Guest walked slowly down the long corridor of the mansion.

Whenever the passing maids spotted Guest, they stopped, bowed politely, and offered a greeting. Guest acknowledged each one while continuing forward.

Eventually, the maids in the hallway returned to their posts one by one, and the sounds of footsteps and chatter that had been audible moments ago gradually faded into the distance.

Deep in the corridor, where there was almost no sign of people.

There, the faint sound of cleaning echoed.

A young man was on his knees, silently moving a rag.

It was Tsukumo, dressed in the maid uniform he was forced to wear for Guest's amusement.

Even where no one was watching, he did not slack off, earnestly polishing the floor. However, his movements were somewhat clumsy, moving the rag repeatedly as if checking the same spot over and over.

Eventually, sensing a presence behind him, Tsukumo's hands came to a sudden halt.

When he timidly looked back and saw Guest, his eyes widened in surprise.

In the now-empty corridor, only the two of them remained.

After freezing for a moment, Tsukumo's cheeks turned bright red as he averted his gaze.