Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

The girl vaguely realized that Gao Hai had probably seen through her thoughts and was doing this on purpose.

This made Hayasaka's feelings even more complicated. Takami didn't ask any questions, didn't blame her, and simply forced her to rest. She couldn't help but think that if he had been as harsh on her as she imagined, blaming her for what happened in the [Infant Cry Village] instance, scolding or even punishing her, would things have been better than they were now? This childish thought made Hayasaka want to laugh for a moment, while Takami beside her only made even breathing sounds, seemingly already fast asleep.

Perhaps it is precisely because he is my master that he is so tolerant of me.

So what I should really be doing... is showing my heart to my master honestly, instead of pretending, right? In the end, it seems today's plan went wrong. I never imagined that after worrying about the young lady's plan for so long, my own plan would also go wrong.

Gently, the girl rested her head in Takami's arms, a wave of exhaustion washing over her along with a sense of relief that came from letting go of her pretense. Soon, Hayasaka fell asleep in Takami's arms.

It wasn't until Hayasaka had truly fallen asleep that Takami opened his eyes. After carefully looking at the girl in his arms, he first sent a mental message to Kaguya, telling her that Hayasaka wouldn't be able to help her with the Shinomiya family's affairs tomorrow. Then he lowered his head and gently kissed Hayasaka's forehead.

Goodnight, Xiao Ai.

Interlude 4-33: Morning Sleep-in Time and the Little Maid's Decision

On the ninth day after the dungeon ended, Gao Hai once again slept in.

Of course, this time he didn't intentionally stay in bed, but rather because Hayasaka couldn't get out of bed, so Takami just stayed with her.

As it turned out, Hayasaka's condition was even worse than Takami had anticipated. After her tense nerves relaxed, the girl slept until about 11 a.m. before groggily opening her eyes. Even then, she refused to get out of bed and instead stayed in Takami's arms, pretending to be asleep.

"call……"

Warm breaths mingled with the girl's delicate fragrance, and her long, loose golden hair spread across the pillow.

Occasionally, the girl would secretly open her azure eyes to observe Takami's appearance. Whenever this happened, Takami would keep her eyes closed and pretend to be asleep, and then Hayasaka would feel at ease and continue to bury her head in Takami's arms.

To be honest, this kind of appearance is quite unfamiliar to Gao Hai.

If Chika were to do this, he would find it quite ordinary, but seeing Hayasaka, a girl who is always serious and hardworking, creates a strong sense of contrast. But thinking about it carefully, Ai is, after all, just a seventeen-year-old girl. However, compared to the other girls Takami knows, her daily life is much harder. From a very young age, she has had to shoulder various responsibilities, to the point that she has learned to use acting to disguise herself.

It's kind of funny, but because she became a player, Hayasaka's workload has been reduced a bit. Even though she's deeply immersed in a hellish ghost story world, her real life has become much easier – something Takami finds quite amusing.

"call……"

He could feel the girl in his arms quietly raising her head again to observe Gao Hai's condition.

Takami, who had already woken up, simply kept her eyes closed and continued to hold Hayasaka without moving.

Of course, even with his eyes closed, Gao Hai could still clearly see Hayasaka's appearance. For Gao Hai, whose mental power had entered the realm of gods, he could observe his surroundings to a certain extent without relying on his five senses. Therefore, he could clearly see the conflicted expression on Hayasaka's face.

She still seems a little uneasy. For her, sleeping in for an entire morning like this is probably unprecedented.

As Takami was thinking this, he heard Hayasaka's voice.

"Um... Master, you've woken up as expected, haven't you?"

Nestled in Takahashi's arms, Hayasaka hesitated for a long time before finally leaning close to his ear and whispering a question.

"..."

Takami kept his eyes closed and didn't answer Hayasaka, simply continuing to pretend to be asleep.

"I can tell Master is awake now, because when Master is truly asleep, the breathing rate is somewhat different from now. So, well, sleeping until this late is definitely not a good idea..."

I'm thinking of making a call to ask about the young lady's situation.

Although Hayasaka often complains about Kaguya's exploitation of her, she already considers Kaguya her silly little sister in her heart. She is still a little worried about whether Kaguya can brush her teeth and take a bath properly when she is not around, and whether she will make mistakes in some small things.

