When we reached the door to the villa, the old man opened it and gestured for us to come inside. However, it was at that point that he prevented Hitomi from following us.
As though there’s some kind of boundary that they, the servants, couldn’t trespass, he told her to remain outside and stand there with him. Only Otoha and the guest – me – she brought with her could come and stand before the head of the Kaneko House.
His voice was firm and unyielding that even a complaint coming from Otoha wouldn’t be able to bend that decision.
Sensing that, Hitomi halted her footsteps and complied. And with her confidence back, the girl looked straight at us, wordlessly implying that we should go ahead and not mind her exclusion.
Not counting that she’s from a family serving the Kaneko House, even i
