Chapter 514: The Aftermath
Chapter 514: The Aftermath
By the time we finally returned to the mansion, it was nearly evening.
Normally, it wouldn't have taken this long.
But a series of unexpected events had popped up one after another, delaying us more than I’d anticipated.
“…Well then, I must prepare for dinner, so if you’ll excuse me.”
After pulling the carriage into the mansion, Vanessa immediately said as much and tried to take her leave.
“Huh? Wait! Hey, you’re going to start preparing dinner now?”
I had felt bad for her the entire ride back, so I’d made sure not to disturb her and helped us return as quickly as possible. Her statement was so surprising that I couldn’t help but stop her.
Even Silvia had been desperately holding back the sounds trying to escape her lips, worried she might distract Vanessa’s driving—and that was despite being right next to me inside the carriage.
For the record, the sight of Silvia trembling, her hand clamped over her mouth to forcibly stifle her moans, was so alluring that it was a great feast for the eyes the whole way back.
The flush on her face made it absolutely perfect.
“That is correct. Is there a problem?”
“No. It’s just… are you okay?”
“…What do you mean, sir?”
Even as she said that, Vanessa shot me a glare that was a little more intense than usual.
Come on. You know exactly what I’m talking about.
You had to stop midway, so isn’t it harder for you now? Are you really going to be okay?
“Ah, no. It’s nothing.”
But I couldn’t just ask her outright if she’d be okay without masturbating, so I had no choice but to trail off.
“Is that so. Then if you’ll excuse me.”
Vanessa gave us a quick bow and then strode away with wider, faster steps than usual.
She was pretending to be fine on the outside, but it seemed she was in quite a hurry.
If she’s in that much of a state, it seems like it’d be better to put out the urgent fire first before preparing dinner.
“Silvia. Let’s go.”
In any case, there was nothing more I could do by worrying about it.
Our super butler would find a way to handle it herself.
I gave up on thinking about Vanessa and called out to Silvia, who was still slumped limply inside the carriage.
“I… I’m done for…. D-don’t worry about me… You go on ahead, Guwon….”
Hey, now. Don’t say it with such tragic finality.
Just hearing those lines, it’d be easy to get the wrong idea.
“…I’ll watch over Silvia here and move her when she’s feeling a bit better. You go on ahead, Guwon.”
Sara, who must have decided she couldn’t watch this any longer, let out a deep sigh and said as much.
“Huh? But…”
“You’ll just be in the way here, so go.”
“Okay.”
In the end, I had no choice but to leave Silvia as she was and enter the mansion alone.
“Welcome back.”
When I opened the door and stepped inside, Diana greeted me in the lobby with a slightly sullen look on her face.
“Yeah. I’m back. What’s with the face?”
I said, poking her slightly puffed-out cheeks. As if not to be outdone, she puffed them out even more.
Hey. All that does is make poking them more fun, you know.
“You’re quite late, are you not?”
Ah, I see. So that’s why she was displeased.
Diana had sent me off cheerfully in the morning, but it seemed even she hadn’t expected me to take this long.
Besides, given the reason I went to the palace, was she thinking I was late because I’d gotten lost in my activities with Felicia?
There’s no way I’d be late for that reason. I went with Sara, remember?
“Sorry, sorry. While I was out, I stopped by the Guild and the temple to give them my thanks.”
“O-oh. Is that so? Well done.”
When I told her with a faint smile, Diana’s expression finally softened, and she stood on her tiptoes to pat my head as if to praise me.
Seeing her so desperately patting my head, she must have felt sorry for misunderstanding, even for a moment.
Then again, she might just enjoy patting my head.
“So, where are Matilda… and Leia?”
Looking at Diana, I first asked about Matilda’s whereabouts.
During the carriage ride back, everyone had stayed quiet so as not to disturb Vanessa, which gave me some time to think things over more calmly by myself.
But no matter how much I thought about it, I could only conclude that this wasn't an issue I could resolve on my own without speaking to Matilda directly.
That’s why I’d asked where she was, but…
“Hmm? I believe they are still practicing their swimming.”
It seemed Matilda was still engrossed in her swimming practice.
“……”
“Wh-what is it?”
So you’re out here while those two are swimming? You must have followed me yesterday because you were lonely being by yourself.
Not that it matters, of course.
“No, it’s nothing. Well then, I’m going to the bathroom to see if those two are practicing hard.”
“You may not!”
Honestly, even if I met Matilda in the bathroom right now, we wouldn’t be able to have a serious conversation.
It didn’t seem like a topic to discuss in front of others, and more importantly, with dinner approaching, there wouldn’t be enough time for a serious exchange of opinions.
But just standing around felt frustrating, so I decided to follow my heart and head for the bathroom.
However, Diana blocked my path, spreading her arms wide.
“What’s wrong? It’s fine. I know their breasts rank first and second among you all, but I’m not exactly going to spectate right now.”
“That is not why I am stopping you! And what do you mean, first and second?! What do you mean, spectate?! Is that what you were thinking?!”
Oops! My true feelings slipped out…!
“No, sorry. Diana’s unwaveringly comfortable chest is also quite cute…”
“M-my body shakes too!”
Diana exclaimed, hopping up and down.
Hey, now. Isn’t that a bit of a stretch?
Sure, they’ll shake a lot when you grow up, and they might jiggle a little if you weren’t wearing anything, but right now, there’s not even a slight tremor.
“R-right. Cute. Very cute.”
