Hitachimaru (2)
Suddenly, I got a day off. I was told that I wasn't needed since Rikimaru was taking Naruhito to visit. His HIghness is not fond of how close the Naruhito and Rikimaru are, so if he's taking Rikimaru along, it means Naruhito’s condition must not be very good.
In any case, having a sudden day off is a bit inconvenient. Usually, I coordinate my days off with Otoha. If she's reading, I hold her and serve as her chair. If she goes shopping, I carry the bags. If she cooks, I watch and taste her dishes. But today, Otoha has work, so I have nothing to do.
Old man Kujou has already gone to the military training grounds for some fun, and joining him halfway would make it obvious that I'm just killing time.
After some thought, I decided to watch Otoha at work. The detached palace is spacious, with several servants cleaning, making beds, doing laundry, and hanging it out to dry. In the ruined mansion, Otoha, Yoshino, and Murakano used to handle these tasks leisurely, but now, Otoha seemed to be in a supervisory role.
Yoshino, being of a good age, has decided to retire and now spends her time enjoying her hobby of sewing.
Murakano has been helping in the kitchen more often. With more people living here, Hirosue has had to prepare more food than before, which keeps him quite busy. It's a good arrangement, and I envy them being together all the time.
Otoha was going around speaking to the working servants, thanking them individually. She wasn’t just checking on them; she was genuinely expressing gratitude, saying things like "Thank you for your help" and "You're doing great." The servants would naturally pause their work to respond and then return to their tasks. It was clear she had built good relationships with them.
My wife is such a wonderful person.
Feeling moved, I followed at a distance, not wanting to get in the way. Spending such a delightful day off, today is a good day.
While walking in high spirits, a composed man in his fifties, one of the head servants, approached Otoha and bowed. It was Ichinose Murashige, who oversees the other servants.
"Excuse me, Lady Otoha. There is a guest whom I cannot turn away."
What do you think about this chapter?
