***Arc 7 One Who Bare Their Fang on Reason, Chapter 161 Cookie***

"A-already... Bery-sama, Selene-sama's room is done."

"Thank you, Elvena-sama. Hehe, since Elvena-sama comes here, Elvena-sama finishes everything first, so I don't have much to do either."

Berry, who was supposed to be doing laundry, was looking around, and she was already in the kitchen making a meal.

By the looks of it, the soup was already finished.

Elvena stiffened and thought over her work.

After gathering underwear, nightgowns, and laundry together, Bery did the laundry.

Elvena was in charge of cleaning the room.

She cleaned the assigned room and Selene's room.

When she went to clean Krische’s room――which in effect also both Bery and Krescenta's, 3 person room, the cleaning was already finished.

A neatly arranged bed compared to the morning――which aroused confusion.

Berry should have been doing the laundry.

There must be a good amount of laundry because it had rained yesterday and they couldn't dry it, and even though they had done it carefully, it was unlikely that she had finished in the time Elvena had spent cleaning the two rooms.

But when she hurried to the courtyard, she found that the laundry was already hung on a string to dry.

No matter how she thought about it based on the water on the laundry, it had been hung for a while.

It must have already been hung to dry around the time Elvena started in the second room.

Elvena was increasingly puzzled as to what was going on.

For the time being, she picks up a mop to clean the entrance and back door she saw earlier.

It had been raining all night yesterday, so the entrance was a little dirty.

――But there was already no trace of dirt to be found anywhere.

It should have been there before she went out into the courtyard earlier――but what was there was a polished floor.

Where had Bery disappeared to?

She rushed out into the yard and went to Suiko――Gururun's place.

Sleepy and content, Gururun was relaxing in the special hut that had been built.

No matter how she looked at it, it had already finished its meal.

The horse was also munching on some hay.

At this point, it was no longer just a confusion, but a chill down her spine.

It was not even noon yet. She looked at the kitchen from outside and through the window she noticed that steam was already rising

When she ran into the kitchen, the soup was already ready.

"Is something the matter? Elvena-sama."

"N-no..."

She was a young woman, perhaps even younger than Elvena, depending on how one saw it.

Smooth red hair.

Her head was a little lower than Elvena's and her large eyes were that of a young maiden.

She looked young, with her voluptuous breasts and slender waist――combined with her atmosphere, she seemed to be a calm lady, and she was a truly mysterious woman.

Dressed in an apron dress and tilting her head slightly, she was mature, sexy, and pretty at the same time.

――But don't let appearances deceive you.

Despite her appearance, she was a superhuman no different from Krische.

Since coming here, she has basically been helping Cliche.

She has only started working on the mansion on the side after Bery was stabbed.

Taking care of the queen and taking care of the mansion――She divided the duties with Anne and worked hard in Bery's place, but that's probably where things started to feel strange.

This estate was too large.

Come to think of it, the mansion was in almost perfect condition no matter when Elvena returned.

It was no different than when she was at Roland's mansion with its large number of servants.

Moreover, Bery also worked a lot as the queen's attendant, so there was no way she could have spent her days just managing the estate.

She was also supposed to have worked on it on the side.

On top of that, she was entrusted with managing Christand's books, and she also calmly helped Krische and Selene with their paperwork.

Considering that she could come up with any number without a pause when asked, her brain must have recorded most of Christand’s affairs.

Krische’s dubious tale of her taking care of the Christand’s estate in Gargain alone.

She should have understood it the moment it wasn’t a mere dubious tale.

She was the servant among servants――Bery Argan.

The current Elvena is an opponent who couldn’t even reach her shadow.

"…U-uhh, is something the matter after all?"

Bery blushes slightly, and her gaze wanders all over her body, confused by Elvena's serious face.

Suddenly, Elvena noticed and shook her head.

"Oh, Bery-sama. There's hay on your head..."

"Huh? Ah, that's true. How embarrassing..."

She picked up the hay and put her hand on her cheek embarrassingly.

It was lovely, but she could not admire it.

She must have been the one who fed the horses and Gururun.

The slight possibility that they might have been fed by Krische or Serene when they went out was now gone.

"Well...when I saw Bery-sama's work again, I realized once again that I and others still have a long way to go."

"Um... that's not true, you know? Elvena-sama is more than..."

"No, no. If you compare the amount of work, mine is only one-third of Berry-sama's work... no, it's less than one-fourth or even one-fifth. I realized how naive I had been until now."

