Chapter 58 : Empress (4)

When I look at Luna, I feel a strange sense of irritation.

It’s not that Luna has no weaknesses.

Ayla’s swordsmanship is certainly superior to Luna’s.

It wasn’t overwhelmingly so, but if they fought ten times, Ayla was confident she would win nine, or maybe even all ten times.

However, Luna never showed a particularly frustrated expression when she lost.

Is she letting me win?

Well, Ayla didn’t think that was the case.

Rather, Luna had an expression that seemed to say, “If it were the past, I could have won.”

It was the kind of look someone who had lived too long and fought countless strong opponents would have.

Come to think of it, hadn’t she hunted a dragon?

If that were true, then it made sense.

If she had fought a creature that, while known to exist, was to most people nothing more than a mythical beast.

She had met the witch of the forest, faced the shadows of the royal capital.

Even crossed into the empire and formed a connection with the Empress.

Such a person was far from ordinary.

And yet, strangely, when she crossed swords with Ayla, she lost.

There was something Luna would never tell Ayla.

Even though she approached Ayla multiple times as if she were important, and stayed by her side whenever time allowed, she almost never spoke about herself.

If only it weren’t for that choker around her neck.

Luna didn’t seem like someone who would risk death for a particular goal.

So, if Ayla were to “command” her, Luna would obediently tell her what she wanted to know.

As if she had been waiting for Ayla to ask.

The problem was that issuing such a command felt, in some way, like “losing.”

Ayla didn’t know why she felt that way—

She simply wanted to hear it from Luna’s own lips.

… “Seriously.”

Only after thinking that far did Ayla murmur to herself.

Had she, before she even realized it, started considering Luna an important person in her life?

There had never been anyone who cared for her like that before.

Someone who treated her without any walls—

In her entire life, there had only ever been one person like that.

I must be really desperate, Ayla thought bitterly.

To feel this kind of emotion for someone of the opposite gender.

Even so, I am someone who can be naked in front of Ayla.

No, I don’t mean that in a perverted way.

Right? Even when I was a man, I kept my boundaries with Ayla.

I never got too close, only held hands when necessary.

If anything, Ayla was the one who touched me more often.

She gave me massages, grabbed my elbow while pulling me through the market, or even tugged my wrist.

It wasn’t something I couldn’t tolerate, but still.

If I had been a man and Ayla told me to undress, I would have refused.

But now, I am a woman.

That means I am the same gender as Ayla.

I have my own room out of consideration for the other maids, but normally, in a maid’s quarters or an all-female knight order, communal living is the standard.

Sharing a large space while bathing or changing clothes is just a part of daily life.

Besides, this body…

I’ve gotten used to it to some extent, and I do recognize it as “my body,” but in some ways, it still feels somewhat distant.

Unless someone touches me, or unless I experience pain that reminds me I’m using this body, it’s not always easy to perceive it as my own.

Looking back, it’s a relief that it was me who ended up in this body, and not Ayla.

Well, setting that aside—

This morning, the store staff had just delivered the outfit when Ayla immediately ordered, “Wear this.”

As I stared at the clothes, I found myself lost in thought.

Why am I unable to wear this outfit?

I claim that I could even be naked in front of Ayla, yet I can’t bring myself to wear this short-skirted maid uniform.

“Why?”

I tilted my head in confusion—

“Luna.”

I heard Ayla call my name.

In any case, since I was someone who could at least “undress” in front of Ayla,

Ayla, not wanting to see that sight, shoved me into a corner of the room.

Ayla’s room, being that of a noble, had a partition, and I was now changing behind it.

“Are you done changing?”

“Not yet, Lady Ayla.”

“For you, this is taking quite a while. The size should be correct, shouldn’t it?”

Hearing her relaxed voice, as if she was teasing me, I let out a small sigh.

Fine. I’ll put it on.

Determined, I somehow managed to slip into the outfit.

