The Saint Next to Me Who Sometimes Comes Without Wearing Underwear Tells Me What’s Under Her Skirt in Secret - 8

Chapter 8

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『I was thinking of visiting you. Is there anything you want?』

『Pudding.』

『Alright, I’ll come by after school.』

『…Oh, right. I forgot.』

『What is it?』

『Today it’s white.』

From the tone of her messages, she seemed to be in relatively good spirits. Though, it was possible she was just putting on a brave face.

『Make sure to keep warm. Don’t take anything off.』

『Of course I will.』

Well, coming to school wearing your clothes without missing anything was a ‘given’ too.  I was about to point that out, but decided not to. She didn’t seem to think of herself as a pervert.

With that, I bought some treats and the requested pudding from a cake shop, then headed to Saotome’s house.

“Wow, this is impressive.”

It didn’t take me long to find Saotome’s house. Or rather, her mansion. It was a Western-style building surrounded by tall walls. Just the upkeep alone probably cost a fortune. I was a bit worried about whether I’d be let in, but it seemed Saotome had informed them in advance that I would be coming.

When I gave my name and reason for visiting through the intercom, I was promptly allowed in.

“Thank you very much for coming to visit Ojou-sama.”

One of the maids guided me through the house. Even the interior looked meticulously maintained. The artworks displayed here and there were mostly expensive, historically significant pieces. As expected, this place was on a whole different level than those nouveau riche homes.

“This is Ojou-sama’s room.”

After walking for a while, the maid stopped in front of one of the many doors. It seemed this was Saotome’s private room.

“Nn… Ahn…”

I thought I heard a faint moan from Saotome. …Was her condition worse than I thought? The maid, however, paid it no mind and knocked on the door.

“Ahem… Ojou-sama! Himuro-sama has arrived. May I open the door?”

“…Eh? W-Wait!!”

I heard Saotome’s voice shout from behind the door. Then came the sound of hurried movements—thumping and scrambling.

“U-Um, ahem. You can open it now. Let him in.”

“Excuse me, then.”

The maid slid the door open. There, sitting up in bed, was Saotome. She was wearing a white negligee—a one-piece style nightdress. She certainly looked the part of a “saintly lady,” exuding a pure, innocent, and refined aura. On the inside, though, she was more of a lustful lady than a ‘saint.’

“I’ll bring some tea later. Please take your time.”

With a bow, the maid left the room. I stepped forward to stand in front of Saotome.

“You look like you’re doing alright.”

“Y-Yeah… I mean, kinda…”

Saotome answered while averting her gaze. She didn’t seem that sick… But for some reason, her face was beet red. Her clothes looked a little disheveled too. Maybe she’d just woken up?

“How’s your fever?”

“H-Huh? Um… Just a bit higher than usual…”

Partly to return the favor from before, I reached out and placed my hand on Saotome’s forehead. A bit… No, she felt really hot.

“Seems like you’ve got a pretty high fever. Your face is bright red, too…”

“I-I’m fine! J-Just get away from me…”

Saotome pushed my hand away as she said that. She seemed more reserved—more demure than usual. She also wouldn’t meet my eyes for some reason…

“By the way, why is the window wide open?”

Oddly enough, the window in Saotome’s room was left fully open. Because of that, the hot, humid air from outside was wafting in.

“I-It’s for ventilation! I-It’s fine, okay?”

“Is that so… Can I take a look at the windowpane?”

“Huh? Well, sure, I guess.”

With her permission, I stood up and moved in front of the window. I looked out at the courtyard through the glass. The view appeared slightly warped.

“This is Taisho glass, isn’t it? That’s rare. Must be hard to maintain.”

“It is… Honestly, I think it’d be better to just donate the place to the city or prefecture and turn it into a museum. Though they’d probably refuse to take it.”

Saotome said that with a bitter tone, as if she had to spit those words out of her mouth. spitting the words out. I could understand that. It was nice for sightseeing, but probably not very comfortable to live in. The summers must be damp and muggy, and the winters cold and drafty.

“…While you’re at it, could you close the window? It’s starting to get a bit hot.”

“I thought you needed ventilation?”

“It’s fine. …I don’t think there’s any smell left now, anyway.”

Saotome sniffed the air as she said that.

…Smell?

I tilted my head in confusion.

“…Oh, right. That looks good on you. You really do look like a saintly lady in that.”

“Really? Thank you.”

Saotome responded with a flat tone. I figured she was probably used to hearing that sort of thing… But then I noticed her fidgeting with her hair, looking a little bashful. Her lips were slightly curved into a smile.

So even “Saint Saotome” felt genuinely happy when complimented, huh? I should try giving her more compliments from now on.

As we were chatting, the maid brought us some barley tea. 

Might as well open the gift while we’re at it.

“Do you want some pudding?”

“Oh my, you really brought some. …Wait, isn’t that the expensive kind? The ones from the convenience store would’ve been fine.”

Despite her words, Saotome looked pleased. I was glad she liked it.

“Thanks for the treat. It was delicious.”

“Glad to hear it. By the way, Saotome…”

“What is it?”

“That doujinshi I lent you before… How was it? Did you enjoy it?”

It wasn’t very long, so I figured she’d probably finished it by now. I asked casually without any hidden intention in my question, but then…

“…Eh.”

Saotome’s expression froze. Her face quickly turned redder and redder.

“Y-You noticed…?”

…Noticed what?

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