Chapter 5

"Please wake me up when we arrive."

"Understood."

The girl was soon fast asleep after being guided into the black car. She sat at the very back of the rear seat, followed by me, and lastly, the maid entered and closed the door.

I fastened the seatbelt for the girl, who had fallen asleep quickly, and then did the same for myself. I suddenly felt a gaze and turned to see the maid looking at me. The maid, while fastening her seatbelt, whispered, "I see, no wonder you like it," in a small voice. The car started moving.

"Um... where are you taking me?"

"You'll find out soon."

Just as the maid answered, a small vibration was heard. The maid took out her smartphone from her pocket and put it to her ear. After a minute of conversation, the maid quietly put the smartphone back into her pocket.

"Your background check is complete."

"…Huh?"

I widened my eyes at the maid's matter-of-fact statement.

"Sei Naruse, sixteen years old. A male student at Ryūgū High School. You have no siblings, and both your parents are alive. …Considering your poor family situation, it is commendable that you earned your tuition fees on your own. However, three days ago, your parents fled in the night, taking all the money from the house, leaving you in a precarious situation."

"…Why do you know that?"

"Do not underestimate the network of the Konoike family. This level of information is nothing."

The maid stated this as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"By the way, you were supposed to become a second-year high school student tomorrow... but you can no longer attend that school."

"…What?"

"The tuition fees have not been paid. It seems your parents had planned to flee at this time from the beginning. The tuition fees you earned by working part-time every day have likely been taken away."

"Th-that's... impossible..."

"Your rent and utility bills are also significantly overdue, and you will soon be unable to live in that house."

My home was that bad...

"Given this, we have a proposal for you."

The maid said this to me, who was feeling dejected.

"Would you consider working for the young lady?"

"…What?"

I tilted my head at this completely unexpected proposal.

"I don't really understand what you mean."

"Let me explain step by step."

The maid, as if choosing her words carefully, began to speak.

"Have you heard of the Konoike Group?"

"…Yes."

"Of course. You have an account at Konoike Bank, so you must know about it."

Now that you mention it, that's true. My part-time job salary is deposited into an account at Konoike Bank. The background check earlier was probably done by accessing the information registered in this account.

"The Konoike Group is a well-known conglomerate that includes urban banks, major trading companies, heavy industries, real estate developers, and insurance companies. Its total assets are approximately 300 trillion yen, and its influence extends not only domestically but also internationally."

The maid explained this without hesitation.

"The young lady sleeping next to you is Miss Konoike Hinako, the heiress of the Konoike Group. I am one of the maids who serve her."

It seems the girl sleeping next to me is an incredibly important young lady. I knew she wasn't an ordinary person, but she is probably a top-level young lady, not just the best in town, but in the country. How did I end up in a car with such a person?

"This time, the proposal we are making to you is a job similar to mine."

"Meaning... I will become a maid...?"

"Not a maid, but a butler."

Ah, right, that's true. I was so overwhelmed by the scale of this situation that I was confused.

"Strictly speaking, it's not a butler, but a similar role. We would like you to take care of the young lady from now on. Will you accept this offer?"

"Accept...? But is it really okay for me to do this? I'm just a student..."

No... I'm not even a student anymore.

In that case, I'm just a child with nowhere to go. Why would a famous family known to all Japanese people take me in?

"Normally, you would need proper training to take on this job... but since it's the young lady's wish, it's a special case. She seems to have taken a liking to you."

The maid looked at the girl sleeping next to me, who was drooling in a completely relaxed manner.

"Mm... Mm..."

"Hey... don't cling to me like that..."

The girl, who had turned over in her sleep, hugged my body.

Her long, soft hair emitted a strange, sweet scent. Feeling oddly embarrassed, I averted my gaze from the girl, only to be sharply glared at by the maid.

"By the way, if you try anything inappropriate with the young lady, I will... cut it off."

"…W-What part?"

"The part you just imagined."

That's not good.

I'm going to become a maid.

"Regarding the detailed conditions, you can discuss them with my employer."

The maid said this while looking out the window. The car stopped as the conversation came to a pause.

"Young lady, we have arrived."

"…Mm..."

The girl, who had been clinging to my right side, woke up lazily. The car door opened automatically, and we stepped out. In front of us stood a mansion of unprecedented size.

"This is..."

"The Konoike family's secondary residence. You will meet the young lady's father from now on."

I was more shocked by the fact that this mansion was a secondary residence than by the prospect of meeting the young lady's father.

So this is a secondary residence...

Is my house a doghouse or a toilet?

If you found this interesting and want to read more, I would be grateful if you could change the stars at the bottom of the page from "☆☆☆☆☆" to "★★★★★"! For the author's motivation, your cooperation is greatly appreciated!