OST: Formless Dream (Theme 93)
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Stepping into the spacious, immaculate office, the sensor lights switched on automatically, casting down a gentle white glow.
In the past, after finishing a day's itinerary and returning to Schale, I was always able to relax. I might handle a bit more paperwork, or take a hot shower, temporarily setting aside the annoyances encountered outside and spending the remaining hours in a relatively unhurried state of mind.
But today was different.
I sat down on the sofa, placing my briefcase within easy reach, and examined the "gift" I had accepted from Beatrice.
Deep blue long hair with bangs, a baseball cap, and a metallic tactical mask covering her mouth and nose, leaving only a pair of emotionless eyes exposed.
She wore a tight vest and pants, with a white lab coat draped over them. Her flat abdomen and slender waist were completely exposed, the outfit simple and efficient without lacking a certain aesthetic sense.
At this very moment, the girl stood not far away, silent and motionless.
After a moment of thought, I used the most ordinary opening line imaginable.
"Um… your name is Saori, right?"
"Yes. Master."
Also a first meeting. When the C&C maids called me master without permission, I only felt excited.
But when Saori called me that, all I felt was discomfort.
"Don't call me that. Just call me Sensei."
"Yes." Saori nodded. "I understand, Sensei."
Even though she obediently corrected herself, I could not hear any real difference, and that subtle sense of unease did not lessen at all.
"Anyway, Saori, I'll just call you by your name."
I paused, then asked gently, "Which school are you from? Did you run into some kind of trouble, or are you being threatened by someone? You don't need to worry or be afraid. I'm a Sensei from Schale. Not to brag, but I do have some ability to deal with problems. You can trust me."
I did not bring Saori back to Schale because of lust or anything like that.
Under normal circumstances, maybe. But facing this situation, I had no such leisure.
If there was a student who might need my help, then I wanted to do what I could. That was all.
However, Saori replied calmly, "I don't have a school. My former school was shut down due to low enrollment, and after that, I became unregistered.
"I am not being coerced by anyone. It was simply because I happened to see Sensei in action, and from that point on, I admired you from afar, but had no reason to approach you.
"I met Madam during a job, and she learned of my troubles. She said she could help me realize my wish and bring me to your side, Sensei. That is the whole story.
"So, thank you for your concern, but everything now is a choice I made of my own free will."
To be honest, I wanted to believe Saori.
Unfortunately, Saori did not seem willing to believe me.
Those words carried no emotion at all, delivered with an unnatural smoothness. They sounded exactly like lines rehearsed countless times in advance.
The part about her school being shut down might be true, or perhaps it was some obscure minor school. That was likely how she ended up becoming Beatrice's tool.
As for the rest… it was probably all lies.
The card that had yet to give any response was the clearest proof.
Saori was not someone like Wakamo or Serina, who fell in love with me at first sight. Most likely, she had come to my side only because of some demand from Beatrice.
But the problem was that even knowing something was wrong, I could only accept it.
This was Beatrice's open scheme.
Setting aside the fact that I genuinely could not stop worrying about a student, given the mysterious image I had cultivated before Gematria, was there really any reason for me to refuse?
Could it be that I would fear the petty schemes hidden behind this gift?
Beatrice knew I could see through it. She might even have deliberately wanted me to notice.
And precisely because of that, I had no reason to care.
In short, since I had already brought Saori back, and she did not seem inclined to open up easily, how to deal with her next became an urgent issue.
I could not keep her by my side, but I also could not simply throw her out and let her fend for herself. I needed to arrange a suitable place for her…
The unconscious tapping of my fingers against the coffee table stopped.
I said to the girl, "Standing must be tiring. Sit down for now."
"No, I…" Saori seemed about to refuse, but her words cut off halfway through. After a brief silence, she changed her answer. "All right. I understand."
With that, Saori sat down on the sofa to the side, but only perched on half of it, her back held perfectly straight.
I thought for a moment, then stood up. "Would you like something to drink? There's coffee, tea, or soft drinks."
"I'm not thirsty… no, please let me get it myself… um, plain water will be fine…"
Saori's excessive stiffness made my impression of Beatrice drop yet another notch.
"…Then orange juice it is."
Girls probably liked sweet and sour flavors, right?
After making the decision for her, I poured two glasses of orange juice and handed one to her.
I noticed that the moment the juice touched her lips, Saori's eyes seemed to brighten slightly. It must have suited her taste.
Quietly waiting as the girl took small sips, as if carefully savoring the drink, until she finished it, I patted the empty space beside me.
"Sit closer."
"Okay."
What I did next was surely beyond Saori's expectations.
As Saori sat down, I directly slipped my hand into her white coat and wrapped it around her waist.
I could feel her body stiffen violently, instinctively trying to pull away, but in the end she chose to submit.
Holding a girl I had just met, with whom I had barely exchanged a few words, in my arms.
From my palm came a delicate warmth, soft yet firm, but there was not the slightest trace of desire in my heart.
My thumb rubbed lightly up and down along the hollow of her navel. I could clearly feel the girl's extremely subtle trembling as I asked casually,
"What does Beatrice want you to do?"
"…It has nothing to do with Madam. It's all my own idea."
"I see. Then," I removed her baseball cap and inhaled the scent of her hair, "what are you willing to do for me?"
In this increasingly intimate posture, the girl suddenly suppressed the faint but genuine resistance she had been showing.
Saori closed her eyes and answered softly, "Anything you wish."
I let out a quiet laugh. "Hoh~ Interesting."
With that, I withdrew my hand without the slightest hesitation.
Beatrice.
I narrowed my eyes and repeated the name silently.
To think you would dare take something that will eventually belong to me and turn it into something this dull.
For the first time in a long while, intense negative emotions began to brew deep within my heart.