Chapter 5: Is it still okay if siblings try to get their maids together?

Alyice awoke before the sun rose over the horizon and took a moment to stretch. His room was plain in appearance and held only the minimal of furniture. He started each day by making his own bed and ensuring he folded the maroon linen sheets until there wasn’t a single fold to be seen. With his bed sheets perfectly made, he made his way into the bathroom. Setting aside his underclothes in the nearby wooden chest, he placed the palm of his hand on the magical pentagram and runes curved into the top of the wood.

Closing his eyes, Alyice allowed the energy inside his body to flow into the circle. In that instant, a bight blue light shone from his hand. Although he wasn’t gifted in magecraft, he did know a few basic spells that could help with cleaning around the manor – such as washing and drying clothes by putting them in a magical chest. After scrubbing off his body and entering the warm water of the bath, he took a moment to allow himself to relax. Today was the day he would find out just how Blythe actually felt about him. Finishing up his soak in the bath, he threw on his maid outfit and began his daily routine through the manor.

Dusting off the various paintings on the walls and wooden furniture, washing plates and ensuring that surfaces were spotless throughout the bathrooms, making sure to prepare breakfast for Ryzelia. These were all the things that Alyice took care of each and every waking morning. While he was on his feet for nearly the whole morning and afternoon, he enjoyed serving his master – especially when he needed help with his alchemical research. As the morning continued on like usual, Alyice knocked on the door of the atelier where his master was busy working on a potion. He watched in silence as Ryzelia skilfully mixed the ingredients used in the potion he was making. Once he had finished, he turned to Alyice with a smile.

— And here we are. This potion will make Blythe express her true feelings for you.

— And there isn’t any side effects? Alyice asked, suspicious of what Ryzelia might have done to the potion.

— Come on now, Alyice. Trust me a bit, will you? There are no side effects to this tonic whatsoever.

Alyice took the vial of crimson red liquid in hand and smiled.

— Thank you, master.

Turning on the ball of his foot, Alyice skipped merrily to the exit to prepare for the date that both Ryzelia and Elyiena had setup. The plan was to simply get Blythe alone at a romantic spot and have her drink the potion – all under the guise of shopping. At the hour when the sun was just overhead, Alyice changed into a common causal pair of clothes for his day out with Blythe. Throwing on a snow white flutter sleeve top and frilly short ruffled skirt, Alyice did up his hair into a pair of twin braids and looked over himself in the mirror. Due to his height, weight and overall facial features, he appeared feminine to the point that he could easily past for a royal noble and marry into a noble family if not for the glaring issue under his skirt. While there were some nobles that would be okay with it, he didn’t just want to marry the first man or woman that would accept him. He wanted Blythe because she was the one he had grown close too. She accepted him for the way he was. Now it was just a matter of understanding if she had the same feelings.

Grabbing a pair of brown leather boots from the closet, Alyice sat down on his bed and wiggled his petite feet inside of them until they stopped just below his knees. Lacing them up, he took a moment to stand in them and get familiar with how they felt – due to the fact he rarely wore them. Although his feet felt the slight pain due to how the boots were a size too small, he ignored it and headed down to the foyer where him and Blythe were scheduled to meet. Entering into the foyer, Blythe stood at the front door dressed and ready to depart.

She was dressed in a peplum pale blue top that had white lace accent trimming. The top emphasised her breast enough to entice men and women around her while a matching two-layered skirt revealed a pair of white stockings that drew up to her thighs. Her white high-heels had small ocean blue ribbons at the top that stood out from other types of heels on the market. On her left wrist was a small golden bracelet with a ruby coloured gem. Unlike how she normally wore her hair, Blythe had allowed it to flow freely down to her breast.

Alyice couldn’t help but stare at Blythe as he approached her. He was aware of how beautiful she was, even as kids. Yet, he had never actually told her the feelings he had for her.

— Are you ready to go? Blythe asked.

— Y-Yeah.

— Why are you staring?

— N-Nothing, you just look nice, Alyice said nervously as he twirled the tip of his hair.

Blythe looked away.

— Let’s get going then.

Without another word, Blythe exited the foyer as Alyice followed behind. The two of them walked in silence while they made their way down the paved road. The rays of the sun beamed down onto the picturesque landscape of green trees and vast rolling hills. Flowers bloomed at the roadside.

