Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: TempWane
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Why was Amelia asking this of me?
Until now, we’ve never made such request of each other, even with all the time we’ve spent sharing the same room.
Though we had changed clothes in the same space, it was never done while facing each other.
We would turn our backs to change into our daily clothes, and dresses that required assistance were always attended to by the maids.
Though I’ve helped Amelia with her makeup before, that was entirely different from helping her change clothes.
“Elsie?”
It was only at Amelia’s urging that I snapped out of my thoughts.
Amelia continued to present her back to me, showing no intention of turning around.
-Gulp.
I swallowed dryly.
The nape of Amelia’s neck was smooth and spotless, with not a single stray hair out of place. Following below lead to the pale skin of her back.
The upper edge of her dress exposed a hint of her shoulder blades.
I slowly approached Amelia.
She didn’t shy away.
It must have been because she trusted me that much.
No, perhaps she simply couldn’t imagine it—couldn’t fathom the idea that I might harbor any desire for her.
Well, if she had, she wouldn’t have let me sleep in the same bed as her.
Amelia, who seemed to know everything, was surprisingly innocent in certain ways.
So naïve that, one day—
“...”
My hand reached for Amelia’s dress.
In an era where zippers didn’t yet exist, her back was fastened with small, closely placed buttons. The dress clung tightly to her body, emphasizing her figure in stark detail.
Amelia’s dress didn’t overtly reveal her skin, yet paradoxically, it highlighted her silhouette with precision.
I could often see the gazes of the men around us gravitating toward her figure.
And so did mine.
Had Amelia truly been oblivious to that?
-Pop.
A button slipped free of its hole.
Though Amelia wasn’t plump, certain parts of her body were more developed than those of others her age.
That must have been why the fabric around the upper buttons had been so taut.
-Pop.
Another button came undone, snapping to the side as it was released.
The back of her dress opened into a slight V-shape. At the center of that V lay her flawless skin—like a prisitine blank canvas.
-Pop.
-Pop.
With each button I unfastened, the expanse of that blank canvas grew.
And then—
-Swish.
Once all the buttons were undone, the dress slipped downward.
Her waist was slender, but the portion held together by the buttons extended to just below her waist, where her hips began.
As the dress was a single-piece garment secured mostly by buttons, it naturally fell once they were undone.
“Phew...”
When the tightly fitted dress fell away from her body, Amelia let out a breath.
Amelia was left wearing only her lower undergarments. They were pink, a stark contrast to the deep blue dress she had been wearing.
It wasn’t the typical undergarment that were typically worn in this world’s era.
They were... the kind of underwear modern women wore, the type I was familiar with.
Naturally, creating such a design in this era would require considerable effort. In other words, they were expensive.
We, as nobles, didn’t need to concern ourselves with such expenses.
The reason for wearing such costly undergarments was to prevent the structure of ballroom dresses from being disrupted.
…At least she was still wearing lower undergarments. As for the top… if she wore something like a bra, it would show above the shoulder-baring dress. This world hadn’t yet developed strapless bras.
That function was integrated into the dress itself—
“...”
Amelia, seemingly realizing something belatedly, covered her chest.
Of course, all I could see from my vantage point was her back. Only her back, but… the line from her upper body to her lower body was entirely visible to me.
“...Elsie.”
“...”
“Elsie.”
Her voice was so faint that, for a moment, I didn’t catch it.
“Y-Yes?”
Startled into responding late, I heard Amelia make a small request.
“Could you… bring me my nightgown?”
Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, but it startled me so much that I spun around without answering and went to fetch the nightgowns for both of us.
*
This is bad, seriously bad.
Even though Amelia was now dressed in her somewhat loose nightgown, I couldn’t help but imagine her figure beneath it.
Thinking about her slender waist made me imagine how her chest, under the influence of gravity, would naturally curve downward, particularly that inner part—those thoughts just wouldn’t leave my mind.
I helped Amelia lie down on the bed.
Her face was flushed, and her breathing was heavy. It seemed she’d have to wait until morning to bathe. If she went alone to the bathroom and collapsed, it would be a disaster.
Not that I could go in and help her bathe, either.
After tucking Amelia into bed and pulling the covers over her, I changed into my nightgown.
