Oh? You're approaching me? (Ch:8)

"I'm bored..." Kaeya thought, staring at the ceiling.

It had been around ten minutes since he had woken up. Normally, he was the type to wake up on time—his ears always picked up the lowest of sounds. The problem was that he never actually wanted to get up.

And that was exactly why, when the twin maids had come knocking, he'd told them to only bother him once that Roswaal guy was ready to meet him and Subaru.

Now, though, that decision had come back to haunt him. He couldn't fall asleep again, no matter how much he tried. He shifted, turning over, but the bed was no longer comfortable. With a sigh, he admitted defeat.

Kaeya swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, rolling his shoulders. His body was stiff, so he started stretching—interlocking his fingers behind his back and raising his arms to loosen his muscles. The satisfying cracks from his spine made him exhale in relief.

Feeling a bit more awake, he reached for his cloak, unfolding it and then throwing it over his shoulders. As he secured it in place, his hand moved to his sword, fastening it at his waist.

'For a swordsman, the weapon is supposed to act like an extra limb afterall.' he mused, resting his hand on the hilt for a moment.

.

.

Kaeya's ears perked up at the voice in the distance. Though the words were somewhat muffled, he caught bits of them—something about Mathers and....Natsuki Subaru!

"Finally."

He adjusted his cloak, making sure it sat comfortably over his shoulders, and followed the sound. His boots made little noise against the polished floor.

As he walked, he couldn't help but think about the eerie emptiness of the mansion. For a place this large, it felt... deserted. The only residents he knew who lived there before his and Subaru's arrival were Emilia, the twin maids, and Roswaal. It was odd. But he didn't dwell on it for too long.

The voices grew clearer as he neared, The large door was open so he could see what seemed to be a dining area. He caught a glimpse of Subaru standing there, looking awkward as usual, and A person looking like ... .a clown? who—judging by his tone was the person known as Roswall L. Mathers, If he was not mistaken. However, seeing that no one else in the room could have that name, He suspected him of being the one for the moment.

Kaeya stepped into the room, his face forming a small smile, First impressions were important after all.

"Well, well. I wake up, and the first thing I hear is a conversation that sounds rather interesting," Kaeya remarked, stepping into the room with an easygoing smile. "Mind if I join in, or should I go back to sleep?"

He took in the reactions of all the people in the room.

The twin maids remained neutral, Emilia, on the other hand, greeted him with a bright smile, seemingly happy to see him. A small girl at the table, wearing bright colors spared him a brief glance which lingered for a moment more on his ears, before she promptly lost interest and started to play with the grey furred cat on her lap, while Subaru looked momentarily surprised by his sudden interruption.

As for Roswaal... his expression shifted in a fleeting instant—something unreadable flashed across his face for the briefest moment around one-fifth of a second, before he broke into his usual large, pleased smile.

"Oooooh? You must be the other guest Emilia-sama brought along, yeeeeesss?" Roswaal mused. "Kaeya, was it?"

Kaeya met his gaze and said. "That's correct, Lord Roswaal." His tone was polite, He didn't want to displease a nobel from another world, Who knew how much they tolerated, Though when he thought about it for a second more he probably shouldn't have concerned himself with it since Subaru was still standing there well and healthy.

Subaru grinned. "Man, you sure are a late riser aren't ya?. Did you sleep well, or were you just too lazy to get out of bed?"

"Both."

.

.

The scene shifted, and they were now all seated at the dining table. The twin maids stood at either side of Roswaal's chair.

Subaru took a sip of the soup in front of him, his face immediately lighting up with delight. "This is way better than normal food!"

"Mhhm, Despite her appearance, Rem's cooking is quite impressive," Roswaal said.

Hearing this, Subaru turned his attention to the blue-haired maid. "So this was made by the one with blue hair... uh, Rem-chan, right? You're the one who cooked this?"

Rem gave a polite nod. "Yes, sir. I am responsible for preparing the meals in this household. My sister is not very skilled in cooking."

"Ah, twins who are good at different things! Is your sister good at cleaning, then?"

"Yes, that is correct. My sister excels at housework, especially cleaning and laundry."

"So, Rem-rin, you're good at cooking but bad at cleaning and laundry?"

"No, I am generally good at all household tasks. I'm also better at laundry and cleaning than my sister."

"Does your sister even have a purpose?!"

'That conversation just won first place for the most mind-numbingly dull topic I've ever had to sit through.' Kaeya thought.

"You are truly a strange young man. You come to the mansion of Margrave Mathers, in the Kingdom of Lugunica, aaaand you saaay you don't understaaaand a thing."

Subaru looked perplexed at the lord of the manor. "Is something bad happening in this country?"

Kaeya, who had been leisurely eating his food, lowered his spoon slightly, his gaze flickering toward Roswaal. 'Is he talking about the royal family's death?'

After arriving in this world, Kaeya had made sure to gather as much information as possible. It hadn't taken him long to learn about the absence of a king—a fact that seemed to have left the nation in a precarious situation. Though he wasn't entirely sure about the finer details, he had pieced together enough to know that the political climate was anything but stable.

Roswaal's ever-present smile didn't waver, and he even made eye contact with Kaeya, as if trying to gauge his reaction—even though this was common knowledge.

He turned his attention back to Subaru and said.

"Well, it is not in an agreeable state. After all, Lugunica's king is currently not present."

Subaru stopped eating and looked at Roswaal with surprise.

"No, there's no need to be concerned... Everyone is quite aware of the reality already."

"Really? I expected a 'Now that you know my secret I can't let you leave here alive' thing."

