Sole of the Foot (1)

"Oh my. Did you hear that just now? Did you hear?"

"I heard, so stop hitting me already, you little brat."

"He's going to change her clothes! The Lord himself! What do we do! Ahh. Ahahaha."

"Hey. You're drooling..."

Whispers and giggles echoed as the maids peeked through the door crack, completely unaware that Aslan had long since caught on. Previously, changing clothes had been left to us! Now he's getting greedy? Is he finally struggling to hide his desires?

"I always thought the Lord had incredible patience, but it seems he can't hold back anymore...!"

"No. Don't jump to conclusions. The Lord is certainly a shady man, but he isn't the type to betray his own principles. He isn't the kind of person who would lay a hand on a child."

"Then what exactly...?"

"It's to etch the current Charlotte—who is destined to vanish beyond the veil of time—into his mind!"

"...?"

At the cryptic words, the junior maid tilted her head in confusion.

"Think about it. Raising and educating rowdy girls to his liking before making them his wives is romantic in its own way, but there's a massive trap hidden here."

"What is it?"

"The bride from her childhood will disappear beyond the flow of time, never to be seen again! Then the Lord will regret it for the rest of his life! He should have done this and that while she was still young!"

"Ah...!"

The junior maid's eyes widened. It was an idea she had never once imagined.

"It's what they call making memories! If he acts like a gentleman and waits patiently until the bride grows up, he'll definitely regret it later. There are so many things he must do before the young bride grows up that even making a list wouldn't be enough!"

"S-so that's how it is. Indeed, once time passes, it never returns..."

"From now on, the Lord will cover his eyes with a blindfold, move his hands guided by Charlotte's whispers while changing her clothes, and then pretend it was a mistake... Ehehe."

"Senior. You're drooling."

The clothes-changing event! Isn't it one of the essential events? An event where you teach noble children—who are unfamiliar with complex aristocratic attire—one piece at a time, while also getting some subtle skinship! That's right. It would be a waste to leave all of this to the maids. They'd definitely be beating the ground in regret later. As expected, the Lord knows a thing or two!

The maids were squealing in excitement when—

"I brought it! My armor! Isn't it cool?"

"Ah."

"Ah."

Charlotte returned with a triumphant expression, holding a bag containing armor. The maids' faces hardened instantly.

...What? It was about armor?

"Time to get back to work."

"Yes. The dishes are piling up too."

Tch. What a letdown. The maids clicked their tongues and turned away.

***

"What's wrong, Mister?"

"..."

This was awkward. She said armor, so naturally I had imagined something like a shiny, clanking suit of iron plates. But what Charlotte pulled out of the large bag was nothing of the sort.

"It's thinner than I expected."

"It's armor you can wear all day like regular clothes! That's why it's so thin and easy to move in!"

"..."

Flap, flap. I took the 'armor' Charlotte handed me and examined it. It was light, highly elastic, and didn't deform much even when stretched. At a glance, it looked no different from ordinary clothing. But when I slammed my fist down on it—thud—it instantly hardened, proving its functionality as armor.

'It's practically just clothes.'

A form-fitting, elastic suit of armor. The craftsmanship was impressive. Then again, in a world where people coat swords with mana or wrap them in aura, armor-making technology would naturally be advanced as well.

"Just looking at it, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I have no idea how to put it on. There aren't even buttons in the front..."

"It's designed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so someone has to tie the strings from behind. I'll help you."

"Ehehe. Thanks!"

Whoosh. Charlotte spun around and shrugged off her outer clothes. With only a thin shirt on, she turned her back to me. Then, plop—she placed something in my palm.

"Tie my hair up for me!"

"..."

So that's what it was—a hair tie. It had been a while since I'd tied a woman's hair. Carefully gathering her locks in my hands, they felt silky and pleasant. As I swept her hair back, her nape was revealed. A few beads of sweat clung to it, probably from running earlier. I secretly wiped them away with my fingers before tying her hair into a ponytail.

"Wouldn't it be better to wear it like this all the time? It'd be more convenient."

"Hmm. Maybe? Do you think I look prettier with it tied or untied, Mister?"

"..."

A difficult question.

"Both look pretty, but I think the tied style suits this armor better."

"Then I'll tie it up when I wear this!"

A ponytail Charlotte, huh. She was so excited that the way she kept swaying it side to side was quite adorable. I had to work hard to suppress the urge to grab it and yank it back.