— What exactly does the master want us to get this time? Blythe asked.

— There were a few things. If you want any new clothes, we could get some.

— I don’t need or want anything. You probably need some new shoes though.

Alyice looked puzzled for a moment.

— Why do you say that?

— Geez, I swear, you are useless without me.

— Hmm?

The two of them continued until they entered the town of Lyiedinburg and made their way to the general shop. Alyice looked over the items in the shop, pretending to recall a list of things they would need. He knew there wasn’t anything to get and his only goal was to sit down and get Blythe to drink the potion that his master had made for him. After buying a few items just to have for his master’s alchemy, he turned to Blythe.

— You sure you don’t want anything?

— I told you I don’t need anything. You, on the other hand, need something.

— What exactly do you think I need? Alyice asked blushing slightly.

— New shoes, obviously.

After buying the items, Blythe grabbed onto Alyice’s hand. She dragged him out of the shop and within a few minutes had entered a small shop that dealt with selling boots and other types of leather shoes. Inside, the shop was stocked with various shoes some that stopped at the ankles, others that drew up past the knees and some which drew up to the thighs. At the counter was a young girl who was eccentric in her fashion choice. Her hair was as black as the night sky with faded orange tips. Her hair was tied into off into a long ponytail on the left side with a ribbon coloured of citrus fruit. Her corset followed the same colour scheme with accent lace trimming and matching ribbons with a decorative frilly skirt that showed a bit of her thigh on the right side.

Alyice couldn’t help but glance for a moment at the fact the girl wasn’t wearing shoes or socks to speak of – her toes painted the same orange colour like highlights of her hair. Aside from the silver anklet on her left ankle that held an amber gemstone, the piercings on her face made her seem more than a bit eccentric with three on her bottom left lip, two on the right side of her nose and six on her right ear, she stood out from many of the other residents in the town.

The sounds of small hammer taps whacking away at wood echoed throughout the enclosed shop. A single lit candle hung at the centre of the room that managed to bright up the whole area while the hot wax dripped fell onto the plate. Against the walls were shelves lined with different types of shoes from wooden clogs to leather boots and everything in between from the most common of shoes to those of nobility. Making their way up to the counter, Alyice and Blythe looked around at the different types of shoes while the girl continued to work on a shoe she was crafting.

— I’ll be with you in just a moment, the girl said as she kept her focus on the task ahead of her.

After a few minutes had passed, the girl looked up to Alyice and Blythe with a cheerful smile. Jumping over the wooden counter, she curtsey before twirling on the ball of her foot and striking a cute pose.

— Welcome to my shop, the name’s Velina! What can I do for the two of you?

— Um…

Before Alyice could say anything, Blythe jumped into the conversation.

— He needs a new pair of shoes for his job as a maid and something causal to wear.

Velina’s eyes lit up with happiness.

— A boy that dresses as a girl? Wonderful! Please, come to the backroom and let’s get your measurements.

Alyice and Blythe seemed a bit puzzled by Velina’s odd way of expression but followed her into a backroom where there was a soft black bed that sat in the centre of the room. Off to the sides, there were small tables with various types of tools for crafting shoes.

— What’s your name, cutie? Velina asked with a smile.

— A-Alyice Resian, Miss.

Velina giggled.

— Just call me Velina, Aly.

Blythe had a look of annoyance on her face due to how Velina had simply become so causal with Alyice as she leaned against the wall.

— All right, just lay down on the bed for me and I’ll get started on measuring your feet.

— R-Right…

Alyice hopped up onto the bed and laid back. He watched as Velina made her way over to his feet.

— So, how exactly do you plan to measure without of the standard measuring tools? Blythe asked.

Velina smiled as she carefully unlaced Alyice’s leather boots. Slowly she undid them in an enticing manner and worked her way down until there was nothing left to untie. With a gentle tug, she removed the boot from his foot in such a way that Alyice felt his whole body start to relax.

— Like this.

Bringing the boot to her nose, Velina allowed the aroma of the inside of the boot to fill her senses. Alyice could only blush as he watched her enjoy sniffing the inside of his worn boot. Blythe was stricken with confusion while she tried to process what she was watching.

— What the hell!?

— This is how I measure a customer’s foot size. You see, the feet are a gateway into the true nature of a person.

