The Human Saint is Bored, so I was Summoned to Another World

Simmering Tensions (Part 2)

**Kuro**

Ah! We're finally here...

Well, in all honesty, I missed these familiar sceneries. Those moss-green ramparts that made up the walls, the tall towers of that dominant, colossal building in the middle of this place, and the pearly-white, and gilded doorframes of that 5-story palace we call the 'Saint's Chambers'...

Yep, at long last, we're back at the Holy Palatial Gardens.

"..."

"Uh, can you guys help with these luggage cases here?"

"Sure thing! Here, hand me that thing over there."

"Get those stuff here! Don't you dare drop a single bag!"

The maids who remained in here for the duration of the Saint's vacation quickly moved to assist us in unloading our baggage. Well, let me correct that...it's their baggage. In all the time I stayed at the Rubinforth estate, I bought nothing else, save for that gunpowder. The flasks were made by me, and it's from several discarded potion bottles. Virtually all of those bags and suitcases being unloaded were from the guards and maids who were with our group, and the two saints. They were the ones who took time to shop for anything since they had the means to do so...

Hah, typical girls.

But yeah, I guess I needed to help with that stuff because I'm the only guy here. I didn't want to be seen as an irresponsible and lazy adult...

"Hey, Mister Kuro, you can leave that to us." a maid told me.

Well, it's a bit of a sting unto my pride, so I insisted, "Ah, I can help you with that, at least."

The maid stared at me. I could tell those eyes seemed to emit some kind of meaning to it. Then she giggled and quickly took the case from me, "You may reserve your energy for when you're alone with Her Holiness!" The maid mischievously smiled and scurried away.

I pretended not to hear anything and moved on to the next group of suitcases. Well, not wishing to appear 'weak', I took every bag I could lift.

Heh, you know, 'guy' problems...

"Please, Mister Kuro!" it's the Head Maid, Lily. Her voice was strangely aloof and formal, compared to when she was talking to me before. It's like she was putting on an invisible wall between us, "Put down those bags and let the girls carry it. That's our job, see?"

"Well, at least let me get mine." Embarrassed, I tried to salvage my situation by offering to take care of my belongings.

But Lily won't even budge, "No. Don't meddle in our work."

Err...the blunt refusal from Lily made the air between us extremely awkward.

Is she mad because of that 'engagement' between me and Maddie? I mean, Lily's pretty attached to Maddie before, since they were childhood friends. Could it be that she's getting jealous now that I came between them and technically 'snatched' Maddie away from her?

Well, Maddie's attention nowadays always focused on me, so I guess that's understandable.

"..."

Nah. It's better that I didn't presume on things, especially with girls. I might be just mistaken; from what I observed, Lily's matured enough not to let this matter get into her head. Maybe it just that she's tired from the long journey, like the rest of us.

It'd be bad if the head maid would see me as someone threatening to her.

But man, she can be snappy when tired, eh?