Look Me in the Eye and Tell Me

“What’s wrong? Your face is red.”

“…Nothing.”

Veronica’s face flushed red, perhaps recalling the intimacy from a moment ago. Cecil, seeing her face, tilted her head and sniffed.

Cold sweat trickled down Veronica’s back, *juruk*.

Cecil, sniffing diligently, muttered in a questioning voice.

“But… that scent isn’t present.”

Veronica cleared her throat, redirecting Cecil’s attention. She didn’t know what scent it was, but it didn’t feel good.

“Ahem! Ahem! Anyway, Assistant-gun, are you done cleaning the Workshop?”

“Ah, yes! I am, Veronica-nim.”

“Right….”

Both of them, or more precisely, Veronica, felt an unbearable awkwardness. When she glanced at Asha lying down, unable to meet Cecil’s eyes, it was as if nothing had happened.

It was a perfect cleanup, Veronica.

As Veronica exhaled a sigh of relief, she saw Cecil climbing onto the bed. She was sniffing at Asha. Veronica’s pupils began to tremble slightly.

Cecil kept sniffing as if something was strange, then opened her mouth.

“Shaa-nim has a strange smell.”

She kept sniffing and getting closer to Asha, then unhesitatingly put her nose between Asha’s thighs and sniffed. Veronica froze, seemingly shocked by the embarrassing sight.

“Wh-wh-what are you doing?”

“Shaa-nim’s scent has a strange smell mixed in.”

Veronica bristled, feeling as though that remark implied she herself was strange.

“…Strange? What’s strange about it?”

“It’s like… the smell that came out when I scraped off the beast smell from Shaa-nim.”

“B-beast smell!?”

Veronica scanned Asha’s body with horrified eyes, thinking it couldn’t possibly be what she was imagining.

“Ah, Shaa-nim told me not to call it a beast. It’s a Beastfolk smell.”

“Beastfolk…?”

Veronica’s voice, which had been nodding at the word Beastfolk, trailed off. It was due to the questions that popped into her head.

*Before… was there something similar to what I did? Th-then Asha already had that kind of experience?!*

*…I-I was a first-timer, but Asha wasn’t?*

*And… scraped it off. Is Asha and the Assistant-gun in that kind of… relationship? S-since when? Could it be… the reason for making such a crazy potion….*

*N-no, wait, isn’t it possible that the person lying on the bed right now isn’t Asha? Uh, th-that would be problematic.*

Veronica had to try hard to calm her chaotic mind.

At that moment, Asha blinked her eyes with a mumble. Her fluffy tail and ears were still attached.

Cecil, who noticed it first, carefully moved her hand. It was because she remembered the previous reaction.

“Shaa-nim…?”

Following Cecil’s voice, Asha turned her head. And her mouth opened.

“Cecil?”

Unlike before, she had regained her senses. Recognizing this, Cecil leaped into Asha’s arms.

“Shaa-nim!”

“Uh, ungh….”

Cecil clung to Asha’s stomach and rubbed her face. Asha felt a strange, sensual sensation, as if her head was floating, *bung-*.

Asha shook her head inwardly to collect herself and began to look around. It was good that she had taken the Beastification Potion for a change of pace, but since she had no memory afterward, she needed to grasp the situation.

It was a familiar sight. As Asha stroked Cecil’s head and looked around, she saw something unfamiliar… or perhaps a little familiar.

She realized that a pair of orange eyes, filled with a sense of betrayal, were staring at her. Asha inadvertently uttered that name.

“…Veronica?”

Veronica’s eyes were filled with betrayal and shock. Soon, with a *ppudeuk* sound, she pointed a white finger and shrieked in dismay.

“Y-you… you perverted bastard!”

Asha’s mind went blank with the sudden accusation, along with the thought that she should have hidden her identity.

*

*

*

*

I calmed Veronica, who was suddenly accusing me of being a pervert, and moved to the reception room. My mind was even more agitated due to the grown animal ears and the tail that bothered my backside.

Especially the tail, as it wasn’t pants that Beastfolk wore. I even considered changing into a dress, but since I had already confessed to Veronica that I was Asha, I didn’t want to.

My crotch also felt a bit damp… but let’s put that aside for now.

…By the way, why is Veronica… here?

Looking around, I saw Veronica sipping tea with a face full of betrayal, and Cecil munching on guest cookies, *odog-odog*.

Cecil, whose eyes met mine, smiled brightly with cookie crumbs around her mouth. As I smiled back and brushed off the crumbs, I heard the clinking of a teacup.

And a voice that sounded like it came from hell spoke.

“…The atmosphere is quite good, isn’t it?”

