By Zephyria 
Tomorrow is June 5th, the last day of the festival.
There were no schedules in the morning tomorrow, only the ball that started in the evening, and when that was over, the festival would really be over.
It felt like I hadn’t enjoyed it much…. In the blink of an eye, time had passed like this.
“It’s really over tomorrow.”
Herman, who was lying on the bed and resting before going to bed, suddenly made a voice.
When I, who was reading a book, nodded briefly, Herman, who glanced at me, suddenly jumped up and said.
“Hey, Ray. About tomorrow morning.”
“Hmm?”
“Why don’t we go shopping for clothes to wear to the ball together?”
Clothes to wear to the ball.
I had already brought several Social dresses to match the dress code when I left the mansion. There was no need to buy new clothes. So, I refused.
“I don’t want to.”
Then Herman was more stubborn than usual.
“I have to buy it too. Can you go with me?”
“Can’t you go alone?”
“You don’t have any schedules tomorrow morning anyway.”
It was like a sulking child complaining. Feeling strange, I turned to him, and Herman pouted and muttered.
“There was interference last time too….”
“Interference?”
“Hmm. It’s nothing.”
A small groan was uttered. I stared at him for a moment, then dropped my gaze back onto the book and said.
“Okay.”
Well. One day would be fine.
Listening to the servant’s stubbornness too.
Such generosity would also help to increase loyalty to the master.
Herman smiled with a brightened face at my affirmation. I wondered if he was that happy.
The next day, we finished preparing from the morning and prepared to go out on the street.
There were no servants visiting the room like last time.
This morning was the time to clean up the various booths installed in the school, and the entry of outsiders was banned again from today, so in fact, watching the festival was over yesterday.
“I’ll be back before dinner.”
“Okay. Be careful.”
After showing the pass to the guard, we left the main gate with Herman, and the antique scenery of Mardelphia Street greeted us. I didn’t know the geography of this place in detail, so I just followed Herman’s guidance.
“Ah! Ray. Let’s go in there.”
While walking together, Herman, who found something, pulled my sleeve and said. Somehow, he looked more excited than usual. When I raised my head, there was a store selling ready-made clothes in front of him.
I twisted my lips slightly and silently followed.
It was rude to grab the master’s sleeve, so I thought about pushing him away for a moment, but I didn’t feel like it because he looked like a puppy with a snack in front of him, so I just left him alone.
“Welcome.”
When I opened the door and went inside, I smelled the unique smell of clothes. A young human who seemed to be an employee there greeted us, and I felt a blatant gaze that scanned me up and down for a moment because I was wearing a school uniform.
Immediately after, the employee’s attitude towards me and Herman became more polite.
“Hehe, what kind of clothes are you looking for?!”
He seemed to be sure that we were nobles and changed his attitude.
“I’m looking for a Social dress.”
“Then you can see this corner!”
“Thank you. We’ll look at the clothes ourselves.”
“Yes! If you have any inconvenience, please call me anytime!”
The employee, who was rubbing his hands, quickly vacated his seat at Herman’s words.
Herman slowly began to look around the corner where the Social dresses were prepared as a set, and I watched the servant from behind. Since Herman was the one who came to buy clothes, I was one step behind.
But Herman, who chose one piece of clothing, carefully examined the composition and shape of the clothing, and then suddenly turned to me.
“Ray. How about this?”
Then he gently put the clothes he had chosen on me. I couldn’t understand why he was trying to buy clothes himself, but why he was putting the clothes on me and asking how it was. So, when I was looking at Herman, Herman smiled awkwardly as if he had grasped the meaning of my gaze and said.
“It would be nice to buy yours together while we’re here.”
It was a really unnecessary consideration. I let out a faint sigh and looked at the clothes he had chosen.
It was a set of clothes with a white cravat that came down to the middle of the chest, a black coat with silver foil decorations on the collar, a silver-colored vest, and black pants.
Because it was a Social dress made for the purpose of wearing at balls, it had an overall luxurious and fancy feel.
“Is the length long? I should ask if there are other sizes.”
Suddenly, Herman tilted his head, bringing the length of the coat closer to me. I raised one eyebrow. Is this servant mocking me now… that my height is shorter than his?
