I Kidnapped the Hero’s Women

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 65 - Soles (1)

"Oh my, did you hear that? Did you hear it?"

"Yeah, I heard it, so stop hitting me, you crazy bitch."

"He’s going to help her change! The Lord himself! What do we do! Ahh, ahh!"

"Hey, you’re drooling..."

Giggle, giggle.

Unaware that Aslan had already noticed them, the maids peeked through the door and snickered.

He used to leave the changing to the maids!

But now, is he starting to get greedy?

Is he finding it harder to hide his desires?

"I used to think the Lord had amazing self-control, but it looks like he can’t hold back anymore..."

"No, it’s too early to jump to conclusions. The Lord may be a bit shady, but he’s not the kind of man who would break his own principles. He’s not the type to lay a hand on a child."

"Then what is it...?"

"He wants to etch the current Charlotte, who will soon vanish with the passing years, into his memory!"

"...?"

The junior maid tilted her head, puzzled by the cryptic words.

"Think about it. Raising and educating a mischievous girl to your liking, only to marry her later. It’s romantic, but there’s a huge catch."

"What’s that?"

"The catch is that the young bride of your memories will disappear into the past, never to be seen again! The Lord will regret it for the rest of his life! He’ll think about all the things he should’ve done when she was still young!"

"Oh..."

The junior maid’s eyes widened in realization.

She had never thought of such a thing before.

"It’s called making memories! If you act all gentlemanly, waiting patiently for your bride to grow up, you’ll definitely regret it. You need a list of all the things you must do before she’s fully grown!"

"That makes sense. Once time passes, you can’t get it back..."

"From now on, the Lord will cover his eyes with a blindfold and, guided only by Charlotte’s whispers, help her change clothes, and then, pretending it’s a mistake... Heh heh heh."

"Senior, you’re drooling."

A changing event!

It’s one of those essential events, isn’t it?

Teaching young girls unfamiliar with the complex attire of nobles, while sneaking in some subtle skinship!

Right. It would be a waste to leave such things to the maids.

He’d definitely regret it later.

As expected, the Lord knows what he’s doing!

Just as the maids were getting all giddy...

"Here it is! My armor! Isn’t it cool?"

"Oh."

"Oh."

Charlotte returned with a proud look on her face, holding a bag with her armor inside.

The maids’ expressions immediately stiffened.

...Wait, so it was about armor?

"Let’s get back to work."

"Yeah, we still have dishes to wash."

What a letdown.

The maids clicked their tongues and walked away.

***

"What’s wrong, Mister?"

"..."

I’m flustered.

She said armor.

So, of course, I thought it would be some flashy, metal armor or something like that.

But what Charlotte pulled out of her large bag was nothing like that.

"It’s thinner than I expected."

"They said it’s the kind of armor you can wear all day like regular clothes! So it’s really thin and easy to move in!"

"..."

I held the 'armor' Charlotte handed me, feeling it between my fingers.

It was light, stretchy, and resistant to deformation no matter how much I pulled at it.

At a glance, it was no different from regular clothes.

But when I struck it with my fist, it suddenly hardened, proving that it was indeed functional as armor.

'It really is like a second skin.'

A tight-fitting, stretchy armor.

Impressive technology.

Well, with people who can coat their swords in mana and those who can swing with aura, it makes sense that armor-making techniques would be this advanced too.

"Just by looking at it, I have no idea how to put it on. There aren’t even any buttons in the front..."

"It’s designed so someone has to tie it from the back. I’ll help you with it."

"Hehe. Please do!"

Whip.

Charlotte turned around and swiftly shrugged off her outer garment, leaving her in a thin shirt as she turned her back to me.

Then, she plopped something into my palm.

"Can you tie my hair, please?"

"..."

I looked down to find a hair tie in my hand.

It’s been a while since I’ve tied a girl’s hair.

I carefully gathered her hair in my hands, feeling its smoothness as it swayed.

As I pulled her hair back, Charlotte’s nape became visible.

She must have been running around earlier because there were small beads of sweat forming on her skin.

I discreetly wiped them away with my fingers before finishing the ponytail.

"Wouldn’t it be better to keep it tied up like this all the time? It’s more convenient."

"Hmm. Really? Which do you think is prettier, Mister? Tied up or down?"

"..."

A tough question.

"Both are pretty, but this armor seems to suit a tied-up look better."

"Then I’ll keep it tied whenever I wear this!"

Ponytail Charlotte.

She shook her head slightly, and the ponytail swung adorably from side to side.

It took some effort to suppress the urge to grab it and pull it back.

Once her hair was tied, we began the process of trying on the armor.

Since it’s armor that can be worn like everyday clothes, putting it on wasn’t particularly complicated.

