房客(糙汉)何璐程曜坤

"Do you want to go with us to Zoemi?"

Miriette asked Patishi before leaving.

"I would love to, your highness..."

"..."

Patishi responded, nodding her head – which caused Veo to make a sorrowful expression – no matter what, it seemed that no one was on her side.

"Alright then, let's go!"

Miriette turned around but Patishi hasn't finished talking.

"...but even so, I want to help miss Veo serve the first prince. Am I allowed to do that?"

"""Eh?"""

All three girls looked at her in surprise.

Honestly, neither of them expected Patishi to pick anyone over her beloved big brother.

But the confusion didn't last long.

"Suit yourself, you have my permission and even blessing if that's your thing."

Miriette shrugged her shoulders and started walking.

"Let's go, Teo."

The dark-haired girl nodded at the brown-haired girl in the butler's uniform.

"Indeed, mistress."

Teo bowed her head slightly, and the two walked away, leaving Patishi and Veo behind.

"...whew..."

Only then did Patishi stand up and breathe out, pale as a ghost.

She needed a minute or two the compose herself before the she could walk towards Veo.

"Patishi... I'm not in the wrong here, right? Or am I just cruel towards sir Zoemi...?"

Veo, the older one of the twins, and also the one who stayed behind asked in a weak voice.

"You aren't wrong, miss Veo! Big brother Zoemi would get really angry at miss Teo for doing something like that and I'm also sure that he would try very hard to convince his master to do something about it!"

The younger girl assured the girl in the maid's outfit...

"Let's go make the breakfast for the first prince, shall we?"

The skinny girl declared with a bright smile before grabbing Veo's limp hand and pulling her to the kitchen.

"Indeed."

Veo nodded with a small smile and let herself be guided by the young skinny brown-haired girl.

------

Somewhere in the middle of the preparations Patishi fidgeted and turned towards Veo.

"Miss Veo, can I ask you about something?"

She asked and even stopped moving her knife.

"Indeed."

Veo tilted her head curiously in anticipation of the question.

"What happened to your arms in the first place? Why can't you move therm without using magic."

The younger girl couldn't help herself and asked, curiously peeking at the lifeless limbs swaying loosely on both sides of her body.

"They got crushed in an accident when I was younger.

"O-oh...! I'm sorry..."

Veo responded rarhter crudely, and - after hearing the immediate answer, Patishi fidgeted anxiously.

"I didn't want to bring up bad memories..."

She apologized, feeling overwhelmingly guilty and embarrassed over the fact that she stirred up some unpleasant memories...

"It's no big deal anymore, but you better not go back on your word! You will help me perform the duties of an attendant!"

Veo answered clearly – but - squinted her eyes at the younger girl - at the sight Patishi giggled and resumed the preparation.

Before she was finished she turned to Veo once more.

"Miss Veo, do you want to taste test it?"

The skinny brown-haired girl pointed at the food lightheartedly.

"Aaa...!"

Veo opened her mouth in response and Patishi blushed embarrassed.

"M-miss Veo...?"

"Aaa...!"

The short brown-haired girl was adamant and kept her mouth open despite the other girl blushing from the mere thought of publicly feeding another person.

But, even with the initial shock, after a full minute of awkwardness, Patishi was the one to give in and she took a forkful of the dish that she was preparing and feed it right to the girl in the maid's outfit.

"Aaam! Mmmm!"

Veo started chewing on it and her eyes sparkled.

"You're a way better cook than Teo!"

She exclaimed and after reapplying her enchantments so that she could move her arms back up, she patted Patishi's head.

*WHAM*

"A...augh....!"

"Ugh! Miss Veo, please be a bit more gentle if you can...!"

Patishi grabbed the older girl's head after what was essentially a hard smack.

"Sorry, We're similar height so it's hard to measure my strength for this...'

She blushed and apologized.

--------

Veo was the one to carry the tray, it didn't demand any precise movement so she could do it no problem but it was Patishi who knocked on the door and opened it.

The prince was already dressed up and was in the middle of making his his bed.

"Ah! Your Highness! I'll do that!"

While Veo left the tray on the desk Patishi hurried to Horeo.

"Oh! Hello Patishi. Did you come to have breakfast? It's okay - you don't need to help me."

The first prince smiled at the girl.

"No, your highness! I will be helping miss Veo until Teo returns!"

Patishi declared and the first prince raised his brows.

"Oh?"

He glanced at his attendant and she nodded in confirmation.

"Fine then, I see that you have decided upon becoming my attendant in training."

Horeo laughed and patted Patishi's head.

"Yes, your highness!"

The skinny girl responded all jittery.

Horeo was finishing breakfast when he heard sobbing right next to him. At first, he looked at Veo but she shook her head and motioned to the other side. Horeo turned and saw that Patishi is crying while holding a fork.

"What happened? You don't actually have to eat if you don't want to...!"

Horeo became anxious and declare with a worried expression, reaching out to the crying girl...

"Does your stomach hurts?"

"...n-noo..."

The gold-haired prince asked but the girl shook her head.

"Then what it is about?"

He asked with concern.

"I'm worried for big brother Zoemi, after all...!"

Patishi wiped her big tears with her sleeve.

"You can go see him if you want! You don't really have to act like my attendant all the time."

Horeo smiled and patted Patishi's head but the girl shook her head again.

"No...!"

She sniffled.

"I will keep my word and I will serve you, your highness!"

Patshi said bravely and wiped her tears once more.

She looked so cute and sad that Horeo couldn't help himself and hugged her.

"Y-your Highness....!?"

Patishi squeaked like a toy and blushed all the way to her hairline.

"Don't worry, Patishi! All three of us will go to see how Zoemi is, during the lunch break, alright?"

Hero asked without letting go of the girl. He even started patting her head again.

"Th-thank you, your highness!"

Patishi was abashed but very, very happy.

Although she would not say that out loud, Patishi felt super happy and safe in the first prince's embrace.

"..."

From the side, Veo raised her hand but she stopped halfway to Patishi's head, she didn't want to hit the other girl by mistake again.

"...hmm~"

Hero noticed that and grabbed the girl's hand and gently placed it on Patishi's head and grinned at his attendant.

"..."

And his attendant blushed a bit and smiled back while slowly stroking the younger girl's hair.

------

When the lunch break arrived, the three of them really went to see Zoemi, Patishi and Veo even waited for Horeo in front of his classroom.

As they were walking past the faculty office they saw a few people installing the new door and Patishi even caught a glance of the inside of the room.

Two brown-haired teachers were pulling out sharp pieces of wood from the wall with faces red from their efforts.

"I wonder what happened?"

Patishi asked out loud and Horeo checked out what she was looking at.

"Oh? Haven't you heard? Zoemi's father visited the teachers."

"Big brother's father? Visited...?"

Patishi tilted her head in confusion, struggling to find the connection between the two informations.

"He got angry that they allowed Zoemi to become hurt."

Veo explained.

"Eh? Big brother's father attacked the teachers? By himself!?"

Patishi gasped in disbelief.

"Oh, I've heard he beat up one of them and the rest was too scared to do anything!"

Horeo laughed in response both pleased and ever so slightly impressed.

"Huh? So big brother's father is super strong?"

Patishi gasped in awe.

"It's hard to say, really... He has less mana than an average earth magician after all..."

"...?!"

Horeo scratched his chin pensively and Patishi's stared at him speechless from the shock.