Practice in Affection with the Landlady
The dawn when Ian had been with Dania and the evening of the very same day.
Angela was on her way home in the limousine driven by her secretary.
"…."
"Chairman."
"What is it, Verita?"
"If you're tired, would you like to lie down in the back seat?"
"No. I'm fine."
Angela’s slender hand fluttered lightly in refusal.
"I'm grateful that you're driving, too, Verita, but I’d feel bad just relaxing by myself."
"Thank you."
Verita did not bother asking twice.
Sitting in the passenger seat to consider the driver was something she had always done.
Angela made sure to keep Verita company so she wouldn’t be bored, and as a result the spacious back seat was often left empty.
"And I’m not particularly tired, so you don’t need to worry."
"I see. You were so quiet that I assumed you were exhausted."
"I just had a few things on my mind. And besides, you’re the one who’s tired, Verita. You always help me at the company and then drive me around like this, too. I want to help, but I’m not confident about driving... Sorry."
At Angela’s apology, Verita replied in her usual flat tone.
"Your feelings are enough. However, as I have said before, you are the chairman of Brantchel Corporation and my master. There is no need for you to apologize for my assistance."
"I know.... But I still feel sorry."
Since this sort of exchange happened often, Verita let it pass and focused on driving.
Silence settled over the car again, and Angela’s expression grew dark as before.
That did not mean she had been pretending to be fine out of consideration for her secretary. The reason for her sombre look was not fatigue, but worry, just as she had said.
Could Ian have been hurt...?
She remembered refusing Ian’s penetration in the bath the day before yesterday. The awkward atmosphere that had followed lingered in her mind as well.
She did not think her judgment had been wrong.
When she turned him down, she had done her best to explain herself politely and rationally.
Perhaps because of that, not only the next day but even yesterday, she and Ian had been able to eat together and talk normally.
And yet she still couldn’t quite relax, which only proved how much she cared about Ian’s feelings.
Part of it was also because they had not met in the bath for two days for various reasons.
It hurts to ask Ian to refuse me, but... there are still lines we have to keep.
If they went as far as penetration, it would be like crossing a point of no return.
Ian and she were destined to become son-in-law and mother-in-law someday.
Even the things they had already done together were, by ordinary standards, clearly beyond what was acceptable.
She told herself it was practice for her daughter’s sake, and that was true enough to justify the way her body had still trembled with pleasure in the process.
But...
It’s all for my daughter....
Angela thought she was still holding the line far enough for that excuse to work.
There was one more decisive reason she wanted to keep her distance, though.
If I got any closer to him and Ian noticed...
The fatal flaw of womanhood that her dead husband had never taught her, but which must surely have been hiding inside her all along.
She was afraid that if Ian discovered it, his attitude toward her would turn out the same way her husband’s had.
That fear was what made her increasingly closed off and cautious.
Yes, I can’t get too close to Ian....
If she wanted to avoid repeating that terrifying experience, then she had no choice.
So that her own fragile heart would not be hurt again.
Chiding herself like that, Angela turned her gaze out the window.
---
An empty room in a corner of the mansion corridor.
I was waiting there for Verita.
After the butler’s work was over, I had signaled that I had something to tell her.
On a different note, although my relationship with Dania had become closer, there had been no noticeable change in my duties as butler today.
That was because, thanks to my overbearing master, it wasn’t easy for Dania to leave her lady’s room.
Still, whenever the two of us were alone, she accepted my touch without resistance if I got a little indecent and started getting handsy.
Getting back to the point, what I wanted to ask Verita about was something she had said to me before.
After she and I had become intimate, Verita had advised me not to arrange a secret meeting with Angela for a day, since something might happen.
And last night, Dania had come to my room.
The timing was too perfect to be a coincidence.
...There was a strong chance Verita had realized Dania had seen us.
And if she had been able to predict that Dania would come looking for me out of jealousy, then she might also have known about my relationship with Dania.
So I was going to confirm that possibility now.
Someone knowing about the secret relationship between Dania and me was not something I could just let slide.
A little while later, Verita came in and asked with her usual expressionless face, "What is the matter? Has there perhaps been some difficulty in your relationship with the chairman?"
