A week later, we returned to Eristirol Castle once again.
After Catherine’s invitation, we enjoyed touring Borusia for a few days, and since there wasn’t much left to explore, and Kyle needed to head back, it was time to return.
This time we came back a bit slower than before, but the carriage was still as uncomfortable as ever.
Anyway, after a few weeks, we were back in Eristirol.
Having lived there for years, it felt like home.
“Ahh……”
Kyle was being especially lazy today. Luckily, he didn’t make me work on the day we returned.
Since we were in the castle now, I wouldn’t have to deal with bath duties or mundane chores at all.
After a few weeks of taking care of Kyle’s baths, I had gotten used to it.
“Um….”
Should I just do it?
It wasn’t that hard, and it wouldn’t be a problem for me to help him instead of increasing the workload for other maids.
Well, it was clear that Kyle would complain if I brought it up.
He hated it every time I tried to help him, and now that we were back, he would probably hate it even more.
It’s a little hurtful, but there’s nothing I can do. Adolescents are really firm about such things.
“Hmm….”
Anyway, the Eristirol Castle looked pretty much the same after a few weeks.
Although it was spring, to me, it was still a cold place, and the castle itself hadn’t changed much.
“Ughhhh…!!”
I stretched vigorously while lying on the bed.
Normally, I’d be in formal attire, so doing this would usually mess up my clothes, but thankfully, I was wearing comfortable clothes meant for relaxation now.
The fabric was quite revealing, showing off my armpits, cleavage, and stomach.
“Ughhhh….”
It felt amazing.
Was this how Kyle felt when he got massages?
Of course, the pressure of my massages had weakened, so he probably felt nothing now….
But still, he never complained about them, so I guess that’s a good sign, right?
Maybe?
“Sophia~ I’m coming in~?”
“Okay.”
Eristirol’s Exclusive Magic Slave suddenly entered my room.
She was always nonchalant about coming into my room, so I didn’t think much of it. It’s not like Louise was new to this behavior anyway.
“Gift!”
“?”
“Sophia, you didn’t buy anything while you were at the capital?!”
“Yep.”
What was there to buy? There was no need to get anything for her.
“Ahh! How could you do this?! You know I can’t get out of Eristirol right now!”
Of course I knew that well.
I made you that way for a reason.
“I’ll buy you something next time I go.”
With that, Louise’s anger seemed to soften. She wasn’t really the type to hold grudges.
If only we could somehow help her with her gambling addiction….
But that’s tough.
For now, I was just relieved that I had managed to prevent her from gambling, but you never know when it might come back.
“By the way, how did the debutante ball go?”
“Of course it went well.”
Who else could have taught Kyle all this?
It was bound to go well.
“During this event, the young master spoke with a girl, and he even conversed with other nobles, so it went well.”
“I’m relieved to hear that.”
Seriously, I was so worried right before the debutante ball, but it turned out so well that it almost seemed silly that I worried.
I was worried he might get tempted by some girls, but not only did he not get tempted, he ended up having dinner with three girls….
Shouldn’t we be focusing on educating those girls instead?
No matter how handsome he is, jumping into a harem dinner right after their first meeting felt a little…
“Right! I need to start teaching Adela too.”
“You mean Miss Adela?”
“Yeah….”
Adela suddenly decides to start taking magic lessons?
I have no idea what happened in those three weeks, but it seems she is finally about to fulfill her role as Eristirol’s Exclusive Magic Slave.
“Well, there’s nothing else to do, so it’s fine, right? We have to do it because of the contract anyway.”
“That’s true…. But I wanna have fun!!”
“Ugh….”
It had been a while since I saw Louise, but of course, she was still the same.
“Um…. Just to check, you didn’t do anything weird on the way to the capital, right?”
“Weird stuff?”
“Yeah, like flirting with Kyle or saying strange things to him?”
“Me?”
As if I could do that.
There was no reason for me to act like that in the first place!
I didn’t understand why she was asking me this.
Could it be that Louise had feelings for Kyle?
Well, I mean, he is good-looking, tall, and a well-behaved student, so I can see why.
But… isn’t it a little odd to date someone who’s five years younger?
“You’re thinking something weird right now.”
“Ah.”
Louise sometimes had a good intuition.
