Cough, cough

While sniffing a refreshing and sweet scent, my surroundings suddenly changed. Without time to be flustered, I was swept away by it. Without knowing why.

I felt like my body was floating in the air. On top of that, it felt as if all the worries and anxieties in my head were flying away. I didn’t even have time to feel unpleasant about my emotions being controlled.

From my surroundings, I heard the clinking sounds of gold coins, and the air filled with the savory scent of milk.

It felt good.

I was simply happy.

A silly laugh escaped me without my knowing.

Suddenly, something unknown interfered with me. I pushed the obstruction aside and licked the ecstatic fruit. I became happy again.

For some reason, I felt hazy. It was warm. Sweetness in my mouth. Something toying with my tongue. The happy time was short.

As I smacked my lips in regret, the scent began to emanate again. I frantically sniffed and chased after it. This time, it was huge. It was a bit overwhelming, but… it felt good again.

An unknown liquid pounded at my throat. I choked and had no choice but to swallow. If it hadn’t been a happy scent, I don’t think I could have endured it. Along with the sensation of being full… I had a premonition that whatever was making me happy had run out. My body still floating… I absentmindedly felt the lingering scent. My surroundings began to melt fluidly. The melted gold coins and milk mixed together.

Eventually, it gathered into a single point… and transformed into golden eyes.

After blinking a few times, it changed into a familiar face. It was Claudia. She was looking down at me with a somewhat refreshed expression.

…What exactly happened to me? My memory was hazy. Only an afterimage of pure happiness remained. For some reason, my throat felt prickly. I should have eaten a proper meal, but my stomach felt bloated.

To resolve my doubts, I opened my mouth towards the neat Claudia. My jaw ached a little. Something had definitely happened…

“…Claudia.”

“Are you awake, Shaa?”

“…Given that you say that, it seems something did happen.”

“It did…”

Claudia scratched her head awkwardly. Then, she spoke in a voice that held a hint of wistfulness. The words that came from her mouth shocked me.

“…There’s such a herb?”

“Yes, it seems best to be careful for a while.”

Perhaps because it only worked on felines, thankfully Claudia didn’t seem to have lost her reason. Likewise, Veronica and Cecil were also unaffected.

I felt relieved, but also wronged. What did I do wrong to deserve this…? It felt as if the world was trying to torment me. Soon, I shook my head inwardly to clear my thoughts.

It had already happened, and… though hazy, an afterimage of feeling good remained. Since my body didn’t seem to crave it, the herb itself didn’t seem to be addictive.

Next, I’d have to dig into the true nature of this unpleasantness.

“…Was there anything else?”

Claudia’s face held an expression of difficulty. But it wasn’t long before she told me the truth.

…I regretted asking. Wouldn’t it have been better not to know? That I had pounced on Claudia and did *that*…

My face flushed.

“Don’t worry. I felt good.”

“…I didn’t ask about that, you know?”

Still, is it fortunate that I don’t remember doing… that thing to her?

Come to think of it, I was currently lying with Claudia’s thigh as a pillow. Then… doesn’t that mean if I turn my head, it’s right there? My mind suddenly cleared, and I sat up.

“I’m a little disappointed.”

“…Is there anything for Dia to be disappointed about?”

“No, right?”

“…”

With my raised gaze, I looked at the adjacent bed and saw Cecil and Veronica asleep. I felt relieved that the two hadn’t woken up. As soon as I thought that, last night’s events came to mind.

…I didn’t want to do this, but it seems I have no choice.

“Dia, do you have some time today?”

“Huh? Suddenly?”

Claudia blinked her eyes. She blinked repeatedly like someone who had received an unexpected question, then soon gave a strange smile.

“Of course, if Shaa wants it, even if it’s full, I’ll make time.”

I don’t know what she was expecting, but… it definitely wasn’t what I wanted.

“That’s a relief.”

I got off the bed, looked around once, and then spoke to Claudia.

“Please help me clean up the house.”

“…”

Her face somehow turned disappointed. It was bitter, but seeing her smile, she seemed to have expected it wouldn’t be that kind of conversation… Why does she get disappointed after expecting something?

Passing by Claudia, who was rolling up her sleeves, I shook Veronica and Cecil awake. Twitching the ears on their heads, the two woke up with refreshed faces.

With Veronica, who was full of doubt and reluctance, and Cecil, who was simply happy that I had woken them up, and… Claudia, I left the room to clean the room that had become a storage room.

