Chapter 87 : Secret (4)

Ayla said she would have dinner in her room.

Since Seila has had meals at the villa many times anyway, there is no maid in this mansion who would admonish Ayla for doing so.

They were often more competent than Luna, but at least no one would question Luna, who holds the title of “Head Maid.” When orders come, they simply carry them out.

Come to think of it, it was these maids who first did Luna’s makeup.

Since then, whenever Luna needed something applied to her face, Ayla would do it.

Luna didn’t really like wearing makeup, so she hadn’t done it much after that.

Above all, when she wears makeup, it all melts off with sweat when she fights. Luna’s face aside, Ayla herself didn’t particularly want to do that either.

They sat facing each other at the table in the room for dinner.

It was a little more modest than usual, but as expected from a noble’s table, there was a quite luxurious steak.

Luna carefully cut a piece of steak into a bite-size and brought it to her mouth, watching Ayla closely from a very short distance.

The two of them still didn’t look very good together.

They had changed clothes, but they were sitting face to face after sweating it out, without even washing.

Even though they couldn’t let their hair be all messy, they had tidied it up a bit, but there was still a faint smell on both of them.

It wasn’t strong, just a smell that could only be smelled if you were very close.

Luna and Ayla didn’t really prefer perfumes or fragrances, so the only smell strong enough to mask it was the smell of the food.

“It’s the first time we’re sitting down to eat together like this.”

“…Yes, Ayla. In my entire life…”

“I’m sure you now know that I’m not surprised by such teasing compliments.”

Luna closed her mouth. Ayla smiled seeing that.

Somehow, Luna felt a chill down her spine.

She didn’t know exactly what this sensation was.

When he was younger, it was natural for Ayla to win, and after he grew up, it was natural for Ayla to lose. Although it was frustrating, he had accepted it.

If he had won, would it have felt like this?

A dragon hunter, a witch’s disciple, and a strange being with ties to the shadow of the royal family.

Did Ayla take pleasure in ruling over such a being?

“Oh, by the way, I’m a bit curious.”

Ayla said to Luna, in a slightly playful tone, as if using the words one might use with a different young lady.

“Can you undress in front of me now? Ah, of course, you’d undress if I told you to.”

Of course, the follow-up words were not something she would say to another young lady.

No, in a sense, it was something she could say to another young lady.

Because in the world, bullying exists.

Ayla had never been bullied. She had severed any chance of such relationships from the beginning.

Even if Ayla were to bully someone, it wouldn’t have been in this way.

Luna’s face turned red.

It was not the face of someone being bullied.

But still, Ayla was satisfied. She liked that uncomfortable and embarrassed expression.

Now, Luna couldn’t say something like “I’ll kneel naked” to Ayla. If she undressed, she wouldn’t know what Ayla might do to her.

Ayla cut her steak again.

Even though it was a meal not much different from usual, it somehow felt exceptionally delicious today.

“You’re my personal maid.”

“Yes, Ayla.”

“So, you also said you’d become a doll, and that you’d become a dog. From the moment you saw me.”

“Yes, Ayla.”

“Good.”

Ayla nodded as she sat on the sofa.

Luna was kneeling under the sofa.

Luna didn’t know why, but she did it first, when Ayla said, “Would you sit down?”

Maybe it was because of what Ayla had told her last time.

A slight feeling of guilt mixed with a sense of betrayal. Once again, her back shivered.

“Would you like to come up here?”

Ayla said, testing the waters. She patted the seat next to her on the sofa.

Under normal circumstances, Luna would understand and sit next to her.

Of course, it wasn’t a very natural situation.

How many people in this mansion would sit next to her if she said that?

Luna hesitated for a moment, and Ayla, without giving any hints, just smiled sweetly and continued to look at her.

Eventually, Luna, who had been staring at Ayla blankly, seemed to understand and lowered her head, slowly raised her hand to sit on the sofa.

Then she slightly straightened her upper body and lifted her legs, placing her knees on the sofa.

She carefully removed her shoes and placed both legs on the sofa, kneeling on the long sofa, sitting with both hands on the sofa, looking at Ayla.

