Chapter 33 – Will This Make You Trust Me?

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“Oh! It’s the good-smelling human!”

As I entered the room furnished like an office, a somewhat familiar harpy thrust her body toward me. From her wings that bumped against me, a shower of money bundles—

No, feathers fluttered down. With the thought that these would clog the shower drain, I grabbed her shoulders and gently pushed her away.

At least, I pushed in my mind.

She should have moved, but perhaps due to her talons anchored in the floor, she didn’t budge and continued sticking to me, sniffing with her nose. Only after making eye contact with Claudia, who had entered behind me, did she hastily back away.

Feeling slightly dejected, I turned my head to see a man, presumably who had been trying to persuade her, greeting Claudia with a brightened expression.

“Oh my… you’ve finally arrived. I’ve been waiting for quite some time.”

“…I don’t think it took that long.”

“It’s just a figure of speech… haha…”

The man with disheveled hair wiped away beads of sweat with a handkerchief. His trembling gaze soon landed on me. Then his pupils filled with questions.

“Um… didn’t you say you would bring the person who made it?”

“I did bring them.”

“You mean… this person?”

“I barely convinced her to come since she’s very busy…”

Claudia’s chilling smile suggesting that he should understand the rest without her having to say it… was an unfamiliar sight. I hadn’t seen this face even when I met her as Astarote Asha. It looked more menacing than what I’d seen during our last date. When our eyes met, she returned to her cheerful smile and waved her hand affectionately.

Somehow, I felt nervous. I gulped and opened my mouth.

“Ahem, ahem. As Dia said, my golden time is flowing away even now. What kind of problem requires my presence?”

The man who had been standing awkwardly with a tense face responded with a somewhat relieved expression.

“The harpies… are refusing to take the medicine. They say they can’t take medicine when they don’t know the face of its maker or if its efficacy hasn’t been verified.”

“So that’s why you called me?”

“Yes… that’s right.”

As could be inferred from the advertising phrase about using only naturally fallen feathers, I could guess how they were treated. Well, when you can communicate properly… you can’t treat them like monsters or livestock.

I don’t know about other places… but at least the empire where I live was like that. Then I can only assume that all surrounding kingdoms would be similar.

…Those talons embedded in the floor probably have something to do with it too.

Meanwhile, a voice laden with doubts flowed from the mouth of the hesitant man.

“But… Did you really make this?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

I asked, tilting my head, and the man scratched his cheek.

“You look too young to be the maker…”

“…I understand. Anyway, does the harpy… have a name?”

“That friend is called Rena.”

“I see. So… if I convince Rena, everything will be resolved?”

I noticed her flapping her wings upon hearing her name. The man answered with a voice tinged with slight fatigue.

“Yes. Rena is the leader of the group living here.”

“I see.”

After responding, I looked at the harpy called Rena. Her scarlet hair hung down to her shoulders. Her eyes also shone brilliantly in a similar color.

The peculiar point was… that large wings were attached where arms should be. Her lower body was also closer to that of a bird. As mentioned earlier, her talons were embedded in the floor.

Rena wore loose clothing like before, making it seem as though one wrong move might reveal the flesh hidden underneath.

During this time, Claudia placed a hand on my shoulder and whispered softly.

“Aren’t you staring too intensely? You’ve seen her once before, right?”

“…Not particularly.”

“Well… anyway. How does it look? Think you can solve this?”

Looking at Rena, who turned her pouting face away as the man approached, I answered.

“…I don’t know why, but she seems to like me… I’ll try to have a conversation first.”

“Sure, if it doesn’t work out… just leave it be. You’ve already done enough.”

Claudia said this while gently squeezing my shoulder, then smiled brightly. Somehow, the image from earlier came to mind. The attitude contrasting with that time made me feel distinctly that she thought of me as special, and it left a somewhat… bitter taste in my mouth.

I’ll think about it later, but for now… let’s talk with Rena first.

When I called her name and gestured, she approached me with a brightened face. As soon as she came, she sniffed me and smiled with satisfaction. Seeing that, I wondered if I had a special smell, so I put my nose close and sniffed… but there was no particular odor.

“So why did you come here?”

Rena’s voice caught me as I was sniffing. I straightened my clothes and responded.

“Um, I heard you’re not taking the ovulation inducer…”

“Oh, that?”