— Great… You’re one of those foot fetish freaks, aren’t you?

Velina continued her speech, ignoring Blythe’s insult.

— The foot is abused and walked around on throughout our daily life. As such it is clear by how one takes care of their feet just how much they care about themselves. A girl who wears coloured dye on their toes wishes to accent their feet and draw the eyes to them. Flawless feet are undoubtedly the first step to the heart of not only oneself but to others as well. Feet tell a story and how a person chooses to take care of them tell who they are as a person. Did you know that about forty percent of men in this world have a fondness for feet? They are often enticed by the smell and shape of the foot. Things like anklets can enhance the pleasure they feel when looking at a pair of feet. But wait, that’s not all. Things like touch are important too. The sounds of girl laughing while having her foot tickled, the way she moves it or wiggles her toes, it all entices the brain in such a way to stimulate it. Feet are where we end up having the most feeling due to the nerves all gathered in that one spot. Therefore, it makes sense that feet are the ultimate tool in which to measure a person.

The room was silence for a moment.

— Yeah… You need help.

Velina turned to Blythe with a smile.

— Says the girl who can’t be bothered to express her true feelings. Sweetie, you should try and be open about what you want.

Blythe didn’t speak a word as her face showed that she was annoyed to no end by Velina. Without saying anything, she exited the room. Velina smiled as she looked over to Alyice.

— Seems the girl you care about has a hard time expressing herself.

Alyice blushed as he looked down and averted his gaze from Velina’s cheerful smile.

— She’s always been like that, ever since we were kids. I think it’s in part due to how I was raised. You see, my parents believed that I was going to be born a girl. But that didn’t happen. I was kind of born into being a girl, forced to dress in girl’s clothes and even my appearance was girly.

Velina continued to listen to Alyice’s story as she carefully looked over the sole of his foot.

— It shows in your feet. The sole of your foot is a bit red at the ball and heel. Likewise, the sides of your feet are roughed due to your shoes being too tight on you. You’re forcing yourself instead of being happy with being yourself.

Tracing a finger slowly up the sole of Alyice’s foot, Velina watched as his toes wiggled slightly from the touch. The closer her finger traced up to his toes, the more they wiggled. His body squirmed from the touch and he held his hand over his mouth to stop himself from giggling. Velina continued to work her finger around his foot before using a few fingers to gently crawl up from the heel of his foot to the toes like a spider. Alyice could no longer hold back his girl-like giggles as Velina tickled the sole of his foot.

— S-Stop… T-That tickles…

Alyice quickly held down his skirt between his legs and closed them tightly. He could feel the mountain rising between his thighs. His toes continued to wiggle as Velina’s fingers made their way to the ball of his foot.

— You say that and yet your body is sending different signals. Just be honest with yourself and what you enjoy.

His cheeks flushed a heavy shade of red once Velina had finished tickling him. The sword between his legs was fully unsheathed and was on full display.

— C-Can you please… k-keep going? Alyice asked in a shy tone.

— Sorry sweetie, I’m not in the business of erotic pleasure. Of course, you’re not the first person here that has popped while getting their feet measured. I had a girl once who enjoyed it so much she would pay me double just to measure her feet even though she didn’t need it. As a professional, I do my job.

— Was it necessary to do that though?

— Mhm. The fact you curled your toes in while being tickled indicates that your feet are trapped due to pressure from the head of the shoes you wear. We just need to make a shoe that while your toes to spread open like a bird and enjoy the freedom. The balls and heels of your feet hurt the most due to the weight you put on yourself and body to try and pretend you are happy. Don’t worry, I can make you a pair of work shoes for your maid outfit that will last you for many years. Just let me measure your foot properly, Velina said with a smile.

— How will you do that?

— Are you aware of how foot measuring works?

Alyice shook his head. While it was known that the standard measurement of the foot was based off of Princess Lynore Estiatis and her barefoot, there wasn’t only a few craftsmen that knew the exact measurements of Lynore’s foot – not to count growth throughout the years. Alyice didn’t know his exact foot size but simply wore the same shoes that he had been given by his parents until he had reached the age of reason. Before leaving on the journey to the manor in the south, Lyciael had given him a new pair of shoes that were unfortunately one size too small. Yet, Alyice didn’t speak up when he knew they were too small for his feet. He simply smiled and thanked Lyciael for her generous gift, fighting through the pain the shoes inflicted on his feet.

