Atelier Tanaka

Book 2: Chapter 19 (3)

Dorm Life 1

[Sophia-chan’s point of view]

It was now the next morning after the attack against Ester-sama. The night passed uneventfully and I awoke to see the sun brightly shining outside. A day like this would be perfect for drying clothes.

Tanaka-san stayed up all night and was now sleeping in his room. Ester-sama has gone to her class. By the way, Rebecca went with her to protect her. Apparently, she used to be an A ranked adventurer and is Ester-sama’s guard as well as her maid.

This is more so out of doubt than concern, but is it recall okay for you to not go to class, Tanaka-san? He’s clearly not attending his classes. Every day he returns home with some random souvenir that he must have bought at a street stall. There’s no mistake about it.

I doubt he’ll be able to graduate at this rate.

He’s acting like attending this school is just a hobby of his.

Although this is a school for high-class nobles, this school is rather strict. I’ve heard that if a student isn’t smart enough they’ll fail no matter how good of a teacher they have.

“….”

Well, anyway, it has nothing to do with a maid like me.

Right now I need to prepare Tanaka-san’s meal.

“It’s a maid’s job to get her master’s meal.”

Currently, I am walking down the corridor of the dormitory while pushing a metal cart with me. Originally, this cart would be used to carry Master’s food, but today this food is just for me. There were several luxurious dishes lined up on top of the cart.

I was on my way back home after retrieving the meal from the kitchen on the first floor.

“If I were still at home, I think we’d just now be greeting our first customers…”

It made me feel a little homesick after thinking about my parents’ house I haven’t seen in days.

I wonder how they’re doing without me.

“….”

No, it won’t do any good for me to think about it.

I wonder if they’re even worried about me? How could they send their own daughter off somewhere so easily? The other day I even got a rash on my feet from wearing my father’s shoes. Everyday itching and itching and itching. It was terrible.

“Well, it’s not like they knew that.”

I felt even more homesick, so, to get rid of this feeling, I increased my pace as I headed for my room. Tanaka-san won’t show up at lunch this time. When I left the room, I checked on him to make sure he was fast asleep.

“Even when I’m moving it like this I can still smell the delicious food.”

I have to endure it.

Today’s meal seems even more delicious than usual.

This is truly a meal fitting of the nobility.

This is the real benefit of working here as a maid. That’s right. I’m not sure how other people feel, but, for me, this is pure bliss.

“Ugh….”

Suddenly, another person wearing a maid uniform appeared from around the corner in front of me.

I immediately stopped my cart and made sure to protect the meal that was placed on top of it. The other maid could not stop in time and crashed into my cart. She fell face first on to the ground. That looked quite painful.

“…umm, are you alright?”

It’s not like I can pretend to not have noticed this.

Then, I realized I knew this person.”

“Ah….”

It’s the same woman that ran into me and dropped all of her laundry.

“…wait, it’s you.”

“W-What is that supposed to mean?”

She looked like a demon as she stood up and ran up to me.

“You seemed to be acting all high and mighty for a newbie.”

“….”

I’m not trying to do anything.

The maid has scratches all over her forehead and I can see some blood dripping down her face. The dormitory is entirely made of stone. So I’m sure falling face first onto the stone floor was quite painful. Her face must have hit pretty hard and it seems like she may have a lasting injury.

It almost seems like she didn’t try to avoid running into my cart just now.

Doesn’t that mean this injury is entirely her fault?

“Wait a minute. Don’t you have something to say?”

“W-Well, I actually have work to do so….”

The maid begins throwing a fit in front of me. Why is she making a fool of herself?

I need to get back to my room already. I began to push the cart with all my power.

And the maid put her foot in front of the wheel.

The wheel catches on her thick leather shoes and I can’t get past her.

“You’ll have to be punished for this.”

“Eh?”

The maid suddenly moved.

She stopped the cart with one foot and then took a step toward me with the other. At the same time, she raised her hand above her head.

Ah, is she going to hit me?

I thought about moving but my body wouldn’t move.

The next moment, the maid slapped my face. There was more force behind it than I expected and it caused me to take a step back.

“Ugh….”

I was close to falling.

I caught myself using the cart carrying my meal. The lid covering the food shifted a little and then came crashing to the ground. One of the bowls containing soup wobbled back and forth, aah, it spilled a little.

“Hmm, I’m sure you’ll remember this. You’ll regret ever crossing me.”

The maid seemed satisfied after hitting me and quickly left or maybe she was afraid of getting in trouble. Even if she has been a maid for a long time, the maids are still at the bottom of the hierarchy in the school.

Which is why bullying like this is always done out of sight of everyone else.

“…th-that really hurt….”

I could see the back of the maid running down the stairs at the end of the hallway.

I rubbed my burning cheek as I stared at her running away.

At the same time, I could feel a warm liquid come rushing out from inside my nose.

It’s a nosebleed.

“Hah!?”

