Chapter 19: Reflection

It was getting dark and the staff of the mansion stopped working on the cleaning of the house and simply focused on the kitchen, most of the staff in the kitchen were maids and the personal butlers, who proportionally to the kitchen staff were mostly servants, began to serve their respective family members. (A curious fact: In the mansion there are more female staff than male, perhaps it is by preference of some of the 2 heads, but that's none of my business).

I was in Rikka's room and she was reading Omero's Odyssey and this afternoon just after the 4 o'clock snack she had finished reading the Iliad. These two books were the punishment that Mr. Kisaragi had imposed on her, that is, to learn these two books by heart, otherwise Kisaragi Rikka will not be able to leave her room.

The good thing is that his daughter is a prodigy and surely everything she reads is stored in her mind as if it were a kind of personal server.

-I think I'll leave it here for now -I throw the book on her bed after saying that- Riochiro.

-You tell me, Rikka Ojou-sama.

-Prepare me some lime tea, I'm a little tired and could use some relaxation.

"Oh, finally an order that doesn't sound so strange, as a butler, I find it even satisfying."

-I'll be right there, Miss Rikka.

-Oh, and one more thing....

-Yes, tell me what you want.

-When we are alone, stop being so formal with me, I find it strange, besides, I miss when we used to talk about our things as simple friends.

I looked into his eyes, I was serious, the way he looked at me could perhaps be expressed as sad, but you can say that looking into his eyes, those words were as important as intimate as our relationship. It was one of those things that if we both agreed that would define our relationship from now on.

-All right, Rikka, let me bring you some tea and then if you want we can talk," I smiled to make her realize that my way of acting was the same as always and not my servant facet. -

-I'd love to talk, but I need to get up early to finish reading this book. I might have something to talk to you about tomorrow, though.

-Okay, we'll talk tomorrow then.

I left his room and quietly closed the door so that no one sleeping in the rooms next door would be alarmed.

I continued walking through the now dark corridors of the mansion, the moonlight filtering through the windows, making some areas of the corridor faintly illuminated by a trail of silver light.

My room is located in the corridor at the back of the second and last floor of the mansion, so sometimes it is difficult to reach that place as such, the side corridors of the mansion are long and even seem kilometers long.

However, I enjoy the silence that these corridors provide at night and as I walk to my room, I like to reflect from time to time and from time to time, I would also like to think carefully about what Rikka did this morning.

I mean, she told me that while I'm half naked she wanted to do something "bad" to me, although I don't quite understand the phrase, I think she thinks I have a bad body, but that's a lie, she also told me that she felt "tempted" by him.

I think I read the description of that word in the dictionary, also the Bible mentions that Eve was "tempted" to bite the apple from the tree, when that happened her desires were overflowing.

Does Rikka also want to eat me, is she a cannibal, does she see me as her food?!!!! The more I think about this, the more confused I get, I don't understand anything at all.

Well, while I was thinking about all this I arrived at the door of my room, the best thing to do is to rest until the next day, I think I should consult with Rikka just in case, after all, she understands each other better than anyone else.

The next day

-WHAT THE...?!

-Calm down Rikka, I just wanted to know what you think about me.

-But are you aware of what you're asking?!

-I just asked you why you claim to love me so much.

-Nonononononononono. -You didn't ask me like that! You said, "Why do you want me so badly?" You idiot! Are you trying to seduce me even though you know what happened yesterday?!

-First of all, I don't even know what you mean, secondly, according to Mr. Rikudo, what happened yesterday was explicitly your fault.

Suddenly, I felt a somewhat threatening aura coming from Rikka herself, something like a bloodthirsty gaze.

-You dare to challenge your teacher?

-Wait Rikka... It was just a clarification. I didn't mean to-

-Attack Loliiiii!

-¡¡¡¡NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Rikka rushed at me with her body already electrocuted and held me tightly with both arms as I fell to the ground with her on top of me, once on the ground, she started to electrocute me.

-¡#32W-W-Wait"#"#!!!

-What? -Are you going to beg for mercy already?

-$%&/(Iiiii-i Just W%&ant U-u-uNDersTand yoU.

Suddenly, Rikka stopped electrocuting me and let go, standing on top of me, while staring me straight in the eyes.

-Repeat that, Riochiro.

-I just want to understand you.

-Mmmm... And what do you mean by that, my dear butler?

-I want to clear things up between the two of us, I want to know why you've been acting strange lately.

-What do you mean "weird"?

-That's the only word I can describe, yesterday morning, you know "what happened" I never saw you behaving like that during our training....

-Riochiro, there are things that you must understand by yourself before I can explain them to you myself, what you are asking me is one of them.

-Rikka, I have studied for years, you know it very well, you taught me how to read and write, you taught me how to calculate, you taught me psychology, but even knowing everything I know I can't understand you.

-But have you ever read Romeo and Juliet, Riochiro?

-Remember that I haven't had much time to read novels or anything like that, it's only two days since I got out of that labyrinth.

