Chapter 16

“What’s with that expression? Are you unwilling?” Vanessa raised her gaze, looking down at the golden-haired girl kneeling on one knee before her, her face filled with reluctance.

Mirexia averted her eyes, but Vanessa gave her no chance to escape answering. Mirexia felt her gaze being forcibly straightened, leaving her unable to avoid staring directly into those peach-colored eyes.

“Remember, my words are commands. If you dare hesitate again, I’ll have to give you a little punishment~” Vanessa pinched Mirexia’s snow-white chin. From this angle, she could take in the full view of the other’s elegant swan-like neck.

Mirexia’s throat moved slightly. As a princess, she was forced to kneel on one knee before someone else, her chin being pinched as if she were an object.

Such rough treatment, if it were anyone else, their hand would have already been severed on the spot. But when it was Vanessa, she felt an intense, overwhelming surge of emotion that left her breathless, as if a little deer were jumping around inside her.

This unprecedented feeling intoxicated her, though she would never admit it. At this moment, she was exhilarated.

‘Virtue +200.’

‘Current Virtue: 11004.’

If it weren’t for the increase in virtue, Vanessa would have truly doubted whether Mirexia actually enjoyed it, given the intense reluctance on her face.

But then again, what good was reluctance? If she truly disliked it, she would have outright refused. Why would she only react with her face while her body remained so obedient, not moving at all?

“You look quite unattractive right now, Mirexia. Where is the demeanor of the Princess of Camella or the student council president?” Vanessa pinched Mirexia’s flawless, translucent cheek, speaking from her lofty position.

“Oh, I just remembered something. Last time we were working in the president’s office, the documents in your hand fell at my feet when you handed them to me. Then you went to pick them up, and it took quite a while. During that time, I think I accidentally kicked you.”

“Why did it take so long~? Can you explain it to me? Was it perhaps because you dropped the documents on purpose?” Vanessa’s lips curled into a disdainful yet elegant smile, as if she were looking at trash. It was hard to imagine someone could convey such opposite meanings with a single expression.

“I… I didn’t think that at all,” Mirexia tried to defend herself.

“Who told you to explain? Who allowed you to explain?” Vanessa leaned closer to Mirexia’s face, her smile fading.

“It seems you haven’t fully understood your current position, Mirexia.”

“Repeatedly defying me and daring to disobey my commands, it seems I’ll have to give you a little punishment~?” Vanessa’s lips curved into a teasing, alluring smile.

“Kneel down. And this time, it’s not just one knee. Both knees, right in front of me.”

Mirexia didn’t know what Vanessa was planning, but before she could even react, her body had already moved, kneeling horizontally before Vanessa.

“Bow your head, but keep your body arched,” Vanessa continued to command.

Mirexia didn’t understand why Vanessa wanted her to kneel horizontally or why she had to bow her head toward the sofa.

This was the first time she had ever done something like this, and she was far from skilled at it. Especially in front of Vanessa, being watched so closely, it was incredibly humiliating.

Yet, despite the humiliation, she couldn’t stop herself.

She moved slowly, gradually lowering her body, her hands supporting the ground as she assumed a kneeling, bowing posture.

“So slow, so sluggish. You’re never this hesitant when we’re working. It seems I really do need to punish you,” Vanessa said, lifting her slender, beautifully curved leg, clad in white knee-high socks, and placing it on Mirexia’s back.

“?!”

“Don’t move. From now on, you’re my footrest. And footrests don’t talk, understand?”

“Since you enjoy being bullied so much, you can be a silent footrest,” Vanessa said, cupping her face with a pleased smile.

‘Virtue +300.’

‘Current Virtue: 11304.’

The virtue just kept skyrocketing.

To be honest, Vanessa’s initial goal was indeed to help Mirexia relieve stress. But now?

While helping Mirexia ease her mental pressure, she could also earn so much virtue. She might as well push even harder.

Well, of course, it was all for Mirexia’s mental well-being and virtue. As a lady of the Varelis family, how could she possibly enjoy doing such things~?

It seemed that the footrest game was a bit too intense. Vanessa could even hear Mirexia’s heavy, slightly seductive breathing.

