Chapter 15:

Eres woke to the chill of morning’s breath and the feeling of a fluffy warmness on her side. Groggily, she opened her eyes and tilted her head up. Eliza was curled up at her feet in a ball, her tail flopped across the bed over Eres’s knees. It shifted occasionally, brushing against the cloth of her pajama pants. 

Eres’s lip twitched when she saw countless white hairs spread across her sheet. Like a film, they clung to every piece of fabric they drifted across. She stared blankly at the mess. Was she Sun Wukong?!

Her inner maid, the worker forged from the fires of Mt. Lana raged at the sight. Eres took a deep breath and calmed herself. She reached over and pinched Eliza’s cheek, waking her.

“Eliza.”

She sleepily looked at Eres, yawning with eyes tearing. A small smile fell across her lips. “Hmm?”

Eres karate chopped her on the head. 

“Agh?!”

“Get off my bed! You’re getting hair all over it!”

She pushed the girl’s face with her foot until she rolled over the bed frame and clung to the side like a cat clawing to a tree.

She looked down at the pouting girl with rage burning in her eyes.

“P-please, Eres…” Her grip loosened, her body lowering slightly.

“Long live the king.”

Eres peeled the girl’s fingers from her bed-frame, and smirked as she heard a thump.

She picked up Eliza’s pillow that had somehow found its way over, and chucked it at the moping girl beneath.

“Your hair is messy! Sleep in your own bed!”

Eres clicked her tongue, rolled out of bed, and stripped her sheets. Honestly, what a pain. Was she going to do this every night? 

It had already been a couple of days since she’d come to the dorm, and had made it a habit to climb up with Eres occasionally when she got cold. Apparently it was a custom from living with her family.

Not that Eres cared.

The ghost of Lana hanging over Eres’s shoulder compelled her to keep her room clean. Like a sleeper agent, the merest sight of dirt activated her maid programming.

As of now, she was the only one who actively cleaned the dorm. 

She took stock as she held the clump of sheets in her arms. Celise was snoring like a wildebeest, her blanket half hanging down, Arille was slumped over like she’d been tossed against the wall by a giant, cheek squished against the plaster, and Eliza was rolling around on the ground clutching at the knot on her head.

She stepped over the girl and walked out on the room’s balcony. 

Eres filled the washing bucket with water and got to work on her sheets. Hah. Why is it that washing boards were nostalgic? Lana had really done a number on her sensibilities. Girls her age shouldn’t be scrubbing laundry at six in the morning, yet here she was. 

Whatever, she still needed to feed Cupcake and wake Leo. It was physical training today, the first class of the semester.

Eres was dreading it. No doubt, her physical condition was stronger than that of the average noble girl, but P.E had always been the worst class for an introvert.

And in this world, she doubted there’d be a convenient gym bench next to a big fan to loiter on. 

She hung her sheets to dry, dressed in her maid outfit, picked up that cursed cat bag, and began to walk outside. 

Eliza, who was still sitting on the ground looking cross, opened her eyes with joy at the sight of Eres’s backpack. 

She’d seen it how many times, and she still lit up like a beacon? Maybe she could pawn it off on the girl. No, there was no replacement. She’d have to wait until she went back home to get a new one. Tsk. 

Eliza clamped onto the bag and was dragged about a foot before Eres kicked her off. 

“Wake the others. I’m heading out early.”

“Okay.”

Eliza pouted as her eyes tracked the pink backpack. 

…

She really liked this thing. 

Eres slipped outside and walked to the cafeteria. Thankfully, there weren’t many people out yet, so she was able to grab something for her and Leo.

She’d surprise him this morning. As long as she avoided the dorm monitors, she should be able to wake the sleepy bastard up before everyone saw her. She’d bribe him with breakfast.

The boy’s dorm stood with a shadow looming over it.

The infiltration would be difficult. Top secret. Only an Agent with her skills could sneak through such impenetrable defenses and slip into enemy territory. 

