“…Meng Wange, what exactly are you doing?”
the brown-haired girl bit her lower lip softly, trying to steady her fluttering heart.
Originally, she only intended to stand by Su Wanli’s side with a smile, gently supporting her palm in a clear display of obedience, didn’t she?
Even if she leaned down toward her face, it was only to make it easier for Su Wanli to rest a hand on her shoulder, right?
But what was with that move just now? Didn’t she know how high the risks were? Even if it was because of the fever…
…She had kissed her forehead just like that.
Recalling the image of the black-haired girl tilting her head up and looking at her blankly, Meng Wange sighed silently and lowered her forehead even further.
It wasn’t just this once; before this, she had said and done many things without thinking, laying them out plainly before Su Wanli.
‘Admit it, Meng Wange. This has nothing to do with the fever or the exhaustion from last night.’
‘You simply…’
— When facing the slight arch of that girl’s brow, she hadn’t been able to restrain her inner desire.
The desire to be close, the desire for contact, the desire for that soft and warm breath.
It was an action so natural it felt inevitable. By the time she came to her senses, her lips had already pressed against Su Wanli’s forehead.
The Touch of that moment was exactly as she had imagined — warm, smooth skin.
Of course, as she had just told Su Wanli, it was only an “accident.”
However, in that moment, the first thought that flashed through Meng Wange’s mind wasn’t how to explain or fix it, but —
— ‘What kind of thoughts would Su Wanli have about this kiss?’
…Irritation? Resistance? Disgust?
No, judging by her previous attempts to Test her, Su Wanli didn’t seem particularly resistant to her contact. On the contrary, her reaction seemed no different from her own.
A racing heart, and a panic that made it difficult to look the other person in the eye.
Whether it was when they held hands or when she dabbed cream on the tip of her nose, Su Wanli’s cheeks would always flush quickly, like a ripe apple.
Even this time, with an action that Meng Wange considered over the line, Su Wanli’s reaction remained the same.
— A brief moment of daze, a slight sense of loss, and those innocent eyes that seemed to be searching for her true thoughts.
Despite being mentally prepared, when she met Su Wanli’s eyes this time, Meng Wange could no longer maintain her usual calm and indifference.
Perhaps it was an illusion, but today’s Miss Su seemed exceptionally heart-stirring. Every move she made carried a faint, ambiguous hint, as if she were trying to convey something.
Yes, an ambiguous hint.
Feeding her breakfast was normal enough, but for her to appear before her like that after a bath, and even say she could pose in any position she liked…
Even a Sheltered Young Lady who knew nothing of the world should understand boundaries better than that.
‘Could it be that Su Wanli… is truly unaware of it?’
Looking at those conflicted eyes that held a trace of anxiety, Meng Wange felt as if her heart were being squeezed. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her brain and analyze Su Wanli’s true intentions.
…No, that wasn’t it, and neither was that.
Since she had ruled out other possibilities, she returned to the first — and earliest — suspicion she had dismissed.
‘What if Su Wanli isn’t unaware, but is doing it on purpose?’
Helping push the dining cart into the room, leaning in to feed her by hand, unbuttoning her shirt to reveal the skin of her chest, wearing a Maid Outfit to serve tea, and even wearing a Western Suit and a Yukata to study painting with her…
Her previous deduction might have been wrong. No matter what, these things couldn’t possibly stem from just a sliver of guilt.
Her goal, from the beginning, hadn’t been an “apology.”
Whatever drove her to act this way had to be a motivation stronger than guilt.
“A punishment for me…?”
No, rather than a punishment, it was more like — a Reward.
“After all, I not only heard your praise for the food but also received your personal care; it is simply a great honor.”
‘Could it be that those words I spoke unintentionally back then were the starting point for all of this?’
Not a punishment, but a Reward…
Su Wanli had indeed said that she would give her a corresponding Reward after she helped her achieve her goal.
But no matter what, she shouldn’t have thought of using this… subtle method to reward her.
‘I… shouldn’t have shown any desire for her body at any point, right?’
…No, perhaps, she had.
Just now, when Su Wanli was unbuttoning the first button of her shirt in front of her, she had asked an incredibly abrupt question —
“Meng Wange, do you want to try touching my breasts?”
The memory of that moment was blurred; the only clear thing was the burning sting on the back of her hand and the sight of Su Wanli’s back as she turned and ran away.
Meng Wange sighed softly and lifted the back of her hand to her eyes.
No traces remained there.
…Could it be that in that moment, everything began to spiral out of control?
Putting herself in the other’s shoes, perhaps Su Wanli really had been acting out of guilt at first, showing care and concern in an attempt to gain her favor.
But she hadn’t received enough of a response.
So, she made a daring attempt —
To Test whether Meng Wange preferred “intimate contact” as a Reward.
And the result of that Test… was clearly affirmative.
Under such a misunderstanding, Su Wanli’s final decision was to give an even more “generous” Reward.
Even if she had to bear the cost herself.
Meng Wange gave a bitter smile and looked at herself in the mirror.
…Perhaps her speculation differed slightly from the facts in certain details, but overall, it shouldn’t be far off.
“Really…”
“To go this far for a mere subordinate? My dear Eldest Miss Su Wanli.”
She was so gentle, so kind, even willing to wrong herself.
But —
‘Miss Su, I am not a person as gentle and kind as you are.’
When receiving such bottomless indulgence, what she thought of was not repayment.
Instead —
— ‘I want to try and discover where exactly the limit of this indulgence lay.’