Elvena sighed, as if to say that she is truly pathetic.

Bery approached her with a wry smile, looking troubled, and she gently stroked her head.

"I just know how I should do it, and have mastered how to cut corners. The cleaning is minimal, and the amount of effort I put into each one will vary considerably. Elvena-sama seems to be working a little too hard, so I think it would be best if you relaxed your shoulders a little more.''

Her gaze slightly downward.

But the smile on her lips was soft and graceful, full of feminine charm.

When she stroked her head, she felt no discomfort, all she felt was a sense of security.

Just, only, a beautiful person.

"What is needed where it is needed. What takes up a lot of time, do it parallelly...The logic is simple. If you can relax your shoulders, get used to the work a little more, and be able to grasp the overall flow, I'm sure Elvena-sama will be able to do it right away."

"...Yes. Thank you very much. Um...that, is it okay if I go around with you for a while tomorrow?"

"Hmm... that's right. Let's go around together for a while."

Bery said and separated from her, took her ladle and poured soup into a small plate.

"May I ask you to taste it?"

"Yes."

Elvena smiled and nodded, accepting the small plate.

The rich aroma of dissolved vegetables tickles the nose.

The ingredients were tender (syrupy), and when you put it in your mouth, the rich flavor will delight your taste buds.

How did she do this while accomplishing the housework?

It was an artistic piece that was so carefully made that she couldn’t help but wonder.

"......The ingredients are blended together and today's dish is also very tasty."

"is that so"

‘I'm glad it's delicious,’ she said with a somewhat relieved smile.

Elvena chuckled.

She wondered what she was still worried about after making this delicious food.

Her cooking was more delicious than anything she ate at Roland's mansion.

Each vegetable, each meat.

Was it because everything was processed carefully, because the seasoning was exquisite, or was it a combination of them?

Just one simple grilled dish is a work of art.

If asked what makes such deep soups and other dishes so delicious, Elvena's tongue had trouble explaining.

But even with such skill, she was not satisfied.

Perhaps she perceived things in a dimension that Elvena doesn't understand.

"...perhaps in the morning?"

"Yes, but I just set it up and set it on fire. Soak the laundry in water with soap dissolved in it, it’s after that"

Elvena finally understood where the difference between her and Bery lay.

One by one, not serially, but in parallel.

Bery must have a bird's eye view of the whole and handle her work as a plane.

It's a fundamentally different way of looking at things.

She thinks of everything, not just cooking, in the same way that she prepares food before the water boils.

"See, if you ask me, it's simple, isn't it? It's not that difficult once you get used to it. Make arrangements for how far you want to go today, and build your schedule accordingly. It's just a repetition of the small things, like cleaning the house while the laundry is hanging out to dry."

"I see."

It was easier said than done, but when she said it, it sounded as if it were a very easy thing to do.

"So don't overdo it. Take it easy, just think of it as a little bit of playing with building blocks."

"...To me now, Bery-sama looks like a fairy godmother (wizard) in a fairy tale."

"Saying things like that again. Fufu, but Elvena-sama will soon realize that the fairy godmother (wizard) is just a magician (sleight of hand). I'm not quite there yet."

While looking a little embarrassed, she laughed mischievously.

That part was a lot like Krische.

According to both of them, it was natural to be able to do it this well.

Elvena was sure both of them have far too high standards for themselves.

Oblivious to what others think of them, always looking only for the best, and therefore, helplessly insensitive to what others think of them.

Whenever they received compliments, they both looked embarrassed and laughed vaguely.

The two of them must surely be attracted to such aspects of each other.

Even though it's okay to be proud of their abilities, both were still extremely modest.

Krische praises Bery and Bery praises Krische――they would probably never be satisfied with themselves in their lives.

Their way of being is now that of a seeker (求道者 = one who seek the way), and when she thought about it, Selene and Crescenta both have that aspect.

Christand was a group of such seekers.

Elvena sighed as she realized what the insurmountable wall she had been vaguely aware of was.

There was nothing she could do about it, because that wall kept running.

Although she was half resigned, she smiled forcefully.

"Then, I would like to begin by becoming a magician (sleight of hand). I look forward to working together, Bery-sama."

"Ah, uh... take it easy..."

"Yes. I will do my best to reach that state as soon as possible."

Even if she couldn’t surpass it, keeping up behind it.

That should be possible, and for that, it will need to work hard.

In front of her, who looked troubled, she was only being serious.

At noon everyone returns for a meal.

