Hikari's running flats.
They were visibly deformed.
The cloth was fraying at many points.
"Her running flats… It never ceases to amaze me how she could run with her massive body. Those shoe prints on the ground on her running track…"
She wipes the tip with the shoe cloth.
"Seeing her workout… those muscles of hers…"
Her lips touched the tip of the shoe.
"She's so much stronger than me… I probably couldn't even move one of her toes… the strength to slay a titan…"
She planted another kiss.
"Time to get to work."
She used a paintbrush to apply a white dye to the shoes, painting over the mud stains.
"When she comes back, the first thing she would want to do is return to her training. Perhaps seeing a pair of clean shoes will make her feel better when she trains."
She shuffles herself in front of the other flat.
"ooh…!"
She kissed the shoe.
"This is fine. This is all I need. Kissing her shoes and worshipping her from the shadows."
Kiss.
"She'll have plenty of missions. I checked the ledges, the monsters from the forests to the south. Plenty of campaigns… what happens once we enter the academy? Where would she be housed? Ohh… There'll be plenty of chances to worship her like this…"
Kiss.
"Time to get to work."
She holds up her lantern over the shoe.
The insoles were deformed.
Hikari's foot shape was imprinted in the rubber.
"Look at that, the thick rubber couldn't take the weight of her workouts. I must remember to order thicker soles for her."
She leaned into the shoe and pressed her lips on the insole.
A wave of pleasure came over her.
"I wonder how she'd react if I kissed her feet and told her how she's the greatest knight ever. No… that'd be weird. I am her lady after all."
She went around the shoe, painting over it and trimming off the frays.
She took her canteen from her backpack and drank.
Hikari's flats weren't as massive as her boots.
After a several-minute break, she sprang back up.
Now for the best part, Hikari's high heels. The symbol of her unrivaled beauty.
"She's simply beautiful. There is no other word for it."
Ria bowed before Hikari's heels.
Her forehead touching the ground.
It felt so humiliating to admit that another woman was far more beautiful than she was.
"She's just so superior to me. I couldn't get a single man to dance with me. But just these heels and her bare feet alone, she got them all on their knees, groveling before her for her attention."
She crawled forward and pressed her lips to the sole area.
"Ah…! This is where Hikari placed her bare foot. Ah…!"
Kiss.
"You are so superior to me, Hikari. Your lady isn't even worthy of kissing your feet. She can only kiss the soles where your feet touched."
Kiss.
The chambers suddenly lit up around her.
Ria jumped.
The giant lantern in the center of the room lit up, illuminating the whole room.
She turned and was shocked to find Hikari standing behind her.
Blood drained from her face as she looked up at her knee socks to see Hikari's usual cold expression above her.
"My Lady."
Ria tried to speak, but her throat was stuck.
Incoherent noises came out.
"My Lady."
Ria slammed her fist into her chest.
"Ahem! Oh! Hikari, you're back! I read the reports that you weren't expected to reach the estate until tomorrow."
"Food."
"Oh, you're right; the supplies had been short. Especially with the titan's appearance, I guess the supply lines stretching all the way up to the city of Carla wouldn't be able to feed you properly. But since you traveled ahead of the troop, they likely have enough supplies to reach the estate now. How astute of you."
Her lady began talking very quickly.
"Thanks."
"But how come I didn't notice you returning to the estate? Right, I have been at my desk doing paperwork all day. Silly me. Why didn't you tell me when you returned?"
"Sorry."
"What am I thinking? You're not the type to announce your arrival like that. So anyway, how were the frontlines? All of the reports suggest that you slayed a titan. Is it true?"
"Yes."
"Oh, that's amazing, Hikari. How was it? Oh, I can't believe that you actually slayed a titan. Was it scary? I heard it was taller than the walls of Carla?"
"It's tall."
"Do tell, how did you manage to slay it? I'm excited to hear it. That'll be a tale that the knights of the house will hear for generations."
"I burn it."
"Of course. That's how the knights of our house have slayed giants for generations. But none of them had ever slain a titan. You're making it sound so easy. There's definitely more to it."
"Uh."
"Let me guess: you cut down the titan's legs, bringing it low to the ground, and then you burn it. Hmm… no, that's not what the reports say; the legs are still intact."
"Nope."
"Oh, I know, you channeled a storm of fire and engulfed the titan in a raging flame. You must have an incredible amount of mana before you could do that."
"Nope."
"That's not it either, eh? Ah, I know. You are the more precise and stealthy type. Though that's quite the contradiction given your size. But anyhow, you sneaked up on the titan, fought through the hordes of flesh monsters, and tore the titan up from the inside."
"Something like that."
"Ooh… so I was-, I was…"
Ria struggles to catch her breath.
"Sit."
Ria sat down, her hand on her chest.
Her heart was racing with excitement.
"It's late, Hikari. I'm so glad that you're back. I'm going to bed now. I'm sure tomorrow you'll have plenty more stories to tell me."
She got up and hurried toward the giant door.
"My lady."
Ria flinched.
"Yes-? What is it?"
"Shoes."
Blood rushed to Ria's head as her face boiled up red.
"Yes, of course, as you can see, I got the… maid! Yes, the maid has put in a lot of effort into maintaining your footwear while you were gone. I'll be sure to prepare some seats for them during the feast to celebrate the end of the war."
"I can see in the dark."
Ria was stumped.
Her heart raced, and her face got redder.
"Oh, right, I just thought I would brush them up a little. I don't blame them for not cleaning your shoes well, as they are super busy managing the rest of the estate. I have some free time so i…"
"You're loud."
Ria's face was redder than the deepest forges of the spire city.
She looked up at Hikari standing over her.
Her heart pounded faster and faster.
She faints.