Chapter 77 77: Roswaal's Heart is Filled with Respect for Mr. Subaru

Natsuki Subaru massaged Puck with practiced hands, savoring the touch of that fluffy fur up close.

After a long while, Rem and Ram came onto the lawn and interrupted the two of them.

"Lady Emilia, Lord Roswaal has returned. Please come back to the manor."

The two sisters bowed in unison as they spoke.

Creeeak—

As the heavy wooden doors of the dining hall groaned open, Natsuki Subaru let out a startled cry.

"Wow, this is straight out of some super-creepy old castle... Wait, isn't it still broad daylight?"

Right by the doorway, not far from Natsuki Subaru, Betty heard him and couldn't help shooting him a side-eye of pure disdain.

"Not just downstairs, then — turns out you're just as hopelessly idiotic upstairs as well, I suppose?"

"What's that supposed to mean, popping out of nowhere, you little loli!"

Natsuki Subaru shot back at Betty in indignation.

"What is that supposed to mean? I've never heard the word before, and yet it instinctively makes me feel unpleasant."

Betty furrowed her brow and glared at Natsuki Subaru with a face full of displeasure.

"It means you're a non-romanceable target, so there's no need to be polite to you. After all, I have no interest in the underage."

Natsuki Subaru and Betty stood toe to toe, neither willing to give an inch.

"And there's someone else here who feels rather unpleasant about that, you know — me."

Outside the screen, Betty — already crestfallen from how Puck had just been favored — looked as though she'd taken ten thousand points of critical damage.

"Aaagh, Subaru, you big idiot, what do you mean 'no interest in me'?!"

Betty's emotions burst out all at once, and she pounded furiously on the back of the chair in front of her, as though that were enough to vent her anger on Natsuki Subaru.

Seated right in front of Betty and utterly miserable, Otto could only twist around in his seat to console her.

"Lady Betty, didn't you go on to form a contract with Mr. Natsuki in the future, becoming utterly inseparable from him?"

Betty thought it over. Betty's pounding on the chair-back began to slow.

"What Mr. Natsuki said was just frustration talking, just frustration! Actually, Mr. Natsuki has told me before that he absolutely adores you, you know?"

Seeing it was working, Otto quickly pressed on.

Well, after all, it wasn't even a lie.

During their idle chats, he had heard Subaru express his affection for Lady Betty more than once.

Those two really were a partnership crafted in the heavens.

Even their occasionally less-than-honest streaks were so very alike.

Puck and Emilia then made their way to the dining hall.

The moment Betty laid eyes on Puck, she tossed aside the Natsuki Subaru she'd just been bickering with and devoted herself wholly to playing with Puck.

"Surprised? Betty is really attached to Puck."

Emilia said with a smile to the dumbstruck Natsuki Subaru beside her.

"Honestly, I feel like nothing that happens these days could surprise me anymore."

A complicated expression crossed Natsuki Subaru's face. So that little loli wasn't only good for sarcasm and digs, was she?

She could even put on a face that happy.

"Oh my~ Betty's actually here? How rare."

Suddenly, a drawn-out voice came from beyond the dining hall door.

"To think you would want to share a meal with me after so long — why, I am quite delighted."

Clad in his clown's attire, his face painted with clown makeup to match, Roswaal strolled leisurely into the dining hall.

"Tch. Betty was only waiting for Big Brother, that's all."

Betty's expression flipped in an instant, and for good measure she tossed in a few jabs at Roswaal.

Roswaal, snubbed though he was, showed no irritation, and let his gaze sweep around the dining hall.

He was just about to say something when he suddenly felt someone tap him twice on the back.

"Pre-dinner entertainment — they even went and hired a clown."

Natsuki Subaru, grinning, slung an arm around Roswaal's shoulder as he spoke.

"The way rich folks think really is impossible to figure out."

"Subaru, that person is —"

Emilia called out to Natsuki Subaru cautiously, at a loss for how to broach it.

"No, no, no — it's quite all right, Lady Emilia."