Compared to her, the princess who refused to admit her feelings was truly enjoying herself.

“It’s getting late, Mirexia. Do you remember why we came to your house? We can’t waste time,” Vanessa said, scattering some documents in front of Mirexia.

“You’ll handle the work while being my footrest.”

Mirexia, with her body arched, felt Vanessa’s warmth through the fabric and stockings on her back, her face flushed.

She obediently pushed the documents in front of her and began to read. Working in this position was extremely difficult and tiring, and it was also quite inconvenient. Yet, for some reason, Mirexia was completely enamored with this feeling.

If someone were to jump in at this moment and ruin the mood by saying, “If working like this is so exhausting, why don’t you just stand up?” she might have kicked them away.

It was clearly exhausting, uncomfortable, and utterly humiliating, yet Mirexia silently continued to work, even increasing her efficiency by more than double compared to when she worked alone in her office.

“Huh? Even like this, your work isn’t affected? In fact, it’s even faster? Mirexia, aren’t you ashamed?” Vanessa, who was also working on documents, saw Mirexia’s astonishing efficiency and couldn’t help but tease.

Since this was all an act, Vanessa still helped with the documents, she took half, and Mirexia took the other half.

“Being my footrest makes you this excited?”

“N-no, it doesn’t,” Mirexia’s body trembled slightly as she retorted in a shaky voice. Stubbornness was perhaps her only remaining defiance.

“No?” Vanessa chuckled. “Your body is so honest, yet your mouth remains so stubborn.”

A while later, both of them had performed exceptionally well, doubling their already high efficiency. The documents that should have taken them all night to finish were completed in no time.

“Not bad. I’ll give you a little praise and a reward.”

“I’m fair in both rewards and punishments,” Vanessa smiled, neatly stacking the completed documents.

“Alright, kneel before me again,” she said, allowing Mirexia to end the previous position and kneel on one knee before her once more.

Mirexia obediently complied, though her face still showed the reluctance of someone forced to obey.

Well, this was probably the princess’s last bit of resistance.

But despite her resistance, she followed every command without fail.

“Mirexia, what kind of reward would you like~?” Vanessa asked with a smile.

“Never mind, asking is pointless because I won’t listen to you. Whatever I do, you’ll just have to accept it,” she added with a giggle, lifting her perfectly arched foot, clad in white stockings, and placing it in front of Mirexia.

“Take off my slippers.”

Mirexia stared at the white stocking-clad placed before her, her pretty face frozen in shock.

“Didn’t you hear me? Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Mirexia snapped out of her daze, her pupils constricting as she slowly reached out, gently grasping Vanessa’s slender ankle. She carefully slid the slipper off the stockings and placed it softly on the ground.

“Good girl~” Vanessa propped her chin on one hand, tilting her head as she asked Mirexia a thought-provoking question. “Mirexia, do you know what a hand-kissing ceremony is?”

“?” Mirexia didn’t understand why Vanessa would suddenly ask such an unrelated question, but she obediently replied, “Yes, I know.”

“Good, then I don’t need to teach you,” Vanessa said with a mysterious smile, resting her head on her hand.

Then, Mirexia felt her chin being lifted by a soft, velvety warmth.

A gentle, warm, and smooth touch brushed past her, leaving Mirexia’s mind completely blank.

What had Vanessa used to lift her chin??

‘Virtue +500.’

‘Current Virtue: 11804.’

“Pfft,” Vanessa couldn’t help but laugh at the explosive increase in virtue, revealing a “just as I expected” smile.

She felt she had almost completely figured out Mirexia’s preferences.

In fact, she had noticed something when Mirexia was picking up the documents earlier, but she had dismissed it as a coincidence.

Who would have thought~

Well, it was all to help her dear childhood friend relieve stress. Catering to her preferences was just a necessary part of it.

Helping others while also earning virtue, what could be better?

It definitely wasn’t because of her own mischievous tendencies.

As for Mirexia, she seemed to still be in a daze, unable to fully process what had just happened.

She seemed to doubt the reality of everything she had just experienced.

Mirexia had never experienced anything like this before. Being treated this way by another person was entirely unfamiliar to her.