Unfortunately, I could see some droplets of blood fall into the food on the wagon. It fell into a stew that had a white sauce. The white sauce soon became spotted with little red dots.

“….”

I can never forgive that woman.

This is terrible. It’s just too horrible.

“….”

Anyway, I still need to get this to my room.

It’s also impossible for me to get some fresh food. It would be strange if I went back to the kitchen with food that’s still hot. I’m also afraid there’d be a misunderstanding about the blood in the food.

More importantly, I don’t want Tanaka-san to wake up before I get back.

While using the hem of my apron to stop the bleeding, I ran back to the room.

◇◆◇

[Sophia-chan’s point of view]

This is bad. When I returned to the room, Tanaka-san was waking up.

Even worse, he wanted lunch. Because he slept through breakfast, it’s only natural that he’d be hungry. While I was standing in front of him, I could hear my stomach growling. It was a little frustrating but I had no choice.

Therefore, the cart that was carrying my lunch was now in the possession of Tanaka-san. Wait. That’s right. The stew that has my blood in it is on that cart. That stew is currently about to enter Tanaka-san’s mouth.

“Hmm? This has a strange taste.”

“Y-yes….”

“Don’t you think this white sauce is a little different than usual?”

“Yes….”

Tanaka-san lifted a spoonful of the white sauce containing my blood into his mouth. At least the white sauce is mixing with my blood. It doesn’t seem like Tanaka-san is going to notice.

I’m sure if Tanaka-san knew I fed my blood to him, I’d be in big trouble. Considering my maid status, I’m sure I’d be executed without a second thought.

“What a mysterious taste this is.”

“I-Is that so?”

“I feel like I recognize this taste….”

“….”

He goes to confirm the taste once more. The taste of my blood.

Tanaka-san is eating my blood.

“….”

“Umm….is there something on my face?”

“No, i-it’s nothing! S-S-Sorry!”

“…really?”

I was unintentionally staring at his face this entire time.

Just like yesterday, Tanaka-san invited me to eat lunch with him. However, if I get another meal from the kitchen, the difference in the sauces will be discovered. I was able to survive by telling him I had already ate my meal.

Tanaka-san seemed to believe that the spotted stew was just a normal meal.

I gave a pretty terrible excuse for it but it seems to have worked.

Still, he seemed to really enjoy the stew. He truly seemed to like the taste. I felt sorry about it but I didn’t have the courage to tell him why the stew looked the way it did.

By the way, I’m still starving as I sat at the dining table watching him eat.

“This stew is very good. Didn’t you think so?”

“Uuh….”

Tanaka-san once again brought a spoonful of my blood to his mouth.

Ah, my blood will be going down into his stomach.

While watching this scene —

“….”

What is this feeling.

Every time Tanaka-san eats some of my blood I can feel my chest get hotter. Though this is wrong of me, I’m enjoying what’s happening. I can feel myself getting more excited and my face is starting to get hot.

It must be because I was slapped by that woman, right?

No, the pain from that has already faded.

If so, why am I feeling like this?

Am I afraid that Tanaka-san is going to figure it out?

No, the feeling is different. It’s a good feeling.

“Umm…Sophia-san? Are you alright?”

“Y-Yesh! What is it!?”

I was surprised when he suddenly called out to me.

Tanaka-san just sat there staring at me.

“I’m sorry for saying this after asking you to sit with me, but if you’re feeling tired it would be best if you took the day off. I can finish the rest of your work myself.”

“No, umm, i-it’s fine….”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Then, that’s good. I was afraid you were still worried about everything that happened last night. As long as you stay in this room, I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

“….”

Apparently, Tanaka-san seems to care about me. Surprisingly, he seems to be very quick witted. Thinking back to the fight against the dragon, he took care of everything himself.

But my head was just filled with the spotted stew. I’m sorry about what happened to Ester-sama last night but right now that isn’t even in my mind. Even the fact that someone died in this room last night didn’t affect my thoughts.

Ah, by the way, the room was cleaned by professionals using magic, so right now it’s spotless.

“No, umm, I-I’m really fine….”

“Then, please tell me if you’re not feeling well.”

“…yes. Thank you very much.”

I wonder what this guilt is that I feel. After dripping my blood in the stew he’s eating….

It’s almost unbearable.

Tanaka-san has no idea what he’s eating.

Yes, he really knows nothing.

He has complete faith in the meal that was prepared by his maid.

“Well, if you’d like, do you want some of this stew?”

“No, absolutely not!”

“…I-Is that so?”

If I were the one eating it, I wouldn’t feel this way.

It only makes sense if Tanaka-san is the one eating it. The Tanaka-san that defeated that large dragon is now eating my blood while knowing nothing about it and saying it tastes delicious. My heart is pounding so much.

As the daughter of a restaurant owner, I’m really showing a shameful side of myself.

Ah, really, what is the matter with me?

I’m really excited.