The extent of the situation I had committed myself in occurred to me as the servant left the room. Walking around in disguise was one thing, and even working in tandem with other servants was not a huge challenge, but helping a girl in the bath was an incomparable risk, especially since I couldn't just beat a hasty retreat if I got discovered. Marianne was predominantly a healer, but still, she was strong enough to defeat me easily.
"Concentrate," I murmured to myself, slapping myself on the cheek for the good measure. I could have escaped by dashing out while muttering some kind of excuse, but that would mean missing out on the experience, which had the potential to be even more than watching Cornelia and Helga together. I needed power, and I needed it as quick as possible.
The decision made, I dashed towards the corner that held the towels. I needed to change into an appropriate attire before Marianne's arrival, it would be a disaster if she caught me naked. I dressed faster than I ever did in my life, and soon I was wrapped with two layers of towels, with some scraps strategically pushed to my chest, and another towel even tighter around my waist to prevent an accident. Then, just for a good measure, I applied another layer of magical disguise on my face.
But a look at the mirror told me that my disguise wasn't convincing enough without a long, flowing skirt to hide my features. I needed something to obscure the view.
A glance around the room gave me the answer. A set of heated stones, with a bucket of water next to it. I quickly dashed there, and poured a cup of water on the stones, turning them into a hot cloud of steam. But I hit another snag when I poured the second cup, barely wisps coming out of the stones. They weren't hot enough!
I didn't have enough time to heat them through the traditional manner, so I reached for my magical abilities. I drew as much as mana I could handle, and tried to shove it into the stone while trying to keep the concept of hotness in mind. Another flicker of steam left the stone, but that was it. The second and the third repeats ended up the same, leaving me gasping in a sudden sense of exhaustion, with more than a third of my mana spent, the curse of lacking the appropriate skill.
[-70 Mana]
Luckily, slowly heating up a stone was the simplest task that could be done through fire magic, and I had already read to have a conceptual understanding of it. After spending another third of my mana, the room was filled with a thick layer of steam.
And not a moment too early, as I just finished dumping the last cup of water and moved to the location I was supposed to wait for Marianne, the door opened, and a figure that was starting to get more and more familiar with each passing day stepped in the room. She said nothing, didn't even look at me other than a passing glance, and walked towards the seat. She was wearing a simple dress that left her arms naked, again blue.
I smiled at another lucky turn. In the traditional noble approach, Marianne paid no attention to a servant, just moved in her usual manner, and expected to be served. And as long as I continue to serve her, there would be no issue.
She stood next to the wardrobe that held her stuff, and waited. Following my instructions, I walked behind her, and started untying the strings behind her clothes. The strings were tied in a complicated knot, but following the earlier directions, I managed to untie them without an issue. She raised her arms, and I pulled the dress off.
Only for my eyes to meet with her naked back, supported by a glimpse of her beautiful breasts due to my superior position. She turned enough to send a glance at me, and I turned immediately to properly fold and hang her dress, therefore avoiding her taking an extended glare to my face.
[+2 Subterfuge]
My mistake didn't merit more than a second of interest. When I turned back, she was already walking towards the bath, her naked ass swaying attractively with each step, the thick layer of mist making the situation even more attractive. I moved forward to fulfill the next set of instructions, so that I was already next to the bath when she arrived. I presented my hand, and she grabbed it as she slowly lowered herself in the bath, bubbly water hiding her spectacular body from the view.
[+100 Experience]
I was doing my best to act natural while following the instructions, trying to avoid her attention as much as possible. I pulled the wine bottle from the icy bucket that was resting, and filled her glass with it, then filled a second glass with the cold water from the pitcher.
Then, I chose to deviate from the instruction. The old maid had expressly underlined that the water glass should be placed closer to her lady than the wine glass, as she had a tendency to reach the nearest glass while distracted by the warmth of the bath, which was why I placed the wine glass in the spot instead. Drunker she got, less attentive she would become.
Still, I kept my breath in as she reached for it. Luckily, she neither commented nor tried to look at me as she sipped the glass. When she placed the glass back in its place, she rose in the tub, enough to give another glimpse of her breasts. She sank back into the water after putting it in place, but as a side effect, my towel was starting to get really uncomfortable.
