"Take it off."
A dimly lit room.
In that space where a few lights illuminate the room.
Just after bathing, when her hair was still damp.
Emma was with Julian, the third son of the Schugenharz family.
"… yes."
Taken aback by his commanding tone, Emma had prepared herself to some extent since the moment she was sold here, so she swallowed her saliva and replied that she understood. She began to slowly undress.
Swish…
Clothes stained with dirt that wouldn't come off no matter how much she was beaten with a washboard.
There was nowhere proper to put them, so she laid them on the floor. Putting them on a chair or a bed made her own clothes look too dirty.
And so, after shedding one layer, only one set of clothes remained. If she took even that off, she would be left with nothing on.
Emma glanced briefly at the man who had ordered her while trying to hide her trembling.
The man who had become her master from today onwards seemed to be observing her body as if he had no shame.
Seeing his sharp gaze, her suppressed tremble and embarrassment resurfaced.
His eyes were fixed without a hint of movement.
"Um… Master Julian."
Eventually, Emma called out his name.
And she met his sharp gaze.
"Should I… take off even my underwear?"
She already knew the answer, but she still asked. She had firmly resolved herself, yet her original defensive posture seemed to have slipped out on its own.
"…"
His gaze deepened as he looked at her. She didn't know if she would be scolded for asking why.
Suddenly, he stood up from his seat.
His large stature seemed threatening to her.
Her mind went blank.
Thoughts stopped and started spinning around.
"…M-Master."
She couldn't resist.
She could only accept.
Because there was such a difference in status between her and him.
"…"
His wrist, which felt elegant even in its length, reached out. The destination was her …ha. Without even realizing it, she tightly closed her eyes.
And then, it continued.
"Ouch!"
A sharp finger.
Her forehead hurt.
"I can see everything you're thinking. Tsk tsk. Being aroused in front of your master… I have no desire for someone like you, so don't worry."
"… yes?"
"Clumsy as you are. Didn't I measure your body to create clothing that fits you? It meant for you to change into clothes that fit. How long do you intend to wear such dirty clothes?"
The man gestured lazily with his chin.
Rubbing her tingling forehead, she looked where he indicated.
On the chair, neatly folded clothes of the same style as the others were placed.
… she hadn't seen them in the darkness.
"… I'm sorry."
Emma bowed deeply.
So deep that her face couldn't be seen at all because of the darkness. It was because of the darkness that this situation had occurred, but at the same time, she could hide her blushing face because of it…
"… if you're embarrassed, change your clothes quickly. You have plenty of tasks to do. There's no time to waste."
"… yes."
There wasn't.
---
By the time Emma's embarrassed cheeks returned to their original state, she couldn't close her mouth at the sight of the towering pile of books in front of her.
"Close your gaping mouth and focus on what I'm saying."
With a sigh, Emma closed her mouth, and her large pupils, which had been staring in amazement, looked at me.
It seemed she was determined to remember every word I said without missing a single syllable. Alright, the form is there.
I asked Emma, who was concentrating.
"What is magic?"
"It's the blessing of the gods."
"… quite a dignified and orthodox answer. Think of magic as a part of your body. What do you think it's most similar to?"
After considering for a while and examining my feelings, Emma didn't hesitate to answer. It seems she thought that if she took too long, she would be scolded.
"The brain… wouldn't it be?"
The brain.
She wasn't wrong, but it wasn't what I intended.
"Magic is like a muscle."
"A muscle… what do you mean?"
Emma's eyes, which had been filled with determination, loosened slightly, and she tilted her head. Alright, let me explain it in a way even a child could understand.
"Yeah, muscle fibers."
Using the knowledge of the character
Among them, there were parts that might be difficult to understand at first, but fortunately, she had a good enough head to nod along and spark her eyes even at difficult concepts.
Moreover, it was easy to explain because she could read and write, which was rare among commoners. If she couldn't read, it would have been difficult to give her assignments.
"So, if you don't know how to use it, it may never manifest, but if you get used to the feeling, it can develop unless you're a complete blockhead. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I do. In the end, the important things are the feeling, size, and density when using it."
"Good, you've finally moved beyond the level of a newborn baby. What you've learned today is basic even among the basics of magic, and it's something that anyone with a sense of magic would know. … but at the same time, it's also a very important concept. Don't ever forget it."
"I won't forget."
Her eyes were somewhat serious.
"Alright, that's enough. What you learned today will be checked tomorrow, so make sure you remember it… let's talk about something else for a moment."
Looking at the clock on the wall, a lot of time had already passed. Now it was time to finish the lesson and talk about something else.
I brought her here for my own benefit.
Surely, this would return as a huge butterfly effect in the future. If that was the case, I needed to minimize the damage while maximizing the benefit for myself.