At her words, Roswaal gave a casual little laugh and said to the bewildered Natsuki Subaru,

"I am the master of this manor — Roswaal L. Mathers — Sir Natsuki Subaru."

Roswaal abruptly brought his face up close to Natsuki Subaru's, their eyes meeting head-on.

"So... the divergence began as early as here, did it..."

Outside the screen, Roswaal — who had been silent all this time — stared at the scene on the screen, drifting for a moment.

He recalled their first meeting in this world, the behavior Subaru had shown then that strayed beyond the instructions of the Gospel, and the faintest of smiles tugged at the corner of his mouth.

As he'd suspected — he had guessed correctly.

The trigger remained unknown, but this man called Natsuki Subaru truly did possess the ability to make the entire world start over.

In truth, when it came to Mr. Subaru, Roswaal's heart was filled with reverence.

Ever since the Sanctuary incident had concluded, Mr. Subaru had seemed like a wholly different person.

Driving Lady Felt, one of the Royal Selection candidates, out of the country.

Taking the renowned Sword Saint — the strongest of this age — and reducing him to a leashed hound.

Becoming the employer of Elsa the Bowel Hunter.

Driving back the Witch Cult in Water Gate City and becoming a hero — adding a brilliant new line to Lady Emilia's record of achievements.

One after another, deed upon deed... an endless string of accomplishments.

And it was precisely from that point on that he ceased to rely on the Gospel.

Because in reality, Mr. Subaru's actions belonged to a variable that had long since spilled far beyond what the Gospel could contain.

And yet that very variable filled him with delirious joy.

Roswaal was firmly convinced that, so long as he aligned himself with Natsuki Subaru's actions, his long-cherished wish would at last be fulfilled!

For that, he was more than willing to make himself a tool of Mr. Subaru's.

Next, Natsuki Subaru, Roswaal, and the others all took their seats one after another.

Contrary to expectation, the manor had few rules in place. Following the lead of the others, Natsuki Subaru picked up his spoon and tried the miso soup before him.

"Wow, this is honestly really good."

Natsuki Subaru couldn't help exclaiming in pleased surprise.

His gaze flicked between the blue-haired and the pink-haired maid, and then he turned decisively to Rem — the one who looked more reliable — and asked,

"Um, mind if I call you Rem-rin? Did you make this dish?"

"Yes, dear guest."

Rem replied with a slight bow.

"The cooking in this manor is left to Rem, because Sister isn't very good at it."

"Ha ha~"

Natsuki Subaru looked teasingly between the two sisters, Rem and Ram, and guessed with full confidence,

"I see, I see — it's that classic twin-trope where each one's good at different things, huh?"

"So Sister's the one who's good at cleaning, while Rem — though she can cook — isn't so great with cleaning or laundry?"

Natsuki Subaru crossed his arms, thoroughly pleased with his razor-sharp deduction.

He pricked up his ears, listening carefully for Rem's reply, all set to watch her surprised expression when she realized he had guessed every single thing right.

"No. Rem is generally skilled at all housework. Rem is good at cleaning and laundry as well — better than Sister, in fact."

Rem blinked and answered with complete honesty.

"Pfft!"

Natsuki Subaru nearly choked on his own saliva.

"If Rem-rin's that capable, then doesn't the very meaning of Sister's existence disappear entirely?!"

Outside the screen, Ram had literally turned red — completely flushed.

"So that's how Barusu saw me? Hadn't I already said I was good at cleaning and laundry?"

"Even Rem couldn't possibly handle every chore in the manor on her own!"

At those words, Rem — as if a keyword had been tripped — turned reflexively to Ram and said,

"Big Sister, Rem can do it! Even alone, it's no problem!"

The moment the words left her mouth, Rem froze.

She realized in an instant that she seemed to have misunderstood Ram's meaning, and so, dumbly, she offered her reassurance,

"It's all right, Big Sister — you don't need to prove the value of your existence through such things."

After a moment's thought, she added one more thrust of the blade.

"All the dirty and tiring work can be left entirely to Rem. Big Sister, just slack off beside her as always and enjoy your leisure time."

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