Delia's Work

"Ugh! It's all your fault I got kicked out of the High Priest's room! What are you going to do about it!"

Delia came charging up the stairs in a fury, screaming all the way. I don't know where she'd been running from, but her crimson hair was whipped into a wild mess and she was panting heavily as she planted herself in front of me. I'd been so busy with kitchen preparations these past few days that it felt like an eternity since I'd last seen her face.

"It's all your fault! You went and got yourself a room without telling me anything, and now the High Priest thinks I'm incompetent! Ugh!"

The only reason I'd gotten the room was because I wanted a place to change. I'd received it properly from the Chief Priest, so it wasn't as though I'd seized it for myself. And since Delia was always disappearing off somewhere, there was no way to contact her. Besides, being treated as incompetent by the High Priest had absolutely nothing to do with me.

"What exactly would you have me do, Delia?"

"Assign me here, obviously! I'm your Attendant, so that's only natural!"

"Know your place!"

Before I could even think "ah," a fist came down — thunk! — right on Delia's head. Benno's knuckles connected before anyone could stop him. Delia stood there with a bewildered expression, clutching her head and looking around in confusion.

"Delia, that attitude is unacceptable in front of a guest. It's only right you were scolded, isn't it?"

"W-why should I have to hear that from you of all people?!"

"You still don't understand, do you?"

Benno narrowed his eyes and showed his fist, and Delia immediately clamped her mouth shut. Gil flinched too, apparently remembering the time Lutz had hit him.

"Mine, anyone who can't handle the job they're given is unnecessary. Keeping someone around with no motivation is a waste of money. Cut her loose immediately."

Benno's grumbling words were the same as what Lutz had said to Gil, and it drove home just how much Lutz had been influenced by Benno.

"Um, Fran. I don't quite understand Delia's situation, but being driven from her room — does that mean the High Priest has dismissed her?"

My words hit the mark. Delia's eyes filled with so many tears she looked ready to overflow at any moment. She glared at me and retorted in a hoarse voice.

"...I haven't been dismissed yet."

"I cannot say with certainty that you have been..."

"Right? There's no way someone as cute as me would get dismissed!"

Delia's face lit up at Fran's words as if she'd found a ray of hope. But Fran's expression didn't change in the slightest as she laid out the cold reality.

"Delia had no idea that My Lady had been granted a room and didn't even know its location, making it impossible for her to serve My Lady. She was unable to bring back any of the information the High Priest required. It would hardly be surprising if she had fallen out of favor."

"...Huh?"

Fran continued her explanation in a flat, unemotional tone, paying no heed to Delia's look of utter disbelief.

Serious Fran was clearly furious — not only had Delia failed to perform her duties as an Attendant, but she was nothing but a burden to me, her very own mistress. The fact that her expression never changed actually made her anger feel all the deeper.

"I've heard that the High Priest assigned Delia to My Lady with the expectation that, as girls of similar age, Delia might befriend My Lady and gather a great deal of information. The way Delia has so blatantly displayed her hostility, causing My Lady to grow wary of her — there is no doubt that Delia has been a disappointment to the High Priest."

"N-no way..."

Delia's expression went blank.

Just as I thought being driven from her room meant dismissal was virtually certain, Delia immediately put on a coy, flattering smile directed at Fran.

"But, but, I'm this household's Attendant! There's no way a Shrine Maiden Apprentice doesn't have a female Attendant, right?"

Her targeting Fran — the most influential of the adult Attendants — instead of me, her mistress, in order to secure her next position was rather calculating.

Fran, who rarely showed her feelings on her face, stared at Delia with undisguised disgust before letting a cold smile float to her lips.

"My Lady does not live here on a daily basis and therefore requires almost no personal care. The past few days have proven that perfectly, even without Delia. Furthermore, should we ever truly need one, it would be possible to select a new Attendant from the orphanage."

I'd assumed that since Delia had been assigned by the Chief Priest, there was no way to remove her. But it seemed adding a new one was entirely possible. When I nodded in agreement, saying, "That is a splendid idea," Delia bit down hard on her lip and began shedding tears in fat, trembling drops.

