Chapter 30 : Chapter 30
Chapter 30 : Lap Pillow for the Little Maid
“Sister?”
Ryan’s confusion deepened. Cosette barely interacted with anyone in the academy besides following him around.
She was timid by nature and, more importantly, she was his maid. Considering his notoriously bad reputation, no one should have been eager to approach her—let alone teach her service techniques that involved such close physical contact.
He studied his little maid.
Her neat maid dress, the carefully braided dark-brown hair, the blush spreading across her delicate face from nervousness and shyness… she truly was a pretty and refined little girl.
Perhaps someone had simply taken pity on her because she looked young and fragile, and helped her out of simple kindness?
It wasn’t impossible.
But… something about it still felt slightly off.
“What exactly did she teach you?” Ryan asked, following her line of conversation.
“She taught me a lot!”
At the mention of that “sister,” Cosette’s eyes brightened noticeably, and some of the redness faded from her cheeks.
“She told me that being a good maid isn’t only about cleaning rooms or preparing meals. The most important thing is… becoming the master’s most reliable helper. No matter what the master needs, when he’s tired, you should be able to help so he can relax a little.”
Her voice grew softer, but the determination in it remained.
“And then… she taught me how to massage the master’s shoulders and arms. She said her own master really likes it. When he’s tired, a massage makes him feel much better.”
She lifted her head and looked at Ryan with cautious anticipation.
“Master… would you like to try it? I—I’ve practiced!”
Ryan looked at the pair of eyes that practically said Please let me try, and remained silent for a moment.
Fine.
“Alright.”
He walked over to the chair beside the desk and sat down with his back facing Cosette, curious to see what this little girl could actually do.
Seeing that her master had agreed, Cosette’s face immediately blossomed into a bright smile.
She hurried behind him, wiping her still slightly damp and cool hands firmly on her apron first. After taking a deep breath—like she was recalling the steps—she carefully placed both hands on Ryan’s shoulders.
Her fingers were slender.
At first the pressure was light, and the placement a little clumsy.
But soon she seemed to recall the key points she had learned. Her fingertips began pressing more firmly, following the lines of the shoulder and neck muscles, kneading and pressing with careful attention.
The technique was far from professional.
Sometimes the pressure became uneven because of her nervousness.
Yet the intense concentration in her movements—and the warm sincerity behind her effort to ease his fatigue—clearly seeped through the thin layer of clothing.
Ryan closed his eyes slightly and relaxed.
The soreness in his muscles did ease somewhat under the kneading of those small hands. A faint floral scent lingered near his nose—he couldn’t tell whether it came from her or from the freshly washed clothes nearby.
The room was quiet.
Outside, the evening light slowly dimmed, and occasionally the girl’s faint breathing could be heard when she exerted more force.
“You said you met that sister when collecting your uniform?” Ryan suddenly asked, his voice low in the silence.
“Yes!”
Cosette nodded vigorously behind him, her hands never stopping.
“The second time I went to the logistics office to collect my uniform, there were too many things and I couldn’t carry them all… That sister happened to be there too. She was really nice. She helped me carry one set and even talked to me.”
“After that, whenever I ran into her while lining up, we would stand together. She knows so much. She taught me how to wash clothes more cleanly, how to tidy a room quickly, and… and how to become a better maid. I’m really grateful to her.”
Ryan listened without replying immediately.
It did sound reasonable—a more experienced maid helping a clumsy, skinny newcomer out of kindness and teaching her a few things.
“Whose maid is she?” he asked casually.
Cosette’s hands paused slightly, as if trying to remember.
“Um… I remember she said her lady’s surname was… Rolin? I think that was it. Her lady is also a student in the Intermediate Division, but I’m not sure exactly who she is.”
Rolin?
Ryan searched through his memories. That surname did exist among the Empire’s nobility—not among the very top tier, but still fairly influential.
If the maid had simply acted out of kindness… perhaps he had been overthinking things.
He stopped questioning and let himself sink once more into the awkward yet attentive massage, allowing his tired body and mind to rest in the quiet little sanctuary maintained by those small hands.
It was… actually quite comfortable.
Just as he thought the clumsy but relaxing shoulder massage was about to end, Cosette suddenly stopped.
Her voice sounded hesitant yet hopeful.
“M-Master… um… would you like… a head massage too?”
Ryan opened his eyes slightly and turned his head.
“There’s a head massage as well?”
“Yes!”
Cosette nodded energetically, her hazel eyes shining in the dimming light.
“That sister said if the master thinks too much or feels troubled, massaging the head helps a lot. It helps this place… relax.”
She raised a finger and gently tapped her own temple.
“…Alright.”
Ryan answered indifferently. His mind really was heavy with thoughts.
However, after speaking, he didn’t hear Cosette move.
Instead, he noticed her breathing had become slightly quicker again.
Looking up, he saw that her cheeks had once again turned a bright red. Even her small earlobes were flushed. Her gaze drifted uncertainly, and her fingers twisted nervously in the edge of her apron.
A strange thought crossed Ryan’s mind.
This kid’s face has been turning red a little too often today… Is she about to overheat and turn into a little kettle that whistles steam?
At that moment, Cosette seemed to finally make up her mind.
She walked around to stand in front of him. Instead of moving the chair, she sat down first on the edge of Ryan’s single bed.
Her slender legs—wrapped in clean white cotton stockings—were neatly pressed together. Her hands rested politely on her knees, her back straight.
Yet she lowered her head slightly, not daring to look at him.
In a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, she murmured shyly:
“M-Master… p-please… lay your head… h-here…”
Ryan froze.
Lay his head… on her lap?
He instantly understood why his little maid had been blushing so fiercely this whole time.
So the so-called head massage was meant to be done in that position.
The nobles of the Empire…
They truly knew how to enjoy life.
An image involuntarily appeared in his mind: the maid from the Rolin household who had taught Cosette these things—and the presumably rather pleasure-loving lady she served.