The Secretary's Skirt
The click-clack of heels echoed through the knights' quarters near the lord's castle. “…….”
The figure emerging down the long corridor was a woman with silver hair woven into a braid, dressed in a knight's uniform.
“……Haa.”
Letting out a small sigh of relief, Chloe tried to hide her anxious expression as she glanced around. Though she possessed a petite frame and slender build, strictly speaking Chloe was already an adult and a full-fledged knight. Wearing the knight's uniform posed no issue whatsoever. Even if that uniform included a skirt, serving the master of this land made it an acceptable display of proper etiquette.
“……Whew.”
So there was no problem. Nothing strange at all.
She kept telling herself to stay calm, yet every time a cold draft blew through, the sensation beneath her skirt made Chloe's face flush. Without thinking, she began tugging the hem downward as far as it would go. As she walked the chilly corridor, a sudden gust made her instinctively clutch her skirt and press her legs together.
It was an obviously suspicious gesture. In fact, behaving this way only drew more attention. Even while thinking that, the awkward feeling forced Chloe to keep scanning her surroundings.
“Chloe!”
“S-Serin.”
The moment she rounded the corner and spotted a fellow knight approaching from the opposite side, Chloe immediately straightened her posture and forced a smile. Of all possible timings.
Whatever Chloe might have been thinking, Serin approached with a bright grin.
“I heard you became the second young master's knight? Congratulations!”
“No, I'm still just a rookie. It starts now. I have to carry this out without any mistakes.”
“Aww, Chloe, you're always so serious. At least enjoy today! Oh, you're wearing a skirt? Does that mean you'll be staying right by the young master's side from now on?”
Chloe flinched. The moment Serin mentioned the skirt, her body trembled involuntarily.
It's fine. She didn't notice. There's no major problem.
She repeated the words like a mantra.
“When does your shift end today? You'll still have some freedom for a while, right? Or are you already starting training?”
Becoming an escort knight didn't mean immediate duty, but Chloe's situation was somewhat special. Holding back a sigh of relief that Serin hadn't noticed her current state, Chloe offered a bitter smile.
“It seems I'll begin serving by his side today.”
“My goodness! Already?”
“Yes. There's so much I need to learn. From now on, it's not only escorting Lord Leoric— I mean, Leoric-nim—but assisting him as well.”
“My goodness. You're completely his closest aide. I'm so jealous. You won't pretend not to know me later, right?”
Chloe responded to Serin's words with another bitter smile. The circumstances were a little different, but when she thought about it, the role of a secretary was essentially the same as an assistant, so it wasn't entirely wrong.
When she briefly glanced around, she began hearing other voices. Any longer and it felt like her own mind would break before anything else.
“Um, Serin? I only packed the bare essentials, so I really must go now.”
“My goodness. You really are busy. Then let's talk again later.”
“Yes. Thank you, Serin.”
Forcing a smile at the disappointed Serin, Chloe carefully resumed walking. Her complexion was turning deathly pale as she sensed more people nearby, and her steps quickened with urgency. At the same time, she focused on maintaining her balance so the skirt wouldn't flare up.
Even then, the conversation from earlier kept replaying in her mind—how had it come to this?
“Well, you don't have to do it if you don't want to.”
Leoric-nim had said with a gentle smile. As if it truly didn't matter. As if the enormous discussion they'd just had was a trivial matter to him.
“Even without doing such things, if you accomplish sufficient merits, I'll grant you Grace. Most people in the castle seem to know already, but since I possess quite a strong sexual appetite compared to other nobles, I will definitely grant you Grace if you achieve merits. Even if not, staying by my side while escorting me means such an opportunity may arise someday.”
“……Then why are you ordering me to do this?”
Chloe had even wondered if he was targeting her for not being particularly feminine.
“Because it's fun.”
“Fun……”
What was his true intention? Chloe had never considered herself clever enough to understand the thoughts of high nobles, nor did she believe she was particularly quick-witted. Her mouth opened, then closed. She had no idea what to say.
“I told you. You can refuse.”
“……Then, if I were to do that… what would happen?”
“What would happen?”
If she took on that secretary role. Chloe stared at the floor. If she accepted the condition.
“Would I cease to be a knight?”
If the events leading up to one hundred points involved such shameful acts. Feeling a sharp pain in her chest, Chloe pressed a hand against it.
How much effort had she poured in to reach this position? Once she chose to serve, she would obey if it was an order, but…….
