"I'm finally out of the shower, Shihon."
One hour after the Magical Beast Girl's masterpiece had been sent to Liohime, the latter had finally decided to take a warm bath before going back to rest.
Sure enough, though, Shihon, who was still in her maid outfit, held her hips akimbo as she walked right up to him and pouted.
"Y-You know, I was still entirely on board with bathing you, Master."
Liohime could only avert his eyes, fidgeting for some reason, before finally losing control and embracing her with a warm hug.
"Ahhhhhh, you're just so, so, so, so fucking cute in this dress, Shihon!"
"Huh...h-h-h-h-h-huhhhhhhh!?!?!?"
"I knew that you would look perfect in this! Looks like my money was well spent!"
"HUHHHHHHHH!?!?!?"
Her face became flushed with red as her head was held close to his bare chest, and her arms flailed in the air while her mind began to overload with anxiety, embarrassment, and lust all in one.
What did he….just….say!!? Did he just-!!? Seriously!!? He said that I'm cute!?!? I-I-I-I'M GONNA DIEEE!!
Smoke began to rise from the top of her head as she began to overheat, and her hands gave up, slowly losing all strength while Liohime continued showering her praise for her appearance.
"The frills are so awesome, and the headband….and the stockings making your legs look even sexier…..and…"
He kept on rambling, and for Shihon, this was a first for her partner when it came to giving out praises to this much of an extent.
H-He doesn't usually…act like this…
"Um, Master…?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you by chance…..have a thing for maid outfits?"
"...Eh."
Caught red-handed, I guess. And yes, on today's news of "Are We Really Surprised?" Word on the street is that some personalities and feelings of the main character are a self-insert from the author. Stay tuned for more.
Liohime gave an awkward nod, causing Shihon to light up.
Oh, I am so going to pressure him to buy different maid outfits for me the next time we go out.
The young man tried to shake off the playful thoughts that entered his mind as he continued to stare at her, and stroked her hair calmly.
"Thanks so much for looking after me so far, Shihon. You're pretty amazing, you know that?"
"O-Oh, it's nothing really."
"I'm serious," he emphasized. "I've never really been treated like this in a long while. I owe you one."
" 'You owe me another chance to look at your hot, naked body in the shower again' is very right."
"...."
"You hesitated to reply to that one, Master."
"....I'll think about it."
"The fuck is there to think about?"
"Anyway, you strayed away from what I was trying to say," he muttered. "What I'm trying to say here is that I'm seriously grateful that you're by my side, and not just because of your assistance with things. Your eagerness, your lame jokes, your smile, your kindness….I appreciate that."
"Everything was awesome until you mentioned the jokes. My jokes are never lame."
"Like hell. That 'pineapple should be on pizza' joke was not good."
"Yeah, cause that wasn't a joke."
"Whatever you say, jokester."
The duo chuckled and continued to stare into each others' eyes.
Shihon bit into her bottom lip slightly, letting her gaze switch from his right eye to his left, and then to his lips.
However, she broke the sudden tension with a gut punch.
"GUH!!"
"HAHAHA!!! CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!"
"W-WHY YOU-!! I'M STILL SICK, YOU KNOW!"
"YOU'LL LIVE!!"
***
It was now the end of the day, and nighttime approached.
Liohime's fever had reduced by a great percentage, but Shihon never left his side as she practically forced him to rest in bed all day.
"Once again, it's only a fever, Shihon, and right now, I don't even think that I have it anymore."
"A-Are you sure?"
"Yes, so you can stop holding my hand now and go to sleep."
Shihon, who was now in her pajamas, sat down next to the bedside, keeping a watchful eye over her partner who had pretty much recuperated, and she refused to let go.
"Just…one more hour," she told him. "I can still feel a bit of warmth on your neck."
"Seriously…alright, but you better get in bed by then."
"Of course...Master?"
"Hm?"
"Thank you for enjoying The Prince Treatment."
"Huh? What does that even…mean…"
He was beginning to doze off, and Shihon did not answer him.
Thirty minutes later, she was struggling to keep herself awake, while Liohime had dozed off.
The fatigue lingered, and she began to rest her head on the edge of the mattress while loosening the grip on his hand.
Earlier in the morning, before she convinced herself that she was going to head out to the grocery store, she had gazed upon a notification on Liohime's phone as she picked it up.
A message from….Jolene?
Her left eyebrow raised, and curiosity got the better of her.
She tapped on the notification, redirecting her to the full message which said:
"Looks like we're heading out to the Paradisus Legion together, huh? I got the news from the chief. I don't know what he's fucking thinking, sending us to our deaths like this…but the money better be worth it if we survive. Call me when you have time, okay, shrimpdick?"
Shrimp….dick? No, more importantly…why do I feel like that place sounds so familiar to me…? I've never been there, have I?
She looked up at the ceiling and pondered for a few seconds, but no such memory came up, so she shrugged it off.
Still, her Master was apparently about to venture off into a place where it was apparently dangerous, and surprisingly…
He did not tell me about it, she thought, gripping the phone tightly.
Just what was Liohime Kitagami planning to do in the Paradisus Legion? Would he go there with or without here? Would he genuinely be okay? And who was this Jolene, anyway?
There were too many questions that began to pop up in her head, and although she had shied away from bringing them up face to face, she was desperate for answers.
Now, as she sat next to the sleeping figure, her eyes narrowed, and she breathed a sigh.
I have a somewhat bad feeling about this, Master….but no matter what…
"Please…be safe," she voiced with a concerned whisper.