Chapter 379

Wanting to help ease Ethan’s gloomy mood, I made a suggestion for some physical contact, hoping it might cheer him up a little.

Considering how many times he’d touched my chest before, I didn’t think this would be such a big deal. But apparently, Ethan had a different perspective.

“L-Lilith, don’t tease me...”

“I wasn’t teasing, Lord Ethan. I was being sincere. Don’t men usually feel better when they touch a woman’s chest when they’re down?”

“W-What kind of idea is that...?”

“Isn’t it true?”

“Well... if you put it that way, it’s not exactly wrong...”

Ethan cautiously acknowledged it, as if remembering the past times he’d touched my chest.

“I only suggested it because you seemed down, Lord Ethan. As your personal maid, it’s my duty to help you feel better. I assure you, there’s no ulterior motive.”

“I appreciate the thought, but it’s okay. We agreed that such things were only for when I earned points against my father.”

“Given everything we’ve done up to now, I don’t think something like touching my chest really counts as anything indecent anymore.”

“...No, touching your chest is definitely indecent. What are you talking about, Lilith?”

“Really?”

“Well, yeah?”

...Was it?

I mean, objectively speaking, touching someone’s chest is generally considered indecent. Even by my standards as a unicorn, letting a man who isn’t my romantic partner touch my chest would normally be unacceptable. But after all the intimate contact Ethan and I had shared, it didn’t seem like such a big deal anymore. It’s not like I was offering to let him touch anywhere lower, or do anything beyond that—it was just my chest.

Maybe it was Ethan who was being a bit overly sensitive about this, not me.

“So, Lord Ethan, are you saying you don’t want to touch my chest?”

“Well... If you put it like that, of course I want to. But I’m just saying you don’t need to go out of your way to cheer me up like this.”

“......”

“And besides, technically, we’re still in the middle of the necromancy class. Even though the villa’s manager said she wouldn’t interfere, we still shouldn’t break the rules about improper relationships during class hours.”

...Using the class as an excuse, huh?

Ethan made such a valid point that I had no way to argue against it. No matter how much I didn’t think it was indecent, if the professor deemed it improper, it would still count as breaking the rules.

If I wanted to get Ethan to go along with this, I needed a different approach. It wasn’t about me wanting to be touched; I really just wanted to help him feel better. After all, touching my chest at this point didn’t do that much for me anymore.

“...It’s therapy.”

“Huh?”

“It’s not improper physical contact. It’s therapy.”

“...Lilith?”

“Physical injuries aren’t the only kind of wounds, Lord Ethan. I was once gifted with the powers of a saint, and I believe that emotional wounds are a kind of injury as well.”

“Lilith, this isn’t exactly an emotional wound...”

“If you didn’t believe emotional wounds were injuries, Lord Ethan, you wouldn’t have gone out of your way to protect me during the necromancy class today. My fear of undead monsters is a matter of the heart, not the body. Yet you did your best to keep me safe throughout the class, didn’t you? Doesn’t that mean you see my fear as a kind of injury?”

“...I guess that’s one way to put it.”

“So, by that logic, the guilt you feel over my fear of the undead is also a kind of injury, one of the heart. And since that injury came from the events of today’s class, it’s essentially an injury you sustained during class. As your personal maid and a former saint, it’s my duty to heal that wound in the most efficient way possible.”

“......”

Ethan fell silent, seemingly unable to come up with a rebuttal.

At this point, even he had to admit that my argument made sense.

“...All right. If you insist, Lilith.”

“Now you understand what I’ve been saying, Lord Ethan?”

“I’m not sure I fully understand your reasoning, but I do get what you’re feeling. Sorry, I didn’t realize.”

Ethan added some strange comment, but in the end, he reached out his hand toward my chest, which meant my logic had won out over his.

“This isn’t an indecent act but a therapeutic one, so I won’t be taking off my uniform, Lord Ethan.”

“...I’m not sure what difference that makes, but all right.”

“You’re free to touch me however you like, Lord Ethan. Until you feel better.”

“......”

Ethan hesitated for a moment, looking thoughtful before carefully placing his hand over my chest. His large, masculine hand grasped at the soft mound through my uniform.

