One Week Later
One week later, we returned to Eristirol Castle once more.
Even after Catherine’s invitation, we had spent several days sightseeing in Borussia, so there was nothing left to do, and Kyle had to return as well.
This time we had come back a little more slowly than last time, but the carriage was still uncomfortable no matter what.
Anyway, we had returned to Eristirol after several weeks.
After living here for several years, it already felt like home.
“Haaah…”
Kyle had given me a special day off today as well.
It was fortunate that he hadn’t assigned me any work from the moment we returned.
Originally, since I was now in the castle, I didn’t have to do bath service or any menial tasks, so it was fine.
After serving Kyle with his bath for a few weeks, I had grown used to it.
“Um…”
Should I just do it myself?
After all, it wasn’t difficult work, and instead of increasing the other maids’ tasks, it would probably be better if I handled it.
Well, since Kyle would definitely refuse if I brought it up, I decided not to mention it.
Every time I tried to bathe him, he hated it, so if I did it here he would hate it even more.
It was a bit hurtful, but I had no choice.
Adolescents were really stubborn about such things.
“Hmm…”
Still, Eristirol Castle after several weeks hadn’t changed much.
The season was spring, but to me it remained a cold place with no difference, and the castle itself hadn’t altered.
“Kyaaah…!!”
Lying on the bed, I stretched my arms and legs vigorously.
Normally I would have been wearing a suit, and stretching like this would have messed up the clothes, but right now I was in comfortable restwear.
A shirt that showed the armpits, cleavage, and belly.
“Hah…”
Thanks to that, I felt incredibly good.
Was this the feeling Kyle felt when he received massages?
Of course, as my strength gradually decreased, the massages I gave would lose their effect…
Well, since he had never once said he hated receiving them, maybe it was fine.
Probably?
“Sophia~ I’m coming in~?”
“Yeah.”
The magic slave dedicated to Eristirol Castle suddenly entered my room.
Since the slave usually entered my room without hesitation, I accepted it.
Even if it had been someone who didn’t usually do that, Louise always did.
“Present!”
“?”
“Sophia, you didn’t buy anything on the way back from the capital, did you?!”
“Yeah.”
What would I even buy?
Originally, there was no need to buy anything.
“Eek! How can you do that?! You know I’m stuck in Eristirol right now!”
Of course I knew.
I had made you that way for you.
“If I have a chance to go next time, I’ll buy you something then.”
If I said that, Louise usually forgave me.
Originally, she wasn’t the type to hold grudges.
If only her gaming addiction could be fixed a little…
But that was difficult.
First, since we had managed to stop the gambling, it was fortunate, but I didn’t know when or how it would resurface.
“Right. So, how did the debutante ball go?”
“Of course it went well.”
Who had taught Kyle until now.
Of course it had to go well.
“This time, the young master talked with women and some nobles, so it went well.”
“Fortunately.”
Indeed.
“I was really worried until just before the debutante ball, but it turned out so well that the worries were in vain.”
“I was worried about being seduced by a woman, but not only that, Kyle ate with three women alone…”
“This seems like I should be educating the young ladies on the other side.”
“No matter how handsome, after the first meeting, immediately having a harem meal is a bit…”
“Right. Now I have to tutor Adela too.”
“Adela-nim?”
“Yeah…”
Adela had suddenly started taking magic lessons?
I didn’t know what had happened in the almost three weeks, but the role of the Eristirol dedicated magic slave had finally begun.
“After all, there’s nothing to do, so it’s fine? I have to do it because of the contract anyway.”
“That’s right… but I want to play!!”
“Sigh…”
Seeing Louise after a long time, but as expected, Louise was Louise.
“Hmm… just in case, did you do anything strange on the way to the capital?”
“Strange thing?”
“Yeah. Like rubbing your body on Kyle, or saying weird things to Kyle?”
“Me?”
There was no way I had done that.
Originally, there was no reason to.
I didn’t understand why she suddenly asked me this.
Could it be that Louise liked Kyle?
Yeah, Kyle was handsome, tall, and a good student who followed lessons well.
“But… even so, dating someone with a five-year age difference is a bit much, right…?”
“You’re thinking something weird right now.”
“Ah.”
Sometimes Louise had good intuition.
Usually she was dumb and gambling, but sometimes she had good sense.