"Around the same time, the king went into hiding. An epidemic began to spread throughout the castle. The king and his children are the last of his line. The nation is currently being managed by a council of wise men, and they are now in the process of selecting a new king."

Subaru seemed to be in thought.

"I see. I'm starting to get the picture. On top of the king's absence, the royal selection is causing confusion in the kingdom. Then suddenly, I appear from another world-"

"Wait, We're totally suspects here!" Subaru's face contorted to one of pure panic.

"Aaaand on top of aaalll that, you made contact with Emilia-sama, thus becoming connected to my household."

"Wait, why would the lord of the mansion call her Emilia-sama?" Subaru asked in confusion.

"It's only natural to address someone of higher status with due respect." Roswaal casually clarified.

Subaru looked nervous as he turned to the girl beside him.

"Um, so Emilia-tan would be... "

Emilia smiled sympathetically. "My current title would be a candidate to become the Kingdom of Lugunica's forty-second ruler, with the backing of Margrave Roswaal."

'I thought she might be a noble based on her clothing when we were in the capital, but it seems I underestimated just how high her status truly is,' Kaeya thought.

Subaru recoiled back. "What!?"

"Sorry to surprise you. I wasn't trying to keep it a secret." Emilia slowly placed her insignia on the table.

"Hey, it's that insignia."

"This qualifies one to be a candidate for king. It's a touchstone for determining if one is worthy of the throne."

"Wait, Emilia-tan, you lost an insignia that qualifies you to rule the kingdom?!" Subaru looked at the half-elf ludicrously.

"Don't put it like that! I didn't lose it! It was stolen from me by a thief!"

"That's the same thing! And what happens if you lose that thing anyway? Will a government office issue another one?" Subaru almost fell off his chair.

"Oh, my! If you'd lost it, then there would be no doubt. If it's believed that one who can't even protect a tiny insignia can't be entrusted with the nation's rule, that would be the end of it." Roswaal explained, still smiling.

Subaru grinned smugly. "Now that I think about it, we did a damn good job. This totally raises my expectations for a reward!" He wiggled his fingers in anticipation.

"Yeah, you're right. You're a true savior to me. So ask for anything." Emilia smiled at him, not at all deterred by his finger wriggling.

Roswaal raised his hands wide. "You may have any reward you request. Just name your desire."

Subaru chuckled darkly.

He stood up.

"In that case, I have but one request." as he smiled to keep them in suspense. Everyone in the room waited.

"Hire me to work in this mansion!"

Silence.

"Achoo." Ram sneezed.

Kaeya let out a quiet sigh through his nose.

"That's quite the unexpected request," Kaeya remarked. "Of all the things you could have asked for, you chose employment?"

"Of course!" Subaru turned to him with a grin. "Living here means free food, a warm bed, and I get to hang out with Emilia-tan every day!"

"You could have just asked to stay as an unlimited guest."

Subaru froze. "...Oh shit! I completely forgot about that!" His face twisted in exaggerated regret before he quickly tried to recover. "B-But I guess it's better to do something productive with my stay here."

Roswaal chuckled, clearly amused. "My, my, how very noble of you, Subaru-kun! A man of productivity and purpose, yeeees?"

Subaru crossed his arms, nodding sagely. "Exactly! Sitting around doing nothing isn't my style."

Kaeya turned to Roswaal. "Since I was also involved in retrieving Emilia-sama's insignia, I believe I'm entitled to a request as well, correct?"

Roswaal's mismatched eyes gleamed with amusement as he turned to Kaeya. "Of course, It wooould be unfaaair to deny you the saaaame chance. Soo, what is it that you desiiire?"

"I'd like to stay as an unlimited guest... with access to the mansion's library."

Subaru blinked. "Seriously? Books?"

However, Subaru's statement was ignored.

Roswaal let out a chuckle. "Buuut I must claaariify... The maaansion has two librariees. Oooone of them is... off-limits. Buuut you may freely use my priiivate one."

"Works for me."

Subaru slumped in his chair. "Man, I think I kinda messed up my wish..."

"You did."

"Oi!"

Emilia giggled while Roswaal clapped his hands together. "Now then! Siiince you are staying under my rooof, you must follow the maaansion's rules, yeees?"

Subaru puffed out his chest. "Yeah, yeah! I'll be the best worker you've ever seen!"

.

.

.

"That's not quite right..." Emilia stared at Subaru as he wore unfit clothes. "Wasn't there anything else that fits, Subaru?"

Currently, Emilia and Kaeya were watching Subaru struggle to find a butler's uniform that actually fit him.

"Oddly, some of the girls' stuff fit me, but..."

"Our deepest apologies, sir... I mean, Subaru-kun." Rem said deadpanned,"

"You look ridiculous, sir... I mean, Barusu."

"Um, Nee-sama, you just turned my name into a blinding curse."

Ram ignored him and looked at her sister.

"Rem, do you notice anything when looking at Barusu's ridiculous appearance?"

"His shoulders are shaped funny, his legs are short, and his eyes are scary."

Subaru pointed at Rem, glaring. "Two of those are things I can't do anything about!"

"We can't allow you to work here in such shady-looking attire. People would question Roswaal-sama's dignity. Let us alter the jacket at least. Rem, if you please."

Emilia started leaving the room and waved at Kaeya and Subaru. "All right, I gotta go study for the royal selection. Good luck with your work, too, Subaru. Also, let's talk sometime later, Kaeya."

"Sure, good luck with your studies."

"Yeah, leave it to me, Emilia-tan!"