Even as Sakayanagi Arisu met Shikime Natsu's pale-gold eyes, she felt herself growing tense — especially since he still hadn't said a single word, which only made her anxiety spike further.
What are you after? Say something, at least. How am I supposed to know what you want if you won't open your mouth? Am I really expected to just guess?
But... she was Sakayanagi Arisu. No matter what conditions Shikime Natsu might put forward, she had to stay cool, composed, and unfailingly graceful under pressure.
So she drew in a slow breath, forcibly smothered the unease rising in her chest, lifted her chin, and met his gaze head-on — the corner of her mouth curving into a small, faintly mischievous smile.
"If... Shiki-san has taken a liking to me... well... it's not as though I couldn't consider... becoming your girlfriend, you know~"
She leaned forward ever so slightly, letting those dewy violet eyes flutter in deliberate provocation.
Even for Sakayanagi Arisu — who was always so poised and composed, so skilled at pulling others' strings — a faint blush had crept uninvited onto her fair, delicate cheeks the moment the words left her lips.
It was only a teasing remark to wrestle back control of the conversation. She was only trying to toy with him a little.
But...
When the words "become your girlfriend" actually passed her lips, a strange, indescribable feeling welled up inside her — something she couldn't quite name.
Her heartbeat seemed to stumble, just half a beat too fast.
Of course, on the surface, she maintained that unhurried, faintly teasing expression without a crack.
Her eyes stayed fixed on Shikime Natsu's face, hunting for even the slightest flicker of embarrassment, of being caught off guard.
The moment he showed any crack at all, the upper hand in this little psychological duel would snap right back to her.
And yet.
She had clearly underestimated this man.
There was no embarrassment on Shikime Natsu's face. Not even the faintest ripple of any emotion whatsoever.
On the contrary, he was watching her with an expression of mild, leisurely amusement — utterly unbothered by what she'd just said, looking for all the world like a spectator enjoying a show — and that look alone was enough to leave Sakayanagi Arisu frozen in place, her gambit crumbling.
She'd gone that far. Surely he owed her some kind of reaction? Even just a tiny one?
If he gave her nothing at all...
Sakayanagi Arisu felt the smile on her face beginning to slip, the heat spreading steadily up to the tips of her ears.
And it was precisely as her heart started picking up speed that Shikime Natsu finally spoke.
He gave a quiet laugh, not addressing the girlfriend comment at all, and instead asked in an unhurried, conversational tone:
"Speaking of which..."
"Does Sakayanagi-san remember... that time, a while back, when you invited me to go pick out a maid outfit together?"
"Hm?"
Sakayanagi Arisu blinked.
That incident...
It wasn't so long ago — barely a month, all told.
The moment he mentioned it, the memory came flooding back.
Back then, she had invited Shikime Natsu to go choose a maid outfit together as part of fulfilling her end of a bet. And to tease him a little, she'd deliberately said:
"If Shiki-san came along with me, we might be able to pick out something a little... bolder, you know?"
And the result...
Shikime Natsu had turned her down.
And the reason he gave was absolutely devastating.
He had told her point-blank that her underdeveloped figure didn't interest him — and that, for Sakayanagi Arisu, had been a blow of considerable damage. She'd always told herself she didn't care about that sort of thing, but hearing it from Shikime Natsu — in that completely sincere, utterly unfeigned tone — had made her furious. What was wrong with being petite? Since when was that anyone else's business?
If not for her condition... she felt certain she wouldn't be this small. Her body had simply adapted to carry no extra burden because of the illness — nothing more, nothing less.
Sakayanagi Arisu was well aware that some people had a thing for petite girls. But Shikime Natsu clearly was not one of them — otherwise he never would have done something so outrageous to her. The list of his crimes was simply endless.
The moment that thought crossed her mind, the teasing smile that had been curving her lips collapsed entirely, replaced by an expression that could generously be called displeased.
This guy... really did have an uncanny talent for delivering "surprises" at the worst possible moments.
Couldn't he just leave well enough alone?!
Yes, Sakayanagi Arisu's figure was on the smaller side — a petite, dainty type. But that was universally acknowledged as cute!
At this school, she was without question one of the most beautiful girls around — if not the most beautiful!
This guy was just a freak with broken taste!
For just a fleeting moment, Sakayanagi Arisu even wondered whether Shikime Natsu was doing this on purpose to get her attention — like those immature little boys in grade school who pick on the girls they like.
But she dismissed the thought almost immediately.
That kind of thinking... was really scraping the bottom of the barrel.
It was exactly the sort of delusion a self-important girl would cook up.
If she actually thought that way, wouldn't it put her in the same category as this insufferable jerk?
"I see..."
Shikime Natsu had noticed the shift in her expression. He gave a quiet, knowing laugh.
"So Sakayanagi-san has remembered."
Sakayanagi Arisu drew in a slow breath, fighting the urge to snap at him then and there.
She kept her face cold, and asked with barely concealed impatience:
"So? What's the point of all this?"
