Page 20

We enjoyed the hot spring together.

"Fuuuuaaahhhh~," said Mio's mother who partially submerged her body.

"Mmmpphhh~," Mio sighed in peace.

"Muuunnyaa~," I unconsciously said this sentence after entering the hot spring.

The sensation of hot water wetting my skin felt very comfortable and made me a little sleepy.

"Lily-sama, here you go.." Mio moved to my side while carrying a wooden tray filled with snacks.

"Uhn? What is this?" I took one of the snacks from the wooden tray that Mio brought.

"Dango," replied Mio while giving me dango.

"Dango?"

This was the first time I saw food like this. This food was round and had a different color. I touched it a little and the outer texture felt chewy.

"Lily-sama.. please open Lily-sama's mouth.." Mio suddenly told me to open my mouth. Before I knew it, Mio had already held chopsticks filled with dango and was ready to feed me.

"M-Mio, I can eat by myself."

"Aaaaaaa!!" Mio forced me to open my mouth.

What can I do?

Mio want to feed me, right?

It's okay for a Maid to pamper her Master, right?

"Um... Uh.." I gave up and opened my mouth.

"Lily-sama..." Mio put the dango into my mouth.

What is this?

This snack is chewy and sweet!

"Mmmphh!!!" I enjoyed this sweet food. Sweet food for the royal nobility has an interesting shape, but this simple snack has its advantages.

Mio fed my mouth with her dango again, until I had finished eating one portion of Mio's dango.

"Mio, can I borrow your chopsticks?"

I felt a little guilty for eating one portion of Mio's dango.

"Eh? Lily-sama can use chopsticks?" Mio asked in teasing tone.

I shook my head.

"But, I can try!" I said confidently.

"Lily-sama, using chopsticks to pick up dango is hard.." Mio teased.

"I-I want to try it!"

Mio's mother who was beside me just smiled and enjoyed one portion of her dango.

"Mio.. let Lily-sama try it and don't hide your chopsticks," Mio's mother said while grabbing the chopsticks that Mio had hidden.

"Ah! My indirect kiss now gone... Ehehe.." Mio just smiled after being caught hiding her chopsticks behind the wooden tray she was carrying.

"Here Lily-sama, please try it," Mio's mother said while giving chopsticks.

I accepted the chopsticks given by Mio's mother and tried to hold one dango. Because the dango was round, I had a little difficulty holding it. The chopsticks I used always shifted the dango and the chewy texture of the dango made it even harder to hold.

"Uh, this is hard to hold," I complained a little. Using chopsticks was a little complicated for me because I wasn't used to using them.

The dining etiquette for the nobility of our kingdom uses a fork, spoon, and knife. Meanwhile, this eating utensil called chopsticks was only introduced after our kingdom collaborated with one of the eastern kingdoms.

"Mio.. come closer."

"Hehe.. why Lily-sama? Have you given up using chopsticks?"

It seems like Mio is a little arrogant just because she can use chopsticks.

"Miiiioooo~," I used my signature cute attack a little. Staring at Mio with teary eyes in Mio's biggest weakness.

"L-Lily-sama.." Mio looked at me with an uncertain expression and immediately approached me.

At this close distance, I took one of my dango and put it in my mouth with kiss.

Mio who was in front of me looked confused. I immediately held her face and pressed my lips to hers. This is a technique often used by mother birds to their chicks and who would have thought that this method would be very useful, right?

"Muuupu!!" I released my lips from Mio's and managed to move my dango into Mio's mouth.

"This way, I don't need chopsticks to feed Mio," I said triumphantly.

"Uhng?" I heard a strange sound around me. Several women who were enjoying the hot springs were staring at me and Mio. Their faces were filled with a bright red blush that was visible.

"T-Thank you, Lily-sama," Mio said in a small shy tone.

I immediately looked at Mio and saw her facial expression filled with a bright red blush.

"Umm.. it seems like it's time for us to go back home?" said Mio's mother breaking the atmosphere.

"Eh??" I was a little surprised.

"Mio.. quickly wake up from your sweet dream and finish the remaining food!" Mio's mother ordered.

"Ah! That's right! Mioo!!" I immediately took the two remaining dangos and fed Mio in the same way.

"Muuuu-Nyaaahmm!!" I forced Mio a little to accept the food from my mouth again.

With this, the score between me and Mio became even!

Strange sounds were heard around me again. This time, several women and the hot spring caretaker were lying on the floor with small drops of blood coming out of their noses.

"Lily-sama, let's hurry home now," said Mio's mother who suddenly stood up and walked away from the hot spring pool.

"Muunya~ Muuu~ Lu-Luly-sumuu~" Mio pulled my hand to get out of the hot spring pool while chewing the remaining dango in her mouth.

We hurriedly dried our bodies and changed into new clothes. The clothes Mio gave me suited my body very well, especially with the ribbon decoration that adorned my head.

When we left the inn, the people around me stared at me intently.

Did my clothes look strange to the general public?

Mio held my hand tightly and glared at the people who were observing me.

"Don't worry, Lily-sama. They are just fascinated by Lily-sama's cuteness. Right, Mama?"

Mio's mother stopped walking and begin carried my body.

"Of course, Lily-sama is a cute and sweet like little maid," teased Mio's mother when carried my body in her arms.

"T-Thank you," subtle compliments like this made my mood feel good. This was the first time I enjoyed a warm atmosphere like this.

Without realizing it, we had arrived at the front door of Mio's family. When we were about to enter, Mio's father was waiting for us at the entrance while carrying a bouquet in his hand.

"Happy birthday, Helena!!" said Mio's father and showing a bouquet in his hand.

"Happy birthday, Mama!!" now Mio said that sentence while taking out a small flower from between the pockets of her clothes.

"Ah! H-Happy birthday, Helena-san!" I said to liven up the atmosphere.

"W-What are you guys doing?" Mio's mother held back her embarrassment after Mio's father had a little surprise.

"Mom must not have thought that Dad would prepare a surprise like this, right?" Mio teased her mother a little.

"There's still another surprise inside! Let's go inside!" said Mio's father while pushing Mio's mother into the house.

Mio also pushed my body to come into her house.

Inside Mio's house, I could smell the aroma of dinner and saw a small box as a surprise gift for Mio's mother.

This reminded me of one thing.

I didn't prepare a gift for Mio's mother!

What should I do to give her a gift?

I-I need something special as a gift!

Right now, I could only think of one special gift that would be suitable for Mio's mother.

However, that small gift needed careful preparation.

"Mio... can I have some paper?"

"Paper?"

Without answering or questioning me, Mio rushed to find a piece of paper.

Drawing a spirit contract on paper wouldn't be a bad idea as a birthday present, right?