episode_0092

After completing the grueling task of swinging a sword two thousand times instead of the afternoon showdown with his father, Edan Richard Blackwood walked up to the 4th floor where his private room was, clutching his sore arm.

Performing the task given by his father to properly control his emotions, Edan felt somewhat calmer after completing it. Even though it seemed like a temporary calm that would disappear once he faced his personal maid again in the evening, for now, he could somehow conceal his turbulent emotions with exhaustion.

“….”

Was it really because Lilyse needed to be just a personal maid that she touched his chest three days ago?

Perhaps, because Lilyse also felt some rational emotions towards him, she allowed it.

Was it because she wanted to become his personal maid even after becoming a noble lady?

If he hadn’t stopped touching her chest midway, what would have happened next?

Maybe their relationship would have escalated beyond just touching her chest….

‘No, no…. I don’t want to build a relationship with Lilyse in that way….’

Lately, whenever his mind was at rest, it always went back to that moment, so he had to find a way to resolve this issue as soon as possible.

Now that other people were starting to notice his odd behavior, if it were to be revealed that the reason for his current state was because of his personal maid Lilyse.

Perhaps his father thought of removing Lilyse from him for educational purposes.

It was as foolish as distancing himself from the person he liked just because he was thinking about her, so Edan had to somehow erase the memory of that day from his mind to prevent it.

For a man in his prime, it was certainly not an easy process.

Would he be able to forget tonight? Would he be able to shake it off by tomorrow? With these thoughts filling his mind, Edan entered his room.

Seeking peace of mind in his own private space, Edan couldn’t help but feel his heart beating again.

“Has the training ended, young master?”

“M-Maid?!”

The personal maid who had been confusing him all day and hadn’t left his mind was waiting in his room, causing Edan to be taken aback.

Despite his inability to hide his surprise, Lilyse, the personal maid, maintained a composed expression and continued the conversation with Edan.

“I have something to tell you, young master. Can we talk for a moment?”

“Do we have to talk about it right now?”

“It’s better to tell you as soon as possible.”

“Fine, maid. Let’s sit down and talk if it’s that important.”

-Slide.

“….”

Sitting face to face at the same table, Edan couldn’t help but notice Lilyse’s chest more prominently.

Why was the maid’s attire so stimulating to a man’s eyes?

Even though he wanted to avoid her gaze, he couldn’t help but feel like his eyes were drawn to her outfit, so Edan deliberately turned his body away and rested one arm on the table.

Of course, Lilyse, who also had memories from her previous life as a man, fully understood the meaning behind his gaze and casual behavior.

“So… what do you want to talk about, maid?”

“I want to talk about what happened between us three days ago, young master.”

“But wasn’t the issue with the personal maid already resolved? The maid was supposed to continue being my personal maid even after entering the academy, and Isabelle was supposed to assist the maid…”

“I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about when you touched my chest.”

“Ugh, tsk, tsk…!”

Thinking it might be a trap, Edan casually tried to bring up another topic, but Lilyse confidently mentioned that day’s events, enough to make Edan feel flustered with just swallowing a few drops of saliva.

“You… you told me to forget about that, maid…?”

“But you haven’t forgotten about it at all, have you?”

“I’m sorry, maid. It’s just not easy to… forget.”

“It’s okay, young master. You don’t have to make an effort to forget from now on.”

“Huh…?”

“Since I made an unreasonable request from the beginning, it’s only natural. At that time, I did ask you to forget about it, knowing that it was impossible, but for someone like you, who was in your prime, it must be hard to forget that moment.”

Edan was at a loss for how to respond to Lilith’s somewhat resigned words.

Should he try again and ask for another chance, or should he just follow Lilith’s advice and try to forget and move on?

Lost in these thoughts, Edan hesitated to answer Lilith, who then continued with the proposal she had prepared in advance.

The nobleman of the Blackwood family found himself increasingly entangled in confusing emotions as he listened to her story.

“Regardless of whether you are trying to forget about that incident or not, it seems that if things continue like this, it will undoubtedly become increasingly difficult for you to lead a normal life. Isn’t that right?”

“…No, it’s okay. I think I can somehow gather my thoughts.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Yes. So, the maid doesn’t need to worry about it.”

“Understood. Since you said you don’t need my help, you can either listen seriously to what I’m about to say, or just treat it as the ramblings of a mere maid.”

– Swoosh.

The sound of the chair being dragged on the floor, accompanied by Lilith standing up from her seat.

