Chapter 53: An Unexpected Kiss

I opened my eyes and glanced out the window. Dawn was just beginning to break, the darkness slowly giving way to the faintest light.

I quickly got ready and left the dormitory early with Ahrin, who had come to my room. The halls were still deserted, a quiet stillness hanging in the air. The academy grounds, bathed in the bluish pre-dawn light, had a charm I found quite appealing.

I thought, occasionally waking up early wouldn’t be so bad. But with this body’s inherent love for sleep, it would probably be too difficult. Usually, even if I woke up a little early, I’d immediately close my eyes, thinking, ‘Just five more minutes.’ Today was an exception, a day of unusual whim. Since it was a whim, I decided to savor the atmosphere with Ahrin, walking slowly.

“See you later, Ahrin.”

“Yes. Have a good day, Miss.”

We exchanged goodbyes at the academy entrance before parting ways – me towards the classroom and Ahrin towards the servants’ waiting area. I turned to enter the academy. That’s when Ahrin called out to me.

“Miss…!”

“Yes? What is it–”

I turned around to find Ahrin standing right in front of me. Then, I felt a soft, moist touch on my cheek. Ahrin had risen on her tiptoes and, uh, well… kissed my cheek.

“A, Ahrin? What was that, suddenly….”

“I, I, I have to go now!”

Her face flushed crimson, clearly embarrassed by her actions. She turned and ran, her steps unsteady. She stumbled midway, nearly tripping over something, making me flinch. Thankfully, she regained her balance and disappeared from sight.

That was… really sudden. She could have at least said something. Not that I would have refused… probably.

A faint warmth lingered on my cheek. I wasn’t sure if my face was flushed from embarrassment or if it was the lingering warmth of Ahrin’s lips. Maybe both?

I entered the classroom and sat in a daze, letting my racing thoughts cool down. Still, all I could think about was what had just happened with Ahrin. I had been surprised and flustered by the sudden kiss on the cheek, but considering we had already kissed… you know, properly… perhaps a kiss on the cheek wasn’t such a big deal. …Or was it?

Come to think of it, after that kiss with Ahrin, we’d continued as usual – the massages, holding hands occasionally – but nothing more intimate. It wasn’t that I felt any aversion to it; it just happened naturally. Maybe neither of us is particularly proactive in that regard.

What exactly was my relationship with Ahrin? Mistress and maid, certainly, a master-servant relationship, but not a typical one. We had done… things… but there was no confession, no discussion about what we were. We had shared intimacy, yet our relationship was hard to define.

“Good morning!”

That energetic voice was Soine’s. Soine and Miner greeted me and sat to my left. At some point, it had become our usual seating arrangement – the two of them on my left, Nell and Euru on my right. Then, without me realizing it, Nell and Euru would often end up on either side of me.

Lost in these pointless musings, I returned their greetings and made small talk.

I continued to sit in a daze until I sensed a presence and turned around. Nell and Euru were standing there.

“Good morning to you both. Nell, you’re a little late today, aren’t you?”

She almost always arrived before me, while Euru was usually among the last to arrive, so seeing them together was a first.

“…Hello.”

“Good morning.”

“?”

Was I imagining things? Their gazes seemed… strange. Colder even than when I’d first met them after possessing Sayoreinne’s body last year. Yes, it must be my imagination.

I couldn’t think of anything I’d done wrong. We had parted ways with smiles yesterday. So, this morning should have been no different, yet…

I felt a growing unease and glanced at them sitting to my right. The atmosphere was completely different. Should I be grateful they were at least sitting next to me? Still, this situation was suffocating.

I subtly looked at Miner and Soine, hoping they might know something, but they both seemed clueless. Had I done something wrong that I couldn’t remember? I tried to start a conversation, but the timing was terrible. The door opened, the teacher walked in, and class began. I had to wait until the end of class.

Or so I thought. As soon as class ended, Euru and Nell approached me, asking to talk. They pulled me outside. I’d been agonizing over how to bring up the subject, so this was a relief. On the other hand, now that it was happening, I started to worry about what they would say. My anxiety grew as they led me to a deserted area.

And then, they spoke.

“What’s your relationship with that maid, Ahrin?”

“Huh?”

“Can you answer us?”

Why were they suddenly bringing up Ahrin, someone they had no connection with?

“We’re just… close. A mistress and her maid,” I replied.

“Is that all?”

“…Yes. Why do you ask?”

What was going on? Had Ahrin done something to offend them? No, Ahrin hadn’t had the opportunity to interact with anyone else. She always waited in the servants’ quarters and came straight to me after her duties were done.

As I wracked my brain for an explanation, Nell stepped forward.

“Truly? Nothing more than that?”

“Did Ahrin do something to you two?”

“No, not really.”

“Well… you must have brought me here for a reason. Please tell me what’s on your mind.”

“…I was on duty today, opening the library and taking care of things, so I came to the academy early this morning.”

Nell looked at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to say something. What did her coming to the academy early have to do with me…? Oh.

“And…?”

“On my way to the library, I saw… I saw Ahrin and… well, the maid who’s always with you… together.”

“Yes….”

Oh… Don’t tell me…

“And I saw… I saw her… kiss you… on the cheek!”

So Nell had seen it.

“…….”

I wanted to say something, anything, but my mouth wouldn’t open. My mind went blank. With Nell having seen it so clearly, what could I possibly say? What should I do? What should I say? Nothing came to mind.

Unable to meet their gazes, I turned my head away.

“That reaction… I guess it’s true. Honestly, I couldn’t believe Nell when she told me…”

“I told you, it wasn’t a lie!”

Of all the days… why did Nell have to see Ahrin kissing my cheek? I was at a complete loss for how to react. I felt a strange mix of embarrassment and something I couldn’t quite name.

“Sayo?”

“Yes….”

“Let me ask you again. What’s your relationship with that maid?”

“Please, answer us clearly.”

Did I really need to explain myself to them? It was my relationship with Ahrin. What we did was none of their business…!

I turned to face them, ready to tell them just that.

But then… I saw their cold gazes and flinched, turning away again. Why were they looking at me like that? Was it such a terrible crime? Did they think I had forced Ahrin to do it? Absolutely not!

“…We’re just a mistress and her maid.”

And it was true… for now. But they clearly didn’t believe me. I supposed if I had seen what Nell saw, I wouldn’t believe it either.

“Is it common these days to casually kiss someone you’re not even dating?”

“I didn’t know that.”

Why was I being subjected to this? I felt a surge of anger.

“…It’s none of your business whether I kiss Ahrin on the cheek or on the lips.”

“You… don’t tell me… you and that maid…?”

I met Euru’s glare head-on. They were my friends, and I knew they were worried, but… I was getting angry.

“So, it’s true? You’re saying it doesn’t matter if you’re not officially dating?”

“Yes. It doesn’t matter if– Mmmmph?!”

What? What was happening? Euru’s face… her nose… her eyes… why were they so close?

How long did it last? Euru’s face pulled away, but I was still reeling.

“Don’t be sneaky…”

“W-What? Mmmmph?!”

And then, another scent, another warmth, another soft touch. This time, Nell. Oh…………….

I finally came to my senses when Miner shook me, urging me to go to dinner. I was sitting dazedly in the classroom.

What… just happened?