Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Taihou inherited the luck of her historical namesake. The Ship Girl on duty at the infirmary today was not Nicholas, but Hermione.
"Oh my, isn't this—ahem, Lu Chen? What brings you here? Are you feeling unwell? Come sit here. I'll take your temperature first."
The nurse, a busty woman with white hair, showed a concerned expression toward Lu Chen, picking up a thermometer from the desk and speaking gently.
Is this really what a normal nurse wears? Lu Chen looked at her outfit, which was practically fetish-wear, and fell into contemplation.
She had long, pure white hair braided into two plaits that hung over her chest, with the long hair at the back tied at the waist with a black bow. Her curvaceous figure was encased in an ultra-short, pure white nurse uniform, and her long legs were clad in taut, black thigh-high stockings, the edges of the black sheer fabric showing slight indentations on her skin.
Her nurse uniform looked somewhat ill-fitting over her voluptuous figure, especially the skirt, which was so short it barely reached her hips and looked like it would tear if she took a slightly larger step.
"Hermione? You're on duty today?" A hint of disappointment flashed in Taihou's eyes. Among all the nurses on duty, Hermione was arguably the biggest threat. She not only had the best figure among the nurses, but more importantly, her identity.
The Royal Maid Corps, and specifically, a Dido-class.
The maids of the Royal Maid Corps all possessed intense love and dedication towards the Commander, especially those pathologically devoted Dido-class maids. They were all heavyweights, and Hermione was already considered relatively normal. If it had been the sycophantic Sirius, it would have been even more troublesome.
Hermione said, "It is indeed my rotation today. Come on, Lu Chen, you can lie down here too. I'll perform some check-ups for you first."
"I'm perfectly healthy. I'm not sick… Oh, I have amnesia. Do you have a neurology department here?" Lu Chen said, thinking fast, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he felt that no diagnosis was needed. Anyone who could say that must have something wrong with their head.
Hermione frowned slightly. "Lu Chen, I'll be cross if you pretend to be sick, you know?"
"I really do have a slight problem with my mind, but I didn't come for that. I heard I could take a nap here, so I came to try my luck." Lu Chen tugged at Taihou's sleeve. She had become quiet since they arrived, glaring fiercely at the nurse as if the woman was about to steal him away from her.
Lu Chen suddenly felt a sense of relief. With Taihou, he was experiencing how a normal woman would view other pretty women appearing around her boyfriend—only, Taihou wasn't his girlfriend but the encroaching third party.
"A nap?" Hermione immediately realized, and her expression softened considerably. "I see. You are correct. When there are no patients requiring rest and recuperation, the infirmary is open to everyone. Please feel free to use the facility."
Lu Chen said, "Thank you. Sleeping at a classroom desk is so uncomfortable. The academy's facilities seem nice in every other regard, but the lunch break is completely inhumane."
Hermione couldn't answer this question. The academy was a reconstruction of the real base in a dream, complete with the same curriculum. However, after school, everyone could return to their dorms or freely move around other parts of the base. They couldn't exactly drag the entire base into the dream, as that would create too many inconsistencies.
"It is indeed our oversight. I will report this to the academy's high-ups and ask them to improve the issue," Hermione said apologetically. The apology was genuine because she was lying. No one would solve this issue because the Commander would soon awaken, and the virtual space would cease to exist.
Regardless, a maid deceiving her Master was bad behavior. After Lu Chen recovered his memory, she would truthfully tell Lu Chen of her mistake and allow him to punish her.
But in Lu Chen's ears, it meant something else. "You don't need to apologize to me. The benefits the academy gives me are already amazing—so good they're starting to scare me."
Taihou patted her face and snapped back to attention. Business first. She took Lu Chen's hand in return and led him to an empty bed, asking, "This bed is good, and the location is nice. If we draw the curtain, no one outside can see…"
Hermione's ears perked up. Something didn't sound right. She quickly stopped them. "Hold on! You should be mindful of the setting if you plan to do that sort of thing. If you really want to, you should at least wait until after school. Someone could walk in at any moment now."
"We're not doing the kind of weird stuff you're thinking about. I just want to catch a quick nap," Lu Chen said. Why do all the women I meet seem so interested in lewd things? What kind of academy is this?
Taihou asked, unwilling to give up, "Are you really not going to? Taihou can be completely automatic, no matter what it is. Lu Chen-sama only needs to enjoy it."
"You should also find a bed and rest for a while. We have class this afternoon," Lu Chen lay down on the bed, speaking without raising his head.
Taihou completely ignored Lu Chen's suggestion to find her own place. She rubbed her two black-stockinged feet together, took off her loafers, and climbed onto Lu Chen's bed, lying down beside him.
Before Lu Chen could speak, Taihou interjected, "I just want to lie with Lu Chen-sama and sleep. I promise not to do anything strange. If you don't believe me, you can tie Taihou up."
Lu Chen paused, trying to speak, then sighed. "Just call me Lu Chen. Also, why are the beds in your infirmary so big? Two people can lie here without feeling crowded."
Hermione offered an awkward laugh. This was another question she couldn't answer. The base had almost no single beds. As for why, she couldn't explain it right now.
"Well, everyone is at a lively and active age. Single beds aren't comfortable to lie in, and the academy has plenty of funding, so naturally, we prioritize comfort."
Lu Chen didn't know where to begin to mock that statement. "You can be lively and active while recovering in the infirmary, but you have an extremely abstract lunch break system to accommodate everyone's feelings. Hmm, very well. You've convinced me."
Hermione wailed internally. I deceived the Commander again. If this continues, I'll become a terrible maid full of lies.
"Don't worry about such trivial matters," Taihou said, lying on her side. "Is the pillow comfortable? If not, you can rest your head on Taihou—any part will do."
"It's very comfortable. Hurry up and rest," Lu Chen turned over, facing away from Taihou. The girl was beautiful, but she was also truly clingy. If she were his girlfriend, with this kind of initiative, he would probably be living a life where he couldn't get out of bed.