Archive of Our Own

“What an annoying person.” These are some of the recurring thoughts that whisper through my mind when I think of “that person.”

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was that person’s face; it wasn’t the ceiling of my room, nor the figure of my twin sister, nor the vast clear sky or the green of the jungle trees surrounding us—it was that person’s face. His eyes were wide open, and his expression was like that of someone witnessing a miracle. In them, I could clearly see reflected the face of a girl with blue hair and blue eyes, an unfamiliar appearance that, at that moment, I didn’t even process or recognize as my own.

That was my first memory, my first thing that was intrinsically mine after waking from my seemingly long sleep. Just as the first thing I saw was that person’s face, that person was looking at me as if I were the most important thing in the world, as if the vast sky, the grass beneath our feet, the lush jungle, or even the existence of the small, unconscious girl beside me had ceased to exist—as if the simple, mundane act of looking into his face and uttering words like “Who are you?” Or “Who am I?” were things that person had been waiting for his entire life. That is why, until I redeem myself, I have no right to face that person.

Rem heard a faint thud, almost as if someone were trying to set down a clearly heavy object as carefully as possible. She quickly made her way to the mansion’s entrance and found a carriage that obviously shouldn’t have been there.

“W-what the hell is this?”

Instantly, a boy with slicked-back black hair and a face Rem couldn’t forget even if she wanted to hurried out of the carriage, and the moment his gaze met hers, the young man collapsed to his knees in the middle of the path.

Confusion, worry, fear—with those emotions all mixed together, she ran as fast as she could. She knelt right in front of him, and her attention was immediately drawn to a large red stain soaking through his green coat and gray shirt—blood. Naturally, her first action was to use water magic to examine the wound: a horizontal cut that ran across almost his entire chest; luckily, it had already closed and the blood had clotted— ‘probably Beatrice-chan’s doing.’

The girl’s desire to do something for him wouldn’t let her sit still, so she finally decided to wipe the sweat from his face with a handkerchief.

´Are you okay? What happened? Does anything hurt?´

She had so many things to ask him, so many things to say, but it seemed her tongue couldn’t keep up with her brain, and instead, another voice was the one to break the silence.

“That familiar look of yours, I just realized how beautiful it is.”

‘What is this person saying? Are you stupid? Aren’t you aware of the state you’re in? Do you have any idea how I feel?’

That person’s hand firmly grasped Rem’s, which was wiping his face, as if to confirm that she was real, with such tenderness and warmth that she couldn’t help but relax slightly.

“That’s just how you are, no matter when or where we meet, right?

‘How annoying—the noise in my head, the pounding of my heart, the person in front of me—it’s all so annoying. But if it’s for your sake, I wouldn’t mind holding your hand for as long as it takes.’

Subaru was sitting on the bed in his room, facing the window and trying to look beyond it. But even though his body language suggested that his attention was focused on the world outside the mansion, his eyes weren’t really looking at anything.

All sorts of complicated thoughts were swirling inside him; unanswered questions, feelings of sadness, frustration, anger, and guilt. There were so many things he wanted to do, so many things he should be doing, that the mere fact of sitting on his bed trying to rest made him feel uneasy.

“Haaa…”—he let out a deep sigh.

“That’s enough, Natsuki Subaru.” He sat up, straightening his back into a posture that was more uncomfortable than his previous position, intending to calm his turbulent thoughts; perhaps the physical discomfort would serve as a panacea for the discomfort of his soul.

“I don’t want to worry Beako any more than necessary, nor do I want to make Rem’s gaze toward me grow cold again, especially given how much our relationship has progressed…”

Although, from Subaru’s perspective, almost any gesture Rem made in his direction could only warm his heart.

Subaru understood the reason for Rem’s annoyance, or at least, her most recent anger. Originally, the plan had been simply to stop by the mansion to pick up Rem and head as quickly as possible to the prison where the Archbishop of Gluttony, Roy Alphard, was being held, all while carelessly ignoring the words of concern from his beloved companion, Beatrice.

