Chapter 10: Aunties Like Older Sisters – Part Two

After talking with Norn-nee-sama for a while, and promising that I would occasionally greet Grandfather’s sword after training, I went downstairs to the living room, where breakfast was already prepared. The last one to wake up, Mother Roxy, was having her hair tended to by Father.

"Seconds!"

"Eris-nee, there aren’t any servings left on any of the plates."

"What, so little!"

"Mother, that’s unbecoming of you!"

It was a problem I should have foreseen… Mother was overeating again.

The people of the Greyrat household eat more than you’d expect. Father, as the head of the family and the only man, of course eats heartily. Norn-nee-sama and Aisha, both growing and hardworking, also eat plenty. Mother Sylphy, who spends her days serving as a noble’s guard, and Mother Roxy, though pregnant and with a smaller appetite at the moment, still apparently eat well as a rule.

And yet, despite all that, Mother Eris always ends up eating more than the rest. She was born a spoiled daughter of a distinguished house, and has probably never practiced restraint at the dining table. But here, she has no job, contributes little in housework, and still eats more than everyone else, even asking for seconds. That was hardly a healthy situation.

It was only my second day in the Greyrat household, and already I was feeling uneasy.

"Aisha-san, if Mother starts working here and eating even more than she already does, our supplies won’t last. Once the housework settles down, let’s go out and buy more food."

"After this? Hmm… Big Brother’s still recovering, and Sylphy-nee and Roxy-nee can’t be pushed too hard… I can’t carry that much all by myself, you know?"

"That won’t be a problem. Mother and I will go too. Right, Mother?"

"Ugh… o-of course!"

"I see… now I can rely on Eris-nee too. Got it! I’ll finish quickly, so watch from behind today and learn!"

"Thank you, Aisha-san."

On a side note, though I haven’t been given a maid uniform, I’m already serving as Aisha’s apprentice maid. Since Lilia-san, who bore Grandfather’s child as a concubine, still wears her maid uniform and her daughter Aisha also works as a maid, this was only natural.

At first, Aisha was reluctant, but when I explained things properly and respectfully, she accepted. With Lilia, who carries an old injury in her leg and mainly assists Grandmother, unable to handle most duties, Aisha effectively acts as the head servant. Having her as my teacher has been a great help.

"Eris-nee is strong of course, but… Edith, you’re strong too!"

"Of course! I was trained by Ghislaine!"

"I’ll only grow stronger from here. Leave the heavy lifting to me."

"You’re reliable, but at this rate you’ll surpass me… maybe I should start training my body too?"

When we arrived back at the mansion, we found Grandmother weeding the rice fields in the garden.

Because she had been trapped for years inside the crystal core of a labyrinth, Grandmother had lost her speech and many of her faculties, and now required Lilia’s constant care just to manage daily life. (From what I hear, when she was first rescued she was in even worse condition, and Father is still searching for treatments.)

When she noticed me, Grandmother brushed my cheek gently, avoiding my hat. …Everyone in this household is truly strong. Fired up with determination, I worked alongside Lilia and Aisha to prepare lunch.

"Big Brother, Big Brother, Edith helped make this soup too."

"Really!? You worked so hard, didn’t you, Edith-tan? It was delicious, yes it was. Oooh, such a good girl, good girl, good girl…"

"……………"

"Uhh… sorry, Edith…?"

"Cut it out already, Rudeus!"

Even during the meal, Father started rubbing his cheek against me, until Mother finally dropped her fist on his head. Hm… she’s practiced.

"Alright Edith, until dinner I’ll be cleaning the study, so come along."

"Understood, Aisha-san."

To be honest, Aisha isn’t the best teacher. She struggles to understand what others can’t do, and when she does teach, she rarely explains the reasons or key points. If you fail once, she just moves on. It makes sense she doesn’t get along well with the honest, hardworking Norn-nee-sama.

But as a maid, she’s flawless. Every action efficient, without waste. Since she doesn’t explain much, I’ve been studying her behavior, trying to interpret the meaning behind her actions and learn that way. Perhaps because of this, she’s come to like me—saying that while I’m slow to pick things up, once I see something done, I can master it.

Aisha, when seen as a maid, has her problems. She switches whimsically between being a little sister and a servant, even with Father, the head of the house. She also clearly looks down on Norn-nee-sama, the daughter of the legal wife.

That she’ll be managing the household as the representative of the servants while being unable to properly train subordinates is also an issue… But aside from her treatment of Norn-nee-sama, Father seems to think this situation is fine, and no one but Lilia appears particularly concerned.

The fact that her roles as daughter and maid remain muddled, and that both she and Father treat it halfway, leaves me with a faint sense of unease. Still, I focus on learning from her work.

"Lucy-sama, it’s about time for Mother and the others to return. Dinner will be ready soon too."

"Ru-de! Ru-de!"

"No, no, Edith."

"Ehh… ehh, ehh… de?"

"That’s right! Well done."

"Edith… Big Brother’s habit is rubbing off on her, isn’t it?"