The sound of rustling fabric and the faint clicks of a measuring tape filled the otherwise quiet dressing room. Subaru stood awkwardly on a small platform, arms slightly outstretched, half-dressed in a frilly maid uniform that didn't even reach his knees. His expression was a mix of horror and resignation.
"Why do you people only have maid uniforms?" he muttered, yanking at the too-tight collar. "You're seriously lacking in men's fashion."
Rem stood beside him, tape in hand, completely calm despite the growing mountain of rejected outfits tossed in a pile nearby. She moved with silent precision, scribbling down measurements on a small notepad. Occasionally, her gaze would flick to Subaru's face—quick, sharp, evaluating.
Subaru noticed.
There was something in her eyes, something not unkind, but searching—like she was trying to measure more than just his waist and shoulders. It wasn't attraction. It wasn't even curiosity in the usual sense. It was suspicion. And perhaps… fear?
Since waking up in this mansion, Subaru had sensed a tension from the blue-haired maid. Polite on the outside, helpful and respectful—but the edges were too smooth. Too perfect. Subaru had learned to spot a mask when he saw one.
He stayed still as she crouched slightly to measure his inseam, her hands never lingering too long. Professional, clinical.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.She's trying to hide something… or figure something out about me.
He didn't blame her. After all, he was a complete unknown—foreign clothes, foreign mannerisms, foreign everything. But that didn't mean he could afford to drop his guard.
Suddenly, a voice cut into the room, sharp and mocking:
"My, my… It's good to see our guest knows how to keep his hands to himself. I was starting to worry that Rem's charms might overwhelm him."
Subaru twisted around and saw Ram standing in the doorway, arms folded, her red eyes glinting with unspoken challenge. She leaned against the frame with all the elegance of a wolf watching a cornered deer.
"But then again," she added, cocking her head, "maybe it's not discipline. Maybe it's because you know you're not a man with the proper equipment to use it in front of a lady."
Subaru blinked. Then blinked again.
"…Excuse me?"
Ram walked closer, her tone still flippant but with a blade underneath.
"You look, act, and move like a clown—fitting, considering who took you in. But unlike that clown, you don't have presence. Or confidence. Or mystery. You're loud, weak, and twitchy. I'd say you're harmless, but only because I haven't seen you try anything yet."
Rem's eyes flicked toward her sister for a split second, and Subaru caught it.
That tension again.
He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Look, I don't know what kind of creeps you two usually deal with, but I'm not here to score points. I'm here to work, repay a debt, and maybe figure out what the hell I'm doing in this crazy place. That's all."
Ram's expression didn't change. If anything, her smirk grew wider.
"We'll see, guest. Or rather… butler."
Subaru felt the corner of his mouth twitch. There was nothing subtle about the way Ram was testing him, poking at his pride, trying to see if he'd crack.
But he didn't. He'd been through worse.
Rem cleared her throat gently. "I have the measurements," she said quietly, breaking the tension. "We'll have something made by tomorrow."
Subaru nodded, stepping down from the platform and gathering the pieces of his dignity not trapped in ruffles and lace.
He could tell now: Rem and Ram were not just servants. They were watchers.
And he was being sized up in more ways than one.
After the... memorable dressing room incident, Subaru found himself trailing behind the twin maids as they guided him through the twisting corridors of the mansion.
Rem was quiet, always watching. Ram, on the other hand, was not.
"This is the dining hall. You'll help clean after meals unless you plan to eat off the floor like an animal," Ram said with her usual flat, cutting tone.
Subaru chuckled dryly. "So you do have jokes. Sharp ones. Like stepping on tacks barefoot."
Ram didn't laugh.
The tour went on: the laundry room, the storage hall, the courtyard, the guest rooms, and finally—
"Roswaal's wing," Rem said quietly, her tone firm.
Ram's voice followed without missing a beat. "Off-limits. Unless you have a death wish or wish to see things that will haunt you."
Subaru raised a brow, curious despite himself. "Now you've just made it sound like the forbidden wing of a haunted castle."
"We like to keep guests alive. So listen," Ram snapped.
He nodded, tucking the information away. Roswaal's corridor—off-limits. Definitely something to investigate later. When the risk of sudden death felt worth it.
Ram didn't let up as they returned to the main halls. Her arms folded as she threw a casual glance over her shoulder.
"So, useless guest. Any actual skills, or will we be spending our days babysitting a boy in man's clothes?"
Subaru almost smiled. Oh, she was going to test him constantly.
But he wasn't about to give her the satisfaction.
"I'm decent in the kitchen. At least, I haven't burned anything alive lately," he said, flashing a peace sign. "And I'm not half-bad with a blade. Yard work, garden care—I can do physical labor just fine."
Ram gave a small, unimpressed hum. "So you're not completely helpless. Small mercies."