Inside the carriage, which Reinhard was comically carrying in his arms, Subaru held Beatrice on his lap, wrapping his arms around her from behind in a warm embrace while trying to avoid her face as much as possible. Just as Subaru was weak in the face of Beatrice’s love and concern, Beatrice was weak in the face of Subaru’s determined gaze.

But when they arrived at the mansion, Rem practically forced Subaru to rest, silencing all his protests with a serious, firm look that left no room for argument. “The matter of recovering my memories is my own problem; it’s not something you should have to shoulder as your responsibility, so stop worrying everyone and go to sleep.” Those were her words.

Even though his body and mind were clearly exhausted, Subaru wasn’t really in the mood to sleep. Even if he tried seriously, at most he’d spend two or three hours with his eyes closed, staring at the inside of his eyelids in a failed attempt to disconnect from reality.

The memories of Rem, Ol Shamak, Petra’s sacrifice, Al…

Subaru, caught in his spiral of negativity, hadn’t noticed the presence that had been standing at the entrance to the room for several moments now.

“How are you feeling?”

“Ah, Rem…”

Wearing a maid’s uniform that suited her so naturally and at the same time evoked a nostalgic feeling in Subaru—slightly petite, yet with a slender figure; a face that was more of the adorable and cute type; and the blue of a beautiful clear sky coloring her eyes and hair.

‘Truly, I didn’t know how blessed I am to be able to see myself reflected in those eyes.’

“I’m fine! As you can see, the wound has already healed, and it doesn’t hurt a bit all thanks to Beako, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s just that you have a troublesome personality, so I was just stopping by to make sure you stayed in bed.”

“I think I’ve told you this before, but it’s not like I get myself into dangerous situations on purpose, you know? Besides, I’m not lying when I say I feel fine, in fact, right now I’d love to roll around in the mud with my Beako!”

“This is exactly what I mean. Please don’t bother Beatrice-chan too much, or she’ll get tired of you.”

“Beako will never get tired of me. Her love for me is higher than any mountain and deeper than any ocean!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I just know that Beatrice-chan has it tough…”

“Hahh…” Rem exhaled heavily, making sure she made it obvious.

“Hmm?”

Approaching with determined strides, Rem positioned herself directly in front of the bed where the “patient” lay. Sitting up in bed, Subaru was wearing nothing but a pair of soft black pajama pants; as for his torso, bandages wrapped around most of his chest, curiously giving the impression that he was more covered up than he actually was.

´ I’d already noticed it in Vollachia, but he really does have well-defined muscles. That just makes me wonder, how on Od did he manage to have such a feminine figure when he cross-dressed? ´ Rem wondered to herself.

After all, Rem had spent a considerable amount of time with Subaru after waking up in the wilds of the Vollachian Empire, and some of the most intense moments were while she was being carried in his arms. Though they weren’t memories she’d call pleasant, given the negative feelings and distrust she’d felt toward the black-haired man back then.

Rem also remembers thinking briefly about the firmness of his body, the gentle way he carried her, and how he foolishly tried to pretend it wasn’t a struggle for him, despite how exhausted he obviously was; about his annoying persistence in always staying close, even though she only responded with hard blows and sharp words, the warmth of his body when Subaru embraced her with his weak arms, and the breath that grew weaker and weaker as his life slipped through her fingers. Rem remembers the horrible sensation of feeling her heart break and the despair that seemed to flood her from within without her fully understanding why…

She placed her right hand on Subaru’s forehead to check his temperature. Not satisfied, Rem leaned in even closer, lifted her own bangs with her left hand, and finally touched her forehead against the stunned boy’s.

“Rem-rin!?”

“What’s with that annoying nickname?

“I-I mean, Rem, what are you doing? I already told you I’m fine. Are you okay?” With a blush that practically lit up his face, Subaru stammered, trying to process Rem’s unexpected action.

“I’m perfectly fine. This is about you. Just stay still.” Rem silenced him again with her usual coldness, focusing on the sensation on her forehead as she briefly closed her eyes.

“You don’t have a fever, and you don’t seem anemic either. I guess you really aren’t lying, but I still think you should at least try to get some sleep.”

“I’m really not in the mood, but if you stay by my side and sing me a lullaby, maybe I’ll try harder~” With the blush almost gone from his face, a more relaxed Subaru couldn’t help but tease Rem a little.

