We've Gotten Quite Close

Alexia's skin was firm and lustrous.

Under the room's lamplight, it looked more beautiful than any sculpture I'd ever seen.

"Mm."

A sound escaped her the moment my hands made contact.

I was only applying oil, yet it was doing strange things to me.

"Hey, don't make weird noises."

"It tickles. And the oil is a bit cold, so warm it in your hands first next time."

"Got it."

"Also, make sure you spread it out properly. It feels unpleasant when I sleep if you don't."

"You've got a lot of demands…"

"Skincare is hard work, you know. Besides, you'd prefer I stay beautiful, wouldn't you?"

"Well, yes."

I moved my oil-coated hands slowly.

Feeling the give of her skin, I followed its contours.

As instructed, I spread it thin and even.

When the oil ran low, I scooped a fresh amount from the jar.

It was true that a body still warm from the bath might find the oil cold.

I pooled a small amount in my palm to let it warm, then continued.

From the nape to the shoulders. Then gradually down to the back.

With every stroke, I heard a muffled sound.

Perhaps because of the bath, the oil warmed on Alexia's skin and mingled with the scent of soap, drifting up to my nose.

It was a strangely calming fragrance.

I finished applying oil to her back and stopped just short of going any lower.

This should be more than enough.

"Is this good?"

"Yes, thank you. I wouldn't have minded if you'd done other places too, though."

"You can handle the rest yourself."

"Well, I suppose so."

Alexia took the remaining oil, quickly spread it across her body, then dressed again and covered her skin.

I wiped the oil from my hands with a towel, then gave my fingertips a quiet sniff.

She'd said it was made from horse fat, but there had to be other moisturizing ingredients mixed in.

This alone wasn't enough to tell.

"Hey…"

"What?"

Alexia had appeared behind me without my noticing.

Her eyes were slightly upturned. That was her displeased face.

"I know you probably had some other motive, that's just how you are. But sniffing your hands after touching a maiden's skin? That's a bit much."

"Ah, yeah. I can see how that'd bother you. Sorry."

"W-well, as long as you understand."

Alexia averted her gaze and fiddled with her hair with her right hand.

She looked like she wanted to say something more, but unlike the displeasure from before, her expression seemed almost… expectant.

That's when it clicked.

A maiden's heart was a complicated thing, I thought.

"It smelled nice, though."

"You idiot!"

Alexia shouted, marched back to her bed in long strides, pulled the blanket over herself, and lay down.

Apparently that hadn't been the answer she was looking for.

A maiden's heart really was difficult.

If only they were all as easy to read as Azu.

"I'm turning off the lights."

No reply. She'd be in a better mood after a night's sleep.

I extinguished the candles in the room.

But I left the one by my bedside burning, just in case something happened during the night.

"Good night, Alexia."

"… Good night."

I drifted off. It was a quiet night.

"A little would've been fine, you know."

Just as I was losing consciousness, I thought I heard Alexia say something.

The next morning. I woke with the sunrise.

Thanks to the oil's scent, perhaps, I felt remarkably refreshed.

First order of business: wake Alexia. I tried to pull the blanket off her, but she grabbed it midway.

I thought she might be awake, but her eyes were still shut.

Probably unconscious instinct.

I couldn't beat Alexia in a test of strength, so I let go of the blanket. She promptly pulled it back over herself and went right back to sleep.

A tough opponent.

Left with no other option, I moved to the side of the bed, grabbed the sheet, and hauled it upward.

Alexia's body, blanket and all, rolled off the bed.

Alexia was well-trained, but she still weighed about the same as any girl her age.

That much, I could manage by lifting the whole sheet.

Her body tumbled off the bed, but instead of hitting the floor, she caught herself on her left hand and landed.

Incredible reflexes for someone who'd been asleep.

"Wh— what on earth!?"

Jolted awake, Alexia looked around in confusion.

Couldn't blame her for being startled.

I clapped. She turned toward me.

She got to her feet and walked over.

Her disheveled negligee had an alluring quality to it.

In no time at all, I found myself backed against the wall.

I raised both hands in surrender.

"Nice landing."

"Excuse me, Master. Did you just dump me off the bed!?"

"I tried waking you normally at first. But you wouldn't let go of the blanket, so I had no choice."

"Urk… that's…"

It wasn't a lie. I'd just given up on the normal approach almost immediately because it was going to take too long.

Alexia seemed at least somewhat aware of being a difficult riser, and her momentum faltered a bit.

"We've got work today. Hurry up and get changed."

I grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back from the wall.

She didn't resist, so she couldn't have been truly angry anymore.

"Next time, wake me a little more gently, please. You scared the life out of me."

"That was a bit much, I admit. Sorry."

I changed into my own clothes while glancing at Alexia.

The first time she'd been ordered to change in front of me, ostensibly as part of discipline, she'd gone bright red, glaring daggers at me the entire time. Now she changed in front of me without a second thought.

People really do get used to things, I mused, watching her dress.

Once she had her dress on, I helped her with her equipment.

Lastly, Alexia tied her red hair back.

She sometimes left it down, but she'd pulled it into a ponytail, probably to keep it out of the way.

The energetic look suited her well.

"How do I look? Nothing out of place?"

"Nope. Looking sharp, as always."

"Honestly, you and your silver tongue."

Even as she said it, Alexia was smiling.

We'd built up enough trust to trade light jabs like this, perhaps.

After all this time spent together, one way or another.