If even a part of that intuition could be used for gambling, it would be nice.
“Elin, aren’t you making a boyfriend?”
“Me?”
“Yeah!”
“Hmm… I guess I’ll have to make one someday…?”
“Yeah! If you don’t make one soon, you’ll be like us!”
“Like us? What are you talking about, Louise.”
Somehow, it had become Louise, Elin, and me.
We ended up eating dinner together.
“Since Kyle and Adela were eating separately, I made space and this happened.”
“Sophia, you’re single too, right?”
“That’s true.”
It wasn’t wrong at all.
Actually, neither of them had even flirted.
“Ah, Louise probably had something, but maybe she didn’t realize it herself.”
She was so free-spirited.
“Elin is still two years younger than us, so she’s not too late yet. Even now, grab a young and capable man…”
“Thud!”
“Eek…”
“Don’t make weird sounds.”
“At twenty-one, what are you talking about old and young.”
“Right now, it’s not much different from our age.”
“Plus, you want to ‘catch’ a young capable man.”
“That’s not romantic. Romantic.”
“Marriage or dating should be a novel-like beautiful love story.”
“Everything you say sounds like a story about manufacturing a ‘pongpong man’.”
“Elin, don’t listen to that, just live normally. After all, you’re still young, why rush so much?”
We weren’t complete nobles, and we didn’t need to worry about that yet.
Everyone had good jobs, and one was a slave.
“Anyway, good job, pretty face, good personality, why worry about marriage or dating.”
“I… in other cases.”
“Anyway, no need.”
“Especially Elin, who is the Vice Commander of the Eristirol Knights, doesn’t need to worry.”
“Shouldn’t I just earn some money and then get into a good relationship with a good person in my late 20s?”
“Louise… she’s pretty, so she’ll figure it out.”
“Compared to men, she’s addicted to games, but anyway.”
“Hmm… Sophia, have you never tried dating or anything?”
“Me? Of course not.”
“Scared of men.”
“Actually, scared, so even at twenty-three, I haven’t even tried poking with fingers.”
“Really, I tried once before and was a bit scared, so I had no interest in the sexual side.”
“The feeling I felt back then was scary.”
“In usual manga or anime where you become a woman, it says once you masturbate it’s super good…”
“I was too different, so it was scary.”
“Different dimension from when I was a man… what to say…”
“Thrill…?”
“Yeah, the feeling like lightning striking in my head was too intense, so I never did it again.”
“I… will never date a man.”
“Puu…”
“Louise, why are you laughing?”
“Kku… no… that’s… I just suddenly thought of something funny!”
“…?”
“She’s really crazy.”
“Suddenly talking and laughing like that looks really crazy.”
“No matter how I try to speak well of Louise, if she laughs like that in normal situations, most people would think she’s crazy.”
“Thanks to that, I became the crazy one for introducing her as an ordinary mage.”
“Um… then Sophia, you have no thoughts about the young master?”
“Young master?”
“Why Kyle?”
“Thoughts about Kyle are really nothing special.”
“Young master is… a little brother…?”
“Other than the thought of little brother, nothing else comes to mind.”
“Since I saw him from age twelve, nothing else comes to mind except little brother.”
“Kku… kuh… kuhuhuh…”
Ignoring Louise laughing next to me, Elin continued talking.
Elin didn’t seem to mind Louise laughing weirdly next to her.
“Ah, maybe Elin has some interest in the young master…?”
“No! … I have none at all! … So, you can rest assured…!”
“..?”
“Why am I being told to rest assured.”
“Instead, I’m the one looking for someone to be Kyle’s wife…?”
“Well, recently, seeing Kyle with a woman on both sides and in front, I wasn’t too worried.”
“Um… yes…”
“Since Elin’s expression seemed weird, I answered that I understood.”
Elin and Louise were both looking at me with strange eyes.
“Like eyes when seeing a crazy person.”
“What did I do…”
“I felt very wronged in many ways.”
“I had never done anything strange.”
“Isn’t there no one who lived as ordinary as me?”
“Kku… Elin, let’s talk later. Kku… It’s interesting, so don’t be scared.”
“Yeah.”
Suddenly making plans with Elin, Louise.
Because of Louise saying that if I listened I would be in danger, after dinner I had no choice but to return to the room and sleep.