“I have returned, father, mother.”
Luciana gave a graceful curtsy in the entrance hall, and the Luthorburg couple immediately rushed over to receive her, teary-eyed.
After the interview with Lect, Melody had rejoined Luciana after classes finished, and the two returned to the Luthorburg estate.
Today was the sixth day, after all, and tomorrow was the rest day, so many students, Luciana among them, would be returning home to relax. They would be back at the Academy when the next week began.
“So how were your classes, Luciana? Did you understand the lessons? How about your classmates? Did you make any new friends yet? And…”
“Dear, you can ask your questions later. Luciana must be tired and hungry now, so let us have dinner together, and she can tell us about the Academy as we eat. Selena, is dinner ready?”
“Of course, madam. Dear sister, I truly apologize for having to trouble you despite having just returned, but could you assist me with serving dinner?”
“Of course, please allow me to.”
Selena felt the tension ease from her heart; Melody had seemed less cheerful than usual, but she seemed to come alive again as her usual self after being asked to help with the meal.
(Was it just my imagination then? She seems to be as usual now.)
“Ah! Grail, I’m home!”
“Woof!”
Luciana held her hands out as Grail came running from down the entrance hall before leaping to her. The two spun in circles from the momentum of the catch, and their joyous voices echoed through the hall.
“Haha, oh Grail, I thought I was going to fall from that!”
“Woof!”
This good-natured puppy has been friendly with the family ever since they adopted him, and his barks have been full of joy… It was hard to believe that beneath that playful exterior slept the true mastermind of the Spring Ball Raid: the Demon King.
Indeed, the Demon King, whom Melody had unknowingly purified, was in a deep slumber within Grail the puppy. The only traces of its existence were the patches of black fur on Grail’s left ear, ankles, and tail – the remnants of the Demon King’s magic.
And so long as there was nothing to disturb it, the Demon King was unlikely to reawaken.
That aside, Luciana would enjoy a wonderful reunion with her family after a week apart.
The next day, at five in the morning and long before the sunrise…
“Now then, shall we get started?”
“Of course, dear sister.”
Melody, wearing a simple dress instead of her usual uniform, stood in the amid the entrance hall, a set of cleaning tools at her side. Selena stood beside her, dressed in a similar manner.
The two girls were wearing dresses reserved for cleaning; because they would be cleaning the entire estate, it was necessary for them to wear clothes they would not worry about dirtying, and getting the cleaning done out of sight was an important part of the maid aesthetic.
“I shall take care of the area around the fireplace then. Selena, could you take care of the area around the entrance?”
“Of course… But dear sister, should you not be resting today?”
Melody had been working hard for consecutive days as Luciana’s attendant at the Academy, but since the two had returned to the mansion for the off day, Selena believed Melody should also be using the day to rest. With the addition of Selena to the roster, they should also be able to divide their work into shifts, but…
“Doing the chores today is just me indulging in my hobby, so this doesn’t count as work!”
Melody had on the smile of a goddess of mercy.
That feeling yesterday… Had Melody been unaware of it herself? No trace of it was visible on Melody’s current expression. Had she conveniently swept it away like dust on the floor..?
“…”
In any case, the mental gymnastics Melody put on caused Selena to stagger back a step; Melody had quite a way with words, but Selena only had a single word in mind, one that she had learned from Melody: ‘workaholic’.
But…
“If it is your hobby, dear sister, then I suppose it truly does not count as work”
Perhaps due to being an offshoot of Melody’s clone, Selena had also learned to accept Melody’s explanations with an understanding smile.
“Fufufu, much appreciated. It has been quite a while since I have been able to do so, but I shall be using magic to clean the mansion!”
Melody, finally lifting her self-imposed ban, unleashed the full extent of her maid magic to clean the mansion. The outpouring of magic felt as though she was trying to clear some unseen frustration.
A few hours later, she would receive quite an earful of grateful complaints from the members of House Luthorburg as they discovered the an all new brightness to their mansion.
“Phew, I never expected to be scolded for having cleaned too well.”
“I believe they are more upset that you are forcing yourself to work on a rest day, dear sister.”
