Epilogue
That night.
Sia, who had free time now that Byleth had gone into his bedroom, was sitting alone in the moonlit hall.
Of course, she wasn’t just sitting idly.
Sia was performing a certain task.
—Wipe, wipe, wipe, wipe.
She has been laying a towel on the table, placing the treasure on the towel, and wiping the dirt off the treasure for about ten minutes
In reality, these treasures weren’t dirty. At most, they had some fingerprints. They were obviously pristine, but there was a reason she insisted on cleaning them.
“Mm, now they’re clean. No scratches either…”
The treasures on were two items.
A yellow hairpin and a necklace adorned with a purple gemstone. Yes, these were gifts from Byleth.
“I want to cherish them forever, and always use them… Ehehe.”
It’s only natural to feel special.
Sia, who wants to continue serving by Byleth’s side, received her first gift from her master.
“I was given this present by you… hehe.”
With plenty of musical notes floating above her head, a cheerful Sia gazed at the treasures with a radiant smile.
Fully immersed in her own world, she snapped out of it upon hearing a familiar voice.
“Sia? What are you doing here all alone?”
“Eek!? M-Master Byleth…!?”
[Why is he here at this time!?] With a surprised voice, she gradually approached Sia while explaining.
“I noticed you didn’t return to your room today, so I came to check on you.”
“I-I see…”
“I won’t reprimand you for this, but as I mentioned before, when it’s free time, I want you to rest. I can’t let you overwork yourself—”
He had been quietly and secretly finishing his work at this hour. Byleth realized his misunderstanding upon approaching Sia.
It was in his line of sight.
The yellow hairpin and the necklace adorned with a purple gemstone were reflecting the moonlight.
Of course, he recognized them. They were the gifts he had given.
“Huh? What are you doing, Sia?”
“A-ah, um… I was… just cleaning the presents you gave me…”
“Why here instead of your room?”
“U-um… because… the place where I received the presents from Master Byleth was here…”
“And?”
He didn’t get the crucial answer. Tilting his head, he asked again, and Sia, wrapping the treasures in the towel, shyly smiled and explained in detail.
“The place where I received the presents was here, so I was cleaning them while recalling the happy feelings from that time…”
“Ah, “
“sorry for saying something strange! But for me, it was that delightful, you see…”
She peers up at him through half-lidded eyes, hands clasped together hiding the lower half of her face.
“Ah, ahaha…… I see.”
In the dim surroundings, Sia’s expression couldn’t be fully discerned, but it stirred up protective instincts.
“Thank you, really.”
“A-ah…”
Placing his hand on her blond hair, Byleth gently continued to stroke her head.
Byleth couldn’t do this kind of physical contact before. Sia never even considered it.
It’s proof that the distance between them has truly closed.
“Hey Sia, even if I’m saying this late, I was just as happy as you when you gave me that pen as a return gift for my present. I was so happy I even boasted about it to Elena.”
“I’m glad to hear that, even if it’s flattery…”
“It’s not flattery. I really mean it.”
As he continues the conversation, Byleth gently strokes Sia’s head.
Then, a small weight leaned against him.
“Sia? Are you sleepy already? You’re leaning on me…”
“N-no…”
“Then is something bothering you?”
“…”
“Hm?”
“I apologize for saying something presumptuous, but… I really don’t want to serve anyone other than Master Byleth… I want to continue supporting Master Byleth in the future…”
Late at night, with work finished and enjoying sweet time with her master, Sia was feeling emotions she didn’t usually feel.
Looking up with her feelings, Byleth stopped stroking her head and raised an eyebrow.
“Huh…? Do you not believe me? I said I would prepare that path for you after graduation.”
“I, I believe in Master Byleth’s words, of course. But… I just wanted to convey it again…”
“I see…”
With their small hands stacked together, Sia squirmed shyly.
Seeing her like this made him want to embrace her, her cuteness floating up like bubbles.
If he had lost his reason, he might have acted on his feelings.
To disguise these feelings, Byleth shifted his gaze to the table.
“But I never thought Sia would cherish the gifts so much. Of course, I didn’t think Sia was being rough with them, but they’re not exactly worth as much as jewelry.”
