ORCA 67

“Sir, shall I go and get your robe?”

“Sir, should I pull back the curtains on the window?”

A constant stream of questions followed, too numerous to even recall. Every single one was more cautious than usual, and his tone was saturated with a hesitant, fumbling quality. He looked desperate to appease my temper in any way he could. Orca told Niah to do whatever he asked. Whether he brought a bath brush to scrub my shoulders and wings, or swirled the water around in an attempt to create foam, I just watched him quietly.

The Goldfish used to leave the room as soon as the bathwater was ready, but lately, he would sit beside me and keep a wary eye on me. It was only when I deliberately asked him to do something that he would jump up. Then, as soon as I made a move to get out of the bathtub, he would run away with the excuse of going to prepare tea.

But today, he didn’t send his gaze far away; he stayed by my side. He didn’t even use the excuse of afternoon tea to run away. After leaving the bathroom, he followed me around like a striped shrimp waving its antennae in search of a guest.

“Sir, is there… anything else you need…? I want to do something for you…. Anything at all is fine.”

I sat the Goldfish, who was volunteering for excessive service, on the sofa. He seemed to want to be of some help, but he couldn’t grasp what would be good to do. I thought about having him fetch tea, but gave up. If he had wanted to go, he would have done so on his own long ago.

I decided that once I was dressed, I would give him a command for something. He wouldn’t listen when I told him to sit, instead pacing outside the entrance, so I couldn’t just leave him be. He looked ready to be like that all day. My hands moved faster as I put on my clothes. However, even before I finished preparing to leave, the Goldfish urged me repeatedly. The face he peeked out appeared almost desperate.

Stepping forward cautiously, Niah stood face-to-face with Orca. In truth, he had never helped anyone dress before, so he didn’t really know what he was supposed to do. He was just surprised that masters received help even when putting on their clothes. Niah felt a little regretful that he had come in without knowing how to do it, but he was soon distracted by something else, and helping him dress became a secondary concern.

The intricately sculpted muscles looked as tempting as fruits hanging from a tree. Although his master was an orca, he was a person just like him, yet he looked so different. He had never seen anything like this on the bodies of the other servants. They were all either plain or plump. He was on the plain side. On the other hand, his master was rugged. It felt as if thick, distinct lines were carved into him, like the grooves on a pumpkin.

Niah blankly stroked his own belly and chest, then swallowed hard. Curiosity arose from the clumps of muscles gathered piece by piece. They looked hard, but he thought they might be soft, so he wanted to touch them. With them right before his eyes, he couldn’t help but have such a desire. There was no need for the effort of stretching out his arms. They were at a distance where he only needed to lift them slightly. Before he could restrain himself and say it wasn’t allowed, his actions went ahead of his thoughts.

“It’s hard….”

Niah muttered as if bewitched, having poked Orca’s chest with a blank gaze. His index finger, which had traced a scar and come down, also poked his belly. Beneath the firm skin, he could feel solid masses of muscle. He pressed them to his heart’s content, satisfying his curiosity. Fascinated by the split, bulging parts, he even spread his five fingers wide to feel them.

“Pervert.”

The voice that settled onto his focused crown was mocking. Startled by Orca’s remark, Niah stepped back in surprise. He couldn’t go very far because of the vanity.

“No, no, it’s not. It’s not like that….”

He knew it was an unconvincing rebuttal, so his neck flushed red and ripened, just like his face. His breath grew rough as his heart suddenly began to pound rapidly. Fidgeting with his hands hidden behind his back, he glanced up at him.

“Why? Keep going. It seems like you enjoy it.”

Niah shook his head frantically to refuse. Orca didn’t tease him any further and picked up the shirt hanging on the chair. If he said one more word, it seemed like he would burst into tears, crying that he was mean. I pushed down the rising laughter with effort. I knew he had rushed in blindly because he stood right in front of me immediately, but I was dumbfounded because I never expected him to grope my body. It was even more absurd that he made a face similar to when I gave him a new tea treat or a dish to eat.