Squeeze.

“Hnn... Hmph.”

Squeeze, squeeze.

“Haah... Hah...”

The sensation of Ethan’s familiar touch pressed against my chest, even through the three layers of clothing, stirred faint memories in my body.

‘Still, it’s a lot easier to handle compared to when he touches me directly.’

When he had touched my bare skin before, the sensation had been far more overwhelming. Even now, I couldn’t say that I felt nothing, but it was bearable compared to before.

With three layers of clothing between us, how much could I really enjoy it, anyway—

Squeeze!

“Hngh?!”

...I made a mistake.

My undergarments shifted, and the sudden pressure against a sensitive spot caused an involuntary gasp to escape my lips. It was a brief reaction, but the problem was Ethan’s response.

Knowing Ethan’s slightly sadistic tendencies, I could already guess how he’d react.

“What’s this, Lilith? Are you really feeling it from something like this?”

“...I was just surprised, that’s all.”

“Surprised? You’re wearing three layers of clothing, and you’re still feeling it?”@@novelbin@@

“......”

“Seriously, you’re such a perverted maid.”

Even though the reaction had been purely accidental, Ethan started groping my chest more eagerly, all while calling me a perverted maid.

I could’ve objected, but I chose not to. After all, this was meant to cheer Ethan up, so there was no point in ruining the mood now.

Squeeze!

“Hngh?!”

...Again?!

Once more, my undergarments shifted, brushing against a particularly sensitive spot. It was the same kind of stimulation as before, and I couldn’t help but let out another soft sound.

At this point, I couldn’t chalk it up to coincidence. Ethan had to be doing it on purpose.

“What’s wrong, Lilith?”

“...Nothing.”

“Then why are you making those lewd sounds, like you’re really enjoying it?”

“...I’m not.”

“Come on, admit it. This was your plan all along, wasn’t it? You said you wanted to make me feel better, but really, you just wanted me to touch your chest, didn’t you?”

“...That’s not true.”

I genuinely wanted to help Ethan feel better. Based on my past experience as a man, I knew this was one of the easiest ways to improve his mood.

I wasn’t trying to satisfy any personal desires. Sure, I was benefiting slightly from this, but my primary goal was pure—helping Ethan.

Rub, rub.

“Hnn... Nngh...!”

Press!

“Hnnnngh, hyaaah...!”

Ethan’s hands grew more varied in their motions as time went on. He deliberately pressed on areas left uncovered by my undergarments, or jabbed at the most sensitive spots with his fingers.

I could feel his subtle malice, his intention to make me react even more intensely. But I couldn’t let him win. I had to prove that I wasn’t enjoying this.

Squeeze!

“Hnnnnngh?! H-Haah, hyaaaah...!!!”

As Ethan’s grip tightened, my body instinctively stiffened in response. I couldn’t stay seated on the bed anymore, and I ended up half-lying down, with Ethan’s body looming over mine, his hand still firmly on my chest.

Thump.

“......”

“......”

We lay there, bodies pressed together, his hand still on my chest, and my breath slightly ragged. The tension between us was palpable, as if something could happen at any moment.

Ethan’s face drew closer to mine, and I didn’t avoid it. I closed my eyes slightly, feeling the warmth of his breath nearing—

Knock, knock, knock.

‘Lord Ethan, Miss Lilith, the bath is ready.’

“......!”

“......!”

The villa manager’s voice snapped both of us out of the moment. Ethan and I hurriedly sat up from the bed, our breathing still heavy.

“Haa... Haa... Haa...”

“Huuh... Huuh...”

Ethan looked at me with flushed cheeks, his breath coming in short gasps. I was in a similar state, trying to catch my breath as our eyes met.

After a brief, silent exchange of nods, we made our way toward the door. We couldn’t keep the manager waiting any longer.

...Not without making it seem like something had happened.

Screech.

‘Lord Ethan, Miss Lilith, the bath is ready. You may use it now.’

“Ahem... The bath is ready? Thank you for your efforts.”

“Y-Yes... We’ll be right there. Where should we go?”

‘