Chapter 191: Tonight Will Be the First Time
Shinobu Kocho was startled. Only then did she realize she had overlooked something.
According to what Kiyo had said earlier, Ren had been the one who brought her back from outside.
That meant Ren hadn't betrayed her?
A delighted smile blossomed across the girl's face.
Excellent.
It seemed Ren hadn't betrayed her after all. She really hadn't misjudged him.
And the reason Kiyo had asked that question...
It was because, as far as they knew, Shinobu shouldn't have known that Ren had already returned to the Butterfly Mansion. That was why her earlier reaction had aroused Kiyo's suspicion.
"Haha~" Shinobu forced out an awkward smile. "I just... forgot. Kiyo, you should go take care of your work."
Kiyo nodded. "All right, Miss Shinobu. Mr. Ren will be back soon to give you your second day's treatment."
"What kind of treatment?"
Shinobu was stunned again.
Kiyo replied, "You should know how Mr. Ren treats you, shouldn't you, Miss Shinobu?"
"Haha, of course I know!" Shinobu said expressionlessly. "I'm a doctor. How could I possibly not know?"
Shinobu genuinely had no idea.
Had she developed some kind of illness that Ren had treated before?
Judging from Kiyo's words, Ren seemed to be coming back very soon to treat her again.
But Shinobu felt perfectly fine right now.
Her entire body felt warm and comfortable.
Shinobu's expression suddenly stiffened.
Could it be...
Could Ren have seen her fall when she was climbing over the wall?
And then she'd become swollen from the fall, so Ren had helped reduce the swelling?
Just as Shinobu sank into thought, Ren had already arrived.
He knocked three times before the energetic young man entered the room.
Shinobu was momentarily captivated.
The Ren standing before her now was completely different from the Ren she'd seen during the day.
He had taken a bath, changed his clothes, and even styled his hair.
With just a little grooming, his undeniable handsomeness was revealed in full.
Even Shinobu couldn't help staring at him.
Ren coughed twice, finally bringing Shinobu back to her senses.
"Ren... It's... been a long time."
Shinobu greeted him with a smile.
Joy, happiness, embarrassment, awkwardness, and countless other emotions intertwined within her.
She had originally been delighted to see Ren, but when she remembered what had happened when she'd encountered him during the day, her face couldn't help turning red.
Thinking of this, Shinobu subconsciously touched her hair.
Then she froze again.
Her hair seemed much softer than before...
Shinobu examined herself and her clothes once more.
Only then did she realize that she'd changed clothes, taken a bath, and even had someone dry her hair for her.
[Nothing happened. Kanao did all of it.]
Seeing the puzzled look on Shinobu's face, Ren explained calmly.
Shinobu finally relaxed.
But in the very next moment, Ren sat down beside her feet.
Shinobu blinked and smiled.
"Mr. Ren, what are you doing?"
"Massage therapy."
Shinobu froze.
"Massage?"
"Yes. Massage."
Shinobu's little feet instinctively pulled back.
She quickly told herself to calm down.
During this time, she couldn't help glancing at Kiyo.
She noticed that Kiyo's expression was completely calm, as though she had expected this to happen from the beginning.
Shinobu immediately understood.
So the treatment she'd received that afternoon had been Ren's massage?
Her face instantly flushed crimson.
She vaguely remembered that the last time she'd received a massage from Ren at the Butterfly Mansion, she'd ended up unable to move afterward.
The incident had even become the subject of a little joke.
A massage again so soon?
Although Ren's massages really did make her feel incredibly comfortable—and had even become somewhat addictive.
That warm, soothing sensation.
Those professional, impeccable techniques.
Even now, Shinobu still found them difficult to forget.
But this wasn't the right time!
Shinobu didn't want Ren to see that kind of expression on her face.
That's right.
Even now, Shinobu still felt embarrassed whenever she remembered the predicament she'd been left in after Ren's last massage.
"Ahem. Kiyo, could you step outside for a moment?"
The instant Ren entered the room, he had activated the Transparent World and naturally sensed Shinobu's thoughts.
Kiyo didn't know why, but she still closed the door and withdrew.
Shinobu turned her head away, her eyes wandering nervously.
In a quiet voice, she asked, "Ren, what are you doing? Why did you ask Kiyo to leave?"
Ren smiled.
"Shinobu, aren't you afraid of embarrassing yourself? I asked Kiyo to leave to help you, didn't I?"
A faint blush appeared on Shinobu's face. She then pretended to be angry.
"Is it because you're afraid of Kiyo seeing me?"
Ren blinked.
"Then I'll leave?"
Shinobu's beautiful eyes widened.
"Don't!"
Ren chuckled softly.
"Then do you want the massage or not?"
Shinobu fell silent again.
A hint of struggle appeared on the girl's face. It was as though an intense battle was raging inside her heart.
At that moment, Shinobu remembered the dream she'd had that afternoon.
A warm current seemed to begin at her toes and gradually spread throughout her entire body.
Heat rose within the girl's heart.
She finally agreed.
"Come on... come on, then. But you have to be gentle."
Ren nodded.
"Of course. No problem."
Ren's mischievous hands immediately reached toward Shinobu's feet.
Her face turned bright red, and every nerve in her body tensed.
After a moment, Ren hesitated before saying,
"Why don't you take your feet out yourself?"
Ren searched around Shinobu's feet for quite some time, but they were wrapped so tightly that he couldn't find even the slightest opening to get his hands through.
He had to admit that he finally understood where Shinobu's particular style of dressing came from.
There simply wasn't a single opportunity to get his hands in!
Seeing Shinobu's predicament, Ren comforted her like a true gentleman.
"It's fine. When you're ready, I'll come back."
Ren was about to stand up.
But Shinobu grabbed him.
Her eyes were somewhat flustered, and her voice carried a hint of nervousness.
"No... It's just that this is my first time, so I'm a little nervous."
Ren blinked.
"Wasn't everything fine last time? Does that mean last time didn't count?"
Of course, Shinobu knew that Ren was referring to the previous massage.
She shook her head, somewhat nervous and flustered.
"No... That's not what I meant. I mean... no one has ever touched my feet before."
The girl then raised her head and looked at him pitifully.
"You're the first."
Oh, my God.
Ren's soul seemed to freeze for a moment.
Shinobu looked so delicate and pitiful, her large eyes shimmering with tears.
Her small lips repeatedly pressed together, her eyes filled with panic as she spoke in a soft voice.
Combined with those words, how could anyone hearing them not become confused?
However, relying on his Transparent World, Ren was obviously still able to remain composed.
He comforted her.
"It's all right. This afternoon, we were still doctor and patient, so that doesn't count. Tonight will be the first time."
Shinobu was visibly stunned.
She clearly hadn't expected Ren to say something like that, and her emotions immediately became somewhat uncontrollable.