She turned back to Sara. “How have you been?”
“Eagerly awaiting your arrival, milady.” She reached out and pulled her mistress in for a tight hug.
“Honestly, you never listen to me!” Lady Sakura chided, but she didn’t try to draw away. Clearly, she knew how much Sara had missed her. She stroked Sara’s back. “There, there.”
This continued for what felt like five whole minutes.
“Surely that’s enough now,” Lady Sakura said at last, lightly tapping Sara on the hip.
Sara still looked reluctant to let her go, but she finally did so. Smiling, she replied, “My supply of Lady Sakura had run completely dry. I needed it to be refilled.”
“Don’t be daft.” Lady Sakura took her faithful servant’s hand and turned her gaze on Kirara and me again. “Good day. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Are you friends of Sara’s?”
With her free hand, she grasped her skirt, delivering a curtsy so graceful that she looked like a magical fairy. Struck by the full force of her smile, my heart skipped a beat.
“Good day,” I replied, my voice suddenly shrill and uneven.
Kirara was just about able to keep it together, but her eyes were fixed directly on Lady Sakura. “Good day.”
“And, erm, you’re right,” I told Lady Sakura. “We’re Sara’s classmates and friends. We were aware that your arrival was scheduled for today, so we took it upon ourselves to accompany her in the hope of making your acquaintance at the earliest possible opportunity.”
My phrasing was getting uncomfortably formal and convoluted, but that was just how nervous I was.
Kirara added, “We didn’t want to get in the way, but Sara insisted she wanted you to meet us, so came with her to wait.”
“I don’t recall saying any such thing,” Sara immediately countered.
“I’m kidding,” Kirara replied, wearing a smile that held no malice. Seeing how joyful Sara was at being reunited with her mistress, even Kirara wasn’t about to pick a fight. She knew the bliss of being beside one’s mistress very well.
“My, my, I’m surprised to see that Sara has made friends she can share jokes with. She’s always been practically glued to me. She even used to try coming with me when I went to the bathroom. It seems like having her come here before me paid off.”
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t disclose such private details, milady.” Sara’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment at this interesting revelation.
“You can’t blame me for being worried. I didn’t know how you’d cope on your own. It’s fantastic that you’ve gotten to know people. Now, hurry up and introduce us.”
Some dissatisfaction still lingered on Sara’s face, but after a moment she said, “Very well. These are, well, yes, I suppose I would call them my friends. These are my friends, Misaki and Kirara. They’re both in my class, and they’re in the service of frightfully esteemed mistresses.”
“How marvelous. I hope you’ll both introduce me to your mistresses too.”
“Absolutely,” I replied. I glanced toward the school buildings. “You’ll meet mine right after this, actually.”
“Oh?”
“She’s waiting inside, ready to give you a tour of the school.”
“I see. I certainly shouldn’t keep her waiting. Hopefully it’s all right if we chat a little more while we’re walking.”
“It’ll be no problem at all, I’m sure.”
“Milady, is this all your luggage?”
I hadn’t even noticed her doing it, but Sara had already managed to get all of Lady Sakura’s baggage out of the taxi. She really doesn’t miss a single detail.
“Yes, that’s all for now. The rest should be delivered today. All the essentials are in there, though, so it’s fine.”
“Then why don’t we set off?” Since it was my mistress waiting inside, I took it upon myself to lead the way, trying to be as polite and graceful as possible. I wanted her to get a good first impression of Amanotsuka Academy and of us.
Lady Sakura let out an amused chuckle that I hoped wasn’t a reaction to this slightly forced attempt. “I know it shouldn’t come as a surprise, since I was familiar with how the school worked when I entered Sara into the Domestic Arts program, but it’s still a little strange to see students actually wearing maid uniforms.”
“Do you think so?” I replied awkwardly. I was so used to it now that I didn’t really think about it, but it was unusual to have a school where ladies and maids studied on the same campus.
“Yes, but I’m really excited. I have a feeling I’ll get something out of it that a normal school wouldn’t give me. Sara—and Misaki and Kirara too—I hope you’ll tell me everything there is to know about this place. I want to dive headfirst into my new life here and enjoy it to the fullest.”
“Jolly good,” Sara replied.
“We’ll tell you everything we can,” I added.
“This school has a lot of unique systems,” Kirara said, “so I definitely recommend you start getting some firsthand experience with them.”
“I can’t wait.”
The eagerness was clear in Lady Sakura’s voice as she looked up at the castle-like building towering above her.
On a dazzlingly sunny day in early summer, this new lady made her debut at Amanotsuka Academy for Girls.