The day, which felt both short and long, drew to a close, and by nightfall Lotte lay in bed.
Going out sightseeing and shopping alone with Alisha —it certainly felt like they’d done things proper to a date.
At the same time, she’d granted Alisha’s request.
Looking back now, she wondered if asking to be tied up with rope was a bit much, and if accepting it was a bit much of herself.
　Lotte couldn’t quite explain it herself, but when Alisha begged and she desperately tried to comply —somehow, she felt like she wasn’t quite herself anymore.
When bound, Alisha seemed to get excited when lightly scolded.
It had been like that before too —she just felt sure it would please her, so the words came naturally.
Was this some kind of talent?

(…It’s far too unnecessary a talent.)

　Lotte chuckled wryly and rolled over.
—Looking back now, the very idea of sneaking out alone with Alisha would have been unthinkable just a short while ago.
And to think she’d even let me call her ‘Alice’.
Yet Lotte remained by her side solely to grant Alisha’s wishes.
Their relationship was clearly twisted —hardly what one would call proper.
　It was fortunate they hadn’t been discovered, for their actions outside were quite dangerous.
—Yet, part of me still looks forward to another chance to go out alone together.
When Alisha started walking with her arms still bound, I truly panicked, but at the same time —it proved she truly trusted Lotte.
Feeling that trust from Alisha —and rejoicing in it —made me feel I, too, had become abnormal.

(…But)

With Alisha, it doesn’t matter if I’m not normal.
Is it strange to think that way too?

＊＊＊

“Next is cleaning this room… right?”

Lotte murmured softly to herself as she prepared to clean her assigned area.
Since returning to work as a maid, she felt she’d grown considerably accustomed to the duties.
　As she was about to enter the room, she spotted one of the maids who had previously bullied her, coming down the corridor.
Seeing Lotte, the girl averted her gaze and hurried past through the corridor —in this respect, she hadn’t changed at all.
Thanks to Alisha, no maid openly spoke ill of Lotte anymore, but the awkwardness of how to treat her remained unchanged.
　What they say behind her back —it’s no use dwelling on it, so I’ll just ignore that.
Entering the room upstairs and starting to clean the windows —I spotted Alisha.
She seemed to have just returned from her knight duties. Noticing Lotte, Alisha gave a small wave.
Lotte hurriedly glanced around, checking her surroundings, then waved back.
　—Lotte was, after all, merely one of the maids serving here.
For someone like her to be waved at deliberately made it seem as though they shared a special bond.
But Alisha waved at the other maids too when she saw them.

(…Perhaps I was overthinking it.)

Thinking she alone was special —that was absurd.
Yet, Alisha bore some responsibility for her having started to feel that way.

“Lotte, how’s the cleaning going?”
“Huh!? L-Lady Alisha!?”

Startled by the sudden address, Lotte jumped.
Alisha had entered the room without her noticing.

“When it’s just us, it’s Alice, isn’t it?”
“W-Well, I’m on duty now. We don’t know who might be listening…”

This was inside the mansion —and it was still daylight outside.
　Even though it was just the two of them in this room —Lotte still wasn’t comfortable enough to suddenly switch to being called Alice.

“It’s alright. I’ve checked properly that no one else is here.”

Saying that, Alisha sat down on the sofa.

“…Why are you here?”

Lotte continued cleaning the window while asking Alisha.

“Why? Because I saw you.”
“!”

　—Hearing it put like that made her conscious of their special relationship.
Indeed, Lotte and Alisha’s relationship was anything but ordinary.

(C-could it be she came to see me at work…!)

The thought suddenly flashed through Lotte’s mind.
Alisha wasn’t wearing her choker now, and she’d deliberately come all this way after spotting Lotte.
　It was entirely possible she’d come specifically to see Lotte as a maid.
Perhaps it would be wise to show her she was working diligently here too.

(But I must try harder…!)

Lotte steeled herself silently.
Just as she was about to start window-cleaning with renewed vigour —splash! —she knocked over the bucket at her feet with a loud splash.

“Ah!? I-I’m terribly sorry!”

　Lotte frantically righted the bucket and began mopping the floor.
Alisha looked slightly startled, but

“Are you alright? I’ll help.”

She said, immediately trying to rise from the sofa.

“A-Alisha-sama, please stay there and watch!”
“Huh!? I-I see?”

Lotte quickly stopped Alisha.
　If she caused any trouble for her —that would be utterly unworthy of a maid.
Lotte busily wiped the floor with the cloth.
—At this point, Lotte was simply flustered by the fact she’d already created extra work.

(W-what should I do… It was my chance to impress…!)

　She’d wanted her efforts as a maid to be seen—but she’d failed.
As she mopped, she gradually began to feel rather pathetic.
Finally finishing the floor —she resumed cleaning the windows, but Alisha remained seated on the sofa.
Staring intently at Lotte —feeling that gaze, Lotte felt slightly uneasy.

“Er, um, Miss Alisha?”
“……”
“Miss Alisha?”
“……”
“Alice?”
“Huh? What is it?”

It seemed she only intended to respond if called Alice.
The moment she was called that name —she answered with a delighted smile.

“Er, well, I was wondering what you were doing there.”
“What do you think I’m doing?”
“Eh, wh-what could it be…?”

Even if Alisha asked, Lotte had no way of knowing.
If she had to guess why Alisha was here, it could only be to observe Lotte’s work.

“I’ll tell you if you guess correctly.”
“Eh, wh-what…?”

　A quiz format, of all things —Lotte was the type whose hands stopped when lost in thought, so she tried to come up with an answer while cleaning the window.

(The reason Lady Alisha is here… It must be to see how I work, right?)

—That was the only plausible explanation.

“…To see how I work, perhaps?”
“Boo-hoo, wrong.”

　The childish phrasing made Lotte involuntarily let out a wry smile.
If she hadn’t come to observe her work… then what had she come for?
Wiping the window, Lotte let her thoughts wander once more.
But the answer stubbornly refused to come.
Time simply passed by —suddenly, Lotte asked Alisha.

“Lady Alisha —Alice, is your work alright?”
“Just sorting through some paperwork today. I’ll tidy it up during a free slot tonight.”
“…Wouldn’t it be better to do it now?”
“Lotte still hasn’t answered why I’m here, has she?”
“What on earth do you mean!?”

Lotte couldn’t help but gasp in surprise —saying she couldn’t answer why Alisha was here was tantamount to saying she wasn’t doing any work.
　It felt like an extra weight had been placed on her shoulders —under such circumstances, it was impossible to concentrate on cleaning.
Just as she brought over a stepladder to reach a high spot and stepped onto it —her foot slipped.

“Ah—”

Just as she was about to lose her balance and fall to the floor, Alisha caught her.