I Kidnapped the Hero’s Women

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 66 - Soles (2)

An awesome suit of armor!

As soon as Charlotte put on the armor, she felt her body surging with strength, as if she had suddenly become much stronger.

She wanted to show it off!

Right now, she wanted to show it to Earthy, to the maids, and to Julia!

Charlotte, her face brimming with excitement, was about to dash out of the room when...

"Now that you’re all dressed, you should go. Julia was really frightened earlier after seeing the ghost. Try to stay with her if you can."

"Hmm…"

Just as she was ready to bolt out, her legs lost strength, and her shoulders drooped.

Why bring up Julia now?

If you think about it, it seems like Mister always has Julia on his mind...

So what if she saw a ghost?

If she was really scared, she’d be trembling like a leaf, clinging to whoever was nearby, wouldn’t she?

But seeing how she only sticks to Mister, it’s clear she’s not that scared.

‘This is frustrating.’

She had spent the whole day with Mister, and she would cling to him when they slept, too, right?

Does that mean he’ll spend the entire day with Julia?

Charlotte desperately wanted to show off her new armor and run around outside, but her frustration towards Julia was even stronger.

Julia had so many chances to express affection to Mister, yet she still acted prickly. It was infuriating.

"Mister, are you really busy? Wouldn’t it be better if I went out instead?"

"…"

Charlotte clung to Aslan’s back, her voice tinged with disappointment.

Right. This is all to make Julia snap out of her complacency.

If she keeps letting her guard down, I’ll snatch him away! It’s a warning.

I think I’ve warned her like this before, but she still hasn’t learned her lesson.

If once doesn’t work, then twice!

For someone as jealous as Julia, this would be the perfect tactic.

So, yeah.

This is all to spur Julia into action.

It’s not for selfish reasons...

"How about you take a short break and get a massage instead?"

"Where’s that massage coupon again..."

Aslan rummaged through his pockets.

Seeing this, Charlotte flashed a satisfied smile.

'Huh? But Julia isn’t peeking this time, is she?'

Startled, Charlotte froze and glanced towards the door.

Now that she thought about it, she had forgotten to leave it slightly ajar.

The maids who had been peeking had quietly closed the door and left.

What do I do now?

Julia isn’t spying, so how am I supposed to make her jealous?

Is my plan a failure?

‘Ah, whatever!’

Who cares if Julia sees or not?

I’m going to live my life!

Charlotte quickly rationalized her situation.

"So, where does it hurt? Where should I start today?"

"My back hurts, my shoulders hurt, my calves hurt, my neck hurts…"

"That’s your whole body! Mister, you work out every morning, so why are you like this?"

"...Good question."

Aslan sighed deeply, and Charlotte looked at him with some concern.

To Charlotte, Aslan was incredibly diligent.

Even though he spent a lot of time indoors dealing with work, he never skipped his morning runs or exercise.

So why was his skin still so pale, with veins showing? And why did his arms and legs lack any real muscle?

It was like Aslan’s physique had a set limit, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t surpass it.

"Looks like I’ll have to give you a massage all day long."

"Forget the rest, just give me a face massage."

"Why? Because you think you look too scary? Should I smooth it out for you?"

"...No. It’s just that my facial muscles are tired."

"Hehe! Leave it to me, then!"

Charlotte rolled up her sleeves and got ready.

It made sense. Of course his face hurt, given how often he frowned!

If you frown all the time, you get more wrinkles when you’re old.

And with his already scary face, if he gets more wrinkles...?

‘No, no! He’ll look even scarier!’

I have to stop it!

I have to stop it!

I need to massage him to make sure he doesn’t get any more wrinkles!

Charlotte’s expression turned determined and serious, filled with a newfound sense of responsibility and duty.

Aslan lay back on the sofa with his eyes closed.

Looking down at him, Charlotte froze for a moment.

Now that she thought about it, she had never seen Mister sleep.

So this was the first time seeing him with his eyes closed, and like this, he seemed...

‘Kind of handsome?’

With his eyes closed, the usual menacing look on his face seemed less harsh.

Could Mister really look gentle? How amazing!

Swallowing her awe, Charlotte quietly slipped off her shoes.

'Mister liked it when I used my feet to give him a massage.'

She took off her socks, then climbed up onto the sofa, standing over the lying Aslan.

Looking down at him, Charlotte hesitated, suddenly feeling unsure.

His face. Is it really okay to step on it?

Mister does like being stepped on, but this is his face.

Would he get mad?

"Shall I start?"

"Go ahead."

"It’s really okay?"

"Stop asking and just start."

"Really?"

