“I thought we were going to your house?”

“It is my house.”

“You never said your house was a café.”

Petra simply smiled. “It’s a pleasant surprise, isn’t it?”

Well, she wasn’t wrong. The problem was the name of it.

“‘Knovski Maid café’? What? What Maid?”

“Well, I used to hire girls to dress up as Maids to serve customers.”

Then, she looked at me with sparkling and expectant eyes. I knew full-well what that meant.

“No, absolutely not. I’m never going to—

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.

.

.

“Hehe, this looks good on you.”

“...”

“Aww, don’t be too pouty.”

I simply stared at my reflection in the mirror blankly. Gray eyes, raven hair that reached my shoulder, perky chest that was sadly smaller than Petra’s, and a really frilly Maid outfit. That was, shamefully, me. I didn’t even know how I got into this situation in the first place, especially when I so strongly remembered vehemently rejecting the very notion of this the previous night.

At this point, I’d already given up trying to make sense of the situation. So, I began asking questions.

“We just returned yesterday. Are you sure you want to open the café now?”

“Ah,” Petra chuckled. “I’m not opening it now. I just want to see you in a Maid outfit.”

“...”

“Ast?”

“...”

“Hello?”

“...I’m tearing this off.”

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.

After not tearing the outfit off, but gently removing it, I began doing chores around the house. Since it was dark last night (and I was tired), this was the first time I’d actually see the house in its entirety. 

The first floor was entirely dedicated to being a café. I had to wipe the dust off the chairs, tables, and machine that made coffee or something. 

Petra’s house was bigger than the house of an average Commoner, so she could afford to build three private rooms. 

After leaving the sweeping of the floor to Petra, I advanced back to the second floor, where I’d be living.

The first up was the living room. It looked cozy—with soft sofas and all. And instead of a traditional heating system, Petra used something even more traditional—a fireplace. Thanks to modern ventilation, smoke didn’t prove to be an issue.

‘But wood might be.’

Eh, I was sure she could manage it somehow.

Adjacent to the living room was a kitchen and two bedrooms. The bedroom on the right was Petra’s, and the one on the left was mine.

Well, at least until her brother arrived; at which point, I’d have to either move out or sleep in Petra’s room.

‘I’d literally slept in the same sleeping bag with her back in the army countless times. Surely, sharing a bedroom isn’t much.’

That was it for the second floor. Time for the third floor…which was actually not a third floor, but the roof of the house.

There was a reason why the Capital of the Empire was also (poetically) called the City of Tears—it constantly rained. And on rare days that it didn’t rain, the sky would be cloudy. So, imagine my (not) surprise when I heard the pitter-patter of rain as I approached the door leading to the rooftop.

I gazed outside the window on the door and saw four chairs situated around a round table. Right on top of the table was a big umbrella—the kind that was used to shelter things from rain.

‘It looks comfortable.’

Drinking wine while in the rain, that was. Dammit, now I was starting to miss alcohol.

‘Argh, I can always buy some later.’

So, I went downstairs and got a red wine bottle from my room. Pouring it in a glass, I sat down on the living room’s sofa and enjoyed it. 

The exquisite taste of grape along with the gradual numbness of my brain and emotion was just…heavenly.

Speaking of the numbness of emotion…

‘Just a snap of my finger, and my crazy bitch personality will come out.’

During the war, I’d realized that the personality Sixth wanted me to take on was really fucking inconvenient in down time. So, imagine how bad it would be for daily life.

So, I devised a plan—one that Sixth agreed with; and it was to create a “switch.” 

It wasn’t as if I split my personality or something. It was just that…being under the influence of alcohol and snapping my finger once would tell my brain to switch to being ruthless again.

Soft music was playing from the first floor, so I resisted the urge to snap my fingers to the tune and decided to tap my foot instead. As I finished my first glass of wine and was about to pour a new one, Petra appeared.

“Ast! What are you doing?”

“Drinking wine,” I said as I took a gulp. “Want some?”

“N-No! Stop drinking that!”

“Uhhh…why?”

“It’s not good for your health!”

The problem with wine ruining my liver would go away once I awakened, so really, she was just overreacting. But…her house, her rules.

So, with great reluctance, I handed the half-drunk glass of wine to her and corked back the wine bottle.

