Chapter 42

“Kyle, please lend me Sofia.”

“No.”

“Oh, come on~.”

“Even if you say that, it’s still no. You don’t have ordinary intentions, do you?”

“I’ve been caught.”

I don’t understand why she followed me all the way to the study.

I’ve already refused several times.

But why does she keep following me?

Before, she kept talking to Miss Sofia with the excuse of hiring a new servant.

She even became friends with Miss Sofia afterward.

But since Miss Sofia refused, I didn’t think anything more would happen.

“Oldenburg, why are you so obsessed with Miss Sofia?”

I really can’t understand what this woman in front of me is thinking.

Does she like Miss Sofia like I do?

Or is she still looking for a servant?

“Isn’t this something that ended years ago? Are you expressing interest in Miss Sofia even after coming all the way to our domain?”

The claim about coming to Eristirol because it’s hot elsewhere is nonsense.

No matter how hot it gets in the south, why would anyone come to Eristirol?

Even if it’s hot, it’s not deadly.

But for those who aren’t from the north, the cold here could be fatal.

That was the main reason I gave Miss Sofia a coat.

I was worried that Miss Sofia might be affected by the cold while walking outside, so I gave it as a gift.

“Hmm… What if I said it was for the same reason as you, Kyle?”

“…”

The same reason as me…

The Oldenburg Count’s family is truly surprising.

A young lady from a count’s family taking interest in another family’s servant.

And in a sexual way at that.

“Even so, nothing will change. Miss Sofia will remain by my side.”

“Hmm? I see Kyle doesn’t know yet?”

“What do you mean?”

Something I don’t know.

What is she talking about?

Something I don’t know about Miss Sofia?

There’s too much.

Even after spending years with Miss Sofia, I still haven’t completely understood her.

I don’t fully know her.

I don’t know why someone with such beautiful looks has never had a romance, or why a commoner has such an appearance.

Yes, if I had to come to one conclusion…

She was probably born that way.

“Hehehe… You really don’t know. If you don’t realize soon, you’ll regret it?”

“…”

“If you don’t claim Miss Sofia quickly… either I or Lady White will…”

Oldenburg finished her words with a meaningful smile.

I don’t know what she means by something I don’t know.

There were too many things I didn’t know about Miss Sofia.

“Haah…”

That Oldenburg woman said what she wanted to say and left the study.

Now I was the only one in the study.

“Should I call for Miss Sofia…”

Rather than leaving her between those two women, wouldn’t it be better to call her here?

Just then, I remembered something my father said.

‘Pounce on her.’

No, no matter what, that was going too far.

Pounce on her? How could I do such a thing?

Wouldn’t that be a crime to begin with?

During heir succession lessons with Father, I heard many stories.

What happened between Father and Mother, what Father did.

One thing for sure is that Mother was a kind person.

“Haah…”

I’ll be an adult next year.

Miss Sofia doesn’t know that and still treats me the same as before.

As if she were my wife, she adjusts my shirt and tie, and tries to get my permission for everything as if she belongs to me.

It wasn’t really a problem that she spent leisure time with those two women excluding herself.

Since it wasn’t working hours.

But she always comes to me and asks for permission for everything.

If Miss Sofia had a tail, I think it would wag every time she came to me.

Maybe she actually has a tail.

Maybe she’s a fox that seduces people.

I seriously considered it.

It’s not like there are no stories about races similar to humans in this world.

Of course, humans make up most of the empire, but

If that were the case, wouldn’t it explain things?

A face too pretty to be a commoner, as beautiful as nobles, or even more so; large breasts and hips despite her slim figure.

Gestures and speech that have been trying to seduce me for years.

An allure that grows more bewitching with each passing year.

“…”

That’s too much speculation.

To think that Miss Sofia is a different race based on these things, what a foolish thought.

“I should wash my face.”

I think I’m like this because I’ve been in the study for too long.

And probably because I’ve been using my brain working on Father’s homework.

“..?”

“Young master, are you…coming out…?”

When I opened the door of the study, Miss Sofia was standing beside it.

As if she had just woken up from a nap, she was in a slightly drowsy state.

