Pretty Really Is Best
Pretty really is best.
We were still lying face-to-face on the bed, side by side, and the air above the sheets had thickened into something almost suffocating in its awkwardness.
Ever since I had told her she could touch my backside, Viviana had simply stared at me in silence for a long while. The deeper that quiet grew, the heavier the space between us seemed to settle.
In the end, it was Viviana who broke the silence first.
"…So I really am allowed to touch?"
"W-well, of course, if Lady Viviana doesn't want to…"
"No. I'm going to touch."
The answer came back without a single hesitation.
The sudden rush of embarrassment left me flustered; I turned away and stared out the window instead. I could feel Viviana's sharp gaze on my back, as if it might pierce straight through me.
While that awkward, uncomfortable current still hung between us, a cold hand settled on my shoulder.
"Ah…"
The touch was colder than I expected, and my body flinched on reflex. Starting from my shoulder, Viviana showed no hesitation in putting her hands on me.
Slowly, and gently. Her fingers moved across my shoulder and slid down along my skin.
It felt almost like a massage. The unexpectedly pleasant sensation made the tension in my body ease, little by little.
But the pleasant massage lasted only a moment. Her hand swept past my shoulder, down my back, then rode the curve of my waist and closed firmly around my backside.
"Nnh…!"
An unintended sound burst out of me. Even through the thin fabric of my nightclothes, the feel of her hand came through with startling clarity.
"Tina."
Viviana called my name softly as her hand kept moving.
And the way she moved it… was lewd.
She would stroke lightly, then suddenly grip hard, squeezing the flesh as if wringing it—like a child overflowing with curiosity, exploring a brand-new toy.
"Ahn…"
My body jerked again under Viviana's touch.
To be honest, claiming I didn't find the situation unpleasant would have been a lie. Still, being touched by Viviana was far more comfortable than being handled by someone like Mardian, that perverted lesbian.
And if a sacrifice this small was enough to capture Viviana's heart, it was more than worth it.
I pictured a future in which Viviana was completely hooked on me—so dependent she couldn't live without me. If that day ever came, wouldn't the glittering jewels, the lavish dresses, and every treasure of the Ducal House stand a chance of becoming mine?
Just imagining it made me drool.
So this much was nothing at all.
I closed my eyes and endured for a long while. But her hands, which I had expected to stop after two or three touches, showed no sign of quitting.
As Viviana's touch explored my skin more deeply and more slowly, tension surged up in me unbidden.
A flinch—
Simply caressing lightly was no longer enough for her. Without restraint she would grip my backside hard, then gently release it, over and over.
The bolder her hands grew, the more I couldn't help curling in on myself and reacting.
"Hnn…"
Every time her hand indulged in me, a small sound slipped free before I could stop it. As if savoring those reactions, Viviana brought her lips close to my ear, her eyes full of pleasure.
"Tina, this feels so good. You should try touching it yourself sometime."
"Th-tha—nnh—th-thank you…?"
I wasn't sure this was something one ought to thank someone for, but I decided for now to match Viviana's mood.
And yet…
Hmm…
When is this going to end…?
Viviana, thoroughly intoxicated, showed no intention of stopping anytime soon. Just as the slowly repeating situation was starting to wear me out, she suddenly lifted the hem of my nightclothes a little.
"Nnh?!"
In an instant her hand came to rest over my undergarments. The cold of her palm felt even sharper now, and my whole body gave a hard jolt.
But Viviana didn't stop at the fabric. One finger traced up along the edge of my undergarments, then slipped inside.
"Hik?!"
The sensation of bare skin against bare skin sent a shiver racing through my entire body.
The revulsion that had climbed all the way to the top of my head finally won out, and I shoved Viviana away on pure instinct.
Her violet eyes went wide with shock at my sudden movement. Afraid I might have hurt her, I quickly caught hold of her hand again.
After all the effort I had poured into winning Viviana's heart, I could not let the affection I had so carefully built collapse like this.
Steadying my racing chest, I carefully spoke to Viviana, who was watching me in quiet stillness.
