Special Punishment (1)

The first thought that came to mind when I found the Cat Maid Headband in Ethan’s bag was why on earth it was in there.

For one, the item I bought at the Dungeon Reward Market that day was supposed to be in my luggage bag, so the fact that it was in his bag meant that Ethan had secretly rummaged through my personal belongings.

‘When on earth did he rummage through it?’

Actually, the cat ear headband itself wasn’t a problem. I personally found it quite cute, and most importantly, it was a gift from Ethan.

However, the other two parts… the collar and the tail, were for a bit of niche play, so I had intentionally put them deep inside my luggage bag.

Even if it was ‘that kind of item,’ it was a gift from Ethan, so it felt a bit wrong to just throw it away. …And it’s definitely not because I secretly wanted Ethan to ‘do things’ to me while I was wearing it.

Before putting the Cat Maid Headband back into Ethan’s bag, I quietly focused on the sounds coming from inside the bathroom.

-Chalbap, Chalbap.

‘Uhm…’

…It’ll probably take a little longer for him to come out, right? Ethan is a noble in his own right, so he tends to take a long time to wash.

Since I had found the Cat Maid Headband, rather than just putting it back, I decided to try it on and stood in front of the full-length mirror.

Two black cat ears, strangely similar to my hair color, seemed to stick out from the front of the Head Dress.

It wasn’t just plain cat ears, but cat ears with maid lace, which made me think that if this item were an equipment item in 『Luminor Academy』, it might have been one of Lilith’s exclusive items.

In any case, to get straight to the point, it definitely suited me well.

Honestly, among the characters in 『Luminor Academy』, there probably wasn’t a woman who wouldn’t suit cat ears, but even considering that, it was quite a fitting accessory for Lilith, so I could roughly guess what Ethan might have been thinking when I wore this before.

‘…Ah, then maybe he brought this because…’

No way, did he bring it because he wanted to go with a Cat Beast Maid concept today?

Was the reason he seemed strangely impatient earlier because he wanted to get me into this Cat Beast Maid outfit quickly?

And renting such a nice room to please me was also for the purpose of putting this on me?

Was probing my intentions with that strange question earlier because… he was worried I might dislike wearing it?

Thinking that way, all the pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place. In the end, Ethan’s awkward demeanor today was all because of this headband.

‘To think… He’s really quite cute when he’s like this.’

Well, he didn’t have to be so fidgety; I would have worn it for him anytime if he had just asked.

The design of an accessory worn on the head doesn’t really change anything. If this alone could make Ethan a little more excited than usual, it was a profitable deal for me.

‘Ah, that’s a relief. I was just overthinking things because of this.’

A Cat Maid, huh? Surprisingly, it’s a hobby like a boy in his prime.

Even a Prince in a fantasy world can’t resist cosplay play, I guess. Since I was a man in my past life, I can totally understand.

…Anyway, since it seems like it’s going to happen, should I give him a little extra service? For example, later in front of Ethan, something like this…

“M-Master, nyang….”

“……”

“L-Lilith is a maid, nyang…. T-To ask me to do this while wearing something like this, M-Master is a pervert, nyang….”

“……”

“B-But it is a maid’s duty to fulfill such dark desires of her Master, so I will have no choice but to try, nya….”

“…Lilith?”

“Ukyaaaaaak?!”

As I was practicing various things alone in front of the full-length mirror, Ethan’s voice suddenly appeared from behind me.

Startled, I hastily turned around, and what met my eyes was Ethan, appearing in a bathrobe with its front loosely undone.

“E-E-E-Ethan Young Master?”

“Lilith? What were you just doing?”

“N-No, I wasn’t doing anything! I really wasn’t doing anything!”

“…For someone who wasn’t doing anything, you were speaking in a very cat-like way just now….”

“Ack! Aack! Aack! I wasn’t doing anything! I don’t remember! Do you have proof?! Proof that I was imitating a cat’s speech and calling Ethan Young Master’s name!”

“…I didn’t say it that specifically, Lilith.”

The fact that I had been caught by Ethan doing this kind of crap was already an obvious situation, but I had to make him ‘unsee’ it somehow.