Her mission, should she choose to accept it? Bringing breakfast to her boss. She even had a cup of coffee for him.

Hehehe. Leo still didn’t know this cup of coffee was worth three days salary~

She’d bully the bonus out of him after he ate. 

How could a girl sneak into a locked dorm room? Easy. She had a mole.

Eres walked to the room with absolutely no interaction with another human being.

…Was this okay? 

Where were the dorm monitors? Slacking off already?

She knocked lightly on Leo’s dorm door.

The door peaked open, and a hand stuck out expectantly.

Eres placed a separate set of food in its palm. 

Ed pulled the door open and stepped back, his eyes lighting up at the smell.

“Thank you, Ed.”

“No problem, my Lady. But. Why are you here so early…?”

“The Young Master has strayed from the schedule I’ve kept him on.”

“…”

He side eyed her with curiosity, but sat in his desk chair and began to eat. Leo’s other roommates were still fast asleep, the conversation apparently not loud enough to wake them. 

Eres set the food on Leo’s desk and climbed up his ladder. Leo was sprawled out, his hair spiked up like a shonen protag, his face half squished on his pillow.

Pfft, too cute, this dumb young master~!

She pressed the coffee cup against his face and woke him.

“Young Bastard, your breakfast has arrived~!”

He flinched at the sensation, and opened his eyes in shock.

“Wha—Eres?!”

He sat up, blushed, and pulled the blanket up to his chest.

“Can you stop sneaking into my room…?”

Eres stared at him with dead eyes. Why was this young master being so strange lately? She’d woken him every morning for seven years, and only now was he acting like a schoolgirl?

She extended her hand, coffee steaming from the opening. 

“Here.”

Leo tried to pretend like he didn’t want it. He tried to avoid his gaze, but his eyes kept landing back on the cup.

Eres smiled. “I even put the Young Master’s cream and sugar in it.”

His eyes wavered. He reached out, but Eres yanked it back.

“Two days salary.”

“What?! I didn’t even ask for this!”

“Hmm. I guess I’ll drink it.”

“…”

Eres, keeping her eyes locked, slowly brought the cup to her lips. Leo watched, but didn’t stop her.

“?”

She froze. “Do you really not want it?”

“No, I do,” He said, his lips curling up, “But somehow, I don’t think I’d mind drinking after you.”

Agh! The counterattack! Eres glared in disgust.

“You’re a sick freak.”

He snatched the cup from her hands. “Haha~ you’re too easy to mess with, Eres. Who’d want your dog drool all over their cup?”

He downed a mouthful and let out a sigh of enjoyment.

“This is great…worth the delivery fee.”

He smiled at her. “You really do make the best coffee.”

Eres hopped out of the bed. “Don’t go back to sleep. We have physical training today.”

“Sure, sure.”

“There’s food on the desk. I still need to get Cupcake, so I’ll meet you at class, ‘kay?”

“Just go.”

Eres walked out of the door, her small footsteps clicking down the hall.

Leo drank another sip of his coffee. He rubbed his face with the other hand. Hah…

She really needed to stop sneaking into his dorm. Male in a previous life or not, they were growing into the age where it would become awkward for everyone involved if she kept doing this.

Damn good coffee though.

He slipped from the bed, glanced at the food on his desk, then raised an eyebrow at Ed. 

The boy was slovenly shoveling food in his mouth. He looked at Leo with innocent eyes.

Leo’s lips twitched. A mole in his dorm? This kid really was led around by his stomach.

“You two are making me lose my appetite.”

“?”

“Damn annoying. Couples should die.”

“The hell are you talking about…?”

Ed swallowed his food. He simmered in jealousy. “Girl bringing you food before the sun’s up, don’t you two have any shame?”

He pointed at Leo. “Normie.”

“!!”

This kid really dared to use the word Leo taught him against his Father?!

He cracked his knuckles. “Son. You should watch your words.”

Ed gulped.