I gently took her right foot and began pressing my thumbs into the arch, kneading in slow circles. Her skin was smooth and calm, slightly damp with sweat. Her feet were like ice blocks after a full day encased in those boots. I worked some warmth into them, massaging from her heels up to her calves.
"Elfriede's breath hitched. A strangled sound—half gasp, half moan—escaped her lips as I found a tender spot just above her heel.
"Mmnh… Hah—!" Elfriede's lithe body gave an involuntary twitch. Her toes curled as I pressed firmly on the soft area below her anklebone.
I nearly recoiled, thinking I'd hurt her. Gods, did I press too hard? A spike of fear shot through me. If I caused her pain, even accidentally, a whipping would surely follow.
I froze, heart pounding. "M-Mistress? Should I stop?" I asked anxiously.
Elfriede's eyes snapped open. "Your hands have stopped," she barked. "Who said you could stop? The pressure was just right. Continue."
I stared at her, bewildered. She… liked it? The slight flush on her cheeks and the almost eager glint in her eyes told me she did. Swallowing my surprise, I resumed the massage, digging my fingers into the tender sole of her foot with renewed vigor.
"Ahh… yes, like that," Elfriede breathed, her head falling back. "Don't slow down."
I obeyed, pressing and squeezing in rhythm. Each time I found a knot or sensitive spot, Elfriede would tense and suck in a sharp breath—then sigh it out as the ache melted into relief. An outsider might have mistaken the scene for something indecent, with the elf's sultry moans and the way her body writhed under my touch. In truth, I was driving the pain from her weary limbs… perhaps with a bit more enthusiasm than strictly necessary.
That spot corresponds to the womb, I recalled from Father's teachings, noticing how she yelped when I thumbed the center of her foot. And that one's linked to the kidneys. A wicked little grin tugged at my lips. Both tender, eh? Perhaps our dear Elven queen isn't as perfectly healthy as she seems.
"Aw, does that hurt?" I murmured under my breath, too low for her to hear over her sighs. Good. Suffer a bit, you harpy. You deserve it.
"Yes… Well done, Lucian," Elfriede groaned appreciatively. Her other foot tapped my shoulder impatiently. "Don't neglect the left one. And keep up the strength."
"At once, Mistress." I shifted and began tending to her other leg, repeating the process of kneading her calf and applying pressure along the sole. Elfriede continued to make little gasping sounds that, to my perverse delight, grew louder the more complex I pressed.
Each muffled moan that slipped from her lips made me feel… strangely at ease. How about that? Inflicting a bit of therapeutic "discomfort" on this domineering elf was downright cathartic. My shoulders gradually relaxed, and I found myself almost enjoying the task.
Off to the side, I heard muffled snickering. A pair of the human mercenaries—Elfriede's ever-loyal cronies—were nudging each other and casting envious looks in my direction.
"Gods, I'm so jealous," one of them whispered, not very subtly. "Look at him… rubbing those divine legs."
"Lucky bastard," the other chuckled under his breath. "I'd give my right arm to have Lady Elfriede's feet in my hands. I'd even let her trample me if she wanted!"
I cringed inwardly at their lewd giggles. These two were utterly smitten with Elfriede—more lapdogs than comrades. They worshipped her, obeyed her every whim, and seemingly fantasized about every inch of her body day and night. Now they were glaring daggers at me, jealous that I, the lowly slave, had the "honor" of touching her.