By around eight o'clock, Kagura had finished preparing breakfast. Iris-sama, who had sneaked into the kitchen earlier hoping for a bite, had instead ended up even hungrier after tasting Kagura's delicious cooking, and had already waited impatiently at the large dining table for nearly an hour before her family finally came downstairs.
The little ones, freshly scolded by Ardan and Ramonu, trudged in with drooping ears and tails. But the moment they caught a whiff of the irresistible aroma, their ears perked straight up again, and they eagerly scampered over to the table. Even the usually quiet and reserved Mejiro Dober showed a hungry expression.
"No need to rush~ Everyone has their share."
Kagura guided the excited children to their seats, gently setting their tableware before them. Mejiro McQueen's gaze was completely locked onto the delicious food spread across the table, unable to look away even for a second. Kagura quietly wondered whether this foodie would grow into a little fatty horse one day.
"Kagura-san, please sit down. Let them settle themselves. They're old enough to handle basic table manners."
Already seated beside Iris-sama, Ardan sighed helplessly, watching Kagura busy herself taking care of the younger ones.
"It's fine~ This is nothing to me."
"After discussing it with Ramonu-nee, I think she has a good point. These little ones should experience your daily work. Today, the command of these children—and all our maids—will be entrusted entirely to you. The Mejiro estate hasn't started its annual cleaning yet, so this task is yours to lead, Kagura-san. But you're only allowed to direct; don't do the work yourself!"
"Eh…? That…doesn't seem appropriate…"
Kagura was momentarily stunned. She was just a maid herself—it was already unusual enough that other maids listened to her, but to have four or five ojousama placed under her command…wasn't this turning etiquette upside down?
But Ardan and Ramonu seemed quite firm, leaving Kagura no chance to change their minds. Moreover, the five little ones and several maids present didn't seem resistant at all. If anything, they looked excited. Kagura found herself confused. Who in their right mind would look forward to being ordered around to do chores?
At their age, I'd have hidden under the sofa at the mere mention of chores… Why are you girls so eager?
But with everyone else so enthusiastic, Kagura couldn't say much more, finally accepting the idea.
...
"Kagura-oneesan! What are we doing today?"
After breakfast, Kagura naturally began preparing to command the Mejiro family's year-end cleaning. The regular household maids were easy enough to assign—after several days roaming the Mejiro estate, Kagura was already familiar with the layout. She swiftly divided the mansion into work areas and assigned the maids accordingly. What remained were the core rooms: the living room and the young ojousamas' bedrooms. Kagura had deliberately left these tasks for the little ones, hoping that cleaning their own rooms together would help strengthen their sisterly bonds.
And Ardan, claiming this was to truly let the girls experience a maid's life, actually managed to produce five perfectly-sized maid uniforms from somewhere. Kagura felt more like she was leading a school field trip than assigning chores, as the girls' eyes were filled with innocent excitement.
"Considering you're all beginners, I won't split you up. We'll work as a team so I can give directions anytime. Today's mission is cleaning your rooms and the main living room. The total workload is significantly greater than any single maid's daily task, so prepare yourselves mentally, okay?"
"Yes~!"
Of course, Kagura had a backup plan. If the little ones couldn't finish the work, she was fully prepared to do the final touches herself. Such tasks might overwhelm normal maids or children, but they were nothing special to a veteran like Kagura.
According to Kagura's arrangement, the hardest room—the living room—would be cleaned first. By the time she brought the little ones to the living room, Ardan had already prepared all the cleaning equipment, including tools Kagura usually used herself. But since she couldn't personally step in—at least not at this stage—Kagura gazed at the familiar tools, then at the eager young horse girls, thinking for a moment before beginning her instructions:
"McQueen, you're the tallest, so you take this pole. Your job is cleaning the walls. Pay special attention to the black marks."
"Understood! I'll complete Kagura-oneesan's assignment diligently!"
Kagura handed McQueen a long cleaning pole, carefully instructing her on how to use it and how to change the cloth attached to its head. Quick and studious as always, McQueen soon grasped it and cheerfully ran off to start scrubbing the walls.
