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The traveling maid had barely any room to mess this up, which disappointed her; she would’ve loved to mess this up. Instead she had to do it the right way: spicy curry, just the way Nandaba-san liked it. The sooner she finished this meal, the sooner she’d get into his pants.Multiple pots of water and other various ingredients boiled on the cramped stove“Oh, of course!” she said out loud to herself. “Miss Ninamori is a visitor, nya? May not be fond of spicy things, nya?”Immediately after speaking, she looked behind her to see Naota’s fat cat standing on the edge of the sink.“Heyyy, shoo! I’ve got no messages.”“Maaaoo….”“You sound like a pregnant cow,” Haruko commented, stirring some curry powder in a bowl. “Now get lost.”“MAAAOOO!”Haruko whipped back around at the cat. “Figures the fatty would be hungry,” she mumbled, reaching above her and searching around before happening upon a can of cat food. “Get off the sink, nya.”Talking like a cat seemed to do the trick.From there, Haruko lowered the setting on the gas stove and tore the lid off the can. The cat meowed some more as she pulled a bowl off the countertop and shook the can’s contents out. “Let’s see how you like this—!”Just as soon as the can’s contents plopped out, Haruko realized she had picked up the wrong bowl. This was the bowl she used to mix the curry powder.Wisps of spice and flavoring trailed up her nose. “Hh—heAh—!” The maid reeled back, her lip curling. “hHAKK-kUSHho!” She sneezed right into the bowl.“Mrraaoo?”“Yeah, yeah, eat up,” she mumbled, rubbing the side of her nose with her wrist as she bent down and gave the cat its meal. Trying not to sneeze again, she turned back around to the pots on the stove. It was then she remembered what she was thinking about before the cat rudely sauntered in.It seemed Ninamori would get a spicy bowl after all. “Oh well, nya!”“Mao.”“Dinner is served!”Her four clients sat at their table, each with a bowl of curry. The two older men at the table already couldn’t seem to get enough.“OOOH, Miss Haruko!” Kamon hooted, his tongue already numb. “You never disappoint!”Haruko smiled: an expression which promptly twisted from the trickles of spices still lingering in her nostrils. Her breath hitched and shoulders rose.“hhAKk-USHoO!”Neither Kamon nor Shigekuni seemed to notice their maid’s lack of proper sneezing etiquette. Naota, on the other hand:“Aack!! Haruko!” he squealed. “Cover your mouth!”“Takkun?” Haruko began, her nose starting to run. “I just sneezed. Aren’t you going to bless me? That would be awfully rude if you didn’t, y’know.”Naota sneered, looking back and forth between Haruko and Eri.Eri blinked. “Well, Naota? Say ‘bless you.’”Clenching his teeth behind his lips, Naota inhaled sharply and turned away, going on to scarf down the curry like everyone else.