Rena folded her wings like arms and snorted.

“Why should we take medicine that hasn’t been verified for safety when we don’t even know who made it? Well, of course… if the explained effects are true, it is tempting.”

Unlike her appearance when she was sticking to me and sniffing, she explained her reasons quite fluently and coherently.

…Actually, she wasn’t wrong. But I was confident in my medicine, my potion, so I was assertive.

“I made that, and I can guarantee its effectiveness and safety. I made it taste like your favorite fruit so it’s easy to consume, so just think of it as being tricked and try it once.”

“You made it?”

“Yes.”

When I nodded, her face became surprised. She briefly put her nose against my body and sniffed, then her expression changed to one of contemplation.

I didn’t know what smell she was detecting, but I calmly waited for her answer.

After a short while, Rena opened her mouth.

“Then, if you eat it first and there’s no problem, I’ll eat it too.”

“Huh…?”

“Did I say something difficult to understand?”

What could I do?

After staring at her fluttering her wings with such an expression, I immediately responded.

“Alright.”

“Really?”

“I don’t go back on my word.”

A man’s word is worth a thousand in gold!

After answering like that, I quickly took out a prototype I had kept in my robe before Rena could change her mind and boldly put it in my mouth. I could taste the sweetness of fruit.

While tasting it… I rolled it carefully and hid it between my molars and cheek.

For now, since I’m in a woman’s body, I wasn’t lying.

…Of course, it doesn’t contain any harmful ingredients. But since it was unknown what effect it would have on humans… I did this.

I felt a bit guilty about deceiving her… but it wouldn’t harm them, so it should be fine.

It was absolutely not because of the money.

Really.

After pretending to swallow with a gulp, Rena’s face changed to one of surprise.

“Y-you really ate it?”

…I felt a bit guilty.

“O-of course!”

“If you’re going this far, I’ll trust you once! I’m trusting you because it’s you, okay?”

“Y-yeah…”

Unexpectedly, Rena embraced me with her wings and shook me.

…Because of that, the pill went down my throat. Since I had pretended to eat it, I couldn’t make a fuss, so I trembled only inwardly. Hoping that my stiffened face wouldn’t show.

After hugging and shaking me for quite some time, Rena said she would test the efficacy and left with the prototype. The man also thanked me and rushed out after Rena.

Claudia approached me with a strange expression.

“It looked like you really swallowed it… are you okay?”

“…Probably.”

Sighing at my answer as if she couldn’t believe it, she ruffled my pale pink hair.

“…Don’t do that.”

“You didn’t need to go that far. If there are any unexpected side effects, tell me.”

“Aren’t you busy anyway? And… What can Dia do? I’m the one who made this, after all.”

Claudia tapped her stomach and laughed.

“I meant tell me if you feel like something’s coming out. I have experience helping a few times.”

“…That’s impossible. I’m human, you know.”

“I was just saying ‘if.’ Let’s go back, I’ll take you. Or should we go have some fun to change the mood?”

“No. I have a mountain of work to do today too.”

“How cold.”

Claudia put her hands to her eyes as if she was hurt and sniffled. I was about to scold her for her unconvincing acting… but recalling what I saw earlier, I said something else.

“In the first place, I’m busy trying to make time for our date.”

“Is that so?”

Her face looking at me with delight made me laugh inadvertently.

“…I’m glad you finally understand.”

Of course, she had no idea that Cecile would be joining us.

I returned to the workshop escorted by the smiling Claudia. Expecting good reviews from the harpies.

My stomach hurt.

When I touched my lower abdomen, I felt something as hard as a stone. Cold sweat ran down my back. Claudia walking ahead and Cecile beside me turned to look at me with puzzled faces.

“Shaa, are you sick?”

“Lady Shaa, your face got pale.”

I could feel my hands trembling.

I felt terror at the unfamiliar sensation in my lower abdomen.

Why… why… would this happen to me… I surely… lived a good life…

Feeling wronged, tears welled up in my eyes. Seeing this, Claudia approached with a serious face. Cecile also examined my body with alarmed rabbit eyes.

To the two making a fuss… I whispered quietly.

“…I think something’s coming out.”

“…What?”

“Lady Shaa?”

It was the moment when the eyes that had been full of concern filled with questions.