"What exactly do you want from me before you'll agree to help?"
"I already told you I'm prepared to pay any price — money, or whatever else you ask for..."
"And yet you're still bringing up old grievances and teasing me at a time like this..."
"Do you find this funny?"
She was thoroughly annoyed.
Yes, she had been the one to tease him first — but she was a girl! And she was the one asking for a favor here!
Shikime Natsu studied her puffed-up little expression without answering directly.
Instead, he raised an eyebrow slightly and said in a meaningful tone:
"Sakayanagi-san."
"Haven't you... forgotten something again?"
Sakayanagi Arisu's brow furrowed.
Forgotten something again?
What else could she possibly have forgotten?
Seeing her look of total bewilderment, Shikime Natsu helpfully supplied the answer:
"How you address me."
The moment those words landed, it clicked.
This jerk!
He was still trying to squeeze that out of her!
As much as it galled her... for the sake of a healthy body, for the sake of no longer being on the receiving end of people's pitying looks — the kind a clearly accomplished and beautiful girl should never have to endure — Sakayanagi Arisu decided to grit her teeth and bear it.
She clenched her jaw, lowered her gaze, and in a voice barely above a whisper — yet still perfectly audible — she said:
"M-Master..."
"Is there... anything I've done that isn't to your satisfaction?"
She had figured it out.
If she wanted this utterly insufferable man to actually help her, she had to keep him comfortable and in a good mood.
Otherwise...
She would never pry a single useful word out of him. Every time she tried to get down to business, he would find some new way to drag things sideways — and wherever he dragged them, it always ended with her suffering.
Hearing her say "Master," Shikime Natsu's mood visibly lifted. Indeed — there was a certain deliciously topsy-turvy satisfaction in hearing the proud little princess, the young lady of the Sakayanagi family, call him that. The contrast alone was something else entirely.
"Mm. Good."
He gave a satisfied nod, then glanced over at Sakayanagi Arisu with those pale-gold eyes and said quietly:
"In that case, go heat me a cup of milk."
"I'm a little thirsty."
"Yes... Master."
Sakayanagi Arisu responded and turned toward the kitchen.
A short while later she returned, carrying a warm cup of milk, and placed it respectfully before Shikime Natsu.
He took it but didn't drink immediately. He glanced at the empty tray and asked offhandedly:
"What's this?"
"You're not pouring one for yourself?"
Sakayanagi Arisu offered a slightly rueful smile and replied:
"My apologies."
"Milk at three thousand personal points a cup... a penniless little maid like me can hardly afford to indulge."
She hadn't forgotten about that little detail either — Sakayanagi Arisu's memory was truly something.
As those memories from a month ago continued to resurface, Sakayanagi Arisu was left with a very clear picture of just how disagreeable Shikime Natsu's character truly was, and she began to wonder whether he would actually grant her request.
She recalled now — Shikime Natsu had agreed to give her a massage and help her regain normal mobility the first time because she had thrown Horikita Suzune under the bus, roping her into becoming his maid as well.
Did that mean, in order to get his help again, she would have to sacrifice Horikita Suzune a second time?
The thought left Sakayanagi Arisu feeling faintly dispirited. After all... Horikita Suzune was already Shikime Natsu's maid at this point. No matter what she schemed up, it probably wouldn't be enough to get a result that truly satisfied him.
Shikime Natsu lifted the cup and took a sip, the same unhurried smile on his face as always. He was clearly in quite a fine mood.
Just then —
Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly sensed something was off.
They were recreating the maid service from before...
Shoulder massage — done. Warm milk — done...
So next...
Was it going to be that?
Washing Shikime Natsu's... feet?!
The thought alone made Sakayanagi Arisu's expression twist into something spectacular.
This guy... was truly the most insufferably rotten person she'd ever encountered.
But... rather than wait passively for him to give the order and humiliate her on his terms, she should take the initiative!
If she didn't seize control, who knew what even more outrageous methods of torment this jerk might dream up?
Her mind made up, Sakayanagi Arisu turned and walked straight to the bathroom.
Shikime Natsu assumed she was just going to the toilet or something. It struck him as a little odd — after all, for someone as proud as Sakayanagi Arisu, using the bathroom in a boy's dormitory room seemed like the sort of thing she would never do.
Not that he had any intention of stopping her, or forcing her to hold it until the maid service was over. That really would have made him a creep.
But soon he heard the sound of water from inside the bathroom — the shower head. Had he pushed her too far, and now she was washing her face to compose herself?
No, if that were the case, she would have just used the tap. Not the shower.
A short while later, Sakayanagi Arisu emerged carrying a basin full of warm water.
"Please... allow me to wash your feet, Master."
She set the basin down gently beside his feet, then looked up and gave Shikime Natsu a smile so strained it looked worse than crying.
Shikime Natsu stared at her in mild surprise.
Honestly...
