NOVEL WEB Chapter 42
Chapter: 42
“……..”
“……..”
I walked into the bathroom with Rize.
Honestly, I was just planning to chat with Rize in the room.
That would have been the neatest way to have a conversation, right…?
But somehow, we ended up in the bathroom together.
And… both of us were naked.
Unlike usual, Rize did not come in to help me bathe.
‘Try talking while you’re both naked.’
…No matter how I think about it, Mom, this seems a bit off.
I’ve entered due to Rosalyn’s insistence, but this just felt… too awkward.
“Ha, haha…”
“……..”
“Umm… Rize? Let’s… start by covering up…”
“…Yes.”
Rize didn’t react much and simply answered, trying to go on with her usual bathing duties.
Unlike Rosalyn’s suggestion of just chatting while washing ourselves normally.
“…Rize.”
“………”
Is she really that embarrassed?
I mean, it could be embarrassing enough, and having heard Rize’s words, I totally understood.
But I didn’t want to stay awkward with Rize.
I didn’t know how things would play out from what Rosalyn said, but I still wanted to get closer to Rize again.
“Let’s do what Mom said. Just come here.”
It wasn’t necessary to fill the bathtub; we could wash normally.
Just… like we were casually bathing together.
Rize started to slow-walk further into the bathroom, deliberately avoiding conversation and any help.
She naturally began to follow behind me.
“Rize, just wash normally. Don’t worry about me.”
Of course, Rize’s situation… well, it was complicated.
I thought being next to each other washing wouldn’t be a big deal.
Could Rize feel burdened by my presence…?
It’s not like it was the first time Rize had seen my body, after all.
She had helped wash me before and had helped me change clothes too.
So, surely that shouldn’t be a problem… or at least, I believed it would be fine.
-Splash…
We were washing separately while getting doused by the magical water.
Usually, Rize would wash me in the tub, but today, we were apart…
We should give Rize time to acclimate, and quite frankly, it was hard for me to speak casually.
“…Ahem.”
I washed up and turned toward Rize to say something, but… she was still washing.
It felt awkward to talk.
If Rize had finished washing up, I wanted to say we could go into the tub.
“……..”
So I just decided to get splashed more by the water.
Honestly, I didn’t need to rush into what Rosalyn mentioned — that… naked conversation.
It would be better to take it slow until Rize was okay with it.
“Rize.”
“…Yes.”
Only after Rize finished washing did our eyes meet.
…It’s the first time we’re facing each other like this.
I’d always been exposed, but Rize had never been completely naked around me like this.
It made everything… really awkward.
“Shall we get in?”
“…Yes.”
…Thus, we began to enter the tub, surrounded by an incredibly awkward atmosphere.
This was the first time stepping into the tub together with Rize.
Being naked together was also a first.
Despite spending considerable time with Rize, everything felt odd as everything was a first.
“Ahem…”
“………”
We didn’t say a word and just let the warm water envelop us.
“Rize.”
“Yes…”
“Um… I don’t really know how to start this.”
This was also my first time being in such a situation.
Honestly, talking to Karen or waking Ashley would feel easier.
Right now, it was just too awkward and uncomfortable.
“Um… So, does that mean you think I’m attractive…?”
…Even saying it felt embarrassing.
How could I say something so ordinary?
I thought it’s completely natural, but I still felt shy about it.
I felt foolish for even asking Rize such a thing.
“So… like, you want to hug me or… um, sorry…”
I couldn’t finish what I was trying to say.
How did Rize respond so casually back then?
If I found it difficult just to ask her, it must have been even harder for her to speak normally to me.
“…So, is that what it is?”
“…A little. It’s different.”
“Really…?”
If it’s different, then how different could it be?
Rize’s response left me more confused about what she meant.
“…I assure you, I hold no feelings for you, Young Lady. I just think I might do something mischievous to you…”
“Mischievous…?”
“…Yes.”
“Huh…?”
Hearing Rize say that piqued my interest.
It sounded a bit perverted, but honestly, I was curious.
It was entirely reasonable for Rize to feel she might do something mischievous.
The most I could come up with were those times she’d made her tea without sugar.
“Hehe…”
“…?”
“Hehe… Haha…!”
Rize didn’t even say anything, yet I couldn’t help but envision it.
Rize fiercely mixing bitter herbs into tea with an angry expression.
Seriously…
“Rize… Really… Hehe…”
Just imagining it made me laugh and think it was cute.
Rize, who usually obeyed my wishes, seemed far too sweet to think of doing something wrong.
Even if she did anything bad, it wouldn’t go beyond that.
“What kind of mischievous things do you think you’d do? Tell me.”
“Um…”
Was it because of that?
I found it surprisingly easy to ask Rize.
Just moments ago, I felt like I couldn’t say anything, but now it just flowed.
“Huh? I wonder what kind of bad thoughts Rize has?”
As I moved closer to Rize in the tub.
“Ah, Young Lady…”
“Huh? Rize, what kind of naughty thoughts? Hmm?”
I started to excitedly ask Rize.
As I drew closer, Rize seemed even more flustered, and honestly, that was fun to watch.
I crept ever closer until we were almost touching.
Just a slight move and we’d be in contact.
“Hehe… You better answer quickly.”
“…I just want to hug you more… or stay holding hands…”
“Isn’t that a bad thought?”
“Young Lady… If you continue like this…”
“But you said you wouldn’t feel that way about me, and the ‘bad thoughts’ are just wanting to be close to me, right?”
“Even so…”
Rize was so worried.
She often worried about me, but it felt particularly intense right now.
If someone saw us, they might think we were some forbidden lovers stealing kisses or something.
In reality, we were just two girls holding hands and hugging a little.
But looking at it this way, maybe I was seeing Rize too maturely.
She was taller than me, but still not an adult yet.
And we weren’t that far apart in age…
“Hehe… Rize? You really don’t need to worry so much. We’re friends, right?”
“Friends…?”
“I don’t just hold hands and spend time like this with people I’m not close with, you know?”
“…Yes.”
“Of course, Rize is my personal maid, but I’ve never treated you like a maid or servant.”
Though Rize was indeed my personal maid, I never thought of her as just someone beneath me.
Since childhood, I always considered Rize a friend and an older sister type who helped me genuinely.
“So… holding hands like this is perfectly fine, right?”
I said as I interlocked my fingers with hers again.
Earlier, I had just rested my hand on hers.
“Right?”
“…If you say so, Young Lady.”
“Good to hear.”
Rize’s expression significantly relaxed compared to before.
Did my rambling have some effect? Honestly, I hadn’t expected it to resolve so easily.
Like Rosalyn said, just talking like this could ease things; I truly never considered that.
“Umm, Young Lady…?”
“Yes.”
“When will we…?”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to hold on a bit longer?”
“That’s…!”
“So, just a little bit longer. Until we leave, okay?”
If shy Rize keeps holding my hand out here like this, her face would turn so red it might explode.
“Just a little longer.”
“…Yes.”
I said so, and Rize agreed.
In many ways, Rize and I didn’t say much… still, it felt like the tenseness had faded after those awkward days.
And honestly, that was enough for me.
“But Rize, are you into girls?”
“Yes…?”
“I’m just curious. There’s a difference between finding a girl attractive and actually liking them, you know?”
To be honest, I was quite curious.
Though I realized this question was a bit inappropriate and strange, I still asked.
“I’m not in love or anything. It’s just… you’re so beautiful, Young Lady. You shine with radiance…”
“…Really?”
Rize, who normally got shy, seemed even cuter today.
She felt way more adorable than usual.