"Ryan, Palmer, you're both energetic, and sweeping and mopping should be easy for you. You two handle the floors—decide yourselves who sweeps and who mops."
"Roger! Kagura-oneesan, just leave it to us! Rest easy and watch from the side!"
The energetic duo of Mejiro Ryan and Mejiro Palmer enthusiastically grabbed their cleaning tools, swiftly discussing their roles. Ryan, the more careful of the two, took on sweeping, while the exuberant Palmer was assigned to mopping.
"And finally… Bright and Dober, you two can wipe down the furniture. Just use cloths, and don't forget to wear gloves."
For the quieter and more delicate Bright and Dober, Kagura assigned furniture cleaning, a simpler task suited to them. Kagura herself stood at the entrance to the living room, observing them closely in case any help was needed.
"Kagura-san, is this the kind of work you usually do at the Symboli household? You seem so experienced."
"Pretty much. Although the other maids often try to stop me or lighten my workload, this is essentially what I do every day."
Before Kagura could fully answer Ardan's question, she noticed Mejiro McQueen struggling with stubborn wall stains, failing repeatedly due to improper posture. Kagura quickly headed over to help.
"Ah, Kagura-oneesan…"
Seeing Kagura approach, McQueen instantly knew she'd made a mistake.
"You won't get any strength that way, McQueen. Here, let me teach you."
Saying this, Kagura reached around McQueen from behind, gently grasping her hands and adjusting the pole's position, guiding her into the correct posture.
Kagura-oneesan smells so nice… Ah! What am I thinking? Focus, McQueen! Kagura-oneesan's teaching you how to clean properly!
McQueen's thoughts briefly scattered as Kagura leaned into her, but she quickly pushed those distractions away, fully concentrating on her task.
With Kagura's careful and precise guidance, McQueen quickly grasped the proper method. Once McQueen was properly positioned, Kagura gently released her hands, softly patting McQueen's cheek as a reminder:
"When cleaning higher areas, watch out for falling dust."
"Okay~!"
After correcting McQueen's technique, Kagura glanced around again. Ryan and Palmer didn't need help yet, and Bright had already begun her work. Dober, however, seemed awkward and slow, clearly struggling.
"Come here, Dober, let me show you how to handle this."
Kagura approached Dober, who was wiping down a window sill. She lightly tapped Dober's arm from behind, making the shy girl jump slightly. Realizing it was Kagura behind her, Dober's anxiety immediately flared.
"K-Kagura-oneesan…I…"
"Don't be nervous, Dober. Everyone was a beginner at some point."
Gently stroking Dober's hair, Kagura reassured her in a soothing tone. Just as she'd done for McQueen, Kagura patiently took Dober's hands from behind, demonstrating the proper movements.
K-Kagura-oneesan…is right behind me…so close…
Though Dober's face remained mostly expressionless, her cheeks were tinged with a faint blush.
As someone naturally uncomfortable around men, Dober had become increasingly fond of Kagura-oneesan's gentle nature. After these past days together, she liked this sister who told wonderful stories and made delicious snacks even more. Dober, who had started learning to draw, secretly kept an unfinished sketch of Kagura in her room, hoping to someday ask her beloved oneesan to pose for her as a model. Unfortunately, she hadn't yet found the courage.
"…See? Isn't it hard to reach this spot normally? Here's where the chopstick I gave you earlier is useful. Wrap the cloth around it and clean just like this…"
Though Dober was somewhat clumsy, Kagura patiently repeated her demonstrations until the shy girl slowly grasped the correct technique.
"Exactly like that! You're doing great, Dober~ Just continue this way."
"Mm…Mm…! Th-thank you… Kagura-oneesan."
"Hehe~"
Smiling warmly, Kagura lightly pinched Dober's slightly flushed cheek before returning to chat with Ardan by the door, continuing her watchful supervision.
Watching her leave, Mejiro Dober felt a small pang of regret.
Kagura-oneesan…is truly wonderful…