A Scene That Feels Familiar

The rebels are causing trouble everywhere, and the Night Raid lurking in the Imperial Capital have not yet been launched.

Looking at it this way, Mahiro felt that there seemed to be a lot of fun waiting for him.

And Mine...

"Master, look! There are so many beautiful shops on that street, and the goods are so pretty!"

They shouted excitedly, as if they were curious about everything.

She was completely oblivious to the strange looks she was getting from passersby.

So much so that the two of them wandered around until dark, until the vendors had packed up their stalls.

"Ugh... Master, I'm sorry. Mine was just too excited and is a little tired. Can I sit down and rest for a while?"

Mine looked up at him pitifully.

After all, they hadn't had time to eat lunch on the carriage. They had originally planned to have lunch in the Imperial Capital, but the girl got so excited that she completely forgot.

Once the initial excitement wore off, a wave of fatigue washed over them.

"Sigh, you."

Mahiro was Mahiro little amused and exasperated, but he still agreed to Mine's request.

So the two of them sat on the street to rest for a while, planning to go to the hotel later.

However, Mine seemed to find sitting there a bit boring, so Mine started chatting with him.

"By the way, Master, you've never been to the Imperial Capital before, have you?"

"Hmm, that's right, so what?"

"Then why don't you feel any surprise or excitement when you see those bustling scenes?"

Not only was he not surprised, but he also appeared quite calm and composed.

To this, Mahiro simply smiled slightly and looked up at the dazzling starry sky above:

"Because your master has seen far more magnificent sights, so everything before us is nothing to be surprised about."

"... Is there really a place more prosperous than the Imperial Capital?"

Mine opened her mouth in surprise, forming an "O" shape.

For her, or rather for all the inhabitants of the empire, the Imperial Capital was the epitome of nobility in the world.

It not only boasts a thousand-year history, but also owes its existence to the fact that emperors resided there.

But if you say there's a place more prosperous than the Imperial Capital, they'd think you're exaggerating.

"Master, you're not lying to Mine, are you?"

Mine asked suspiciously, "How could such a place possibly exist in this world?"

Perhaps.

Mahiro smiled and gave an ambiguous answer, not taking it to heart.

She simply added, "That place... I guess you could say it's where I grew up."

"Is this Master's hometown? Can I take Mine to see it?"

"I wouldn't call it my hometown, but if Mine wants to see it, no problem. Someday in the future, I'll take you there to see it."

"Master, we have a deal, you won't lie to Mine, let's Mine swear!"

"Okay, okay."

Mahiro took the girl's little finger and gently tugged at it a few times.

Mine's eyes immediately curved into crescent moons as she smiled, a sly glint in their depths.

That way, I can stay by my master's side forever...

Although they hadn't spent much time together, less than a year, Mine had already become Mahiro dependent on Mine.

Therefore, she didn't really care whether her master's hometown was prosperous or not.

What she cared about was whether she could stay by her master's side forever.

That's all.

Just as they had finished resting and were preparing to head to the hotel...

Suddenly, a carriage stopped in front of them, and a graceful, petite blonde girl stepped out.

Judging from her attire and the elegant way she lifted her skirt, it was clear that she was a noble lady from the Imperial Capital.

However, she headed straight for Mahiro and Mine.

For some reason, this gave Yotsuba Mahiro a sense of déjà vu.

... Could it be...?

"Honorable guests."

The girl greeted him first, then asked:

"Excuse me, you must be from outside the Imperial Capital, right? Judging from your clothes and appearance, you must be some kind of country gentry?"

"Huh?"

Mine couldn't understand how the other party knew they came from outside the Imperial Capital, and given their master's wealth, it wouldn't be a problem to call them country gentry...

The girl noticed her surprised expression.

She let out a silvery laugh, then explained softly:

"It's not hard to guess. Although many people come to the Imperial Capital every day, and there are quite a few local residents, you can clearly tell them apart from their clothing and appearance. And since they're still on the streets at this time, they can only be outsiders."

"Oh, I see..."