Intentionally emphasizing her large and beautiful chest, she confidently walked towards Edan and slightly leaned forward, opening her mouth.

“A maid…?!”

“The fact that you can’t forget and keep thinking about this chest of mine, I will allow you to touch it continuously.”

“W-what are you talking about…! A maid should value her body more…”

“Of course, I’m not saying that I will let you touch it for no reason. I’m not some common tavern wench, how could I let someone touch my body recklessly? So, Edan, if you meet certain conditions, I will allow you to touch my chest.”

“Certain conditions…?”

“…Seeing your interest as soon as you heard about the conditions, it seems that you are indeed a man, Edan.”

“……!!”

As Lilith mentioned the ‘conditions’ for touching her chest, Edan, who had become intrigued by the idea, felt a considerable amount of confusion.

Whether he showed a bewildered expression or not, Lilith calmly continued to deliver her message as she originally intended.

“Edan, you have been sparring with your master every third and sixth Wednesday, haven’t you?”

“Y-yes.”

“So, if you manage to land a valid attack on your master during your sparring, I will allow you to touch my chest only for a moment before falling asleep.”

“……!!!”

“…It won’t be long. Exactly one minute. I will only allow it for a moment before falling asleep.”

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Unable to suppress the excitement caused by Lilith’s enchanting proposal, Edan’s heart began to race.

Although it was a difficult condition, the proposal seemed strangely possible, igniting various emotions within him.

If Lilith had proposed that he defeat his father, he might have just given up.

Even though it was just a mock sparring with wooden swords, winning against his sword master father meant becoming a sword master himself.

At the moment, it seemed like a distant dream, almost as if she was mocking him. However, upon hearing about landing a valid attack, the condition began to feel surprisingly realistic.

Even though he had never landed a proper blow on his father in all their sparring sessions.

No matter how skilled his father was, he was still human, and if Edan, who inherited his blood, gave it his all, he might be able to touch his sword just once…

“You seem to be seriously considering it, despite saying you don’t need it, Edan.”

“…N-no! I wasn’t seriously considering it, I was just…!”

“No need to be embarrassed. I made the proposal so that you would consider it seriously.”

“….”

“Instead of forcibly trying to forget and suppress your complicated feelings, wouldn’t it be better to use that strength as a driving force for improvement, Edan?”

Lilith’s words were indeed true.

The current self was so captivated by the shocking memory of barely touching a chest that they couldn’t even live their daily life properly.

If they were to pour this focus into their swordsmanship, it would actually serve as a good driving force.

…Even if it stemmed from impure intentions of wanting to touch their exclusive maid’s chest.

‘But…’

There was something unsettling about simply accepting Lillis’ proposal at face value.

It was because Edan couldn’t grasp the reason why she, just a mere exclusive maid, had made the condition that her swordsmanship would improve.

Thus, Edan had no choice but to cautiously inquire about the reason to Lillis.

“Maid, I have a question.”

“What is it, my lord?”

“Why did making me lose in a sword duel with my father become a condition for the maid to touch my chest?”

“Excuse me…?”

“Allowing the maid to touch my chest as my swordsmanship improves doesn’t seem to be part of the maid’s role. In the end, it’s an act that doesn’t benefit the maid at all.”

“….”

“Is there something that benefits the maid as my swordsmanship improves?”

Caught off guard by Edan’s sharp question, Lillis froze momentarily without being able to answer right away.

Seeing his exclusive maid unable to answer immediately, the doubts of the Blackwood nobleman deepened.

Before Edan could ask again, sensing something amiss, Lillis Rosewood managed to come up with a plausible answer to give him.

“Perhaps the maid… likes strong individuals.”

“…Likes strong individuals?”

“I personally tend to find stronger and more growth potential individuals more attractive than weak or passive individuals who rely on others. And among those I’ve met so far, the strongest person would probably be my master, Harold Gaju.”

“…I see, that makes sense.”

“So, if the lord I serve can even slightly catch up to my master’s strength, I thought it would be okay for me to give a little bit of myself as well.”

“….”

“…Is that a sufficient answer?”

“Yes, for now.”

As Edan quietly nodded, finding nothing strange about the answer at first glance, Lillis, with an awkward smile, declared her departure and went back to her room.

Watching the maid return to her room, Edan was left tangled in complex thoughts of a different nature.

It was the moment when Lillis, who harbored personal feelings, earnestly pondered about his ideal type.

“The maid’s preference is… strong individuals.”

Little did the naive Blackwood nobleman know that it was just an excuse blurted out in a moment of panic to evade a sudden question.