Master…

When I arrived at the Workshop with Veronica, Cecil was making potions. Her face was serious, a contrast to her usual bright smile.

Then, when our eyes met, she dododo ran over with a bright expression and hugged me.

“Shaa-nim! Have you returned?”

“Uh… yeah. Were you making potions?”

“Yes! Veronica-nim said it would be good to do so!”

“I see.”

I glanced at Veronica, and she was looking at me with a strange expression. It was the face one makes when seeing something unpleasant. Unable to understand why, I shrugged and stroked Cecil’s head.

I told the kkyareureuk-laughing Cecil that she didn’t need to call me Shaa in front of Veronica and sent her back to the table.

“Is there something strange?”

When I asked, Veronica shook her head, saying it was nothing.

It must have been a misunderstanding.

I guided Veronica through the Workshop and the house. Since she would be living here for a while, it was a natural sequence of events. “You’ve really splurged on this place,” Veronica commented, her eyes sparkling when she saw the shower facilities.

“If you go further inside, there’s also a bathtub. I haven’t used it much, so I’ll need to check it, but…”

Veronica frowned and asked,

“If that’s the case, why did you build it?”

“…I wanted to use it, but I was so busy I didn’t have time to relax and warm my body.”

“…”

Avoiding Veronica’s pitiful gaze, I checked the bathtub. Fortunately, it seemed worth the significant expense, as it was perfectly fine, just a little dusty. After running water through it a few times, it looked ready to use immediately.

However, it wasn’t the time for that yet, so I postponed it and continued the tour. After a quick look around, Veronica questioned me with a disbelieving expression.

“…There’s only one Bedroom?”

“As you can see… instead, there are two beds…”

“Th-then, are you telling me to sleep in the same Room as you…?”

Perhaps finding it hard to accept, Veronica’s face flushed.

“If you’re really uncomfortable, I’ll sleep in the reception room for a while.”

“Oh, no! It f-feels like a Dormitory, and it’s nice. A-and it’s probably better to sleep in one room to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances!”

“…Really? If you don’t mind.”

Veronica nodded vigorously. I chuckled inwardly at her reaction. I wondered if she might ask for a pillow fight next. That thought crossed my mind.

…Though I’ve never had one.

As the general tour concluded and I turned to return to the Workshop, Veronica grabbed my tail.

“…I told you not to touch it.”

“Oh, sorry. I meant to call you, but I did it thoughtlessly.”

After pulling my tail from her hand, I asked,

“So, why suddenly?”

“It’s nothing much… what do you want me to help with? I saw Cecil earlier… she seems to be doing well already. As a fellow Alchemist, to add anything… what I know… you probably already know it all, don’t you?”

Despite grabbing my tail playfully, it was quite… a heavy topic. That’s because Veronica’s face looked the most downcast I’d seen since she arrived here.

What could be making Veronica so disheartened? Graduating second in the Academy’s class should be something to proudly boast about anywhere.

As proof of that, I knew Veronica also had her own private Workshop. It seemed like a topic I couldn’t easily comment on, which made me a bit awkward.

“You haven’t just been idle since graduating, have you?”

“That’s… true…?”

“Then, with your talent, you’ll definitely be of help somehow. I, who took classes with you, guarantee it.”

“…”

Veronica looked at me with strange eyes. Her narrowed eyes scanned my body, then she shook her head and sighed.

Somehow, this time, I felt strange. My tail wagged back and forth as if I were being looked at like a pathetic human. Seeing my tail, Veronica let out a small laugh.

“…You really are consistent.”

“What?”

“Nothing. So, what can I help you with?”

At those words, my ears perked up.

“…It’s nothing much.”

 Veronica’s face, which had been listening quietly, gradually turned red. Soon, she burst out, shouting, covering her meager breast with her arm.

“S-sexual harassment!!!”

“W-what are you suddenly talking about?! D-did I ever say I wanted to touch anything? I-I just asked for your impressions and points for improvement.”

“Y-you, you can just try it yourself! You, you’re a woman now too!”

Her words, “You try it,” brought back memories of past days. My breasts being squashed on the floor… asking Cecil to take them out, then in the Bathroom… and the next day, in bed with two people….

My face grew hot. Somehow, my stomach felt tight. I’ve often felt a pulling sensation in my stomach ever since I grew a tail and ears.

“Why are you suddenly like this?”

Veronica tilted her head, looking at me with a puzzled expression. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Then, I explained as calmly as possible.

“…I’ve tried it too, but the effect was so good that it was hard to distinguish. I also gave it to Cecil, but there was a significant difference compared to me, so I think one more person needs to try it…”

After a moment of thought, Veronica asked me an unexpected question.

“…So, which one do you prefer?”

“What?”

“…Never mind. But you said you tried it too? For someone who did, yours seems small.”

Veronica’s reddish-orange eyes scanned my breast. I gave an awkward laugh and replied,

“It’s a shrinking specification.”

