Chapter 18: Starting from the Beginning

--From Riochiro's point of view.

1 day after the end of the training

Everything was silent, there was no one around to talk and meanwhile I had not been able to help myself from engrossing myself with such negative thoughts as the memories of my sister, it had been a few weeks since I was notified of her departure, but I still could not get over her abandonment.

I couldn't help but think of some kind of reason to make sense of everything that had happened to me in the last few years, it seemed so unreal, but from one moment to the next I thought that this was my new reality and I had to accept it for the sake of my family, well, what was left of my family.

But now without her, without my sister, without that fucking whiny bastard... What was the point of my suffering? Why did I go through such a hellish training?

To protect myself?! Don't fuck with me!

I was forcibly taken from my mother, bludgeoned and beaten, kidnapped by one of the 13 great families and separated from my only anchor of sanity while they kept me locked inside a maze like I was some kind of monster and I also haven't forgotten that before all that I was put through some kind of electric chair until I lost consciousness.

Hooray for me! The stupid bastard who bought into this whole "Get stronger to protect your family" story.

And now what's in it for me?

Knowledge, prowess with a rare type of swordsmanship, and a new job as a servant to my captors. Come on, clap for me, I deserve a prize for being asshole of the year.

Don't you think teddy bear which Rikka bought me as a gift?

What am I thinking? It's stupid, even more stupid than a quiet one who wants to pass himself off as some kind of pariah.

Well, you may ask, what is the conclusion of this long reflection?

Well, it's simple, there is only one conclusion: My dearest sister is an ungrateful cat and clearly I have to serve the Kisaragi's if I don't want to stay in the very street.

Which has some advantages, by the way, I haven't mentioned anything about my new room, which was given to me for being a servant of one of the 13 great families, it's very comfortable and luxurious no doubt.

By the way, during all this time that I have been reflecting I have been curled up in bed in the fetal position covered with a quilt which covers my whole body, from head to toe.

Outside the comfortable bed that covers almost ¼ of the room, there are two night tables with 2 drawers to store anything I can think of, I guess most of the space will be consumed in putting notes or props like scissors or sewing needles.

I might as well put a night lamp, "Light at hand is like a brother" that's what they say.

...

A shit, I just remembered my sister again, dammit. I wish I could rip my brain out and ask her "What the fuck are you thinking?" but I think I'd die in the process... I think.

Fixing my eyes on the front is the door to the room, next to it is the closet, I don't think you guys need an explanation of what I'm going to do with the closet, not that it's a mystery either, and next to the closet on the side wall is a window, overlooking the garden, I don't think they are very relevant, due to the fact that the giant maze covers almost all of the view that can be had from my room.

-Rioooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooochiro.

My ears feel a voice in the distance that upon reaching my eardrums transmit a serious sense of alert to my brain, the cause of the echo was getting closer and closer, until I could finally get a view of the creature when it made the door of my room slam the closet aggressively and once I had in visualization the dangerous animal called Rikka, I felt my blood run through my veins faster than normal.

-Suplex Matasanos in different positions, attack section, stone lifter.

I quickly pulled off my wrinkled quilt and pranced my buttocks to make my presence known.

-Wait Rikka didn't- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

It was too late to stop this homicide, Rikka had touched me on my side and started to transmit the amperage of her body to mine through this simple skin contact and after a moment I stopped electrocuting myself and just let my motionless torso fall on the soft and comforting bed, while my body emanated some smoke caused by my scorched hairs which were on my forearm on my chest and other areas not worth mentioning to the children.

-So you're not going to get up yet," he said as he slowly extended his hand towards my skin.

-Wait, wait! -I got up from my bed -You win, see? I'm already on my feet, I won't touch the bed again... For the rest of the day!

-This is a punishment for not fulfilling your duty, butlers are supposed to wake up before their masters and wake them up, so every time I wake up before you... I will make you feel what 2.20v is all over your body, got it?

-Understood, loud and clear Madam.

-But for the moment... -He looked toward the bed as his cheeks flushed and the tone of his voice became increasingly squeaky and weak- -How about sitting on the side of the bed for a moment.

-Huh? Why or what for?

