Cleaning (2)

Cleaning (2)

If I had seen Espin in her underwear when I was alone.

It could have been a light-hearted incident that I could have laughed off.

‘Unfortunately, Rumi is beside me.’

So it became a situation that couldn’t be simply laughed off.

I looked at Espin, who was so shocked that she didn’t even think to cover herself, and after a moment of consideration.

Not knowing what to say, I calmly offered an apology.

“I’m sorry.”

“……”

As if apologizing wasn’t the right thing to do in this situation.

The moment Espin heard my words, the tip of her nose turned bright red and her eyes gradually became moist.

As I was flustered by Espin’s appearance, looking like she might cry at the slightest touch, Rumi tactfully said something to me.

“Um, I have some cleaning to do, so I’ll go ahead first…! You can praise me later.”

Rumi, who is quite perceptive in these situations.

Judging that she shouldn’t be here, she quickly leaves for somewhere.

As I silently close my mouth while watching Rumi’s retreating figure disappearing in the distance, Espin speaks to me while holding back tears.

“…… Give it.”

The voice was small, and perhaps because it was muffled by tears, I couldn’t hear it well.

I silently stare at Espin, unable to hear those words properly.

Espin speaks to me while softly sniffling.

“… Hurry up and praise me.”

At those words, I ponder for a moment and then, with an internal sigh, I say.

“It suits you well.”

“……”

As this alone doesn’t seem to satisfy, the expression still remains downcast.

I had no choice but to slowly approach Espin and call out.

“Espin.”

As I approach, Espin flinches momentarily, startled.

Looking at Espin’s reaction, I once again offer a sincere apology.

“I think what I said last time was too rash.”

Perhaps not expecting me to apologize again, Espin looks at me with a complex expression.

As I look at Espin, wondering what would be best to say.

Rather than expressing something in words, I thought it would be better to show it through action, so I slowly patted Espin’s head.

“……”

As I pat her head, Espin looks at me with a bewildered expression, then tightly closes her mouth and squeezes her eyes shut.

She lets out a light sigh and makes an expression as if she’s made a decision.

Slowly raising her hand to grab mine, she makes me caress her cheek while whining to me.

“… I’m sorry, but I’m not satisfied with just having my head patted.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. So it’s okay if you touch me more actively.”

With those words, Espin slowly guides my hand downward, making me touch her collarbone.

As I silently observe this, feeling the soft skin and distinct collarbone beneath my fingertips.

Espin, with a face flushed bright red, says to me.

“… Oh, really. Say something. Or touch me more passionately!”

Probably because her embarrassment has reached its peak, she continues to say things she would never say normally.

Seeing Espin’s reaction, I ponder for a moment.

Concluding that Espin in this situation might need a bit of a shock, I said to her.

“Since you started this, you won’t have any complaints no matter what I do, right?”

“… Huh?”

With those words, I lay Espin down on the research lab desk and said.

“I’m a man too, so there’s a limit to how much I can endure.”

“… But, before, you laughed at my chest.”

Rather than laughing, I just changed the subject because they were too big.

Realizing that any response to that statement would only make things worse, I kept my mouth shut and slowly caressed her shoulders.

“… Huh.”

Every time my fingertips brush against her skin, Espin’s body trembles slightly.

Of course, I had no real intention of touching her, it was just to imply that if she kept provoking me, I might really pounce on her.

I was trying my best to calm my mind to avoid crossing the line.

‘It’s getting harder and harder to hold back now.’

Not just Espin, but Rumi, Delia, and even Sien.

Because they keep coming at me with physical advances, my reason is gradually disappearing.

I sighed inwardly, thinking that I might cross the line soon at this rate.

‘Let’s endure until we defeat the Demon King.’

After that, it wouldn’t matter much what I do.

I knew that I didn’t have much time left after becoming the Archbishop anyway.

Deciding to hold out a little longer, I slowly kissed Espin’s nape.

