OVA Finale - Cammie Hardernen
"Cammie," Sebastian said then, making me gaze up from mopping the floor of the bathroom, "why don't you stop here for now and go mop the main hallway?"
I blinked and saluted to him. "At once, Sebastian!"
He just smiled. "I'm a butler, not a military leader. There's no need for that."
I gazed up at him before smiling gently. "Sorry, force of habit."
"There's no need to apologize," he said, nodding out the door, "now, go. Hurry before master gets in one of her hissy fits."
I nodded and caught the bucket and water, rushing out from the room before making my way to the main entrance.
I splashed the mop into the water and pulled it out, starting to scrub the floors seconds later.
I hummed a soft tune to myself, continuing to work and spun around, mopping another section.
But a shadow moved above me, and I gazed up, blinking.
Yumi was standing on the landing, looking up at the wall.
"Oh, hello, master!" I said. "How are—"
I immediately broke off when I saw what she was staring at.
There was a large photo on the wall, one that had an image of a tall, short-haired man, an adult woman next to him, a little girl... and a smaller girl.
Yumi's family.
I gazed up at Yumi in the image, finding her eyes closed as a wide smile spread across her face, clearly laughing as her father pet her head.
She looked so young...
I'd never seen her smile like that before.
I gazed over at Yumi then—the real one—and found her stepping up to the photo, raising her hand to lightly touch her mother's image.
Something inside me constricted at the sight.
And I remembered what she told me all those years ago...
I woke up from a nightmare, wandered the manor, and then heard screaming. I found them deceased in the bedroom... or almost. They were reaching for me, begging for me, but I was frozen. I couldn't move, it was... so dark, too... and agonizing, and cold.
My lashes lowered when I watched her.
I know how you feel, master.
Yumi remained there for a moment, but then lowered her hand, gazing up the stairs. "Sebastian!"
He came from behind me, making me jump. "Yes, master?"
Yumi gazed down then, clearly just noticing that I was standing here. She just looked away from me and looked back at Sebastian. "Replace this picture with something else. I am the leader of this manor now. I feel undermined when I see my father's face here."
I stared for a moment, blinking.
But I looked away, lashes lowering.
She's lying. She just doesn't like how much it hurts to see his face.
I know how she feels.
"At once, master," Sebastian said then, bowing. "It shall be done before your guest comes tonight."
"Good," she said then, turning and walking back up the stairs.
I gazed up to find the corners of her mouth drawn back as if she was trying not to cry, and I clutched my mop tightly.
Oh, master... you're in so much pain.
Why do you hide it so?
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