Most of the time she was oblivious, drowning in gambling, but occasionally, she picked up on things like this.
If only some of that intuition could be used for gambling!
“Hey, Elin, aren’t you getting a boyfriend?”
“Me?”
“Yep!”
“Um… I probably should make one eventually…?”
“Exactly! If you don’t hurry, you’ll end up like us!”
“End up like you? What does that even mean, Louise?”
Unintentionally, we found ourselves having dinner together—Louise, Elin, and me.
Since Kyle and Adela decided to eat separately, it ended up making room for us.
“Sophia, you’re a single pringle, and so am I.”
“That’s true.”
No lies detected there.
Neither of us had even a crush, let alone a relationship.
Well, Louise might have had some, but she probably just didn’t notice with her free spirit.
“Elin, since you’re still two years younger than us, it’s not too late. You should snag yourself a young and capable man….”
-Thud!
“Ugh….”
“Don’t say weird things.”
Seriously, what’s with the obsession with age? We’re barely at an age where we can even worry about stuff like that.
And telling her to snag a young capable man, that’s just unrealistic. Romance should be like the beautiful love stories in novels!
What she’s saying just sounds like a recipe for getting caught in some rom-com frenzy.
“Elin, don’t listen to her. Just live your life normally. You’re still young; there’s no need to rush.”
We’re not nobles or anything, so there’s no need to stress about that yet.
Everyone here has decent jobs, and while one is technically a slave, it’s all good.
With decent jobs and looks, why worry about marriage or dating?
As for me… well, that’s a different story.
There’s really no need for that.
Especially for Elin, who is the vice captain of the knight’s order in Eristirol, she definitely doesn’t need to rush.
Just earn money and find a good relationship in her late twenties.
As for Louise… she’s fine in the looks department, so she’ll manage.
She just needs to get a handle on her gambling problem.
“Um… So, Sophia, have you never had any romantic experiences?”
“Me? Of course not.”
How would I even approach a guy?
Honestly, I was too afraid to even try. Until I turned 23, I’ve never even thought about it.
Once, I kind of tried it out and was so scared that I never did again. I had zero interest in that stuff.
The feeling I had back then was just too overwhelming.
Normally, they say once a girl experiences it, they love it, but…
It was so different for me that I was terrified.
A thrill different from being a guy… what was that like…?
The shock?
Yeah, it felt like lightning struck my brain, and it was so intense I never wanted to do it again.
“I’ll absolutely never date a guy.”
“Pfft….”
“Why are you laughing, Louise?”
“Hehe… I just had a funny thought pop into my head!”
“…?”
She must be crazy for real.
Suddenly talking like that and laughing… it really made her seem insane.
No matter how much I try to speak kindly about Louise, when she laughs in the middle of an ordinary conversation like that, most people would assume she’s lost it.
Thanks to her, the normal mage introduced me became the crazy one.
“Ugh… So, Sophia, do you have a crush on the Young Master or anything?”
“The Young Master? Why are you asking about Kyle?”
What about Kyle? I don’t really think of him much beyond a little brother, honestly.
“He’s my little brother, right?”
There’s truly nothing but sibling thoughts in my head.
“I’ve known him since he was 12, so it’s just brotherly thoughts that come to mind.”
“Hah… Hah… Hah…”
Ignoring the laughing Louise, I continued talking with Elin.
Elin didn’t pay much attention to the quirky Louise either.
“Oh, do you have any interest in the Young Master, Elin?”
“No! Not at all…! I swear, I’m not…! Uh… there’s no need for you to worry…!”
“…?”
Why would I need to calm down?
I should be finding someone for Kyle to marry, not worrying!
Well, given how Kyle’s been dining with girls left and right lately, I wasn’t too worried.
“Y-Yeah…”
Elin looked a bit strange, so I just replied with an “okay.”
Both Elin and Louise were looking at me with what seemed like strange eyes.
As if they were staring at a madwoman.
What have I done…?
I felt unjustly accused.
I’ve never done anything strange!
No one matches my level of normalcy in life!
“Elin, let’s talk privately for a bit. It’s a fun conversation, so don’t be scared.”
“Okay.”
Louise suddenly proposed a plan with Elin.
I tried to join them but was told it was too dangerous for me to be present.
So after finishing our meal, I ultimately had to return to my room to rest.
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