昨日一緒に寝たはずなのにと僕は驚き、布都ちゃん！？と声を上げると、台所の戸が開いて「「」殿？」と布都ちゃんが出てきた。エプロンを着て。・・・「・・・我が居なくなってしまったと思ったであろうか？」ひと段落ついて、布都ちゃんは、少し呆れるように言った。いや、いつも一緒に寝起きしているから、急に居なくなるとびっくりしちゃって・・・。「ふふ、「」殿は慌て者であるな。」と布都ちゃんはにやにやと笑った。台所で何か作っていたの？と聞くと、「うむ、それはな・・・」と布都ちゃんは、台所に入り、鍋をもって出てきて、「お味噌汁ぞ。ご飯も炊けている。一緒に食べよう」と布都ちゃんはどやりと微笑み、僕らは食卓に朝食を並べた。「どうであろう？妖夢殿に習ったばかりで、ま、まだ、こういうものしか作れぬが・・・お、美味しいであろう・・・か？。」賞賛を期待しているのか、にやけがこらえきれない様子の布都ちゃん。少し味噌を入れすぎな気がしたけど、味噌汁の味をした味噌汁だった。初めて作った割りに美味く出来ているのではないだろうか？もしかすると、僕が出かけている間、練習していたかもしれない。美味しいよ。と僕が味噌汁の感想を言うと、「そ、そうか。そうであろう、そうであろう。」と布都ちゃんは顔をドヤ顔に歪めて喜んだ。「ま、まぁ、我の手にかかれば、コレぐらいはな・・・うむうむ」余程うまく出来た事が嬉しいのか、にやけが堪えられない様だ。僕は布都ちゃんが作ってくれた味噌汁を(おかずは適当に付け合せた)美味しく戴いて、朝の食事を済ませた。「我も「」殿の仕事の手伝いを出来ぬだろうか？」「」殿の足手まといにならない範囲で・・・」朝食が終わって、仕事に向かう支度をしている僕に布都ちゃんは控えめに言った。急な話だね。まぁ、僕の仕事は独りでやる個人業だし、大丈夫だけど・・・。気を使わなくてもいいよと僕が言うと、「いや、我は「」殿に世話になりっぱなしだ・・・、そろそろ、我も、ただ、居候じゃなくて、「」殿の役に立ちたいぞ・・・」と布都ちゃんは、少し困った顔で言った。・・・僕が帰るまで、毎日布都ちゃんは家の中に居てるのだ。寂しいのかもしれない。それに、お世話になりっぱなしで自分は何も出来ないというのは、案外辛いものだ。・・・僕は、じゃあ、お手伝いしてくれるかな？と聞くと、「そ、そうか。有難う「」殿～」布都ちゃんとにやけてわっふるわっふる

"Didn't we go to sleep together last night...?" I thought. Startled, I yelled out, "Futo-chan!?" The door to the kitchen opened and Futo-chan popped out. Wearing an apron. "...Did you think I had left?" she asked with a surprised tone. "No, it just surprised me when you weren't there, since we always wake up together." "Fufu... what an absent-minded person my lord is," she smiled. I asked her if she had made something in the kitchen. "Hmm, well..." she uttered before returning to the kitchen, bringing a pot back out with her. "It is miso soup. I am making some rice as well. Let us eat together," she said with a smug grin. We made our way to the dining table and set the food down. "How does it look? I only just learned it from Lady Youmu, so this is all I can make, but... does it not look good?" she fished for compliments, that grin still on her face. It seems she had put a little too much miso in the miso soup, but at least it tasted like miso soup. It tasted better than it should have for someone making it for the first time. Maybe she had been practicing while I was out.

"It's great," I told her. "I-is it? Yes, yes..." her smug grin giving way to a smile. "W-well, something like this is nothing for my hand...." She was so proud of herself that she couldn't stop smiling. And so I ate the miso soup (with rice on the side) that Futo-chan had made for breakfast. After we finished eating and I was getting ready for work, she quietly asked, "Is there anything I can do to help you with your work? Something that would not add to your burdens...." I didn't expect that. "My work is something done by one person, so I'm alright. Don't worry about it so much," I reassured her. "No, you are always being so helpful to me... it is time I stopped leeching off of you. I want to be useful..." she said with a troubled look. ...Every day, she was waiting in the house until I returned. She must get pretty lonely. The feeling of not being able to do anything on her own due to always being helped must also be rather tough. "Alright then. Will you help me out?" I asked. "Oh... thank you, my lord," she smiled back... to be continued.