"...You're going to drive me out?"

Looking at those impossibly beautiful tears, I finally understood that Delia had truly lived her entire life just to be doted on by men. Whenever she found herself in a disadvantageous position, she would wheedle, cling, and cry. Even the angle she tilted her head up was perfect. She might be young, but she already knew how to weaponize her femininity. Being aware of how cute she was — that was truly something. In my Reon days, if I'd tried anything like this, I'd probably have gotten kicked to the curb for being "creepy."

After spending all this time badmouthing me, she suddenly put on this pitiful air and looked to me for rescue. It was, frankly, exasperating. If I was being honest, it annoyed me. But chasing away a crying little girl made me feel like something of a monster too. An indescribable awkwardness settled over the room, and the air grew heavy.

"Drive her out? There's no need to worry. Delia was never counted in the first place."

Gil swept away the suffocating atmosphere that Delia had so carefully crafted — the one that forced sympathy — with a bright grin.

"W-what?!"

"Anyone who doesn't work here doesn't get a room or meals. They say a man who does not work shall not eat, y'know! Right, My Lady?"

He puffed out his chest proudly, pleased with himself for remembering so well.

Whether he hadn't read the room or had done so deliberately, I honestly couldn't tell. But well done, Gil. I'd have to give him plenty of praise later. "Someone with no stamina or strength like you shouldn't be talking," Benno muttered. I ignored him. Ignored.

"If you work, then sure, you can stay," I said. "Gil worked very hard and got a room and a full meal as his reward. I have nothing to give to a girl who won't even do her own job."

"I understand. I just have to work, right?"

With that, Delia gracefully slid onto Benno's lap in one fluid motion and pressed herself against him with a sweet smile.

Completely bewildered by what had just happened, I blinked repeatedly while Benno twisted his face into an expression of extreme distaste and waved his hands.

"Sorry, but I have no interest in little brats like you. Get off."

"You see, there's no Gray Priestess here, so you'll displease the guest."

As she climbed off Benno's lap, Delia shot me a triumphant smile. Having just been shown what the Gray Priestess who served the High Priest did, I wanted to bury my head in my hands.

Benno seemed to feel exactly the same way. He pressed his temples and glared at Delia without bothering to hide his revulsion.

"I don't need flowers here at all. Don't lump me in with those Nobility who come here just to admire them."

"Huh? No, that can't be..."

Delia's previous duties had apparently been to attend to the personal needs of the High Priest's lover — as an Attendant herself — and to cultivate beauty and refinement in preparation for becoming the next lover. When the High Priest had guests, her role was to smile and flirt.

"My Attendant certainly doesn't need any of that."

"W-well, I can clean and do laundry. I also did the work of maintaining the High Priest's robes, and I can certainly keep this room tidy."

As she spoke, the hand clutching my sleeve tightened. I think that having realized everything she'd done before was now worthless, her sense of self was crumbling. It wasn't a flirtatious smile, nor a pretty lie-tear — Delia's face was stiff with confusion, and she began looking around desperately. But there was no one in this room willing to come to cute Delia's aid.

It was true that Delia, having been driven from her room, was in a difficult spot. Looking up at Fran for help, I asked, "What should we do?"

"Perhaps she could spend a night in the reflection room? The fact remains that she was disrespectful to My Lady."

"I'll reflect! I'll do better from now on. So... please don't drive me out. Don't say you don't need me."

Barely holding back her sobs, Delia pressed her case with a desperate look. The raw sincerity in her voice made me widen my eyes slightly, and when I looked around, Fran and Gil both wore pained expressions, as though they'd been the ones told they were unwanted.

Gil was a former troublemaker who'd been sent to the reflection room on a regular basis. And Fran had suffered deeply, feeling she was no longer needed, when she'd been reassigned from the Chief Priest's service. Those memories were probably resurfacing.

"Fran. I'm perfectly happy to keep Delia here as long as she does her work properly."

"...If My Lady says so."

Fran let out a small breath of relief, then turned a stern face to Delia.