“Haaaa… You really…”

Rem replaced her impassive expression with a frown, finally pulling her forehead away from the boy’s, but immediately grabbed Subaru’s face by the cheeks with both hands, squeezing them with obvious annoyance until his face contorted into a pout.

“Guh?!”

“If you still have the energy to joke around, then maybe I shouldn’t worry so much.”

“So, you were worried about me?”

“Silence.” This time, Rem stretched his cheeks sideways with her fingers.

“Okay, my bad, my bad! please stop!”

After Subaru’s pathetic plea, Rem finally stopped hitting his cheeks, which were now slightly red—this time for a reason clearly different from before.

“Maybe I went a little overboard with your punishment. You’re still recovering, aren’t you? Do you want me to use some water magic?”

“I really appreciate the thought, but it wasn’t that bad, don’t worry.”

Rem reached out her hand toward one of his cheeks with the intention of soothing the pain, but Subaru interposed his own with an open palm, causing their hands to gently collide and end up slightly intertwined.

Without a second thought, Subaru tightened his grip in a natural, unconscious movement.

“Ah…”

“Hmm?”

“Ahh, um… Rem, I didn’t do it on purpose—well, technically I did, but… unintentionally?”

Realizing what he’d done, Subaru tried to quickly pull his hand away before seriously provoking Rem’s anger, but to his surprise, Rem didn’t let him escape and instead squeezed back firmly.

“…”

“…”

“Rem-san?”

“What is it?”

“No, well, it’s just that we’re holding hands.”

“Yes, we are.”

“Umm…”

“This isn’t the first time, is it? I mean, holding hands like this.”

“No… it isn’t. Rem, did you…?”

“No, I don’t really remember, I just had a strange feeling…”

“A few days after… I arrived at the mansion and met Rem, we got caught up in an incident with some mabeasts, where you and I saved some children, and then I was on the verge of dying, so Rem worked really hard to save me. But then it was Rem who was in danger, so Nee-sama and I worked really hard to save you. And then the three of us were exhausted and in danger, so Roswaal reduced all the mabeasts to ashes, and we finally emerged victorious!” With his hands still firmly clasped, Subaru recounted.

“I had a hunch, but it’s always been like that with you, right from the beginning, huh?”

“Well, maybe I didn’t make it sound that way, but because of the ‘villain’ smell I’ve got stuck to me, Rem didn’t trust me at all at first. But thanks to my overflowing charisma and sincerity, I managed to get along with Rem in the end, so no problem!”

“…”

“After the incident was resolved, I woke up in the mansion, half-alive and half-dead, with a lovely Rem by my side, holding my hand just like this. Rem told me she didn’t know what to do to make me feel better, so she simply decided to do what would make her the happiest if she were in my place.”

“I see.”

“After all, for me too, this way of holding hands took on a special meaning.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! First it was Rem—´and Ram too´—then of course my adorable Beako, and as for Emilia-tan, if I asked her, I’m sure she wouldn’t say noooOOO OUCH OUCH!!”

Hearing something that put Rem in a slightly, just a little, bad mood, she squeezed Subaru’s fragile hand a little too hard.

“Too much force! You’re too strong! You’re gonna break it!”

“That’s not a nice thing to say to a lady,” Rem remarked, loosening her grip but refusing to let go of the boy’s hand.

“I think I’ve heard that exact phrase before…”

With nothing more to say on either side, a cozy silence spread through the room. The reddish-orange glow of twilight streamed through the window, further softening the atmosphere with that warm, unique sense of tranquility that can only exist in the moment just before nightfall.

Rem turned her gaze to the hand she was stubbornly holding. His fingers were long and somewhat slender; the word “feminine” flashed through her mind because of how elegant they seemed to her, but the firm grip they shared reaffirmed that, indeed, they were a man’s hands. Considerably larger than her own, hands that could easily envelop hers and calluses on his palm that bore witness to his hard work, Rem continued to analyze the curious situation while letting herself be carried away by the almost hypnotic atmosphere of the moment.

