The Opposite Sex
“With Rodwell-sama… in the bath?”
When Violet, looking puzzled at Siana’s sudden words, asked her that, Siana nodded and replied.
“Yes, exactly! Lux-kun must be tired from sword practice, right? So, as his maid, I’ll join him in the bath and gently relax his body while washing him!”
Hearing those words, Violet paused for a moment before speaking.
“That is… certainly something that would be impossible given the current relationship between Rodwell-sama and Florence-sama, so I suppose it’s a good idea…”
Seeing Violet’s somewhat hesitant speech, and knowing her so well after so many years together, Siana voiced exactly what she knew Violet was thinking.
“You’re blushing because you heard the words ‘bathing with the opposite sex,’ and especially ‘bathing with Lux-kun,’ aren’t you?”
“…!?”
For once, Violet let a faint blush creep across her cheeks.
Seeing this, Siana became certain she was right and continued.
“You’re usually calm, but when it comes to this kind of talk, you’re really hopeless… I mean, you’ve fallen for someone of the opposite sex, so you had to know moments like this would come sooner or later, right?”
“That may be so… but, Ojou-sama, you’ve never had such experiences yourself, have you? Even so, how can you remain so composed…?”
In response to Violet’s uncharacteristically timid question, Siana answered.
“It’s not like I feel no embarrassment at all about bathing with Lux-kun… but more than that, I want to become close enough to the one I love to be able to hold each other even more.”
“Hold… each other close…”
Siana found Violet’s unusually shy demeanor a little amusing, and her tone turned slightly teasing.
“And what about you?”
“What… do you mean?”
“I mean, do you want to bathe with Lux-kun or not?”
“…!”
When Siana asked this, Violet pulled her black hood over her head so Siana couldn’t see her face and replied.
“I cannot answer such a question… but if Rodwell-sama were to approve… no, it’s nothing…”
With that, Violet fell silent.
Siana felt happy that Violet was slowly beginning to find her own happiness, though she still found it complicated that the object of those feelings was Lux. Even so, the happiness she felt over Violet taking steps toward joy outweighed that complication.
Siana then lightly patted Violet’s head through the hood, walked to her room’s door, and spoke.
“Well then, Violet, I’ll be going.”
“Yes… if you do end up bathing together, I will stand guard near the bath, rather than inside.”
“Alright, I’m counting on you.”
Seeing Violet’s rare fluster in her words made Siana feel a little amused, but the moment she stepped out of her room, she switched gears and headed toward Lux’s room.
Lux’s Side
“Master, may I have a moment?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
After Siana had left my room, I was studying when, some time later, I again heard her voice from just outside my door. When I answered, she stepped inside.
She didn’t seem particularly out of sorts, which made me feel relieved. But then she suddenly asked me,
“Master, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”
“I’m a little tired today, so I think I’ll stop studying soon, have dinner, take a bath, and then go straight to bed.”
“I see… In that case, Master! If you don’t mind, would you join me for a bath tonight?”
“…Eh?”
Me and Siana… in the bath together…!?