“Have you been waiting here the whole time?”

“Yes…”

I had been in the study for about 4 hours.

Oldenburg had come and gone an hour ago.

“…How long have you been here?”

“I’ve been waiting since I heard you were in the study…”

Miss Sofia’s pronunciation was a little strange.

She seemed slightly sleepy.

“Let’s move somewhere else. It doesn’t look good to be like this in the hallway.”

“Yess…”

I took Miss Sofia to her room.

There wasn’t anything else for Miss Sofia to do today anyway.

It was already dinner time.

“Miss Sofia, you should get some sleep.”

“But… it’s still…”

“You look very tired today. I’m fine, so get some sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“…”

“You might wake up hungry in the middle of the night, so I’ll have your dinner prepared separately.”

She probably hadn’t eaten dinner yet.

Miss Sofia always eats dinner late, after I’ve eaten.

I would have liked to eat together.

Maybe I should ask Father about it?

Since Father already knows how I feel about Miss Sofia, it should be fine.

He might even gladly give permission.

I should ask during tomorrow’s lesson.

“..P…Please come in for a moment, young master.”

“Pardon?”

Miss Sofia suddenly invited me into her room.

Actually, this was my first time in Miss Sofia’s room.

Miss Sofia had come to my room many times, but not the other way around.

How often would one need to visit a servant’s room in the first place?

“This is something that shouldn’t reach other people’s ears, so I have no choice but to tell you like this. I apologize.”

“N-No! It’s fine.”

What is she going to say that made her bring me into her room?

Could it possibly be what I’m hoping for?

By the way, Miss Sofia’s room had a scent.

The fragrance that usually came from Miss Sofia filled the entire room.

If I were to share a room with Miss Sofia in the future, would I be able to smell this fragrance every day?

And perhaps because it hadn’t been tidied up, there were a few items on the floor.

Something was also placed on the chair.

“…”

It was the undergarment that supported Miss Sofia’s large chest.

The kind of undergarment she would be wearing right now.

Wearing something like that, and then a shirt and blazer over it, yet still that size.

It was truly amazing.

If anything were to be called magic, wouldn’t it be this?

My gaze momentarily went to Miss Sofia’s chest, but she didn’t notice.

As always, she was defenseless in this regard.

Sometimes it happened when I walked behind Miss Sofia too.

Because she wore formal attire, certain things were emphasized more than if she were wearing a skirt.

The movement from her waist to her hips.

Her waist and hips that swayed alluringly with each step.

The clothes weren’t loose at all, making it even more visible.

I can’t count how many times I deliberately took larger steps to walk in front of her.

“Young master.”

“Yes.”

I might have been thinking too much.

After all, I was in the room of the person I like.

A room with no special arrangement, just like it would normally be.

“By any chance…”

“Gulp…”

What would come after those words?

All my senses were focused on that.

No, to be precise, my gaze was focused on Miss Sofia’s face and chest, and my sense of smell on her fragrance.

“You said there’s someone you like, right?”

“Yes.”

You, who’s standing in front of me right now.

You, who has been with me for years.

You, who has become more precious to me than my mother.

You, who has supported me, raised me, and taken care of me.

“Could it be that person is…”

I couldn’t say, “It’s you.”

“…one of the young ladies in the domain?”

Miss Sofia’s face as she asked the question was so ordinary.

If she had blushed or stuttered a bit when asking, I might have told her.

But Miss Sofia’s face was too ordinary.

Not quite businesslike, but an expression no different from how she usually speaks to me.

As always, it was the expression of an older sister looking at her younger brother.

“…”

“It’s alright. I don’t mind who you like, young master. I’ll support you instead.”

“…”

How can she so easily see a man more than 30cm taller than her only as a younger brother?

It’s so difficult for me to think of a woman 30cm shorter than me just as an older sister.

“There isn’t one.”

“Eh? Then who was the person you mentioned before?”

“That… I’ll let you know someday.”

I think it’s better to change the plan.

Until now, I thought I could just approach slowly and start properly once I became an adult.

But… that wasn’t the case.

This alluring female in front of me was more ignorant than I thought.