Alisha turned to leave the room, leaving Lotte behind.

“W-wait!”

Lotte stood in front of the door, stopping Alisha.
She couldn’t just let her go after being told she was looking for someone to push her down.

“Would you mind moving?”
“You mean… ask another maid? Are you planning to tell them you want them to push you down?”
“Of course. I believe that’s the only option.”

Alisha stated it matter-of-factly.
How could she be so confident?

“But, but if you do that…”

Alisha’s position could become precarious.
After all, Lotte had only discovered the secret through no fault of her own.
She never intended to tell anyone, but if Alisha spoke of it herself, that would be a different matter entirely.
　That absolutely must be prevented.
With a determined expression, Lotte continued.

“If you do that —everything Lady Alisha has built up until now will collapse completely. That absolutely cannot happen! Besides, Lady Alisha is working to maintain her image, isn’t she…!?”

Alisha had said she protected her image for everyone’s sake—not just for herself.

“But Lotte won’t grant my request, will you?”

Yet, in response to Lotte’s words, Alisha said this.
Alisha’s request —namely, to pin her down.
Frankly, accepting that so readily was impossible.

“W-well…”
“If you have no intention of granting it, then move aside.”

　—Alisha even radiated pressure.
Normally, Alisha should be the one holding the upper hand, yet why did Lotte feel threatened?
It would make more sense if it were the other way around —if Alisha were the one stopping Lotte from speaking.
Naturally, Lotte had no intention of doing such a thing —yet somehow, it was Lotte who ended up stopping Alisha from speaking. It was baffling.

　Lotte found herself holding her breath.
At the very least, if Alisha tried to leave this place —Lotte couldn’t possibly stop her.
The decision pressed upon her —if she moved aside, Alisha would act exactly as she’d said.
Their secret, shared only between them, would be known to others.
That was the one thing she absolutely had to prevent.

(Then there’s only one way…?)

If Lotte simply granted Alisha’s wish —it would remain their secret alone.
Thinking this, Lotte found herself startled by her own thoughts.

(…No. I don’t wish to protect Lady Alisha’s secret for that reason…)

—She denied the feeling welling up somewhere within her heart.
　When had she begun harbouring such impure thoughts, wanting Alisha’s secret for herself alone?
Lotte was simply, purely concerned for Alisha.

“A-Alisha-sama… Might you reconsider?”

Lotte tried, somehow, to persuade Alisha.

“If you say you’ll pin me down, I won’t go telling anyone.”
“But, but… why would you ask me to do that, simply because I know your secret…?”

A genuine question —honestly, Alisha and Lotte weren’t that close.
She was merely in the position of having accidentally discovered her secret.

“It’s precisely because it’s you that I wanted to entrust it to you.”
“…Eh?”

Lotte’s expression turned one of surprise at Alisha’s words.

“Well, isn’t that right? Even if you knew I was buying books like that —you’d keep quiet about it. Surely you wouldn’t go blabbing to anyone about this favour I’m asking either, would you?”

Alisha trusts Lotte.
That is a happy thing —in truth, she hasn’t told anyone, and she never will.

“W-well, of course not.”
“It’s precisely because it’s you that I’m asking —I wouldn’t know what to expect from anyone else.”

Seeing this, Lotte noticed Alisha’s hand trembling slightly.
—Had her earlier actions been meant to convey this very message to Lotte?
Had Lotte not stopped her, she might truly have done it —but what might have followed, who could say?

Perhaps that very fear was why Alisha was trembling.
　In other words, this was a gamble for Alisha too.
A gamble to get Lotte to accept the request.
By any normal measure, it was nothing but a dangerous bridge to cross —if it weren’t Lotte, she might well have blabbed Alisha’s secret to someone.

(…Only I can grant Lady Alisha’s wish.)

Yet, that was precisely what Lotte found herself thinking.