Lifting her gaze once more until it met Subaru’s, the girl gently caressed his cheek with her free hand. With an expression he couldn’t quite read, he watched as her face seemed to grow closer and closer, until she was close enough that he could easily feel her sweet breath…

“Have we done this before, too?”

Their lips met.

The seconds passed, and for Subaru it was as if time had stopped; both his mind and body lay frozen in an attempt to comprehend this very reality. Due to the suddenness of the action, his lips were slightly parted, facilitating contact with Rem’s.

His were a little dry and rough, hers soft and moist, being pressed slowly and almost timidly against the young man’s, who could only remain perplexed.

When they parted, almost as if Subaru’s internal clock had resumed its course, a furious blush swept across his entire face. His heart, as if it too had frozen, began to beat frantically, faster and faster, raising the temperature of his entire body.

´What just happened!? My lips touched something, didn’t they? Rem’s face was… She k-kissed me—we…!!? Did this really happen!?´

With his eyes wide open due to a mix of disbelief, confusion, and embarrassment, Subaru’s face wore the same expression as an innocent, pure maiden who had just had her first kiss stolen by a vulgar, street-wise commoner. Thus, “the maiden” brought his fingers to his lips, trying to confirm or make sense of the situation.

For her part, Rem was also blushing, but not to the same extent as Subaru.

She, on the other hand…

“Pfttt!”

“Hahahahahahahahaha!!”

Burst out laughing.

“What’s with that super girly reaction!?”

“H-hey! First you do that out of nowhere, and then you laugh at me?”

“Hahahahahahaha!!! I-it’s just… pftttt, from the way you acted around me, I never imagined you had this side to you! Hahahahaha!!”

“J-just shut up!”

“Why don’t you shut me up then? HAHAHAHAHA!!!”

“Y-youu…”

As Rem continued to laugh until she cried, Subaru made up his mind.

“Rem, you asked for this.”

“Hmm?”

Subaru grabbed Rem by the wrist of one of her arms, and before she could even grasp his intention, she was quickly pulled toward the young man who had been the object of her teasing. Without losing momentum, Subaru forcefully lifted Rem onto his bed, positioning her between his legs, and capped off the scene with a kiss brimming with desire and frustration.

“Mhmm!!?”

This time, Subaru’s lips had softened almost as much as the girl’s, and the continuous, shifting friction of the action—which could no longer be defined as just a simple kiss caused both of their lips to become equally moist.

Rem couldn’t help but notice the warmth they gave off; if their temperature rose just a little more, she might say it was starting to burn her. Still, even if her lips were ablaze, Rem wasn’t sure she had the resolve to keep her own body from turning to ashes.

Rem felt as if her soul were melting away; the jumble of troubling and complicated thoughts that besieged her mind every time she interacted with Subaru seemed to have vanished in the face of her growing pleasure. Despite the initial roughness and how Rem was gradually running out of breath, Subaru treated Rem gently, kissing her slowly while his hands lightly held her waist and back, like a gardener tending to flowers with all the care and delicacy they required.

For her part, Rem could only think about how foolish he was; even after having gone this far, Subaru continued to treat Rem like a helpless girl who needed to be protected. Perhaps he was simply afraid of hurting her, or perhaps it was his inherent cowardice coming to light at the moment of truth.

When they parted, the flush on their faces, their constant panting, and the fine beads of sweat running down their bodies were evident on both of them. Subaru’s eyes rested on Rem’s lips, preventing him from seeing the dangerous glare the oni was shooting his way.

“Rem, I…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Rem had lunged back toward Subaru.

As if to show him what a real forced kiss was, Rem devoured the boy’s lips, leaving behind all the modesty and gentleness she had once possessed. Sliding her tongue inside while pressing their mouths together to the limit, she explored his insides with burning passion, intertwining it with his in a chaotic dance filled with desire.

It was curious; despite that characteristic unpleasant odor that never left Subaru’s body—an odor that couldn’t help but make Rem’s hair stand on end, Rem could also affirm that Subaru had another, different scent: a pleasant, welcoming one, a refreshing scent that, though she would never tell him to his face, made her feel safe. It was contradictory and annoying, just like him, but now that his body was at her mercy, Rem was particularly sensitive to everything that had to do with the black-haired boy.