"Not at all. I just had a question."
When Verita nodded and told me to ask, I cleared my throat and said, "Why did you tell me not to make plans with Angela last time?"
At my question, she answered without hesitation.
"I did not tell you this, Ian, but when you and I were returning from the kitchen to your room, I had the feeling that someone was following us. However, it was unclear whether that was my imagination or not, so I spoke ambiguously. If my intuition had been correct, then something would certainly have happened."
"Ah...."
So that was why, no matter how much I asked her what she meant, she’d kept saying she didn’t know either.
"Still, since nothing happened, it seems my suspicion was mistaken."
From the way she said it, she clearly didn’t know anything about my relationship with Dania.
It seemed she didn’t even know I’d slept with her last night.
I was relieved she hadn’t noticed Dania then.
If she found out about my relationship with Dania, things might get complicated.
"Or perhaps my intuition was correct? Was there something that happened yesterday without my knowledge?"
"No. I just asked out of curiosity."
I shook my head as casually as I could.
I had no idea what Verita would think if she knew about my relationship with Dania, but just in case, it was probably better to keep it hidden for now.
"I see. Then next time, I suppose we should avoid any activities in the hallway or kitchen. There is no harm in being careful."
So she was planning to sleep with me again when the chance came.
Of course, I had no reason to refuse her, so I didn’t point it out.
"Is that why you called for me?"
"Yes. I just felt uneasy about it."
"I see. I thought perhaps you were consulting me about your relationship with the chairman. Do you have plans to meet her in secret again today?"
I nodded at her interested question.
"Yes. I spoke with Angela alone a little while ago."
"That is welcome news. Continue approaching her steadily and make the chairman into Ian’s woman. And please let her learn a happiness she has never felt before."
"I’ll do my best."
This time, Verita seemed satisfied with my answer and nodded.
"If you have any problems or need any assistance, please let me know at any time. You may also contact me through the number the chairman gave you before."
Up until now, for some reason, I had found it awkward to exchange messages with her, so I hadn’t. But if I needed to, I should probably do that.
We exchanged brief farewells and parted ways.
After that, all I had to do was wait for my appointment with Angela.
I lounged around on my bed, and read the Charm Magic book I had secretly brought from the dormitory, and before I knew it the time had come. With a slightly giddy feeling, I headed to the bathhouse.
"Ian."
It was past midnight.
When I entered the changing room, Angela, who had arrived before me, welcomed me.
Although I say "welcomed," the atmosphere wasn’t exactly light or excited.
Angela was terribly tense, constantly sneaking glances at me.
"I’ll go in first, so take your time undressing and come in after me."
"A-alright."
A little while later, I waited naked inside the bath, and soon after, Angela entered as well, also naked.
Maybe because it had been two days since I’d seen her, her body looked even more seductive, like a painting come to life.
"…."
Angela’s face was red as she kept looking away from me.
Just like in the changing room, she was still sneaking glances at me.
Since I had a rough idea why, I smiled and spoke.
"Angela. Are you feeling down because you turned down my request last time?"
"Yes...."
Asking her to let me penetrate her was, from her point of view, something she had every reason to refuse; and yet the fact that she was still worrying about it said a lot about how kind she was.
"I’m fine, so don’t worry about it. If I’d really been hurt, do you think I’d be here again, practicing like this?"
"I-is that so? I’m relieved."
Perhaps because some of her worry had eased, the tension in Angela’s face seemed to soften somewhat.
"Anyway, it’s been three days since we last practiced. To be honest, I was so excited I wanted to come as quickly as possible."
"This is only practice for Selena, after all, so I think maybe you shouldn’t enjoy it too much...."
"I’m sorry. But I can’t help feeling good. You felt it last time too, Angela."
Her eyes, which had been avoiding mine, dropped downward.
And what they stopped on was not my groin, but my hand.
It looked like she had remembered the way she had climaxed when I stimulated her G-spot with my fingers.
That experience must have left a strong impression, because Angela’s blushing face could not tear itself away from my hand.