“Good girl,” Petra smiled as she patted my head. “By the way, you have a package.”

“Oh?”

I went downstairs and ran to the cardboard box that was sitting on the table. After checking that it was for me, I opened it.

The first thing I saw was a letter from Viscount Nightshade. 

===

Astrape, I heard that you’ve been discharged. Hope that you’re still doing well. I did a clean sweep of your house, so here is all the stuff from your old house that you might want.

===

I tossed the letter aside and peered into the box whose inside was larger than its outer appearance might’ve suggested. Since Irene was a Viscount, she could afford to Spatially enhance this totally disposable cardboard box. Dammit, what a waste.

Anways, the content of the box was nothing special. Just some of my old clothes and photos of Mom that I…would keep dearly with me. Though, there was something that I’d never seen before.

“...A pocket watch?”

Despite definitely being made out of silver, the watch was rusting in many places. Also, its face was cracked. 

I glanced at the clock of Petra’s house.

‘10:23.’

Then, I looked at the pocket watch.

‘The hour hand is past XII but hasn’t reached I, and the minute hand is at exactly V. Yep, definitely broken.’

I studied the watch some more, and realized that nothing was powering it. Made sense, since it was literally fucking broken.

Though, judging by the feeling of Mana swirling around it, I could guess that the watch was an artifact.

I shrugged and put the watch in my pocket without much thought since you know, pocket watch. Heh.

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Three months passed in a flash.

More like, I wanted them to pass in a flash. The pain of donning a Maid outfit and serving people their drinks was agonizingly slow to me. The only silver lining in my predicament was that alongside pastry, Petra’s café also served chocolate. So, I could sneak one inside my mouth every now and then…

Anyways, it was my birthday. 

Petra, being her usual self, threw a party for me. A party that consisted of only her and I. Wow, how grand.

Jokes aside, I was very grateful for what she did since even when the war was still going, she still tried her best to celebrate my birthday every year.

And, the celebration this year would’ve been perfect if it wasn’t for the sudden intrusion of some assholes.

-”PETRA! I’M HERE!”

Petra and I were cuddling in a blanket on the sofa and watching a movie. Don’t ask why. Anyways, she immediately jumped out of the sofa and said,

“It’s my brother. He’s not supposed to be here until next month.”

“...It’s fine.” I meant it. “Go greet him or something. I’m sure he missed you.”

Petra nodded and ran downstairs.

-”You little shit, why did you come so early?”

I could hear a loud knock after Petra’s voice.

‘Ouch, she probably knocked her brother’s head.’

-”H-Hey, don’t be so mad! I-It’s just that my girlfriend wants to see the Capital as soon as possible.”

-”Your girlfriend? Who— oh, sorry, I didn’t see you!”

-”It’s okay. I'm used to it.” This time, I could hear a soft girl’s voice.

-”Anyways,” a man’s voice this time. Definitely Petra’s brother. “Why were you so mad?”

-”Did you not read the letter I sent you? I have someone living with me here! Her stuff is still in your room, and she doesn’t have time to move out!”

Actually, I could probably pack all my stuff in five minutes since I didn’t have much anyways. But who was I to come downstairs and ruin their little reunion?

-”Petra…I didn’t know you were into girls…”

-”N-No— I mean, I am— but not her! I-I’m actually thinking of adopting her.”

“PFFFFT!”

I spat the hot chocolate out of my mouth in shock. Okay, now I definitely had to crash their little reunion.

-”What was that sound?”

-”O-Oh no, she heard it… I was too loud.”

-”...I’m seeing my new sister for myself!”

Rushed footsteps soon followed after. 

I used the little time I had to recompose myself and get out of the blanket. I was actually not opposed to the idea of Petra adopting me, so I had to make as a favorable of an impression on her younger brother as possible.

I stood there and waited, and waited, and eventually, he showed up.

Brown hair, brown eyes, and I lean built. Not to mention, a slightly handsome face. If I hadn’t gone through the war, I’d have fallen for him right then and there. And even if the war had never happened, I knew that I’d still never fall for him.

The reason?

I knew the person standing before me a little too well.

“...It’s been a long time, Raun.”

Raun—Petra’s younger brother, stared at me blankly while muttering my name.

“A-Ast…”