NOVEL WEB Chapter 176
Chapter: 176
“Young Lady…?”
“Yes, Rize.”
“I already washed up this morning….”
“And so?”
Rize looked at me with slightly trembling eyes.
I always thought that Rize seemed too shy.
Karen is also shy, but that’s more a confidence issue, while Rize just has a shy personality.
“So… I really don’t need to wash up again….”
“But when you serve me, you’ll end up getting your body wet anyway, and your clothes too, right? Isn’t it better to just wash up comfortably together?”
I brought this up as we were headed to the bathroom to wash up together in the morning.
To be fair, Rize’s point about having already washed was valid, but…
I just wanted to do it.
I decided not to think about what had been bothering me for days.
If I did things within reason, it wouldn’t be a big problem, I thought.
I mean, I wasn’t an adult yet.
Doing something directly with a girl felt a little…
“Is that a no?”
“…It’s not that it’s a no, but there’s really no need to….”
“Relax, it’s fine. Let’s just wash up together. Besides, don’t you love soaking in the bath?”
“…That’s true.”
In the end, Rize reluctantly agreed to wash with me, and she stripped out of her simple maid uniform, coming into the bathroom completely naked.
“…Young Lady.”
“Yes, why?”
“Isn’t this a bit too close…?”
“You don’t like it?”
“That’s not what I mean….”
After washing up, we entered the bath together.
As always, the water was really warm, and it felt incredibly comforting as soon as I got in.
Honestly, I liked being in the bath with Rize too.
“Phew….”
“Um… Young Lady, what do you want to do today…?”
“Hmm… what should we play?”
“I have work to do….”
“Since I’m just relaxing in the Mansion, doesn’t it seem weird for you, a maid, to have work?”
“……”
I wondered how long she intended to keep up that little lie.
I’d heard that excuse about being busy since childhood.
She surely knew it wouldn’t fly anymore.
“Right?”
“…Yes.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I would… be okay with anything.”
“Really?”
“…Yes.”
Hmm….
Since she said she was okay,
Isn’t that kind of like a permission?
I could mess around and it would be fine… of course, not to the extreme.
“Hehe….”
I placed my hand over Rize’s hand, smiling.
Since we were both in the bath, I felt the water’s warmth more than the touch of our hands, but the contact was what mattered.
Honestly, holding hands or having skin touch was something we did often, but even a light touch like this felt nice.
“I always think Rize has really pretty hands. Even though you do plenty of cleaning.”
As I gently touched Rize’s hand in the bath, I said that.
I personally liked pretty hands quite a lot.
Beautiful hands just were pretty, unlike other parts of the body?
Truth be told, I liked pretty body parts in general, not just hands.
“Hmm….”
“You know, it really is because you’re tall; you have these beautiful features.”
“Are you referring to me…?”
“Of course, I’m talking about you. Who else would I be talking about? I’m not as tall as you, Rize.”
I always felt that whether you’re a girl or a boy, being tall was a significant factor in attractiveness.
If you’re fundamentally tall, it gives an overall pretty impression.
Of course, there were other reasons Rize was pretty aside from height.
“Your legs and waist have such beautiful lines.”
“Young Lady?”
“Yes, why?”
“It’s… a bit sudden to be touching my legs….”
“Was that unpleasant?”
“It’s not that; it’s just… a bit sudden….”
I lightly traced Rize’s body while submerged in the bath.
Her smooth skin felt delightful to touch, typical of a woman.
My skin was smooth and soft too, but touching my own body is just different from touching someone else’s.
“Hmm… should I touch more gently?”
“I didn’t mean for you to touch me….”
“Just kidding, just kidding. If I keep this up, Rize will definitely get mad. I’ll stop here.”
“Ah….”
Even though I enjoyed this, I didn’t plan to continue indefinitely.
When I withdrew my hand from Rize’s body, her expression slightly changed, but at least I decided to stop at a reasonable point.
*
“Teacher, how long are you going to sleep?”
“Yawn…. I don’t know….”
I had come to Ashley’s Room in the afternoon.
In the morning, I had played with Rize in my room, and it felt like too much to keep holding Rize on the bed.
Of course, it had already been over two hours… and I had used Rize as a pillow.