"S-so today you’re going to do the same thing as last time?"
Her eyes trembled with equal parts tension and anticipation.
It was proof that her body was growing more and more familiar with pleasure.
To hasten that process, I had prepared a new method for today.
"Yes. But last time’s practice was missing something, so I’m going to add a little extra today."
"A little extra...?"
Angela blinked at me with innocent eyes.
"Practice at showing affection. I’ve heard that in a couple’s night work, it’s not just about how you use your body; expressing affection for your partner is important too. Without affection, it’s nothing more than a purely physical relationship."
"R-right...."
Her voice sank all the way to the floor as she answered.
Even though she had once had a husband, she’d never properly received affection from him, so of course the topic would leave a bitter taste in her mouth.
"So from today on, I want to practice making you feel good while showing affection, like I would with my beloved wife."
"I see...."
She nodded at my words with a dazed look on her face.
That was only natural, since nothing in what I’d said made it clear exactly what I intended to do.
"Then, may I?"
"...Yes."
I slowly approached her, and Angela shrank her snow-white shoulders as though nervous.
Instead of reaching for her breasts or her womanhood, I wrapped her up in a tight embrace like a lover.
And then I went further, lowering my voice to whisper into the ear of the woman who was now in my arms, bewildered and flustered.
"I love you, Angela."
At those words, she looked up at me with round, startled eyes.
"I-Ian?"
"I’m practicing affection while thinking of you as my future wife."
"The person who’s going to be Ian’s wife is my daughter, so saying her name would be—"
That was a completely reasonable thing for her to say, but I had planned this from the beginning.
"That’s how it should be, normally, but the person in front of me right now isn’t Selena, it’s Angela. I think I’ll only be able to focus on the practice if I do it this way."
"But still...."
"It’s only practice, so it’s fine. It isn’t real."
"...Alright."
The moment she gave permission, I whispered again.
"I love you, Angela. Truly."
"U-uhh...."
Angela’s body jolted, her face turning shy even though she knew this was just practice. That alone was proof that my method had real potential.
I would keep treating her like my lover under the guise of practice, until she learned the joy of being loved.
With gentle kisses I began working my way across her neck, while my hands softly kneaded her breasts.
Anyone looking on would think it was exactly the sort of affectionate caressing a lover would give.
"Ian.... Hngh."
"The sounds you make when you feel good are adorable, Angela. I want to hear more."
"Ahhh...."
When I kissed her neck again, an even sweeter sound escaped her.
I let my lips drift downward, slowly, until at last I took one nipple into my mouth.
"Mmmn, Ian...."
Angela had gone rigid, not knowing what to do with herself.
And yet her body was honest; the nipple against my tongue was beginning to stiffen little by little.
The other one, rolling beneath my fingers, was the same.
"Angela. From the moment I first saw you, I thought you were so beautiful you were irresistible."
"I-Ian. This is still practice, right...?"
"Yes, practice. But what I’m saying is sincere."
Her gaze toward me wavered, confusion spilling into her eyes.
"Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten your request that I marry Selena. I’m just practicing giving genuine affection, so I’m taking it seriously."
My vague answer only made her eyes tremble more.
Still, that was fine. No, her confusion was better for me.
What I wanted was for practice and reality to blur together, until my sincerity made her heart waver.
"This may be a little embarrassing, but I’d like you to focus on the practice too, Angela. For Selena."
"That’s right.... I’m sorry."
"That kind of face is cute, too."
When I took her nipple into my mouth again, a tiny, adorable nasal sound reached my ears.
She still looked confused, but her moans were as sweet as if she were truly being loved by a lover.
As my gentle, tender caresses continued, Angela’s body gradually grew hot.
It went without saying that her nipples became hard and erect, and she even shivered lightly under my hand as I stroked her breasts and hips.
When I felt her breathing grow rough, I looked at her silently.
Through her eyes, damp and fixed on me, a rich feminine allure was seeping out.
"Ian... let me ask you one last thing. This really is practice, right?"
"Yes, Angela. We’ve been practicing affection from the start. So...."
Unlike her, I held her gaze without wavering.
"May I kiss you?"