Cecil was happy without knowing what would happen if the room was cleaned, and Veronica muttered, “Why me…?” but still got up.

Claudia, who heard my plan, asked as if checking if it was okay.

“Is it okay for Shaa to clean it up as you please?”

“…Master-nim also said she wanted to clean it up soon. If we clean it before she returns… she’d be pleased, wouldn’t she?”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Leaving Claudia behind, who was looking at Veronica as if it was strange that she was obediently helping.

I placed my hand on the door of the long-neglected storage room-no, room-to open it. Honestly, it was jokingly called a storage room; I didn’t even remember what was stored inside. Well, if I’ve forgotten it, nothing too important would be inside. I could just dispose of it all.

…I hope there’s something valuable.

With a little greed, I opened the unmaintained, creaking door.

With an ominous creaking sound, the interior was revealed.

“Wow.”

“…What is this?”

“I’m seeing inside the room for the first time!”

…

It seemed like we were in for some trouble.

*

*

*

*

I cursed my past self.

Isn’t it because I bought all these useless things that I have no money? Right, if I bought them out of curiosity and experimented… shouldn’t I have disposed of them? Why did I just shove them into the room!!!

…It must be my fault for not being able to readily say ‘yes’ when Claudia and Veronica asked if they should throw them away.

No, but… wouldn’t they be useful someday? These things weren’t made just to be thrown away, were they…? As I hesitated, unlike Claudia, who was looking at the items as if contemplating, Veronica said she knew Asha well and threw away the items… no, the trash.

Unable to retort, all my collected items were ultimately treated as trash.

…No, they *were*… trash, weren’t they?

Cecil, who was unable to distinguish, was given the very important role of moving the sorted items to the yard.

As I wistfully looked at the items, Veronica came over and quietly scolded me, telling me not to do useless things.

Hey, are you my wife or something?! What, what business is it of yours!

Of course, I didn’t say it out loud.

Still, there were many useful materials. Most were meaningless materials or junk, but the truly useful-looking ones were put into the Preservation Box in the Workshop.

…Though it required the permission of the strict Veronica, the examiner.

One of them was slime’s bodily fluid. Yes, it’s probably the same stuff that’s in the bed I’m currently using. I don’t really remember why I acquired it…

Well, I guess I was planning to make some moisturizing cream. Seeing as it was shoved in the storage room, it probably didn’t work out well.

Anyway. Originally, the plan was to secure only two rooms, just for Veronica and Cecil, but thanks to Veronica, who suggested we might as well clean everything since we’d already started… I ended up having to empty all the rooms in the living space. There was quite a lot.

It took an entire day just to sort and clear out the junk. When I came to my senses, the sun was setting, and darkness was falling outside.

“Finally done!”

I stretched and looked around to see three people covered in dust.

Claudia, whose black hair had turned ash-gray, was dusting off her white shirt, which was also covered in dust.

Cecil, whose silver hair had likewise turned ash-gray, stood beside me.

Veronica, whose red hair had turned an odd color, was sitting on the floor, panting for breath, exhausted. Even though she was the one who suggested it, she looked like she regretted it.

The scary thing is that we’ll have to clean all of this tomorrow.

…Still, since we emptied everything, if I spray some potions, it’ll be done quickly. So, that… I’ll postpone until tomorrow.

“You all… worked hard. For now… shall we wash up? And then eat something.”

When I said that with an exhausted face, Veronica nodded vigorously. I handed the exhausted Veronica, who couldn’t move, over to Cecil and sent them downstairs, and then Claudia caught my eye.

“Dia… what are you going to do?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, are you staying for dinner?”

“Ah, of course.”

Claudia chuckled and continued speaking.

“Since things are like this, can I stay over?”

“…What?”

“Even so, I’m a bit tired, you see. Cough, ah, I think I inhaled too much dust.”

“…Do as you please.”

No matter how I look at it, it seems like an exaggeration.

After all, Cecil and Claudia were… still energetic.

Only Veronica and I were tired.

If Claudia is here… she’ll make dinner too, right? That’s good. As I went down to the Bathroom with her… Cecil and Veronica were taking off their clothes. Feeling like I shouldn’t be looking, I averted my gaze, and Claudia was looking at me with a ‘aren’t you coming in?’ expression.

…If I said I’d wash separately, they’d think it’s strange, right?

…What is there to be embarrassed about? I’ve already been subjected to even worse things. Suppressing the sudden rush of embarrassment… I entered the Bathroom.

Rationalizing that it was others who should be embarrassed, not me.