"I'm home…"
My voice carries out through the ranch house, I shut the door behind me. Quiet it was, but before me, two beady-eyed Oni. The neutral expression on my face was gone, and I couldn't help myself but smile at the two.
"Welcome back, Master Lucien." Jex begins, a soft smile on her face. Relieved to see me maybe. I was only gone for three days, but who knows how they felt about it?
"M-master!" Then there's Rei. The Red Oni. The special one out of everyone else. I never questioned it, however. I assumed it was the same thing with people being albino from time to time. This might be the equivalent.
They both bow, and take my bags from me. However, there's one bag I don't let them take, and it piques their interest.
"I was out, and I got souvenirs for you all."
They slightly freeze, their smiles still intact, yes, but as if I said something bad.
I'm slightly taken aback, so I repeat myself.
"Souvenirs."
They freeze again.
It was at this moment where I had no clue why they did. I raised my brow almost automatically.
"You guys…know what souvenirs are?"
They both look over toward each other, before shaking their head.
"S-suhvineer?" Rei's pronunciation butchered the word almost in its entirety. Like the two never heard of it.
No.
They actually never heard of this.
I open my mouth quick, before they get any other ideas. "It's…like a gift you give. When you go places, you bring a few items back to those who didn't go."
That eased the tension amongst us, but now they were curious faces. And when their's curious faces, there's only one way it gets solved in this house.
Jex wastes no time.
"Breakfast Roulette."
My eyes roll at her, "It's not even morning. I don't think the game works like that."
"It does now, Master."
She begins to pull my hand towards the dining table while Rei already rushes off. Pulling out a chair for me and myself, while she waits eagerly.
Jex sits opposite to us, and I place the bag on the table.
Still…breakfast roulette doesn't work like that. But, I guess I have to blame myself for handing it off as that.
And to think that at the very beginning, the game was used to instill fear into a timid and very scared Jex. It didn't last that long, apparently.
"My turn, what's in the bag?" Jex begins almost immediately. I didn't even have proper time to settle in. At this stage, I would say she's more curious than Rei is.
And since the whole game is not lying, or has transformed to be where we tell the truth, I can't lie to them. It's the least I can do, while I go out there in the daylight masquerading as someone I'm truly not.
Yet.
I shrug, "A gift for both of you."
Rei scratches her head, "I-I thought you didn't have favorites Master?"
"Uh…" A long, drawn-out groan comes from my mouth.
"You guys do a lot for me already. If anything, think of it like appreciation gifts for the work you both do."
Jex looks at me, believing my words. "My turn again, what did you get for me?"
My eyes narrow down at her, "I don't think that's how the game works…"
She giggles for a moment, soft, not innocent, but one of lesser tensions and a relieved state. For a moment there, besides her being genuine about it.
I could see it.
How much she really did love all of this.
I unzip the bag, and I pull out one. A book. A journal.
I hand it off to Rei, and she's marveled at it. I know she did read a lot, and I'm surprised that all of her reading didn't allow her to know the word souvenir…
…but can I blame her? Most of the books she reads are in poor condition already. She's only allowed to read what the previous ranchmaster in my place gave her, or what's already there at the hut of hers.
It's been getting better, she's been reading more books from this library. And at times, it looked like she struggled.
Not too long ago, I seen her read the equivalent of like, a World Geography Book or something. Too bad I'm illiterate.
"This is a journal. Write in it, about your day, about your life. Use this for when you want to take a break from reading all day. Who knows, maybe you'll find your own spark."
Rei can't help herself, and hugs the journal close to herself. As if it was like a teddy bear or something. Maybe I should've gotten her a teddy bear instead. Comfort, care, those type of things.
But…she's 15. Not 5. Maybe she already has one? In beat up quality and condition? I don't know, I'm just trying my best.
I point at Jex next, "Now, for you, the clear-cut adult in the room."
She scoffs, rolls her eyes even at my statement.
What I pull out the bag, was moreso a pair of folded clothes. Neat, and just for her. Thing was, while Rei wore old clothes of mine, or whatever she could find herself comfortable with in that closet.
Jex denied.
Maybe out of respect, maybe out of superiority.
But when I had first came here, all she's been wearing was that maid uniform.
And not once had I seen her outside of those clothes.
Ever.
I don't know if she has many pairs, but I can't stand it.
"Now, Jex. These are clothes for you, and only you. Since you refused to wear anything else." I explain to her.
She wasted no time, grabbing the clothes, and practically slamming her hands on the table. Not in fury as one would expect.
But excitement.
She got close, leaning over the table, maybe too close for my liking. Her blue eyes were practically sparkling at a certain point.
"F-for me!?"
Her voice doesn't betray her excitement at all. Almost as if she's asking in surprise. Surely she didn't think I was only going to do something for Rei, right?
She stands up from her chance, dancing in please as she rotates holding the clothes. I can't say I'm surprised, nor can I say this is something that I'd expect her to do.
Jex is just…full of surprises. Unpredictable even, but a good unpredictable.
Rei looks on, holding her journal still close to her chest. Wildly nodding.
As Jex scurries on to go put on the clothes, and Rei begins to write in her journal with some nearby pencil, my body slowly slides down on the chair. Just gaining a break for a moment here.
Regardless, it felt nice to do good.
Even if I have to pretend.