For some reason, the saint of our school drops her façade when she's with me (GL) - Chapter 11

The Aizome household, where the Saint lives, is primarily managed by four key staff members who oversee the mansion in her parents’ absence and ensure her safety.

First, there’s Mr. Kondo, a refined and competent older gentleman who acts as the head steward, essentially running the household in place of the Saint’s parents.

Then there’s Mr. Fushiguro, her driver and personal escort, along with his colleague, Mr. Ozawa.

And finally, Mr. Hasegawa, the head chef, who apparently knows my uncle.

Of course, there are other staff members who handle cleaning and minor chores, but these four seem to be the core of the household.

As for me, my position is a bit special.

The biggest difference between me and the other four is who hired us.

The four of them were employed by the Saint’s parents.

I, on the other hand, was hired directly by the Saint herself.

Apparently, I’m the only person she’s ever personally hired.

Well, considering the difference between a full-time employee and a part-timer, my role is quite different.

My main responsibilities are assisting her with daily tasks and preparing dinner.

Lunch is something I make voluntarily, but since she gives me money for ingredients, I don’t cut corners.

Actually, I put a lot of effort into it.

Because I want her to tell me it’s delicious.

That said, my duties don’t require me to be with her from morning till night.

Aside from preparing dinner, my biggest task is probably keeping her entertained when she’s bored.

“That should be enough for today,” she said, closing the book.

I let out a small sigh of relief.

It’s ironic—I came here to work, and yet I end up getting free tutoring from my employer.

It’s almost ridiculous that she doesn’t charge me for it.

But since she has no trouble with her own studies, it seems she doesn’t mind helping me. In fact, she might even enjoy it.

“You’re quite capable when you put in the effort, Suzuki.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Yes. It’s rewarding to train you. Or should I say, it’s fun shaping you into my own.”

“So, I am being influenced by you.”

“Does that bother you?”

“Not really.”

The Saint chuckled softly.

She really is an excellent teacher.

The fact that someone as inefficient as me can actually understand the material without struggling proves it.

“Now then, shall we play a game next?”

I checked the time. There was still plenty of time before I needed to prepare dinner.

It was rare for me to finish studying this quickly.

So, we moved from the study to her game room.

“It’s always impressive in here.”

Her study was filled with reference books and literature, but her game room was something else.

She had everything from retro consoles to the latest gaming systems and software.

Her taste in genres was a little biased, but she had almost all the major titles covered.

“I’ve been expanding my collection recently.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I added a few shelves for games I wanted to play with you.”

Now that she mentioned it, some of the shelves did look newer than the others.

Although, thanks to how well everything was maintained, it was barely noticeable.

“I didn’t know you were such a gamer, Aizome.”

“I don’t play that often. Actually, half of these games are still untouched.”

True enough, I noticed several unopened cases.

“That’s a waste.”

“If you think so, then play with me.”

“I don’t mind, but I’m not that great at games.”

Unlike my best friend, Mia, who was skilled enough to rank highly in competitive games, I wasn’t much of a gamer.

I didn’t even own a home console.

The only gaming devices I had were handhelds, mostly filled with monster-catching games and cozy animal life simulators.

Other than that, I mainly played visual novels.

I guess I just liked reading stories.

In that sense, I probably owned more light novels and manga than games.

“You don’t have to be good at it, as long as you enjoy it.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true.”

But full-priced games were hard on my wallet…

Buying full manga or light novel series was expensive too, but at least there were frequent discounts for digital copies.

“If I added a manga and light novel section here, you’d practically live in this room, wouldn’t you?”

“That’s a great idea. I’ll get started on it right away.”

She was joking… right?

Though, with her family’s wealth, I wouldn’t be surprised if she actually did it.

“Still, that’s a plan for later.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. Keeping things unavailable makes for better bait.”

“Wow, you make me sound like some simple animal being lured in.”

“You’re adorable. I’d love to keep you in my little tank soon.”

Maybe I should be more wary of the fancy empty doghouse I saw earlier.

Or the large, pristine aquarium in the hallway.

“And besides, I like borrowing things from you, Suzuki.”

The Saint smiled playfully.