The moment I admitted to doing this, my pride and shame would be utterly destroyed. A maid wearing a cat ear headband and meowing in front of a full-length mirror? This is a crazy woman, even if I hadn’t been a man in my past life.

“……Alright. I didn’t see anything, so it’s fine, Lilith.”

Ethan, who had been silently watching my desperate denial, quietly blinked his eyes, then reluctantly nodded and let the situation pass.

…Anyone could see that he just didn’t want to see me having another fit, but if I could avoid having that embarrassing act mentioned again, I could even pretend to be crazy.

“By the way, Lilith.”

“Yes?”

“That thing you’re wearing on your head right now, where did you get that?”

…Ah, damn it.

Now that I think about it, this was originally in Ethan’s bag.

“…Did you perhaps take it out of my bag?”

“……”

I should have just checked what it was and put it right back.

I had been caught red-handed fiddling around in front of the mirror, trying it on, so making a clumsy excuse here would only make things worse.

“I-I’m sorry, Ethan Young Master. I was just a little curious why you brought a bag, which is unusual for you….”

“Lilith….”

“……”

“…Well, I never told you not to touch my bag, did I?”

As I stood there, looking apologetic and unable to say anything, Ethan, seemingly softening, tried to subtly let it slide.

Even for me, accepting that favor without hesitation would be an act against my conscience, so I absolutely had to receive some form of punishment from Ethan here.

I felt that the trust between a Master and a maid being broken would be more fatal than simply running away from the immediate punishment.

Especially since I didn’t want to be disliked by Ethan, I absolutely had to bow my head here.

“P-Please punish me….”

“Huh?”

“I-I carelessly touched your personal belongings, Ethan Young Master, so I-I deserve to be punished….”

“It’s fine. We’re not the kind of people who’d punish each other for something like this, Lilith.”

“…No, as a maid, I committed an action that could make me lose my Master’s trust. To let this pass without any punishment would be to lose my qualification as a maid.”

“……”

Ethan listened to my words, then made a hesitant expression, as if contemplating something.

He was probably reacting that way because he was thinking about what degree of punishment would be appropriate.

He probably didn’t want to give me a harsh punishment because he liked me, but conversely, he couldn’t refuse my argument that I deserved punishment precisely because he liked me.

“…Then.”

Ethan, who had been contemplating something, carefully pointed to the headband he had taken back from me and his bag, then proposed the ‘punishment’ he had in mind.

“Then, Lilith’s punishment for today will be that we’ll have sex while you’re wearing what I brought in this bag.”

“What?”

“You looked inside the bag, so you know what’s in it, right? I think this will be enough of a punishment for you, Lilith.”

“……”

…That’s… a punishment?

Rolling around in bed with Ethan while just wearing a cat ear headband is a punishment?

‘If it’s just having sex while wearing only the cat ear headband, isn’t that pretty much the same as the usual rewards?’

It was such an easy task that I felt a little suspicious, but judging by Ethan’s expression, it seemed Ethan considered it quite a significant punishment.

And besides, I, the maid who had committed the offense, was not in a position to choose the punishment Ethan had personally given.

“Understood, Ethan Young Master. Then, as you say, I will accept that punishment.”

“Alright, then. I’ll be getting ready, so take your time washing up and come out.”

“…Yes, Ethan Young Master.”

With those words, I cautiously made my way to the bathroom where Ethan had just finished washing.

Submerging myself up to my neck in the heated bathtub, I found myself deep in thought about the punishment Ethan had just mentioned throughout my bath.

‘…No matter how I think about it, a cat ear headband felt a bit too lenient.’

I had committed an act that could potentially damage the trust between an exclusive maid and her Master, so was it really possible to be forgiven with just that?

Thinking such thoughts, when I finished my bath and stepped out of the bathroom, I finally realized that the ‘punishment’ Ethan had spoken of didn’t just mean a simple Cat Maid Headband.

“Ethan Young Master, I’ve finished my bath and come out….”

-Cheolkuk.

“……out?”

Because the moment I stepped out of the bathroom, along with the sound of something locking, a long red collar was fastened around my neck.