Chapter 55 – Independence

Ṛｅａ​d on‍​ ́KatRe​adіńg&C;afe

“…People who are close sometimes give light kisses, you know? Like… a greeting…”

That was the best excuse I could come up with. Fortunately, since Cecile didn’t insert her tongue… it seemed to have worked somehow.

While I was whispering to Cecile, who was tilting her head and asking “Is that so?”, explaining that just bumping lips had such a meaning, Veronica had approached.

Unable to deliver the explanation that should have followed, I awkwardly smiled and looked at Veronica.

She seemed not fully awake, with her eyes half-open. Her hair was somewhat messy, as if she had been tossing and turning all night. Approaching, Veronica tapped her own lips and said.

“…Do it with me too. It’s a greeting, right?”

“…What?”

“Hurry…”

Veronica began to whine. She demanded a kiss, whimpering with her voice still groggy from sleep. For some reason, Veronica’s red lips caught my attention. Beside us, Cecile was looking as if wondering why I wasn’t doing it.

…Well, why should I be embarrassed about something like this now? I’ve done worse things, so a lip bump should be no problem.

Like a man.

I lightly… kissed Veronica’s lips as she approached. Having just woken up, they were a bit rough but still felt soft. There was no need to recall the benefits of kissing, song lyrics… or such things in my mind.

After all, there was no friend to stand up straight.

Still… I couldn’t help feeling my face heat up a bit. Though I don’t mention it, Veronica was also… among the pretty ones. To the extent that I wondered if her appearance played a role in her coming to the academy.

When our lips parted, Veronica let out a “Pfuhehe” laugh. Then suddenly, she blinked… and her face turned red.

“Wh-what!?”

…Had she been sleep-talking? After somehow calming down Veronica, who had suddenly gotten angry, I went down to the kitchen and made breakfast with Cecile.

Though I made more than usual due to feeling hungry… I was able to eat it all. Veronica’s face was still red, as if she hadn’t cooled down yet. Thinking that adding more words would only provoke her anger, I quietly cleaned up and washed.

Then, I went down to the workshop and put on equipment to protect my body.

I firmly covered my mouth and nose, and tightly closed my gown in case anything might splash. Just as I finished preparations and was about to start the experiment.

A signal came indicating that a visitor had arrived. I took off the equipment I had just put on and went to the entrance. There stood a person I hadn’t seen before. Along with a cart loaded with something.

When I answered yes to the man asking if this was the Astarote Workshop, he handed me a letter. At the man’s urging, as if prompting me to read it quickly, I checked the contents.

…It was from my master.

The content was that she would come back soon and asked me to keep these things well. Since it said I could use them if I wanted… I thought they might be tools or materials.

“Where should I move these?”

The man who had been waiting for me to read began to urge me along. He didn’t say anything specifically, but it seemed that way as he kept checking the time.

Not knowing the contents, I asked him to pile them at the workshop entrance for now.

Looking at the pile, there was quite a lot. Why did she send so much without even coming herself?

“What is all this?”

Veronica, who had returned to her usual face, approached with astonishment. Cecile, who had been inside the workshop, also came out due to the commotion and widened her eyes.

“My master sent it… I don’t know what she’s thinking.”

“Ariel?”

When I nodded, Veronica began to look at the pile of goods with an interested expression.

“Can I open it?”

“Anyway… we need to check the contents and organize them, so it’s fine.”

Well… how did she know we had cleaned the house and sent things to fill it… I thought of the rooms that would soon turn into storage again as I too followed Veronica and opened a box.

“Lady Asha! Can Cecile open them too?”

“There’s no reason not to…? Just be careful with your hands.”

“Yes!”

With the three of us opening the boxes, the content check was quickly completed. What came out of the boxes was as I expected, but there were also unexpected aspects. I thought they would be tools my master had used, but they were new… and the unexpected part was…

“This is pretty.”

Veronica chuckled and brought me a collection of fabrics.

“…”

The clothes, which seemed too small to be my master’s, were the most numerous. In fact, most of the boxes contained clothes. Enough to turn one room into a dressing room… no, a clothes storage.

I was cautious about getting angry because Cecile was looking at the clothes saying they were pretty…

Well, wouldn’t it be fine to dress Cecile in all of them? I decided to think of them not as my clothes but as gifts sent to Cecile.

…By the way, judging by the quantity and quality, they seem quite expensive, where did such money… No, my master wouldn’t lack money, but such gifts were quite sudden.

Anyways, since she said she would come soon, I decided I’d ask her then, and moved the experimental tools and materials to the workshop. The clothes were temporarily stuffed into one room. Come to think of it, I was supposed to go out to buy furniture but had forgotten.

Due to not having separated rooms, I suffered another humiliation this morning. Well, rather than humiliation… ahem, since the timing is awkward today, I’ll have to go out tomorrow.

