Chapter 657: Daily Life
Chapter 657: Daily Life
And so, after returning to the mansion early in the morning, we spent the rest of the day at a leisurely pace.
Unlike last time, when we were constantly busy with one thing after another, there wasn't much we had to do.
Of course, it wasn't as if we had nothing to do at all—there were regular tasks to attend to, like satisfying Felicia's libido—but compared to before, it was practically nothing.
I enjoyed a proper rest for the first time in a while, sipping tea and chatting leisurely with my girls.
Well, except for one person, who wasn't quite able to fully enjoy this relaxing break.
No, on second thought, maybe she was the one enjoying it the most.
“…”
I looked at Silvia, who was lying face down on the bed, completely motionless.
The moment we returned to the mansion, Silvia, who had clung to me for dear life on the way here, turned to white ash and collapsed.
And she’d been in that state ever since.
…She’s really not even breathing. She didn’t die, did she?
Anxious, I slowly reached out and poked her in the side.
“Hyaah!”
Silvia’s body twitched as she reacted.
Phew. Thank goodness. It seems she’s alive.
“What in the world are you doing?”
Of course, the price for confirming this was a sigh-filled scolding from Diana.
“Oh. It’s just… uh. Sorry.”
It was too embarrassing to admit I was checking if she was dead or alive, so I just mumbled something vague.
Though it seemed I hadn't been vague at all, and she’d seen right through me.
“Really… Guwon, you shouldn’t tease Silvia so much.”
“Leia is right. If you are bored, we… I can keep you company. So thoroughly… so completely that you won’t have a moment to look elsewhere… Ahh… my dearest…”
Hey! Cardinal! Aren’t you switching into your pink mode faster and faster these days?!
And what exactly do you mean by keeping me company?! Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?! Is that what you mean?!
Isn’t the curse supposed to be lifting?! Why is your pink mode activating more easily and more often?!
“Hey. Sara. You, you gotta stop her.”
“Why are you telling me? Do it yourself.”
“Because if I try to stop her, I think she’ll start taking her clothes off.”
Of course, if something were to happen with Matilda right here and now, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.
In fact, I’d be nothing but grateful.
I was quite pent-up, since nothing of the sort had happened while we were in the dungeon.
Especially since we all slept huddled together at the inn.
The agony of having my entire body pressed against the soft skin of peerless beauties, yet being unable to do anything.
No, of course it was nice. It was nice, but I can’t say it wasn’t also torturous.
In any case, for that reason, I would be nothing but grateful if Matilda pounced on me, but the same couldn’t be said for her.
She’d be breaking a cleric’s taboo, and the self-loathing she’d feel after coming to her senses would be immense.
That’s why I was specifically asking Sara to stop her.
Right now, Sara was the only one here who could.
Silvia was out cold, and Diana and Leia were physically outmatched.
Sure, Diana could stop her with magic, but resorting to magic felt a little… off.
“You idiot. You really think the Cardinal would do that?”
“No, look closely. Look at her eyes. That’s the look of someone who’s completely…”
“Dearest? Where are you looking? Your lovely Matilda is right here.”
Hey. She’s serious! She’s really about to strip! Stop her…!
In that moment, I saw it. The corner of Sara’s mouth twitching upwards into a slight smile.
That… that girl…! She knows I can’t actually do anything with Matilda here, and she’s enjoying it!
How could she be so cruel!
Fine! If that’s how you want to play, then I have an idea of my own!
“S-Sara…! Don’t tell me…!”
“Huhu. You get it? This is punishment for all the times you teased me about the maid outfit…”
“You want to see me have sex with Matilda that badly?!”
“Wh-What…! That’s not it!”
“Right! Of course, it doesn’t have to be Matilda! As long as you get to watch me have sex with another woman, you’d be happy!”
“Wait! What! No! That’s not it! I really mean it!”
As I exposed another one of Sara’s kinks, her face turned beet red and she began to panic more than ever before.
It was a pitiful sight, watching her desperately try to explain herself to Diana and Leia.
“And we already decided we’re doing the maid play today! Getting you excited like this…!”
“That’s not it! That’s not it!”
“Sara, dear. Calm yourself. We know you would never think such a thing. If you blush so fiercely and deny it so desperately, it will only make you look more suspicious.”
It seemed Diana couldn’t imagine Sara being the kind of pervert who gets turned on watching her man with another woman, because she spoke up to soothe the flustered girl.