Adjusting her position, Rem lifted her body slightly to sit on Subaru’s lap; without parting their lips for a moment, the maid closed the distance between their bodies with the intention of maximizing physical contact. Her chest was pressed so tightly against the boy’s that Rem could swear she felt the strong thudding of his heart in her own body.

“Mmmhhh!!”

Without giving him a moment’s rest, Rem began to trace Subaru’s nearly naked torso with her hands and fingers, starting at his neck, massaging his trapezius muscles and shoulders, moving down over his broad pectorals until she reached his firm abs. Subaru let out weak, muffled moans as his lips remained occupied while his body shuddered at the continuous contact, further fueling Rem’s enthusiasm. Feeling something hard right beneath her, Rem almost unconsciously began to rub her crotch against Subaru’s, while her entire body was flooded with small jolts of electricity in the form of pleasure.

Like a hungry tiger, this time it was Rem’s lips that traced his body, kissing and occasionally biting with insatiable fervor, not caring if she left marks on his skin. Rem teetered on the fine line between pleasure and pain, guided purely by instinct, by the reaction beneath her, and by the sounds Subaru was making; she continued her assault.

By this point, not only were their bodies radiating heat, but the very atmosphere of the room seemed to have risen in temperature along with them. Rem hadn’t planned on going this far; in fact, the last thing the Rem of just a few hours ago had thought when she woke up was that she would be kissing someone today.

“Rem…”

Taking advantage of the moment when Rem pulled away to catch her breath, Subaru tried to speak, only to be quickly silenced by another kiss.

“Wait—”

And another.

“Just a sec—”

And again.

Summoning every ounce of willpower in his body and before what little rationality he had left vanished completely, Subaru grabbed Rem by the shoulders, pulling her away from him.

“Hah… hah…”

“Hah… hah… hah…”

Having learned his lesson, Subaru looked up and met Rem’s gaze. With a face as flushed as his own, Rem’s eyes were narrowed in an intoxicated stare, almost completely lost in whatever she was trying to do. Before he forgot what he was trying to say and succumbed to his desires, Subaru forced himself to open his mouth.

“Rem, I love you.”

With words Rem hadn’t expected to hear, the maid snapped out of her daze.

Although several seconds had passed as she caught her breath—enough time for her heart rate to begin stabilizing—Rem’s heart wasn’t slowing down; on the contrary, it seemed to be beating faster and faster…

“I…”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to answer me.”

“I’m sorry, I really don’t know what to say…”

Touching her chest, Rem tried to control her breathing to calm her emotions.

“You’re telling me this, but you like someone else, don’t you?”

“Yes, that’s right, I’m in love with another girl too.”

“And you just blurt that out like it’s nothing—you really are the worst.”

“Yeah, I know…”

“What the hell was the old me thinking, falling in love with you? ...”

Rem muttered under her breath so Subaru wouldn’t hear her.

“Hmm?”

“Why… why does someone like you make me feel this way? …”

Bringing her face closer once more, Rem gazed into Subaru’s wicked eyes.

“You’re the worst—you smell awful, you’re always getting yourself into dangerous situations, and you’re always saying weird things. You’re like that, but… at least I don’t dislike the taste of your lips.”

Their lips met once more.

As if they had a lifetime of experience, Rem and Subaru kissed like a pair of lovers who knew each other’s taste perfectly, ignoring everything else as if they were the only two people left in this world.

Rem was amazed at just how good Subaru had become at kissing in just a few minutes; maybe it was a matter of confidence, or maybe Subaru had kissed other girls before. Whatever the case, before she got upset, Rem pushed those thoughts aside. Although, to be honest, it’s not as if Rem had enough experience kissing guys to determine whether Subaru was truly good or just average, considering her first kiss had been only a few minutes ago. But for Rem, the fact that the mere sensation of his lips made her shiver and feel like she could become addicted to them was more than enough confirmation that Subaru was, indeed, a good kisser.

If you asked Rem how she could be so sure that had been her first kiss if she couldn’t trust her memories, she would answer:

A woman’s intuition.

