# Today's Peaceful Day at Hamel's Mansion
"Ricardo."
"Yes."
"Feed me."
"You ate thirty minutes ago."
"Hiiing... I'm hungry."
Today, as usual, I was sitting on Miss's bed looking out the window, enjoying tea and conversation with her.
"Slurp..."
"Sip..."
"Indeed, the expensive tea leaves make for a wonderful aroma."
"Hmm... No matter how much tea I drink, I just can't appreciate the taste."
"To be honest, neither can I."
Miss and I nodded awkwardly and sighed.
If we had guests, we could get rid of all this tea, but the chances of guests visiting Miss's mansion were practically zero.
With a refreshed expression, Miss placed her teacup on the windowsill and looked at me.
"Ricardo."
"Yes."
"Drink mine for me."
"No. It's good for your health, so please drink it."
"Is tea good for health?"
"Since it tastes bad, I'd assume so."
"I suppose you're right."
"It's so bitter..."
"Indeed. Just like my life."
"Ricardo's life is sweet."
"Why is that?"
"Because you have me, the prettiest person in the world."
"Sweet. So sweet."
"Eeeeek!!!"
Miss and I exchanged silly jokes while gazing out the window.
-Swoooosh.
It was raining outside.
Perhaps because summer was approaching, the rainy atmosphere at the mansion didn't seem so bad. This would be the perfect time for scary stories.
I looked at Miss with an eerie expression.
"Miss."
"Hmm?"
"Would you like me to tell you a ghost story?"
"No."
"I see."
I gave up immediately at Miss's flat rejection.
-Swoooosh.
What should we do for fun?
We've already folded paper cranes.
We've made bath bombs too, so we needed something new to do.
I thought about playing a board game called Burumable from my previous life, but I wasn't sure if Miss, being a high noble, would understand commoner concepts...
-I want to buy this.
-This is a deserted island. You don't buy land here, you just rest...
-Eeeeek... There's nothing I can't buy.
"..."
While I was pondering what to do next, some time passed.
"Eek?"
Miss, who had been looking out the window, pointed to a corner of the yard and spoke to me.
"Ricardo."
"Yes."
"Gomtang is acting strange."
"Gomtang?"
"He's running around like a sick dog."
"..."
-Gom-gom.
-Wooooof...
Gomtang seemed to enjoy the rain, running around the yard with Tangtang in his mouth.
-Wooooof...
-Gom-gom-gom...!
Why does seeing pets getting along make me smile?
-Wooooof!!
-Gom-gom!!!
Newly aware of a pet owner's feelings, I nodded with a small smile.
"It's nice to see."
"Nice to see emergency food supplies getting along."
"They're not emergency food supplies."
"Wee..."
-Swoooosh.
"It's raining heavily."
After watching Gomtang for a while, I turned my gaze to the rain outside and made a sentimental comment. Rain has a way of enhancing one's sensitivity.
"Many things have happened when it rained."
"Right. We ate chocolate, and we ate meat."
"Why is everything related to food?"
"...Isn't it?"
I nodded with a small laugh at Miss's adorable retort. She wasn't wrong.
"That's true, but I'm talking about memories. Things that happened when it was raining."
"When it was raining? Hmm..."
"Think about it. There must be something memorable."
"Hmmmm."
I started telling Miss about the events I remembered.
"When it rained, didn't our fateful meeting begin?"
"Right. I saved you when you were dying. You were ugly then, and you're even uglier now."
"...And when it rained, you completely soaked your bed."
"Eek?"
"Ahem... And you begged to sleep next to me because you were afraid of thunder. If I think about how your father glared at me then, it still makes my knees weak."
"What could I do? I was scared."
"That's true."
It was also raining when I met Hannah, who missed the taste of cheap green tea...
Come to think of it, so many memorable things happened when it rained that I could almost believe rain brings visitors. Though I couldn't tell Miss, it was also raining when I parted with Mikhail.
"So many things have happened."
"You said everything, so I have nothing to add."
"..."
"Ricardo, you're no fun."
"Next time, I'll speak less."
Pouting, Miss stuck out her lips and let out a lazy yawn.
"Yaaawn... But I don't like rain."
"Why not?"