“Here.”

Standing in front of the huffing Niah again, Orca held out the shirt. Niah took it bravely to hide his embarrassment. Unlike his bold hand movements, his gaze, which had lost its place, fluttered everywhere, clearly showing his panic.

“If you aren’t going to dress me, then walk around naked.”

“A—ah, no. You can’t do that.”

His gaze shot up instantly. Niah, shaking his head frantically, held up the shirt he was holding in both hands. His mind was in a rush, but his body wouldn’t follow his thoughts. Just as he was about to feel depressed, wondering why he had even come in if he was going to be this clumsy, his damp hair caught his eye. Niah looked from the shirt he had held up to Orca’s wet hair in turns, then turned his body. He folded the shirt neatly and placed it carefully on the vanity before fetching a towel.

“Master….”

Even though he had cut off his sentence, Orca willingly complied with his request. Niah clumsily wiped his hair. This was his first time drying someone else’s hair. It didn’t go as well as he wished, so he stretched out his arms, rising and falling on his heels. In doing so, he ended up pressing against Orca, pulling him toward him. Orca, who had been leaning down as much as he wanted, feared that if this continued, he would have to kneel on his knees, so he straightened his spine again. Then, he hooked his hands into Niah’s armpits and pulled him out like a carrot, placing him on the vanity.

“Ah, wait, uh, huh?”

Their eye levels were roughly matched. Even then, it wasn’t enough, so Niah spread his arms wide to steady himself and leaned his upper body forward.

“This is enough.”

Niah, trapped between his forearms, hurriedly placed the towel on him. I was so startled by the sudden approach that I thought my heart would stop. My heart, which had stopped for a moment, burned as if it had been scorched by fire, then began to pound frantically. I deliberately covered my field of vision to rub it dry, saying, “Yes, yes,” belatedly. I had been getting fevers so easily lately that I wondered if I was sick. I gasped for air secretly. Gradually, the pounding subsided, and a pleasant scent reached me. It was a scent that felt good no matter how many times I inhaled it. I leaned in slightly and sniffed, careful not to get caught. Orca said nothing and left himself to Niah.

“It’s all dry, Master.”

Even after Niah took the towel away, Orca just kept looking at him, so Niah threaded his fingers through the hair and brushed it back gently. His hand, which had been hesitating, soon began to style it boldly. He tidied up even the back thoroughly. The soft, dry hair wound around his fingers. He had no manual dexterity, but if it were something like this, he could do it every day. Niah, his face blossoming with a sense of fulfillment, pulled his hands away and beamed at him. After brushing the back of the Goldfish’s head as he looked on with satisfaction, Orca straightened his back and picked up the shirt lying next to him.

Seeing his master try to put on his clothes without his help, Niah hurried to get down. He peered here and there to avoid the massive obstacle blocking his path. While he was doing that, Orca, having draped the shirt over himself, turned toward the display case. He didn’t forget to manage the fluttering Goldfish.

“Just stay there.”

“Yes? Ah, yes….”

Niah craned his neck to follow his movements. Orca returned quickly, so he didn’t have to wait long. Having set down the simple silver cufflinks, he pulled Niah close to him. As Niah, who had been sitting on the edge of the vanity, sat, his knees parted, brushing against Orca’s pelvis. Niah, startled by the suddenly parted legs, just stared blankly.

“You said you’d help. Do it.”

Orca took Niah’s two hands, which were just dangling there, and placed them against his shirt collar.

“Ah….”

Niah, who let out a mindless sound that wasn’t sure if it was a response or not, remained dazed even after hearing the command he had been waiting for. His fingers, which were slowly fastening the buttons, trembled slightly. The tips of his ears turned red. Orca rubbed the flushed earlobe subtly. He thought about teasing him some more but stopped.

“I’m all done.”

Flicking his earlobe gently, he let go. Niah fiddled with the ear that still retained his master’s body heat. His heart melted away like a sugar cube dropped into black tea. Orca handed him the cufflinks and held out his wrist.