Master, I Swear I Didn’t Mean To! - Chapter 94

“M-Master, please calm down.”

After yet another long scuffle, the bubbles floating over the bath had half disappeared. And beneath the wavering surface, Eki’s pale thighs were visible.

I’m going insane.

Cassius grit his teeth and tried to lift himself. But the luck potion was still not satisfied because by sheer accident his forearm brushed against Eki’s chest.

“Hngh.”

Eki let out a small moan. The moment he heard it, Cassius’s head felt as if someone had poured scalding water over it. Worse, Eki’s legs under his hips subtly parted. Cassius jolted as if struck by lightning and planted his hands on the bottom of the tub in a panic. He barely managed to raise himself.

Splash.

Cassius staggered out of the tub, and water streamed from his drenched hem. He flung off his heavy coat and sucked in a breath. His broad chest rose and fell repeatedly.

Then Eki’s gaze dropped from his face to somewhere below and stayed there for a long time. Cassius belatedly realized where she was looking.

“…W-What are you looking at!”

Damn it. He shouldn’t have taken his coat off. Cassius frantically covered his crotch with one hand. But if that were enough to hide it, Eki wouldn’t have given him ridiculous nicknames like ‘ancient mammoth’ or ‘dinosaur’.

While he was flailing, Eki blinked dumbly, then broke into a grin. She braced her arms on the rim of the tub and lifted her upper body like a mermaid rising from a rock. Her skin, exposed above the water, glistened beautifully with droplets like embedded seashells.

Before Cassius could react, she tugged him down by the nape and gave him a light kiss.

“……!”

Cassius staggered and clutched the edge of the tub and Eki’s shoulder. As their lips touched he trembled and breathed in a strange, shaky way.

Soon Eki drew back. Her cheeks flushed pink as she whispered.

“I’ll wash quickly and come out. Then you take off the bottom.”

Cassius stared blankly at her slick, water-shining face. And before he knew it, he nodded.

❖ ❖ ❖

Body, very clean.

Venta, chased somewhere else.

Master has been out of it for a while, but he isn’t running away and is very obedient.

Perfect.

Eki shook out her wet hair and nodded.

Ah, but he can’t run anyway because of Venta’s magic.

She lifted her left arm and looked at the part Venta had fumbled with. The weightless transparent chain was neatly wrapped around her wrist. When she stroked the chain up and down, just as Venta had, the length shortened at once. Naturally Cassius, who had been standing by the window pretending to brood, was dragged toward her.

“Ugh, Eki!”

Still, she didn’t shorten it recklessly like earlier. As she narrowed the gap bit by bit, Cassius stumbled closer until he ended up right in front of her.

“Hehe. This is convenient.”

“Stop fooling around!”

“I’m not fooling around. How long are you going to stand there? Come to the bed.”

As if it were her own room, she took Cassius’s hand and sat on the edge of the bed. Cassius glared down at her with a fearsome expression. But Eki knew. Her master wasn’t angry. He was mortified.

“…You’re going to lie down without drying your hair?”

“Oh. I’ll dry it quickly.”

Eki pressed a towel over her bobbed hair. Cassius narrowed his eyes and snatched the towel from her.

“If you do it like that it’ll take years.”

“Ah, what are you doing?”

“Just hold still.”

He snapped his fingers. A magic circle of intricate patterns shimmered into the air. A warm breeze flowed out. Eki’s eyes widened and she held her head toward it.

“Wow. As expected of a genius archmage. Your wind control is so delicate.”

“This is basic.”

He answered with a scoff. It was basically flattery, but apparently he didn’t mind because he even tousled her hair himself as he dried it.

Naturally Eki leaned her head toward him. The wind grew warmer. Cassius’s fingers ruffled gently across her scalp, and the kindness of his touch made her lips curl up helplessly. She called to him with a spoiled, coaxing tone.

“Master.”