NOVEL WEB Chapter 110.1
Stage 4-17. Alice Who Isn’t a Maid
It was good news that the progress of the prosthetic hand could be confirmed, and its quality was excellent.
At this rate, the prosthetic hand would likely be completed sooner than expected.
Feeling somewhat relieved, I switched my focus and decided to concentrate on the upcoming dates.
When the dates with the four of them were decided, I made sure to plan each date according to their wishes.
Mashiro wanted to go shopping together. Reina preferred to relax at the inn. Karen seemed interested in visiting the planetarium.
And then, there was Alice, the only one who left it entirely up to me.
She alone had said, “I am ignorant, so I would like to leave it to you, Ouga-sama…”
In other words, the success of today’s date would entirely depend on my actions!
Thinking about it that way, the pressure to not fail grew stronger…
“How unusual…”
Looking at the clock tower at Encartoon, the meeting spot, it was already about five minutes past the agreed time.
For someone as serious as her to be late… could something have happened? Just as I started to worry, I heard her voice calling my name from afar.
“I-I’m terribly sorry, Ouga-sama! I’m late!”
Turning my gaze toward the voice, I saw Alice, not in her usual maid outfit, but in casual clothes.
She rushed over to me, breathing heavily, and began apologizing profusely.
“I’m so sorry! I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m not used to high heels, and I almost fell several times…”
“……..”
“…Ouga-sama?”
“…Sorry. I couldn’t help but stare…”
When I think of Alice’s image, it’s always the bright red maid dress with a black apron.
But the Alice in front of me was wearing an off-shoulder white knit top and a beige long skirt.
Her healthy shoulders and collarbone, which I rarely get to see, were exposed, and that alone was enough to satisfy me.
The perfectly fitted clothes accentuated her well-toned body even more than usual, and my gaze was completely captivated.
“…Yeah. It really suits you.”
“R-really…? I’m glad Mashiro-san and the others helped me…”
I see. That’s why I was told to stay outside.
I had wondered if there was some kind of surprise, but it seems I was given more than I had hoped for.
“I’m not used to wearing clothes like this, so it feels strange. I also feel like I’m getting more attention than usual.”
I agree. Thanks to that, I’m also getting a lot of jealous looks piercing my back.
Stop looking, stop looking! Alice might become my wife someday!
“It’s proof that Alice has become even more beautiful. I should thank Mashiro and the others. And I’m also lucky to be able to go on a date with such a beautiful Alice.”
Wanting to get away from the lecherous gazes of the men around us, I took her hand.
Until now, Alice had always been my maid, so this was the first time we held hands like this.
Glancing at her, I saw that Alice’s face was completely red.
“O-O-O-Ouga-sama…” she stammered like a broken recorder.
Seeing her innocent reaction, my own tension began to ease.
I had been feeling the pressure to escort her properly, but now I felt that as long as we both enjoyed ourselves, that would be enough.
“It’s still early for lunch, right? I heard there’s a nice open-terrace restaurant a short walk from here. Let’s rest there for a bit before we continue.”
“Y-yes! I’ll leave it to you!”
Enjoying her uncharacteristically awkward demeanor, I started walking side by side with Alice.
Thanks to the reservation I made earlier, we were able to get into the restaurant without any trouble.
The colorful terrine appetizer was brought out, and we were about to start eating… but.
“Knife on the right… fork on the left… huh? Wait, was it the other way around?”
Alice was flustered, and it was quite amusing.
Originally, she wasn’t good with such manners, but thanks to Molina’s thorough training, she had grown to the point where she could pass as my maid.