Then I approached the bed again.
“Amelia, are you cold?”
“Huh?”
“Your face is still red. I was wondering if you might have a fever.”
I placed my hand on her forehead, but I couldn’t tell. Her skin was damp with a faint sheen of sweat.
“...Hands aren’t the same temperature as a forehead, so you can’t really tell just by the touch.”
“R-really?”
At Amelia’s soft reply, I quickly withdrew my hand.
“Yes. So… maybe with your forehead..."
“Huh?”
At Amelia’s words, time seemed to stop for me.
“...”
But Amelia said nothing further.
She simply lay there with her eyes closed, her face flushed red and her breaths coming in quick succession.
Uh, so, this means…
Does she want me to check her temperature with my forehead?
After a brief moment of confusion,
“Th-then, with my forehead…?”
I asked hesitantly.
Amelia didn’t respond.
Uh…
I stayed still for a moment, then slowly leaned my face toward Amelia.
A shadow fell across Amelia’s face from my body, but she said nothing.
So… this means it’s okay, right?
Slowly, I brought my forehead to rest against hers.
It was damp,
Soft,
And warm.
Okay, so…
She does have a fever.
*
The words I spoke to Elsie were all just an excuse to act spoiled.
Ever since I confirmed my feelings, I had been doing that.
Yet, Elsie never rejected me. She simply went along with whatever I said.
Even when I asked her to help me undress.
Even when I asked her to check my temperature with her forehead.
Was it just out of a sense of duty?
Because she felt obligated as my escort?
Or was it because she genuinely cared for me as a friend?
If Elsie knew I wasn’t actually sick and had made those requests… would she be angry?
How far would Elsie tolerate my whims?
“Elsie.”
“Yeah?”
“I think I’m feeling a little cold.”
“Yeah. It seems like you have a fever. I’ll add more wood to the fireplace—”
“Stay next to me, please?”
“...Next to you?”
Elsie’s voice was filled with hesitation.
"Yes. It's warmer with someone close."
“Oh.”
I felt someone lie down beside me on the bed.
“Like this?”
“A little closer…”
“...”
Elsie didn’t respond, but I felt her move closer.
Close enough that I could feel the warmth of her body.
"…Like this?"
Somehow, Elsie asked softly, almost like a whisper in my ear.
"…Yes."
"Is it warm?"
At those words, I turned my body toward Elsie.
My eyes remained closed.
I didn’t have the courage to open them and face Elsie.
I… I love Elsie.
Since realizing that feeling at the ball, I couldn’t think of anything else.
What if Elsie felt repulsed by my childish behavior?
I buried my face in Elsie’s chest.
Would Elsie bear with me?
"Ah."
Elsie’s arm touched my back.
Elsie was hugging me.
My heart pounded like crazy.
Even though I suddenly acted like this, Elsie accepted me.
I was happy.
Happy, yet afraid.
What if Elsie was enduring something unpleasant just to be kind?
Looking back, for the past ten years, haven’t I been leaning on Elsie too much?
Even as I harbored feelings for Elsie, I kept her close by my side, making her share the same room and bed with me.
With our faces so close—
"……."
What should I do?
What if Elsie suddenly decided to leave my side?
But even with that fear, I couldn’t stop myself from clinging to her.
My newly realized emotions had erupted like a volcano.
Unable to resist the joy of knowing someone I loved cared for me.
...Am I no different from the original Amelia?
Am I, even now, a villain?
*
…Would Amelia forgive me?
I’ve never seen Amelia so vulnerable before.
Has she been enduring her pain all this time? Acting strong in front of me, only to have her emotions burst like this today?
If Amelia saw me releasing my emotions so openly toward her in this state, would she tolerate it?
Holding Amelia in my arms, pulling her closer, and feeling her warmth…
…Feeling the warmth Amelia asked for, while I secretly enjoyed it.
If Amelia found out—
Could she forgive me?
"…"
Amelia’s breath brushed against my chest.
…This is bad.
After spending today like this, what about afterward?
After this, could I endure nights without Amelia’s warmth?
Could I lie in separate rooms, sleep apart from her?
If another moment like this came again, with the same atmosphere—
Would I be able to restrain myself?
…Could I?