落とし穴１５９堀：目前の年末に向けて (Part2)
I couldn't just stand by and watch them work without doing my own part.
For the record, the children aren't allowed to have their own individual rooms yet. They all spend their time in the same room. Well, part of it is that they simply hate being separated from one another. Sakura, in particular, insists on being with her younger sisters at all times, to the point where I’m already starting to worry if she’ll ever be able to let them go when she grows up.
But that’s beside the point. I need to start cleaning, too.
With that in mind, I head back to my room, but...
"Now then, where should I start?"
When you actually decide to do a deep clean, it’s hard to know where to begin. First, I move things that shouldn't get dirty so I can dust without worry. I tidy up small items like game consoles and dolls, wiping them down if they’ve gathered any grime. Once the small things are cleared away, I start dusting from the top—the highest points in the room. If I don't, the dust will just settle on the parts I’ve already cleaned, creating double the work.
By the way, I don't smoke, so the ceiling isn't yellowed. A light wipe-down should suffice.
I was making steady progress, but before I knew it...
"Hah!? This is no time to be reading manga!"
I snap back to reality, chiding myself. That’s right, I was supposed to be cleaning. Yet, here I was, lost in a manga.
"Is this the 'curse' where you find something nostalgic and stop making progress?"
Fortunately, checking the clock, it seems I had only been "tripping" for about ten minutes. You can finish a volume of manga in about ten minutes, after all. I had come to my senses just as I was reaching for the next volume.
"...Alright, I'll save the manga for the year-end and New Year holidays after the cleaning is done. I'll just set these aside for now. Anyway, back to cleaning."
That’s the terrifying thing about deep cleaning. You get sidetracked by unexpected pitfalls that eat up your time. I found other nostalgic games and a backlog of titles I’d been meaning to play, but I bit the bullet, focused on the task at hand, and finally managed to finish cleaning the room.
All that remained was to put away the vacuum and the rags.
I stepped out of the room with the bucket and vacuum in hand, only to run into Kirue, who was standing there waiting.
"Did something happen?"
"No. I thought you would be finishing up around now, Master."
Kirue said this with a straight face, but looking at her, I didn't say a word. I simply took her hand and touched her cheek.
"Master?"
"You're freezing. Have you been outside the whole time?"
When I asked, she looked surprised for a split second before her face broke into a smile.
"Yes. Everyone is working hard on the cleaning inside, so I left the children in Sasari's care and took charge of the garden and the perimeter of the house."
I can't help but think she didn't need to work so hard that she ended up this cold, but I suppose there are things Kirue won't compromise on, driven by her "maid soul." She has always been very clear about her stance: "As a maid, and as a wife."
"Hah. You're stubborn, Kirue."
"There is no room for compromise when it comes to being a maid. This is one thing I cannot yield, even if it were an order from you, Master."
"I know, I know. Then, once we put the trash away, let's prepare a warm meal together. Everyone must be hungry after working so hard."
"Yes. Understood."
Rather than helping clean the others' rooms, I decided to move on to preparing dinner. If I didn't, I’d be leaving all the work to Kirue and Sasari. It’s the least I can do to help with the cooking.
"What shall we have for today's menu?"
"Ah, what was the plan?"
It would be a hassle to gather ingredients from scratch, and there's no way Kirue wouldn't have already started the prep work by this time.
"Since we were cleaning today, I have prepared cream stew so that everyone can stay warm."
"A winter classic. Alright, let's go with cream stew then."
And so, Kirue and I proceeded with dinner preparations. By the time it was ready, everyone else had finished their deep cleaning...
"Big Brother, I'm here to help!"
"I shall carry them, Brother."
"Everyone is waiting for you."
"Yes, I will carry them, Brother."
"...Oh, cream stew today."
"Hiiro, don't you dare sneak a taste."
With the help of Aslin and the others, we carried the food to the table.
" " "Itadakimasu!" " "
And just like that, we soothed our fatigue with a warm meal and successfully made it through our day of deep cleaning.
Now, all that's left is to welcome the New Year in peace.
Let's get everything clean before the New Year arrives!
Have you all finished your cleaning?
There's no such thing as "deep cleaning" for a snowman!
Why not just take it easy?