Lys stood there, frozen in place, his eyes locked on Bertha's naked form. The system's notification faded from his vision, but the image in front of him was burned into his mind. Water droplets trailed down Bertha's freckled skin, her full breasts heaving with each quick breath, nipples hardening in the cool air. Her hands clutched at the discarded clothes, but they did little to cover her; her ample curves spilled over the edges, making the attempt almost comical if it wasn't so awkward.
Bertha's face flushed a deep crimson, her cheeks burning like ripe apples. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, trying to angle her body away.
"M-Master Lys?" she stammered, her voice soft and shaky, barely hearable. Her eyes darted from his face to the floor, then back up, wide with a mix of shock and embarrassment. "What... what are you doing here? This is the servants' washroom. You shouldn't... I mean, I wasn't expecting anyone."
Lys blinked, snapping out of his daze, but his mind raced for an excuse. His heart pounded, and he felt a familiar heat building in his pants, a bulge, which he quickly tried to hide by crossing his hands in front of his crotch casually, like he was just adjusting his stance.
"Uh, I... I was just looking for the washroom," he blurted out, his voice cracking a bit at the end. He forced a nervous smile, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand while keeping the other low. "You know, to freshen up. This house is bigger than I'm used to, and it seems I got lost. Sorry, I didn't mean to... intrude."
Bertha bit her lower lip, her arms squeezing the clothes even tighter, which only made her breasts push out more from the sides. She glanced down at herself, then quickly looked away, her freckles standing out against her reddened skin. "Oh, um, it's... It's okay, I guess. Just a mistake, right?"
She let out a small, awkward laugh, but it sounded more like a squeak. "The main washroom for guests is back that way." She nodded her head toward the opposite end of the hall, her wet hair sticking to her shoulders as she moved. "Down the corridor, first door on the left. You can't miss it, it's got the fancy basin with the carved handles."
Lys nodded quickly, already backing up a step. "Right, got it. Thanks, Bertha. Really sorry about this." He turned on his heel, not wanting to linger and make things worse. His footsteps echoed softly in the dim hall as he hurried away, glancing over his shoulder just once to see if she was still watching.
Bertha stayed rooted in the doorway, half-naked and clutching her clothes like a shield, her eyes following him until he rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.
-----
Lys hurried back up the stairs from the servants' quarters, his mind racing with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. "That sneaky little... abandoning me like that," he muttered under his breath, clenching his fists. "If she hadn't shoved me forward, I could've slipped away without Bertha seeing a thing. Lucky for me, Bertha's not the type to grab a broom and whack a peeper; otherwise, I'd be nursing bruises from a maid right now."
He grinned despite himself, the whole thing feeling ridiculous in hindsight. But still, Sara owed him a good smack on her butt for ditching him.
He headed straight for the main sitting room, where he figured Sara might have run off to hide. Sure enough, there she was, lounging in a cushy chair by the window, sipping tea like nothing had happened. Her eyes were glued to a book, but the second she spotted him storming in, her cup clattered onto the saucer.
"Oh no," she whispered, jumping to her feet and bolting toward the hallway.
"Get back here!" Lys called out, half-laughing as he chased after her. His footsteps thudded on the wooden floor, echoing through the quiet house. "I'm not gonna hit you hard, just a little slap on that butt of yours! How could you just shove me and run? Leaving me to face Bertha alone like that? That's cold, Sara!"
Sara glanced over her shoulder, her hair flying as she darted around a corner. "Sorry! I'm really sorry!" she yelped, but there was a giggle in her voice that said she wasn't all that remorseful. "Come on, Lys, it was every woman for herself! You were the one who wanted to peek in the first place!"
"I know that, but you're still gonna pay for that push!" Lys shot back, picking up speed. He was closing the gap, his longer strides helping him catch up. The chase felt silly, like kids playing tag, but his fake frustration kept the energy up.
Just then, Sara rounded another bend and nearly crashed right into Lady Elowen, who had just stepped out of her guest room door. Elowen let out a surprised "Oof!" as Sara skidded to a stop and ducked behind her, using the noblewoman as a human shield. Sara's hands clutched at Elowen's sleeves, her breath coming in quick huffs. "Lady Elowen! Help me, please! Lys is after me…he's angry, and if he catches me…I'm finished..!"
Elowen blinked, steadying herself with a hand on the doorframe. She was dressed in a simple but elegant gown, her silver hair neatly pinned up, looking every bit the composed lady despite the sudden chaos she was facing. "Huh, what are you talking about? What in the world is going on here?" she asked, her voice calm but laced with curiosity. She glanced between Sara, who was peeking out from behind her and saw Lys jogging up, trying to catch his breath.
Sara huffed again, still hiding. "He's mad because... well, he's just mad! And if you don't stop him, he's gonna hit me or something. Please, Lady Elowen, save me!"
Lys finally caught up, slowing to a stop a few feet away. He heard that last part and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Hit you? Come on, why only tell her just that part? That's not even close to what happened." He turned to Elowen, trying to look innocent. "Sara here abandoned me on a... uh, mission. Left me to fend for myself when things got tricky."
Elowen's eyebrows shot up. She was finally getting what might have been going on here, a small smile tugging at her lips like she was trying not to laugh. "A mission? What kind of mission leaves you chasing Sara around the house like this?"
Lys opened his mouth, but the words got stuck. "Well, it was... you know, just a little... exploration thing. Nothing big."
Sara poked her head out from behind Elowen, smirking now that she had backup. "Oh, please. Why not come clean now? Lady Elowen, don't listen to him. That pervert wanted to peep on Bertha while she was washing up, and got caught red-handed. And now he's blaming me because I didn't want to get caught with him!" She shifted the whole blame to his shoulder.
"Hey!" Lys protested, his face heating up a bit. "That's not the whole story! You came along willingly, too. Don't shift all the blame on me now. You were right there, giggling about it until you tripped and shoved me forward!"
Sara stuck out her tongue at him, quick as a flash, then darted out from behind Elowen and down the hall. "Catch me if you can!"
Lys lunged forward to chase her again, but Elowen stepped right in his path, her arms crossed and a playful, stern look on her face. "Oh no, you don't, Lys. Let's not turn the house into a playground. Whatever this 'mission' was, I'm sure you two can sort it out without more running." She gave him a knowing wink, clearly amused by the whole mess.