After Subaru’s confession that came out of nowhere, Rem’s mind was much calmer, even as she continued kissing him. To tell the truth, that first kiss had been born out of an impulse she would call stupid—a bit of jealousy after Subaru mentioned Emilia, as well as curiosity about what would happen if…

The passionate encounter that followed was filled with warm, primal feelings—moments when instinct and emotion overpowered reason. Even so, Rem was also aware of the little voice whispering in the back of her mind, asking, “Is this really okay?”

Rem was aware of Subaru’s feelings; he had never been particularly subtle in that regard. She was also aware that her former self had reciprocated them—it was painfully obvious after spending some time with the boy. That was why she couldn’t forgive herself for having hurt him during their time together in Vollachia. A silly boy, who wasn’t particularly strong, absurdly kind, and someone who always put others before himself. His initial hostility toward Spica was clearly justified, and yet he set it aside just because Rem didn’t want to be separated from her Spica-chan; that person, Subaru, always put Rem above everyone else.

Rem felt she had to keep his distance from that person, at least until she made amends for her mistake; after all, Rem had tarnished the memories of “Rem” in that person’s mind. He had waited a long time to see her eyes again, to hear her voice again, and instead she greeted him with hostility. Even so, that person never blamed Rem for anything; he didn’t get angry or dare to ask her for anything in return; he didn’t feel disappointed, and he even skillfully hid his sadness so as not to overwhelm her. That person gave his all to protect her, to reunite her with her loved ones, and to see her smile—even though she never asked him to, even though she didn’t understand why. That person did everything for Rem.

Rem didn’t want to be a burden to that person, which is why she hid her feelings and her guilt; that person already had too much on his plate, and Rem refused to be just one of the many things he had to carry.

But Subaru’s words and the warm kisses they shared gradually lightened the weight on Rem’s shoulders.

“Natsuki-kun… Subaru… no, Subaru-kun.”

“!!!...”

“Yeah, Subaru-kun sounds good.”

Like a wave, an overwhelming sense of happiness washed over Subaru’s body; his emotions were so intense that he felt he might almost cry.

“Now that you’ve called me that, I won’t let you call me anything else, Rem.”

Until recently, Rem could accept that she was taking advantage of Subaru’s feelings, that she was using him to feel good about herself while trying not to think about anything, but after seeing the way he looked at her, the way he kissed her, the way he held her body, Rem could admit that even if she were doing something wrong, at this point she couldn’t care less.

´I just want you to take my hand, and for your gaze to reflect only me. ´

´Even though I’m incomplete, even though I’ve done something unforgivable, if you still love Rem, then I’ll do my best to make sure you think only of me, I’ll do my best to remember you. I don’t want to put my feelings into words, because if I do, there’ll be no turning back; I feel like I’ll lose myself, so I mustn’t do it—not yet. Still, if it’s for you, I…´

Like Rem, Subaru had decided to stop overthinking things and just go with the flow, even though the source of his distress was completely different from the oni’s.

From the moment Rem woke up and uttered her first words in over a year, Subaru vowed to start his relationship with her from scratch, though what this would entail was something he hadn’t even had time to think through deeply.

Showing her that he wasn’t a threat, protecting her, earning her trust, and reuniting her with her twin sister were his main goals. In the past, after the White Whale’s defeat, Subaru and Rem had confessed their feelings near the great tree of Flugel, with Subaru declaring that Rem was his and that he would never let her go, but now, facing a Rem who had just opened her eyes to a world where everything was new to her, talking to her about his feelings or promises she didn’t even remember wasn’t right at all.

However, Subaru wasn’t discouraged in the least; the mere presence of a Rem he could interact with was enough to fill him with elation. The matter of his feelings was his own and his alone. In truth, Subaru was satisfied with his relationship with Rem; after all, his efforts and sincerity had touched her heart, and in response she had opened up to him. Despite her harsh and cold language—which at times could be even sharper than Ram’s—it was more than obvious to Subaru just how much Rem cared about him.

Subaru’s initial goal was simply to show her that he was and always would be on her side; it hadn’t even crossed his mind to try to rekindle Rem’s feelings or make her fall in love with him all over again. Considering that he was still constantly striving to win Emilia’s heart, for a guy with no romantic experience to try to win over yet another girl would be nothing short of scandalous.

