CH 31

Now that our whole bodies are warmed up, let’s wash our bodies.

We were in pond water, and so our hair smells like a tropical fish tank.

When I go to the washing area, Melissa-sama comes with me.

She doesn’t move when I’m lathering myself with a soaped-up sponge.

…….

“Umm, ah, aah,” Melissa stammered.

“What, can’t you wash your body?” I asked.

“Ye-Yes, i-it’s always Karina I count on…” Melissa said.

“Hmm, I’ll wash you, show me your back,” I said.

“O-Okay, um, I’m sorry,” Melissa said.

“It’s okay, it’s alright,” I said.

While washing my own body, I wash Melissa-sama’s back.

Woah, she has fine skin.

And she has bigger boobs than me.

It’s not as big as what you’d call “big breasts,” but it’s a good size, and she has cherry-colored nipples.

Ueh-hihihi.

…….

After this.

I have to wash the front of Melissa’s body.

Oh, no, I’m in trouble.

Before that happens.

Karina-san, why don’t you come soon?

“Would you like me to help you?”

Oops, Anne-san, Karol’s eyepatch-wearing maid, was by my side before I knew it.

“Can I leave it to you?” I asked.

“Please, leave it to me,” Anne said.

“Oh, thank you very much,” I said.

Anne-san skillfully began to wash Melissa-sama.

She’s used to it.

I wonder if Karol is being washed by someone else, too.

“I brought a spare of Ojou-sama’s uniform for you, Makoto-sama,” Anne said. “It is in the dressing room.”

“That’s a real help,” I said.

Karol and I are similar in height, so it should fit.

I was just thinking about how to get from the bathroom to room 205.

As expected of a noble lady, I thought it would be wrong to go through the dormitory hallway with just drawers on.

It must be Karol’s instructions, she’s really smart.

""

I take shampoo in my hand and wash my head.

Mossha-mosha.

“I’ve also grabbed Makoto-sama’s uniform and brought it here,” Anne continued. “The buttons are missing, so we will repair it, wash it, and deliver it to your room later. Browright-sama’s jacket will also be handed over after it is washed, as well.”

“Thank you for everything,” I said.

“No, it’s my job, so you don’t need to thank me,” Anne said.

“From me as well, you have my thanks, Anne-san,” Melissa said.

“You’re welcome”

Anne-san is cool and admirable.

I admire you so much.

I apply the conditioner to my hair and rinse it off in the shower.

Fuu, I wish I had a hair dryer.

Once again, when I was warming up in the bathtub with Melissa-sama, Karina-san came and told me that she had readied the change of clothes.

When I went out of the bath to the dressing room, I found my room key, my wallet, and a handkerchief on top of my uniform.

She must have taken it out of the uniform I tossed in the courtyard and brought them back to me.

“Thank you, Anne-san, that was very helpful,” I said.

“Rather than that, can I help you change clothes?” Anne said.

“It’s okay, it’s just a uniform.”

“So I see……” Anne muttered.

Why do you look sad, Anne-san?

Wearing freshly laundered drawers and wearing a school uniform, it’s the return of Makoto-sama the noble lady.

Melissa-sama is also wearing a new dress, and her loveliness is back.

“You feel refreshed after taking a bath, right?” I said

“Yes, thank you very much. If you weren’t there, Makoto-sama, I might have drowned,” Melissa said.

“Nn, geez, don’t cry, don’t cry,” I said.

""

“Okay,” Melissa said.

And then with a BANG, the door to the dressing room opened, and Yur-Yuri-senpai came in, breathing heavily with heaving shoulders.

“Aah, you’re already changing clothes…” Yurisha said.

What do you mean by that, Yuri-Yuri-senpai?

“I also wanted to take a bath with you, Makoto-sama,” she said. “Say, you can go in again, right, right?”

“Uuh, it’s almost the end of lunch,” I said.

Ah, the bell rang.

No lunch, but well, I’m doing an experiment with Elmer and Jean-oji-san.

Let’s have cookies during break time.

For some reason, Yuri-Yuri-senpai was biting her handkerchief.

Karol popped her head out from behind her.

“Makoto, are you okay?” she asked.

“Hehehehe, I borrowed your uniform, and we’ve got the same body type, so it was perfect,” I said.

“I’m glad it was useful,” Karol said.

“Lending and borrowing uniforms is so precious,” Yurisha said.

Shut up, Yuri-Yuri-senpai.

“Well then, I’m really indebted to you, I will be leaving now,” Melissa said.

“Are you okay? Why don’t you sleep in the infirmary first?” I said.

Anyway, Class C probably doesn’t have any decent academics, to begin with.

“Melissa-sama, please wait,” Yurisha said.

“Ye-Yes, what is it, Appleby-sama?” Melissa asked.