I wrapped it around her torso and chest, covering everything, and then secured it with the ties at the back.

"Should I tighten it more?"

"Yes!"

"Ugh..."

"Hnnng! Too tight! It’s suffocating..."

[The Evil God, 'Kali,' shouts for you to ease up, saying our dark knight’s ribs will break!]

...Her ribs won’t break from my strength, though.

Anyway, once I adjusted the ties to the proper tightness and knotted them, the process was complete.

Now that I think about it, the shape of the armor resembles a corset.

"There. All done."

"How do I look, Mister? Pretty?"

[The Evil God, 'Kali,' beams with a wide smile, saying she looks absolutely beautiful.]

"You look pretty. It suits you well."

"Hehe!"

Whirl.

Charlotte spun around, showing me her front, then smiled shyly.

For a moment, I wondered why beauty mattered when it came to armor, but I didn’t say it out loud.

As long as she looks cute, that’s all that matters.

"Wow! It’s really comfortable! It feels like I’m not even wearing it! Do you think it’s really strong? Mister, do you want to punch me in the stomach to test it?"

"...I’ll pass."

"Why not?"

Charlotte stuck out her belly with an innocent look on her face.

I turned my head away from her.

Even though I knew that no matter how hard I hit her with my feeble punch, the armored Charlotte wouldn’t feel a thing...

I couldn’t shake the discomfort I felt.

An adult punching a kid in the stomach? No way.

I rejected the idea before I could develop any strange inclinations.

"Now I feel like a real swordsman!"

"Not yet. Just because you have great talent, a fine sword, and good armor doesn’t make you a swordsman. Only when you develop the right mindset can you truly call yourself one."

"Wow! That’s exactly what the knight sister said!"

"..."

Of course it is.

I just repeated the lines I heard from Sylvia in the game.

But it’s good to see that she seems to understand it well.

"Don’t worry! I’ve been memorizing the code of chivalry lately! Cherish life, don’t take pride in your strength... Umm, what else was there? Anyway, it’s really long!!"

Charlotte was just excited.

She wasn’t getting cocky just because she was now armed with a nice sword and pretty armor.

It seems Sylvia has been doing a good job teaching her not just swordsmanship but also discipline.

That’s a relief.

"Now that you’re all dressed, you should go. Julia was really scared earlier because of that ghost, so try to stay with her if you can."

"Hmm..."

As soon as I mentioned Julia’s name, Charlotte’s eyebrows drooped.

She quietly sneaked up behind me and...

Plop, she hopped onto my back, peeking over my shoulder.

"Mister, are you really busy? Should I go out and help her instead?"

"..."

I still have a lot to clean up.

There are many books left to organize.

And I have a pile of work to get through.

But...

"How about you take a short break and get a massage instead?"

"Where’s the massage coupon again..."

I can’t resist a massage.

I decided to make time.

Charlotte’s face lit up with a smile.

"Where does it hurt? Where should I start today?"

"My back hurts, my shoulders hurt, my calves hurt, my neck hurts..."

It’d be quicker to find places that don’t hurt.

"Your whole body hurts! But Mister, you exercise every morning, so why does it still hurt?"

"...Good question."

A deep sigh escaped me.

This body was so weak that I immediately felt the need to modify it after the possession.

So I put up with the discomfort of sunburns and frequently went outside.

I never skipped strength training.

And I made sure to eat regularly.

Three months had passed since I started living such a proper and healthy life.

While it's true that I've gained a little muscle, the changes in my body are minimal compared to the effort I've put in.

Maybe it’s just my natural constitution.

And by now, I’ve nearly given up.

"At this rate, it looks like you’re going to need a massage all day long."

"Then forget the rest, just give me a face massage."

"Why? Is it because you think you look too scary? Should I smooth it out for you?"

"...No. It's just that my facial muscles are tired."

Charlotte stared at my face with a serious expression.

Is my face really that scary?

If only a massage could smooth out this grim face of mine, that would be nice.

"Hehe! If that's the case, leave it to me!"

Charlotte rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward.

I lay back comfortably on the sofa and closed my eyes.

Will Charlotte be able to control her strength well?

She better do it right. It's my face, after all, and one wrong move could hurt me.

I started to worry.

I heard the sound of something being quietly taken off beside me, as Charlotte busily prepared.

Once she finished, I felt her hop up onto the sofa.

"Shall I start?"

"Go ahead."

"Are you sure it's okay?"

"Stop asking and just start."

"Really?"

"..."

With a hesitant voice, Charlotte kept stalling.

Feeling that something was off, I opened my eyes.

"Take this."

"...?"

Charlotte’s small soles landed on my face.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]