“And you, stop it. You’re always like this. The other day you tried to pin some strange kink on me, and now you’re doing it to Sara.”
Hey. When did I ever… wait. Are you talking about the exhibitionism thing?
That was all true! I mean, what I just said about Sara’s kink is true, too.
Look at Diana, slyly trying to cover up her own exhibitionism. Honestly, always using that sharp mind of hers for cunning little tricks.
“You’re not a child. You should fix that habit of teasing the people you like.”
I even got called out by Matilda, who had been charging right at me.
It seemed our commotion had snapped her out of her pink mode.
Hey, you were the one who started this whole thing. You.
I really need to get that curse broken, and fast.
After spending the day together in leisure and finishing dinner, the time finally came. It was night.
Yes. The night I had been so eagerly awaiting.
Smiling inwardly with satisfaction, I approached Vanessa.
Sara had gone to wash up, so I had to get things ready now.
“Vanessa. A word, if you please.”
“…What is it, sir?”
At the call of her name, Vanessa, who had been standing behind Diana throughout the meal and was just about to leave the dining hall, stopped and asked in a business-like tone.
She had shown a subtle hint of a pleased reaction when I first returned to the mansion, but other than that, she had maintained this professional attitude all day.
In fact, maybe her seeming pleased was just my own delusion.
Honestly, she’s so incredibly diligent.
Even if she was acting as my butler right now, it would have been nice if she showed a little affection as my woman.
Well, that wasn’t what was important right now.
“Could I get a bottle of wine? And a wine glass. Oh, and the wine can be cheap. No, in fact, giving me an expensive one would be a waste. It’s not for drinking. So, one cheap bottle of wine and one wine glass, please.”
“…What are you planning… No. It is nothing. Very well. If you would wait in your room, I will bring them to you personally.”
It was this time of night. The only thing left on my schedule was to go to bed with one of my girls.
Knowing this full well, Vanessa’s eyebrow twitched for a moment, as if she desperately wanted to retort, but she quickly shook her head and replied professionally.
“You can ask if you want to, you know? As my woman.”
“…I am currently on duty as a butler. Please refrain from such conduct.”
“There you go again, being all evasive. When you actually like it when I treat you this way.”
“…”
As I said this, I lightly placed a hand on her waist and pulled her toward me. Vanessa said nothing, simply staring into my eyes.
Hey. Alright. I’m sorry, so stop looking at me with such an annoyed expression.
I subtly removed my hand from her waist.
“Ahem. You don’t have to bring it to my room. I’ll go with you. Where is it?”
“In the storeroom.”
“Hm? Not the kitchen?”
“Correct. None of the wine used for your meals is cheap.”
…Ah, yes. Is that so.
Without another word, I quietly followed Vanessa to the storeroom.
“Here you are.”
“Oh, thanks.”
Even though she’d said none of the wine we drank was cheap, it seemed there was cheap wine in the storeroom after all.
Of course, I decided not to ask how much this “cheap” wine cost, as I was afraid of the answer.
“Well then, thanks for your trouble.”
“…Please wait a moment.”
Just as I took the wine glass and turned to leave, Vanessa suddenly grabbed the back of my clothes, stopping me.
“Hm? What is it?”
“…I believe it is not my place to say this, but… it seems some unpleasant rumors about you have been spreading among the adventurers lately.”
And then, in a serious tone, Vanessa gave me a piece of advice.
Somehow, she must have heard the rumors, even though she’s always cooped up in the mansion unless something comes up.
Though it seemed she hadn’t heard that the matter was resolved.
She’s the same as ever.
“Yeah. That’s been taken care of. The person spreading them probably won’t be doing it anymore.”
“…! I-Is that so? I am relieved.”
At my answer, Vanessa’s body flinched for a second before she feigned composure and nodded.
She was pretending to be calm, but somehow, I could tell.
This girl, she’s embarrassed right now.
“Were you worried?”
“…Yes. It is a natural part of my duties as a butler.”
It seemed she had no intention of denying that part, as she nodded honestly at my question.
Though adding the part about her butler duties at the end wasn’t exactly honest, was it?
“Thank you. And it wasn’t out of line. It was a natural thing for my woman to do.”
As I spoke, gently caressing her cheek, Vanessa said nothing and sharply turned her head, pulling my hand away.
Oh, what’s this? Maybe because it’s been a while, but her actions are kind of cute.
As I thought, she was just not showing it on the outside, but she was happy to see me after so long.
Especially since this was the first time we’d been apart for days since our hearts connected.
