“Go eat something.”
“I can’t do that. You’re hurting, and you took care of me, so how can I just leave?”
“I’m fine, really. I’ll get better if I just stay still. I don’t need a massage.”
“But you have 15 massage coupons! If you save them, they’ll go to waste! I won’t leave until you say you’re using a massage coupon.”
“...Alright. I’ll use one.”
“Yay!”

Since she insisted so much, I had no choice but to comply.
I hadn’t planned to use a massage coupon like this, but since I had 15 of them, I guess using one as a taste test wouldn’t hurt.

I sat on the bed in resignation.
I placed my legs on the chair with a thud.
My muscles twitched, and an indescribable pain was gnawing at my calves.

“Ugh. This is really bad. Your skinny legs must be in a lot of pain from that cramp.”
“...”

To be honest, it’s not a pair of legs that looks like someone who does a lot of outdoor activities.
I looked like a person who was just holed up indoors all the time.
But I had been busy running around a lot lately, so it was only natural that I’d experience this.

Charlotte knelt in front of me, rolled up my pants, and cautiously placed her hands on my twitching calf muscles.

“Hold on a sec.”
“It’s fine. Just leave it to me.”
“...Ugh.”

With a sudden motion, she grabbed my foot and began to massage my muscles.
Her touch was surprisingly skilled.
Had she ever massaged someone else’s legs before?
Just then, a surge of jealousy bubbled up within me.

“I’ve had cramps a lot too, so I know how to deal with them. After running as soon as I wake up and eating, I’ve become somewhat of an expert at catching cramps!”
“...”

Well, that’s a relief.
I let out a sigh of relief.
As I felt the muscle spasms gradually fading under Charlotte’s rough hands, I thought it was a little regrettable that the pain was dissipating.

“Cramps! Cramps! Run away! Meow!”
“...What’s that?”
“It’s a cramp! If I pretend a cat is coming, it’ll run away!”
“...”

What a cute idea.
Charlotte, meowing at my calf, looked like a wild cat.
Hmm. Maybe she’s too lively to be called a cat.
Let’s compromise and call her a playful dog-cat.

“Thanks. I think the cramps have all run away.”
“Hehe. So how about lying down for a bit?”
“What?”
“It’d be a waste to use a massage coupon for just massaging your legs.”

This girl. Her sense of service was unexpectedly excellent.
Usually, the massage coupons given by kids were handed out recklessly to earn a little pocket money, but when it came time to use them, they’d act half-heartedly.
Those 15 were all full-body massage coupons, so the cost-effectiveness was considerable.

“Then how about stepping on my back? It seems like the muscles in my back are tense.”
“Step on it? Really?”
“Yeah.”
“If I do that, you might die under me…!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t die.”

How heavy did she think she was?
Or did I look that weak?
After hesitating for a while, Charlotte slowly stepped onto my back.

I felt her tiny toes moving and tickling my back.

“Ugh. Ugh.”
“Ugh! Ugh!”

With her feet planted on my back, Charlotte spread her arms to keep her balance.
Every time she swayed and shifted her feet, her weight pressed down on different spots, and I couldn’t help but groan as the muscles in my back got crushed.

This was it.
I could rub my arms myself, but I couldn’t do anything about my back, which had become a dilemma.
I might end up quickly buying more massage coupons if I used all 15.

“Does it hurt?”
“It’s fine. It was just an exclamation.”
“You sound like an old man….”
“…”

Hearing that made me feel like I was being distanced from Charlotte all of a sudden.
Now that I think about it, how much of an age difference is there?
Charlotte is 13 years old, and I—no, Aslan—is 21, so that’s an 8-year gap.
At this point, isn’t that quite the sibling-like age difference?

But I couldn’t bring myself to say, “Call me big brother.”
That would stab at my conscience too much…

“Are you feeling better?”
“I’m satisfied enough now. You can get down.”
“Hehe. Then for the finishing touch!”
“...? ”

Thud.
She plopped down on my back, wrapping her arms around me.

“...What’s this?”
“The maids said that hugging is the best massage. They say it gives you energy.”
“Who said that? I need to hear their name.”
“Why? Are you going to punish them? Then I won’t tell you.”
“...”

With a squeeze,
Charlotte's strength was surprisingly strong.
I felt a considerable pressure enveloping my body.

“I can hear your heartbeat like this. Can you feel my heartbeat?”
“I can’t feel it.”
“Do you want to put your ear against my chest?”
“...I’ll pass.”