“I suppose that is true. They still allowed it in the end, so there is no issue there.”
As she prepared lunch, Melody thought back on the scolding she had received earlier.
The brasswork shone on its own, the wood furniture had a gleam and smoothness like a new coat of varnish, and the individual bricks on the fireplace had a polish that could even reflect sunlight… Melody had unwittingly turned the mansion into a shining palace that was… literally quite painful to look at, what with all the reflected light.
Although Melody had worked hard at cleaning, the results were not quite ideal… It was true what many often say: there could, in fact, be too much of a good thing.
Thus they would have to apply weathering to the overly clean surfaces. Weathering was a process of adding stains and scuffing to plastic models or dioramas to give them a more realistic appearance. It was by this technique that Melody returned the mansion to its usual appearance.
“Ugh, that was one of the worst punishments a maid could receive…”
“Dear sister, for the next time, please remember that all is well in moderation.”
Selena giggled as she looked over a frustrated Melody.
“And so? Do you feel better now, even just a little?”
“…So you noticed.”
“If it were your usual self, dear sister, I believe you would have achieved a perfect result even if you were a little carried away. Your expression yesterday, upon your return, was also a little gloomier than usual.”
“Is that so…”
Selena gave a gentle smile, and Melody felt her throat catch; that smile looked just like her mother’s…
“Selena, what do you think it means to be ‘the greatest maid in the world’?”
“‘The greatest maid in the world’? Is that not describing yourself, dear sister?”
“I appreciate the compliment, but I don’t think I’m there yet. I’m not even sure I understand what being the greatest is.”
(I swore an oath to myself and to mom that I would become the greatest maid in the world, and I have been doing the best I could at being a maid, but… what does it even mean to be the greatest? How will I know?)
Until now, Melody only had a vague idea of how to achieve her goal; if she just gained knowledge, trained in various skills, and worked hard, then surely she would eventually reach the very top she wished for.
But then it all came tumbling down; Lect’s words from yesterday had been a wake-up call, and Melody had realized her ill-defined plan was not enough.
(I just… don’t know anymore… Mom, what even is… the greatest maid in the world..?)
Melody would not give up her dream, but right now… she found her resolve tested and her way forward out-of-sight.
“Dear sister, your face has become quite pale. What seems to be the problem?”
Melody felt as though she had come out of a trance, and when she turned to face Selena, the look of concern on the maid’s face looked exactly like her mother’s.
A flash of inspiration suddenly raced through her mind.
“…Selena? Could I ask you to do something?”
“Of course. What do you need?”
“Could you say ‘Make sure you become the greatest maid in the world, Melody’?”
Those were the words her mother had written in the letter. Melody believed if Selena, who looked identical to her mother, said those words, she would find the encouragement and resolve she needed.
“I do not understand why you want me to do this, but if it is what my dear sister wants, then…”
Selena took a deep breath, preparing to say the words Melody asked of her, and…
“…Hang in there, Melody. I will always be watching over you.“
“…What?”
…She said something completely different, and yet her face was overflowing with gentle affection.
“Huh..? M-my apologies, th-that was not what I was supposed to say. Um… Make sure you become the greatest maid in the world, Melody… Like that, dear sister..?”
“Selena, just now…”
“Hm?”
(Selena, why did you say something different? No, wait, that’s not important. What I mean is, the way you said that just now, it was as if…)
“Is something wrong, dear sister?”
“…No, nothing at all.”
That must have been just her imagination at work, and yet now…
(How strange… It feels like all my motivation has returned, like I can do better than my best.)
Selena’s unexpected line had soothed Melody’s heart, reenergizing her far better than what Melody had originally requested.
“Fufufu. Thank you, Selena. I feel much better. I feel like I can work even harder now!”
“I-is that so? I am happy to have been able to assist.”
Selena gave another gentle smile, but this was nothing like the affectionate smile from earlier.
So what did Selena’s words mean? There was not yet an answer to that.
However, there was a moment that Melody had missed; just before Selena said those mysterious words, the silver pendant had glimmered for a brief moment.
Headcanon TL 
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