“…what?”
“What’s the matter? Are your ears malfunctioning? I clearly asked you to give me a massage. My legs are sore from walking too much today.”
“…”
Contrary to what Bianca claimed, it wasn’t because I couldn’t hear her due to blocked ears; it was more my own dumbfoundedness that made me doubt the normalcy of my ears.
‘Has this woman finally lost her mind? What kind of masseuse am I?’
Giving a massage wasn’t a difficult task. Considering I’ve known Bianca for 20 years, even though our relationship was strained, it shouldn’t be odd for her to ask for a massage. Over the past few months on the expedition, I’ve seen and touched that woman’s bare skin numerous times. There shouldn’t be any reason to feel embarrassed about giving her a massage now.
However, the societal norms couldn’t be ignored. How would the world look at a woman who suddenly requested a foot massage from a man?
More importantly, why focus on the feet? In noble families, women were not supposed to show their feet to other men unless they were committed to marriage.
Bianca was pushing boundaries that normally only an engaged couple would cross.
“…why?”
I couldn’t help but voice my confusion. Honestly, I didn’t feel like giving her a massage at all.
“What, why?”
Bianca scowled at my question, her face twisted in frustration.
I felt intimidated, but I had to find words. It was true; I was scared. If she decided to unleash magic on me, I might not survive.
“You gave that woman massages. So why not me?”
“…that woman?”
There were several women on this expedition, making it unclear whom she was referring to.
“I mean the princess! Yesterday, while everyone else was occupied, you massaged each other!”
Bianca yelled at me, her voice shrill.
I couldn’t help but find her behavior absurd. No, I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t noticed her crude expression before.
“It was a way to relieve fatigue from swordsmanship training with the princess…”
“You did it with her! Why not with me? Is my body dirty? Huh?”
“…”
I had no response. Why did this woman suddenly call me here and spout nonsense? Was she upset about the massage I gave another woman after the serious sword training yesterday?
At this moment, Bianca’s true nature became painfully apparent.
She was outraged that I gave another woman a massage, except for her. She always considered me her servant, believing that whatever I did for others was rightfully hers. It was clear that she held such entitled thoughts.
“…Bianca. But what about appearances?”
If someone witnessed this scene, they might assume Bianca and I were engaged. It was a terrifying and terrible misunderstanding.
“Why are your feet involved? What about propriety?”
Bianca tilted her head, seemingly not understanding the implications. It made me question whether she truly belonged to an aristocratic family.
“We aren’t promised in marriage, and we haven’t even touched each other’s bare skin. If someone else sees me massaging your feet, wouldn’t it be misunderstood?”
“…then what about the princess?”
Bianca fixated on the princess, unwilling to let go.
“That was part of the training…how do we train without touching each other’s skin?”
I couldn’t believe the lame excuses I was spewing.
“Anyway, I apologize, but your request might be a bit too much.”
“…”
Bianca fell silent, seemingly grasping something from my string of excuses, which were beyond feeble.
“Can I go now? I still have some work to do.”
I said, positioning myself at the tent’s doorway. My only thought was to leave as quickly as possible.
But then it happened.
“Hey, Cain. Did I tell you to leave?”
Bianca’s words made my body pause. Perhaps due to months of her being keenly observant, as soon as she told me to stand, my body instinctively obeyed, frozen in place.
“I thought about it. It shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
“…what?”
“You said others might misunderstand if they see you massaging my feet. What if they don’t see it?”
Saying that, Bianca grabbed the nearby staff and began muttering something. I wasn’t well-versed in magic, but I sensed she was attempting some form of spell from the energy surrounding her.
‘…Is this b1tch finally trying to kill me?’
The foot massage request seemed like a mere excuse. It was apparent that Bianca’s true intention was to have me refuse the absurd offer, giving her a reason to plot something sinister.
If I had a next life, I resolved not to get involved with a girl with red hair. As I closed my eyes, preparing for the worst, Bianca’s voice broke the silence.
“Hey, what are you doing? Open your eyes!”
Startled by Bianca’s words, I opened my eyes. There was no fireball or swirling lightning in her hands.
‘What, didn’t she use magic to kill me?’
“Why were your eyes closed?”
“…no, I got a bit embarrassed when you suddenly used magic. I closed my eyes without realizing it.”
I mumbled, fearing she might kill me, and spat out the words.
“Tsk. What is that? Well, you’ve been a bit timid even in the past.”
Bianca nodded, as if understanding something in her own way.
“Don’t worry. I just set up a barrier to prevent others from approaching the tent.”
“…what? What does that…”
“To massage my feet. I put up a barrier so others wouldn’t see. Now there’s no issue, right?”
“…”
She was truly insane. I couldn’t fathom what was going on in this girl’s mind.
With that, Bianca removed her socks and wiggled her slender legs, seemingly showing them off.
I will confess…as a man, I couldn’t help but be captivated by her graceful figure.
‘…sh1t, I don’t even care anymore…’
Somewhere deep within, I let go of my pride and began to touch Bianca’s feet, giving her the foot massage she desired. While massaging her bare, porcelain-like feet, I noticed small blisters in one corner.
‘…so it wasn’t just an excuse?’
Despite thinking she lied about the pain to get a foot massage, it seemed the blisters were genuine. Although she could easily heal them with the saintess’s help, Bianca refused to seek assistance, perhaps due to her pride.
“Tsk.”
I unintentionally clicked my tongue and applied pressure to the swollen areas.
“…ah, ugh. Cain…!”
Bianca moaned softly, indicating relief from the pain. But my massage was only just beginning.
“…uh, ugh…”
I continued with gentle strokes, presses, and caresses on Bianca’s bare feet. Working to alleviate congested blood vessels by rotating my palm and delicately smoothing the wounded parts, as if handling fragile glass.
Before I realized it, I became engrossed in the massage, forgetting I was touching Bianca’s bare feet.
“…ahhng~”
And time passed.
Realizing it had been over 30 minutes, I knew it was time to leave her tent. Staying so long in another woman’s tent might lead to misunderstandings among the other expedition members.
“Is this enough? Can I go?”
“Wait, Cain. Wait.”
Bianca stopped me as if something was unfinished.
“What’s wrong? Is there something else I need to do? Another area that needs a massage?”
Bianca seemed hesitant, unlike her usual composed self, then muttered something in a low voice.
“…be gentler.”
“…what?”
“I thought I was going to die from the pain! Next time, be gentler!”
Bianca suddenly exploded in anger, pushing me out of the tent.
“I thought it would feel good, but it only hurt. I really hated it. Really!”
With those words, Bianca turned away and swiftly disappeared inside the tent.
‘Da*mn it!’
I invested all my free time and effort into giving her a massage, yet all I received was harsh criticism. I must have been out of my mind. Why did I work so hard to massage her just because she was pretty?
“…but did my massage hurt that much?”
The princess praised my massages, claiming they relieved her fatigue. Sensitivity to touch varies from person to person. From Bianca’s perspective, my massage might indeed have been painful.
Of course, that wasn’t a reason to be scolded for trying my best.
Feeling my resentment towards Bianca deepening, I slowly headed towards my tent.
Heaven had granted me life, but I couldn’t help but lament why it also gave birth to a woman named Bianca.
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