"You say that like only that part of me is big. I have plenty of money, too," Alex muttered, defending himself.
"Master, are you sure it isn't Miss Mila's money?"
"Ugh, even without Mila, do you think I couldn't get money with my abilities?" Alex said, annoyed. "Aside from everything else, I made a fortune from the deal with the Haibara family. I just handed it all to Mila to manage."
"Yes, yes, Master is the best," Tsubaki said, seeing him get worked up. she smiled and reached out to pat his head.
"Are you treating me like a child?" Alex rolled his eyes, deciding to ignore her. "I don't usually come to Ginza. I go to Akihabara more often. Let's go there next time. Today, I just want to pick out some gifts."
He led them into a jewelry store.
Wait? Are these gifts for us? Saki saw the displays and covered her mouth, grabbing the boy's hand. "Wait... Alex, isn't this too expensive? These gifts are too luxury. A simple little gift would be enough."
"Don't you like them, Saki?"
"I think they're too costly..."
"Just tell me if you like them or not."
"...I like them," Saki admitted. She was a girl, after all. Who wouldn't like exquisite jewelry? When she saw the ring Alex took from the clerk, her heart raced. She nodded shyly, her face red.
"If you like it, that's enough. Want me to put it on for you?"
"Mmm..." Saki blushed and held out her... ring finger. The clerk had a motherly smile on her face. Tsubaki also wore a faint smile, but... watching the intimacy between Alex and Saki, she felt a twinge of loneliness.
Just as she was feeling down, Alex turned around. "Tsubaki, why are you standing there? Come here."
"Eh?"
"What 'eh'? Don't you want one?"
"...I thought there wasn't one for me," Tsubaki whispered, her heart soaring from hell to heaven. Her eyes sparked as she stepped beside Alex.
"Am I that cruel? Or do you think you aren't important to me?" Although her teasing had annoyed him earlier, it was all playful banter. He wasn't that petty. Besides, Tsubaki had been his greatest help.
Alex could see that this beautiful maid had given him her whole heart. He wouldn't show favoritism.
Watching her Master personally put a diamond ring on her finger, Tsubaki's heart felt like it would leap out of her chest. She wasn't nearly as calm as she looked. Despite her usual "poker-face" noble demeanor, she was just a girl of the same age, no different from an ordinary high schooler.
Tsubaki's girlish heart was as vibrant as anyone else's.
"Master..." Tsubaki bit her lip. If they weren't in public, she probably wouldn't have been able to restrain her emotions; she would have tackled him right there. Meeting Alex was the luckiest thing that had ever happened to her.
Tsubaki stroked the diamond ring. Finally, she couldn't help herself. She stepped forward and kissed him deeply on the lips.
The clerk's expression was strange, though she kept her professional smile. She was judging him in her head: This boy is dating two girls at once? And such beautiful ones? Don't they have any problem with it?
Saki really didn't have a problem, nor was she jealous. She just watched them with envy.
Finally ending the kiss, Alex wrapped an arm around Tsubaki's waist and waved a hand. "Rings like this... wrap up ten, no, twenty more for me!"
"..." The clerk's professional smile nearly cracked. "Ye... Yes, sir..."
Rich people sure know how to play, she thought.
Seeing the clerk's expression, Tsubaki leaned against the boy, nearly laughing. Her full, perky breasts pressed tightly against Alex's arm. A certain thought began to bloom in her mind...
"Tsubaki is so amazing. If it were me, I'd never dare say those things to a stranger," Saki said as they walked down the busy sidewalk. She clutched the jewelry boxes Alex had bought her—rings, bracelets, pendants—to her chest like treasures while chatting with Tsubaki.
"You mean that man who hit on us?" Tsubaki turned to look at the girl beside her. "I heard from Master about your past, Saki..."
The beautiful girl before her used to be a plain, low-profile girl. It was clear she was shy and timid by nature.
"Our experiences are different. I used to run into men like that all the time," Tsubaki thought for a moment. "You get used to it. You just have to practice being bold."
"I see. That makes sense. I heard you were a noble lady? That sounds so impressive."
"That was in the past," Tsubaki's face darkened for a split second before returning to normal. "Now, I am just Master's maid. Saki, if you ever run into trouble or something you can't handle, come to me. I'll help you."
She liked this timid girl, though Saki gave off a "weak" aura that seemed to scream 'bully me,' which was probably why she attracted so many scumbags.
"Mmm-hmm," Saki's eyes curved into happy crescents. "I know. If I have trouble, I'll ask you. We... we're friends now, right?"
"More than just friends..." Tsubaki's voice was calm, but it held a note of genuine care. "We are sisters. Family."
"Tsubaki..." Saki's dream had always been to make good friends. Hearing the maid's words moved her deeply. Meeting Alex really was the best thing. Even the girls around him were wonderful people. Now she had a boy she loved and a close friend—a sister, even family. She felt like the luckiest person in the world, pushing her past trauma to the back of her mind.
Alex followed behind the two girls, watching them chat and walk side-by-side. He smiled. Bringing Saki to Tokyo was exactly for this—so she could make new friends. Not just Tsubaki, but Chi-chan and the others would surely welcome this girl from Osaka.
Suddenly, Tsubaki stopped in her tracks. Her perfect, slender yet curvaceous body froze as she turned around. "Master, over there—"
Following her finger, they saw a famous women's lingerie store.
"Victoria's Secret..."
Alex watched the women entering and leaving the store and blinked. "Buying underwear... do I have to go in too?"
"Of course. I want Master to pick out our underwear," the maid said with a playful, provocative wink. "Don't you want to see what we look like in lingerie?"
Saki's face turned bright red, but she didn't disagree. She also wanted Alex to help her choose.
"I'll only pick the styles I like—especially the bold, erotic ones. Tsubaki, be prepared."
"That's exactly what I want," the fallen noble maid took his wrist and laughed. "We only wear what Master likes~"
Tsubaki, when did you become such a tease?