-Just listen to me if you don't want me to electrocute you again.

-But My Lady, let me, if only to dress properly, I am in my underwear right now.

Truly it is unfortunate that a girl as aggressive as her catches you freshly awake, above all things there is something that makes me embarrassed, my friend downstairs, better known as "Bruno", well he is just like raising a flag, lucky I have put my hands in front of him and I could hide my embarrassment, but I think the idyllic thing for this situation would be to dress myself, even with another piece of clothing that can cover the motivated Bruno.

Rikka looked me up and down attentively as she squinted her eyes to stare intently at my almost naked body. Simply speechless.

-I think you're fine, anyway, look at me," she lifted her arms at her sides so I could see her clothes, "I'm in my pajamas too, and I'm not embarrassed at all.

"She who is not naked speaks."

What Rikka was wearing was some kind of pajamas that consisted mostly of a kind of long-sleeved sweater which covered all her arms, but at the same time left her entire neck exposed, from her Adam's apple to her collarbones, making her breasts almost visible.

-I have 3 convincing arguments explaining the reasons why you should let me get dressed.

-Let's see, explain each of them to me.

I gulped as I quickly thought of some excuse that would convince her and it turned out, "Hey, guess who's got a new job? Let's make the most of it!"

-First, I'll be late serving you since I'm not in uniform.

-I've already been awake for two hours and you were snoring like a bear so you 're already late.

"Oops."

-Secondly, according to the contract, I, Miss Kisaragi's personal butler, should be properly dressed in front of my mistress in order to give her my services.

-I think that as long as I allow you to be like this, I don't think there will be any problems with your work.

"Oops."

I was silent for a moment to think about my 3rd excuse, meanwhile Rikka looked at me indifferently.

-Well? The third one.

Fuck it, if I thought about it so carefully she would realize my intentions, so I bet everything on my last card, my final move, so convoluted that not even the smartest man in the family could give me an answer so concrete as to refute it, this was a lip service move that could kill even the very gods of Olympus, this is what I call....

-Please...?

"Beg?"

I don't know if this was too much to say, but the young mistress looked at me with a face indisputably of surprise and confusion, but, what can I say? I couldn't think of anything else, I didn't even have any other choice.

-Well...- she mentioned still looking at me scornfully- Since the first two justifications can be accepted I think I'll at least ask you to put on some pants.

"I GOT IT!"

Quickly I took course towards the closet, I walked as fast as I could and opened the doors wide, I pulled out the fine cloth pants that came incorporated to my butler uniform as the lower part and jumped into them as if I had been a ball and my pants the hoop, after all this process I fastened the buttons and put on the leather belt to then rejoin my previous position in front of the young lady.

-Well, what did you ask me before our little quarrel, Ojou-sama? -I said as I leaned forward slightly.

-Sit on the edge of the bed. -This time I found no nervousness or stuttering in her tone, her request was straight and imposing, she acted like a real high class girl, although her dress ruined the image a lot, I think the real intensity was hidden in the aura she gave off. -

-Well, if I may.

I did just what she asked me to do, even without knowing what the request was about, I just listened to her order and executed it without thinking about it.

-Well then, let's begin.

He came closer to me and raised his arms above my head and lowered them, he rested his hands on my trapezes and with his fingertips he touched my back, then he sat in front of me, on my lap, my face and his face were so close that even the tips of our noses were touching, as a last detail, he wrapped his legs around my waist, as if he wanted to hold on to me and not let go.

-Miss Rikka, what's this all about?

She quickly put her index finger delicately on my lips while she told me to be quiet.

-Silence Riochiro- she grabbed my face with her two hands, making me focus my gaze on her- This what I'm going to do is... A contract renewal.

"A contract renewal" I thought

A few weeks ago.

While I was training in the labyrinth, Rikka came to see me after being away for a few months. Her visit made me happy to say the least.

The real problem was when she told me about my sister's departure. Clearly, the news left me in shock, I almost felt as if my world had collapsed. So much so, that my will to fight went away.

At that moment, I didn't care if I stayed inside the labyrinth for the rest of my life. I no longer had any reason to continue to make myself strong, or even follow the path I had chosen, my reason for being was gone.

