The Opening Page
...Ms. Carnelia...
There you are, Claire.
You're staring at me quite intently. Is everything alright?
...N-No, I'm fine. Nothing's wrong.
If you're unwell, don't hesitate to take the day to rest.
I'm sure the others would understand if you took some time off.
You've worked that hard, after all.
...What do you mean by that? I've... worked hard?
Ms. Carnelia, if you don't mind... May I ask you something?
...How long has it been since I came to Candle Square?
...Hm?
Fufu, that's certainly an unusual question.
Let's see... when you approached me out of nowhere and said that you wanted to become a maid...
That was already a month ago.
...I see. So it's been a month since I became a maid...
Claire? Are you sure you're alright?
Yes, I'm fine. I was... simply lost in thought for a moment.
I'll make sure it doesn't interfere with my duties. Please assign my next task.
Hmm, as for that...
Thanks to all your hard work, there's nothing urgent at the moment.
In that case, I could help with pruning the garden...
Come to think of it, I just asked one of the other maids to clear the leaves by the entrance.
She could finish it much more quickly with your help.
Would you mind helping her?
Certainly, Ms. Carnelia.
I truly appreciate your efforts, Claire.
Just be sure to tell me if you ever feel overwhelmed.
...Thank you.
Oh, and once you're finished...
Please return to the lobby, alright?
Huh...? Oh, yes. Understood.
So it's only been a month since I joined Candle Square...
And somehow, Ms. Carnelia is present.
No matter how I look at it, this is...
...Hmm?
*Sigh*... What on Lavistar is going on?
Not only am I stuck in some place that may or may not be real, it's Candle Square of all places.
Plus, that fake-looking sister of mine is running around acting like the Master Maid.
...And for some reason, I'm actually following her orders...
Don't worry.
It isn't just you.
Oh... Huh? Claire?
...Wait, just making sure. You're the "real" Claire?
Then I suppose that means a fake version of me exists as well?
...Come to think of it, there was.
The doppelganger that disappeared after I hit it with my cup.
Hah, figures.
The fact that you'd bring that up tells me you're the real Claire.
But... you don't seem surprised at all.
You just ran into a projection from the past, after all.
...I did.
But judging from what you just said...
You believe we've ended up in the past too, right?
Of course.
My sister—I mean, Carnelia. She's still serving as the Master Maid here.
Unless I've completely lost my mind or none of this is real...
Then it has to be the past. That's the only explanation.
If this is from when Ms. Carnelia was Master Maid... then you shouldn't be part of Candle Square yet.
What was it like when you saw her?
...It was as if she'd never met me before.
So she treated you... like a stranger?
C-Carnelia? Is that really you?
Oh, you're the one I asked to sweep the leaves.
Though... it appears you're not done yet.
Carnelia! It's me! Bell! I—
The front gate is the first thing visitors see when they arrive at Candle Square.
So please be thorough and don't miss a single spot.
...So it didn't feel like she was pretending not to know you?
No. It was more like the concept of me being her sister didn't exist.
I see. That could help us understand what's happening.
But...
...W-Why are you looking at me like that?
For someone who's complaining so much, you're awfully quick to obey your sister.
S-Shut up!
It just... felt like I couldn't say no.
I can relate. Ms. Carnelia was always gentle when giving instructions...
Yet somehow, her words carried an undeniable authority that compelled people to listen.
It's something I've always admired about her.
Hmph, sure. Definitely not like a certain someone who yells at people nonstop.
Yes, yes. Clearly I'm still lacking in many respects.
Then again, it can't be helped when certain people are always looking for excuses to avoid even the simplest task...
It becomes even harder not to raise my voice, don't you think?
...Ugh.
*Sigh*...Anyway, let's take a moment to think through our situation.
Based on the circumstances, this appears to be Candle Square in the past.
But we can't be certain we've actually traveled back into the past.
This might be some kind of dream. Or an illusion.
Or perhaps we've entered a world merely created to resemble the past.
As for where we are and how to return...
The clues we have are far too limited.
Which is why...
...The part where she told us to return to the lobby after our work was done.
That's what you're getting at, right?
...Correct.
Since it was one of her instructions, our best lead is to do exactly as we were told.
That's a surprisingly reckless plan coming from you.
Believe it or not, I'm not always obsessed with calculations and outcomes.
Sometimes you have to adjust to what's in front of you.
Easy for you to say.
...Not that I have much choice but to go along with your plan.
For all your complaining, you're nearly finished.
You're constantly complaining, unnecessarily prickly, obsessed with buying outrageously expensive stones, and never stop until someone yells at you...
Still, for all your faults, you always get the job done.
S-Shut up! I have my reasons!
And was that supposed to be an insult or a compliment?!
Either way, we're done here. We should head back .The sun's going down.
...Tch. You're not even listening.
Honestly, the past isn't all that different from what I expected.
I don't know much about the time when Carnelia was the Master Maid, but everything looks almost the same.
You're probably right about that.
With Saviors constantly coming and going, there was never much room for drastic changes.
Besides, those returning might find it unsettling if everything changed.
Really thinking about everything, huh. You're way too considerate for your own good.
Quiet. Just go open the door already.
...Huh? What?
...Wasn't this the door leading from the garden to the lobby?
...Yes. That's what I thought as well.
Isn't this... the training grounds?
You two over there. What's all that noise first thing in the morning?
Wait... morning?
Alright. You two will be cleaning the training grounds today. Have everything cleaned up by the time I return!