Kaguya herself would probably be very angry if she knew these thoughts, even though she does indeed make mistakes in these details, and Hayasaka is almost always the one who cleans up after her. However, just like Maki's tsundere personality, Kaguya herself is quite stubborn in this regard, and it's unlikely that she'll admit her shortcomings.

"So, um, Master, is this really alright?"

Hayasaka twisted her body again and whispered, trying to break free from Takami's embrace.

So Gao Hai simply rolled over and pinned the girl's body beneath him, holding her tightly so she couldn't struggle and could only continue lying on the bed.

"Woo..."

Judging from the girl's cries and struggles, it seemed that Takami's crushing blow had left her breathless for a while. However, having superhuman physical abilities, Hayasaka quickly recovered after the brief discomfort, though she still felt somewhat awkward and would occasionally struggle.

What is this? Is it some kind of punishment game?

Hayasaka, pinned down by Takami's body and unable to move, blushed. The man's presence filled her senses, making her feel dizzy and unable to think for a moment.

Come to think of it, the owner has done it before when he went on dates with other girls.

Yes, that's right. He first stayed at Yotsuya's house, then spent the night at a private amusement park with Shijou, and then went to Fujiwara's house. As for the young lady, needless to say, that cat outfit was personally taught by Hayasaka. It's fair to say that the previous four girls all served their master well in their own ways, effectively relieving his stress. However, when it came to his turn, his master did nothing but hold him and sleep for one night. From this perspective, he, as a professional maid, was quite unqualified.

Is it because I did something wrong before that my charm in my master's heart has decreased?

Subconsciously, Hayasaka began to wonder if he had made a mistake.

However, she quickly realized that this was probably done by Takami to show consideration for her hard work these past few days. Undoubtedly, this thought exacerbated Hayasaka's own feelings of guilt. The thought that she, as a maid, needed her master's help to relieve her pent-up emotions made the girl feel like she had failed in her life.

I definitely didn't want things to turn out this way...

Hayasaka sighed silently in his heart and gently hugged Takami.

Having survived Hayate Elementary School and been rescued by her master, she had already made a decision to stay by her master's side forever and give him everything she could.

In the end, I ended up implicating my master because of my own problems, causing him to have to accommodate me instead.

We must make amends.

Hayasaka's gaze hardened.

Although his master isn't asking him anything right now, Hayasaka is very clear on how to make his master relax.

She reached out and gently stroked Gao Hai's chest.

Then, he slid his finger down little by little until Gao Hai raised his eyebrows slightly.

He opened his eyes and was greeted by Xiao Ai's azure eyes and her pajamas, which had been undone, revealing her fair shoulders.

"Let me serve my master."

As she spoke, the girl pressed her body against him, and Gao Hai immediately felt the soft, smooth touch of her skin.

Hmm, I haven't even said anything yet, and I've already taken the initiative to do it. I feel like I'm being a bit passive, but it seems like it's not so bad.

Seeing that Xiao Ai wanted to exercise, Gao Hai stopped pretending to be asleep. He propped himself up on his elbows, looked down at the rosy-cheeked girl in his arms, and kissed her.

As the light streamed in through the window, the atmosphere between the two began to warm up.

However, unlike the previous dates, this time the temperature hadn't even reached its peak when it was interrupted by a sudden sound.

Jingle bell—jingle bell—

It was Hayasaka's phone, which was on his bedside table, that rang.

Gao Hai focused his attention almost instantly, reaching out to protect Hayasaka, then abruptly turned his head towards the phone. His mental energy erupted in that instant, forming an invisible protective network. The reason for Gao Hai's strong reaction was simple: the thing hidden in the hospital instance used the telephone as a crucial medium to influence the real world. Therefore, when Hayasaka's phone rang, Gao Hai immediately suspected that the other party might have contacted him again.

【This time it's not her! This time it's the mother of the teacher's bed-warming maid calling! Hehehe, she's a beauty too! Teacher, do you want to try and snatch her away together?】

Alice's voice suddenly rang out at this moment, answering Gao Hai's question.

"It was your mother who called."