Maybe because there wasn’t much fabric, it actually took less time to put this on than to take off what I had been wearing before.

My back is quite exposed, too.

It’s just a short dress with slight shoulder coverage and an apron attached to the front.

“So, you’ve finally put it on this time.”

Perhaps hearing the rustling of fabric against my skin, Ayla spoke up.

“Yes.”

I answered and cautiously stepped out from behind the partition.

“Pfft.”

Ayla laughed the moment she saw me.

She had been sitting idly on the bed, looking bored, but as soon as she saw me, she shot up from her seat and approached me.

Resting one hand on her chin, she slowly circled around me, observing as if admiring a piece of art.

“You’ve become more demure in your movements.”

“…The skirt is a little short…”

“Luna, I thought you’d just walk boldly, not caring whether it showed or not.”

“After all, you were the one who said you could be naked in front of me, weren’t you?”

“Being naked and wearing short clothes are two different matters.”

“How exactly are they different? In terms of the concept of being ‘seen,’ they’re essentially the same.”

Ayla chuckled.

“If you’re not covering anything at all, then there’s nothing you can do about it.”

When I responded somewhat heatedly, Ayla’s eyes widened slightly.

“I see, that makes sense. If nothing is covered, everything is already visible anyway.

So even trying to cover up would only make it more embarrassing, is that what you’re saying?”

“That’s correct…”

I started to respond, but something felt off—like I had just walked into a trap.

“So, what you’re saying is that your current appearance is just like that.

As if you’re completely bare, only barely covering the essential parts.

Ah, I see. Like when you try to hide your body with a single small towel, just barely covering your chest and lower parts.”

“…I don’t think it’s quite that bad.”

“Hmm.”

Ayla’s hand moved toward my skirt.

She lightly pressed down on it.

“Would you move your hand? That’s an order.”

Ayla said it so nonchalantly.

I felt an overwhelming sense of injustice.

I hadn’t even moved my hand yet, but the choker around my neck slowly tightened, as if punishing me for disobedience.

Did it really interpret even this as resistance?

When I slowly raised my hand, the fabric, caught at my fingertips, began to lift.

My pale legs were revealed, and just as the lace-trimmed underwear beneath became faintly visible, Ayla’s hand stopped.

“Hehe. I was just joking.”

Jokes can be physical too, apparently.

Ayla took a step back, looking truly amused for the first time in a long while.

“Come on, I’m not going to do anything inappropriate to you.

That’s something the Count would have done.

Consider yourself lucky—at least it’s me you’re dealing with, not him.

If it were the Count, you wouldn’t have been able to resist at all in an outfit like that, would you?”

“That’s not true.”

I firmly denied it.

The main reason I was embarrassed was because of Ayla.

Because the person standing in front of me was Ayla.

Of course, there were other complicated reasons as well, but that was the biggest one.

“Well, if you want to insist on that, go ahead.”

Ayla stretched her hand toward me.

When I instinctively took a step back, Ayla grinned knowingly.

Damn it, I wanted to argue back.

But I couldn’t think of a solid counterargument.

To prove my point, I would have to stand in front of another man in this outfit.

“Hmm, you definitely act more reserved in that outfit. Your posture, your demeanor…

You look just like a doll.”

Ayla laughed, as if she couldn’t let go of such a perfect opportunity.

“If that’s the case, maybe I don’t even need a doll.

Wouldn’t it be fine if I just made you my doll instead?”

Being her doll wasn’t the problem.

The issue was that Ayla’s idea of a “doll” was for playing dress-up.

And dressing up a doll naturally included changing its clothes.

Just like right now.

“How about working like that for today?”

“…Lady Ayla.”

I called out to her in urgency.

Ayla burst into laughter.

“What if I made it an order?

Would you still beg me not to?”

Faced with those words, I had no response.

No matter what I said now, I was already caught in her web.

All I could do was silently chew on my frustration and keep my mouth shut.