Chapter 26: In the Field of Massage Mastery
Phoebe sat on the bed while Aeron stood by the bedside, staring at the pale, slender foot tinged with rosy hues that she extended toward him—so close it seemed within reach. He began to ponder.
He admitted that in his previous life, he had indeed played his fair share of porn games, but he had no interest in that particular body part... or at least, that's what he used to believe.
But now, Aeron doubted himself.
He tried to shift his gaze away, looking instead at Phoebe's face. She covered her flushed cheeks with her hands, and he could even see steam-like heat rising from her crimson face, accompanied by soft, whimpering sounds reminiscent of a boiling kettle. Whose water heater was this?
"Uh... well, Phoebe, let me explain first..."
"Mhm... mhm..."
Aeron spoke dryly, feeling his tongue tangling. He didn't even know what to explain.
Was he actually a decent person? That such things shouldn't be done casually? Or that he wasn't in the mood for this right now? Whichever excuse he chose, it would sound like a blatant denial.
"Phoebe, look, this... this kind of thing isn't really appropriate... What I mean is, no matter what, I'm still your senior..."
Before Aeron could finish, Phoebe interrupted him.
"Be-because... the Blessed Maiden said... you once made such a request to her yourself... so I thought you might..."
Phoebe's voice grew softer, but the foot encased in pure white stockings didn't retract. Instead, it timidly inched closer to Aeron.
Aeron mentally noted Phoebe's words. He never imagined his innocence would one day be ruined by Cartethyia.
'Alright, just you wait, Little Carte.'
As Aeron wrestled with his thoughts, Phoebe peeked at him through her fingers, her watery eyes filled with both anticipation and unease.
"...I... I make sure to wash thoroughly every day... It's very clean..."
"That's not what I meant..."
At this moment, Aeron felt his self-control being put to the test.
Phoebe's delicate foot, so close and adorable in its white stocking, with the outlines of her five toes faintly visible beneath the fabric, curled slightly due to nervousness. The air seemed to carry the faint, unique fragrance of a young girl, mingled with the fresh scent of newly changed stockings.
Aeron now understood where all the Order's funds were going.
"It's just... this isn't really appropriate... considering my reputation."
'Dammit, aren't feet supposed to be non-sexual organs? Then what's with this situation? And why am I even feeling embarrassed, you idiot!'
"I... I just wanted Mr. Aeron to rest properly," Phoebe's voice trembled with a hint of grievance. "...Is it because I'm not as good as the Blessed Maiden?"
"..."
Since Phoebe had put it that way, Aeron really needed to reflect on this.
To be honest, setting aside all biases and analyzing rationally—when a girl like Phoebe endures such embarrassment to do something like this for you, as a man both mentally and physically sound, should you refuse at a time like this?
This wasn't merely a matter of desire; it was about whether a young girl's kindness would be left unappreciated.
Damn it, if he didn't even dare to accept Phoebe's sincere gesture, what kind of man would he be! This was a symbol of the bond between him and Phoebe!
And so, Aeron successfully convinced himself.
Then what was there to hesitate about? Touch it! He must touch it!
Aeron took a deep breath, widened his eyes, and cautiously reached toward Phoebe's small foot.
When his palm, separated only by the perfectly thin white stockings, fully pressed against the back of Phoebe's foot, both of them trembled almost simultaneously.
The first sensation was a just right warmth, followed by the continuous transmission of the girl's body heat through the stockings to his palm.
Phoebe's ankle was incredibly slender—so much so that his hand could easily encircle it—yet it wasn't overly bony, instead possessing the plump, healthy roundness unique to a young girl.
"Mmm..." Phoebe let out a suppressed whimper, her toes curling involuntarily.
His palm could feel the faintly visible veins on the back of her foot and the vitality flowing beneath them; his fingertips gently pressed against the softest part of her sole, where the stockings, frequently in contact with her shoes, felt denser yet still conveyed the soft elasticity of the skin beneath.
"Ah!" When Aeron's index finger accidentally brushed against the most sensitive spot on Phoebe's sole, she couldn't hold back a short, sharp gasp, and her foot twitched involuntarily.
Phoebe's subconscious warned her that if this continued, things would really start to get strange!
"M-Mr. Aeron... could you please stop for a moment..."
Phoebe's trembling plea did not make Aeron pause, nor did his movements show any sign of stopping.
Admittedly, perhaps because of the intense ordeal he had endured the previous night, this contact now felt like a perfectly measured release.
Seeing Aeron so focused, Phoebe's face grew even redder, and she curled herself into a ball.
For her, this was far too embarrassing... yet, strangely, the foot held in Aeron's grasp seemed unwilling to pull away, unable to muster even the slightest strength to resist.
It felt as if all the sensations in her body had converged on that one foot held by Aeron, every subtle touch amplified infinitely.
She could only feel that her senior's hands were gradually becoming more adept. As Aeron placed his thumb on her sole and began to apply pressure, she instantly felt a jolt of electricity surge from that spot and spread throughout her entire body.
"Mmm—!" Buried in the pillow, she let out a muffled, tearful moan, her arms tightening around the pillow even more.
Phoebe collapsed onto the bed, clutching the pillow tightly with both arms and burying her burning face into it.
The sensation was too strange—so strange it made her flustered. Amid the aching fullness was an indescribable sense of release, making her want to escape yet secretly crave more.
When Aeron's palm fully covered the back of her foot, holding it gently with that steady, warm strength, an inexplicable sense of security washed over her.
'Mr. Aeron's hand... so warm, so reassuring... strong... yet gentle...'
'Have I... become a shameless child like this... mmm...'
Just as Phoebe's thoughts began to drift, Aeron finally withdrew his hand.
At this moment, his heart was filled with a sense of pride.
It seemed the skills he had honed in the massage parlor in his previous life hadn't faded one bit. Fortunately, Phoebe's condition wasn't serious, and a little pressure was enough to work out the knots.
Once all this was over, he could open a shop and live comfortably!
Just as Aeron was smugly congratulating himself, the guest room door was abruptly pushed open once again.
"Aeron, where did you go last night..."
Cartethyia stepped inside, and what met her eyes was Phoebe lying on the bed with a flushed, radiant face, and Aeron standing beside the bed with a mischievous grin.
"...Sorry, I came at a bad time!"
Little Carte's face turned bright red, and she immediately moved to close the door and leave.
But how could Aeron let her escape?
"Trying to run? No way! Persona!"
"Eek! What is this thing?!"
Bang!
After Arsène brought Cartethyia back, he promptly locked the door behind them.
Then, all she could see was Aeron approaching her with that same wicked grin.
"Perfect timing, Blessed Maiden. I have some matters I'd like to discuss with you in detail."
"M-Me...?"
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