— Normally, a shoemaker uses the standard foot as a base measurement by drawing the rough length from memory. Then they would measure the person’s foot based on that. Lucky for my customers, I have measurement memorised. I just need to make sure I get your foot measured properly. You’re going to have to relax for me because the way I do it tends to be different.

— Are you going to lick my foot or something? Alyice joked with a light chuckle.

— Actually, yes. That’s exactly how I will determine your size.

Alyice’s cheeks flustered a deep crimson red. He wasn’t against Velina doing what needed to be done in order to get correct measurements, however, he knew it was possible he would lose any bit of self-control that he had left.

— Now, just relax. Try not to move your foot too much or I’ll have to start over.

A sadistic looking smile appeared on Velina’s face as she brought her mouth up to the heel of Alyice’s petite barefoot. Sticking out her tongue, she made contact with the sole of his foot and carefully began her journey up to his arch. The warm sensation of her tongue forced Alyice to hold his hand over his mouth to muffle out his soft moan from the pleasure. It was like a relaxing release of pressure as if he was soaking his feet in a warm bath. His toes uncurled as Velina’s tongue explored the arch of his foot – one hand keeping a firm but light grip on the heel, the other softly rubbing the instep to relieve the tightness throughout his foot. She continued on to the ball of his foot which was discoloured a red-ish tint that contrasted the rest of his foot – save for his heel. Alyice gripped the bed sheets tightly from the pleasure of Velina’s warm tongue against his sensitive barefoot, the mountain between his legs rising in pure excitement. As her warm tongue reached just past the ball of the foot and into the base of the toes, Velina smiled while looking over to Alyice who was verging into a state of wanting to end the constant twitching of the bubbling cauldron from between his thighs. It was hard and warm to the point that just a single stroke of a soft feather would make him release the warm liquid onto his stomach and drip onto the bed.

— I… I think I’m going to…

Reaching the end of Alyice’s toes, Velina smiled as she gently set his foot down on the bed.

— All right, I got your measurements. I take it you’ll want to go over the details of the style of when you’ve managed to calm down the tree growing from between your legs.

— If you don’t mind…

Alyice continued to breathe as he tried not to move his hands. He was in a delicate place where just the slightest touch could force him to explode like a cauldron with misaligned alchemical ingredients. A few minutes passed as he watched Velina remove his other boot and aligned his two big toes together to ensure both his feet were of the same length. Once she had confirmed they were, she studied the soles of his feet carefully to see just where he was putting the most pressure on his feet and what style would best help him while dealing with his daily tasks as a maid. After getting a good idea, Velina smiled and grabbed a nearby piece of parchment and a quill. Dipping the nib of the quill in a bottle of black ink, with haste and precision, she drew up a mock-up of a shoe she believed would fit Alyice and his personality.

— What do you think of… something like this?

Velina smiled as she showed the drawing to Alyice.

— It’s cute. How long would they take to make though?

— If I work fast, about six hours. At most, it might take a day.

— I guess me and Blythe should stay at the local inn for a night then.

Velina nodded.

— We can pick out a pair of sandals that you can have as a causal pair of shoes alongside the work shoes I’ll make for you.

— Thank you for helping with all this.

— It’s no trouble, I enjoy helping others find the shoes they need that help them.

Alyice stood to his feet and followed Velina out into the main room after his cauldron had settled down. Looking around the room, he noticed that Blythe was nowhere to found.

— I guess Blythe went out.

— That isn’t surprising. You can look for her once we pick out a pair of shoes that fit you better. If you like, you can trade in your boots for a pair in the shop. Saves you from having to pay more alongside that custom order.

Velina made her way over to a pair of shoes that were made of wood with a single pink and white coloured strap that sat just below the top of the foot. Alyice sat down on the small stool as Velina grabbed the pair of shoes from the shelf.

— Okay, if these work for you, I can get a pair from the back that will close to your size and let you have those for your old boots.

— That sounds good to me, Alyice said as he held out his foot.

Grabbing his feet gently, Velina slid Alyice’s feet into the shoes and looked them over.

— They look like they fit well enough. Walk around for a bit and tell me what you think.