Byleth looks over
the necklace and hairpin laid out on the towel.
They seem to be handled very carefully, not a scratch in sight. They’re in the same condition as when they were given.
“For me, they’re worth more than jewelry.”
“Oh, really?”
“Of course. If it’s something given to me by Lord Byleth, even a pebble on the roadside would become a treasure.”
“Hehe, I wouldn’t give you something like that.”
Byleth cuts the conversation with a resigned smile, showing remarkable loyalty. No, he hadn’t intended to prolong the conversation in the first place.
“Well, then, I suppose it’s time for Sia to return to her room. It’s late, and it’s getting cold; you might catch a cold.”
“Yes. Thank you very much.”
With that, Sia, skillfully wrapping the necklace and hairpin in the towel to prevent them from overlapping, cradles them against her chest with both hands.
“Well then, I’ll escort you to Lord Byleth’s bedroom.”
“You’re free now; you don’t have to worry about me.”
“I’m Master Byleth’s maid; I cannot allow such things.”
“Hmm… Unfortunately, I’m also someone who can’t yield.”
“You too Master Byleth?”
“After all, after you escorted me to my room, there’s a chance you’ll come back here again, isn’t there? Knowing Sia.”
“T-That’s not… never…”
She never thought she would come back. But since there’s a possibility, she can’t talk back
Byleth, who always wishes Sia would rest early due to her busy schedule,
“Okay, then.”
He holds out his hand towards Sia at this moment.
“Come on, Sia, extend your left hand.”
“Are you… asking for my hand?”
She still seems clueless. She blinks rapidly, slowly extending her left hand as if to say, “What is it?”
“Yes, thank you for your cooperation.”
“Eek!”
As soon as she extends her hand, Byleth grabs it. He grabs it and thanks her.
Everything’s ready to take Sia to her room now.
“Right, right. …… “
Her slender hands are shaking. She seems to be feeling a mixture of upset, embarrassment, and other emotions.
“Okay, It’s dark around here, so be careful.
“Wa-wait…”
“No.”
“Your hand…?”
“…It’s nothing.”
“I see.”
Sia, overcome by her emotions, by her embarrassment, by various feelings, her delicate hand trembling.
[She couldn’t say, “Let go”]
A certain emotion got in the way.
She doesn’t want to let go of this hand… she wants to keep holding it…
I still want to hold hands…
Indulging in this selfish desire.
“Did something happen to your hand…?”
“……No. N-Nothing at all…”
“I see.”
Sia succumbed to her selfish want, indulging herself.
Despite Byleth’s words that it was free time now so she needn’t worry.
She continued firmly holding Byleth’s hand to fully savor this time.
As her room drew nearer, she gradually tightened her grip…
After that—once in her room, Sia immediately went to her bed.
Placing her right hand over her left, she curled up embracing herself…
“Lord Byleth……”
Sia’s face was flushed.
Recalling the feeling of Byleth’s hand lingering on her left, her heartbeat quickened.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
Afterword
Hello, everyone.
I hope you enjoyed your spring Golden Week holidays!
I went out to buy a large body pillow and have been able to get a good night’s sleep!
Well, let me end the greetings here.
Thank you very much for purchasing volume 2 of “Aristocratic Daughters, Got used to Me.”
In this volume, the story focuses on Elena and Sia, but I hope you enjoyed it.
I worked hard on this volume as well, so I hope you had a good impression of it.
In addition, I would like to thank the illustrator GreeN for adding beauty to the work with their wonderful illustrations.
I was very happy that they kindly accepted my selfish request to see Sia in the illustration!
Also, thanks to everyone involved in this work, we were able to publish it. Thank you very much.
The next volume will focus on the Banquet Dinner.
New characters are also scheduled to appear… I pray for the success of the next volume and will end the afterword here!
Once again, thank you for purchasing this work!
Natsunomi
TLNOTE : That’s all for volume 2. Volume 3 translation will start when I have enough free time, that’s why all of your memberships and donations really help keeping the translation alive. See you at Volume 3, so hopefully soon!!!
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