Drainage System

After school, Caro came to my classroom.

“Kent-san. Let’s go home together.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Saying that, Caro wrapped herself around my arm. My classmates looked shocked when they saw it. Josette saw the scene too and froze.

Caro and I walked down the hallway. Caro seemed to be in a great mood. When I happened to glance out the window, I saw Rachel and Gordon in the courtyard behind the school building. It somehow bothered me, so I ended up heading to the back of the building with Caro still with me. By the time I arrived, Gordon was facing Rachel with his hand pinned against the wall—one of those “kabedon” situations.

(This scene was when Gordon, the prince, was about to kiss Rachel, and the villainess and her attendants interrupted, right?)

…And that was when I felt something off. The smaller attendant who was supposed to appear in this scene was currently clinging to my arm. We were already missing one “actor.”

“Kent-san… are you interested in Rachel?”

Caro whispered to me.

“It’s not like that. I just happened to see them from the hallway, so I was a little curious.”

I whispered back.

It should be about time for someone to interrupt, but…

“Kent-san, what are you doing here?”

Josette was beside me before I knew it.

Caro’s expression changed the moment Josette appeared; she looked a little irritated now.

“Uh… sightseeing?”

I said that and gestured with my eyes toward what I’d been watching.

“Oh my, Rachel and Gordon-sama. I wonder… are they going to kiss like that?”

“Aren’t you going to stop them?”

Josette seemed firmly in spectator mode and didn’t look like she planned to move, so I asked.

“Why would I have to go?”

Gordon pressed Rachel down and moved to steal her lips.

Just like that, Rachel and Gordon’s lips met, and a little time passed.

“Oh my.”

Hearing Josette’s voice, Rachel snapped back to herself and hurriedly shoved Gordon away.

Then she turned toward Josette and shouted.

“W-why didn’t you come stop him?!”

Leaving that behind, Rachel ran off. Left alone, Gordon just stood there blankly.

Gordon seemed to notice us too and, looking awkward, left the scene.

“Th-they… they were kissing. Kent-san, are you interested in that sort of thing too?”

Caro asked me.

“No, not really. All I can say is that I happened to spot them from the hallway.”

“Then I have an errand after this, so I’ll excuse myself. Caro, listen to what Kent-san says and be a good girl, won’t you?”

“Yes. I’ll be a good girl.”

Josette left, and it was just Caro and me.

“Then, Kent-san, let’s go home.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

And that was how the two of us went home together.

We got home. The bakery was closed today because it was the regular day off. I’d worked on the water supply system in the morning, so I decided to start on the drainage system in the evening.

Up until now, we’d just let wastewater run into a nearby ditch, but now that we were using detergent and the like, I needed to consider the environment. And the toilet was the kind where you laid two boards on either side and straddled them to do your business—a drop-type. I’d had Caro put up with it yesterday and today, but I figured it had to be miserable for a noble young lady. To be honest, I had no idea how nobles in this world handled toilets… or whether that kind of setting even existed.

I asked Caro anyway, as a long shot.

“Caro-san, what did you do for a toilet at your house?”

“Huh? A toilet?”

Caro’s face turned red at the sudden question. Maybe that question had been a bad idea.

“Um… a chamber pot. We’d use it, and when it got full, the maid would throw the contents out the window.”

“What?”

“She’d shout loudly that she was throwing it, and then toss it out the window. Sometimes it would land on someone working below, and it would turn into a huge commotion.”

The shocking reality left me stunned.

Then I worked out a drainage plan.

First, I installed a combined septic treatment tank so the wastewater would be treated once before being released into a drainage channel. Along with that, I connected each drain pipe, and I converted the toilet into a flush-style Western toilet with a heated bidet seat. The installation cost for all of that—construction included—was 1,000,000G, leaving the entrusted money at 2.3 million.

“Alright, Caro-san. I’ll explain how to use it.”

With the water supply and drainage finished, I explained how to use everything water-related—the bath, the toilet, and so on.

“It became so convenient. I can’t believe an empty house turned into this… Kent-san, your magic is amazing.”

“It’s more convenient, but I spent money to make it that way… The money Josette-san entrusted me with is down to about twenty percent. Starting tomorrow, I’ll have to work hard… I guess.”

“Kent-san, I want to ask you something. I’m thinking I want to work in between my studies too. Do you know a good place?”

“I can manage for one person on my own, Caro-san.”

“Huh?”

Caro suddenly went bright red and started fidgeting. Did I say something weird?

“But still, I shouldn’t just keep relying on you, Kent-san. I’ll work too.”

“I see. Okay. There’s a help-wanted notice, so I’ll ask at my workplace tomorrow.”

“Thank you very much.”

I started preparing dinner… though all I had to do was heat frozen food, so it wasn’t much work.

“Alright, let’s eat.”

“Yes.”

We changed into our tracksuits and ate dinner.

“Then I’ll go prepare the bath.”

“Yes, please.”

After we finished eating, I got the bath ready. With the water heater installed, filling the tub was now automatic. That meant I didn’t need to prepare firewood anymore, and I was back after pressing a single button.

“You were fast, Kent-san.”

“All I did was press one button. After that, it fills itself.”

“So convenient…”

Caro said that with her face bright red.

“I’m going to go pick some flowers for a bit.”

“Go to the—… I mean—yes, go ahead.”

I replied the way I always did and then panicked and corrected myself.

A little later, I heard Caro’s voice from the toilet.

“Eek—warm water from below… ahh, that feels nice… I might get addicted to this.”

Caro came back from the toilet looking blissfully happy. She seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed the heated bidet seat.

“The bath is ready.”

A sudden voice came from the bathroom, and Caro jumped.

“It’s okay. That’s just the notification that the tub finished filling.”

“Oh, I see…”

Saying that, Caro toddled off toward the bath.

“Woooow. It really filled with hot water.”

“You can get in as-is, you know?”

Caro toddled back.

“I don’t really understand how to use everything yet, so… Kent-san, could you get in with me and teach me?”

“Huh?”

At Caro’s sudden invitation, I hesitated, unsure how to answer.