Vanessa’s cute reaction made me want to do that sort of thing with her right then and there… but unfortunately, the timing was bad.
Sara would be finishing up and returning to the room soon. I had to be back in the room before she was.
“Hey. Vanessa. Clear some time for me tomorrow afternoon.”
Instead, I decided to make plans with Vanessa in advance for tomorrow.
“Sir? Ah, are you planning to go to the castle? Understood. I will finish my duties by the afternoon and prepare the carriage…”
There’s no way I’d say something like that in this kind of atmosphere, right?
Is she pretending not to know? Or did she really not understand the true meaning of my words?
“No. Not as my butler. As my woman.”
“…Hh!”
“I promised not to bother you when you’re on duty as a butler, but if we make plans in advance like this, you can take a break from your duties during that time, right?”
“…Yes.”
At my words, Vanessa, seeing no room to escape, slowly nodded.
When I caressed her cheek again, the soft skin under my hand felt faintly warmer than before.
After finishing my preparations, I returned to my room before Sara got back.
And the moment she returned, I uttered the words I had prepared.
“Kukukuk. You’re prepared, I hope?”
As I shot Sara a wicked grin, her body, just entering the room, flinched.
“…What are you planning?”
Leaning against the door warily, Sara asked the question as if she already knew full well what I was planning.
It would be strange if she didn’t. For the past few days, I’d taken every opportunity—no, even when there wasn’t one, I’d forced a connection—to talk about it.
“Kukukuk. You ask, even though you already know.”
“Don’t start setting the mood already. I’m not doing it.”
Oh? How did she notice I was speaking in the tone of a wicked master toying with his maid?
She really is ridiculously good at reading my mind.
Well, it doesn’t matter. No, in fact, this is a good thing.
It can be scary sometimes how well she does it, but for image play like this, it actually works in my favor.
But isn’t she refusing to do the image play right now, you ask?
Hahahat. What nonsense. Even as she says that, she’s not trying to leave the room, is she?
She’s just pretending to resist because she’s too embarrassed to agree right away, even though she’s actually into it.
“Haaah… Sara.”
“What now.”
“I’m disappointed. I’m very disappointed in you.”
I temporarily set aside my wicked master act and shook my head, letting out a deep sigh.
“I’m the one who should be saying that. Honestly, the things you do just to make me do perverted stuff.”
Sara was completely unfazed by my disappointed tone, but I ignored her and continued with what I had to say.
“You can’t even keep your own word?”
“What did I say that…”
“There’s no way you’ve forgotten, right? What you said. Is there?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“Repeat it for me, exactly as you remember.”
“That’s…”
“I told you to say it.”
“…”
When I switched back to my master tone and spoke forcefully, Sara glared at me with intensity instead of talking back.
Hey. I’m telling you, stop with that expression.
Of course, I’m used to it by now, so it’s fine. But do you not know what you look like?
When you glare like that with your cool face, you could make a weak-willed person collapse. The Hero job naturally makes you exude an intimidating aura, which makes it even worse.
Of course, there might be perverts who would like that and ask for more scorn… but anyway! That’s not what’s important right now.
“…”
I didn’t look away from Sara’s glare. Instead, I widened my own eyes and stared right back into hers.
Don’t underestimate my mental fortitude, which has endured that cold gaze of yours since the day we first met.
Compared to back then, your gaze now is actually quite gentle.
I can even feel the love in it.
No, that doesn’t mean I’ve awakened to that kind of hobby.
“…Kuh. …Master. S-Sara’s… Sara’s…”
Perhaps not expecting me to be so stubborn, Sara finally let out a low, frustrated groan and opened her mouth.
When all was said and done, when it was just the two of us like this, Sara would always end up giving in to me.
“Continue.”
“…My fingers hurt because they’re so tight. Master, you are the core of our party and could of course go on, but for Sara's sake, please rest just a little. I'm sorry for holding you back. If you wish, I'll wear a maid outfit later and even lick your feet. So please, I'm begging you. Master Oppa. My incredibly cool, magnificent, virtuous, and as a bonus, large, beautiful, and virile Master Oppa.”
…Wow. She really remembered all of that.
Diana is the brains of our party so it doesn’t always show, but this girl is surprisingly smart, too.
Come to think of it, she’s always been an incredibly fast learner.
In any case, now that Sara had uttered those words again herself, it was over.
Convinced of my victory, I smiled wickedly.
Seeing my expression, Sara bit her lower lip, her face a mask of frustration.