-That's true, but don't worry, soon the solution to all that will be in our hands.

-Solution?

-It's a surprise.

-Come on! Tell me about it, you know how sensitive I am to it.

-Unfortunately you'll have to wait. Go and make me some tea.

-What tea would you like, Miss Rikka," I said in a brusque and unwilling manner.

-Mmmm, it's early in the morning, so make me an Early Gray.

-As I wished.

-And stop that listless tone with me, I forgot to mention that you forgot to bring me my linden tea yesterday.

-Excuse me "Miss Rikka".

-I didn't like the way you emphasized that last part. -Do you want another current discharge?

-No! No! No! No! Don't worry! I'll bring your tea right away, Rikka! -You have 20 minutes.

-You've got 20 minutes.

-I'm coming!

I quickly left Rikka's room, and ran down the hallway until I reached the stairs, which descended to the lobby of the mansion, where there was luxurious red furniture, which matched the carpet, while the coffee tables were dark and exquisitely varnished.

I hurried down the stairs and ran to the inside of the hallways, opened one of the doors on the right, any one was fine, all the doors on the left corridor of the second floor of the room led to the kitchen.

I opened the kitchen door panting and found to my surprise that the cook was already there, sharpening his knives, with his chef's hat and white apron already on.

He was a stocky man, about a head taller than me, a bit overweight and looked to be in his late 50s to early 60s, had a big mustache from cheek to cheek and his nose was completely red, like a sailor's.

-Oh, you are Miss Rikka's butler, until we finally meet.

-Good morning, I am... -Takanashi Riochiro, I think in this mansion you don't need any introduction.

-Takanashi Riochiro, I think that in this mansion you don't need any introduction.

Why is that?

-Mr. Ryugamine, when he was alive, he came every day to prepare breakfast for you, in a religious way, and he always told us about you and your father, and while he was telling us all that, he prepared coffee for the staff of the mansion, and with time everyone got to know you.

-Mr. Ryugamine?

-Yes, it was very unusual to see him doing things in the kitchen because of his busy schedule, but thanks to you, all the staff of the mansion were able to talk to him every morning, even I am very grateful, I was able to talk to him about many things, even if it was for one last time.

-I see...

-Are you all right, son? You look pale...

-It's nothing, maybe it's because I woke up very early today and I haven't had breakfast....

-Oh, I was just preparing something to eat to practice, it seems you're in luck today.

The cook pulled out a sandwich from under the plateau I was standing on and placed it in front of me.

-Here, it's beef ham with tomato and onions, a strong dish, for a strong man.

-Thank you...

-By the way, my name is Katsuro Uemi." He introduced himself while smiling from ear to ear.

I took the sandwich in silence and put it on the table, I sat on one of the wooden chairs that were around the kitchen and stared doubtfully at the sandwich, that was because in reality, I had no appetite.

Looking at the words that the cook Uemi told me, old Ryugamine is... Dead? That makes a lot of things make sense and a lot of things don't make sense. I mean, why didn't Rikka tell me anything?

I mean, it's true that I didn't ask about the old man, but that's just as important as when my sister left, I mean, it's the old man.... Damn, at this point I remember his face and vaguely.

But despite everything that's happened and everything I'm going through now, I still owed Mr. Ryugamine a lot, and now, he's dead....

For some reason, I feel sad about it too.

That's why Rikka acted like that that day, the last day of training, she was melancholy because she too had lost someone. In that case, I'm an idiot. I focused on my sister's problem and didn't listen to her carefully.

"Give me half of your life, I'll give you half of mine."

That phrase was because like me, she saw that she had lost someone important, that's why everything she said back then....

"I will take your sister's place" "I wish we were more than a teacher or a cousin."

Just like me, she just wanted to find a shelter, and then I just started saying barbarities, instead of trying to understand her, all the bad feelings that accumulated in that moment played against me....

She, she was just trying to help me and I despised her, she is trying to consolidate the connection she had with old Ryugamine with me, that's why she forced a connection between the two of us.

"Butler and Mistress."

Because just like me, she also lost someone.....

I think I finally understand Rikka's actions, if only a little bit more. Whatever it was, this sandwich helped me become a little more enlightened, so as a thank you, I'll eat it voraciously.

I also have to go ask Rikka about old Ryugamine later.

Once I finished the sandwich I gave the dirty plate back to the cook to put it in the sink, indeed, Uemi scrubbed the plate with incredible skill, so it was clean in a matter of seconds.

-By the way, young man, what did you come here for? You might be forgetting something.

At that moment, I quickly remembered the tea Rikka had ordered me 40 MINUTES ago.

-Shit!!!

Uemi when she saw that I screamed in the sky she got a little upset and after a jump of surprise she started to ask me shouting "But what's wrong?" "What happened?"

-I'm fried Uemi-san.....

-Let's see son, tell me slowly what is your situation and why you seem so desperate?