Soup, bread, a light lunch, and cleanup.

For now, today was the same as usual. There seems to be no problem with cooking.

Krische seemed a little lethargic and not feeling well, which worried her a little, but she couldn't stop her from going to work.

She said she would finish it early, so she wondered if it would be better to eat less meat today and make something easy to eat and nutritious.

From noon, she and Elvena would take care of the mansion's business, and she would think about such things as opening the account books in her room.

"Would you like another drink?"

"Thank you. Um... It’s okay to take a little break, you know?"

"No, today I plan to take a look at you work Bery-sama."

Elvena stood next to her in a proper posture.

Her well-groomed features were sharp and alert, and her hair was glossy and carefully styled over her shoulders.

It was perfect, and was exactly what a servant should be.

Bery smiled and scratched her cheek.

Anne was a diligent worker, and so was Elvena. She was even more serious these days, which made her feel a little troubled.

That's probably in her nature, but still she was trying too hard, and she was at a loss for what to do.

Being full of motivation is a great thing in itself.

However, she was worried that she might fall ill, and it was kind of itchy to be looked up to in such a sparkling and respectful way.

She sipped the tea that was poured for her and took a deep breath.

Even if she didn’t know the taste, the warmth and scent will heal her somewhat.

"Elvena-sama, please come here."

"Uhh... yes."

She stood up and took a teacup for Elvena and put it on the desk.

She poured her a cup of tea, asked her to sit down, and closed the ledger.

She thought to make some small talk to distract herself, but that was Bery's weakest point.

"A-are you used to life here?"

"Yes. Everything was new... At first, I was a little confused. But there’s no problem."

"I see that’s good..."

Conversation breaks off, and her gaze wavers.

Putting aside talk for greetings, work, cooking, or manners, small talk was quite difficult.

Conversation without business or business――what should she talk about?

‘Is it appropriate to talk about the weather?’

――I'm glad it was sunny today.

――Certainly. The weather is pleasant.

‘No, that's not good enough. The talk would end there.’

However, Elvena's past is not a bright one.

She couldn't possibly about the old days, and that area would be taboo.

Today's work was finished.

‘In that case, talk about tomorrow's work――no, wouldn't that make her even more nervous?’

Elvena was staring at Bery's face curiously.

Seeing that face, a thought occurred to her and she nodded.

"Ka-Kalua-sama… umm, next time, I would be happy if you could tell her my thanks."

"To Nee-san…?"

"Yes, umm, the gift I received the other day..."

About two weeks ago, while sending Krische on the way to the estate, Kalua chose some fruit and gave it to Bery as a present.

From there, some kind of conversation might continue——Bery thought so.

But Elvena stared at Berry, thought for a moment, and smiled.

"Understood. I'll relay it to Nee-san."

"Y-yeah...thank you..."

Contrary to Bery's plans, silence once again.

*stare* Elvena quietly looked at Bery while sipping the tea, and Bery flicked her gaze from side to side as if searching for something.

For Bery, it was a very awkward atmosphere.

But it was only for a short while.

What changed the atmosphere was Elvena's laughter.

"Fufu, I think it's rude to say something like this but..."

"Ah...um?"

"Bery-sama is such a lovely person. ...my apologies for being a bit mischievous."

Elvena laughs happily, looks at the gaping berry, and wipes the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"It's okay, Bery-sama doesn't need to be that considerate of me. I'm very happy just for the feelings.''

Bery blushed as she finally realized that she had been teased.

Then it became more and more amused.

Elvena looked at Berry with a smile, and Bery opened her mouth shyly with her eyes downcast.

"S-sorry... I'm not good at this kind of conversation."

"No. Rather, I feel relieved... there are things that even Bery-sama is also not good at."

"It's just that Elvena-sama is overestimating me. I’m just good at pretending, and there are many places where I’m lacking."

"Fufu, if Berry-sama's is just a pretense, then what am I?"

"Eh, uh..."

When Bery was at a loss for her answer, Elvena's smile deepened and she let out a laugh.

Once again, ‘sorry’ she said as she smiled wryly.

"But really, Bery-sama is very similar to Krische-sama in that aspect. Both of you are too modest..."

"Putting aside Krische-sama, I, uh..."

"Perhaps if I ask the same question, Krische-sama will say the same thing as Bery-sama."

"Uu..."

Berry's embarrassed face was very much like that of a maiden's.

Contrasting to her usual calm demeanor, Elvena calmly observed that expression as her eyes were healed.

