…

Fate had listened attentively to every detail of the story, sitting as still as a board until she finished speaking, before slumping down with a horrified face…

Liza placed her hand on his shoulder, attempting to comfort him, but could not rouse any hope from Fate’s dead-eyed stare.

Fate: “Well, I was wondering how I was going to end up dying...and it turns out that it’s death by Jacob…I am so dead!”

Fate curled his knees up, placing his face in them before beginning to mumble unintelligibly. Liza felt extremely sympathetic towards Fate, for, if Fate’s previous state and that of his room were indicators of anything, the aging servant would not hold back against those he deemed to be troublemakers.

This, coupled with his insane strength, would send chills down the spines of whoever became the target of his ire, in this case, Fate…

Liza leaned to his side, staring into his distraught, yet somehow blank eyes with a gentle gaze, but almost immediately began to pout when he didn’t respond to it. She now dug her finger into his cheek, squeezing it further and further inward, causing an annoyed light to flash through Fate’s eyes.

After a few more moments of repeated poking, Fate had seemingly had enough, angrilly swatting her hand away. However, Liza wasn’t done with him yet, and she suddenly moved behind him, reaching her hands around his sides before beginning to tickle him.

Fate: “Ha ha ha...s-sto...ha ha ha aha!!! It’s n-not...ha hahah ahaha haha!!!”

Fate was unable to resist Liza’s aggressive tickling, being forced into a fit of perpetual laughing under the fearsome power of Liza’s fingers as he rolled around on the bed!

-D-damn…! I couldn’t even feel tickling by the time I was fourteen, but...I…!

Fate: “Ha...hahaha!!! P-plea...hahahahaha...stop...hahaha…!!!”

Liza smirked as she looked at the helpless Fate, who was struggling under her attack, stunned that something so simple could break the usually aggressive, stubborn young master that she had become so used to.

Liza: “Then...you’ll have to let me do something!~”

Fate: “Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!”

Fate continued to laugh as his cheeks grew more and more flush, while Liza patiently waited for him to give in. This continued for another minute, until finally…

Fate: “Hahahahaha...F-f...hahahaha!!! FINE...hahahahahaha...JUS...PLEA...hahahahaha!!!”

Seemingly satisfied with his response, Liza removed her fingers from Fate’s sides, allowing him peace as he rubbed his aching sides while slowly groaning…

Fate: “...Ughhhhhh....I...can’t believe...all...it...took...was that!!! Haaaaa…”

Liza: “Now, as for the matter of that certain, simple request I have...~”

Fate slowly turned his head towards her, shocked at her blatant disregard for what she had just done to him and her almost immediate jump to a demand she had forced out of him.

However, despite his frustration, he had brought this upon himself by assenting to her, instead of simply attempting to escape, so he reluctantly decided to acquiesce…

Nodding to her, he watched as Liza dipped her arm over the side of the bed and pulled out a small wooden tub, much to his confusion. As she brought it closer, Fate was able to observe that it was almost halfway-filled with water, causing Fate to shudder slightly…

-Oh no....It was a lifetime ago that I had to suffer being splashed in the face by bullies, why does my own servant have to make me experience this again?!

Liza: “Alright, now lie down, my young lord.”

She placed the tub behind him, guiding him downward with one hand and cradling the back of his head with the other, as she gently lowered his head into the water. Fate shivered slightly since the water was warm, but was still relieved as she hadn’t dunked him.

-Wow...I got to bathe using a rag and a bucket of water every so often back when I was staying in the storage room, and I now clean myself since I’ve moved into my new room...so why does just sinking my head in feel...so calming…?

It was a strange, yet pleasant sensation that made him feel as if the pain he had suffered from Liza’s tickling was just a figment of his imagination…

Liza, now retrieved a small knife from an unknown location, causing Fate’s emerging sense of calm to be replaced with one of dread. His stomach began to churn at the sight of her clutching the knife with a bright smile on her face…

Liza: “Now, my young lord…”
…
A short while later, Fate was staring at himself in a mirror that Liza had somehow produced, specifically, he had his eyes locked on the top of his head…

Fate: “Wow…”

Liza: “It’s great, isn’t it!~ My mother taught me, and she said that I was the best in the world at it!~”

Fate’s shaggy hair was now gone, replaced with a short, upwardly swept hairstyle that seemed to compliment him nicely. It wasn’t too complicated, but Fate still marvelled at how much of a difference it made. The sides and back of his head had been lightly faded, and the top of his hair had lost quite a bit of mass, but he felt as if he had become a new man!

He had been terrified when she pulled out her knife, but, as if to dumbfound him...

'My young lord, I am loathe to tell you this as your servant, but you look absolutely filthy! As it is my fault for not being able to attend to you, though I should have been doing so, this Liza shall be rectifying her mistake by making you as dashing as can be!~'

Even after hearing her determined words, Fate still felt nervous, and at the prospect of her cutting his hair, quite doubtful as to her skill, but looking at himself now, he had to admit that she was quite talented!

Liza grabbed his shoulders, interrupting his self-admiration, as she began to shake him with a bright smile on her face.

Liza: “Go on, tell me how great it is, my lord!~”

Yet, somehow, even as he was being shaken back and forth to the point that he was becoming somewhat queasy, he felt...happy…and he subconsciously began to smile. However, before he could say anything...

???: “Indeed, you do appear to look a great deal more refined than when I last had the pleasure of speaking to you, young master…”

Both children darted their heads towards the doorway, which now contained a well-dressed, elderly man with a fake-looking smile, plastered on his face. He now gazed coldly at the terrified Fate, while both he and Liza were unable to do much more than stare…

Jacob: “Now, young master, get dressed properly. I shall be awaiting you, so as we may proceed with the beginning of your instruction…”

After uttering these words, Jacob retreated from the room, swiftly and quietly shutting the door behind him, leaving the two terrified children the door, fearing his return…
...