Alyice took a second to walk around and felt a world of difference from walking about in the boots he previously wore. He could tell they were more comfortable and enjoyed walking around in them.

— These feel great to me.

— Good! Give me one second to get the shoes from the back and you’re good to go.

Velina headed into the backroom and after a moment, she returned with the same style of shoe – but in a size that better fit his foot. After thanking Velina and ensuring his shoes fit him well, Alyice left the shop in hopes of finding Blythe in the town. Making his way down the main road, he noticed his childhood friend standing out front of the inn.

— While you were busy having fun with your girlfriend, I got us a room for the night.

Alyice blushed as he started to recall what Blythe had seen between him and Velina.

— She isn’t my girlfriend. Besides… it won’t take that long for her to finish the shoes.

Blythe placed her hands on her hips and puffed her cheek to one side, pouting at what Alyice had said.

— Then you can make it up to me for paying for the room by doing whatever I say for a whole day.

— Fine, fine. Since we have time to kill, what do you want to do?

Blythe didn’t speak a word as she made her way north down the main road. Alyice followed by her side, keeping step but didn’t ask where they were going. The two of them continued on in silence until they came to the outskirts of a forest. Tall trees reached up to the sky as their leaves swayed gently in the breeze. Inside the thicket of trees could be a dirt pathway that was frequented by travellers from other cities and towns. Blythe continued to remain silent as she entered the forest.

— Hey Blythe, where are we going?

— You’ll see when we get there.

Alyice didn’t speak as he followed Blythe down the path before the two of them headed off the trail and into the thicket of the trees. Blythe continued to walk in silence until she stopped at an open clearing. Taking a moment to look around, she headed west until the sounds of a nearby stream echoed throughout the area. Exiting out into a small meadow that led into an embankment, Blythe had finally found what she was looking for.

— This should be far enough out that no one can hear us.

— What do you mean? Alyice asked with a slight worry in his voice.

#

By the hour of the sun’s rising, Blythe was packed and ready to be gone of the orphanage. At the hour of the dawn, two maids appeared at the orphanage to greet Blythe and take her to the Fyairen manor. Blythe breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the orphanage leave her sight. One of the maids noticed the look on Blythe’s face.

— Are you all right?

— I’m fine, just happy that I’ll have a place to call home.

The maid smiled.

— My name is Aizyaelia. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to teach you how to be a maid and set you up in a room.

As Blythe nodded, her stomach began to growl. Aizyaelia chuckled and smiled at Blythe.

— I’ll be sure to get you some food too.

Exiting the carriage, Blythe stood before the manor and was amazed at how large it was. Aizyaelia showed inside to the foyer where Blythe was greeted by the lord and lady as well as Elyiena and Mlyiena. In that moment, she felt happy that she was in place that would have a warm bed to sleep in, clothes, food and steady work. After greeting the family, she followed Aizyaelia into the servant’s wing of the manor and was shown to one of the rooms. Unlike the wooden stiff beds of the orphanage, the beds in the manor were soft and the pillows even more so.

After getting a bath and allowing Aizyaelia to fix her into a presentable state, Blythe ate the meal that the maids had prepared before being shown around the manor. She was amazed at all the books in the different studies and weapons that lined the walls the halls and in the training rooms. In one of the rooms she witnessed as Elyiena and lord Fyairen engaged in a mock duel with wooden swords. The way they both moved was like a graceful dance. Every evasion and counterattack enticed Blythe until she realised she was standing at the edge where the wooden flooring was of a different variety. While Blythe continued to remain standing there in awe, lord Fyairen laughed.

— Would you care to learn the art of combat, Blythe?

— I-Is that truly okay, my lord?

— Of course! Elyiena can teach you what she learns on days you don’t have to work. How does that sound?

Blythe was stunned by the offer that her lord had given. Nevertheless, she was happy that she could learn the ways of combat so that it was possible to defend herself if required.

— Very well, I truly thank you for all that you have done, my lord.

— Guess it’ll take a while before you drop the formalises. Oh well, I hope you enjoy it here at your new home, Blythe.