Luckily, Rikka was there to comfort me, despite my rudeness towards her, she did not turn away from me. She hugged me and conveyed her warmth to me through her words and gentle gestures.

I felt comforted by her, so I also stretched out my arms and wrapped them around her.

Her smell, the warmth of her body, the way she embraced me, inevitably reminded me of my mother. For a moment I felt renewed after so much suffering.

Once I came out of my mental fog, something was clear to me. I had to go to The Third, but I had a long way to go.

My goal was simple: leave the mansion, enroll in a school and then apply to go to The Third, but how could I do that?

Regardless, once I got out of here no one was going to help me, I was going to be left to my own devices, at least I had a place to go back to. The house where I used to live.

Notwithstanding that, Rikka asked me to stay with her. Her look was mixed with sadness and concern. Of course, at first I thought that this would interfere with the rest of my plan.

But the idea of staying with her didn't seem so bad. After all, she was like my second family, one of the few people who had accompanied me all these years of my isolation.

Not only that. There was also the possibility that I could stay here with them and wait for my sister's return, if she ever deigned to come back.

However, in order to stay with the Kisaragi, I needed to be a member of their family, Rikka told me that there was a way to make this possible and then, she pressed her lips to mine and began to move them gently.

Confused, I asked Rikka about the meaning of such an action. Embarrassed she simply electrocuted me, for some reason and then explained to me about the meaning of such an action.

It was a contract. That's how the Kisaragi hired their staff members. So, from that moment on, I became Kisaragi Rikka's personal butler.

Then I asked him a question that came to my mind at that moment.

Had old Ryuugamine hired Mr. Kawashima in the same way?

I couldn't imagine the two old mustachioed men doing such an action with each other.

Nervously, Rikka replied that this was how women "hired" and that only they could do it that way. The men in the family did it in the more conventional way.

Then she also explained to me that the contract had to be renewed every "certain time". She would come to me when that was necessary.

Back to the present.

In a very fast way he glued his lips to mine and began to caress them softly, while his fingers moved gently down my back and his body pressed against mine for a few moments.

My eyes went crazy and I felt my cheeks heat up almost as if I had a torch stuck on my face, my heart soared and thus I went stiff, rather my whole body went stiff and I felt so weird, as if I was not in control of my own body.

But if that sudden emotional discharge was not enough, I felt as if something was gently caressing the inside of my mouth, it was a caress so unusual and at the same time so relaxing, that my whole head went blank at times.

That divine part that wrapped itself around me was... it was her tongue.

I quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away from me, maybe it was my illusion, but when I touched her I felt her shoulders tense, slightly.

-What the hell Ri...?!

But when I saw her face, it was something else. I wouldn't know how to describe it, it was weird if you asked me at that moment, but if I had to describe it with something more specific, her face was a wreck.

Her eyes, resting on me, brighter than ever, two beautiful sapphires that looked at me a little agitated, but I could see deep down some desire in them, her cheeks were as red as mine, while from her mouth came a trickle of saliva that glistened in the morning light that entered my room, she did not take her eyes off my lips while breathing heavily.

I tried to calm down and think clearly again, put my feet on the ground, I didn't understand why I felt this way, I didn't even understand Rikka's reaction, this was supposed to be the beginning of a contract, something frivolous, a job given by a young lady to an underdog like me. But if you look at our reactions, this seems anything but professional.

-I think this would have "renewed" the contract by now.

She just stared at me while panting, I held her firmly by the shoulders again and shook her a little to see if she would react, but this only had the opposite effect than desired.

Rikka pounced on top of me again and laid me down on the bed, once she was on top of me, I was simply overcome by our position in general, as she grabbed my arms and pressed them against the bed, she brought her face close to my chest and rested it there, while caressing me with her cheek.

-What's wrong Rikka?

-Are you feeling well? -He mentioned as he lowered his voice, for some reason the situation began to feel more personal.

-I can't tell you if it feels good or not, it feels weird.

The conversation at this point took a pause, a moment of silence permeated the room and only the morning birdsong could be heard, until Rikka gave a big sigh.

-You know Riochiro, that thing I did to you a few moments ago is called a "kiss".

