Friends

Morning studies over, a light snack eaten, and the time when magic studies would usually start had come around.

But it's raining cats and dogs outside, so it looks like Sara-chan's magic studies are cancelled for today.

It seems this is always the case whenever it rains.

If she can't do practical training outside, why not do some book learning in her room? is what I think, but apparently Sara-chan doesn't have the patience for that.

Well, unlike me with my memories of a previous life, Sara-chan is still just a little kid.

I suppose that can't be helped.

But Sara-chan, you're supposed to enroll in that academy thing in a little while, right?

I wonder if she'll be able to keep up with the academy's classes in this state.

I'm a little worried.

So, with no magic studies, Sara-chan's time is all her own.

That said, she can't go outside because of the rain, so she's dragged me, the maid apprentice she's taken a liking to for some reason, into her room for chat time.

Oh, for the record, Maid-senpai is standing by in the corner of the room.

Part of it is probably not leaving two kids alone together, and part of it might be that she's posted there to keep an eye on me.

“Hey, hey, Emi! I want you to tell me some kind of interesting story!”

Here we go~. The classic little-kid impossible request~.

That said, Sara-chan finds anything I say interesting and listens intently.

Talking isn't my strong suit to begin with, but even my halting stories, she listens to with a big smile, you know.

I can't help wanting to try my best at talking, too.

“......Then, since it's raining. A story about Okashirasu.”

“Okashirasu!? What's that?”

“Living thing.”

“It's a living thing nano? What kind of living thing nano?”

“Small fish.”

“Fish! I like meat more than fish nano!”

“Okashirasu, they're fish, but they live on land.”

“Even though it's a fish!?”

“Lots of them under stones.”

“Even though it's a fish!?”

“On rainy days like today, they come out from under the stones into puddles. But sunny days, under the stones, the whole time.”

“Heh~! But I've never seen a fish under a stone!”

“......They aren't around here. They're over there, beyond the mountains.”

“Heh~! Come to think of it, I heard that if you go far to the west from here, there's a forest where fish fly in the sky!”

“The sky? Fish fly? Amazing.”

“Yes, it's amazing! Father said that back when he was an adventurer, he went on an adventure there! Together with Uncle Mauve.”

“......Mauve-san?”

“Yes! Father and Uncle Mauve were in the same party for ages! They're really close nano!”

“Hmm.”

......And, well, it goes something like this.

Anyway, it's easy to talk when I'm with Sara-chan.

<I can feel how much you've grown, Emi. Compared to when you spent nearly half a year in almost total silence with Master, this is a huge step forward.>

No, that was fine in its own way, Omake-sama.

Master and I understood each other heart to heart, after all!

“......Hey, Emi! Emi, come on!”

“......? What?”

“Don't ‘what’ me! Emi, you suddenly space out sometimes, and it makes me worried! Are you okay?”

Oops. Sorry, sorry, Sara-chan.

I can't exactly explain that there's another person called Omake-sama inside my head and I was talking to her, so I'll just fudge it.

Besides, even if I told her the truth, she probably wouldn't believe me.

......Geez, don't make such a worried face, Sara-chan.

Actually, I'm usually watching her thinking what an idiot she is, so lately I haven't seen her that way at all, but looking at her face up close like this, Sara-chan is seriously cute.

I'll certify her as a beautiful girl every bit my equal. Pat pat.

“Wah...... E, Emi, what are you doing, geez!”

When I patted her, her face turned bright red and she got embarrassed. Cute.

......Hm? Maid-senpai is desperately trying to make eye contact......?

Ah, right, right. A servant patting the young miss's head is disrespectful, you mean.

My apologies. I'll stop right now.

......But once I stop, Sara-chan makes a disappointed face......

If I please one, I displease the other.

“Hey, Emi...... We're, close, right?”

Hmmmm? What's up, Sara-chan, all of a sudden with that wistful face?

Well, if it's a matter of whether we're close or not, I'd say we are.

I give a small nod.

“We're, friends, right?”

Hmmmmmmmm!?

Friends!? She went for friends, huh.

Hmm, Sara-chan and I are the employer's daughter and a servant, which feels a bit different from being friends......

<But you do chat and get along like this, don't you? Employer's daughter and servant...... even granting that relationship as a given, wouldn't it be fine to call yourselves friends?>

........................

Eh!?

Really, Omake-sama!?

Sara-chan and I...... are f, f-f-friends!!?

<W, why are you suddenly so excited, Emi?>

B, because! Because, because!

I've never had friends, neither in my previous life nor in this one!

In this life, I was called a cursed child and people avoided me, and in my previous life there was the trouble with my father and all, and, anyway, the stars just never lined up, and no matter what I did, I couldn't make friends......

E, e, eh, someone like me, a friend!? Is it really okay for me to...... become your friend, Sara-chan!?

<Ah...... come to think of it, Emi, you wanted to make friends back in your home village, too...... Your wish has finally come true. Congratulations, Emi.>

My tear ducts have completely collapsed.

My face stays as blank as ever, but tears pour out like a waterfall.

“Eh!? W, what's wrong, Emi!?”

Worried by my sudden sobbing, Sara-chan kindly rubs my back.

She's so kind. Sara-chan is so kind!

“......It's nothing. This is, just sweat.”

“It's obviously pouring out of your eyes, so I don't think that excuse works at all!?”

Ah, Sara-chan, I kept thinking you were an idiot, an idiot, but you can actually do a proper comeback, huh.

Sorry for calling you idiot over and over in my head all this time.

I won't do it anymore.

Because......

“......We're, friends......”

Yes, because we're friends......!

Because I don't think friends go sneering at each other, calling them idiots and whatnot......!!

“......! That's right nano! We're friends nano!!”

Hearing my words, Sara-chan smiles happily.

And then she said this.

“You know, Emi. I've been thinking I want to be with you forever! Just like Father and Uncle Mauve!”

Smiling a beaming, sparkling smile, she goes on.

“So, you know, only if it's okay with you, Emi? ......I want you to come to the academy with me too, as a maid!”

........................

Eh?

“Mother told me before that you can take a few servants to the academy dorms and live together! So you can go to the academy too, Emi!”

........................

Eh?

“......? What's wrong, Emi? ......Do you maybe, not want to go to the academy with me?”

Peering into my suddenly frozen, expressionless face, brows lowered, looking sad and anxious, is my friend.

I shake my head.

“Then, we're going to the academy together! From now on, we'll be together forever nano!”

........................

That.

“That, the one who decides, is the baron.”

That, was the only answer I could give.

No, as a maid apprentice, I think it was the correct answer.

But, I.

I couldn't answer my friend's invitation with my own feelings.

For the first time in my life, I.

Didn't understand my own feelings.

Zuzuzuzuzu......

Somewhere far off, there might have been a landslide.

Mixed in with the rain, an eerie sound was echoing.