“That’s truly malicious.”

…Of course, the goal was for it to shrink naturally, but there was a minor, unexpected side effect: it only got smaller if I squeezed out milk. I’ve tried to compensate for it as much as possible, but I’ll know the results after this experiment.

“Anything else?”

“…Not for now.”

Veronica, still looking at me with a flushed face, muttered as if giving up.

“…I can’t just freeload like a parasite, so I’ll help… but I hope next time it’s something more normal.”

“What are you talking about? This is a task filled with so much Hope and dreams.”

Of course… it’s a dream and Hope with a bit of my personal desire mixed in… but Veronica also reluctantly nodded.

“…I’m sad that I can’t deny it myself.”

Since she would be tired today, we decided to experiment tomorrow. Veronica, who was sweaty from various things, headed to the Bathroom, saying she would wash up. After seeing her off, I returned to the Workshop to check on the progress.

Cecil seemed to have diligently made potions without slacking off, as she had almost completed her quota. After filling the last bottle, Cecil stretched and exclaimed,

“It’s all done!”

Her cute appearance made me kuk-kuk with laughter, and Cecil turned to look at me. This time too, she ran over and informed me once again that she had completed her quota.

“You worked hard.”

“Hehe… Cecil is used to it now, so I can finish quickly. Asha-nim!”

“That’s good news.”

I thought about giving her more difficult tasks now… but I decided to think about that later and stroked Cecil’s head.

Cecil, who had been smiling bashfully, was seen kkomjilakgeorineun her fingers. It seemed like she wanted something. Not long after, a cautious voice was heard.

“Asha-nim…”

“Hmm?”

“Cecil has something she wants.”

“Something you want?”

Did she complete her quota quickly because there was something she wanted?

“Cecil wants a tail and ears like Asha-nim.”

“Uh-huh…?”

“Is that not possible? Cecil wants to have the same thing as Asha-nim…”

It was a rather cute request. In fact, if it was for a change of pace, I thought it might have been better to give it to Cecil instead of drinking it myself.

I was also curious about the reaction to something other than the Breast-enlargement Potion, so I thought it was a good opportunity.

“There’s no reason it can’t be. Can you wait a moment?”

“Yes!”

Leaving Cecil, who was bangbang jumping with apparent joy, behind, I rummaged through the Preservation Box. There should definitely be some left over that I made for fun, and as I rummage through the messy Preservation Box, I’m reminded of the rooms I’m using as storage because there’s no one to move things in.

Along with many tools and fixtures I had forgotten… and Preservation Boxes whose contents I didn’t know.

Should I tidy up while Veronica is here…?

Somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

After rummaging for a long time, I found the Potion Cecil wanted. Looking at the label… it was a different kind from the one I drank. I scratched my cheek in embarrassment.

“Asha-nim! Did you find it?”

“Uh… yeah, I found it, but it’s a different kind from what I took.”

“What’s different?”

Cecil tilted her head, her face full of curiosity.

“If what I drank was feline… this one is closer to a dog…”

“A dog?”

“In a way… you could say it’s the opposite.”

It’s not exactly that kind of relationship… but isn’t that the image? Cecil, who had been pondering with a finger on her lips, answered cheerfully.

“If I get a tail and ears, Cecil is fine! It doesn’t have to be the same as Asha-nim. Just similar is good!”

“Really? Then…”

I paused for a moment as I was about to hand it over. My tail and ears suddenly umjjeulgeoryeotda.

“Asha-nim?”

I watched Cecil’s gently extended hands… then carefully placed it there. Thinking it wouldn’t be a big deal.

Cecil smiled brightly and kkul-kkeok kkul-kkeok swallowed the Potion. Placing the empty Potion bottle on the table, Cecil umjjeulgeoryeotda her body, seemingly itching where her tail and ears would emerge.

“S-something feels ticklish. Asha-nim.”

“That’s normal, just bear with it for a bit. Still, the effect is immediate this time, isn’t it?”

I found it interesting that, unlike the breast Potion, there was an immediate reaction. What could be different?

While I was pondering, in the blink of an eye, cute animal ears sprouted on Cecil’s silver hair. A fluffy-looking tail also popped out, making her dress flutter.

“Woof!”

And then Cecil stood on all fours. Just like… a dog.

…Huh?

Then, she started rubbing her head against my thigh, wagging her bushy, fluffy tail like crazy. She kkiing-kkiinged while on all fours. It seemed she had forgotten human speech, only emitting whimpering sounds.

…It seemed the mixture was a little… wrong… similar to what I had drunk.

As I extended my hand, I watched Cecil lick it, as if leaving a mark, and thought,

When will she return to her senses? I hope she’s back to normal before tomorrow. Unlike my complicated feelings, Cecil seemed purely joyful.

…Well, she’s cute, so it’s fine, I guess. And Veronica is here too.

I stroked her even fluffier head.