This is a story set after Chapter 2-40 of the main narrative.
After settling Sarah's long-standing family entanglements at her parents' home—
The master and servant decided that, as originally planned, they would take Sarah around the Royal Capital to help lift her spirits after the emotional exhaustion.
(…Now then)
Her face still carried a shadow.
…Can't be helped, really. Leaving that house behind must have been a life-defining decision for Sarah. He imagined she was wracked with anxiety and fear about the road ahead.
To encourage her… Katia's order had been "just like you do with me."
"Sarah."
First, he'd make the proposal.
"—May I hold your hand?"
"…Huh?"
Sarah faltered for a moment at the outstretched hand.
Then, understanding what it meant, a faint blush crept across her cheeks.
"W-Wait, what!?"
"The Royal Capital gets crowded on holidays. It's dangerous to get separated, so when Katia and I go out together, we always do this… Is that alright? If not, then—"
"N-No, it's fine!"
He'd started to withdraw the offer, thinking she might not want to, but Sarah answered in a hurry.
Then, tentatively, she extended her own hand toward him.
Relieved that she hadn't been opposed to it after all, he took her hand.
With fingers as smooth as those of a whitebait fish, gently and tenderly.
The moment they touched, Sarah tensed up, her body stiffening from the nerves, and she asked a tentative question.
"So, um, what do we do after this...?"
"Well, let me see... She mentioned wanting something sweet, so perhaps we could head to one of Lady Katia's favorite spots. I'd be happy to guide you, though it will involve a bit of walking."
Silence during this time wouldn't be good. That was what Ermes thought, so, prefacing it with "in the meantime,"—
"—I'd like to compliment you."
"...Huh?"
At the straightforward proposition, Sarah tilted her head slightly, and Ermes picked up on it.
"It seems I have a tendency toward things that are difficult to express through my demeanor, and I don't always find the right words. ...And that led to a rather serious misunderstanding once before."
With a wry smile, he recalled the time they had been at odds with Aster. It was a scene from when they were rescuing Katia, who had been imprisoned.
It couldn't be called a complete misunderstanding, but when she had told him, "You just don't care, do you?", even he had found it hard to bear.
So, he would learn from that reflection. Besides, his goal was to encourage her, even just a little — she, who surely lacked extreme confidence in herself.
"So, I will compliment you. I will explain in thorough and polite detail just how I evaluate you and how much respect I hold for you."
"W-Wait, that's..."
"Misunderstandings and undervaluing someone are both no good. It would help if you could properly understand your own worth. Now then."
As they began to walk with their hands still joined, Ermes announced this with a smile.
Sarah was overwhelmed — by confusion, embarrassment, and the premonition of what she was about to hear — everything piling up on her all at once, and in the end she couldn't stop him, so she simply went along with it.
"First, there's how you treat other people. How incredibly difficult it is to consistently treat everyone with a certain level of respect. The word 'kind' tends to be used rather loosely these days, but I believe there are extremely few people who truly embody the meaning of that word the way you do. And then—"
An extraordinarily courteous storm of praise began.
◆
"—And well, that's pretty much how it goes. What do you think?"
"……………Please, forgive me…"
The results spoke for themselves.
Sara covered her face—every inch of it flushed red with overwhelming embarrassment—with her one free hand, barely managing to squeeze out those words in a voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.
(…Well, yeah, that figures.)
Katia watched the pair from a step behind as she walked along.
…To be honest, it would be a lie to say she felt no unpleasant emotions.
She had said it herself, after all… because he was her subordinate, and all.
But today was different. Katia truly cherished Sara, just as much as anyone.
She had been hurt enough today. If anything, she deserved to be indulged a little.
(…Besides…)
As she mused, Katia glanced over at Sara.
She still had her hands over her face, which hadn't lost any of its crimson flush. Of course she was embarrassed, but… she probably didn't want anyone to see her unguarded expression, either.
Even with her face hidden, it was obvious from her gestures and the atmosphere around her. …She had received heartfelt praise, and it had recognized her true character for what it was.
Something that made her incredibly, truly happy. You could just tell she was overjoyed.
She was desperately trying to hide it out of shame, yet couldn't quite manage—overflowing with just enough visible delight to be caught by those around her… well, to put it bluntly, it was absolutely adorable.
(El sure is good at pampering people, but—Sara is just as good at being pampered, honestly.)
Just as Katia reached that rather envious conclusion in her heart while observing the scene…
"…………Um…"
Sara briefly let go of Ermes and came over toward her.
