Having concluded the ceremony, Lotte and Alisha were returning to the manor by carriage.
Today, being the day Alisha was honoured at the ceremony, she had no duties.
Inside the carriage, moving slowly through the royal capital —the ornate robes Alisha had worn for the ceremony were slightly dishevelled.
Lotte’s hand reached towards Alisha’s chest area.

“This fabric is wonderfully smooth and pleasant to the touch, isn’t it?”

Muttering this observation, Alisha pressed a hand to her mouth, stifling her voice.

“Mmm, h-h-hmm…”

Even inside the carriage —if she made too much noise, the coachman might hear.
That was likely why Alisha was trying so hard.
　—And this situation was precisely what Alisha had desired.
She’d asked Lotte to accompany her to an upcoming ceremony, then begged afterwards.
Honestly —that request seemed a tad extreme.
When told she wanted her chest touched, Lotte was the one who blushed.
Naturally, she refused at first.
But in the end, giving in was simply Lotte’s nature, one might say.
“To be doing this so soon after receiving such glorious honours… What would everyone think if they found out?”
She whispered into Alisha’s ear, her breath warm against her skin.

“…!”

Alisha’s slender frame trembled slightly.
—Truly, she must be out of her mind.
Only moments ago, she had been praised as the kingdom’s most outstanding knight.
　Everyone present had focused on her, held her in awe, admired her – until very recently, Lotte herself could be said to have idolised Alisha.
After all, she’d become a maid for the Zekrosia household driven purely by that admiration.
And now – she was actually fondling the chest of that very person she’d admired.
—Why had it come to this? She mustn’t think about it so calmly.
This was necessary for Alisha.
　The original purpose was to relieve Alisha’s stress.
Indeed —since meeting Lotte, Alisha seemed more dedicated to her work than before, and it was undeniable she had achieved further progress.
In other words, even this current act was all connected to Alisha’s benefit.
Unless she convinced herself of this, Lotte herself might not be able to endure the reality of kneading Alisha’s chest.
　Right now, Lotte was simply being swept along by the atmosphere.
It could be said that Alisha only exposed her vulnerability to Lotte —and the very existence of such a person was what supported Alisha.
The fact that she had someone she could ask for such things, things she couldn’t tell others.
For Lotte, it was part of the job —though occasionally she got so carried away she lost herself, the pounding of her heart remained the same.
　Seeing Alisha in such a state excites her.
—Lotte is just as strange.

“L-Lotte, no more…”

Alisha, finally nearing her limit, pleads.
What an adorable sight —and she alone could possess it.

“Alice…”

She uttered the name only permitted when they were alone —but what reached her ears then was a scream.

”!”

Alisha’s reaction was swift.
Hardly what one would expect from someone whose breasts had just been groped.

“I’m sorry. I’ll just go and have a look. You go back first, alright?”

With her clothes still slightly dishevelled —Alisha leapt out of the carriage.

“Alice —Alisha-sama!”

She tried to call her back, but Alisha didn’t hear her.
From what she could see, the disarray was only enough to justify rushing off, so there seemed little cause for concern.
In fact, calling Alisha “Alice” might have been the more dangerous mistake.
She’d instinctively covered her mouth, hastily correcting herself.
　—Honestly, even in this situation, the fact she could dash off immediately is what makes Alisha so remarkable.
Whatever incident might have occurred, she’d surely resolve it without issue.
Just moments ago —she’d been embarrassed by Lotte groping her chest —yet before everyone, she remained the cool, composed Princess Knight.
It felt strangely unsettling —would they resume what they’d been doing once Alisha returned?
As these thoughts crossed his mind,

“May I have a moment of your time?”

Suddenly, an unfamiliar woman addressed me.
Looking, I saw she too was dressed in a maid’s uniform —perhaps someone’s errand?

“Er, and you are…?”
“My apologies for the delay. I am Cortier, a maid serving the Fressis household.”

The woman —Cortier —said this, then bowed politely.
　Lotte, surprised, returned the bow.
The Flesis household —she had heard of it before at the mansion.
Like Alisha, it was home to a noble young lady who also served as a knight.
Indeed, a noble knight wasn’t all that uncommon; she was likely someone fighting to protect the kingdom, just like Alisha.

“Um, do you require something from me…?”

　As a maid of the Zekrosia household, Lotte too had to be careful not to be discourteous.
Even as a servant, she belonged to that household.

“In truth, I have come here on the orders of my mistress —Lady Ellenphia. She instructed me to escort you to the Flesis residence.”
“…? Me? Not Lady Alisha?”

　Nobles and knights alike —there would be countless plausible reasons for summoning one another, such as socialising. Yet, of all people, it was the maid Lotte who was being summoned.

“Yes. Miss Lotte —if I may call you that —I have been instructed to escort you.”
“Wh-why me…?”
“Lady Ellenphia will explain the reason directly. A carriage has been prepared here.”

It seemed rather meticulously arranged —Lotte could only feel bewildered.
At times like this, she could seek guidance from Alisha, but she had just vanished off to work.
Relying solely on her own judgement, Lotte simply couldn’t bring herself to go along.

“…Well, I’m terribly sorry, but since Lady Alisha is absent, might we confirm this another day…?”
“—Fufu, I rather thought you might say that.”

It wasn’t Cortier who answered Lotte’s words.
The voice that came from the carriage standing by nearby belonged to a girl —and when the door opened, there stood a girl dressed in full knight’s attire, just like Alisha.

“I have come to see you in person, you know? You won’t be rude to me, will you?”
“Huh! I-I wonder if—”
“Yes. This is my mistress —Lady Ellenphia Flesis.”

It was Cortier who promptly answered Lotte’s question.
—Given that the young lady of the Flesis household had gone out of her way to meet Lotte, there was no way she could refuse now.
In the end, Lotte found herself heading towards the Flesis residence, just as instructed.