My Stepmom is Too Pretty, and It’s Troubling Me – Chapter 145

“Karen unnie, I swear you haven’t gained any weight…? I was just curious and asked…”

“I know everything…! Camelia always talks like that, but deep down she probably thinks I’ve gotten super fat and that I’m really chubby!”

“That’s totally not true…”

“You definitely must think I weigh over 65 kg! You had to have thought that…! I’m sure of it…”

Despite walking with other students in the morning, Karen looked incredibly gloomy.

To be honest, I wouldn’t even know how much Karen weighed or whether I was guessing it right, because I didn’t really have a good grasp on women’s weights at all.

Honestly, the speculation seemed a bit excessive.

Sure, I lived as a girl and most people around me were girls, but I still had no real idea about women’s weights.

There were certainly tall women who weighed very little and short women who weighed more than you’d expect…

It really felt like there was no general guideline to follow.

“I’m really not even close to 65 kg…”

“Oh… really?”

“See, you were definitely thinking poorly of me…?”

“No, um…”

A woman who is about 170 cm tall weighing less than 65 kg? I couldn’t tell if that was considered fat or slim.

From a guy’s perspective, that’s just a bit plump, right?

Even I, who don’t know much, could see that Karen didn’t look like she weighed 65 kg, and I never said anything like that.

Of course, the chest… well.

“Umm…”

“Camellia…? W-Why aren’t you answering…? I knew it…”

“No, wait? Unnie? Stop making that sad face…”

Karen was making such a pitiful expression.

She already didn’t have a particularly bright appearance, which made her look even sadder, and I couldn’t help but talk her out of it.

But seriously, I couldn’t even figure out a woman’s weight, let alone her chest size, so how on earth was I supposed to guess her weight?

I knew I had messed up, but I also thought Karen’s reaction was a bit over the top.

Honestly, I wasn’t even sure what size my own chest was right now.

“I really don’t like my body either… I wish I had a small and cute body like Camelia…”

“Small…”

“I don’t like my chest being this big either…”

“Why’s that…?”

“I hate looking bulky every time I wear clothes, and my shoulders hurt, which I really, really hate…”

“Um.”

“Plus, whenever I walk around the Academy, all the other female students are always staring at me…”

Well… how should I put this…

Honestly… it felt so deceptive.

To be blunt, having a big chest isn’t just something I think is good; I believe most women genuinely admire it too.

After all, most painters in the Empire tended to draw women like that.

And adult nobles wear corsets to flaunt a slender waist and large chest, right?

Clearly, having a big chest is something that can showcase one’s appeal in many ways, so it’s only natural.

It’s not just the opposite sex that finds it attractive; even women tend to idolize those with large breasts.

“My younger sister Grace is a bit taller than her peers, but I… Ugh…”

“…That can happen.”

I decided to let it go.

Those who were born with it could hardly grasp what was so amazing about it, and why it was amazing.

Plus, in the end, I had touched on one of Karen’s sensitive spots.

“But unnie, I really didn’t think you gained weight. Honestly, I think you’re super pretty!”

I decided to give her that compliment.

Typically, Karen liked compliments quite a lot.

Karen had a fairly… low self-esteem, so that could play a role in this.

“R-Really…?”

Just looking at her right now, that was clear.

It wasn’t even about saying she gained weight; she got all defensive over my question about her weight, but as soon as I gave her a compliment, she perked up right away.

It seemed best to compliment her and quietly lift her mood.

Well… since she got upset over something trivial, she could also feel better from something trivial, right?

*

After that, there really wasn’t much for me to do.

For today, we were just wandering around the Central Museum in the capital with the students from the Academy, and that was about it.

It was really just a huge museum where all the students roamed around.

There was basically nothing to it, and since we just strolled around looking at artworks, our group decided to wander at our own pace.

Nordal would be quietly spending time in the exhibition themed around the North, while Ella would probably be walking through the garden… I thought Grace might be looking for Karen by now.

We were originally all together, but somehow we got separated, and now the only one sitting beside me at the museum cafe was Karen.

“Karen unnie, when you just moved your bangs aside, I can really see your face, and you look so pretty!”

