Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World-Chapter 234: Hayasaka’s Position

The sun always rose early in the mornings of early spring.

A ray of sunlight shone into the room, warm and gentle, causing Hayasaka, who was still asleep, to subconsciously open her eyes.

"!?"

Suddenly, the enlarged sleeping face in front of her startled her, and she nearly cried out. Fortunately, her professional ethics as a maid allowed her to suppress the reflex.

It's... Ren.

Her hazy consciousness gradually cleared.

Hayasaka began to sort through the current situation.

Yesterday, she had brought Chika to Ren's home, helped ease her lingering psychological trauma, and, considering her condition, decided to stay to take care of her.

But due to the severity of Chika's symptoms this time, Ren had to comfort her through her emotional breakdowns in order to help her fall asleep, which led to the two of them sleeping together.

To prevent Chika from doing something out of line, Hayasaka had no choice but to stay as well and monitor her closely.

That led to the current situation—where the three of them ended up sleeping in the same bed.

She looked down at Chika, who was still nestled in Ren's arms.

If she hadn't picked her up yesterday, she would have seriously suspected that this woman had planned the whole thing... Hayasaka couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

She then looked up at Ren, who was still asleep.

At the moment, he wasn't wearing his glasses, and his bangs were pushed away from his forehead. Only when his face wasn't obscured like this could she clearly see his features.

Ren's face was really perfect for being a gigolo.

At this moment, Hayasaka understood how sharp Sonoko's instincts were. She had set her sights on Ren solely based on his appearance, even without knowing about the diary, and made a deal to date him once she got it.

If Kaguya could be as assertive as Sonoko, she might've already succeeded. Why else would she be getting crushed by Sonoko?

Hayasaka actually understood Kaguy's restraint. After all, they had only known each other for about a month. Confessing and getting into a relationship after such a short time did seem a little rushed. Moreover, Kaguya's personality and upbringing naturally made her approach love with more rationality.

There's nothing more to say at this point. Kaguya and Sonoko were on the same track now.

As for Chika, it was only a matter of time.

Thinking back to how heavily Chika relied on Ren yesterday, seeking comfort in his arms to cope with her fear and trauma, it was obvious that Kaguya hadn't completely fallen into despair yet.

Even I...

Although it might be a little unfair to Kaguya to say this, Hayasaka felt she had a clearer grasp of her own feelings.

She had a crush on Ren, and as she got to know him more, that crush was beginning to deepen.

Just like now.

If she truly didn't have feelings for him, would she have slept in the same bed as the man in front of her and shared a blanket with him? That was clearly unrealistic.

It was only because she didn't dislike him, because she didn't object to it, that she allowed herself to go along with Chika's situation and let things progress in a way that was unfair to Kaguya.

Otherwise, how could a girl maintain this level of contact with a guy she didn't even like?

Of course it was because she didn't hate him.

Faced with a guy she didn't hate, or even liked, and forced to stay with him for a week because of someone else's psychological issues—Hayasaka wasn't sure if she'd be able to hold out.

Take Ren right now, for example—still asleep, with a totally different demeanor from when he was awake.

Unlike his cold and slightly gloomy persona during the day, in his sleep, without any deliberate expressions, his relaxed face was calm and even a little childlike.

Kaguya really had a sharp eye when it came to men. She was on par with Sonoko.

Hayasaka knew this was the first time Kaguya had made such a bold decision, which made her even more certain of Kaguya's taste.

Originally, she thought Kaguya would take a long time to make her move, but with Sonoko pressing forward, everything sped up.

No wonder people say love is about chasing each other. Without that urgency, you'd never feel the heat of it.

But this had nothing to do with her. She was just Kaguya's dowry maid.

She would marry along with Kaguya and live with her and the man she chose. Given the current situation, she might even have to take care of their bedroom matters after they were married.

If the one she had to take care of was Ren, it wouldn't be too big of a problem.

Hayasaka glanced at the time.

5:24.

It was about time to get up.

Considering the situation at the Shinomiya and Fujiwara households, they had to be careful about their movements.

She tidied her pajamas and smoothed her messy hair, then gently pushed Ren, who was still sleeping.

"Amamiya-san, Amamiya-san."

"Hmm?"

Ren frowned slightly in his sleep, then slowly opened his eyes.

"Hayasaka...-san?"

Seeing her in front of him as he woke up startled Ren into full awareness almost instantly.

"Yeah. Amamiya-san, it's still early, but we need to keep an eye on Kaguya-sama, and we also need to make sure Fujiwara's family doesn't notice her condition."

Ren shook his head to wake himself up fully.

"Right."

If it could be avoided, it was better to keep Chika's condition hidden from her family.

It wasn't that her issues were untreatable. But if her family found out right now, it could make things unnecessarily complicated. It was better to handle it quietly without alarming anyone.

"How's Fujiwara-san?"

Ren looked down at Chika, who was still buried in his chest, and gently touched her with his fingers to enter his spiritual vision.

"She's in good condition. Her symptoms were severe yesterday, and she was struggling until really late last night. But that's not a bad thing. With spiritual counseling, her psychological issues can gradually be controlled. Tonight's episode will come later and won't last as long."

"Just like I predicted yesterday. It should take about a week."

At that, Ren glanced at Hayasaka with a hint of apology.

"Sorry, Hayasaka-san. I'll be troubling you this week."

Hayasaka naturally understood what kind of trouble he meant. She simply smiled and reassured him.

"Please don't worry, Amamiya-san. I can adjust my daily schedule accordingly. It won't affect my routine."

(To be continued.)