落とし穴外伝：彼女の真実 (Part1)
**Pitfall Side Story: Her Truth**
**Side: Yayui**
“Yaaaawn...”
I let out a long, lazy sigh. I’d never do this while on the clock, but today is my day off and I don’t have anything in particular to do...
“Yayui, even if it is your day off, you’re being far too slovenly.”
“Oh, come on, Orelia-chan, it’s fine~ Master Yuki told us to take it easy and rest, didn’t he~?”
Exactly. This is a day off with Master Yuki’s personal seal of approval. Besides, Master Yuki is always telling us we should relax when we’re off duty; Orelia is just the exceptionally strict one.
“Still, even if it’s a day off, the three of us are always together, aren’t we?”
Even though this is my room, for some reason Orelia and Hovis have gathered here to drink tea and pass the time at the desk doing whatever they please. I sometimes wonder if this actually counts as a ‘day off,’ but...
“We never know when Master Yuki might call for us, so we should remain on standby together.”
“Orelia-chan, you’re so serious~ Well, if we hang around the inn, we’re bound to run into the mistresses or other important people, so it’s safer in here~ Yayui-chan, you came to my room the other day for the same reason, didn’t you~?”
“Ah... yeah. I’m still not quite used to all that. I mean, Milly-sama, Ratz-sama, and Ria-sama are fine.”
“We see them often because of work~ And they’re very friendly~”
“True. The mistresses we don’t see as often can be a bit nerve-wracking,” Orelia admitted.
“Oh? Even you still feel that way, Orelia?”
“What a surprise~”
Since she’s always so composed, I figured she’d gotten used to it by now, but I guess not.
“Of course I do. I’m regularly coming face-to-face and having conversations with royalty and nobility that I never would have even met back when I worked at my father’s trading firm. And on top of that, we’re treated like family. Even if we are technically maids, everyone is so kind to us that it’s impossible *not* to feel a little tense.”
Well, I can certainly understand that. As long as we flip the switch between public and private properly, the only ones who are truly scary are Kirika-sama and Sasari-sama; everyone else is gentle. No one really gets mad at us for lounging around like this. If anything, they usually ask us to help finish off the surplus snacks.
That reminded me of something.
“Speaking of which, didn't we have that cake from Alfin-sama?”
““...””
“Whoa, hey, I’m not saying the three of us should polish off three whole cakes by ourselves.”
“Ah, right. Of course.”
“Ahaha~ The impact of that first meeting was just a bit much~”
I knew exactly how they felt. Alfin-sama has a sweet tooth—or rather, a bottomless pit for a stomach—that even Master Yuki and the mistresses find off-putting. When I first ate her cake, I thought I could eat it forever, and I thought Alfin-sama was a goddess for providing so much of it, but I eventually learned that there’s a limit to everything. Lately, just the mention of ‘cake’ makes those two brace themselves; it’s practically a trauma.
No one can eat five whole cakes by themselves...
Anyway, this inn where Master Yuki and the others live is stocked with almost every sweet imaginable, including Alfin-sama’s handmade cakes. We can’t exactly refuse when she brings them over with a beaming smile, so we all end up pitching in to consume them. That’s why I suggested it for our snack.
“Well, I understand. It’s tea time, then.”
“Right~ Let’s have some delicious cake.”
With that decided, we left the room to secure the goods. We figured we’d decide whether to bring the cake back or eat in the lounge once we got there.
On the way...
“Oh?”
“Ah, Prof-san.”
We passed the lounge and saw Prof-san eating cake inside.
“We came to get some cake too~ Is there still some left~?”
“Yes, there is more than enough for the three of you.”
It seemed the cake supply was still going strong. That was a relief, since we were planning on eating some anyway. That being said, while we’d discussed eating in the lounge, I figured we should probably head back to the room since Prof-san was here. But then...
“Oh, I don’t mind at all. You can eat here. Though, there is a chance the other mistresses might drop by, so I won’t force you.”
She seemed to have read my mind and offered a follow-up. Since she’d gone that far, there was no reason to hold back. The three of us looked at each other and nodded.
“Then we’ll join you. Just give us a moment.”
“Eh?”
I thought I heard a surprised sound, but we hurried to grab the cake and return. We even made sure to bring an extra slice and a refill for Prof-san.
“There we go. Let’s have a chat.”
“I see... a chat?”
She seemed genuinely taken aback.
“Um... are we bothering you?”
“No, it’s just... I’m surprised you’d want to talk to me when we aren’t working. I’m aware that I can be quite harsh in a professional capacity.”
Prof-san gave a self-deprecating smile. Ah, I see. It’s true she’s strict about work, but that’s only natural, and she always follows up with us afterward. It’s not like she’s a scary person...
“We see you smiling happily on Master Yuki’s lap all the time~ We think you’re quite cute~ We don’t dislike you at all~”
Hovis blurted out her honest impression before I could say a word. Yes, exactly that. At first, Prof-san was just like me—stiff and formal around Master Yuki during her off-hours—so Master Yuki made an effort to spend time with her at the inn to get her used to him. When they’re playing games and such, just like Hovis said, he lets her sit on his lap, and they’re quite close. Prof-san isn’t quite as tiny as Aslin-sama and the others, but she’s small enough—around the same size as Dressa-sama or Vilia-sama—that she isn’t in the way when she sits there. Well, I’m not exactly big myself, but...
Hearing that, Prof-san’s face went blank with shock.
“...Cute?”
“Yes, I think you are very charming. And as you said, while you are strict during work, that is only to be expected.”
Orelia followed up with a finishing blow of sincerity.