“Don’t pity me!”
But I couldn’t say that out loud, so I just complimented her. Diana’s face fell into a pout as she covered her chest with her hands.
Seriously, what am I supposed to do?
“Anyway, I’m going.”
“And I told you that you may not!”
It seemed like trying to console her would only do more damage, so I had no choice but to leave Diana be and head for the bathroom.
But once again, she blocked my path with her arms spread wide.
Is it possible she just wants to play with me?
I reached out and swept Diana, her arms still wide open, into a tight hug, lifting her off the ground.
“Hya! W-what are you doing?!”
“If you’re going to be like that, let’s just go together. I wanted to see my dear Diana in her cute swimsuit, too.”
“I told you, that’s not it! Will you stop!”
I said it with a smile, partly as an apology for my earlier comment, but Diana just patted my chest, trying desperately to make me stop.
Why is she so against this? Is something going on?
“What’s the big deal?”
“Do you have any idea who might be in the bathroom that you’re trying to barge in so carelessly?!”
“Huh? What are you talking about? You just told me yourself. It’s Leia and Matilda…”
“Besides those two!”
“…Huh?”
“Don’t tell me you truly don’t know? What exactly do you think the bathroom is for?”
As I tilted my head in confusion, Diana calmed down slightly and posed the question.
“For washing your body… don’t tell me.”
Come to think of it, I’d heard something like that before.
The reason this mansion had such a large bathroom in the first place was so that all the maids could wash up at the same time without any issues.
For that reason, the bathroom was always open to the maids.
“That’s right. Someone might be washing up.”
“But they’re practicing swimming, aren’t they?”
“They just can’t use the large bath, that’s all.”
“But yesterday, the whole day…”
“You were there, were you not? You should be aware that, aside from you, this mansion is occupied only by women.”
“…Don’t tell me… yesterday, was I… no, was I a huge inconvenience?”
When I finally realized how many people I had inconvenienced yesterday just to satisfy my own desires and showed a repentant attitude, Diana gently patted my head and soothed me.
But the way she said it meant I really had been in the way, hadn’t it?
To all the maids of the mansion who work hard all day and unwind in that bathroom, I am truly sorry.
“Well, now that you understand, give up on going to the bathroom. Or did you have something to say to Miss Leia or Miss Matilda? If so, I can go in and call them for you.”
“No, it’s not really that…”
Well, I did have something to say to Matilda, but telling Diana about it felt a little awkward.
“Is that so? You had nothing to say. In that case, you really were just after the breasts…!”
Hey. Don’t get mad all of a sudden when you were just being gentle.
She was getting angrier the more she talked.
Honestly, she hates breasts even though hers will get bigger later.
“Right. Diana’s chest is the best.”
“Hyaat! W-what do you think you’re doing, touching me here!”
I said, lightly stroking her chest over her clothes. Diana hastily glanced left and right before crying out in a hushed voice.
Her voice was trembling slightly, however, letting me know that she was feeling a faint bit of excitement.
Honestly, this little pervert.
“Does that mean it’s okay elsewhere?”
“J-just wait a little longer. It’s soon, is it not?”
I whispered quietly into her ear with a playful smile. Diana shrank her neck as if tickled and answered in a barely audible voice.
Well, it’s true that I only have to wait a little longer.
In the end, I decided not to go see Leia and Matilda, and instead spent the time messing around with Diana until Vanessa came to call us.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure if Vanessa would come get us for dinner today, but our super butler came to call us, right on cue.
Moreover, seeing her slightly flushed face, it seemed she had thrown herself into her work without dealing with Felicia’s aura.
At this point, isn’t she basically a workaholic?
You’re making me anxious just looking at you. Just go and masturbate already.
“Vanessa. Are you alright?”
See? Even Diana, who doesn’t know anything, noticed.
“Ma’am? What do you mean?”
Vanessa deflected, shooting me a glare.
Did she think I’d told Diana what happened earlier today?
When I frantically shook my head, Vanessa’s gaze softened as she turned back to Diana.
“Your face is red.”
“I believe it is because I was just cooking over the fire until a moment ago.”
“Hmm. I see. You’ve worked hard.”
“Not at all. Now, I will escort you.”
With that, Vanessa started walking toward the dining room.
Her legs were trembling so subtly that you wouldn’t notice unless you were looking closely, a testament to just how much she was enduring.
She even guided us to the dining room and then stood silently behind Diana’s chair, waiting until the meal was over. It was what you could only call a will of iron.
I admit it. You’re the very model of a butler.
She’d be perfect if it weren’t for her slightly poor attitude toward me.
Anyway, it was in the dining room that I finally saw Matilda, but as expected, I couldn’t bring up what I’d heard from the Pope.
I figured it was a conversation to be had when we were alone, like when I was working on dispelling her curse.
“…Why have you been staring at me so intently? Is there something on my face?”
“No. It’s just because you’re beautiful.”
“Th-…! Y-you’re very handsome too….”
So when Matilda noticed my gaze, I had no choice but to deflect like that.
“What do you think you’re doing during a meal?!”
“Do you want to bother Miss Matilda while she’s trying to eat?!”
Well, I did get scolded for it.
Bother her? I mean, I guess I might have disturbed her meal, but calling it bothering her…
I was just giving her a compliment.
Just be honest and say you’re jealous….
“You…”
Ah, right. Sorry. Now she’s not even eating, just staring at me. Yep. My bad.