Chapter 53: Dressing

“Master, you’re waking up so early today?”

Lilian walked over and pulled back the curtains, speaking as casually as if they were having their usual chat.

The morning sunlight poured into the bedroom, making Eleanora instinctively squint her eyes.

Hearing Lilian’s words, she let out a soft “Mm” from under the covers.

Eileen set the clothes aside, gave Lilian an encouraging look, and quickly left the room.

A few days ago, Eileen had basically taught Lilian everything she could about how to dress Eleanora.

Today, since Eileen seemed to be in a hurry to go out, the task of dressing Eleanora fell on Lilian’s shoulders.

Apart from that one time when she’d dressed a half-asleep Eleanora, this was pretty much Lilian’s first real attempt.

Picking up the clothes and turning around, Lilian froze for a moment.

Eleanora sat at the edge of the bed, wearing a thin, knee-length nightgown.

The sunlight cast a gentle golden rim around her, her silver smooth hair flowing down her back, dazzlingly beautiful.

Noticing Lilian’s gaze, Eleanora blinked her red eyes.

S-so beautiful…

Lilian admitted her XP was off the charts, and she swallowed nervously.

Setting the clothes aside, she took out a pair of white long socks.

According to Eileen’s instructions, the first step was… socks.

Lilian picked up one silky white sock and knelt down on one knee in front of Eleanora.

Calm down, it’s just little Eleanora.

It’s not like it’s a big deal.

Lilian admonished herself silently.

This is work, this is work, this is work.

Eleanora seemed to sense her hesitation and stiffly lifted her right leg, extending her cute little foot toward Lilian.

Previously, Lilian had only watched Eileen’s demonstrations, but this was the first time she got such a close look at Eleanora’s foot.

Eleanora’s ankles were slender, her feet small and graceful.

The five round toes showed a healthy pink, like finely carved pearls.

Maybe it was the sunlight, but Lilian could even see the tiny fine hairs on her delicate skin.

First of all, Lilian thought she wasn’t a foot fetishist.

Secondly, she had to admit Eleanora’s feet were really beautiful.

Anyway, if her heart was racing, it was Eleanora’s fault—she had simply discovered something beautiful.

Lilian’s heart waged a silent war as her hands trembled slightly.

She gently lifted the small foot, feeling its softness and warmth.

Eleanora let out a soft intake of breath.

When Lilian’s cool fingers touched her toes, an electric current surged from the sole of her foot, and she instinctively curled her toes.

Lilian opened the sock’s mouth and carefully pulled it over the toes.

The silk slid across the arch, wrapping around Eleanora’s ankle.

Recalling Eileen’s lessons, Lilian used both hands alternately, smoothing the stocking up along the calf, her palms pressed against the supple, elastic curves of Eleanora’s leg.

Eleanora felt her calf suddenly tense up, a tingling mixed with slight itchiness spreading through her, and she bit her lower lip.

This feeling is way too good…

No, wait!

I’m not a pervert, focus!

When her fingers reached the sensitive hollow behind the knee, Lilian paused for a moment, adjusted the sock’s angle, and pressed lightly with her fingertips…

“Uu…”

Like a kitten, an uncontrollable soft whimper slipped out from Eleanora’s throat.

She braced herself against the bed to keep from collapsing.

Her face felt hot, as if she were feverish.

Lilian shivered and hastened her movements, pulling the sock up to the softer, more delicate part of Eleanora’s thigh.

Her heart pounded rapidly, thudding hard, a flush of heat spreading across her body.

It was just putting on a sock—what was Eleanora doing to her?!

Eleanora felt Lilian’s soft palm like a furnace, the warmth creeping upward along her thigh.

Ignoring Eleanora’s reactions, Lilian quickly secured the sock around the middle of her thigh.

“Snap.”

The stocking tightened, striking her thigh with a crisp sound.

Eleanora’s thighs clenched suddenly, her hands gripping the bedsheets so tightly her knuckles turned pale.

“Al-almost done…”

Lilian whispered in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, then stood up as if fleeing, head lowered, not daring to look at Eleanora.

The room was terrifyingly silent, broken only by Eleanora’s slightly erratic breathing.

After a long moment, Eleanora finally came to her senses.

Her cheeks flushed, she pushed herself up and demanded in a strong yet trembling voice:

“W-what are you dawdling for?! The other one! Hurry up! We still have things to do today!”

After that, Eleanora didn’t react much more, and Lilian quickly finished dressing her.

“Hmph, finally done. Way slower than Eileen—such a clumsy maid.”

Eleanora seemed to want to reclaim some dignity and instinctively “attacked” Lilian with a tsundere tone.

Lilian kept her head down, but the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but twitch upwards.

【Master’s doki！MAX, Experience +20】

【Current Experience: 65/100】

Since a few days ago, normal interactions no longer granted experience points, so suddenly getting such a big boost made Lilian genuinely happy.

Of course, she chose to ignore Eleanora’s earlier behavior.

It was just putting on socks—why act so cute?

Eleanora still pushed all of Lilian’s buttons; she admitted her shameful little heartbeat.

But that couldn’t be allowed—Eleanora was family to her, with no romantic feelings involved.

Even though her situation had become a chaotic mess because of Ophelia.

Still, Lilian thought that one day she would leave here, and the relationship with Eleanora and Ophelia would just change from strangers to friends.

No big deal.

The game only said the hero and her companions might develop romantic relationships—it never mentioned the Demon Lord.

Lilian didn’t think Eleanora would be interested in girls.

This was reality; the odds were too low.

If it weren’t for the fact that Eleanora would become the Demon Lord someday, the Count’s manor constantly plagued by misfortune, and Lilian herself being too weak to fix things…

Maybe she would have tried pursuing Eleanora?

But no “ifs.”

There was someone in the hero party who would be a good girlfriend, but she was far away at Laayat Academy, out of Lilian’s reach.

Maybe after finishing paying off her 300 gold coins, she could go to Laayat as a student?

With the system, studying there to gain knowledge and power sounded like a good idea.

Maybe even have a little romance—adventuring together, learning together, ending up together, traveling the continent.

“What are you giggling about? Come here, today’s lesson is the Sigil of Thunder.”

Eleanora urged Lilian.

“Yes, Master.” Lilian smiled and sat down beside her.

Seeing Lilian’s smile, Eleanora blushed faintly and silently moved behind her, wrapping her arms around Lilian.

After the past few days of lessons, Lilian had gotten used to this, but because of what had just happened, her heart still beat a little faster.

“Focus and feel it carefully. Remember how the flow of magic moves.”