
After what feels like an eternity, her voice softly breaks the quiet──barely more than a whisper.
I glance down at the maidservant without saying a word.
She senses my thought and begins to speak, low and hesitant.
"...The outside... it's a place of suffering. Cold, rciless. No one will help you. If you're weak, you're trampled──crushed beneath their feet..."
Amatsuru's words are vague and abstract──yet, living here in the *Yashiki estate*, they hit like a punch to the chest.
I can't believe what I hear, and yet──sohow──I understand, I accept.
A strange discomfort prompts to question it all.
"Bitter... painful... hard... cold... slly... scary... pitch black..."
With every word, Amatsuru trembles, her body shivering uncontrollably.
The once-vibrant mother cowers like a frightened child, too distressed to say more than a whisper.
Thinking it over, even voicing each fragnt feels like torture.
"It's not... fine. No, I'm sorry. I pushed too hard. Is it enough now?"
"No... it's fine. I can still talk. I want to keep talking, please──let ."
She speaks with quiet resilience, but her body leans closer, almost desperate to touch .
It's as if she's seeking so connection, however faint.
"'The outside' is a world of suffering. I did et poetry and prose there, no doubt. But being separated──that's the harsh reality. Those days were truly painful, agonizing."
"How could such things... happen?"
The cruel separation between parent and child, a senseless tragedy──unforgivable in every way.
It should never have been allowed.
"That's what 'the outside' truly is. There's no fairness, no kindness. Even simply eating... it was a shallow, miserable struggle. Everyone was fighting for themselves, trampling over others. That was the world."
She fixes her gaze on , unwavering.
Clinging to like a lifeline.
"Here... I am content. I've reunited with my daughters. No hunger, no sickness. Barely any pain. And the joy──oh, the joy──far surpasses what's outside. So much more, endlessly more."
She speaks with pure sincerity, pouring out her feelings as if there's no holding back──genuine and earnest.
"It's sweet, soft, warm, gentle... this place is wonderful. Truly, a paradise."
She praises this 'estate.' She despises everything 'outside'──with everything she's got.
It's a quiet, fervent passion spilling from her soul.
And then... with a face torn by despair, she begs .
"This is a paradise, for Master's sake. Only for Master. If sothing doesn't belong here──if it's unnecessary for Master... then it has no place. So please... please...!!"
"Stop, I get it. I really do. Just──stop already..."
I soothe her like calming a crying child, whispering gentle words to ease her worry.
She's probably desperate to keep her daughter safe from those terrifying 'outside' threats.
Over and over, I keep calming her, quieting her fears.
"If you're so certain, then stay here. Both of you──don't think of leaving the estate. I give you my word. Just... don't cry anymore."
I try to reassure her, to bring her peace.
To soothe her anxious heart.
I keep calming her like she's my own mother.
But I don't expect her to stop crying right away.
I'll wait as long as it takes──until her heart steadies and she's ready to face herself again.
In a way, it's my duty as her master, my responsibility as her 'boss,'──to hold her up when she's on the brink.
* * *
"Co to think of it, I don't see you around much... what kind of work do you usually do?"
I ask while gently holding Amatsuru close──like a casual inquiry, amid the quiet evening.
She's calm now, no longer crying, half-leeched in fatigue, as she's just idly wrapped in my arms, watching the little brats in the yard.
Though I often see her during evening banquets with her daughters, I rarely catch a glimpse of her in the morning or dayti.
Of course, that's not limited to her alone.
This estate is sprawling──many work here, and the 'Yashiki estate' is far too vast.
Even as the 'Boss,' I still don't fully grasp everything going on.
Kuzu says I shouldn't worry about the small stuff, but honestly──I ask Amatsuru out of curiosity more than anything.
"I suppose I'm technically a cow-herder, but in reality, I also take care of pigs and chickens, plus all the miscellaneous chores."
"Cow-herder, huh? And the cooking?"
"I do that sotis... was there sothing you needed?"
Amatsuru tilted her head, a blank look on her face, at my question.
Like she didn't see it coming.
The gesture was so like Fumi's when I held her, it scread "mother and child" to anyone watching.
"Well, you see... Shii said your cooking was amazing, especially your tamagoyaki. So I thought it must be pretty good. Is it not?"
"I believe she was referring to the milking process."
"Ah, I see..."
Finally, it clicked for .
It *had* been a rich flavor, after all.
"Of course, I can cook. But after working with the livestock... I an, do I sll?"
As if rembering sothing, Amatsuru sniffed at herself, asking with a hint of apology.
Taking care of the livestock ant taking care of the beasts.
No wonder her clothes were simple and light, it was probably for that reason.
I understood why she might belittle herself.
"Not at all. ...Your hair slls nice, actually?"
