I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince

Chapter 359

Late at night. After the intense battle with the bandit group, the time when everyone had gone back to sleep.

With the exception of Agnes, who was currently standing watch for the hero's party, everyone had returned to their respective tents. This meant that now, no one would notice anything that Ethan and I did inside this tent.

“Are you really going to take it off?”

“If you raise your voice, the hero's party in the tent next door might notice.”

“...Can't we just be in close contact with our clothes on, Lilith?”@@@@

“As I mentioned earlier, Aura of Healing works best when we are skin-to-skin, Young Master Ethan. And I’m merely using the most efficient method by pressing the parts of my body with the most skin to yours.”

Lilith’s body had been designed to be sensual and visually captivating from the start.

If I had a more androgynous body like Agnes or Luke, it might have been different, but to maximize the effect, especially by pressing my chest against him, undressing was the most effective option.

“It’s not the first time we’ve been naked outdoors, is it? Have you forgotten the six days we spent during the Natural Science Exploration class, Young Master Ethan?”

“...Of course, I haven’t forgotten. I couldn’t forget even if I tried.”

“So, there’s no need to overthink it. After all, this tent and our sleeping bags will hide all our secrets, so there’s no reason to worry.”

Ethan had already experienced six days of living with nothing but a rock for shade and a river for bathing, in a home that allowed light to seep through gaps in the branches with no walls to cover his body.

But now, they weren’t fully outside; they were in a tent, and within that tent, they were only going to undress inside the sleeping bag, so the psychological resistance should be much less.

Since the bandit attack had already happened, there was no reason to move the tent again, and it was still positioned about fifty meters away from the tents of the hero’s party.

“Young Master Ethan.”

“...”

“The Humanities Exploration Class hasn’t even started yet, Young Master. You need to recover quickly if you want to help the others and protect the village of Bridget.”

“...Yeah, you’re right.”

Ethan also didn’t want to be a burden during the class. He wanted to contribute, and the best way to do that was to accept the fastest possible recovery method.

As I began undressing down to my undergarments, Ethan, after some persuasion, resolved himself and quietly began removing his jacket, now missing one sleeve.

Swoosh.

“...We’re just going to lie close, right?”

“I have more self-control than you do, Young Master, so you don’t need to worry.”

“...That’s probably not true, but fine. I got it.”

There were only about three or four hours left before they’d be setting off again by carriage in the morning.

It wasn’t enough time to fully benefit from the Aura of Healing, but it was certainly better than doing nothing.

As Ethan undressed piece by piece, I also removed the remaining clothing from my body, and I pressed myself as close as possible to him inside the sleeping bag, slowly pulling the zipper from the bottom to the top.

Squish.

“Hnngh.”

Rub, rub.

“Haa... ha...”

We had successfully gotten into the same sleeping bag, pressing our bodies together and zipping it up.

Thump, thump thump, thump...

“So, Lady Lilith stayed by Lord Ethan’s side all night to heal him? You’re a model maid, Lady Lilith! You should be proud!”

“Uh, yes... Thank you, Miss Natalie...”

Her cluelessness was truly impressive. Natalie was almost twenty-two by now, and yet...

Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Ethan and I finished our breakfast in silence, concerned for Thomas, who would have to deal with her in the future.

“Are you two leaving soon? You’re heading to Bridget Village, right?”

“...Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then why don’t you follow behind our carriages? It would be safer to travel together in case we run into any more bandits.”

“...That’s not a bad idea. Thank you for the consideration, Hero.”

“It’s not a big deal. After all, we owe you for last night. And Lilith even took care of the breakfast cleanup.”

That person naturally suggested we travel together, and Ethan accepted without much objection.

Perhaps fighting a common enemy the night before had forged some kind of bond, as the previous tension between them seemed to have dissipated.

In fact, it almost felt like the opposite.

“Ahem. Since you’re also taking the Humanities Exploration class, why don’t we work together for this session? What do you think?”

“...Are you asking me?”

“Well, you’re the leader of your party, aren’t you?”

“...”

The hero looked surprised at Ethan’s gesture of friendship, as if he hadn’t expected Ethan to extend the offer first.

I, too, was a bit puzzled by Ethan’s sudden change of heart.

‘He used to get irritated just hearing about the hero.’

It seemed like the hero’s actions over the last few encounters had left a good impression on him.

And considering Ethan needed to recover for a while, it was a practical decision to join forces with the hero’s party for the time being.

“If you’re suggesting it, then I’m fine with it. We could use the extra help.”

“Good. Thank you.”

“I look forward to working with you, Lord Blackwood.”

“...You can call me Ethan.”

“Alright then, Ethan. And Lady Lilith, too.”

“I didn’t say you could call Lilith by her first name, Hero.”

“...Right. Ethan and Lady Rosewood, then.”

After correcting him on how to address me, Ethan finally shook hands with the hero.

Really, Ethan liked me far too much for his own good.