99 Another Story: Troubled Vampire Girl 02 (2/2)
”Dear Ilia! Good job. Um, thank you so much for taking turns today...”
”No, I don't mind”
Master Ilia keeps her baggage on the shelf and begins to take off her clothes. It's not the first time I've seen Ilia's body because we sometimes go into the bathroom together, but I fall in love with it more than once.
You noticed my gaze, and Ilaria turned her gaze, so I hurriedly took off my clothes, which I was about to take off, and headed ahead to the bathroom to delude myself.
Clean your body first. The precautions for taking a bath are taught by Anis, who seems to have various restraints. I don't think Anise is very interested in fashion or anything, but she is keen on washing her hair and skin. Is that all you like to bathe in?
”Phew...”
Why, when I go into hot water, I exhale naturally.
Soaking it up to your shoulders in hot water that warms you up pompously feels like fatigue falling out of your core.
I think it's a really great invention to be soaked in relaxing water because using magic props keeps the temperature constant.
”Neighbor, excuse me”
”Ah, go ahead.”
A little later than me, Ilaria can dip her body in the water. It won't take long because I haven't stretched my hair that far, but Master Ilia is quite long when she unties the hair she's knitting. So washing my hair seems to take a while.
Although the longest out-of-house is Master Uphilia. The Uphilia does not seem to like long baths, but rather has cleansed her hair and body for a long time. He's restless to keep soaking it in hot water, and when it's the temperature that Anis prefers, he puts it right up.
Master Anis seems to like being a little soaked in hot water. As much as I'm going to put it up when I'm dating you, I often take the most baths if you care about it.
I think it's a little funny that there are fine preference differences in the same bath. By the way, I like to be soaked in a little lukewarm water.
Speaking of which, you don't talk like that with Master Ilia. When I looked at Ilia sitting next to me, not knowing it, I closed my eyes and saw Ilia pulling out her shoulder strength.
…… Something? ”
”Oh, no. This is how I use the bath, but I thought each one had a fine preference.”
”Ah... Master Anisphere prefers a long bath with hot water, but Master Uphilia is easy to put up.”
”Yes. I like to relax in warm water. You never talked to Ilaria like that...”
”Is that me?... If you insist, you could heat it up a little bit. I think you prefer long baths.”
”Haha, looks like it's just Master Uphilia that doesn't take long baths”
”If we talk like that, Master Uphilia will be stubborn.”
That's what Ilia squeals as she lifts her mouth just a little and smiles. I nod to agree, too.
”Master Uphilia, if you're out of the palace, you'll see it all the time, but I'm only going to do that here.”
”Yep. It's good to have a place where you can breathe.”
”I really do. Master Uphilia will have a real hard time...”
”... what about you? Raini.”
”Huh?”
Not anticipating Ilia's inquiry, I turn my gaze to Ilia.
As usual, the faceless Ilia noticed her gaze on me as if she was complaining that she was worried only by her gaze.
”Don't you think it's a burden, too? To the obstinate invitation of His Highness.”
”... it is, though. But that's all I am.”
”You may not think so, but we believe that the wounds you receive are not inferior to those received by Master Uphilia. It's just a difference in standing position. The scratches and burdens you suffered in that engagement break-up riot must be very heavy, right?
Unexpectedly I pulled my lips hard and tied them. Bring your knees in by bending your back so that you sink straight into the water to your neck.
”So much so that Master Uphilia suffers from male phobia.”
”... after all, is that so”
”It seems to have calmed down recently, but it must have been Lady Anis. It seems easier to have distrust as soon as you get romantic feelings from a man. Even that Uphilia.”
”... I don't think so, do I?
Dark as it sounds to me, I answer vaguely. Maybe if they say yes, maybe they do, or if they say they think too much. I'm not sure it's me there.
Because I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to touch on stories involving romantic matters in the first place. Because I have long been swayed by problems involving the opposite sex. Maybe that's why I'm rejecting you more about romance than about men.
”I can't firmly say no. It's my fault. I'm giving Anise and the others a lot of trouble...”
”Even if you say no clearly, depending on the person's response, it doesn't make it right either.”
”So what do I do...”
I get my lips pointed like I'm obstinate. If that were the case, nothing would remain to be solved forever.
Even I know. He said if you can really get engaged, it's easy to make someone. I also have the trust that if I talk to the Anis, they will look for the right person with me.
But I don't feel like I can be happy when I'm engaged or married. If I were to be happy, I would serve Anis and Uphilia as a samurai.
”... it's not like I don't have a hand.”
”Huh?”
”I will take the same approach as Master Ennis.”
”With Master Anis...?
”I'm going to go around publicly saying that my paedophile is a woman.
Oh, and I accidentally leaked my voice. Speaking of which, Master Anis escaped the engagement story by saying that women were better off originally.
”Then there will be fewer men to speak to.”
”... that may be so”
”Don't you like that, too?
”... I, I can't be in love in the first place. I'm scared to fall in love with people or like them...”
Losing my mother, being put in an orphanage and then being mean to boys, obsessed, they all went crazy.
It was then that I began to live to lurk my breath so that no one would notice me. That hasn't changed since your father picked you up and made you a courtier.
”I'm scared. The fact that I like me makes me crazy. I just like it, or friendship is fine. But love is scary. I can't stand people going crazy. No matter how much vampire power you can contain, that's what I'm afraid of...”
Maybe I was desperate to gain control of my power in the end to escape that fear. I'm not lying about my desire to repay you because that came true.
But I want to turn away. From love itself, because people like it. Because I don't want to drive anyone's life crazy anymore.
”... Raini. One day, I told you. Do you remember telling a similar story then?
”Huh?”
”You decided to go home, back then.”
”... Oh, yes. You inspired Ilya back then.”
I remember. Even then, I did become mentally anxious and show my weakness to Master Ilia.
I was worried if I could stay here, and I was afraid that the happiness of being able to stay in this warm place would be lost. Master Ilia encouraged me to do that. I can remember that day right away.
”I think you've grown very much compared to those days. You've been so enthusiastic about your job that you think you can leave it to me. I'm glad you're here.”
”Uh. Oh, thank you......”
”If I could serve Anisphere and Uphilia with you like this, it would make me happy.”
”... I'm so glad you said that”
That's why I can't stand situations where you can't work well.
My heart is distracted by the words of Iliah, which are more feverish than usual. It is very unsettling to have such delightful, dreadful emotions on your mind.
Master Ilia is to me a work boss, a senior, a man of respect and goal. I'm really glad you said that from such an Illia...
”- So why don't you do it to me?
So I didn't anticipate any of those next words.
Uh. There are zero meaningless words out of my mouth. Although Ilaria is faceless, it is not natural as usual, but looks like a look she made somewhere.
”Dear Ilia...? What is that...?
”I am loving you. As a junior, as a colleague, as a person. You talked about it one day. I'm a lot of missing people. He was a man who knew only as much as he loved.”
Master Ilia's hand reaches out to my cheek. I can't move with my back, and I just accept that Ilaria's hand touches my cheek.
”It would hurt you to say something like this, knowing that you were once fascinated. Even so, I don't think I can do anything for you just by looking at it anymore. That doesn't seem to hold up to me anymore.”
Is it because my body was warmed by soaking in water? As I dyed my cheeks pearly, Master Ilia told me slowly, staring straight at me with a serious look.
”Can't I be the other guy? Raini.”