After finishing with her hair, we began the proper armor fitting. Since it was armor meant to be worn like everyday clothes, the process wasn't particularly complicated. I draped it over her shirt to cover her torso and chest completely, then secured it with strings from behind.

"Should I tighten it more?"

"Yes!"

"Nngh..."

"Huuuup!? Y-you're tightening too much! It's suffocating...!"

...There's no way my strength could break this kid's ribs. Anyway, after adjusting the strings to the right tightness and tying a knot, the fitting was complete. Now that I thought about it, the armor's shape resembled a corset.

"There. All done."

"How is it, Mister? Do I look pretty?"

"You look lovely. It suits you well."

"Ehehe!"

Whirl. Charlotte spun around to show me the front, then smiled awkwardly. For a moment, I wondered why prettiness mattered for armor, but I kept it to myself. If it's cute, that's all that matters.

"Wow! It's so comfortable! It feels like I'm not even wearing anything! Does it really protect well? Mister, want to punch me in the stomach?"

"...I refuse."

"Aww, why not."

Charlotte stuck out her stomach with an innocent face. I turned my head away from her. Even if I punched with all my might using these feeble fists, Charlotte in armor wouldn't budge an inch. Still, for some reason, I felt a sense of rejection. How could an adult hit a child's stomach? I firmly refused before developing any strange tastes.

"Now I feel like a proper swordsman!"

"Not yet. Having exceptional talent, a fine sword, and armor doesn't make you a swordsman. Only when you also possess the proper mindset can you truly call yourself one."

"Wow! The knight lady said the exact same thing!"

"..."

Of course she did. I had simply recited Silvia's lines from the game. Still, it was good that she seemed to understand.

"Don't worry! The knight's code, was it? I've been memorizing that lately! You must value life, never abuse your power, and... Uh. What else was there? Anyway, it's super long!!"

Charlotte was simply excited. It seemed she wasn't getting cocky just because she had a cool sword and pretty armor. Silvia was doing well not only with sword training but also with education. That was a relief.

"If you're done putting it on, go now. Julia was quite frightened earlier because of the ghost. Stay with her if you can."

"Hmm..."

At the mention of Julia's name, Charlotte's eyebrows suddenly drooped. She quietly approached from behind me, then—hop—poked her head over my shoulder.

"Are you busy, Mister? Me going out... would that be helping you?"

"..."

There was still plenty to clean up. Many books needed organizing, and work was piling up. But...

"Want to give me a massage while I take a short break?"

"Where did I put that massage ticket..."

She couldn't resist a massage. I decided to spare some time. Only then did Charlotte's face light up with a grin.

"Where does it hurt? Which part should I massage today?"

"My back hurts, my shoulders hurt, my calves hurt, my neck hurts..."

It was faster to find a spot that didn't hurt.

"Your whole body hurts, doesn't it! You're doing morning exercises ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠diligently every day, so why is this happening?"

"...I wonder."

A sigh escaped me. My body had been so frail that right after possessing it, I had desperately felt the need for remodeling. So I endured the stinging skin and went out into the sun often. I did strength training without rest and ate meals regularly. It had already been three months of such upright, healthy living. It was true that a tiny bit of muscle had developed, but compared to the effort, the changes in my body were almost nonexistent. Was it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠because of my innate constitution? I was practically in a state of giving up now.

"At this rate, I'll have to massage you all day."

"Then forget the rest. Just do a facial massage."

"Why? Because your face looks too scary? Should I smooth it out for you?"

"...No. My facial muscles are just tired."

Charlotte stared at my face with a serious expression. Was my face really that scary? If a massage could smooth out this menacing face, that would be nice.

"Hehe! If that's the case, leave it to me!"

Charlotte rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward. I lay comfortably on the sofa and closed my eyes. Could Charlotte control her strength properly? She had better. It's my face—if she messes up, I could get hurt. Worries began to surface first.

I heard the sound of her busily removing something beside me. Once preparations were complete, I felt Charlotte hop onto the sofa.

"Shall I start?"

"Go ahead."

"It's really okay, right?"

"Stop asking and just start."

"Really?"

"..."

Her hesitant voice kept dragging things out. Sensing something odd, I opened my eyes at that moment.

"Hah!"

"...?"

Charlotte's small foot sole landed on my face.