One whole month passed as Blythe worked at the manor serving Elyiena as her own personal maid. While her chores were simple tasks such as cleaning Elyiena’s room, washing her clothes and cooking meals, Blythe managed to have free time to not only study the art of the sword but also indulge in reading books on various topics to gain knowledge. Of the many books she enjoyed, the very small section of alchemy was her favourite. Even though there were no books on the basics of alchemy, there were many stories about different alchemist that travelled the land – tales that involved famous names of those like the Eccentric Alchemist, the Alchemist of the Ashen Twilight and the Alchemist of Lymiunes.

Even if the stories were fictional, Blythe wanted to believe they were real. Through all the over exaggeration, surely there was some truth to the stories and it was this truth that Blythe wished to hang onto. She wanted to learn the craft of alchemy so she too could explore the vast world in which she lived in. That was her dream anyway. Days continued on until Blythe had managed to read all the books on alchemy that the library had – which amounted to only nine.

Blythe took a moment to stretch and take a walk after finishing the final book on the shelf of the study. She had read most of the books in there and was well-rounded in most of the basic topics that different books covered. Walking down the walls, she thought about what else she could possibly do. There wasn’t much left to read and she had been keeping up with her sword training that she had more free time to indulge in hobbies – if she actually had one.

— Blythe!

Without warning, Blythe felt the warm embrace of Elyiena from behind her. Through their daily interactions with each other, the two of them had bonded together and formed a close friendship. The two of them enjoyed each other’s company and learned everything they could about combat.

— What is it, my lady?

— How many times do I have to tell you that you don’t have to be so formal?

— Sorry, habit. Did you need something?

— I hate to bother you on your day off but…

— You want me to go buy those chocolates for you, don’t you, Blythe said with a smile.

Elyiena smiled and rested her head against Blythe’s shoulder.

— Yes please.

— Very well, I’ll head out and get them. Just give me the coin.

Elyiena smiled and handed Blythe two gold coins. After slipping on her shoes, she headed out to the market district and made her way to the same small shop that sold the chocolates. Unlike chocolates that Blythe had eaten once in her life, the chocolates Elyiena always ordered were spherical balls of hazelnut coated in white creme chocolate that came in a small ornate pouch of nine pieces. Paying the coins and exiting the shop, Blythe decided to head into the commonwealth district and made her way to the orphanage where she had lived for as long as she could remember. Yet, as she made her way down the block, she noticed something was different.

She remembered every square metre of the orphanage from top to bottom. Every room, even down to which boards would creak when stepped on. It was a place she had memorised and was engraved into her mind. The sight before her however threw her off as she wondered just what had happened. Before her was an empty lot of ruined debris and ash. Nothing remained aside from the black ash which indicated that the orphanage had been destroyed by fire. Questions raced through Blythe’s mind before she noticed someone standing beside her.

The man that stood next to her had been worn with age. Wrinkles lined his face and under his eyes. He leaned over with a hunchback, supporting himself with a fine wooden mahogany cane. His fine dress wear of a well-made tailored brown suit and trousers made him someone who had great wealth.

— ’Twas a tragic end for this place. My granddaughter gave her life to protect the children. It was truly a shame.

— So, it was an accident? Blythe asked as she looked at the burned down building.

— It would break my heart if it wasn’t.

— I see.

Blythe said nothing more and walked away. She knew deep in her heart that it was a lie. Iysria had burned down the building and killed herself and the children inside. That was the truth she knew inside. However, there was nothing to be done. All she could do was bury the feelings and pain she felt then move on with her life. Turning the corner, she found herself quickly on the ground with a throbbing pain that surged throughout her body. Alongside this, something was on top of her. Taking a moment to process what had happened, she realised that a young girl who was quite possibly close to her in age had fallen on top of her.

She could see the girl had long blond hair and a petite body that was flawlessly proportioned from head to toe. The girl lacked breast from what Blythe could tell but her azure blue eyes made her feel like she was drifting in an ocean. While the girl’s style of dress was plain in appearance, she was still somehow captivating to the senses.

— I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to run into you.

The girl quickly got off and bowed as her timid voice continued to ring through Blythe’s ears.

— Hey, no need to worry about it. Are you okay?

— I should be asking you that, the girl said as she stood to her feet.

— I’m fine.

Blythe dusted off her clothes for a moment before smiling at the girl before her.

— My name is Blythe. What’s yours?

— Oh, I’m Alyice Resian. I work as a maid for the Aytelier family.