He hadn't actually been planning to have her wash his feet this time. The first time had only happened because Sakayanagi Arisu had been getting far too full of herself in front of him and he'd wanted to take her down a notch.
And today he had already made the smug brat eat plenty of humble pie — that was more than enough. His mood was genuinely good.
But then again...
Since Sakayanagi Arisu had been this proactive, going so far as to fetch the water herself...
Well, as her master, it would be a shame to let a maid's goodwill go to waste, wouldn't it?
And so, with perfect equanimity, Shikime Natsu removed his shoes and socks and lowered both feet into the warm water.
Sakayanagi Arisu knelt beside the basin. Those slender, delicate hands — ordinarily used for nothing more taxing than holding books or moving chess pieces — now had no choice but to sink into the water and wrap around a man's feet.
Her hands were small, soft, and slightly cool at the fingertips.
But warmed by the water, they quickly grew as tepid as the bath itself.
Even though she had done this for Shikime Natsu once before... once was still only once. You'd need many repetitions before the brain grew numb enough to stop feeling ashamed. Sakayanagi Arisu had only done it that single time, so this second time was every bit as mortifying as the first.
Every touch, every scrub.
It was like sandpaper dragged slowly across her pride.
Her cheeks burned. Her chest was full of suppressed indignation and aggrieved misery.
She was Sakayanagi Arisu!
How... how had she sunk to the level of washing a man's feet?!
Fortunately, this particular ordeal didn't last too long.
Once she'd finished washing and drying his feet, Sakayanagi Arisu rose with an almost palpable sense of relief. She emptied the basin, and then — from the sound of it — proceeded to furiously wash her hands in the bathroom sink as though trying to scrub away any trace of contamination. Then she returned to stand at Shikime Natsu's side.
"Master..."
"My service today... would you say it was... adequate?"
She had endured every indignity and had even taken the initiative herself — if that didn't count as merit, it surely counted as suffering? She felt like she was about to be worked to death.
However, after Shikime Natsu caught the faintly pained little expression on her face, a flicker of amusement crossed those pale-gold eyes — and then he slowly let two words fall from his lips:
"Adequate."
The instant that verdict reached her ears, Sakayanagi Arisu felt as though something had delivered a full-force blow straight to her heart.
Adequate?!
She had gone this far!
She had thrown away every last shred of dignity. She had endured every shame.
She had even forced herself to smile and call him Master!
And in return...
All she got was "adequate"?!
A wave of bitter grievance surged up without warning, and the corners of her eyes began to sting.
A thin sheen of tears slowly gathered in those violet eyes.
This guy...
He was going way too far.
He was so gentle with every other girl — with Kamuro Masumi, with Shiina Hiyori, with Sakura Airi...
But only with her!
He was insufferably awful in a way that defied description!
What on earth was the problem?!
Did he really just find her that unlikeable?!
Just as Sakayanagi Arisu was on the verge of losing control of her emotions, Shikime Natsu suddenly stood and said:
"Alright."
"Good work today, Sakayanagi-san."
"That's enough service for today — you can head back."
He was... dismissing her?
Those words hit her like a bucket of cold water. Sakayanagi Arisu's head snapped up, those tear-rimmed violet eyes wide with disbelief.
Wait!
Hold on a moment!
"What about... the request I came here for? You still haven't told me what I need to do to get you to help me!"
There was no way she was leaving before she had his answer. While the others were away, even if she had to embarrass herself, at least she'd only be embarrassing herself in front of Shikime Natsu alone — she didn't have to show this wretched side of herself to Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyou on top of everything.
So she needed an answer, even if she couldn't act on it right away. At the very least, once she got home tonight, she could start thinking of a plan — instead of continuing to wander around like a headless fly with no sense of direction.
Shikime Natsu looked at her pathetically vulnerable expression, and the corner of his mouth curved into a slow, meaningful smile.
"Don't worry."
"There's plenty of time."
"Once Sakayanagi-san's performance reaches the point where I'm truly satisfied..."
"I'll naturally lend you my hand."
Hearing that, Sakayanagi Arisu went completely still.
What did he mean by... "when he was truly satisfied"?
Wasn't what she'd done just now enough?
Then what would it take to satisfy him?
And moreover...
If he was never satisfied...
Did that mean she would have to be his maid indefinitely?
Their original bet had only been for one month.
But now...
If the situation had shifted into her owing Shikime Natsu a favor...
Then that deadline...
Would be extended indefinitely?!
Could it be...
She really was going to be his maid for the rest of her life?!
Sakayanagi Arisu walked out of Shikime Natsu's dormitory room in something of a daze, temporarily at a loss for words. He had clearly been planning this from the very beginning — just to keep her as his maid forever!
But... after a brief moment of stunned silence, a glint of resolve rekindled in those violet eyes. No. She absolutely refused to spend the rest of her life as Shikime Natsu's maid. There had to be a way — some kind of shortcut she could find.
____
👻🔥+40 ch: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: All My Employees Are Naughty Girls
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