Washu pointed towards the house with an obvious silent question: was this really her house? Naja enthusiastically nodded and said, “It’s gotten late, so we’ll do the administrative paperwork tomorrow. The day’s events seem to have shocked—err—tired you out.”
“Okay…”
“I’ll come get you at eight o’clock in the morning. Good night!” Naja cheerfully waved, ignoring Washu’s attempt to talk, and briskly walked off.
“She’s as boisterous as the fishies back home, all by herself,” Washu mused.
The elderly butler courteously reintroduced himself, exuding benevolence. “Welcome, Hakubi-sama. My name is Hirata, and I am charged with managing this mansion. Pleased to make your acquaintance. This house has a staff of a hundred and fifty, each hand-picked, myself included. Please let us know if you need anything.”
“Is this…really my house? Maybe dozens of other students live here, too…?”
“No, per Ikuma-sama’s instructions, this house was prepared for Hakubi-sama to reside alone.”
“The Professor?”
“Yes. Now, allow us to show you inside. This way.”
The mansion was just as luxurious as any of the ones she had been invited to for the farewell parties on Kanamitsu, her home world. Every room was stocked with the finest, from the furnishings to the necessities.
“I could fit plenty of research equipment in this bedroom.” Washu looked around, dumbfounded, at the needlessly large room. It seemed as big as the entire kindergarten building back home.
“Hakubi-sama, students in the Department of Philosophy receive personal laboratories. This is strictly your private space. Of course, it’s up to you how you use it.”
“My personal lab?”
“Yes. It depends on your research topic, and I cannot give you definitive information, as some people do not consider having more than the necessary space to be a good thing. But lab size ranges from a large trailer, for example, to… look, that satellite you can see in the sky is the personal research facility of a professor in the Department of Philosophy.” He pointed at the white dot floating through the heavens.
“I feel extremely out of place…” Washu muttered, looking up at the sky from the bedroom terrace.
“Don’t be silly. Considering your accomplishments even before your matriculation, it’s only natural to have these things supplied for you.”
“I haven’t done anything that impressive.”
“Shank…wouldn’t agree with you.”
“…!!” Washu’s expression contorted, not because she remembered being in mortal danger, but because the butler’s words reminded her of the man she had once known.
“I apologize… I’ve said too much.”
“It’s all right. I understand what it means to come here and the importance others place on what I seek…”
“The preparations for dinner should be complete. With plenty of food, creature comforts, and sleep, people can do anything.”
“Eat some grub, take a bath, and go to bed. I used to say that a lot to the kiddos. You’re right… They all had so much energy. Let’s go, then.”
“Yes, Hakubi-sama. This way.”
“Oh, yeah, could you not call me that? Nobody calls me by my last name. Naja-san was such an icebreaker. Just call me Washu.”
“All right, Washu-sama.”
After the butler left the room, she flung herself onto the bed, as she always had in her room at the orphanage. The Imperial Academy was indeed amazing, and full of surprises. Well… I guess that means what I study is worth it. Washu touched the luminescent paper in her bag. The multicolored light reminded her of her future. So many things could happen.
Clack clack…
The fork and knife in Washu’s hands trembled and clattered against the edge of the plate. The butler and maids looked anxiously at Washu and the deep furrow in her brow.
“Washu-sama, I apologize. Is there anything not to your satisfaction?”
“Argh… This is such a waste!!” Washu exclaimed.
“Excuse me?”
“Look, I’m not a galasha*! There’s no way I could eat this much food!” Washu stood up in front of a table that could easily seat a hundred, covered in plates of food. Furthermore, she was the only one eating, while ten maids served her. As thick-skinned as she was, Washu could not bear it. She did not want to. “Gather around everyone who’s not busy right now. Let’s all eat together.”
“With all due respect, we serve you. We cannot…”
“I don’t like such stiff formalities. Besides, I didn’t hire you. This is all Jurai’s goodwill,” Washu declared to shut the butler down.
“But you are worth this effort.”
“I’ll make that decision myself. For better or worse…this lifestyle is too extravagant for me right now. It’s easy to get used to luxury, but getting used to going without is no simple matter. I don’t want to grow insensitive to the hardships of life, for the sake of my future in the Academy.”
“If you insist…”
“I’m sorry. Besides, meals are more enjoyable when shared.”
At her prompt, the party started. The maids close to each other in age became fast friends and engaged in lively conversations about their personal backgrounds and romantic entanglements. Hirata, the solemn butler, seemed uncomfortable with such boisterous chatter.
“W-Washu-sama! Please, leave that to us!” he implored Washu, who had started serving food and bussing the table, just as she used to at the orphanage back home.
“Ha ha! I couldn’t resist. Force of habit.” After being so discomfited yesterday, Washu had found her usual stride again.
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Washu-sama! We’ll do the cleanup.” After the party, Washu started clearing the table, and the butler hastily stepped in to stop her.
“It’ll be faster if everyone chips in. Could you separate out the greasy plates and bring them over?” Washu headed for the kitchen with an armful of dishes. Since she had experience managing groups of people, especially young children, she led skillfully the team and got the job done astonishingly fast.
“Her speed and finesse at cleaning up show her practiced hand, but her timing and harmony in leading others is brilliant. There’s no other way to put it,” murmured the senior maid, who was the butler’s second-in-command. She sounded impressed.
“True. But we were placed here so that she could focus on her studies. We should be the ones attending to the daily chores.”
“She took care of children on her home world. This is probably what daily life looked like for her.”