Soon after, Alyice and Blythe made time to see other on their days off from working as maids. The two of them enjoyed each other’s company and played together around the city. Both of them learned about life of the other noble until one day, there was a large gathering of all the noble families at the House of Nobles which sat on a hilltop just outside the city capital. Although the manor was abandoned throughout the year – save for one day where all the noble families gathered to partake in a banquet – it was well-kept and able to hold at most, ten noble families throughout the gardens. Inside, the manor was large enough to house the three influential noble families, as well as the maids that served them.

Blythe stayed beside Elyiena during her working hours but made time to enjoy the few hours that she got with Alyice. The two of them played games with many of the other kids around their age, of which a popular one was a game was Blind Monster. The game was fairly simple: one person would assume the role of the blind monster and be forced to find the kids taking part without using their eyes to search for them. Anything within the designated area was able to be used to hide from under a bed or table to hiding in a closet or attic.

With one of the kids being the monster, Blythe and Alyice decided to hide inside small armoire that could fix two kids standing in it – provided they were pressed against each other. Grabbing Alyice by the hand, she had forced her into the small enclosure so that she could be alone with her in the darkness. She had awaited for this moment and wanted to kiss her. Yet, even with their faces just a few centimetres apart, there was one thing she had not accounted for.

#

Blythe was silent for a moment. She then blushed and turned away after recalled what had happened in the closet between the two of them.

— You tickled me as a joke. That’s when the quill poked you and ink splattered down your thighs.

— Shut up. I remember that day.

It was a shocking moment that day for Blythe to figure out that Alyice was actually a boy. Since that day, she called him many names and always made sure to tease him for his kinks. Yet, she never told anyone and was always careful in public.

— So, technically, it’s kind of your fault, Blythe.

Alyice smiled as he looked upon Blythe’s blushing face. In that moment, Blythe smiled like an angel from the heavens. She gripped the quill from between his thighs with her big toe and second toe just below the tip.

— B-Blythe…

— Let’s get one thing straight, if you like tickling then it’s because I allowed you to like it and only I shall be the one to do it to you.

— I-I…

Blythe straddled Alyice’s thighs and gripped the base of his throbbing cock.

— You will do as I say when I say because your mine and no one else’s. Is that clear?

— S-Something is coming out, Alyice moaned.

Untying the ribbon from her hair, Blythe wrapped it quickly around the thing rising up from between Alyice’s thighs. Tying it tightly, Alyice could only moan out in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Blythe watched as the massive ramrod pulsed and struggled, blue veins showing as clear as the leaves on the trees. She could feel the heat radiating from it and the small amount of white liquid that poured downward onto her ribbon.

— You owe me a new ribbon, Blythe said with a demanding tone but cheerful smile.

— B-Blythe… Please… I… I need it to end.

Moving her fingers over the most sensitive area on Alyice’s body, she tickled just under the tip and watched as it squirmed and twitched. Pushing it down, she continued to hold it down while using her other hand tickle it. Alyice was on the verge of losing it as he moaned out louder, unable to control himself any longer.

— If you end up splattering ink on me again I’m going to do something to you that you won’t like.

— P-Please Blythe…

A sadistic smile shown on Blythe’s face as she watched Alyice squirm like a person trying to get rid of a bad itch. Moving her fingers over his hips, she slowly tickled towards his lower stomach. In that moment, his hips bucked upwards at the sudden tickling.

— I see, so you’re weak at your feet and stomach.

— Mmm.

Straddling her whole body against Alyice’s weakest area, Blythe ensured that she was in a position where Alyice would be forced to grind against hers if he moved or squirmed. Blythe smiled cheerfully as she gently teased Alyice’s body with her fingertips.

— Now, you can only let it out when I remove that ribbon. Until then, you better keep your ink in the bottle.

Blythe slowly moved her fingers like spiders over Alyice’s skin, forcing him to moan out louder than he had before. His hips began to grind against Blythe’s body in a steady rhythm. While Blythe continued to tickle him slowly, she leaned into him, ensuring that she was pressing harder against him and kissed his cheek gently.

— I’m the only one that can release you from your urges.

Without warning, Blythe could feel Alyice grab her hair at the sides – almost forcing it to look like she had a pair of pigtails. She smiled and kissed his lips gently, ignoring the pain she was feeling.

