Zoemi lost the opportunity and he was not at all happy or relieved that it passed right by him – but he was also a trained attendant, so he did not scowl in bitter disappointment and just took a few... a lot of deep breathes before his shadow enchantment faded and he could approach Miriette in a casual manner.
As for the girl unaware about how close her dreams were about to come true...
She looked stunning.
The dress was adding charm to her slender figure and soft green slippers were finishing the attire.
Then came the hairstyle - after the long debate it was decided that Miriette's short hair will be combed to one side of the head and a green bow will be attached to the other.
"Don't you think it's an overkill?"
Miriette looked at her reflection in the mirror, very much unconvinced.
"My lady, you look stunning!"
"...! I... I see. Good."
Though the look was Zoemi's personal preference, his compliment was the greatest prize for Miriette.
After all, if Zoemi liked it, the dark-haired girl didn't care about the opinion of others.
Soon Miriette was all ready to go and the operation sneak-out could finally start.
Neither the master nor the attendant could use magic for their aid to not be found out by the teachers, so Zoemi snuck out of the dormitory and came under the window of his master's room.
After he knocked on it, Miriette opened the window and sat on the windowsill – even though it wasn't high or anything, the dark-haired girl was careful about the dress so she didn't jump right off and made sure that the fabric didn't hook on anything before going down.
In the middle of that motion, one of her slippers, well, slipped off, and fell next to Zoemi.
"Zoemi can you see my shoe...?"
Miriette whispered worried and Zoemi was reminded that she couldn't see in the darkness.
Well, to tell the truth, he never met any other magician who could see in the darkness without using an enchantment, but what was a spell for others has always been possible for the black-haired boy, funnily enough, it was like that even before he awakened to magic.
The black-haired boy always connected it with his attribute but had no actual proof to back it up as he never met any other darkness magician.
---
At the moment of their daring breakout, the moon was hidden behind a passing cloud and the night was dark – not to mention seeing her shoe, Miriette could barely even see Zoemi or the ground beneath her.
The black-haired boy kneeled and picked up the shoe.
"I've got it, my lady."
He announced in a hushed voice.
"Then put it back on!"
Miriette was feeling uncomfortable - the windowsill was actually cold even though the night was pleasantly warm – so she just wanted to get off of it as soon as possible.
She started waving her leg impatiently too.
"Hurry up, please!"
She was moving her leg so much that she almost kicked Zoemi in the head.
"M-my lady, could you stop moving your leg?"
The black-haired leaned to the side, dodging another unintentional kick, and asked.
"Just put that stupid slipper back on my foot!"
|Of course... This is the moment when her personality flairs up...|
Zoemi sighed and caught Miriette's foot when it was passing inches from his face.
"Ah...!"
Miriette gasped from the unexpected touch and looked down.
That moment the moon chose to peek through the clouds and bask in the world in its silvery light.
"...ah...!"
And this time Miriette gasped, not from the sudden contact but what view she had.
Beneath Miriette, Zoemi was kneeling on one knee and holding her feet, his face close as if he was ready too...
|It's exactly like in those romance novels...!|
Miriette held her breath.
Meanwhile, Zoemi tried to put the slipper back on Miriette's foot, and since she finally stopped moving, it was much easier.
But before he could do it...
"Wait...!"
His master stopped him.
"My lady...?"
He looked up and just like Miriette before he became stunned from the sight.
In the moonlight, Miriette's skin was shining mysteriously and her beautiful eyes were glistening.
She looked like a fairy.
Words got stuck in Zoemi's throat.
The master and the attendant looked at each other in complete silence.
"Z-Zoemi..."
Miriette was the first to break the stillness of the night with her voice.
"K-kiss it... Like in the novels..."
She blushed beautifully and moved her foot in Zoemi's grasp.
|Ah! The oath of eternal loyalty...!|
Zoemi remembered well the first time he read about it, it was when he was reading the novel to his master when she was unwell.
He gulped down his saliva and looked at the foot he was already holding.
A small shapely foot still gave off the smell of the soap after the bath.
The black-haired boy felt it tremble into his grasp.
|I-it's nothing perverted! In this world, it's a real oath like a knight pledging to protect the lady of his heart! Nothing else!|
He tried to calm down his heart but it was beating like mad anyway.
"..."
After a few seconds of hesitation, he moved.
Zoemi's lips touched the top of Miriette's foot.
"!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Miriette felt the lips of the man she loved on her skin and her body started burning up.
|H-he's mine... He's mine...! Even if he doesn't love me yet, he promised to be loyal to me forever... He is mine...!|
The dark-haired girl thought to herself ecstatic.
This was also the moment in which Zoemi looked up... and Miriette saw his eyes climb up from her foot, her shin, knee and higher and higher...!
|Wait... I'm wearing a skirt... Oh god! Do I even have panties on!?|
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Miriette's excitement changed into an embarrassment and she pushed her hand between her legs - sealing the possible view from the eyes of the boy beneath her.
Zoemi looked up at his master and saw her embarrassed face.
"...!"
He himself blushed and hurriedly put the slipper on the foot he just kissed.
|...No, wait... Of course, I am wearing them...! The white ones with the tiny ribbon...!|
The panicked Miriette realized and relaxed, breathing out a sigh of relief.
As she cooled down her head, she made a dignified expression and reached her arms towards her attendant.