Next few minutes passed in silence, where she rested under the embrace of the water, her eyes shut, occasionally reaching for the glass for another sip. And since she was keeping her eyes wide shut, I saw no risk in tweaking the situation a bit, topping up her glass whenever she placed it back on, making her think that she was still in the first glass.
[Achievement: Intentional Impairment. Engineer a situation sneakily with alcohol to reduce the risk of a situation. +400 Experience, +1 Intelligence. +1 Agility]
"Wash me," she after several minutes of silence, a moment after the achievement appeared in my field of vision, the slight slurring on her voice aligned with the conclusion of the system.
I was ready, a soft bath glove on my right hand when she raised her right arm, and gently started to caress her skin. My attention was fully on her body, but for a change, for business purposes rather than trying to enjoy her nakedness. My enhanced capabilities were helpful in reading her micro-expressions, ensuring that, when I finished rubbing her arm, I had a solid idea about the optimal pressure and strength I need to put behind my touches.
And it worked even better than I had been hoping for, when I finished her second arm and moved to her shoulders, her moans had a suspiciously lively quality that reminded me the unique moment I had the pleasure of watching in the library. The fact that I had been constantly refilling her glass wasn't a surprise as well, though with my both hands occupied, I started using my telekinesis to do that. It was difficult to do without using my hands to guide the spell, but I managed to do it successfully.
[+200 Experience]
"Are you feeling alright, milady," I whispered, intentionally breaking another direction the old maid had given me. Never address her without being addressed first. She just hummed in satisfaction, and I smirked, happy with the level of mellowness she achieved. I could move onto the next stage of my plan.
My hand started to follow a wider route as it went back and forth on her shoulder, first covering her collarbone with the soft texture of the bubbles from high-quality soap. With each repeat, the range widened, until I was caressing the edges of her breasts, but that caused her to stiffen slightly. It was an unconscious reaction, as her eyes were still closed, and she was still moaning calmly, but I chose to take it as a warning.
"Do you want me to rub your feet, milady," I asked as my hands returned to the safer territories. "I am educated in various techniques to increase your relaxation." No words left her mouth, but her murmur was a clear indication of her approval.
"Do you want me to place a hot towel on your face, milady," I added. "It's treated with the herbs, and it will increase the effectiveness of the massage."
I realized that I started to tread in dangerous waters when she opened one eye and looked at me. I brought the full extent of the capabilities of my subterfuge skill to give the impression of a young and demure maid, trying to make her mistress happy. It must have been successful, because she nodded instead of blasting me with a combat spell, which would be the inevitable end if she had suspected of my disguise. She might be the calmer and merciful one of the pair, but I would be the first to admit that the situation had warranted it.
I grabbed a towel, and gently pushed a sliver of energy to make it warmer, being extremely careful, both not to alert her, and not to burn the towel with my amateurish fire magic. Once I made sure that it was warm enough, I sprinkled it with some of the perfumed water that was placed next to the bath, and placed it over her eyes.
I moved on the other end of the bath and pushed my hands into the water, and gently pulled her foot out of the water. I sat on the floor with my feet gathered under me, preventing any possibility of an accidental reveal, and pulled her foot on my lap before pressing both thumbs on her soles, and started…
But the moan that escaped her mouth surprised me, though, from her expression, I wasn't the only one that was surprised. Her hand twitched towards the towel as she blushed, but she chose to reach for the wine instead of pulling off the towel, obscuring her expression.
It was interesting that she tried to hide her reaction from a 'maid', though it was likely because there was no hiding the source of her moan. But if she wanted to act like it never happened, I was happy to comply. I restarted the massage, and she just lay on her back, enjoying the massage, but this time, she kept her grip around the glass of wine.
That provided an interesting challenge, continuously delivering the massage while using my telekinetic ability smooth enough to slowly refill the glass without making her notice the unbalance. I actually had to create a magical platform, allowing the wine to slide silently without causing a splash, and she continued drinking.
The pleasure combined with the alcohol-induced haze had some more interesting effects on her. A moan escaped her mouth as I continued to rub her foot, barely loud enough to be heard. Her hand rose once more, but this time with a more purposeful manner. I felt alarmed when I felt the sudden rush of magic, but relaxed when it took the now-familiar form of silencing field. Though, without an anchor, the ward displayed limited effectiveness, something I had noticed when I heard her next moan, only partially muffled.