Subaru gave a mock bow. "Happy to meet your very low expectations."
The tour wrapped up as the sun started casting long golden streaks through the windows. As they passed a hallway near the study rooms, Emilia appeared, holding a few books to her chest, silver hair gleaming in the amber light.
She looked surprised—then smiled warmly. "Subaru! You're free now, right? I wanted to spend a little time with you."
Rem and Ram exchanged a glance.
"He's free," Rem confirmed.
"And we have dinner to prepare," Ram added. Her gaze flicked toward Subaru. "Try not to say anything too stupid while you're alone."
They left, leaving Subaru and Emilia in the hallway bathed in sunset glow.
The two stepped outside into the lush garden, the fresh evening breeze a welcome change from the stone corridors. Birds chirped their final songs of the day, and the sky began shifting from gold to violet.
They walked in silence at first. Subaru glanced at her now and then, trying to read the slight furrow in her brow.
"Long day?" he asked, keeping his tone casual.
Emilia sighed. "Lots of study. Politics, etiquette, geography. I feel like I'm always one step behind what everyone expects of me."
Subaru didn't respond. He didn't have anything clever to say. He just listened. And that seemed to be enough.
She glanced over at him, then smiled. "Ram told me that you… don't know how to read or write. Not in this world, anyway."
Subaru chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Caught me red-handed.... I guess."
"I wanted to teach you," Emilia continued, "but I have a lot on my plate. So I asked Ram to help you."
Subaru groaned dramatically. "Of all people…"
Emilia laughed. A real, soft laugh.
"She's harsh, but she's smart. And... if she agreed, that means she doesn't think you're a lost cause."
"Could've fooled me," Subaru muttered under his breath.
They reached the edge of the garden, where a row of lavender bushes swayed gently in the breeze. Emilia stopped, turned toward him.
"Thank you," she said suddenly.
Subaru blinked. "For what?"
"For helping me back in town. For trusting me. For staying." Her eyes were soft but serious. "It means more than I can say."
Subaru felt something twist in his chest. A warmth and a weight.
He smiled. "Anytime, Emilia-tan."
As they stood there, bathed in the last light of the setting sun, Subaru couldn't help but wonder:
How long could peace like this last? And how many masks did this mansion still hide?
But for now, he had a role to play. Even if it meant being a student to a sharp-tongued maid.
The stars above shimmered like distant embers, scattered across a sky so deep it could swallow the world. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of flowers and fresh grass. Subaru sat on a stone bench in the garden, his arms resting on his knees as he quietly stared upward, letting the silence settle around him.
Emilia had left nearly an hour ago, saying she was tired and needed rest. Subaru had simply nodded, offering her a soft "Goodnight." She smiled as she walked away, casting one last glance back at him before disappearing into the mansion.
Now, alone beneath the night sky, Subaru's mind wandered.
His thoughts pulled him back to the moment from earlier—a conversation he hadn't expected to stick with him.
"About that spell…" Emilia had said, tilting her head, her silver hair catching the light. "When you fought Elsa—you didn't use any incantations. That's... unusual."
Subaru blinked. "Huh?"
"Normally, spells require chants unless you're really skilled." She glanced at him curiously, and then her expression turned nervous. "I-I mean, if you want, we could train together. Sometimes. If you feel like it. No pressure or anything."
Subaru had stared blankly, the words echoing quietly in his mind. No reaction, no smirk, no sarcasm. Just a long, unreadable pause.
Emilia's face flushed. "Ah—never mind! I didn't mean it like that, just kidding—"
Before she could finish the deflection, Subaru's hand gently settled on top of her head.
It was soft. Deliberate. A warm, absent-minded motion, like brushing away a bad dream.
"Huh?" Emilia blinked up at him, startled.
Subaru didn't smile. But the look in his eyes—that distant, quiet calm—shifted into something tender. A faint warmth. The edge of something real peeking out behind the shell he wore.
Her chest tightened. 'Why is my heart… fluttering?' she thought, surprised by the small blush blooming on her cheeks.
"If you need help with magic… or anything else," Subaru said calmly, his voice steady, "I'll be there. Because we're friends. That's what friends do."
Emilia's eyes widened. Her lips parted in surprise, but then curved upward in a soft, genuine smile. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a quick, heartfelt hug.
"Thank you, Subaru. I'm really glad we're friends."
He slowly returned the hug. Gently. Carefully. As if afraid too much pressure might break the moment.
A third voice cut through the air.
"Alright, break it up, you two."
Something small, round, and fuzzy floated between them like a purring wedge, pushing them apart with more force than its size should allow.
Subaru blinked at the creature now hovering between him and Emilia. It glared at him with glowing, narrow eyes and tiny crossed arms.
