Chapter 296
Chapter 296
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Maid Outfit Mayhem
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"Oh my, Camellia. What's with that adorable outfit?"
"Pfuhuhu, adorable? I thought it looked pretty nice myself. I didn't expect Mother to call it cute."
"Hehe, is it really that cute? You could wear something like that more often. It suits you."
"Should I? Lize, what do you think, miss?"
"...Please show some restraint in everyday wear."
"That's what she says."
"Ah... I get the vibe. Hehe, got it. Have fun."
"Yeah~"
After that brief exchange, Rozalin returned to her room.
Considering she kept looking at me with those 'cute' eyes right up to the end, she probably genuinely thought the maid outfit worked.
She was always kind, but not one to say things that weren't true.
She was the type who unconditionally praised whatever I wore... but it probably wasn't a big deal.
"Hehe, Mother said that. So what do you think, miss? Does the maid outfit suit me? Do I look pretty?"
"...You look pretty."
"Pfuhuhu."
In the room, she'd had that slightly scary glare at the end, but Lize was still Lize.
From the moment we left the room, she was back to her usual self.
She walked ahead of me, but overall, the atmosphere and tone were exactly the same as always.
"Puhp..."
"Ah."
"Camellia... Are you really going to spend the whole day acting like a maid?"
We ran into Ella while slowly walking down the corridor.
Her laughter burst out the moment she spotted me in the maid outfit behind Lize.
She was probably laughing because it really was ridiculous.
Honestly, even I thought the situation was hilariously absurd.
"Pfuhuhu... Please don't laugh too hard. Our miss is super embarrassed."
"Prfuh... Lize, you have it rough. Dealing with such a mischievous master... even pranks like this?"
"...No."
"No? So it's fine to do more?"
"Ah, no... um..."
"Did the miss give permission?"
"......Yes."
With me behind her and Ella in front, Lize couldn't respond at all.
That made it even more fun.
"You should go easy on Lize. She's so busy because of you all the time, and even when you say you'll let her rest, you still tease her."
"Hehe..."
"Sigh... Anyway, hang in there. It doesn't look like it'll end in a few hours."
"Ah, no. Please have a pleasant time too, Lady Ella."
"Hehe, got it."
With those words, Ella passed us by.
She'd already seen my maid outfit earlier, so why was she laughing like it was the funniest thing since that moment?
Rozalin might have reacted that way because it was new...
"Puhaha!"
"What's so funny?"
"Prfuh, hahaha..."
"Pfuhuhu..."
When we reached the first-floor lobby and met the Rosaki sisters, their reaction was like this—maybe there was more to it?
It didn't seem like it was just because I was in a maid outfit.
Sure, that could be part of it, but the intensity was too much.
"...?"
At this point, even I started feeling puzzled.
What was so hilarious?
Was it more amusing because of Lize's reaction?
"Sis, definitely..."
"Yeah... super..."
"......Huh."
"Did I do something wrong...?"
"No, it's not Lize's fault...! It's just Camellia behind you... pfuhuhu..."
"Huh..."
So it was me after all?
Why were they laughing so hard?
Rozalin had praised it without batting an eye.
With all those questions, we continued the normal conversation afterward.
I had no idea why they kept glancing at me and giggling...
"Lize? Make yourself comfortable. Oh, shall I get you something to drink? Tea? Lemonade? What would you like?"
"...Warm tea..."
"Pfuhuhu, got it, miss."
Had Lize given up by now?
She just nodded slightly and answered my question.
Personally, I was finding her reaction entertaining too.
I got her some warm tea... and did all sorts of things for Lize while she sat comfortably on the lobby sofa.
Gave her a massage midway, brought her a book?
I kept her from doing any work and spent the time that way.
At first, Lize looked totally flustered by my antics, but midway, she started adapting—which was nice to see.
She always worked so hard because of me, and even when told to rest, she kept at it.
"Um, Camellia...?"
"Yes, miss. Do you have another task for me?"
She still seemed really burdened calling me by name.
But to me, that was just cute.
"Ah, no... not that. Could you please sit next to me instead of standing behind...?"
"Ah, I can't do that. I'd love to, but I'm a maid, right? How could I sit beside you like an equal?"
"But still..."
Lize asked me to sit next to her.
But I deliberately refused.
Because that's exactly what Lize always did to me.
She'd refuse when I told her to sit, to rest, and be stubbornly insistent on pointless things.