“From now on, we are planning to go out and have lunch with everyone from the Saint’s Faction. You should also join us, Melissa-sama,” Yurisha said.

“I, I belong to Pottinger-kyou’s faction……so, I can’t yet,” Melissa said.

“You should leave that heartless faction that won’t even try to help a drowning friend,” Yurisha said.

“B-But, when I leave the faction, I’ll be an isolated noble…” Melissa said.

“Wouldn’t it be better to join the Saint’s Faction?” Yurisha asked.

Melissa-sama seems to have joined the faction already, so don’t go glancing at me.

“It’s fine, it’s no problem,” I said. “Melissa-sama, after that incident, it’ll be hard for you to face the members of Pottinger-kyou’s faction, right?”

“That’s right, but I have to consult with my Chicihi as well,” Melissa said.

“House Andrea, isn’t it?” Yurisha said. “The wine from your territory is delicious.”

“Ah, thank you very much, the people are working hard to make it,” Melissa said. “I will bring you a bottle next time, Appleby-sama.”

Wine is a specialty of Melissa-san’s territory.

It looks delicious.

Let’s drink now.

In this world, wine is a substitute for water, so students drink it too.

At the dormitory welcome party for new students, we drank grape juice to keep things orderly while still festive.

“Is Melissas-sama’s Otou-sama a stubborn person?” Yurisha asked.

“N-No, he’s a kind and gentle Otou-sama,” Melissa said.

“Then tell him that House Appleby wants to take in House Andrea as relatives,” Yurisha said.

“Huh?” Melissa asked.

Ah, Melissa-san, you’re stuck.

Does Yuri-Yuri-senpai want to drink wine that much?

I think she needs help with a drinking problem.

“Um, ah, uh, pl-please please stop joking, it-it-it-it-it-it-it’s unprecedented for a viscount to become a parasite on a duke, s-so, we can’t be related,” Melissa said.

“House Appleby family had almost no faction movements, so there are a lot of open slots for a yoriko,” Yurisha said. “I’m sure your Otou-sama won’t be reluctant to switch allegiances.”

“We-We-Well, I don’t think he would disagree, um, uh, I might faint,” Melissa said.

Ah, that’s what it means to be a parochial parent, there’s no viscount who says no to a duke wanting to become their yoroshi.

In a nutshell, the Yoriko-Yoroshi system is something like a parent-child system for aristocrats.

The Yoroshi gives the Yoriko financial assistance, technical assistance, lending arms, etc., and the Yoriko contributes to the Yoroshi in terms of human resources, or, in layman’s terms, the provision of military power.

It’s like the aristocracy shrinking the relationship between the royal family and the nobility.

“Yurisha-sama, does your family lack that many yorikos?” I asked.

“Completely empty, we only have blood relatives,” Yurisha said. “So, they’ll be given to the Houses wishing to join the Saint’s Faction.”

I wonder if it’s a good idea to give away so many connections to a duke.

I see, there will be almost no vacancies for Pottinger-kyou’s Faction, which has emerged and grown rapidly.

Therefore, about half of the factions are houses that are not related as yorikos.

You can cut down the hostile faction as much as you want.

That’s amazing, the duke’s house is amazing.

“Is it okay for you to do so much?” I asked.

“I don’t mind, I’ll do anything for the sake of the love between my cute dormitory students Makoto-sama and Caroline-sama,” Yurisha said.

Uheh, I wonder if the gachi-yuri is what occupies the gears in her head.

Thank you, but that’s too sad.

Ah, that’s right, I’m going to visit the temple in Appleby Territory as a token of my gratitude.

“Ojou-sama, what good fortune this is, Dan’na-sama will jump for joy to be a duke’s yoriko,” Karina said.

“Indeed, Karina, I’ll be attending the Saint Faction’s meeting, so Karina, tell Otou-sama about the news,” Karina said.

“Understood, I’ll let him know as fast as I can,” Karina said.

Then, she ran out of the dressing room.

“Well, Makoto-sama,, let’s go out too,” Yurisha said.

“Where are we going?” I said.

“There’s a restaurant I frequent that serves Fuyou dishes, so let’s go there,” Yurisha said.

Fuyou cuisine!!

To put it bluntly, it’s Chinese food.

Woah, even in Baron Kimball’s house, I’ve only been there once so far.

By the way, there are Japanese restaurants in this world, and it’s called Horai cuisine.

“We’re keeping Curtis-sama and Elmer-sama waiting, let’s go quickly, Makoto,” Caroline said.

“If we’re already holding them up, then let’s hurry,” I said.

We left the dressing room behind.

So, I went up the stairs to the laundry room next door to ask them to take care of Melissa-sama’s water-logged dress and my drawers.