"Th-the bare skin is a little…"
"…"
Viviana looked at me without a word, and once more an uncomfortable silence flowed between us. I worried her feelings might have been wounded, but fortunately the affection in her eyes still seemed intact.
"I'm sorry, Tina. The feel of it was so addictive I got carried away."
Viviana let out a short breath and brushed her hair back. For a moment I stared blankly at her face with her forehead fully revealed.
No wonder she was the protagonist. That face did not belong to this world.
How could a single face be beautiful and handsome at the same time?
I was pretty too, of course… but Viviana had that look that made you think, yes, she really is the main character.
Perhaps because I had been staring too openly, Viviana gave a faint smile and stroked my hair.
"Thanks to you, this week's stress is completely gone. Is there anything you want?"
Her soft voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Something I want?"
"Mm. I said I'd give you a reward if I was satisfied."
A clause from the contract—that she would reward me if I satisfied her—surfaced in my mind. The opportunity had come suddenly, but there was no reason to refuse it, so I propped my chin in my hand and considered for a moment.
Hmm. Something I want…
A brilliantly glittering jewel would be nice, or cash would work just as well… or even one of the artworks hanging in the corridor wouldn't be bad.
But I couldn't say any of that outright. Looking too mercenary might ruin the favor I had worked so hard to build.
Viviana and I were still only getting to know each other. It was too early to start wringing material things out of her the way I did with the other young ladies. Better to use this chance to deepen our relationship instead.
I let the corners of my eyes droop into a faintly dejected expression. Parting my lips as if shy, I looked up at Viviana with bright, sparkling eyes.
"Then… could you come see me more often?"
"…What?"
"Not just after dinner… I want to see Lady Viviana more…"
"…"
Viviana's violet eyes began to waver without any clear reason. I struggled to hide the laugh rising inside me at her obvious reaction.
Well, Viviana?
Can you stay composed even looking at a face like this?
I had reeled in more than a few young ladies with this expression—it was bound to work on her too. There was no way her affection wouldn't climb another level—
Thwack—!
"Hiyah?!"
A sudden sharp sting on my forehead brought tears to the corners of my eyes.
A high voice burst out of me before I could stop it. Still dazed, I clutched my forehead and lifted my head—only to meet Viviana's calm, settled gaze.
"Drop the act and tell me what you actually want."
"Ugh…"
…How did she see through it so easily?
I had mixed in a touch of the timid look I thought she would like, but Viviana had seen straight through my pretense in an instant. Any other young lady would already have been melting as she looked at me—yet with Viviana alone, it never worked.
Did she have some standard that let her see even through my acting?
"Come to think of it, you've been eyeing the paintings in the mansion with quite a bit of interest. Want me to take one down and give it to you?"
"Pardon?"
I blinked blankly at the unexpected offer, then snapped fully alert.
This was an opportunity I absolutely could not afford to miss.
If I asked for valuables first, I would look greedy—but if Viviana was the one making the offer, that was a different story. I was not about to let this golden chance slip away like a fool.
"I-if Lady Viviana finds that more convenient… th-then I'm fine with it…!"
I arranged my face into something carefully ambiguous—neither too happy nor too sad, as if accepting only reluctantly—and answered with care.
"All right. I'll have it sent to your mansion."
My heart pounded at the unexpected windfall. I had thought someday I might like to take one, but I never expected to get it this easily.
And every painting I had seen had been anything but ordinary. They were the kind of artworks that traded well, too—sell them off and I would pocket a rather tidy sum.
Yes. Just as I thought.
Viviana was a soft touch.
"In exchange, Tina—may I keep touching your backside from now on?"
"O-of course!"
The bright voice that slipped out before I could think made me instantly regret how careless I had been. Excited at the thought of receiving an expensive artwork, I had given permission on the spot.
I worried I might look cheap, but fortunately Viviana didn't seem to think much of it.
It did feel a little like selling my body for money… but so what? I had gained expensive treasures and raised Viviana's affection at the same time—two birds with one stone.
Pretty really is best.
Heh.