Kathia asked the girl, whose breathing had grown slightly ragged.
"What's wrong? Has it gotten to be too much?"
"Y-Yes... um... I, I understood quite well... everything."
She must have been referring to the warning Kathia had given her before they went out — that she should prepare herself.
Whether she should be glad that Sara understood — Kathia was mulling over what words to offer when, instead, Sara herself spoke up.
"Um... Lady Kathia. There's one thing I'd like to ask."
"? What is it?"
"Ermes said that what happened just then was him 'treating me the same way he treats Lady Kathia'..."
"——"
"So that means... Lady Kathia is usually the one who receives that sort of treatment from Ermes?"
It seemed that this girl...
...had noticed something she absolutely should not have. The way Kathia had worded her instructions might have been a careless slip.
For a moment she considered how to deflect, but between Sara's innocent gaze — a little bashful, yet pure — and, more than anything, her own conscience, she simply could not bring herself to dodge the question.
"...It can't be helped, okay...!"
With a slightly defiant tone, she admitted it.
Yes, that was right. She did receive it. She leaned on him heavily, and he spoiled her thoroughly in return.
That tendency had existed ever since Rose came to the Traukia household, and after the competition ended, it had — just slightly, only slightly — begun to slip beyond her control.
And the reason for that was—
"Because El— if you just ask, he'll do pretty much anything for you! Even if I get a little too close, or end up thinking things I shouldn't...!"
Since reuniting with Ermes and spending time with him, Kathia had come to understand something in her own way.
He was — the type of person who drew extreme lines in how he treated others. His attitude was always detached, and because he never let it show on the surface, it was hard to tell… but in that regard, he was the exact opposite of Sarah.
He was generally disinterested in other people, and toward those he hadn't accepted, his manner was polite but his treatment was ruthlessly cold. Just watch how he dealt with Clyde and it was obvious.
But in exchange, once someone had gotten close to him — once he acknowledged them — he treated them with extraordinary respect.
Put simply — he was, at his core,
an absolute
pushover
for those he considered family.
And so, yes, he listened to what Kathia said very readily.
Of course, he drew a clear line where it mattered. If left unchecked he'd probably spoil her without limit, and neither Kathia nor Ermes wanted that. To pursue his ideals, he maintained his sense of restraint.
…But aside from that — she did make little demands here and there, their physical contact had increased, and when the two of them went out they held hands and engaged in all sorts of secret couple-like behavior. Could anyone really object to that?
"…I-I see…"
She couldn't very well say all that out loud, but Sarah had probably picked up on it from their expressions and the like. She nodded — and then, with just a trace of a wistful look on her face, she said:
"…That's so nice…"
Hearing that, she understood.
Sarah's envy was directed not only at Kathia, but at Ermes and Kathia together — at the very nature of their relationship. She could tell that much.
For Sarah, that kind of relationship was something she could never hope to have. Something she shouldn't hope for.
It was proof that she had, even now, resigned herself to the belief that she didn't deserve to have it.
…And that was exactly why she found it so unbearably painful.
"Wh— what? K-Kathia?"
Without a word, she took Sarah's hand. She gripped it a little more firmly, as if to say she had no intention of letting go.
"You're right, it wouldn't be right to leave everything to El alone. I'll follow El's example too."
She too would dote on her today, for her sake.
With that resolve, she took her hand and began to walk. After a few steps, she glanced back over her shoulder and flashed Sarah a slightly provocative smile.
"Today, I'm going to hear your wishes too. If you tell me... no, even if you don't try, I'll drag it out of you and make them come true. You'd better be ready."
"!"
She exchanged a glance with Ermes, who had caught up. Reading her intent from her eyes, he once again took the hand on Katia's opposite side.
May this gentle girl reclaim her true self.
With those wishes in their hearts, the Boss and his subordinate led the lovely, blushing girl out together.
...And then, evening came. On the bed in the guest room of the Traukia estate.
The girl, who had been ceaselessly affirmed, praised, and acknowledged, lay face-down like a boiled octopus, squirming for some time.
Whether that had actually worked... only future events would tell.
Full-support Ermes and Katia — the author wants them too.
Next time, we'll finally get to the Katia issue that's been unresolved for two chapters. Look forward to it!
※8/23
The update for Side Story 2, originally scheduled for today, will likely be difficult due to poor health.
For details, please see the activity report. I'm very sorry...!