My Stepmom is Too Pretty, and It’s Troubling Me – Chapter 98

“Ugh… uncomfortable.”

“…From tonight, I think I’ll sleep somewhere else.”

“No way, the sofa isn’t any bigger, so that would be even more uncomfortable. We’re just going to sleep together.”

“It’s fine. Your comfort is more important than mine, Young Lady.”

“Rize.”

I never expected to be having this kind of conversation with Rize since the morning.

As I opened my eyes after waking up, the room was painfully bright due to the curtains that were poorly drawn.

Honestly, it didn’t have a particularly comfortable vibe, thanks to the rather dim magical light and various other reasons.

But the most important thing was the bed.

“Ugh… ugh…”

It was soft, but to be honest, it was nowhere near the usual bed I slept in at the mansion, and it fell short compared to other beds I’d tried.

It wasn’t like I couldn’t sleep here, but still, it felt disappointing.

Of course, it was nice to have Rize, soft, warm, and fluffy, as my makeshift pillow.

“Rize, what about breakfast?”

“If you wish to eat now, I’ll go down and check if they’re serving meals.”

“Alright… just check and come back…”

Even though I was awake, I couldn’t help yawning because it wasn’t the most comfortable sleeping situation.

Last night, we had rested in our room, then briefly stepped outside to fill our stomachs before heading back to sleep.

But today, Rize had said we ought to be a little more… healthy and regular, so there was no choice.

Honestly, the quality of the inn we were currently in was much worse than I anticipated… So, part of me following Rize’s suggestion was that.

I mean, it wasn’t like we could have a healthy, regular lifestyle if we were only staying at an inn, right?

“Yawn…”

Anyway, I got up from the bed.

I was still in my pajamas, but it was fine since no one else was around… and Rize would come back in a bit…

“Ugh… I’m so tired…”

I stretched by myself and slowly tried to wake up.

I pulled the awkwardly open curtains wide open to let the sunshine in and cracked a window for some fresh air.

Compared to summer and autumn, the breeze was definitely colder, but it was enough to wake me up.

“Hmm… But no matter how I think about it, do we really have to bring noble kids to such an inn…”

The more I looked at it, the less sense it made.

Honestly, the Academy wasn’t short on money or resources; did they really have to make do with such a shabby inn?

Of course, I knew that this sort of thinking was typical of nobles, but from a noble’s standpoint…

“Tsk…”

Well, I couldn’t complain since it was the higher-ups at the Academy who decided this.

I mean, I could complain, but it was obvious there would be various disadvantages.

“I wonder if they’ll actually serve a proper breakfast.”

Honestly, I already had a pretty good idea of what was coming.

They’d probably serve some soup and bread and tell us to figure it out ourselves.

“…I guess I should just go out and eat.”

Yeah.

That seems like the cleanest option.

Rize acted as if she had no particular craving for food and often said it was fine if the food wasn’t great.

But in the end, Rize was still a teenage girl.

Of course, she would like delicious food and nicely plated dishes, and she certainly looked happier when she got to eat something tasty.

“Going out is the best.”

After airing the room out a bit, I sat at the edge of the bed and waited a little.

I felt a bit guilty lying down, but it wasn’t unmanageable.

“…Young Lady.”

“Yeah, Rize.”

“Um… it seems we don’t really need to resolve our breakfast inside the inn.”

“Got it. Let’s go out together in a bit and have breakfast at the restaurant we went to yesterday.”

“…Yes, Young Lady.”

Rize gave a slightly apologetic look, but I didn’t pay much mind to it.

After all, it wasn’t really Rize’s fault.

I just didn’t understand why we had to wait in such a shabby inn, and I wondered if we could stay at a better one.

Anyway, Rize and I ended up waking up a bit earlier than expected and started getting ready to head out.

*

“Rize, don’t you think that outfit over there would suit you?”

“Isn’t that skirt a bit too short?”

“C’mon, it’s just a little above the knee!”

“…I’m fine, really.”

After we had our breakfast, Rize and I were walking around, chatting away.

We didn’t really pack anything; just a small handbag and a wallet inside.

We were just passing the time.

“It’d definitely look great on you, so why do you insist on wearing long skirts?”

“…I’m just embarrassed.”

“Should I order you to only wear short maid skirts from now on?”

“…Young Lady.”

“Just joking, just joking.”

The state of the inn wasn’t great, and the weather wasn’t as cold as winter of my past life, so wandering around with Rize was much better.

If we stayed in the inn, I’d inevitably end up asking Rize to do a lot of things, while I just relaxed and didn’t let her rest.

I just thought this way of hanging out with her was better.

“Hmm… But Rize, didn’t you forget to bring any casual clothes?”

“…That’s true.”

“Really?”

“…Young Lady.”