Yet, despite the unfamiliarity, the pink-haired girl before her seemed to understand her better than she understood herself.

Every action Vanessa took seemed to dance perfectly within Mirexia’s preferences. Her mind, overwhelmed by confusion and surging excitement, hadn’t yet accepted the situation, but her instincts had already reacted.

“Do you like it~?” Vanessa used her toes to lift Mirexia’s chin, forcing her to look up at her.

“…Not at all,” Mirexia pursed her lips, her snow-white throat moving slightly. Her flushed face was filled with reluctance, and her tone was full of resistance. “Who would like having their chin lifted by someone’s foot?”

“Really? You could have leaned back slightly to avoid it. If you don’t like it, why didn’t you?” Vanessa teased.

“That’s… because you ordered me,” Mirexia wanted to avert her gaze, to avoid looking into Vanessa’s eyes, but Vanessa wouldn’t let her, holding her chin and forcing her to maintain eye contact.

Vanessa’s toes, as white as jade, were like irresistible pieces of candy, playfully moving and teasing Mirexia’s smooth chin.

“Then why do you have to obey my commands? I’m not a succubus; my words don’t carry magic. You could have refused, you know?”

Mirexia’s stubborn face flushed with embarrassment, and she remained silent, as if refusing to answer the question.

“Since you’re enjoying it so much, why don’t you demonstrate it for me?”

“?”

“Mirexia, pretending to be clueless isn’t appropriate now,” Vanessa tilted her head, enjoying Mirexia’s confused expression. “Remember what I mentioned earlier about the hand-kissing ceremony?”

“Show me how it’s done.”

“?!”

But how was she supposed to demonstrate it? She had only heard of the hand-kissing ceremony, but she had never…

Mirexia was utterly embarrassed, her face turning even redder.

“Huh? Not willing?” Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “Fine, since this isn’t a punishment, I won’t force you. It’s probably too much for you.”

Just as Vanessa was about to withdraw her foot, Mirexia suddenly grabbed her ankle.

“Oh my~? Don’t want me to leave?” Vanessa teased.

Being teased like this, Mirexia felt utterly ashamed. She didn’t want to act this way, but her body refused to listen. Now, she couldn’t even bring herself to retort.

The pink-haired girl before her had completely figured her out.

“Since you don’t want me to leave, what are you waiting for, Mirexia~? Keeping a lady waiting isn’t a good habit, you know?”

Mirexia looked at the white stocking-clad “cake” right in front of her, her face filled with reluctance, yet she couldn’t help but swallow subtly.

No matter how stubborn her mouth was, her body remained honest. She held it as if it were a treasure, her face drawing closer…

‘Virtue +600.’

‘Current Virtue: 12404.’

“Good girl, so obedient, like a well-behaved golden retriever,” Vanessa said, whether genuinely praising or teasing.

Mirexia, utterly embarrassed, averted her gaze, her beautiful face filled with shame.

She pursed her lips, savoring the lingering sensation.

It was sweet, soft, just like the flower cake she had eaten as a child.

She couldn’t believe she had actually…

Even now, Mirexia still found it hard to believe everything that had just happened.

“So, how do you feel? Has the pressure eased?”

Only after Vanessa asked did Mirexia realize that her usually tense nerves had somehow relaxed.

Despite being put through all that, she now felt an unprecedented sense of relief, as if the heavy chains that had been weighing her down had been lifted.

This newfound sense of freedom shocked Mirexia. It was as if her pent-up mental stress had been released, her irritability and negativity swept away, leaving only a feeling of contentment.

So this was what it felt like to have one’s desires fulfilled?

“Alright, it’s over,” Vanessa said, slipping her slippers back on. “Sorry, Princess Mirexia. I had to put on that act to help you relieve your stress. I hope you’re not offended by my words~?”

“But, I must say, my acting was pretty good, right?”

“…It’s over?” Mirexia blinked, as if she hadn’t fully processed it.

“Yes, it’s over. Or perhaps, Princess Mirexia, you’re still craving more?” Vanessa smiled, watching Mirexia’s somewhat dazed expression.