Moreover, it was amusing that she thought it would be effective, because even if her voice had been masked completely, there was no hiding her facial expression, shouting her enjoyment as effectively as her moans. I turned my attention from her body, my hands continuing their jobs in autopilot.
It didn't take long for her body to add another dimension to her displays of arousal. Her back arched nicely, which made her breasts peek through the bubbles, the view spectacular. Her enjoyment was a reward in itself, though I couldn't say that I didn't appreciate the bonus that came as a result.
[+300 Experience]
I chose that moment to finally switch from one foot to another. The moment I noticed Marianne reaching for her towel, I lowered my eyes, but continued to watch her from the corner of my eye, noticing that she was examining my face before sighing. She clearly thought that I hadn't noticed her rather enthusiastic enjoyment of my massage. I was willing to bet that the only reason she thought that was my supposed identity as a servant, which, in her mind, was stupid enough to miss the implications. Or at least, she was willing to believe that in her confused state.
I restarted the massage, and she put the towel over her eyes once again, and her back arching immediately after, once again treating me with the amazing view of her breasts. Her moans came soon after, each louder than the previous one. But the fact that she started trembling with a manner that cannot be mistaken for anything else, I was truly surprised. I certainly wasn't expecting her to be that sensitive in her feet.
From her total loss of control as the orgasm danced on her body, I was willing to believe that she wasn't aware of that particular nugget as well. Which made sense if her experience came from Cornelia. She was too meek to instigate such a thing in her own, and Cornelia distinctly lacked the personality to do something as subservient as paying attention to her feet.
It was convenient that Marianne was busy trying to catch her breath, because I had another thing that deserved my attention.
[+300 Experience]
[Achievement: Magnificent Massage. Trigger a rather unique rush of pleasure through a safe-spot massage. +500 Experience, +1 Precision. +1 Perception]
Level UP!
[Select one of the following skills: Basic Fire Magic, Basic Speech, Basic Concealment]
Earning yet another level was an amazing feeling. It was a pity that I couldn't talk to anyone about it, as I probably broke the school record by gaining four levels in less than four days.
While patting my own back was enjoyable, I had more important concerns to address, such as which skill to choose. Common sense recommended Fire Magic, the most destructive school of magic, always in favor in combat applications -which was a lot considering the monster-filled state of the world- but direct assault didn't have any value in my current situation. No, I needed something to reinforce my approach, which was already paying amazing dividends, like Speech.
And luckily, I was in a perfect position to test my newly acquired skill, with a target most receptive, her mind addled with pleasure. "Milady, could you raise your leg a bit more, so I can move onto your calves," I said.
She didn't even pause before raising her leg. Unfortunately, it didn't give me a sudden burst of improvement. Probably because she was far too gone to actually consider the implications of something like that. Still, while the loss of opportunity to enhance my skills was a letdown, her explicit permission to her body was more than enough as compensation.
[+200 Experience]
[+1 Subterfuge]
I slowly started to massage her calves, stretching the moment to enjoy the sight of her breasts, but that proved to be a mistake. Her sensitivity there turned out to be much less than her feet, and even worse, drunk with my own achievement, I was late to notice that detail. "That's enough," she called as she pulled off the towel from her face.
"But, mistress-" I started, another mistake as she instantly cut me off.
"Don't talk back to me, peasant," she said sharply, her anger flaring in an instant, excessive even for a noble. She was trying to compensate for her earlier loss of control, though even discounting her situation, her anger was as threatening as a mouse. She stood up, uncaring of her nakedness, her whole body glistening with droplets, begging me to push her down and teach her about the subtleties of disrespect. Soon…
She stepped out of the bath, stopping only lean down and pick the water glass, and since her back was turned at me while she did that, giving me an amazing view of her most intimate spots. I crossed my legs, because, at that moment, even the emergency towel I had used started to fail.
[+100 Experience]
Then she walked towards the small pit with a drain to remove excess water, with several buckets already filled with warm water waiting for her. I dashed faster than her, and when she arrived, I was already there, doing my best to give the impression of a meek servant, scared due to her display of anger.
[+1 Subterfuge]
It seemed to have worked, as her expression turned her usual dismissive one, though she wasn't good enough to hide the expression of relief from my eyes, clearly happy that her enjoyment from a servant's hands went unremarked.