“Oh, I see…”

I looked at Rize with a rather meaningful smile.

She probably had a rough idea of what I was thinking by now.

After all, we had spent enough time together that she couldn’t possibly be clueless.

Rize personally didn’t like it when I bought her clothes or anything, but to me, it wasn’t a big deal.

I was buying it because I wanted to, and it would be weirder for a maid to refuse and feel sorry about receiving gifts, right?

In a way, it was just like giving a bonus, but in the form of a gift.

“Rize, come on.”

“…Yes.”

“Let’s see, I’ll grab a skirt and some tops… hmm…”

“Young Lady, having too many clothes might be inconvenient when we head to the Academy…”

“Hey, don’t I know that already? I’ll just buy more when we get to the Academy. Today I’ll pick about three or four outfits.”

“…Yes.”

I always thought Rize was way too pretty to be a maid.

Honestly, while maid outfits aren’t ugly, there are so many more beautiful clothes that I always felt a bit sorry for her.

“Hehe…”

So, this time, I’d take the chance to get her quite a few outfits…

I’ve had experiences buying and making her wear other outfits besides maid clothes, but now I could enjoy it even more.

After all, we weren’t at the mansion; we were at the Academy now?

On weekends, I planned to wear casual clothes and roam around the Academy branch with Rize, just having fun.

“Hehe…”

“…Young Lady, you should really buy in moderation.”

“Yeah, I know. Why are you so worried? It’s not like I’m going to put you in anything weird.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Hmm… If you’re that sorry, should I just make you wear anything I buy?”

I asked Rize with a playful smile.

Of course, I had no intention of putting her in anything strange, but her reactions were always amusing.

“Something like an ultra-short skirt that shows off every inch of your thighs, or a dress that leaves your back completely exposed… Hmm… what other kinds are there?”

“Please just a little consideration…”

“Hehe, I’m joking. So, shall we go have a look at the clothes first?”

“Yes, Young Lady.”

After joking with Rize a little, we went inside the clothing store.

I wasn’t happy with the inn overall, but having this time to play around alone with Rize felt great…

*

“Imagine how wonderful it would be if you walked around in outfits like this all the time?”

“…It feels awkward.”

“It’s fine. You look pretty.”

We were on our way back to the inn after trying on various clothes on Rize before sunset.

It was definitely inconvenient to carry luggage around.

“See? Wearing beautiful sweaters and skirts instead of maid outfits looks way better, doesn’t it?”

“I…”

“If I think it’s pretty, then that settles it.”

“…Yes.”

Anyway, after hanging out with Rize all day, we were now nearing the inn.

The structure of the inn itself was better than the inside, so I could spot it from a distance.

Well… just this morning I did think about whether to stay at another inn instead, but…

I decided to endure just a little longer.

“They said it’d take about three days to get there… so we still have two days left.”

Now that we spent a night at the inn… considering the journey ahead and our departure meant we’d obviously be spending more time here.

“…Tsk.”

Not the best feeling.

Still, for now, I carried the clothes with Rize and walked toward the inn.

As we walked, I spotted a carriage similar to the one I rode in parked right in front of the inn.

“Hmm…?”

It seemed like a noble offspring from the south had arrived.

As we strolled up slowly, I discreetly tried to see who was getting off.

If it were Ella, that would be a pleasant surprise.

“Young Lady.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“I don’t think it’s Lady Nieshista.”

“Why? Isn’t Ella coming here in a carriage too?”

I turned my head to Rize, prompted by her words.

Typically, they’d bring along most of the noble offspring from the south, so wouldn’t Ella be able to join them?

Of course, I didn’t know who the passenger in the carriage was yet, but I thought I couldn’t completely rule out the possibility of it being Ella.

“Um… Don’t you see the crest on the back of the carriage? It’s different from Nieshista’s.”

“Oh… I didn’t notice that.”

“…It was on the carriage we rode too.”

Oh… I was honestly surprised.

I didn’t really notice it at all.

Even after traveling in that carriage for half a day yesterday, I had no idea there was such a design on it.

I suppose I didn’t pay much attention to the carriage in the first place… but still.

“…Well, if it’s not Ella, then there’s no need to wait around for it.”

“Yes.”

“Shall we head in quickly? I’d feel a bit bad if we were blocking their path while waiting outside.”

Remembering our hike up to the fourth floor yesterday, it definitely seemed better for us to get into the inn quickly and head up.

After all, there was no need to wait if it wasn’t Ella and find out who it was.

Furthermore, while passing by the carriage, I could hear a man’s voice from inside, making it clear I didn’t care at all.

“Tsk.”

If there had been some lady with a lovely voice, I might have waited to at least greet her, but…

That just seemed like a hassle I was not interested in dealing with.