Both the master and servant were two people who stirred her mischievous hearts to no end.

"Forgive me. Looking at the two of you, I feel a little envious."

"envious, is it?"

"Yes, because you both look very happy."

Bery blushed more and more at the words she said.

She had no way of hiding how she and Krische usually spent their time together.

They were witnessed on a daily basis, and her senses were somewhat numb, but she felt an indescribable embarrassment when it was said again.

"I am not teasing. I mean it. It's not about romantic feelings, but that such a relationship itself is a wonderful thing, umm......"

Elvena smiled bitterly as she said it herself.

"I'm a little embarrassed too, but I'm very envious of a relationship that is fulfilling like the two of you. How should I say it....just, I feel that it is very fateful that I have met a pair who is such a perfect match in this wide world."

"Guess, I'll never be a bard," Elvena said shyly.

Although it was the flow of the talk, it was still an itchy phrase to say.

But Berry thought deeply and looked a little uneasy.

"…Is that how it seems?"

"Uh, uhh...don’t tell me, Bery-sama isn’t confident?"

Elvena was confused by the unexpected words.

Bery averted her eyes and opened her mouth.

"No, uh... I, of course, love Krische-sama. More than anyone else."

It was an affirmation.

Elvena, who had seen their daily life up until now, had no doubts about this now, but when it was said like this, she felt an indescribable shock.

Elvena blushed, her eyes watering, even though it was a topic she had brought up herself, and she remembered the time when she had asked Krische about Bery.

"Krische-sama loved someone like me...I have no doubts about that feelings. I have vowed to dedicate my life to Krische-sama."

"Y-yes..."

Both master and servant were too similar.

"But the real me is... a very pathetic person, and I sometimes wonder if this kind of me is really the best for Krische-sama, I'm afraid that one day she'll be disillusioned..."

Elvena had heard similar words from another person before.

Terrifyingly pure.

In that respect, both of them are similar to each other.

"Y-you know, Berry-sama."

"...?"

"I——"

As Elvena was about to speak, a knock sounded.

Holding Elvena who was about to stand up, Bery stood up and opened the door.

"Welcome home, Krische-sama."

"I'm home, Bery. Elvena too...taking a break?"

"Yes. We’re having a little chat."

Krische leaned against Bery as if pressing her face, and Bery embraced such Krische.

Ervena is a little dumbfounded as to what she was worried about, she looked at the two of them, took a new cup and poured a cup of tea.

Then, noticing that Krische was carrying a bag, she tilted her head and asked.

"Krische-sama, that bag is?"

"Um...um, these are the cookies Krische made as a snack over there. Krische made some to give to Nagal and the others, it’s the leftover...so Krische bought some for Bery and Elvena."

"Fufu, thank you very much. Elvena-sama, let's eat it together."

Bery smiled, let go of Krische and tried to pull her hand away.

Before that, Krische took out a small, bite-sized cookie from her bag and without looking up brought it to Bery’s mouth.

"...Bery"

Berry was puzzled by the situation.

"Eh, uh, yes..."

Looking shyly sideways at Elvena, Bery opened her mouth as if giving up for the moment.

Then put the cookie in her mouth, chew it and swallow it.

"Today's cookies are very crisp huh."

"……Does it taste good?"

"……? Yes, very——"

The moment Bery said that, Krische’s body stiffened and the bag was dropped.

The cookies inside the bag made a crushing sound.

"...Krische, -sama?"

Bery also stiffened seeing such Krische.

Krische took a step back and looked at Bery, as if frightened.

Her beautiful face seems to be distorted with sorrow, and her purple eyes are wet and swaying like the surface of water.

She shook her head over and over as she staggered.

She only looked at Bery.

"Hg, Krische-sama!"

——And then she turned away and disappeared into the hallway.

Bery immediately tried to chase after her,

"……ah"

But soon she stopped and fell to her knees and covered her face.

Her delicate shoulders tremble and shake.

"Ah, um… Berry-sama…?"

Not knowing what happened.

Elvena was puzzled as she approached and stared at Berry, who did not respond to her voice.

Then she suddenly saw the bag of cookies on the floor and picked it up.

She took one of the crushed cookies out of the bag, looked at it, and put it in her mouth.

"Ga..."

She almost choked and held her mouth.

She found there almost none of the honey sweetness she had imagined.

It just tasted like a salty cookie.

At that moment, she understood everything.

She just stared at Bery, who was lying on the ground, dumbfounded.