"It's gloomy. Makes me feel bad, and I can't go outside."
"Do you want to go outside?"
Just three years ago, Miss would throw a pillow at the mere mention of going outside. Seeing how much she'd grown in such a short time, I smiled and stepped closer, casually suggesting we go on a picnic.
"Miss."
"Hmm?"
"When the rain stops, shall we go fishing?"
"Fishing?"
"Yes."
"...I've never been fishing before."
Seeing Miss's reluctant expression, I smiled brightly and began to tempt her.
"If we go fishing, we can grill and eat freshly caught fish."
"Freshwater fish don't taste good."
"That's because you haven't tried truly delicious ones."
"I don't want fish that look like Ricardo."
"What kind of fish are supposedly that handsome?"
"Eek..."
"That hurts my feelings."
Miss's indifferent reaction gradually softened. It had been quite a while since we went out together.
"Fishing...? Hmm..."
She seemed close to giving in.
In my previous life, I enjoyed fishing when I had time. There's nothing better for relaxation.
What could be more enjoyable than playing in the cool breeze and basking in warm sunshine?
"The beauty of fishing lies in the waiting. You'll find it fun too, Miss."
"It's not fun if you don't catch anything."
"Who am I? The god of fishing, that's who."
"Ricardo. Cannibalism is wrong."
"..."
"I'll give you one chocolate for each fish you catch."
"Eeeeek?"
"One piece for a palm-sized fish. One big piece for an arm-sized fish."
Miss frowned and retorted.
"What if the fish eats me?"
"If it has a mouth big enough to eat you... that would be a monster that needs to be exterminated."
"Hmmmm."
After thinking for a while, Miss nodded and answered me.
"Ricardo."
"Yes."
"Do you want to go?"
"Pardon?"
Miss was staring straight into my eyes. As if to say she didn't want me to force myself for her sake.
"If you're going because of me, you don't have to."
"...Oh."
"You've been working hard because of the Crown Prince. I don't want you to get sick from overworking, so I'll allow you to rest a bit."
"Are you worried about this humble butler?"
Miss smiled slightly and said to me.
"Who else would worry about you?"
"...I'm touched."
"I'm taking care of what's mine."
"Haha..."
She really is such a warm person.
I nodded at Miss's suggestion and happily replied. For this kind of consideration, I would go even if I were sick.
"I want to go."
"Really?"
"Yes, I'd like to go fishing after so long."
"Then I'll specially allow it."
"Thank you."
"But make a delicious lunch box."
"Of course. I'll prepare a healthy lunch box full of bell peppers and carrots."
"Eeeeeeek!!!!"
"Hahaha!!!"
Miss and I, hoping the rain would stop as soon as possible, began singing inside by the rainy window. A work song that we sing whenever we go fishing.
"Then I'll teach you a song that guarantees you'll catch fish."
"Mm."
"To catch fish."
"To eat fish."
"No, to catch fish."
"Eeek! So strict."
"Let's try again."
"Mm."
One, two, three.
"Shall we go to the sea to catch fish?"
"Shall we go to the sea to catch fish? But we're going to the river."
"It's just lyrics. And the river is mentioned later in the song."
"Eek..."
Miss didn't seem to have much talent for singing.
As we continued singing and I was experiencing Miss's hopeless talent, something happened.
-Gooooom!!!
Miss pointed at Gomtang outside the window and said.
"Ricardo."
"Yes."
"Gomtang brought something."
"Pardon?"
I slowly looked out the window, thinking that no one would visit the mansion.
But.
-Let go of thiiis!!!!
I couldn't help but laugh at the unexpected visitor. I wondered why they had come to the mansion.
-How dare you, you animal with ears!
Why do visitors always come to the mansion when it rains?
-You discriminatory Shuen! I can forgive beastmen, but I can't forgive animals!
I rubbed my throbbing forehead as I looked out the window at the noisy commotion.
"Ricardo."
Miss looked at me and asked.
"A strange person has appeared."
I smiled at Miss and answered. They were strange indeed, but they were an acquaintance.
"They're... my friend."
"Eek?"
-Let go of this!!!
Miss sighed softly and said.
"Ricardo picked up something weird again."