"…"

Aslan frowned slightly, his eyes still closed.

Ah! He frowned again!

That’s going to cause more wrinkles!

Without any further hesitation, Charlotte brought her small foot forward.

"Here goes."

"...?"

As soon as her sole touched Aslan’s cheek, his eyes flew open.

Charlotte’s whole body shuddered as a chill ran down her spine.

Ah. Was this the wrong move?

.

.

.

"Facial massages are done with your hands. Hands."

"Hehe. I didn’t know. I thought you liked it when I used my feet."

"..."

He chose not to deny it.

Charlotte’s soft, squishy soles.

For that brief moment when they pressed down on my face, that gentle, cushy feeling wasn’t bad, but...

If I let her keep going, I’d definitely cross a line I shouldn’t.

‘I was so close...’

It feels like something was very wrong, like I was about to betray my humanity.

While I did feel a bit disappointed, I decided that the memory of being stepped on just once was enough to last forever.

"Alright, lie down here."

Charlotte shifted her position.

She knelt behind me, and I rested my head on her lap.

Once my head was nestled on her thighs, Charlotte began awkwardly massaging my face.

"Press down with the tips of your fingers. That’s called acupressure."

"Ooh."

"Acupressure massages relieve tension in the muscles and improve blood circulation..."

"Ugh, be quiet."

"…"

With a soft push, Charlotte’s thumb lightly pressed against my lips.

Once my mouth closed, Charlotte burst into a fit of giggles, her laughter filling the room.

[The Evil God, 'Kali,' laughs happily, saying our dark knight looks content, which makes her happy as well.]

...The two of them are really having fun.

Is it really that amusing?

Well, I suppose I can relate. I often can’t resist pinching Julia’s cheeks while she’s asleep.

After a while of pulling, pressing, and playing with my face, Charlotte finally grew tired and got serious about the massage.

She’s surprisingly strong, and the way she presses down with precision feels really good.

"Ugh... Yes, right there. That’s perfect."

"Mister… You usually don’t seem that old, but at times like this, you seem really old…"

"…"

Try living in a body like this, running on no sleep and dealing with a grueling schedule. See if you don’t start groaning too.

Even though Aslan’s physical age was still a youthful 21, he felt like he had aged years from the stress of trying to revive his crumbling family.

"Isn’t it because Julia and I are making you age faster?"

"That’s not it."

"Julia’s always moody and snappy, and I’m constantly on edge, wondering when I’ll accidentally cause trouble with my Super Strong Sword."

"…"

So, you do know?

"I won’t tell you not to worry, but at least for now, in this moment, set your worries aside and relax. You always look so serious, or in a rush, or busy. Always one of the three."

Her gentle voice whispered as her hands massaged my furrowed brow.

I opened my eyes and found Charlotte staring down at me, face-to-face.

Startled, she blushed and quickly pulled her head back.

"You did well. I feel like a lot of my fatigue has melted away."

"Hey! You’re not supposed to get up right after I tell you to relax!"

Charlotte tugged at my sleeve, grumbling in disappointment.

But I paid her no mind and stood up, straightening my clothes.

As much as I wanted to lie there for another 10 minutes, or even an hour, the comfort was so overwhelming that I felt like if I stayed, I’d become a completely useless man, so I forced myself up.

Charlotte’s lap was firm yet soft.

Honestly, I wanted to order a pillow shaped exactly like her thighs so I could sleep on it every night.

It’s a lap that could make a person lose all sense of propriety.

"I’ll have to ask for facial massages more often. After just one, I feel like my face looks much brighter."

"Hmm. I don’t think so."

"..."

So blunt.

She cut me down so decisively that I couldn’t even come up with a response.

At that moment, a cute rumbling sound echoed from Charlotte’s stomach.

"Hehe. I think I’m hungry."

"Let’s have an early meal today. Go grab a dog bowl from the pantry."

"Yes! I’ll go get Julia too…"

"Master!"

Bang!

The door slammed open, and a powerful gust of wind swirled through the room.

Only one person could create such force, aside from Charlotte.

I turned around, and sure enough, Sylvia stood in the doorway, panting heavily.

"Did you forget to knock?"

"Forgive me for my rudeness. This is an emergency."

"What emergency?"

"Right now, there’s a monster rampage on the mountain, and the Arient territory is in danger!"

"…What?"

What the hell is she talking about?

Monsters coming down from the mountain?

It’s been centuries since anyone’s even seen a monster on that mountain. Why now? I thought for a moment, then remembered the recent disturbance on the mountain and realized...

‘Ah. Is it because we split the mountain in half?’

Could that be our fault?

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]