Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Kaen von Dandelrion (2)
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"It's love."
"......?! Pfft, cough...! Cough......"
The restaurant was noisier than usual with the clatter of tableware.
Suddenly hearing that nonsense from the side, Kaen—who had been blankly chewing her meat—ended up spewing chunks of it onto the table.
"Wh-what... cough... what the hell are you talking about?"
"Well, isn't it?"
"Isn't what?"
"You've been showing your emotions a lot more lately, haven't you, miss?"
"I haven't."
"You have!"
"And what does that have to do with love?"
"A ton! I've read so many romance novels!"
"Roma... haa......"
Kaen let out a deep sigh that seemed to cave the ground in as she set down her utensils.
Her mind went hazy at the ever-cheerful maid's voice, as always.
She had just come back from getting 'that kind of treatment' from Luke, after all.
Sorry, but should I just kick her out?
Kaen, seriously pondering it, turned her head to the side for a moment.
"Kiara."
"Yes, miss."
"It's not love or anything like that, so don't get the wrong idea."
"Aww... there you go again. You can be honest with me, even if not with others."
"I am being honest. I don't love him."
"Even with all this evidence?"
"...Evidence?"
She always checked for people around, so there was no way she'd left any traces.
Kaen turned her whole body now, narrowing her eyes and glaring at the maid.
Under the dim lighting, her pale purple eyes gleamed fiercely, but the maid paid no mind, grinning as she began counting off on her fingers.
"First one!"
"......"
"Back at the main estate, you never smiled once—you were so prickly. But since coming to the academy, you've gotten so much brighter."
"......"
I wouldn't know about that.
Back then, there just wasn't anything worth smiling about, I guess.
That was Kaen's only impression upon hearing the maid's first claim, brimming with confidence.
"Second one!"
"......"
"I was wondering when you'd secretly meet him, and today you finally went to see that guy—in casual clothes, no less."
"I didn't go. I told you, I was just out exercising? The clothes were super light."
"What are you talking about? You were wagging your tail like crazy when you left. There's no way you went anywhere else."
"So what about that?"
"You've had the habit of unconsciously wagging your tail when you're in a good mood ever since you were little."
"......Delusions are free. This is hilarious. Keep going."
Was that true?
I don't remember at all.
Kaen resolved to pay more attention to her posture from now on.
The maid's voice continued flowing into her ears.
"And finally, the third one!"
"......"
"When you came back to the mansion, your face was beet red as you dashed into your room......"
"Get out."
"Pardon?"
"If you're just going to spout weird crap like that, get out."
Having heard the maid's final claim, Kaen turned her head back to the table.
Being careful not to move her tail or ears.
Any more leeway, and she'd be yammering about this for days.
No thanks.
"......No way."
"No way?"
"You really did it...?"
"Did what? I said get out, Kiara."
"Oh, right. See? Your emotions are flaring up like this..."
"Not leaving? Want me to throw you out myself?"
"Eek... Miss......"
"If you don't go now, I'll send you back to the main estate. Getting bored just doing laundry and cleaning here?"
It wasn't sincere.
No matter the situation, she was the closest maid who'd been with Kaen since she was toddling around.
As she picked up her utensils again, signaling no more talk, she noticed the white tablecloth in front of her stained with tiny bits of meat.
A twinge of guilt toward the maid flickered, but Kaen forcibly looked away.
At least it seemed true that her emotions were richer now.
"If you need anything, just let me know."
"Yeah, I get it. Just go for now."
"I can lend you any of the novels I have for reference."
"......Please, just go."
The fresh surge of irritation.
That counted as an emotion too.
After finishing her shower and returning, Kaen threw herself onto the bed.
Normally, she'd land headfirst, but this time it was the other way around.
"Huuu......"
Her body relaxed languidly.
The usual Kaen would have slipped under the covers and fallen asleep right then.
But not tonight.
All because of one pesky plebeian nagging at her mind.
Because of that plebeian, and because she'd gone and done something outrageous today.
A strange noise escaped her lips as they softly met the bedsheet.
"Uwaaah......"
Embarrassing.
So embarrassing she wanted to die.
The memory she'd meant to bury until death kept surfacing, shattering her sanity.
What if everything today was just a dream?
From reading 'Luke's erotic novel' in the afternoon to visiting his dorm—maybe it all was.
But that optimistic thought was impossible; the sensations from moments ago lingered too vividly.
On her fingertips.
On the tip of her tongue.