I flicked the clothes he was putting on me with the back of my hand to mean to move it away. Then Herman smiled playfully and stepped back, rummaging through other clothes.
A servant dared to play with his master.
I picked him up because he was so rude.
Anyway, humans….
“Then how about this?”
Around the time I was sighing, Herman picked out another piece of clothing and showed it to me.
The clothes he had chosen this time were black overall, but they had epaulettes, so they looked like a uniform, and they had a cape fluttering behind the back, and the embroidered gold foil decorations were sophisticated and looked dignified. After seeing that, I also looked at Herman’s face once.
“This seems to suit you better.”
“Oh. Is that so?”
At my words, Herman put the clothes on himself. He smiled and asked me in a playful voice.
“Does it suit me?”
But the eyes looking at me somehow had a deep emotion, so I had to be caught in a strange feeling.
I occasionally feel similar emotions from Zeon and Ardian.
It seemed to be a lump of emotions that were rooted in similar thoughts and similar minds, but I couldn’t figure out exactly what it was.
They didn’t seem to have anything in common at first glance.
What do you call the emotion in those eyes?
Did they all really have the same emotion?
Pure curiosity arose.
If it was just Herman and Ardian, I wouldn’t know, but even Zeon was involved. Even if I asked directly, I didn’t know how to ask to get an answer. I had to know the question to some extent to be able to ask it.
Perhaps because I wasn’t saying anything, Herman pouted, but his face didn’t look bad.
He said he would go with the clothes I said suited him, and he put only those clothes aside and rummaged again, saying he would find clothes that fit me too.
I don’t really need mine.
It didn’t seem like he was going to stop after doing it moderately.
Eventually, after spending several more hours, I barely managed to pick out a Social dress that pleased both him and me. It was a trying time. I thought we were finally going back to the dormitory… but Herman started walking in the opposite direction of the school.
Where is he trying to go now?
He opened his mouth when I looked at him with such eyes.
“It’s a shame to just go back. Let’s grab a bite to eat.”
I see. Food this time.
Come to think of it, it was already time for lunch. Now that he mentioned food, I was feeling hungry too. After thinking for a moment, I silently followed in Herman’s footsteps.
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
“Not really. I eat everything well.”
“Huh? You don’t like raw fish, though.”
“…Then let’s just exclude that.”
We were walking down an alley for a while when it happened. Herman stopped talking for a moment in response to my answer, and silence fell. It was a quiet and secluded alley with no passersby.
Suddenly, Herman’s hand reached out and brushed past my hair. I glanced sideways at the touch, and Herman, who met my gaze, slightly raised one corner of his mouth in a smile. The fingers that had been stroking my hair soon trailed down my cheek, and since I couldn’t allow any further impudence, I brushed his hand away.
“I showed you some leniency, and you’re already climbing all over me.”
“…You’re still harsh with me even after losing your memories.”
Herman huffed and grumbled.
I didn’t think it was worth responding to, so I just turned my head away.
The awkward silence was brief.
Herman started chattering again as if he hadn’t been sulking at all, and I responded appropriately, showing my generosity as the master. Well, today was supposed to be that kind of day.
That day, I enjoyed a delicious lunch that the servant paid for.
Even after finishing the meal, he whined about how it was a shame to just go back, so I bought him dessert at a nearby ice cream shop. He looked so happy, it was ridiculous.
It’s like appeasing and coaxing a child, really.
Eventually, long after lunch and late in the afternoon, we finally returned to school. Since the school ball was about to start soon, it was fair to say we had no choice but to go back.
Herman was making such a regretful face.
“We’ll make it just in time.”
“Right. Ray, let’s hurry.”
After changing into the Social dress I bought today, I left the dormitory with Herman and checked the time as I headed towards the central hall.
Since the school ball was being held in the central hall lobby.
Honestly, I thought the central hall lobby, even though it had a sophisticated atmosphere like a typical salon, would be too small to accommodate all the students… but when I arrived, I was wrong. It was much larger than usual, as if they had used temporary Space Expansion Magic.
“Wow. It’s packed.”
Herman was looking around and making a comment when it happened.
《Ah, students. Greetings.》
Just in time, the headmaster, using Amplification magic, stood on the stairs and announced the start of the ball, looking around at the assembled students.