Well, our tastes did align, so if she enjoyed it, I didn’t mind.

“So, what are we playing?”

“How about this?”

She handed me a game from a console that was popular when we were kids.

“Oh, this takes me back.”

“Let’s make it more interesting with a little wager, shall we?”

“Please, anything but skirt length…!”

Just two days ago, I had been forced into some cosplay outfit she had planned for Sunday, and I was still recovering from the embarrassment.

“It suited you well.”

“You say that, but the skirt was practically flashing my underwear the whole time!”

“It’s fine. I wore one too, so it’s fair.”

Yeah… for some reason, she had prepared a matching outfit and worn it enthusiastically.

She had a better figure than me, and she looked… incredibly attractive in it.

Not that I was going to say that out loud.

…Not like she didn’t already know.

“Next Time, Should We Wear Costumes for an Actual Event?”

“You mean cosplay at a convention or something?”

That’s a hard no.

I only wore that outfit the other day because it was just the Saint watching.

I don’t want to be seen by a bunch of strangers.

And more than that, I’m not really comfortable with revealing outfits.

There are things I’d rather keep hidden.

“No, I meant at my house. I don’t like showing my bare skin to others.”

“But you’re fine showing it to me?”

“Because you’re Suzuki.”

Did she mean it in the same way people don’t mind their pets watching?

Or because we’re both women?

…Or was it something more?

I decided not to question it too deeply.

Because if she did mean it in a pet-like way, that would be terrifying.

“Give me a little more time before I go fully naked, though.”

“When did I ever ask for that?”

“I felt your indecent gaze the other day. It gave me chills.”

I—I was not looking at her like that!

“Well, jokes aside, I wouldn’t let anyone else see you in that kind of outfit.”

“Really? You wouldn’t do it just to see my embarrassed face?”

“…I wouldn’t.”

The slight hesitation in her voice was terrifying.

“I like to keep what’s mine all to myself.”

The Saint murmured softly—so quietly that it was barely audible.

Maybe she was just talking to herself.

But her voice carried enough sincerity to make me almost misunderstand.

“S-So, what’s the punishment for losing?”

I forced the conversation back on track, struggling to look away from her.

“Let’s see… How about this? If you lose, you have to hold your student ID in your mouth and pose with a peace sign for a photo.”

“That’s literally something out of a doujinshi.”

“Do you dislike the idea?”

“As a concept, I like it, but I don’t want to do it myself.”

Also, how does she even know about stuff like that?

“Alright, let’s compromise.”

She flipped through a cute cat-themed desktop calendar and pointed at late July and early August.

“For every loss, you’ll have to stay over at my place for a night.”

So my entire summer break could be decided by the outcome of this game.

“Hmm… As long as I get at least one day to meet up with my uncle, I’ll agree.”

“You’re already planning to lose, aren’t you?”

“Do you have any idea how many times I’ve lost to you?”

Since I started this part-time job, I’ve never won a single game against her.

I haven’t even managed to get a draw.

“I’ll be looking forward to my paycheck.”

“If you put a collar on yourself, I’ll pay you a professional-level salary.”

“Yeah… I’d rather keep my dignity, thanks.”

If I told my uncle that my new job was being a pet, he’d definitely be concerned.

“Alright then, let’s start.”

“I was expecting you to refuse.”

“I can still say no, you know?”

“That won’t be necessary. If you’re willingly setting yourself up, I’ll have no problem tying you down.”

…She’s got a way with words, doesn’t she?

What do I want from my relationship with the Saint?

My instincts tell me this is dangerous.

If I let myself have what I want, I know I’ll only crave more.

And yet, without reaching a conclusion, I let my emotions take over and accept ridiculous bets like this.

I really am a fool.

Maybe someone as ugly and flawed as me—someone who inherited my mother’s selfishness—doesn’t deserve to be by her side.

But strangely, I don’t want to give up this place.

Despite all that, a game is still a game, so I played seriously.

…But of course, I lost.

So now, almost all of my summer break is dedicated to working at her place.

Well… it can’t be helped.

Yeah, it really can’t be helped.

After all, I’m a woman who keeps her promises.