| Author: Grim Reaper Anubis | Original Source: SFACG | Word Count: 2165 characters |
| Translator: Silva | English Source: Re:Library | Word Count: 1507 words |
| Editor(s): Fire | ||
I immediately hitched a ride with a passing carriage to send me back to the Red Maple Manor. The manor was a bit far, so by the time we reached our destination, the sky was already dark.
Since I ran all the way after getting off the carriage, I was gasping for air when I entered through the door. And there she was, still sitting on the sofa, casually drinking the black tea I prepared for her at noon. Isn’t the black tea already cold by now…
“I-I’m back!” I answered while trying to catch my breath, still holding the black package of stockings near my chest.
She raised her head to gaze at me. Whether she was feeling angry or complacent, I couldn’t really tell from that expression of hers.
“Somebody seems to be 5 minutes late.”
“Eh…?”
I turned my eyes to look at the time, it was 6:05 PM. Like she said, it was already six in the evening, yet I hadn’t prepared dinner and served it at the dining table. As a maid, that was indeed a great failure.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” She asked me.
“N-None…” I replied weakly.
I had no excuses to make for myself. It was my decision to take up some time to go and buy the stockings that had led to the consequent events.
It would seem that I had incurred her wrath for always going out? Maybe that was why she became harsher at me for being late. I recalled the words she said to me earlier: “Honestly, why don’t you have any self-awareness as a maid?”
Uwaa… was I so bad that I couldn’t even do my job as a maid properly? I really am quite a disgrace. She couldn’t have… started to suspect my identity as a fake, right?
“Please accept my apology, I will go prepare your dinner at once,” I bowed towards her, making sure my posture and movements were perfect. A-Anyway… even if just a little, I need to dispel her doubts.
“What is that you’re holding?”
Ehhh——?
I got a sense of déjà vu, the knight also asked me a similar question in the afternoon, and now it was Louie’s turn to ask me?
“I-It’s nothing much…” I involuntarily tightened my grasp on the black package and answered in a stammer, “It’s just… uh… s-stockings…”
I understood that as a professional maid, I couldn’t not answer the master’s question. As a result of that, however, an inexplicable blush crept up my face. For a boy to personally tell a girl what’s in their hands were stockings… anyone would feel mortified, right?
“Oh? Stockings, huh. Open it up and let me see.”
“Ehhhhhhh???” I gawked at her as my blush intensified. My cry only served as my last shred of hopeless resistance…
I, the saintess of the Holy Church, who didn’t get bullied by others outside, was now being bullied by my “master” at home… This was probably what they called you can run but you can’t hide.
While feeling totally helpless, I opened the black package, revealing three pairs of black over-the-knee socks, one pair of white thin stockings, and one pair of black opaque stockings before Louie. It felt like my secrets were being exposed under her observant eyes, it was so embarrassing!1
Honestly though, it was such a simple matter, why couldn’t I just be a little bolder and say, “Look here, I managed to buy so many pairs of stockings today!” to Louie. Was it because I was a guy and felt ashamed to share my newly bought stockings with a girl?
“Eh? You really bought nothing else other than the stockings?”
“Yeah…” I answered feebly with my face flushing. As I was still holding the stockings to my chest, I really felt like digging a hole and burying myself as she inched closer.
The corners of her lips curved up as she leaned close to my ears and whispered, “So you suggested taking a half-day off just so you can take this chance to go buy some stockings?”
“N-No way!” I shot back in a fluster, “P-Please… don’t describe me as though I have a stockings complex and can’t live without stockings!”
My retort, however… seemed to have deepened her misunderstanding.
“What’s the problem then? You are a girl, isn’t it only normal to be interested in stockings?”
“…I suppose… you’re right. I just… wanted to give them a try.”
Was I really overreacting after all?
It was as she said, there was nothing wrong for girls to be interested in stockings.
It was also quite normal for boys to be interested in stockings, but it was not normal for boys to wear them! I was abashed when Louie said that I was a “girl”.
“Since you wanted to try them that much, why not try putting them on now?”
“Ehhhh?! What did you say?” She smiled complacently while I was at a loss.
“Just change right here. Hurry now.” She repeated herself, this time with a more commanding tone.
Just changing in front of the mirror was enough to make me feel self-conscious, and now she wanted me to change in front of her??? C-C-C—Can I run away from this?!
“I-It’s getting late, maybe I should prepare dinner for you first… okay?” I asked meekly.
“I don’t want dinner, I want to see you in your new stockings, now.”
“Is this… my punishment for being late?”
“Are you aware that you are a maid?”
“Is this my punishment for being late, mas…ter?” I changed to a more respectful tone immediately, hoping she would pardon me with this.
“It’s no use calling me master.”
Khhh… I’m trapped!
“As a professional maid, you are supposed to listen to your master’s every order right?”
“It’s… exactly as you said!” I answered with my eyes tightly shut. I wasn’t sure if she was testing my resolve as a maid, but no matter how embarrassing it is, I won’t admit defeat!
And so, in front of her, I…
Took off my shoes…
Bent down…
And starting from the right…
To the left…
I took off my white over-the-knee socks.
“Your knees are so fair and smooth.”
“……”
Someone, please save me from her!
Due to its elasticity, the over-the-knee socks rolled into a circle as I took them off. The pure white color of the rolled-up socks reminded one of an angel’s halo. It had been worn for one whole day, but it was still as spotless as ever. As I was the one who had been wearing it, I sheepishly stuffed them into my shoes.
Next, I picked up the brand new black stockings with my face as red as a tomato. Since I was too nervous, however, I opened the package in a bit of a flurry.
Its texture felt totally different from the black thin stockings I had earlier. The former was very elastic, while the latter felt like a layer of gauze.
Mhm… just feeling the texture through my hands was enough to make me look forward to wearing it~
But even if that was the case, it wasn’t like I wanted to change in front of Louie!
“…Should I change while standing?” I asked in a low voice.
“Either way’s fine.”
She was unexpectedly lenient. However, I dropped the idea as I gave it some more thought since I habitually tried on new clothes in front of a full-length mirror.
As I put on the stockings, Louie never took her eyes off me. I tried to think of her as air, but it just wasn’t possible! Boohoo! It felt so immoral to wear stockings in front of a girl!
Moreover, this wasn’t a pair of over-the-knee socks, but a pantyhose! Not only did I have to wear it over my legs, but I also had to wrap it around my lower body… It was fortunate that the skirt of the maid outfit was long enough. I only need to raise it a little to pull the pantyhose up towards my butt and prevent Louie from seeing my underwear.
That was sooooo embarrassing! But I finally did it! I timidly faced Louie with both hands locked behind my back. It felt so awkward under her watchful gaze that my legs unconsciously turned inwards. Without a mirror, I couldn’t even tell how inappropriate I looked.
“Not bad!” Louie scanned me over and praised, “So it’s true when they say those who look good in white stockings also look good in anything they wear.”
“R-Really?”
I didn’t know if I should feel happy or ashamed to be praised by her!
After she had had enough fun “teasing” me, she plopped onto the sofa in satisfaction.
“You may go prepare dinner now. Oh, and don’t forget to continue wearing that from tomorrow onwards, okay?”
“……”
After acting evasively for so long, didn’t I still end up changing in front of her? And I even called her master to no effect… What’s the point?