So this was payback... well, not quite. Just a little lesson.
"I'm just a maid. My job is to make sure you're comfortable. How could I sit beside you and disturb you?"
"That's not it, but just..."
"I just want you to sit comfortably, miss."
"Ah..."
Just saying that made Lize's eyes widen hugely.
She probably got it now.
She'd recall how she always brushed off my words with "it's fine."
"Pfuhuhu..."
So incredibly cute.
Her reaction made me want to tease her more.
"...Please sit down?"
"No can do."
"...Miss."
"Pfuhuhuhu, shall I?"
"Please, I beg you..."
"Fine."
Lize's eyes were trembling as she pleaded, so I gave in.
Today was about teasing her, not tormenting her.
"Whew..."
Still, it felt good knowing she'd understood a bit of how I felt usually.
I told her to rest all the time too.
But she never did, just like I wasn't now.
"Miss... how long are you going to keep this up?"
"How long?"
"...Could you please stop now?"
"Nope."
"......"
Lize's eyes narrowed just a tiny bit more than usual, but there was nothing for it.
She was my maid in the end, and she wasn't the type to get mad in this situation.
Honestly, part of me wished she'd snap a little even now... but some things couldn't be forced.
I had no intention of pushing that far.
"I think I know what you want to say, miss..."
"That I should quit it?"
"I-I never said that..."
"Hmm..."
She never properly listened to me before.
But now that she was experiencing it herself, things resolved so easily—it was almost ridiculous.
If she ignored me stubbornly in the future, this might be a good tactic.
"...Miss, may I say one more thing?"
"Sure, go ahead."
In the end, I'd forced the situation a bit.
But I liked that she was expressing her true thoughts more than before.
I wished she'd push a little harder, just a tiny bit more... but for now, satisfaction.
She'd improve slowly.
Probably?
"...Everything else is fine, but that... your maid outfit's chest area has been..."
"Since when?"
"...It looks like it's about to burst. Literally, it really seems like it will any second..."
"Hmm? Really?"
"Yes, that part's size doesn't fit at all... I had to mention it. Loosening the waist a bit would be much better."
"Hmmmmm..."
Was that so?
It was pretty tight.
But bursting? Maybe not.
It felt more constricting than a half-size-too-small shirt, squeezing my chest a lot.
"That bad? Bursting sounds exaggerated."
"If you move too vigorously even a little... it might just pop."
"Yeah?"
Vigorously?
I see.
Seeing Lize's worried gaze, I started looking forward to it.
"Yap!"
"Ah, miss...!"
"Didn't burst."
I deliberately jiggled my chest.
Still holding.
Maybe it wouldn't pop from this much?
Lize was making a huge fuss, but once more.
"Yap!"
"Miss...! Really, really... it's dangerous."
"Come on, no one's right in front of me. It's fine."
"That's true, but the buttons..."
"Pfuhuhu, I said it's fine."
Ignoring Lize's protests, I kept shaking my chest side to side.
No one was right in front anyway.
And hardly anyone was wandering the lobby.
So I just kept going.
"Yawwwn... What's this, Camellia...? In a maid outfit? What kind of play...?"
"Oh, Teacher. Sleep well?"
"Mm... But seriously, what's with the outfit...?"
While doing that weird thing in front of Lize, Ashley came down.
She looked like she'd just woken up, all disheveled and silly, heading straight for the sofa where Lize and I were lounging.
"What do you think? Cute, right?"
"Yeah, cute, but why are you wearing it...?"
"For Lize."
"Huh..."
"......"
"...Another one of your weird antics as usual. Hang in there, Lize...?"
"Yes..."
Maybe because Ashley got pranked by me a lot too?
Her sympathetic look toward Lize was kinda funny.
Anyway.
"Yap!"
"...Miss."
"Pfuhuhu..."
"What're you doing? Suddenly jiggling your chest...? Sexy dance?"
"Lize said the outfit might burst. Testing it out?"
"Ah, gotcha."
Ashley slowly approached me while saying that.
Whatever.
I kept shaking my chest.
And then... somehow?
-Pang!
"Eek!?"
"Ah."
"Sigh..."
The chest button popped off, flying straight...
...and hit Ashley's forehead precisely as she approached.
"Uh... Teacher?"
Dead on.
Really, perfectly... leaving a red mark on her forehead centered where the button struck...?
I really need to listen to Lize from now on...