By doing this, Luna’s eye level was almost the same as Ayla’s.

“Well done.”

Ayla said, reaching out and touching Luna’s face. She still preferred not to make Luna wear makeup.

That way, nothing would smudge when she touched her, and Ayla could feel Luna’s bare skin.

Slowly, she moved her hand to Luna’s head and gently stroked her.

Luna’s head lowered further. Even her upper body, kneeling.

Ayla twisted her body a bit more toward Luna, and with her other arm,

“A-Ayla!?”

Ayla pulled Luna into a tight embrace.

Rather than hugging a person, it was more like hugging a large dog that had climbed onto the sofa.

Luna’s body trembled slightly. It was a bit absurd.

Even after being held like that in the middle of the night, had she still not gotten used to it?

If she were to indulge in a bit of delusion, maybe it was because she truly liked Ayla, just like a puppy.

She decided to think of it that way.

After all, Luna’s thoughts weren’t what mattered.

“Shh.”

Ayla whispered into Luna’s ear.

“Cute puppies can’t speak human words.”

Luna tightly shut her mouth.

Should she have made her let out a sound?

But she had no intention of going that far.

After all, she only wanted to tease Luna.

Ayla slowly moved the hand that had been stroking Luna’s head, trailing it down to her back.

Then, as if hugging a large dog, she gently ran her hand down Luna’s back.

Past the small of her back, almost to just above her hips.

Her hunched back curved like a shrimp, but her waist arched in the opposite direction like a bow.

Perhaps because of her concave waist, her pelvis was even more accentuated,

noticeable even through the thick maid uniform.

Even though Ayla’s hand hadn’t directly touched her skin, Luna’s body shivered.

There was a faint scent of sweat.

“Luna.”

“Do you understand?”

It seemed like a question mark had appeared above Luna’s head.

Her face was buried in Ayla’s chest, so her expression was hidden, but from the way her body flinched at Ayla’s voice, she could tell.

“The smell.”

“Dogs recognize their owners by scent. Even from far away, they hear their owner’s voice and smell them, then come running with joy.”

She continued speaking with a bit of mischief.

“So, shouldn’t you be like that too, Luna?Shouldn’t you be able to recognize me by my scent alone?”

Honestly, when it came to ‘scent,’ there were much stronger aspects.

And if Ayla had wanted to, she could have made Luna smell those parts.

But even so, Ayla wasn’t prepared to go that far.

For now, she wanted to keep it at just teasing Luna.

Because if she crossed that line—

Somehow, she felt like she wouldn’t be able to stop, even if guilt followed.

Luna’s body trembled.

“How is it?”

Ayla whispered.

“Try smelling it. I didn’t wash on purpose. Even if you’re not a real dog, this much should be enough.”

At Ayla’s words, Luna trembled once more.

Then, the sound of her inhaling could be heard.

“… Ngh.”

A strange noise escaped her lips.

Was it because the smell was too strong?

Or was it, just like when Ayla touched her lower abdomen, that Luna was ‘feeling’ something from the scent?

In the end, Ayla couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Good girl. Well done. Well done.”

She ruffled Luna’s head and back as if praising a dog.

Flinch, flinch.

“Whimper.”

She must not speak.

Even though Ayla hadn’t explicitly commanded it, Luna was obeying perfectly.

Until Ayla gave her permission, she wouldn’t dare make a dog’s sound, struggling to hold it in.

But did Luna realize?

That the sound she just made was exactly like a big puppy’s whimper.

And that she really did have a cute, puppy-like side to her.

“Someday, shall we go out for a walk?”

Ayla pulled Luna’s face further into her chest and murmured.

“I should make a leash that matches that choker. After all, dogs’ main job when going on a walk is sniffing everything around them, right?”

Of course, it was a joke.

But Luna couldn’t take Ayla’s words as just a joke.

Ah, how adorable.

The warrior who once struck at the dragon’s weak spot—was now a mere puppy.

And that puppy belonged to Ayla.

With a deep smile, Ayla held Luna tightly for a long while.