A Big Score

By the time dinner was ready, I had recovered somewhat, so I slowly went downstairs to eat.

My thighs were still a little wobbly, but… I managed to get down safely.

Then, as if they had never left their seats, my companions filled the dining table.

Claudia seemed to be wearing clothes that looked familiar… but perhaps it was just my imagination?

It was possible to have several sets of the same clothes… I did too.

When our eyes met, Claudia grinned and gestured for me to sit down.

The shirt, which had been loose on me, letting the wind whistle through, was now puffed up as if it would burst.

My gaze couldn’t help but be drawn to that unbelievable difference.

Noticing my gaze, Claudia crossed her arms, further emphasizing her breast.

“…”

Feeling awkward, I turned my head, and Veronica was looking at me with narrowed eyes.

Under an inexplicable pressure, I turned my head to the opposite side and met Cecil’s beaming smile.

My face grew warm from what had happened earlier in the day.

In the end, the only place I could look was my plate, or perhaps Master.

However, Master was also looking at me with a strange expression, so I ended up eating with my gaze fixed on my plate as if burying my nose in it.

‘…I didn’t do anything wrong, so why do I feel so self-conscious?’

Well, I did do something a little questionable, but still….

Just then, I heard Cecil’s voice calling me.

“Asha-nim!”

“Hm?”

I couldn’t ignore her, so I slowly turned my head, and a fork with meat on it was extended towards me.

I blinked in surprise, and Cecil giggled, smiling brightly.

“Say ‘Ah~,’ Asha-nim!”

“Oh? Uh, uhm?”

When I opened my mouth reflexively, a small piece of meat entered it.

As I held the meat with my teeth, Cecil’s fork withdrew.

As I chewed unconsciously, I heard Cecil’s laughter.

“Asha-nim! Is it delicious?”

“Oh, uh… yes.”

It was delicious, but I was quite flustered by why she was suddenly doing this.

As I swallowed it down, a relay began from that moment on.

“…You won’t say you can’t eat what I give you, will you?”

Veronica glared intensely and offered her fork. I accepted that too.

“It’s rewarding to see you eat so deliciously. Here, have my share too.”

“I’m, I’m full….”

“Hm?”

I obediently opened my mouth.

Master’s lips twitched at the farce of them competitively shoving food into my mouth.

Embarrassment washed over me, and I lowered my head, chewing the food.

In the end, I had to keep accepting food from the alternating forks until my stomach felt bloated.

“…I bought cake on the way earlier and put it away, so please share it. I… can’t eat any more.”

Leaving my companions with surprised expressions behind.

I stroked my full, bulging stomach and went upstairs.

‘…Why are they suddenly like this?’

A sudden wave of fatigue washed over me.

As I lay blankly on the bed, staring at the ceiling, organizing what I needed to do tomorrow in my head.

I heard a knock.

“Who….”

I replied from the bed, and a response came, as if they had somehow understood.

“It’s Cecil!”

“Ah….”

Still, she had diligently taught me earlier… so it should be fine, right?

“Come in.”

“Ehehe….”

With the sound of the door opening, Cecil entered.

Her hair, tied haphazardly as if she had done it herself, dangled from both sides.

She had a pillow tucked under her arm, and her clothes were thin, pajama-like fabric.

It felt as if I could feel her skin if I hugged her to sleep.

“What’s wrong…?”

Perhaps she had just come to say goodnight before going to bed.

But Cecil’s answer didn’t deviate from my expectations.

“Cecil came because she wants to sleep with Asha-nim today!”

“…Alright.”

As soon as I gave my permission, Cecil dashed over and threw herself onto the bed.

It would have been fine to just fall asleep like that, but I roused my tired body and made Cecil sit up on the bed.

“Asha-nim?”

“You should untie your hair before sleeping… it’ll be uncomfortable if you sleep like this.”

“Is that so?”

“It would be, right…? By the way, why did you tie your hair?”

As I untied Cecil’s strangely tied hair and asked, she said it was because she thought I would like it.

…Well, it was cute, but it felt too sudden right before bed, yet then again, it was cute, so I figured it was fine.

As I untied the hair that had been tied on both sides, her lustrous silver hair flowed down like a waterfall.

“There.”

“Thank you! Asha-nim!”

…It would have been better if she hadn’t tied it in the first place.