When Subaru thinks about his love life, he gets a slight headache, and although his cowardly nature won’t admit it outright, in a way he was grateful that the status quo remained unchanged; after all, Subaru’s romantic troubles are problems for the future Subaru.

That’s why he was so stunned when Rem kissed him.

Yes, it was true that Rem no longer looked at him warily, that Rem had grown accustomed to his presence, that Rem had accepted who she was and who Subaru was, that Rem often scolded him, and that Rem could joke around with him. It was more than obvious how much her guard had dropped when interacting with him, but the Subaru of today couldn’t even fathom the idea of the Rem of today kissing him.

As Rem remained seated on his lap, Subaru finally went on the offensive. Parting his lips, Subaru took a moment to appreciate the girl in front of him.

Her naturally pale skin helped accentuate the other colors the Oni radiated; the blush on her face had been a constant for quite some time now, and Subaru wondered if he could make it deeper. With that thought in mind, Subaru brought his face closer to her body and planted a deep kiss right on the exposed area between her breasts.

“!!!...”

For Subaru, maid uniforms had always been something like the pinnacle of elegance and cuteness a woman could wear; the reality of being with a beautiful girl wearing his dream outfit—who clearly had no problem kissing him—was something even his wildest fantasies couldn’t have predicted. Subaru just wanted to tell whoever was responsible for designing these uniforms that they had excellent taste.

Without wasting any time and before Rem could say anything, Subaru moved up to her neck, tracing her skin with clear devotion, but careful not to leave hickies, causing Rem to let out soft moans.

Feeling how Rem was relishing his actions, Subaru decided to be more selfish and began massaging her thick thighs with his hands.

“Mhmm…”

Not wanting to ruin the stockings, he carefully slid them down to feel her bare skin, all the while thinking that whoever designed the uniform definitely knew what they were doing, and Subaru couldn’t be more grateful. Rem’s thighs were clearly thicker than Subaru’s, which inevitably reminded him of the differences between men and women. Subaru was proud of the muscles he’d gained over the past year, but despite everything, he was painfully aware that in the face of such absurd beings in this world, his efforts meant little; in fact, even if he trained his entire life, he couldn’t even reach half the strength that Rem possessed naturally.

Even so, and fully aware of the vast physical differences between himself and Rem, Subaru couldn’t help but notice how incredibly soft her thighs felt to the touch. With legs and arms that were several times stronger than his own yet at the same time so beautiful and feminine, Subaru felt his fingers sink into her flesh as he massaged them.

Feeling particularly bold at that moment, Subaru reached out with his hands…

“Kyaa!!”

Until he grabbed and squeezed her butt tightly.

“Y-you!!!”

To silence her, he kissed her lips, and despite her furrowed brow and her hands positioned on her chest as if to push him away, Rem did nothing to stop Subaru’s actions.

If you asked Subaru what kind of man was he, a man of breasts or butt?

He would answer, “personality.”

A boring answer by many men’s standards.

But since the two women he was in love with had nothing to envy anyone in either department, Subaru’s answer remained firm.

As if to accompany the increasing depth and intensity of the kiss, Subaru moved his hands up Rem’s figure until they rested on her narrow waist. Subaru couldn’t help but notice how perfectly their bodies fit together; it had always been that way. Even when he’d hugged her in the past, Subaru had been fascinated by how the difference in their heights made him feel so comfortable. Rem wrapped her arms around Subaru’s neck while stroking his hair with one hand; she also wrapped her legs around his waist as if she wanted to prevent Subaru from escaping her by any means necessary.

