Chapter 413

In order to solidify my resolve toward Ethan, I followed him into the Blackwood Estate’s grand bath after our training session. He only noticed I’d come along once we reached the changing room, and as he saw me ready to enter the bath with him, he tilted his head curiously.

“Lilith?”

“Yes, Master Ethan.”

“Did you want to bathe first? You look pretty tired—I can wait.”

“No, thank you. As your personal maid, I could never bathe before you at Blackwood Estate.”

No matter how exhausted I was, I had my pride as a maid. I’d never let myself act improperly by entering the bath before my master.

“Then… is there another reason you’re here?”

“I’m here to assist with your bath, Master Ethan.”

“What?”

“Well… it’s been a while. I thought I might attend to your bath, as I used to…”

Ethan’s face turned a shade of red, mirroring my own. The act of bathing together meant seeing each other completely bare—a sight that would surely bring a flush to anyone’s cheeks. Despite everything we’d been through, the sight of each other’s bare bodies still felt too… intimate.

“Lilith, if you can’t hold back, it’s okay to just say so.”

“I don’t know what you’re implying, Master Ethan. I simply wish to help you with your bath, nothing more.”

“Then why is your face red?”

“Well, yours is red too, Master Ethan.”

“My face being red isn’t the point. The question is why you’ve suddenly decided to help with my bath.”

For once, Ethan wasn’t letting this go as easily as he usually did. I figured he was mindful of my statement about not expecting rewards until I could win a sparring match. If he indulged my impulses here, it would be as if I was giving up on the training, breaking our agreed-upon boundaries.

If he genuinely wanted me to improve in swordsmanship, I knew he wouldn’t comply even if I insisted. And honestly, I wasn’t here to abandon my goals for a fleeting indulgence.

…No, I just wanted to renew my motivation.

If I could objectively confirm just how much I wanted to… be rewarded by Ethan, maybe it would give me the drive I needed to persevere through our arduous training sessions. Just like that day a year ago when I motivated him in the bath to take down Harold.

“It’s my way of showing gratitude, Master Ethan. You’ve taken time out of your busy schedule to spar with me, so I want to do something in return.”

“…Are you sure this isn’t just something you want to do?”

“Are you saying you don’t want me to attend to you?”

“Of course I do. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.”

“Then there’s no reason to refuse, is there?”

“I’m only concerned that it might affect your motivation. You’re working so hard to earn a reward, and I wouldn’t want you to lose your drive because of this.”

“…”

“As embarrassing as it is to admit, I’ve always been motivated by the idea of receiving a ‘reward’ from you, Lilith.”

…It made sense that he would think that way, given he’d been in my position before. Training that uses primal desire as a motivator tends to lose its effectiveness once that desire is satisfied. But even so, my physical needs had been simmering for nearly two months, and we’d done all sorts of things together during that time.

We’d shared baths, fallen asleep in each other’s arms, touched each other’s bodies, even… exchanged other pleasures. But the fact that I still felt this desire meant that it would only be relieved through the actual act itself. Attending to his bath wouldn’t be enough.

“I swear on my honor as a maid that I won’t expect any rewards without earning them first.”@@novelbin@@

“…”

“I only wish to assist with your bath, to remind myself how much I desire that ‘reward.’ If you feel at any point that I’m crossing a line, you can send me away.”

“…Alright, Lilith. If you insist, then I suppose I have no choice.”

“Thank you, Master Ethan.”

With his permission granted, I entered the changing room beside him. As I helped him out of his clothes, he gave me one last cautious glance.

“You’re sure you’re not planning anything inappropriate?”

“Yes. I intend to be as professional as I was when we bathed together at Professor Mamari’s villa. There will be no inappropriate actions whatsoever.”

“…So that kind of thing doesn’t count as inappropriate for you anymore?”

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing. Never mind.”

With that, Ethan shot me a strange, almost pitying look.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

Unable to refuse Lilith’s request, Ethan found himself in the bath with her. This wasn’t their first time sharing a bath, but it was always a heart-thumping experience to be in such close quarters with her, especially with nothing between them.

*…This feeling never gets any less intense.*

Even when he tried to avert his eyes, his gaze would inevitably drift back to her curves. Her ample chest, which seemed even fuller than it had been a few years ago, and her soft, toned figure were hard to ignore. Her body was practically designed to tempt him, and despite his efforts, he couldn’t help but take in the sight.

*It’s almost as if… her chest has grown over the years.*

There was a rumor among the academy students that a woman’s chest could grow if a man regularly… appreciated them. If that were true, then maybe he was to blame. Feeling a surge of heat, Ethan struggled to think of anything else to distract himself.

*Calm down. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen her like this. Even though she looks so… well, I have to keep it together.*

Lilith had assured him that she wasn’t planning anything inappropriate, so he did his best to control himself. While her standards for what constituted as “appropriate” were perhaps a bit looser than his, the two of them had made it clear that anything more intimate was to be saved for the rewards they earned.

No matter how much she tempted him, Ethan had resolved to resist. She’d told him to kick her out if she did anything improper, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to do that. He couldn’t possibly send her away once they’d started.

“I’ll begin by washing your hair,” she said.

“Alright, Lilith.”

Though he could manage on his own, Ethan let her take the lead. He sat down on a low stool, facing away from her. Just when he thought he might be able to relax, his calm was shattered.

*Soft…*

“Urk.”

“…”

He felt the unmistakable sensation of something soft pressing against the back of his neck as she leaned in to wash his hair.