"What's so strange about it?" Natsuki Subaru cheekily leaned closer, looking at Emilia and said, "Look, we live under the same roof, eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner together every day, and care about each other's daily lives. Isn't that what family feels like?"
"Hmm... It seems to be true..."
Emilia frowned slightly, seriously considering this statement, yet vaguely feeling that something wasn't quite right.
"By the way, are you also communicating with spirits today?"
Natsuki Subaru timely changed the subject, looking at the floating points of light in the air, and asked Emilia.
"Yes, communicating with the spirits is something I have to do every day."
As she said this, Emilia's slender fingers gently touched the floating spirit light points in the air, and those light points seemed to respond by dancing on her fingertips.
"This is the same principle as me insisting on exercising every day." Natsuki Subaru nodded, his gaze unconsciously following the trajectory of those micro-spirit light points. He noticed that whenever a light point approached Emilia, it would become brighter, as if expressing joy,
"However, Emilia-tan's bond with the spirits seems to be much deeper."
"Because the spirits are all very important friends." Emilia lowered her eyes slightly, a gentle smile appearing on her lips. Then she turned her head, her purple-blue eyes staring at Natsuki Subaru, and asked curiously,
"Subaru has been training his body recently, is there any special reason?"
Looking at Emilia's face so close, and the faint fragrance emanating from her, Natsuki Subaru's heart suddenly skipped a beat. He subconsciously touched the back of his head, avoiding Emilia's direct gaze:
"Well... of course, it's to improve my own strength, so I can better protect important people."
He silently added in his heart: Especially you, Emilia.
Speaking of which, in the original Re:Zero world, although Natsuki Subaru and Emilia were the male and female protagonists, neither of them had an easy time; life was always accompanied by death.
Besides death, it was also filled with various kinds of humiliation, trouble, and setbacks.
Natsuki Subaru's misery was obvious to all: blood, fear, screams, despair, powerlessness. The repeated cycles of death were truly unforgettable.
However, as Natsuki Subaru's beloved Emilia, her own situation was not much better than Subaru's.
Being a half-elf with silver hair instantly linked Emilia to the Witch of Envy, Satella.
And the Witch of Envy, who almost destroyed the world 400 years ago, was the most taboo existence, not even to be mentioned in public.
Under these circumstances, Emilia naturally became an object of people's disgust. Besides anger and hatred, there was also apprehension and fear.
Furthermore, because of Emilia's resemblance to the Witch of Envy, she was always targeted by Witch Cultists.
In Natsuki Subaru's painful loops in the original work, the Sin Archbishop of Sloth, to complete his so-called trials, had repeatedly led Witch Cultists to attack Roswaal Manor.
Thinking of this, Natsuki Subaru's mind couldn't help but flash with those bloody scenes: Emilia lying in a pool of blood, Rem's miserable state after being tortured and killed, innocent villagers dying tragically.
And every time Emilia was killed, Puck would go berserk due to the contract, transforming into the Beast of the End and starting to destroy the world.
Then... that invincible Sword Saint Reinhard would appear and, with a couple of light strokes, resolve the berserk Puck.
In short, one was more tragic than the other.
Thinking of these things, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but feel a stomachache.
"What's wrong?" Emilia tilted her head slightly, her silver hair cascading down like a waterfall.
"N-Nothing." Natsuki Subaru abruptly came back to his senses, gave Emilia a radiant smile, and casually made an excuse, "I just suddenly remembered some problems with work procedures, and I was considering how to optimize them..."
"S-So you're saying... Subaru must be working very hard to remember so many work procedures in the mansion..." Emilia raised her purple-blue eyes, her voice soft and sincere,
"Yes, truly working hard."
"Emilia-tan worrying about me like this makes me super touched!" Natsuki Subaru clutched his chest, putting on an exaggeratedly moved expression for Emilia,
"Rather, being cared for by Emilia-tan like this actually gives me more motivation!"
Actually, this wasn't a lie; he was indeed very grateful for Emilia's concern.
Even though Emilia still bore the important matter of the Royal Selection, she still cared so much about him.
Perhaps this was Emilia.
No matter what difficulties she encountered, she always maintained this gentleness and kindness.
"But, it must be very hard every day, right?"
Emilia pursed her lips, her fingertips unconsciously twirling a strand of silver hair.
"Well, someone has to share the burden..." Natsuki Subaru placed his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest, and said with his trademark cheerful smile,
"Such a large mansion, it's too much for just Ram and Rem, two girls, to manage. Now that there's a perfect male butler like me, who is both diligent and handsome, and works without complaint, isn't it just right?"
Actually, after a few days of adaptation, the work in the mansion had long become familiar.
Every day, he and the twin sisters Ram and Rem divided the work and cooperated. In the morning, he had a fixed time for exercise, during the lunch break he could sunbathe in the courtyard, and at night he would fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
How should one put it? Compared to his previous life of working from nine to nine with overtime on weekends, his current schedule was simply too healthy.
Of course, what made him happiest was that his relationship with Ram and Rem had clearly improved.
Recalling the scene when he first arrived at the mansion: Ram's undisguised contempt, Rem's outwardly respectful but actually distant attitude.
And now, they could already talk to him naturally and cooperate tacitly during work.
In short, this loop was already stable; he could clear it in one life.
Natsuki Subaru thought so in his heart.
"Pfft—" Hearing Natsuki Subaru's statement, Emilia couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, her eyes curving into crescents, "Subaru is always so energetic..."
"Of course." Natsuki Subaru replied.
These days in Roswaal Manor, life was simple but also very fulfilling.
However, Natsuki Subaru knew very well in his heart that such peace would not last long.
A gentle breeze blew, bringing the fresh scent of flowers and grass from the courtyard.
A brief silence fell between the two, only the faint buzzing of insects echoed softly in the air.
Natsuki Subaru's gaze unconsciously lingered on Emilia's perfect profile, outlined by the morning light. Those long eyelashes, those jewel-like sparkling purple-blue eyes, and those slightly pursed cherry lips, made it hard to look away.
"Subaru? Why are you staring at me?"
Emilia tilted her head, her long silver hair swaying with the movement, her purple-blue eyes revealing simple confusion.
_____
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