-Look master, what happened was that the lady asked me for an Early Gray about 40 minutes ago and told me to bring it to her in 20 minutes by the clock, and now she must be in the room waiting for me to electrocute me.

-Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh, that usually happens to all newbies, relax. Come, I'll show you how to make an Early Gray in the most optimal way and it will be delicious.

-Sir...

I don't know why, but at that moment, I saw that old mustachioed and probably gloomy-looking man, like a celestial angel who descended from the clouds to help me as if he were something divine.

I spent about 5 minutes preparing Rikka's tea, all thanks to Don Uemi's advice, he taught me how to prepare the Early Gray in a way that preserved the freshness of the leaves and dyed the water of its respective gray color, in less than 7 minutes I was back in Rikka's room, although she seemed focused on the books, so simply, I advanced silently through the room and left the cup of tea on her table, and then I sat on the bed, waiting for her to take another break from her reading.

Again the day was beginning, the sun again subtly peeked through the windows of my room, the early morning light lifts me up the instant it comes through my window and touches my face, again another day begins.

I get dressed, grab my uniform from the closet and get dressed. Then I quickly go to the butler's bathroom on the second floor and quickly brush my teeth before undressing and getting into the bathtub for a quick bath.

And now it's full of naked men bathing.

Let me explain, the butler's bathroom is a common room so that all the butlers can get ready to assist their masters, normally, as I got up at 7 in the morning, the bathroom was empty, since I was the last one to bathe.

But since I now have the common schedule, the whole thing is now a hotbed of eggs, since the bathroom is the common room which is where the shitters and sinks are and then there's the bathing part, which is a big bathtub, redundancy aside, here all the butlers bathe together.

Heck, there are even two guys in the bottom rubbing each other's backs, what could be more uncomfortable than that.

Still, to get out of that situation quickly, I have to take a bath anyway, so I got in the tub with the sponge and soap and started scrubbing my body quickly and efficiently.

-You're still young, you won't get these muscles out of nowhere, clearly.

From the back of the bathroom I heard a voice with his characteristic nod, it was the voice of Mr. Uemi, just out of pure curiosity I looked towards the place where the voice came from and in spite of being half cloudy because of the steam, I could identify a large group gathered.

I got out of the bathtub and approached the place, just to know what they were talking about, but the closer I got the more barbarities I heard.

-I have been training for 2 years in a row and these were the results of all the effort, even so I feel frustrated sir, how is it that I can reach your excellent muscular level?

-I also want to know Mr. Uemi, I have been training since I was 15 years old, but even though time goes by I can't increase anything, I have to confess that I have been tempted to go to the dark side and succumb to the trembo?

But when the steamy mist cleared from my vision, my suspicions were dispelled and my nightmare became reality. A group of men, almost naked with only a white towel covering their waists, posing and moving their muscles in disgusting ways.

-I was a sailor for 34 years of my life, I was a scrawny and weak boy, I could barely hold an anchor despite being a super strength user.

-So what made you grow up like that, sir?

Uemi held up a hand with 4 fingers raised and began to procrastinate.

-A good workout that shakes your muscles, a good diet, a good rest and above all Never give up! . That is the secret recipe for the growth of my muscles.

-Mr. Uemi!!!! -shouted all the men around Uemi, apparently the speech was very enlightening and motivating for them, even for me, who was only listening from the outside.

Suddenly they all struck a pose, as if they were Power Rangers and started flexing their muscles around themselves. I could only stare in exasperation at such a scene straight out of my worst nightmares.

To make matters worse, Mr. Uemi became aware of my presence in the vicinity and turned his gaze towards me with an "Ummm". Consequently, all members of the group looked over to where I was.

Shocked by the worsening situation, I proceeded to petrify.

-Oh, if it isn't Riochiro.

-The master Riochiro?" said all the boys in the group in chorus.

-Yes, that's him, the one Mr. Ryugamine was telling us about," said Uemi, affirming the previous answer.

I tried to sound polite, but all that came out of my mouth was a stifled "Hello..."

-OHHHHHHH!- Even so, their response was quite animated- The old man told us quite a bit about you, he told us that you were training in the labyrinth and that someday we would meet you.

-Talking about everything a little bit," said Mr. Uemi, "He is one of our young promises. Look no more! At 15 years old and a bit small in size, the boy shines for his aesthetics.

Everyone started to look my body up and down, although to be honest, I felt a bit harassed, but something was awakening inside me at that moment, when everyone started to praise me.

-It's true, that muscle mass...

-That definition...

-His shoulders are broad, his arms are strong and hard.

-And he's one of those people who have a long, thick belly.

-He was trained by Miss Rikka herself, so you know what good training does. His body was shaped under pressure and worked to the limit, and his breakfasts were made by Mr. Ryugamine himself.

A tall bald man with a gruff look put a hand on my shoulder, and stared at me.

-My name is Fujimoto, from now on you are our bro, welcome to the group.

-Welcome to the group," said everyone behind him.

-Huh?