“…Hnng.”

Espin, probably not expecting me to go this far, stood on her tiptoes and trembled.

Then she fidgeted with an expression full of embarrassment.

‘It’s quite funny to see her being shy after provoking me.’

If she was going to be like this, she shouldn’t have provoked me in the first place.

As I inwardly smiled at Espin’s behavior, I kissed her collarbone this time.

Unable to bear it any longer, Espin stood up and said to me.

“S-stop. I was wrong.”

Then, she fidgeted nervously while touching her own face, which was burning bright red as if it was about to burst.

Soon after, she grabbed some clothes that had fallen nearby and said to me.

“Okay, I’ll admit you won. Now… let’s stop here.”

The moment I heard those words, I felt mischievous instead and grabbed Espin’s wrist, saying.

“What if I don’t want to?”

“……”

As if she never expected me to refuse, Espin’s eyes became moist again, and she shriveled up.

Then, in a voice that gradually became smaller like Rumi’s, she said to me.

“I’m… I’m sorry…”

I never dreamed that the usually haughty Espin would show such a reaction.

As I felt my playfulness quickly cooling down at the sight of Espin like this, I was about to let her go.

Espin, still with tears in her eyes, said to me.

“… Since I was wrong, couldn’t we… do this kind of thing a little later? I think it would be more proper to at least have a proper peck or kiss first.”

At those words, I couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.

Espin, who usually pretended to be mature and act like she had mastered everything.

It was quite ironic that she suddenly mentioned pecks and kisses, asking to do those first.

Perhaps because of that, I felt like teasing her a bit more, so I continued speaking.

“Then you shouldn’t have tried to seduce me.”

“But, but! You laughed at my chest first…!”

Her pouting appearance was quite cute.

As I continued to laugh inwardly at that sight.

Espin, unable to bear it any longer, covers his face with both hands and says,

“Anyway… that’s enough. Later… yes, later I’ll do whatever you want. Just stop here for now.”

The moment I hear those words, my playfulness surges again, and this time I lightly press my finger near his armpit while saying,

“You’ll regret it.”

“…I don’t care.”

If you only heard the dialogue, it might sound like Espin dislikes it but is enduring it.

In reality, it felt more like Espin was hoping for it.

‘It feels like he really wants me to do it.’

I chuckle as I see Espin’s expectant expression peeking through his covered face.

Then, I poke my finger into Espin’s inner armpit and say,

“As you wish.”

“Eek!”

The moment I poke him, Espin’s body shakes violently, and his eyes widen.

Then, with a face that’s turned bright red again, he shouts at me,

“Wh-what are you doing!”

Feeling that if I continued this conversation any further, I might really pounce on him, I decided to stop here and quickly changed the subject.

“Oh, and Espin.”

“Wh-what… what is it…!”

“We’ve captured the Archbishop.”

At my words, Espin instantly suppresses his embarrassed expression.

Then, slowly looking at me and pondering for a moment, she begins to say something.

“So, you must have absorbed information and memories from the Phantom Library?”

I nodded, and Espin asked if there was any useful information I could share.

I told her everything that came to mind.

“… As expected of an Archbishop, there seems to be a lot of useful information. I understand for now, I’ll investigate this information further and let you know.”

“Alright.”

Thinking that it’s just like Espin to immediately analyze the information as soon as she hears it, I was about to drop my body when.

Espin looks at me and quickly grabs my wrist, speaking rapidly.

“… You definitely said you would do that, right?”

“What?”

“Just now… You said you’d make me regret it, remember? Yeah, that.”

“……”

“I’m not expecting anything, but since I promised, I have to keep it no matter what?”

For someone who claims not to be expecting anything, she looks incredibly expectant.

As I’m thinking about how to respond to Espin’s words.

Luna, who was nearby, watches Espin’s behavior and says to me with a smile.

[Master, I think that female is in heat…!]