-Kiss? Wasn't that given in the face?

I mean, my sister used to give them to my face, no idea what she was talking about.

-Yes, but the one I just gave you is made between people who have a more... intimate relationship.

-Well, we have been pupil and master, friend and friend and now we are master and servant. In my opinion, we don't lack intimacy.

He gave a little jump to get off my chest and put his face on top of mine, he stared at me and just looking at his face gave me a sense of serenity.

-I think sometimes you do it on purpose, you know?

-I have no idea what you're talking about.

-How can you be so dumb?

-During my training you said I was smart, it's too contradictory to call me "Dumb" now.

Again he gave a deep sigh as he closed his eyes.

-Well..." he said as he ran his gaze over my body, "To have someone like you in this situation and do nothing would be a crime.

-What do you mean?

-That calm face you make even in a situation like this, that body, every time I see it I feel hot inside, that obedient and submissive attitude," he put his mouth close to my ear, I could feel his breathing getting more and more agitated, "It makes me want to do something bad.

At that moment I felt as if I was going to be attacked by a wild animal. I felt a kind of hunger in Rikka's behavior, she wanted to corner me completely, I felt I had to stop this here, but my mobility, was limited to my torso, since Rikka had me pressed against the bed and despite her looks, she is super strong.

I was trying to shake myself to see if I could get out of her clutches, but it was useless, she already had me cornered, bringing her face closer to mine little by little, she was a spider and I had been the poor fly that had fallen into her webs.

But suddenly the door opened and when I felt the door slam Rikka stopped the action she was doing to see who was the visitor who had interrupted her meal and this was not just anyone, but her sister Anna, who was lying in the doorway gaping.

-Uh?!" she said in surprise as her expression changed drastically to one of despair. -

His sister tried to say something, but apparently she was short of breath, so nothing came out of her mouth but a resounding and choked "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah".

I felt as if I had been responsible for something, but I didn't know what, it was just a strange feeling of guilt, but still I looked at them both in amazement.

-Dad, I found her! -Anna exclaimed, "HE'S TRYING TO Nail THE NEW MAJOR!

-HOWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?! -There was a scream so loud, it sounded like a roar.

-WAIT ANNA-NEE, IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!

-What do you mean by "nailing yourself"?

-RIOCHIRO YOU'RE AN IMBECILE!

After that incident the Kisaragi family was summoned to a family meeting in the great hall of the mansion, the meeting point was similar to a conference room of a small company, four sofas surrounding a coffee table quite wide, 2 meters or more.

Rikka sat next to her sister and I positioned myself behind them, standing, as servants were not allowed to sit during family gatherings, in front of us was Mr. Rikudo, Rikka's father, who was staring at his youngest daughter, with a slight frown.

-Well, young lady, anything you want to tell us? - he asked in a clearly crushing tone.

Rikka was silent, her shoulders shaking, looking horrified, as if she had been tormented by just a few words from Mr. Kisaragi.

I didn't even know the reason why this event was happening, but the sense of guilt I had felt earlier still lingered in my consciousness.

"Therefore..."

-Excuse me Master Rikudo- This I mentioned with the most respectful and soft tone I could make- I think part of the blame is on me.

Mr. Kisaragi looked at me with the same eyes as he did at Rikka, but I had the impression that part of his expression softened slightly as he addressed me.

-Ah, Takanashi boy, it seems that my daughter taught you correctly to be polite and have etiquette, but the truth is that you are not even 1% to blame for this act.

I bowed my head slightly and put my palm on my chest with my index and middle finger pressed a little close to my tie. Whenever a butler does this it is a sign of denial or doubt towards the statement or ideas of the people he serves.

-Is that so?

-No doubt, boy.

-Let me tell you something, silver butler," Anna said, turning to me.

Anna Brawntorn Kisaragi, Rikka's older sister, a 26 year old woman already married, her husband is Jenmes Jr. Brawntorn, and if my sources of knowledge are not wrong, every time someone from the west gets married, the woman must take the man's first surname, that's why the "Brawntorn" in her name.