Although it was only a brief conversation, the naive Mine felt she had learned a lot.

Then, the girl smiled again and introduced it to Mine:

"Hello, lovely lady, I'm Aria."

"Hello, my name is Mine, and I am my master's maid."

"Mine, what a lovely name."

Aria gave a small compliment.

Then, looking at Mine's master, the extremely handsome young man, she smiled reservedly:

"Judging from your appearance, you must have run into trouble somewhere, right? If you don't mind, would you like to come to my house? Although the security in the Imperial Capital is quite good, it's still dangerous at night."

"Oh no, actually we..."

Mine wanted to say something, but suddenly stopped speaking.

Because she saw that Aria's gaze was fixed on her master, she instantly realized that she was just a servant, and it was not her place to explain or do anything else.

Overstepping one's bounds...

Mine was slightly annoyed with herself for what she had done.

Mahiro nodded slightly and gave a polite smile.

"Hello, Miss Aria, I am Yotsuba Mahiro."

"Yotsuba Mahiro? What a rare name."

Aria put her index finger to her lips, as if thinking about something, but then smiled:

"It's alright. So, Mr. Mahiro, what is your decision?"

"If possible, I would be extremely grateful."

Mine 'Mahiro answer surprised Mine.

They weren't actually in trouble; they were only stopping here for a short rest because of me, and they were going to the hotel soon.

Why should I accept this lady's invitation?

Was the host perhaps trying to use this opportunity to get acquainted with the local gentry?

That must be correct. As one of them, the owner must have a lot in common, right?

With that thought in mind, Mine Mahiro the carriage.

Throughout the journey, the guards driving the carriage kept praising their young lady.

"Our young lady is very kind; whenever she encounters someone like you, she takes you home and cares for you."

"Yes, that's right. There must be at least twenty people like that every month, right? Miss Aria, I just can't ignore people like you."

"Oh, it's not as good as you all say. That's just my personality. Besides, I also want to do what I can to help."

Amidst the guards' praise, Aria blushed slightly and covered her face in embarrassment.

"Oh, really? Then Mine and I are so lucky~ to have met such a kind person as Aria Mine."

Mahiro joined in the praise, his expression as usual, bearing an enigmatic smile.

But it sounded strange to Mine.

Having been by Mahiro's side for so long, she naturally understood Mahiro's speaking habits.

It's clear that while it sounds like a compliment, it's actually sarcastic.

Did this young lady do something to displease her master?

Mine didn't know, but she didn't ask.

Soon, their carriage arrived at Aria's house.

It was an extremely luxurious mansion courtyard.

Its area alone is about a quarter the size of the town where Mine used to live.

The mansion that came into view was even more extravagant, as if one might risk getting lost while walking inside.

"It's a very beautiful house."

"Hehe, thank you for the compliment."

Mahiro seemed pleased with Aria's praise, covering her mouth and giggling softly, a strange blush spreading across her face.

It's like she's blushing.

"Come on, I'll take you to meet my mom and dad."

As she spoke, Aria took Mahiro's large hand and pulled him into the house.

And Mahiro just let her drag him along.

Mine followed quickly behind, and led by Aria, she met the owner of the mansion.

A gentle and kind middle-aged man, and an elegant, gentle, and very generous noblewoman.

Like Aria, they were also kind, as if that kindness was inherited from them.

But the more this was the case, the more confused Mine became. Why would her master say such sarcastic things?

Of course, she wasn't questioning the owner, but rather she began to doubt the entire family.

Could it be that this family actually has completely different faces behind the scenes?

So, after dinner, when they returned to their room, Mine asked about it.

"You really want to know?"

"Um."

As Mine packed her bags, she nodded vigorously.

However, Mahiro was about to speak, he suddenly heard a faint but complex series of footsteps coming from the corridor outside the door.

There were approximately ten people.

He suddenly revealed a smile completely different from his previous one, a smile that resembled a cat playing with a mouse.

"Instead of just talking, let Mine see it for herself."

"Huh?"