Interlude: Witness

Returning to the mansion after the royal gathering, I felt a slight sense of unease.

…Siana wasn’t there to greet me.

It’s not like I force her to welcome me, but Siana always voluntarily greets me when I come home.

“…Maybe she’s out shopping?”

However, I’m fairly certain she went shopping just recently, so that doesn’t seem likely.

“…”

I briefly checked the garden and hallway, but as expected, Siana was nowhere to be seen.

“Not in the garden or the hallway… Could she be in her room?”

Siana has never stayed in her room without greeting me before, so if that’s really the case…

“This isn’t normal…!”

Could she be unwell? Did I rely on her too much and push her too hard!?

As those thoughts crossed my mind, a growing sense of anxiety began to take hold. Before I knew it, I was hurrying toward Siana’s room.

And with that momentum, I flung open the door.

“Siana! Are you oka—”

“M-Master!?”

The next moment, my eyes caught something unfamiliar: Siana’s fair, slender, and undeniably feminine figure, clad in beautiful white women’s undergarments, holding her maid outfit in her hands—now’s not the time to analyze this!

I quickly shut the door and spoke loudly.

“S-Sorry! I didn’t think you’d be changing, um—”

“P-Please don’t worry about it! I know full well that Master isn’t the kind of person to do such a thing on purpose, and even if it was intentional…! A-Anyway, it’s fine, so please don’t let it bother you!”

“R-Really, I’m so sorry…”

A little while later, having finished changing into her maid outfit, Siana opened the door and invited me in. We sat together on the same sofa.

“…”

Siana, sitting beside me, looked at me as I hunched my shoulders and said, “Master, I truly don’t mind, so please don’t let it trouble you.”

“But… I feel like I need to make it up to you somehow, or I won’t feel right.”

“Make it up to me…?”

After a moment of thought, she paused briefly before continuing. “In that case… I’d like to hear Master’s thoughts on seeing me in my undergarments!”

“W-What!? What are you saying, Siana!?”

“I don’t mind at all that Master saw me in my undergarments, but what Master thought of me in that state is very important to me! So please, do share your thoughts!”

“Uh… um…”

I’m not sure if that really counts as making amends, but I’m the one who said I wanted to apologize. If Siana considers this an acceptable apology, I can’t refuse to answer.

Swallowing my embarrassment, I opened my mouth to respond. “I only saw for a moment, but the always adorable Siana looked somehow more mature in her undergarments… I thought you were truly captivating as a woman.”

“…! T-Thank you, Master!”

Afterward, feeling my face flush with heat, I quickly returned to my room. For a while, I focused all my energy on suppressing my embarrassment.

◇

Right after Lux left, Siana, having summoned Violet, said with evident delight, “Violet! Just now, Lux-kun said my undergarments were captivating!”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, it’s true! Even though he was embarrassed, he made sure to share his thoughts for my sake…!”

“…Is being complimented on your undergarments really that exciting?”

“Of course it is! If you ever find someone special, you’ll understand this feeling of fulfillment I have.”

Her cheeks flushed red, Siana continued with an enraptured expression. “Ah, Lux-kun. One day, not just my undergarments, but my—”

Violet continued to watch over Siana as she endlessly murmured her love for Lux.

◇

After dinner, once Siana gauged that Lux had calmed down from the earlier incident, she came to Lux’s room and asked, “Master, how was today’s royal gathering?”

“It was a lot of fun. Felisiana-sama even said I’d become a wonderful lord.”

“That’s wonderful to hear.”

In truth, she wanted to tell him he’d be a wonderful king. But given their current relationship, she couldn’t say it yet, so Siana quietly wished for the day she could.

“Also, Felisiana-sama invited me to the royal palace.”

“I see… How did Master feel about that invitation?”

To that question, Lux replied, “At first, I felt a bit intimidated,” before continuing. “But now, since she went out of her way to invite me, I’m thinking I should make the most of it and enjoy myself.”

“! Yes, absolutely! I think that’s a great idea!”

Siana felt relieved hearing those words. If Lux was looking forward to enjoying himself, all she had to do was create opportunities for them to share enjoyable moments together.

Just thinking about it made Siana’s lips curl upward in anticipation.

From then on, the two spent a relaxed and pleasant evening together.