As he continued his movements while Rem tried to stifle her moans, Subaru’s hands massaged her abdomen and back, caressed her neck until they reached her face, and gently patted her cheeks—a face that remained captive to the young man’s whims

At that moment, Subaru’s entire world could be summed up in one word: Rem. Subaru loved Rem’s face—a face he had seen asleep more times than Rem had ever seen his. Her round cheeks looked especially charming when she gave the slightest smile. A small mouth, but with full, reddish lips that were infinitely soft to the touch—lips he would never tire of kissing, and the more time passed, the more he realized that, indeed, he didn’t want to let them go. A small nose that fits perfectly on her adorable, cat-like face. Short hair that, in his mind, is already synonymous with a maid; if he thinks of a maid, Subaru will imagine short bob-style hair, and if he thinks of short hair, he will inevitably imagine Rem. And her eyes, her beautiful round eyes, with long lashes that accentuate their lovely shape. When Subaru first met Rem, he remembers thinking how robotic she seemed and the potential her natural beauty held. After going through all kinds of experiences by her side, he can say with absolute certainty that he wasn’t wrong. Rem’s captivating expressions when she didn’t hold back her feelings were enough to take anyone’s breath away—something Subaru could say with total confidence he had the privilege of witnessing. For Subaru, the blue of a clear sky, the blue of a sea he has never seen in this world, and blue hydrangeas will inevitably bring to mind the beautiful oni with hair and eyes of the same color—the girl who saved his heart and believed in him when even he couldn’t, a woman who inspired him never to give up again and to try to be at least half as amazing as he seemed in her eyes; perhaps that way, and only that way, could he be worthy of her love.

After a long kiss, their lips parted with a thin trail of saliva briefly connecting them. Still trying to catch his breath, Subaru began showering her left cheek with a flurry of kisses, until he finally leaned in close to her ear and whispered:

“I really do love you.”

As if a switch had been flipped, Rem pushes Subaru onto the bed, laying him completely flat on his back. With her left hand she grabs his wrists and presses them firmly above his head. Her right hand rests right next to Subaru’s head, and her knees are on either side of his torso, silently telling him there’s nowhere to run.

“Rem!!?”

“This is your fault, Subaru-kun.”

“Um… Don’t you think we’re moving too fast? Maybe it would be better to stop things here before…”

As if guided by a sixth sense triggered by what seemed like a threat to her contractor’s safety, her ever-adorable partner suddenly appeared at the door of the room.

“Subaru, Betty came to check on you. Since you seemed like you wanted some time to think alone, Betty was very considerate in fact, and went to hang out with Petra, but now—…”

Followed by the overprotective Onee-sama.

“Barusu, Ram is wondering if you’ve seen her cute little sister. She was supposed to come to this—…”

“…” “…”

“…”

“…”

“Ram has no idea what’s going on, but I can say for sure it’s Barusu’s fault, so before I castrate you, Ram is going to be infinitely magnanimous and give you 5 seconds to explain yourself—4 of which have already passed.”

Ram declared as she pierced Subaru with her gaze in a tone that was anything but joking, causing a cold sweat to run down his back.

“Wait—wait!! Can you really say that with such certainty after seeing this scene?”

While Subaru was still being held down by Rem, he quickly defended himself. Replacing his fear with a slight sense of indignation, Subaru was annoyed by her audacity in blaming him for a situation that practically screamed that he was the victim. Although Subaru was prepared to take responsibility for “defiling” Rem and properly confront his older sister, when Ram looked at him with those cold eyes, his mind automatically decided it was better to play the victim card in this specific situation. Yes, just a reflex—it’s not like fear was getting the better of him; he just felt it wasn’t the right time.

“Ahem, Nee-sama, if that person had attacked me, you can be sure I’d be the first to castrate him. I was just trying to check Subaru-kun’s temperature, and I concluded that he seems to have a slight fever, so it would be best to let him rest. Since I’m done with everything here, I’m going to help Petra-chan with the cooking.”

Rem quickly excused herself, stood up from her compromising position, smoothed out her uniform as best she could, and before anyone else could even react, she had already vanished from the room.

“…., ….”

For a few moments, a stunned silence fell over the room until, just as quickly as it had come, it was broken by a sigh from the newly arrived maid.

“Haah… you’re lucky to be injured, Barusu. For now, Ram will leave you alone, but keep in mind that Ram’s eyes won’t.”

Without giving him time to respond, Ram also left the room.

“Betty is going to hold back from saying anything for Subaru’s sake, I suppose.”

True to her word, Beatrice approached and silently began to heal the hickies that stood out on his skin.

“Thanks. You really are the best, Beako.”

“Of course Betty is.”