A beautiful woman without a doubt, I think that when Rikka is her age she will be just as beautiful. Long hair with curled ends which reaches a little below her waist, her body has style, rather, it is like that of a model and her eyes are just like Rikka's, big sapphires, so bright and precious adorned with long eyelashes and long thin eyebrows.

-What do you wish to tell me, my lady?

-It is something about your mother and it is something very bad.

"Shit."

Normally I would be eager to hear information about my mother, but every time someone mentions her name, it's to give me bad news. I feel fearful, I don't want to hear it, but if this way I can know who my family was and all that mysticism that behind my own blood hides, hearing the bad news is just a small price to pay.

To tell the truth, normally I would lose my composure in a situation like this, but I'm in front of people and very important ones, I don't think it's wise to show weakness and much less in front of Rikka, it would look terrible for a butler to be weaker in mind than his master.

-I am anxious to hear, my lady.

"Still, I must go on, I must know who my mother was, so I can have clues to her past."

-Is it true that you and your sister were not allowed to leave the house until you turned 9?

-Yes, that's right.

-I thought so," said Anna as she gently scratched her chin.

Surprised, I looked at Anna. It was as if I had said something strange, as if something was unusual. My mother one day told me that normally children were not allowed to go outside the front door of the house until they were old enough to take care of themselves, she also mentioned that this limit was until they were 9 years old.

-Now that you mention it, it seems strange. -I wasn't allowed to leave the mansion because of my training, but Riochiro never had any training.

-Of course, my sister, but the weirdest thing here is not that, but rather, the reason for that.

-I don't understand either of you.

-Normally parents take their children out to play so that they can meet others and make friends, and this usually happens when they are 4 years old. But neither you nor your sister were allowed to go out until you were 9 years old.

-Yes, my mother said we couldn't go out until you were that age so that we would be strong enough to take care of ourselves.

-But that doesn't make sense," said Rikka.

-Riochiro-kun Do you remember your mother ever acting weird?

-Weird? What do you mean by "weird"?

-For example, looking out the windows a lot, waking up in the middle of the night or getting a lot of calls from some person.

My eyes widened in surprise, I remembered several occasions when my mother was called very often, she said it was a Dr. Takeda, I also remembered that one day I got up to go to the bathroom and she was in the kitchen, again receiving a call from Dr. Takeda, but it was very late like 3 o'clock in the morning. And then I remembered two occasions when I saw her looking at the windows of the house in a row. When my father left and when my father died.

Without much excuse to give her I nodded softly to the question Anna had asked me, I couldn't even think of telling her something false, she was trying to help me with my mother, but I still don't have the certainty that the Kisaragi family is really my ally.

But I know I can trust Rikka, Rikudo and Anna as I would trust old Ryugamine.

-So your mother kept you and your sister locked up in the house, maybe the reason was for your own protection or for something else, what you have to know -he fixed his eyes on my eyes- is that you are not a normal person and you are not going to be safe either, even if you are under our protection.

I take a pause to drink some tea that I had served him before this talk began. He swallowed softly and then continued.

-At least you can be relieved that your sister is totally safe at The Third, unfortunately we can't send you to her until you start school, since you don't have a school record.

-Well, that's all there is to say about Riochiro," said Rikudo, "Now where we were.

Rikka swallowed saliva and put herself in a state of defense again, master Rikudo looked at her sternly again, he looked at me as if he was saying inside "help me", contrary to his request I simply gave him a thumbs up and with a refreshing smile on my face inwardly wished him good luck.

In response her eyes became watery and she pouted in utter discontent. But I didn't help her anyway, I wasn't in the mood for that, I just turned my back on her and headed off to do whatever looks like a chore, cleaning the house, scrubbing and doing Miss Rikka's laundry. No one said anything to me as I left, everyone understood that my reaction was natural.

I headed to the west wing of the mansion, grabbed a broom and went into Rikka's room, stared at the floor for a moment, my mind going blank and then, as my thoughts began to move, so did the broom.

My head was a jumble.

Why didn't my mother ever tell me anything? Why was she kidnapped? Who was Dr. Takeda? Was this all related to my father's death? Or maybe...

I couldn't find a way to link it all together, I have little information and few contacts I can rely on. It's just letting it go and thinking about it at another more specific time, otherwise I won't be able to sleep well today.