As I chuckled at Ein-san’s unexpected side…… No, I guess that workaholic side of her was understandable in some ways, but in any case, a little later, a cup of royal milk tea was placed in front of me.
[Thank you for waiting. The tea leaves really are wonderful. I brewed it simply this time, but I look forward to further research.]
[Thank you…… Oh, this is great. I’ve kinda had 3 cups of this so far, but this is the best I’ve tasted.]
The royal milk tea that Ein-san brewed for me was incredible, to say the least. What Illness-san brewed, as well as what Jutia-san brewed for me, were both very delicious, but this one was clearly one rank above the others. I mean, it perfectly matched my taste and resonated with me.
[The brewing method itself hasn’t changed much, but for royal milk tea, the temperature is something crucial. The way one perceives its taste can vary depending on its temperature. Of course, I am fully aware of Kaito-sama’s taste preferences, so I simply made adjustments to align with that.][Heehhh…… It certainly feels comforting, or rather, it does perfectly match my taste.]
I guess this is to be expected of Ein-san. For her to completely understand my preferences and make adjustments accordingly, Ein-san’s skill is truly remarkable…… As for why Ein-san understands my preferences perfectly, well, it’s Ein-san we’re talking about here, so her being able to do that isn’t surprising.
At that moment, a thought suddenly crossed my mind. As usual, after Ein-san served me the milk tea, she just stood by the side of the table, which slightly bothered me, so I decided to suggest sitting together.
[Ein-san, since we’re at it, how about drinking the tea together with me?]
[Fumu, but Kaito-sama, I am a maid, so it’s natural for me to stand and wait in situations like this.]
[That may be so, but isn’t it also a maid’s duty to respond to requests within a reasonable range?]
[……Mhmm? I see, now that you mentioned it, this is the request of Kaito-sama, our guest, and given that we’re in a private space, away from the eyes of others…… Indeed……]When it comes to persuading Ein-san, the most effective approach, naturally, is to intertwine the discussion with one related to maids. While it might be questionable for maids to sit in during tea, Ein-san has consistently maintained her stance that the role of each maid is unique, just as how there are maids like Luna-san who do join their masters at the tea table.
While I’m not Ein-san’s master by any means, one can currently say that I’m a welcomed guest, and in such a situation, if it’s my request, there’s no reason for Ein-san to refuse.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Ein-san wryly smiled, and after briefly disappearing, she reappeared, holding her own teacup, taking the seat opposite mine.
[Well then, since Kaito-sama kindly invited me, I’ll take a seat at the same table.]
[Ah, yes…… Somehow, this feels a bit refreshing.]
[You’re right. For me as well, the opportunity to sit at the same table with someone and enjoy tea like this is extremely rare. ……Even so, fufu……]
[Unnn?]
[For one to preach the Way of the Maid to me, I suppose it’s to be expected of Kaito-sama. If I were to borrow Kuromu-sama’s words, she describes it as “Afexion Meter”, right? In any case, I feel that my fondness for Kaito-sama has grown even stronger.]
[A- Ahaha……]
Using the approach of involving maids in persuading Ein-san is indeed effective. However, I feel like one drawback is that the more I use this tactic…… the more the mysterious role of Maid Advisor Ein-san had established in her mind is being established.
In fact, Ein-san’s favorability of me seems to have increased, as she’s now looking at me with an even higher level of respect than before. I mean, even before it increased, I feel like her affection meters were already quite high…… but there’s still room for further increase huh.
[I find that my understanding of maids has deepened once again. This, too, is something for which I must express my gratitude to you, Kaito-sama.]
[Eh? Ahh, no, don’t worry about it. It’s not like you have to express your gratitude or anything like that……]
[Oya? Are you sure you don’t mind?]
[……Hmmm?]
[No, like I said, it’s my gratitude, you know? Not at least asking me what my gratitude would be———- would be a waste, don’t you think?]
[ ! ? ]
It was a momentary incident. In the middle of her sentence, Ein-san disappeared, and then, with her face so close that her breath was brushing against my ear, she whispered such alluring words to me.
As her breath brushed against my ear, her voice engulfing me with pleasant comfort, an indescribable shiver ran down my spine, leaving me in a state of astonishment. By the time I came to my senses though, Ein-san was already seated across from me, a smile visible on her lips.
[……E- Ein-san, are you teasing me?]
[Oh my? I wonder about that? There is indeed a part of me that finds Kaito-sama’s reactions adorable, so it is difficult to completely deny it. However…… the fondness I hold for you is by no means a joke nor a lie.]
As Ein-san said that with an impish smile, I could see that she was in a very cheerful mood. How should I say this…… While I was glad to see yet another new side of Ein-san, there was also this sense of embarrassment I’m feeling, as if I was being led around by the nose…… Well, not like this embarrassment makes me feel uncomfortable or anything like that……
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [Kuh, guaaahhh…… T- This is rough. As for what’s rough, well, even though it looks like an older person teasing someone younger than them, Ein’s Affection Meter is actually really high, so what she’s doing is no different from how she’d usually make her passes on someone…… I could feel the sweetness.]