Ignoring Alice's somewhat urging tone in the second half of her sentence, Gao Hai casually spoke to Hayasaka, who had also become wary, and then waved his hand, causing the phone to float into Gao Hai's hand.

Hmm, the contact name displayed on the phone is "[My Dear Mom]", and it even has a heart symbol? Come to think of it, it seems that Ai in the original work can only let down her guard and act cute in front of her mother. I've always wanted to bridge the emotional gap between myself and Ai, and we talked so many times in the dungeon, but I forgot to think about it from a family perspective. However, actively thinking about this aspect is a bit difficult for me.

"No problem, it's already been tested, it's not an enemy disguise, take it."

Takami handed the phone to Hayasaka and said something casually to her.

"Oh, um..."

Hayasaka, whose intimate activities had been interrupted and who had been tense for a while because she thought an enemy was attacking, was stunned for a while after hearing Takami's words before picking up her phone. Her eyes lit up when she saw the contact name on the screen, but then she became embarrassed because she realized that Takami had already seen the name, and quickly became at a loss.

"what happened?"

Having confirmed through Alice's remote monitoring that the phone was working properly, Gao Hai saw Hayasaka sitting on the bed with a flushed face, holding her phone but not answering the call. He was puzzled as to what was wrong with her.

As for Hayasaka's hesitation, the reason was quite simple. Because she could only let her guard down in front of her mother, she was used to acting like a spoiled elementary school student. However… aside from a few times when her mother had accidentally witnessed this side of her, Hayasaka had never revealed it before. But now, Takami was right in front of her; if she answered the phone here, it meant he would see her acting spoiled towards her mother.

Should I act like a child in front of my owner? This kind of thing is really...

Despite her habit of acting spoiled with her mother without restraint, it was still a very shameful thing for Hayasaka to have Takami see her like this.

However, it is precisely because I am unable to reveal my true self to my master that our relationship has never truly deepened. Perhaps it is time to shed all pretense and try to show every side of myself.

The girl closed her eyes, and her aura slowly gathered.

That's right, my true nature isn't that of a strong and perfect maid; I'm a crybaby, someone who loves to whine and be lazy. The real me has many flaws, far more so than the person I am now, accustomed to this facade. But if I truly want a long-term relationship with my master, I need to show my true self.

It's difficult for people to truly understand each other's feelings. That's why communication is necessary, and that's why we need to express ourselves. My owner has already done enough for me; it's time for me to muster up some courage.

At this moment, Hayasaka Ai hardened her resolve and finally made her decision.

Her gaze sharpened, and she finally looked directly at the call screen on her phone, no longer looking away.

Then Hayasaka realized that because he hadn't answered the phone for more than a minute, the other end had automatically hung up.

"..."

The girl's body stiffened like a stone statue in an instant.

"How about we call them back and see?"

Gao Hai, who was watching from the sidelines and also felt awkward, spoke up to offer a suggestion.

"……Um."

Hayasaka, who no longer dared to look up at Takahashi's expression, nodded. Before she could call back, the phone rang again; it was her mother calling back.

This time, Hayasaka didn't hesitate and immediately answered the call.

Then she heard her mother's familiar voice, and Takami, who was sitting next to Hayasaka, heard the girl's coquettish tone towards her mother for the first time.

"Mommy~~~"

Interlude 4-34: The Spoiled Little Maid and the Invitation from Her Future Mother-in-Law

There's a little secret that only Kaguya Shinomiya knew: Ai Hayasaka herself is, in a sense, a mother complex.

Of course, it's not some unhealthy kind of mother complex. Hayasaka simply enjoys acting spoiled in front of her mother, actively seeking her affection, and behaving like a mama's girl. For Hayasaka Ai, born into the Shinomiya family and almost destined to be a servant or butler for life, family love is the only stable positive feedback she can currently receive, a source of emotional comfort that allows her to rest for a while. This is why she lets down her guard in front of her mother, even becoming as childish as a child.

Thinking about it this way, I felt that the child was quite pitiful. However, I already knew a lot about the tragic aspects of Hayasaka Ai's life, so now I was more moved by the unprecedented way Ai was showing herself in front of me.