If the end was not to be regarded as a knight but to display the kind of appearance expected of maids, commoners, or slaves, the thought that this would be her conclusion brought tears to her eyes.
“Huh? …………Ah! Aah! No, no, that's not it at all.”
“Pardon? I-is that so?”
When she looked back at her master, he slowly approached. Due to their height difference, Chloe had to look up at him.
“Sorry. Was my tone too harsh?”
He took a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. The gesture made her heart pound in an entirely different way than before.
Watching Chloe's face gradually flush with a healthier color, Leoric-nim continued.
“This is simply a small bet.”
“A bet……”
“Of course, getting caught would be quite embarrassing. But on the other hand, wouldn't it mean receiving that much favor from me?”
“I-is that how it works?”
So that was it? She understood now! Chloe felt like she'd gained new insight.
“Besides, as the rumors say, I have quite the sex drive.”
That much, Chloe already knew. Information about Leoric, now moving openly, had begun spreading in secret. The rumor of his high sexual appetite was especially well-known among the female knights.
The only thing she could never have imagined was that her first order after becoming a knight would be to remove her underwear.
“How about it? Any thoughts?”
At Leoric-nim's gentle question, Chloe pondered briefly. She truly believed she could achieve merits, but it was impossible to say when. Significant merits required significant events, after all.
Therefore.
This was for the family's bloodline. It was what her new master Leoric desired. As a knight, refusing the proposal he himself had offered first would be…….
“I-I will do it.”
Chloe steeled her resolve and squeezed her eyes shut.
Yes. From now on, she would take on the honorable duty of escorting the second son of the prestigious Count Franz family. There was nothing to fear. All she had to do was trust Leoric-nim and devote herself with complete loyalty!
“Then shall we start with the skirt?”
She really did not want to hear those words from Leoric-nim.
The important thing is, when the two of us are alone, you must call me President.
“President?”
Chloe tilted her head in confusion. Since there was a merchant company, the term made sense. She didn't understand why it had to be President, but it was fine. For a secretary, it was naturally either President or Chairman. Chairman reminded her of her father, however, so they would go with President for now.
“And for the time being, continue wearing the knight's uniform. I'll hand you the clothes I've prepared separately later.”
“Cl-clothes, sir.”
Of course it was a miniskirt. A tight-fitting one, at that. He had prepared special stockings with slits that would completely expose her thighs. Naturally it would not stray too far from the original knight uniform style—just a slight modification.
He decided to look forward to that moment with great pleasure.
“And there's one more thing. Charlotte.”
“Yes!”
Charlotte, who had been waiting outside the office, entered at the sound of my voice. She carefully set the small box in her hands down on the desk.
“This is……”
“My gift.”
Chloe glanced at me, then cautiously picked up the box. It was light, making its contents hard to guess, so she opened it immediately.
“……This is.”
“Mm.”
“It's glasses.”
Yes. Glasses. A secretary needed glasses. These were god-tier.
“I-I'm a knight with perfectly fine vision……!”
The momentarily flustered Chloe quickly brought up her eyesight, but to be precise these glasses had no prescription.
“The important part is the frame.”
“The frame?”
At my words, Chloe, who had been carefully examining the glasses, showed a startled expression.
“No way!”
“Mm. It's a Magic Stone.”
Moreover, since it was a Magic Stone I had personally handled, my magic power was sealed inside the frame. The moment Chloe wished it, the magic power stored within would manifest as attack or defense in whatever form she desired.
“It will serve as a trump card in dangerous moments.”
“To think it contains Leoric-nim's magic power……. Th-thank you!”
“No. You should call me President.”
She had been making an emotional face but froze at my correction. She looked slightly regretful. Well, it was fine.
Anyway, as an escort knight she needed to prepare for unexpected situations, and the same went for me. This would make an excellent hidden ace.
Smiling at Chloe, whose eyes sparkled as she gazed at me, I moved on to the main topic.
“Then this is your first mission.”
“Yes!”
“You will come wearing the knight uniform. With a skirt, of course.”
“Th-then, like you mentioned earlier… do I have to take off my p-panties?”
Chloe's face showed momentary panic at my order before she quickly tried to hide how red it had become.
“As I said, my orders are not compulsory. Collecting one hundred points to receive Grace is entirely your choice. I have no desire to force that part.”
“Y-yes……”
Chloe seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding.
“Then I'll be on my way!”
After a small bow, Chloe left the office.
Indeed. I wonder what choice she will make.