As we lay side by side on the bed, I could feel Cecil’s warm body heat.

My body, tired and languid from eating so much, slowly melted away.

My eyes slowly closed.

As I drifted off to sleep, I opened my mouth.

“By the way… why did you suddenly… want to sleep… together…?”

As I asked that, Cecil seemed to hug me, and I felt warmth and softness all over my body.

“─.”

I fell into a deep sleep without hearing Cecil’s answer.

Leaning into that warmth, I slept soundly and woke up to see Cecil’s face before my eyes.

Her long eyelashes were still closed, as if she was still asleep.

A fragrant body scent emanated from her warm body.

Her soft body pressing slightly against mine… felt quite pleasant.

I, too, was hugging Cecil’s body, and unlike her soft skin, the waist I was touching was… deeply curved like a woman’s body.

…I hadn’t noticed it before… but it suddenly occurred to me that she wasn’t a child anymore.

As before, I gently touched Cecil to make her release me and got out of bed.

Cecil was sleeping soundly, as if she had gone to bed late, though she should have woken up.

I carefully covered her with the blanket, left the room, and washed up.

Somehow… it was a refreshing morning.

It felt as if something I had been worrying about had been resolved.

‘…But nothing has actually been resolved.’

As I dried my hair and went outside, Veronica was waiting.

“You’re up early.”

At my greeting, Veronica approached, took the towel from me, and replied.

“…If you dry it like that, it’ll get damaged.”

Saying so, she began to touch my hair, drying it.

She didn’t really need to do this much, but… being touched by someone… felt quite nice, so I stayed still.

‘In the past… how would I have reacted?’

…My preferences seemed to be the same, but somehow I felt more lenient in this regard.

If I had to choose between good and bad… it leaned towards good.

I couldn’t quite tell if it was because my body had changed, or simply because I had been lonely.

After drying my hair, Veronica took my hand and led me to the dressing room.

“How about this?”

Veronica naturally picked out clothes for me.

Compared to the clothes I had seen recently, these looked relatively good, so I nodded.

But one question arose.

“I don’t think there were clothes like this last time….”

Veronica replied with a calm expression.

“Really? Maybe you just couldn’t find them?”

“Hmm… is that so? I did look in a hurry that day, though….”

“That must be why.”

And so, I put on the clothes Veronica had chosen and went to work.

I awkwardly waved goodbye to Veronica, who had seen me off to the door.

Passing by the blinking escort knight, I arrived at Her Highness Selina’s location, and Her Highness gave a strange smile.

“You, what wind blew you in dressed up today?”

“…Do I look that way?”

“Well, if not, then it’s fine.”

Perhaps thanks to what happened yesterday, she didn’t assign me any special tasks today either.

Wearing the maid uniform with lots of frills was familiar by now.

It was an easy job: sitting at the table, drinking tea and snacks, while watching Her Highness the Princess attend to her duties at her desk.

Just then, Her Highness the Princess asked me.

“By the way, my younger sister seems to be quite fond of you.”

“Is, is that so?”

“Yes, it seems the friends who attend the Academy find it difficult to interact with me, so they don’t introduce people or talk much… but perhaps because you’re perceived as my person… she spoke of you at dinner.”

…I wondered if she had found out about my promise to get ‘that medicine/drug’ for her, but it didn’t seem to be the case.

“…I am overjoyed to hear you say that.”

“Hehehe… such flattery, not from the heart.”

“It is my sincere truth.”

Though it’s not like I don’t want to gain some benefit from it.

“Alright, then, sometimes keep her company.”

“I will.”

If this was the case, perhaps I wouldn’t need to be self-conscious about meeting Her Highness Cordelia anymore.

I secretly smiled, feeling as if things were going well.

That day, I left work without any incidents and returned to Veronica’s Workshop.

In pristine condition, I processed Cecil’s essence.

Everything, both what was to be given to the store and what was to be given to Her Highness Cordelia.

I took extra care to package what was for Her Highness, and packaged the rest normally.

‘…Anyway, the store will package it themselves, so I don’t need to worry about it.’

Since I had received a hint from Her Highness Selina that I could rest on the weekend.

All preparations were complete.

I think I fell asleep that day with a contented feeling.

Thus, the day of reckoning dawned.

Her Highness Cordelia came out earlier than the promised time and headed towards the Shopping District.