"If you wish to be accepted here, you will first correct the way you speak. An Attendant who cannot recognize My Lady as her mistress is unnecessary."

"As you command."

Since Delia had declared she would work, I'd managed to avoid chasing out a crying little girl. With a hand on my chest in relief, I asked, "So, Delia, what kind of work can you do?"

"I will prepare this room to befit a Blue Priestess. Starting with this right here!"

The spot Delia pointed at so sharply was what I'd thought was a second-floor storage closet. It turned out to be a bathroom兼toilet. Since there hadn't been any appropriate tools in it, I'd never even realized.

"You've had several days with time to spare, and yet you haven't even prepared the necessary equipment? What exactly have you been doing? The bath is one thing, but what about the toilet?"

"Huh? There's one on the first floor, so I just borrowed the tools from there and cleaned up myself..."

"What did you say?! Unbelievable! Honestly! The first floor — that's where the Attendants go, and it's even the one the gentlemen use! Have some dignity!"

Even if her way of speaking had changed somewhat, her attitude didn't seem all that different. Or was that just my imagination?

Delia began rattling off everything the room was missing — bath and toilet supplies, a vanity mirror, a proper writing desk. Apparently, eating and doing paperwork at the round table in the center was unacceptable for a Blue Priestess.

I told her I had no plans to bathe here, but she said I might someday and ordered me to have a second-floor setup prepared for my own use.

"Benno, please."

"Leave it to me. ...With this many things missing, I suppose an Attendant who knows how shrine maidens live is necessary after all. Besides, if she gets yelled at like that again, maybe even Mine will act a bit more like a proper noble girl."

"Ugh..."

And so Delia began carrying water up to the second-floor pitchers. Without water stored up there, it was apparently impossible to wash her face, wash her hands, or clean the toilet. I'd assumed she was some fragile princess type, but since she'd been working hard in pursuit of becoming a lover, Delia had plenty of arm strength, stamina, and motivation for hauling water.

"You didn't even have water prepared upstairs — honestly!"

Watching Delia set to work while muttering complaints that were practically soliloquies, Fran headed back to the kitchen and Gil began cleaning the first floor.

I reached for the dessert that had been left untouched and munching on it, brought up a topic with Benno.

"Oh, by the way. The other day, the Chief Priest ordered me to have ceremonial blue robes made. Is there something special about ceremonial garments?"

"They're worn in front of people outside the Temple — essentially Festive Clothing. So the appearance matters, and they're completely different from everyday robes. The embroidered trim, each family's crest..."

Benno stopped mid-sentence and looked at me as though he'd just realized something.

"Mine, when is your ceremony? You don't know how long noble ceremonial garments take to make!"

The sudden collapse of his formal speech told me he was quite alarmed. He was right — these weren't things that could just be stitched up by machine. Time was essential.

"They told me there weren't many since I'm an apprentice, but I don't know when or what kind of ceremony. Maybe Fran knows? Fra— gulp?!"

I'd been about to call Fran when Benno clamped his hand over my mouth and pointed his eyes toward the bell. Right — I was supposed to use the bell to summon people.

When I rang the bell, Fran came up the stairs.

"Yes, My Lady? Is something the matter?"

"The Chief Priest ordered me to have ceremonial robes made. Do you happen to know when such a ceremony would be held?"

"If there's a request from the Knights in autumn, that would likely be the nearest ceremony."

"Autumn? That's going to be tight if we're starting from scratch..."

Making noble Festive Clothing apparently meant selecting everything down to the thread. As Benno frowned, Fran directed her gaze toward a wooden box by the wall.

"Perhaps My Lady could use the fabric Lord Benno provided? It is of very fine quality, and I believe it could be used as-is once dyed."

"...Mine doesn't have a family crest, though. What about that?"

"Would something like a workshop crest work?"

"I'll make one right now!"

While Benno took my measurements and he and Fran discussed the design for the ceremonial robes, I sat by myself, grinning as I brainstormed a crest for my workshop.

My original design, based on a book, pen, and ink, was rejected by Fran and Benno as too plain and revised. In the end, a tree for papermaking and the flower from my hair ornament were added, resulting in a crest with a rather ornate impression. Fran was satisfied, saying it had a lovely feminine flair, so I decided to go with it.