With her crisis of anger resolved, the rest of the activities flowed without another notable event. She opened her arms, and I wrapped a fluffy towel around her body, which, unfortunately, cut the amazing view I had been enjoying, then I accompanied her to her bedroom, where the old maid was waiting for us, jumping up her feet the moment she heard the door opening. I let her take from there, not wanting to get away from the concealing presence of the steam, afraid to reveal a certain very important detail about my anatomy.
The moment the door was closed, I dashed towards the dressing area, and put the disguise around as quick as I could manage. Which proved to be a good decision, as before I could disappear, the door opened once more, and the old maid entered the room, walking towards me with purposeful steps.
"Didn't I tell you that she was to have only a glass of wine," she said sharply, though I could see that her anger lacked passion, almost monotone.
"I'm sorry," I said, putting a slight hitch to my voice, indicating distress. "But the mistress asked me to, and I couldn't…" I said, letting my words to trail out.
[+1 Speech]
"It's okay," she said exasperatedly after examining me for a while, mercy clear on her eyes. "But be more careful the next time," she added.
"The next time?" I said, this time, my surprise completely honest.
"Yes, the next time," the old maid said with a slight nod. "My mistress indicated that your service was adequate, and she wants you as her bath attendant," she said.
I froze. Luckily, it was a natural reaction for my current personality as well, which gave me a couple of seconds to examine the opportunity. The safest thing to do was to inform her that it was my last day at the university, and I was being transferred back to the family estates of the family I had been serving.
But what was safety against the continuous access to Marianne's sweet nakedness…
"That would do," I said, quickly come up with a lie. "I'm usually free in the evenings, so as long as I got an early warning, I should be arranged. Though that's the only thing I can do, as I have my charge to attend."
"You already have a mistress," she said, suspicious. "But you are not wearing house colors."
"There's a reason for that," I quickly explained. "I'm a servant of house Gaius."
"Gaius?" she repeated in confusion. "There is no current student from House Gaius," she murmured in confusion before her face lighted with realization. "Unless you're serving the Mule," she said, her pity towards me mixing with a clear dismissal.
That dismissal towards my real identity might have made me angry if she wasn't the enabler for the amazing time I had just spent. "Yes, though mostly I work undercover to do the things he supposed to."
"Why?" she asked.
"It's the only way the school would allow him to keep employ," I said. "The house is far enough to be isolated from the casual rumors, and the fact that their heir is working in the Silver Tower despite his Abnormal status allowing them a modicum of pride."
[+2 Speech]
"It's a pity," she said, but not caring about the intricacies of my situation. "But it's your lucky turn, because if you keep the mistress happy, I'm sure that she would eventually make you a part of her household. You certainly kept her satisfied tonight."
I barely kept myself from cackling against her eerily accurate statement about what happened behind the closed doors. "Whatever the mistress pleases," I said, playing the part of the dutiful servant.
"Good, then where I could find you," she asked.
"I usually bustle all around the place during the day, and I have a small room outside of the walls," I quickly explained, trying to find a reason for my indiscoverable state during the day. "But you can pass a note to young master when he was in the library, and he would pass it to me. He is a sweetheart on things like that."
[+2 Speech]
"Okay," she murmured after a moment of confusion, making me glad that I had picked the speech as my new area of expertise. I doubted that the web of bullshit I weaved would have stuck otherwise. "But always make sure to check with him at sunset. The mistress prefers to have her baths in the evening, you can't miss any of them."
[Achievement. Unintended Uniform. Find a job that brings unique side benefits under a fake identity without aiming to. +2 Charisma. +300 Experience]
"Thank you for the opportunity," I said as I bowed, though it was to hide my thirsty smile.
"Good, now, drain the bath and scrub the floors before leaving," she said, before turning back and leaving. I didn't complain, because it gave me an excuse to train the flexibility of my telekinesis, not to mention
I was going to have so much fun at my new job…
[Level: 5 Experience: 10920 / 15000
Strength: 6 Charisma: 12
Precision: 8 Perception: 9
Agility: 7 Manipulation: 10
Speed: 6 Intelligence: 8
Endurance: 8 Wisdom: 17
HP: 175 / 175 Mana: 130 / 280 ]
SKILLS
[Advanced Subterfuge (40/50)
Basic Arcana [25/25]
Basic Speech 5/25 ]