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

Veronica replied with a slightly tearful voice.

“You went down to some rural corner to set up a Workshop, then suddenly started spreading strange potions, so I came to find you, and you’ve turned into a woman and are living a de-debauched life, who is it?!”

“De-debauched?”

What was this sudden nonsense? As I frowned at the incomprehensible words, Veronica, her face flushed, pointed her finger.

“You! You’re going around doing *that* with B-Beastfolk! And even with your Assistant next to you… that kind of… relationship….”

Recalling something, Veronica lowered her head, her face like a ripe tomato, and began to mumble. Her words became increasingly watery as she continued.

“Th-the Beastfolk’s essence smell was full in there… that means you… d-did it with a Beastfolk… and you have that kind of relationship with the Assistant who scraped it off, too, right…? You, you were a man, but you’re playing around with men and w-women… I-I never d-dreamed you were this kind of person….”

“Hold on.”

The accusation was dizzying just to hear, so I raised my hand to cut Veronica off. Next, I sent Cecil, who was tilting her head and munching on cookies, *odog-odog*, to the Workshop. I gave her a handful of the remaining cookies in both hands.

When Cecil left, a cold silence fell over the reception room. Veronica’s face still looked hot.

*…Now that I’m trying to explain to clear up the misunderstanding… isn’t there really nothing to excuse, except for the part about playing around with men…?* That thought crossed my mind.

No, that’s not right. I’m not in *that* kind of relationship with Claudia and Cecil. It was purely a business transaction and… an unavoidable medical procedure. Yes.

I tried to clear up Veronica’s misunderstanding.

…Anyway, most of it was close to an accident. I have never, not once, indulged by my own will!

For some reason, my mouth felt bitter. No, it actually felt a little dry. Thinking it might be a side effect of the potion, I continued talking with Veronica for now.

After a long conversation… Veronica seemed to understand, returning with a slightly softened expression compared to before.

“I roughly get it, but isn’t that Homunculus… too dangerous for you?”

Worry was evident in Veronica’s voice.

“Cecil has no ill will. It’s something I just need to be careful about.”

“…I thought you’d say that.”

“Really?”

Veronica took a bitter sip of tea and chuckled.

“Your appearance has changed a lot… but the core is still the same. Just as I knew you.”

“…And you… haven’t changed at all.”

“R-really?”

“Your height is still the same.”

At that, Veronica, whose face had been reddening, glared at me. Then she let out a small laugh. She used to get angry and lash out… Is it because she’s grown a lot mentally?

“You’ve gotten shorter than me?”

Guess not.

“…I think we’re similar.”

“…Shall we measure?”

Veronica and I stood up to check each other’s height. It was hard to tell who was taller. However, thanks to the twitching ears above my head, I could insist I was taller.

“Hey, you have to take those off!”

“These are part of my body, too?”

“Shameless.”

Veronica and I… exchanged silly jokes, reminiscing about our time at the Academy.

It was… quite enjoyable. The feeling was different from when we met at the Academy. Back then, I felt a bit pressured, and since she was of the opposite sex, it was hard to get close… but now that I’ve become like this, perhaps it’s a little more comfortable.

At the time, I thought it was annoying that she came to visit every time… but thinking about it now, it was something to be grateful for. Because of the family name written before me, the only people who approached me were Veronica and… the Nun who preached. Now that I know nothing happened, we even do business, but thanks to those two, I didn’t have to spend my Academy life lonely.

Therefore, I thanked her anew.

“Thank you.”

“W-what’s with the suddenness?”

“Just about the Academy days and now….”

Come to think of it, why did Veronica say she came to find me?

“Veronica.”

“Uh, yes?”

“What did you say you came for?”

At that, Veronica’s face flushed. Her mouth opened cautiously.

“That… because of the growing potion.”

“Growing potion?”

“Th-that! Th-the potion that makes a r-rod grow on a w-woman!”

…What in the world is Master-nim doing? I sent a letter a while ago… so I’ll know soon, right? In the worst case, I might have to go find her myself.

But thinking calmly, one question arose.

Why does Veronica know about the time I scraped off the Beastfolk smell from my body… that is, the smell that came out when I had a… transaction with Claudia?

When I asked Veronica, her face turned bright red. It was as if steam was rising from her head.

“…Veronica.”

Veronica couldn’t answer and couldn’t meet my eyes. *Tak! Tak!* I heard sounds. My tail was hitting the sofa, reflecting my mood. At that sound, Veronica flinched.

…I instinctively knew something had happened while I was unconscious.

I grabbed Veronica’s face, which still couldn’t meet my eyes, and told her to confess the truth.