"My Lady, the cook says she has finished preparing our dinner as well."

"Oh good. Could you have her confirm that everything has been cleaned up properly?"

After receiving my instructions, Fran saw the cook off, having discussed both the kitchen inspection and tomorrow's schedule.

"I'll be heading home today as well. The two of you, go change into something proper."

Gil and Fran scurried off to their respective rooms to change. Lutz would be going to another city on business with Benno soon, so the Attendants were currently practicing escort duty.

I too prepared to go home and began removing my Blue Robe. As I reached for the obi, Delia planted herself in front of me with a furious expression, standing like a Nio guardian statue.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"As you can see, I'm changing?"

Realizing I probably shouldn't change by myself, I quietly let go of the obi. Raising my arms in a "please help" gesture, I waited for her to assist — but Delia's eyes narrowed into triangles.

"In front of a gentleman?! How indecent!"

She shot a glare at Benno, who was still seated at the table.

I was wearing clothes underneath, and I'd never imagined I'd get scolded like this just for removing my Blue Robe. I couldn't help but shrink.

"I-I'm sorry? But I'm just taking this blue one off..."

"The act of undressing yourself is only acceptable when you're trying to seduce a target gentleman! Letting anyone else see diminishes a woman's value. You need to know things like this or you'll be in trouble later. Honestly!"

"I-I see..."

What to do. I felt like the point she was angry about was off. But she seemed genuinely upset, so it was hard to push back.

"Lord Benno, please wait in the hall. He may be young, but it is not appropriate for a gentleman to witness a lady changing."

"Yeah, fair enough."

Benno pressed his hand over his mouth as if suppressing a laugh and headed downstairs. Once Delia confirmed he'd gone all the way to the first floor, she untied my obi and helped me out of my robe.

For someone who'd claimed to have handled personal care for a Gray Priestess, Delia was remarkably efficient. She folded the Blue Robe neatly, tidied my slightly askew hair ornament, and had everything done in moments.

"I've finished your preparations."

Delia leaned over to peer downstairs, then called out. The instant she did, she froze, still looking down.

"What... is that outfit?"

"A reward from My Lady."

I could practically see Gil's chest puffing out and his smug grin just from the prideful tone of his voice.

"That's not fair! This is unequal!"

"It's a work reward. You don't get one if you haven't done any work."

"What work did you even do?!"

"I cleaned this place. I worked hard and cleaned it all by myself, so I got a reward. Heh heh, pretty nice, huh?"

"Like I even care!"

After a brief back-and-forth, Delia wore a face full of envy and frustration, then cut the conversation short with a parting remark through tear-filled eyes. She glared at me sharply and pointed toward the stairs.

"Everyone's waiting for you downstairs. Why don't you go join them already?"

"I did prepare a share for you too, Delia..."

"Huh?"

Delia's eyes went so wide they looked like they might pop out of her head as she stared at me.

"Delia doesn't want one?"

"I never once said I didn't want one!"

I pulled the last remaining cloth bundle from the closet and handed it to Delia. She pulled her reaching hand back, then glanced at me from the corner of her eye.

"...Are you sure?"

"You'll keep working hard from now on too, right?"

"It's not like anyone else understands anything around here without me. It can't be helped."

Her face bright red, Delia looked away with a huff, clutching the bundle roughly to her chest as she dashed into the Attendant's room.

"Hey, are you not done yet?"

"Delia's still changing, so give her a little more time."

I called back to an impatient-looking Gil while staring at Delia's door. She was taking an awfully long time just to change. She still hadn't come out.

"Delia, are you done yet?"

I opened the door to find Delia in her new outfit, beaming ear to ear and spinning around in circles while humming a tune. The moment our eyes met, Delia grabbed the skirt of her dress and clutched it tight, trembling. Her ears went completely red and she glared at me.

"D-don't just barge in! Honestly!"

Delia has begun her work as an Attendant.

Even as she shouts "Honestly!" she's working hard.

Next time: the reality of the orphanage.