After clearing my throat unnecessarily and going back down to the workshop to put on the equipment, another signal came indicating that a visitor had arrived. This time too, I could sense a commotion.

“…Now what?”

After roughly undoing the equipment I had just put on and opening the door, this time I saw a familiar face.

Claudia was smiling brightly and waving her hand. Behind her… were things that were presumably furniture, piled high.

“…What is all this?”

Claudia smiled brightly and replied.

“What do you mean? Furniture to fill the empty rooms.”

“But why is Dia…”

“I thought you’d be happy… you don’t like it?”

“Ah, n-no, it’s… nice. It’s nice.”

…Of course, if they’re free, I’d be happy, right? But even if they’re free, I wasn’t the type to drink lye (take unreasonable offers) as they would say in my previous life, so I felt a bit wary.

Reading my expression, Claudia chuckled. Over her shoulder, I could see people standing in front of the goods, sweating profusely.

Though I was a bit dubious, considering the effort of the people who had brought it this far, I stepped aside for now.

It was absolutely not to save money.

It was instantaneous for the empty rooms to be filled with basic furniture for living, including beds. They fit perfectly, as if they had been pre-ordered.

However… Unlike my plan to furnish two rooms, an unexpected extra room was created. It was like, “We had leftover furniture and had no choice but to put it somewhere, so here’s a new room!” kind of feeling.

As if that’s possible, there were originally three more beds!

I said to Claudia, who remained alone in the space after the people had left.

“…I’m telling you in advance, you can’t live here. Y-you would need my m-master’s permission.”

“Hm? I wasn’t thinking of that? I might impose occasionally, but perhaps… did you want to live together?”

“…As if.”

I left the newly created room, leaving behind Claudia who was smiling slyly. Veronica and Cecile were looking around.

Now that things have turned out this way, it wouldn’t be bad to decide on rooms now.

Approaching the two with Claudia, who had followed me out, Veronica said with a curious expression.

“What kind of day is today?”

“…Indeed…”

Agreeing with Veronica’s words, I called Cecile. A spirited response came.

“Lady Shaa!”

“Cecile…”

To Cecile, who had enjoyed the noisy house without knowing anything.

“From today, you have to sleep alone.”

I declared independence.

“What? Sh-Shaa, Ce-Cecile must have misheard?”

With a somewhat fam–actually not familiar at all tone, Cecile’s pupils trembled. It was a face that had heard shocking words.

Looking at me with a face like an abandoned puppy, it hurt my heart, but it was an unavoidable choice for my own well-being.

But this was… a bit awkward.

I couldn’t explain the reason by saying I get aroused by your semen so I can’t sleep with you… that would be inappropriate, right? Having no history of raising children and facing this situation for the first time, it was difficult to come up with an excuse to cover it up.

Claudia, while nodding as if agreeing with my words, didn’t particularly interject. The one who helped me was Veronica.

“Cecile, it’s actually normal for people to use different rooms.”

“Is that… so?”

“Yes, both me and Shaa, when we were your age, we all had our own rooms.”

…Though our heights were all quite similar, I didn’t make the mistake of pointing that out.

While Veronica was persuading Cecile, Claudia, who was behind me, whispered softly.

“I’ve been wondering… how did you bring that child? She seems to lack… common sense.”

…I have to agree with that. Cecile indeed lacked… some common sense that she should have based on her appearance. It was also a part I hadn’t particularly paid attention to because she learned quickly.

“…There are some personal circumstances…”

“Is that so?”

Hearing that, Claudia seemed to have no intention of digging deeper and quietly retreated.

Cecile’s persuasion ended quickly. It was just the shock of the fact that she couldn’t sleep together, but she wasn’t a child who wouldn’t listen.

After deciding on the rooms for Veronica and Cecile… I could still see Cecile’s gloomy face. Seeing that, I found myself opening my mouth.

“…You can sleep with me on days when you’re scared.”

Cecile’s face brightened. Rather than being scared… She seemed happy about the fact that she could sleep together.

“Yes!”

I felt a burning gaze on the back of my head. But what can I do? My heart isn’t at ease. One day should be fine.

And so another day went by. In the end, due to the unexpected arrival of the goods, today too… passed without any achievements.

Though to say there were no achievements would be incorrect, many items filled the house.

…I’ll really start from tomorrow.

Really.

Claudia, who had made dinner, returned obediently. She said she had to go far away tomorrow, so she had come urgently today. After seeing her off and finishing the cleanup, I lay down on the soft bed and… somehow, the room felt a bit chilly.

Actually… It was really chilly.

Because neither Cecile nor Veronica, who used to sleep with me due to lack of rooms, were there.

Then, the sound of knocking on the door was heard.

KatTL