"Do you think so? ...Doesn't it sll of milk?"
"...Now that you ntion it, a little? ...After work?"
"Yes. After... everyone finished milking, we were about to greet you both."
"I see..."
And then, when she went to greet us, she found playing with the girls.
"...Looks like I stole so ti from you, huh? Sorry about that?"
"Not at all! Quite the opposite!"
Amatsuru's words were filled with surprise.
"As I said before, it's thanks to Master that I'm here with my daughters. How could I be displeased with Master? We wouldn't have even t again, if it weren't for you..."
And then, the maid looked back at her daughters, who were happily playing.
Shii and Fuumi must have sensed that my conversation with Amatsuru had beco more relaxed, because they were now absorbed in their play.
Amatsuru looked at her daughters with love....
"...You really care about them, don't you?"
"...They are the daughters I gave birth to. They are my most precious treasure, more precious than my own life."
"I see. Then I'm glad."
It's because of that this 'estate' exists, and the mother and daughters can be reunited and live happily.
That seed like a very good thing.
Even soone like can be useful.
"Oh! Of course, Master is the supre! Please, rest assured!"
"Haha, I do appreciate that."
Honestly, she's probably below the daughters──though I'd never say that out loud.
I knew she'd panic, flustered and trembling──she always does.
No point in pushing her further, tornting her now.
No cruelty──absolutely not.
That's not right.
"...Well, then. Ti for dinner, perhaps?"
I rise, releasing her from my embrace.
They say 'a man who doesn't work shouldn't eat,' but whether I'm eating, sleeping, or playing──that hunger always cos back.
Maybe that's fine for kids, but... no, perhaps I'm truly just a child myself, playing at the sa level as the poets.
I can't exactly be treated like a brat.
"I suppose today's stew is the milk hotpot."
"Did you co back after milking? That much milk?"
"The flavor's rich, full of kindness──when I carried it into the kitchen, I caught a whisper: the sea's bounty, mountain's treasures──plenty of ingredients simred to bring out the umami."
"Hmm. So, then, probably wine?"
As Amatsuru ntions it, I indulge in a shallow thought about the alcohol served with such dishes.
The sweet dishes made from milk go perfectly with a sharp, dry wine.
"Can't wait. So... if there's nothing else to do, how about we play until dinner?"
"Play? You an, *play*?"
With my suggestion, Amatsuru repeats it, utterly surprised──like she hadn't expected it at all.
I nod, steady and sure.
"It's getting dark. Better send the kids inside──poor footing wouldn't do. How about a ga of sugoroku all together?"
"Master, I heard you're better at chess or go...?"
"There's no point in scheming against these little imps, right? If they start shouting and screeching, my eardrums might shatter."
"Ah!"
Amatsuru covers her mouth, her eyes wide with stunned surprise at my joke.
Laughing at her reaction, I call the kids inside.
They gather happily, bell-like chis ringing as they respond energetically.
Seeing how dusty their outfits are, I think──it's probably better to get them into the hot water first...
Footnotes (Character Guide):
- Ran: Seductive southern-born maid with wheat-colored skin and a beauty mark near her lips. Confident, teasing, and warm—mixes mature affection with sultry playfulness.
- Shii: White-haired, energetic twin. Lively, affectionate, and always trying to cheer up the Master. Deeply attached to her mother, Amatsuru.
- Fuumi: One of the playful twin girls; energetic and sweet. Often paired with Shii in mischievous antics, she's reflective and emotionally tuned in, sharing a deep concern for their mother, Amatsuru.
- Mari: Energetic and affectionate girl who leads the younger group. Bold during play, but shows a tender, bashful side in emotional monts.
- Mio: Timid maid who often apologizes for the twins' behavior. Also known for preparing intricate shaved ice desserts.
- Kuzu: Sharp-eyed, disciplined maid with a strong presence. Calm, responsible, and mature, but with a mischievous streak beneath. Confident and quietly affectionate, she often speaks for the group. Offers lap pillows and teasing whispers—clearly shares a special bond with the Master.
- Uzuki: Teasing, bratty maid who enjoys flustering others. Bold, playful, and unafraid to cross the line.
- Nagi & Natsu: Southern maids who wear minimal clothing like underwear or swimsuits. Their attire reflects the norms of their holand.
- Rin & Yuu: Loud, inseparable girls who love causing trouble. They team up to pull pranks and dominate gas.
- Amatsuru: Possibly the cook who made the beloved olet; not directly shown. Also a fearful, middle-aged maid and mother to Shii and Fumi. Traumatized by life "outside," she clings to the Master as her only hope for safety.
- The Children: A group of young girls, possibly orphans or forr servants, now under the Master's care. They show intense loyalty and view him as a savior and father figure.
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