"…What the hell?" Subaru muttered, pointing. "Is that a flying cotton ball with an attitude?"
Emilia chuckled, brushing her hair behind her ear. "That cotton ball is my contracted spirit. His name is Puck."
"Puck," Subaru repeated flatly. "As in the 'chaos demon'? That kind of Puck?"
"Father, actually," Puck corrected sharply. His small form floated closer, invading Subaru's space like a judgmental storm cloud. "You seem to be getting awfully close to my daughter."
"Wha—" Subaru raised a brow. "Since when am I in a romantic drama?"
Puck didn't laugh.
Instead, he turned to Emilia. "You're tired. Time for bed."
Emilia looked like she wanted to argue for a moment, her lips parting—but then she caught Puck's stern expression and sighed in defeat.
"You're not wrong," she admitted. She gave Subaru a light smile. "Sorry, I guess I should get going."
"It's fine," Subaru replied, watching as she turned to leave.
"Don't stay out too long," she added, glancing back at him, her voice softer than before.
As she disappeared inside, Puck hovered for a second longer, his sharp eyes locked onto Subaru's.
"We'll be watching you," he said.
"That's not creepy at all," Subaru muttered.
And with a small "poof," the spirit vanished.
Subaru leaned back on the bench, exhaling deeply as the night wind rustled the trees.
"Father Puck, huh…" he murmured.
(Time for wholesomeness)
The garden lay quiet under a blanket of moonlight, the stillness broken only by the gentle whisper of leaves and the occasional flicker of spirit-light drifting through the air. Dozens of tiny orbs hovered curiously near Subaru, each glowing a different hue—blue for water, green for wind, orange for flame, and so on—elemental spirits drawn to the inexplicable presence of the masked boy asleep on the garden bench.
His posture was awkward, his arms folded and head slumped forward, mask tilted slightly from the odd angle of rest. The bench was hardly an ideal place for sleep, but Subaru seemed peaceful. Perhaps it was exhaustion, or maybe something else. Either way, he didn't stir.
With a quiet shimmer of white, three delicate rifts opened in the air beside him.
From them emerged small, spider-like beings—Weaverlings—dark, silk-bodied creatures with glowing eyes. They looked around, mesmerized by the night sky above. The stars, countless and glimmering, reflected in their eyes with childlike wonder. Back in the depths of Deepnest, such lights never reached them. The sky here was impossibly wide.
One of them blinked and turned, spotting Subaru. With a soft chitter, it tapped the others. All three turned in unison to look at the sleeping figure. After a moment of silent communication, they got to work.
Silk unraveled from their limbs as they moved with practiced grace. One wove a soft, white pillow under Subaru's head, another draped a faintly shimmering blanket over his body. They moved gently, carefully shifting Subaru's posture so he was more comfortably reclined. When finished, they looked over their work, then at each other, nodding in silent approval.
A small whoosh of heat and flame accompanied a new arrival. From a flickering red blaze in the air, Grimmchild emerged, her small form hovering silently as she took in the garden. Her ember-colored eyes caught sight of the Weaverlings resting beside Subaru, their little bodies curling up on his chest and arms.
She watched for a while, unmoving. Then she floated closer.
With a small wriggle, Grimmchild slipped herself into Subaru's arms, her body a warm ember against his side. She curled into a fetal position, glowing faintly as she let out a barely audible sigh, her horned head resting against his shoulder.
There was no tension. No fear. Only warmth, quiet, and strange companionship.
A figure stood silently at the edge of it all, hidden behind the half-open mansion door.
Rem, her expression unreadable, leaned just enough to keep her eyes on Subaru. She had been watching since Emilia left him, unable to pull herself away.
The way he drew in spirits… it wasn't natural.
Small spirits were fluttering around him like moths to a flame, lingering in numbers no normal human could attract. The stink—that rotting scent only she and Ram could sense—was there. Faint but undeniable. The same scent the Witch Cultists carried. The scent that twisted her stomach into knots and made her muscles tighten instinctively.
Yet…
Subaru hadn't done anything wrong. He was suspicious, certainly. But dangerous? Not yet. Rem bit the inside of her cheek. She had seen him act with kindness. With quiet purpose. He helped Emilia, offered no complaint, even dealt with Ram's sharp tongue with calm patience. But that smell. That unholy stench…
"He's not like them," she whispered to herself, unsure if she believed it. "But I'll watch. And if he is—"
She didn't finish the thought. Her hand tightened slightly around the doorframe, then slowly loosened.
Rem turned away into the hallway, vanishing like a shadow with a rustle of skirts. Her footsteps made no sound as she returned to her duties—or perhaps to her own restless sleep.
Back in the garden, Subaru breathed evenly, peacefully unaware of the judgment still hanging over him.
The spirits remained.