Hugging.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been hugged like this.
Perhaps it’s not a complete lie that it gives you energy.
After holding me for a while, Charlotte finally released me with a sigh.

“Massage time is over! How was it? I’d love for you to give me a rating!”
“Um, it was lackluster. And clumsy. When you were getting rid of the cramps, you seemed great, but when you stepped on my back, you were terrible. You couldn’t even find the tense spots; you just fumbled around.”
“Ugh!?”

The skill wasn’t particularly impressive.
If I had a big cat sitting on my back, it probably would’ve felt similar to this.
But what mattered was not the skill.

“However, I’ll give you a 10 for effort. Thanks to you, I feel energized. Overall, I’d rate it a 9.”
“Yay! So, you’re going to ask for another massage, right?”
“I still have 14 massage coupons left. I would’ve used them all even if they were mediocre.”
“Hehe.”

Charlotte beamed with satisfaction as she carefully climbed off my back.
Then she flitted around,
Wriggling her little toes to find the shoes she had left under the bed.
With a jump, she got down and put her shoes on.

“I’ll keep today’s events a secret. If Yulia hears about you in pain from cramps and struggling, she’ll tease you mercilessly!”

With an excited smile, Charlotte looked up at me.
A secret.
Whether Yulia heard about my struggle with the cramps or not, I didn’t really care.

“It means we’re each sharing a secret now.”
“Right? Thank you for keeping it a secret.”
“Hehe.”

Seeing Charlotte seem happy, I decided to keep it a secret willingly.
Sharing a secret. Doesn’t that make us feel like close friends?
I felt a sense of satisfaction, thinking I had stepped a little closer to Charlotte’s heart.

“By the way, I’ll go buy that doll I promised you right now.”
“Sounds good! Should we go now? I’ll get ready right away… Huh?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Someone’s outside.”

Peering through the slightly ajar door, Charlotte’s expression froze, and she quickly turned to look at the door.
There was a faintly open gap in the door.
Charlotte rushed over to peek, but when she didn’t find anyone, she quickly scampered back to me.

“I think someone was eavesdropping! I didn’t see their face!”

It must have been one of the maids.
I decided not to worry too much about it.
If this scene was overheard, I figured today’s events would definitely be a hot topic among the maids for a while.

‘Why do they keep trying to tie me to these girls? It’s driving me crazy.’
I wouldn’t want to raise a lovely, cute, and kind partner, would I?
I’d endure it because they were Yuri’s friends, the very hero and protagonist.
This couple baiting is getting old.

...

“Uwah….”

Charlotte peered through the slightly ajar door, covering her mouth in shock.
What’s that? Is that a massage?
Hugging isn’t a massage! Anyone can tell that it’s not a massage!

‘Didn’t the maid teach me how to give a massage? What a lie…!’

When she had asked the maid how to give a massage,
Yulia had been right there with her.
Yet she didn’t hear anything like that!

‘How bold of them…’

I knew Charlotte adored Aslan and cared for him, but I believed that was merely an act.
That’s because Charlotte, despite her seemingly sweet appearance, was quite dark inside.
On the surface, she appeared to be smiling, looking carefree, and treating everyone kindly,
But inside, she harbored deep loathing.

I thought she acted that way only toward Aslan…

‘Why is she doing this for real?!’

What was happening in this room now was hard to believe coming from a girl who disliked Aslan.
Yulia, frozen in place, watched Charlotte’s actions in disbelief, covering her eyes with her hands as if she couldn’t bear to see it.
But even though she didn’t want to look, she couldn’t help but see everything through the gaps in her fingers.

“Are you ready? Should we go now? I’ll get ready…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Someone’s outside.”
“...!”

At that moment, Charlotte turned around.
Their eyes met perfectly.
In an instant, Charlotte dashed to the door.
Yulia tried to escape quickly, but as she stood up hastily, she stumbled and fell over.

“Ugh….”
“...!”

When Charlotte swung open the door, she came face to face with the fallen Yulia.
Charlotte smiled with a relaxed expression that was unreadable.
She glanced over her shoulder and then quietly whispered as she slipped outside.

“Don’t worry, Yulia. I’ll be the countess. You’ve wanted to leave this place for so long, right?”
“Ah….”
“Shh. Be quiet. They’ll hear us inside.”
“...”

Giggle.
With a quiet laugh, Charlotte turned away and left.

“I think someone was eavesdropping! I didn’t see their face!”

Yulia, still lying on the ground, froze.
Charlotte had just said that she would become the countess.
It was a true statement, but...

Yulia’s feelings began to swirl as she bit her lip, her heart racing.