On her nose, which she'd unconsciously sniffed over and over.
All kinds of traces of Luke tormented her.
"Auuugh..."
In the end, Kaen arrived at: What the hell did I do? Did I go crazy for a second?
What kind of guy was Luke?
A little intriguing.
Well, he seemed hardworking.
Honestly speaking, good body, handsome too.
A tiny sprout of affection.
Just an ordinary guy like that.
So she'd meant to give him a 'reward' out of appreciation.
But somehow, she'd nearly ended up treated like a sex toy in his room.
The humiliation of it.
"......"
Humiliation, huh.
"......"
Kaen rolled over on the buried bedsheet and stared up at the pristine white ceiling.
A vast canvas for her imagination.
Fragments of recent memories began faintly overlaying it.
Herself leaving the mansion, saying she'd go for a quick workout.
Confirming no one around and heading to the central district.
Herself startled by the filthier-than-expected central district scenery.
Seeing Luke's room and marveling that someone could live there.
And then.
─Gulp
That cock as thick as her arm, exaggerated a bit.
─Gulp
Herself kneeling beneath it, stroking it softly like a pet.
─Gulp
Luke's informal speech, which she'd never heard before.
─Gulp
Finally, Luke trying to force that massive thing into her mouth.
"Uuugh..."
Kaen fumbled for the pillow by her head, clutched it tight to her chest, and thumped the bed hard with her heels.
That was all wrong.
As a noble to a plebeian—no, as person to person—that kind of treatment would definitely feel bad.
But why did Luke's heavy voice keep echoing in her head?
She didn't know.
"Luke.... Lukeuu......"
Only his name lingered in her mouth, unable to attach proper words.
Kaen still hadn't gained certainty about her own feelings.
What do I want to do with Luke?
Staring at the ceiling, she asked herself.
First option.
Demand punishment right away.
In that case, execution was as good as certain.
Luke had secretly written vulgar erotic novels targeting a noble, and he'd even laid hands on Kaen von Dandelrion, Northern Archduchess of the Renas Empire.
Two grave offenses.
One word from Kaen, and Luke would be executed on the spot.
He was a plebeian without even a middle name, let alone a family name.
No great house backing him—he'd never survive judgment.
But.
She didn't want that.
She didn't hate Luke at all.
When she'd forcibly pinned him to the bed after he kept pressing his cock against her lips, it was more confusion than disgust.
She'd already licked it thoroughly with her tongue; refusing to take it in her mouth felt inconsistent.
She hadn't seen that scene in the pages Luke showed her, but it wasn't impossible.
If he'd earnestly begged and given her time to think, she might have reluctantly sucked it.
Why he'd written that erotic novel about her was still a mystery, but with her head full of other things, Kaen had no room to ponder it.
"So why'd you suddenly grab my hair and..."
I don't know. It's all your fault.
Kaen fiddled with the hugged pillow and flopped face-down on the bed again.
In that position, she considered the second option.
Let it go.
Pretend nothing happened.
Then Luke could continue his academy life as usual.
He'd spend his life watching out for Kaen after groping a noble's body, but still, better than death.
"......"
And then what?
End up in an awkward relationship with Luke?
Let the intimacy they'd gradually built through teasing collapse?
"......No."
How could she waste this chance?
She'd read that erotic novel while searching for ways to get closer to him, then mustered her resolve.
Just bear it once and do what he wants.
Use that as leverage to ask for what I want later.
But her panicked shove had ruined it all.
With a hundred people, a hundred tastes.
Luke and Kaen's preferences naturally differed.
Someone had to compromise.
Usually, in these cases.
It was the one whose heart was a bit rosier.
Right now, that was...
"Annoying.... I said I'd never do it again, and now... he's such a perv......"
Kaen herself.
"...Just gotta suck it diligently, huh......"
Gulp. Swallowing, Kaen imagined Luke's cock in her mouth and bobbed her head back and forth.
Still weird.
If it was just for the guy's pleasure, wouldn't mutual genital contact be way better?
The natural question arose, but she shoved it aside for now.
First, cater to Luke's tastes.
Then, later, use it as leverage for what she wanted.
For that, she needed practice.
Practice so she wouldn't panic at whatever weird demand he made.
What came after sucking cock?
Swallowing semen—she'd read that in the erotic novel.
......Was there more than that?
"Nngh......"
Lacking knowledge in this area, Kaen agonized.
For several hours.
The rustling in Kaen's room finally stopped as dawn began to break.