“U-Stop…”

“And your eyes are so beautiful! Maybe it’s because I’ve never seen you this close before? I think you’re way prettier than Grace!”

“Camelia…? Why do you keep…”

“I knew Karen unnie was pretty, but seeing you like this feels like the first time?”

“Ugh…”

Oh, by the way, I was sitting next to Karen in the cafe right now.

Instead, I was closely examining Karen’s face from a very close distance.

“I have a question: Karen unnie, you always sleep late and your sleeping hours change all the time, how is your skin so nice? Your hair looks amazing too…”

-Soft…

I gently touched Karen’s hair.

Her long hair reached her waist and always felt so good to touch.

Every time I saw her red hair, I thought it didn’t have the unique charm that blonde or silver hair has.

After all, black and red hair is fairly common, right?

Well, even though there are worlds where blue hair exists, red hair is still pretty common.

“Hm…”

“K-Karen… why do you keep touching my hair…?”

“Just because it’s pretty?”

“Ugh…”

I had decided to fill the entire day with compliments for Karen.

It was only natural that after I’d made her sulk, it was my duty to help her feel better.

In that sense, I continued to praise her ever since we arrived at the cafe.

I figured doing this would surely help lighten her mood since she’d been grumpy since last night.

“You seem really disappointed, but I honestly think there aren’t many people as pretty as you.”

I just couldn’t understand why she wasn’t realizing her own beauty, even when she could see herself in the mirror.

Besides, just looking at compliments from her younger sister Grace would boost her confidence to some extent; after all, she was the eldest daughter of the Roseaki Family.

The Roseaki Family wasn’t a pathetic family like the Roses; surely the subjects would adore the daughter of a lord a lot.

I could easily imagine Karen being showered with affection and praise from the subjects as she roamed the estate since childhood.

“Your wrists are so… incredibly slender.”

I started stroking Karen’s hand with the same hand I was touching her hair.

They say you can usually tell if someone has gained weight by their hands, but that wasn’t the case with Karen.

Her hands were neither rough nor thick; they were obviously delicate.

-Swish…

“Huh…”

“Your arms too…”

“Wait a sec…”

“Your neck too…”

I said this while slowly and gently touching Karen’s body.

After caressing her hand, arm, and neck, I lowered my hand down again.

“Why your thighs…?”

“Why? Can’t I touch them?”

“Ugh, there’s too much there…”

Before Karen’s words and actions could fully stop my hand from reaching her thigh, I placed my hand there.

“Oh.”

The sensation was incredibly nice.

It truly wasn’t a lie; it felt genuinely soft.

I’d only touched her thigh over her skirt, but this was definitely…

“W-Why aren’t you saying anything…? You really have gained weight…”

“It’s not that; it’s just that you’re surprisingly firm.”

Seeing her react so worriedly about gaining weight, I quickly switched to compliments.

Really… when would her confidence and self-esteem improve?

It seemed super difficult, but… if I continued to praise and support her earnestly, I believed I could help her with this part of Karen.

“You really don’t need to exercise.”

“N-No…?”

“Honestly… you’re perfect just the way you are right now.”

“Even so, if I gain weight, I’ll look bad…”

“I’m telling you it’s fine! Where is there any fat on you, Karen unnie? You look amazing!”

“Even so…”

I kept saying that while placing my hand on Karen’s thigh and gently stroking it.

So close that my words would almost reach Karen’s ear as I spoke.

“You’re fine. Even now, Karen unnie is super, really super pretty.”

“Huuh…”

“And even when I asked about your weight, it was only because I think your figure is so beautiful. You don’t need to worry about it. Besides, I’ve never seen you naked, so how could I think you’re overweight?”

“That’s true, but… can we stop with the thighs now?”

Ah.

Without realizing, I was so amused by touching that I just kept going.

But honestly, even though I was just touching her thigh, the sensation was quite unique.

It felt somewhat soft yet surprisingly firm… it was truly enjoyable to touch.

“Um… I’m sorry?”

Using the word ‘taste’ for touching her thighs felt kinda weird, but what could I do?

I worked hard to shower Karen with compliments until she blushed, but in the end, it seemed to have brightened her mood.

Wouldn’t that be a relief?

Or not.