“It’s already this hour. Are you really going to keep sleeping?”
“I don’t know….”
Even in broad daylight, with the sun having risen long ago, Ashley was still in a deep slumber.
She was always so consistent.
Well, I was grateful to Ashley.
She had truly helped me to an extent in resolving my recent worries.
For now, I decided not to tickle Ashley’s body.
“Teacher.”
“What is it….?”
“It seems like you got closer with Mother during your time at the Academy; how was that?”
“Boring….”
Even though she was still half-asleep, her answer was quite cute.
She lay entirely relaxed on the bed, not even opening her eyes, just quietly responding.
“What’s your cup size?”
“I don’t know….”
“Hehe….”
It was a joke, but I didn’t expect her to respond to even that question.
I had thought she might wake up shocked rather than answering.
She didn’t seem entirely aware that she was responding to my weird question.
I figured she wouldn’t remember it when she truly woke up.
“Teacher, how long are you going to sleep?”
“Sleeping….”
“If you keep sleeping, I might prank you. Is that okay?”
“Ugh….”
“Ha….”
If I had said this when she was more awake, she would have surely been startled and disapproved….
But she’s not awake now, right?
Seeing her respond foolishly was just amusing…
“Funny.”
It was also cute.
I suppose I do have a soft spot for pretty girls, huh?
Not in a romantic way, just purely finding them pretty.
If a person is good-looking, then… they get a pass for just about anything, even if it’s just Ashley sleeping all day.
“Ha….”
I guess I really do pay a lot of attention to appearances.
But considering that all Ashley has done lately is sleep, that’s part of it too.
She was far from being the trashy eldest daughter of the Rose Family.
Aside from sleeping, she was definitely a helpful teacher in class.
“Uhhh….”
I wonder if it’s because I kept chatting next to her?
Ashley began to turn on her side.
I felt like she was turning away because she didn’t want to hear me chat, which was a bit disappointing.
Of course, talking to someone while they’re sleeping is a bit intrusive.
“Hmm.”
But just because of that, simply backing off seemed boring.
It was wrong to annoy someone who’s sleeping, but just stopping wasn’t appealing to me.
I began to shift on the bed.
Slowly, I lifted the blanket that Ashley had been under, and….
“Warm.”
I crawled under the covers.
Since Ashley had been lying on the bed, it was definitely a warm blanket.
…If I lay here too long, I was bound to get drowsy, right?
No wonder Ashley sleeps a lot.
“Ugh….”
“Hmm….”
I began to reposition myself under the blanket slowly.
Unlike when I slept with Rize on the bed, I was just lying next to her.
I had never slept next to Ashley like I had with Rize.
“Ugh… Mmm….”
“…Sensitive, huh?”
I lightly placed my hand on her lower belly.
Just like handling a doll, ever so gently.
However, even that light touch made Ashley react as if she was tickled.
Even when I had tickled her belly and armpits a while ago, she had reacted significantly, but she was so sensitive to such light touches, too.
“Ugh….”
“Ugh….”
“Oh….”
“Ugh… Heh… Mmm….”
…She sounded like an instrument.
As I moved my hand and did something, she kept making noises, almost like I was playing a weird instrument.
Honestly, I knew it wasn’t the kindest thing to tease a sleeping person, but it was oddly enjoyable for me.
“Huh…..”
“Teacher, are you going to keep sleeping while you’re treated like a toy?”
“Ugh… Huh….”
I felt like I was doing something really bad.
After all, I was tickling a sleeping person.
Of course, I felt that way, but… was it because Ashley wasn’t waking up at all?
Despite my thoughts, my hand wouldn’t stop moving.
“I’m such a pervert.”
Although I was the one doing it, it felt a bit perverted.
Touching a sleeping person’s body like this and chuckling at their reactions…
Of course, Ashley had consented, in a way, with her sleep talking.
After a while, I thought I should stop fooling around, and I lifted my hand from Ashley’s belly.
“Ah….”
“…….”
But why did it sound like Ashley let out a slightly disappointed voice after I pulled my hand away?
Even though I chose not to continue, fearing she might wake up, the whole situation was utterly absurd.
And just to clarify, I didn’t get out of bed.