— I don’t recall giving you permission to touch me, Blythe teased.

Alyice’s moaning grew even louder than before to the point that the echo of his voice disturbed a flock of birds. He was in a state of pleasure that was just about to release into a fit of ecstasy beyond what he had ever experienced. She continued to tickle him until she could feel something wet.

— I thought I told you not to release anything until that ribbon is off.

— I… I can’t!

— Hold it in. I’ll remove the ribbon if you promise to give me a foot massage everyday.

— Anything! Just please remove it.

Blythe smiled and carefully removed the ribbon. Like lightning, she could see a white liquid starting to ooze out from the giant ink bottle.

— Now, I’ll count to six. When I hit six, you are free to release all that build up. Understand?

— I… do…

With a cheerful smile, Blythe moved her fingers up to Alyice’s armpits and counted up after she made sure her thighs were gripping on tightly to the area where all the ink would pour out.

— One… Two… Three… Four… Five… and…

— Blythe!

— Six.

In that moment, Blythe latched onto Alyice’s lips like a leech and kissed him while she pressed his body down. She could feel the warm liquid oozing onto her thighs and down her legs. It was enough to make her feel her own body release an urge of pleasure from between her own thighs. Keeping her lips planted to his, she muffled out his moans of pleasure and slid her fingers to interlock with his. Blythe could feel Alyice’s body start to relax into the ground as she rested her head against his shoulder.

— You’re all mine, Alyice.

— Weird way to say that you love me, Alyice said with a giggle.

— You just had me tickle you until you creamed all over my thighs.

— Good point. So, what do we do about Ryzelia and Elyiena?

Blythe closed her eyes.

— Add them to the harem?

— I’m serious here, Alyice said.

— I am too.

— Do you think we should just keep it a secret?

— Why? What good does that do? Just tell them that I own you.

— You mean that we’re dating?

— That’s what I said. Look, let’s not complicate this. It’s not wrong for maids of different noble families to date each other.

Blythe smiled and kissed Alyice’s cheek.

— Try not to worry about everything, okay?

— Well, if you promise to take care of me then I guess I have nothing to worry about, Alyice said with a smile.

— You have nothing to worry about. Anyway, let’s get back to the inn before the moon’s rising.

Alyice nodded and allowed Blythe to help him to his feet. He made his way over to his shoes and slipped them on. The two of them made their way through the forest and back to the town of Lyiedinburg just as the sun sank below the horizon. Blythe looked over to Alyice.

— We’ll sleep here tonight, grab your shoes tomorrow and head back to the manor.

The wooden inn was two stories tall and lights could be seen shining out from the first floor. Inside, the main lobby was spacious with many wooden tables and chairs. While bedrooms were on the second floor, the first floor acted as a tavern for travellers to relax and rest their heads after indulging in one too many drinks. At the back of the room was a long shelf that reached the top of the ceiling and was filled with glasses at the top with wooden mugs populating the bottom half. Cleaning up one of the tables was a young child that was dressed in a white blouse with a black corset accented with a hint of orange colouring. Her frilly skirt was of two layers of orange on top of white. The girl’s bare legs showed and were enticed by her brown leather boots that stopped just above her ankles. Peaking out of her skirt was a long apricot coloured tail that matched her medium-length wispy hair with a small braid tied on the left side of her bangs. Atop her head was a white beret that hid her cat ears protruding from her head. Blythe held Alyice’s hand gently as she made her way over to the young girl.

— We booked a room for a night here.

— Oh, you had a cute girl with you? Nyan~

Blythe looked over to Alyice and back to the innkeeper.

— Sure. Something like that. Anyway, can we have the key please?

— Of course! Just remember, if you ruin the sheets, you get to clean them. Nyan~

Alyice blushed and averted his gaze. The innkeeper smiled and headed to a backroom where she stored all the keys to the rooms on the second floor. After handing the key over to them, the innkeeper went back to her task of cleaning up the main room for the next day. Blythe made her way up the stairs, dragging Alyice with her until they reached room number six. The room was simple in its design, a single wooden bed with a table, chairs and a dresser. Blythe smiled as she closed the door behind her and pushed Alyice onto the bed.

— Now, be a good boy and make sure you don’t ruin the sheets or make too much noise.