Please…

My consciousness awakened with a soft sensation. This softness that embraced my entire body… it was definitely the feel of the bed Master bought me recently.

I was relieved that it wasn’t the slippery bathroom floor that had dragged me into a mire. I had wondered what I would do if I felt the sensation of the rod pressing down on my body, but fortunately… it seemed that hadn’t happened.

As I sighed, my body flinched and trembled.

「Ugh…」

My body, its excitement subsided, cried out in pain.

My waist, my legs, there was no place that didn’t hurt. Especially… my arms, which had often been shoved into the floor, stung as if bruised. When I struggled to lift them, they were indeed bluish.

Then, the memories of being suspended in the air and swung around by the rod, along with the hazy sensations like a mirage, came back vividly. My body flinched again, and with it, the pain returned.

Footsteps began to be heard from afar.

Soon the door opened, and silver hair appeared. Red eyes, full of worry, widened when they saw me.

「Asha-nim! Have you woken up!」

「…」

Cecil, holding a tray with something presumed to be food and a milk bottle on it, came running with a patter-patter. Although I was worried she might fall, perhaps thanks to Cecil’s innate sense of balance, she placed the tray in front of me without shaking and carefully opened her mouth.

「Asha-nim…? Are you alright? Is there anywhere you’re uncomfortable?」

The silver hair, emitting the same scent as mine, tickled my body.

As Cecil’s body scent, which I had smelled to my fill while being repeatedly penetrated from behind, entered my nose… I felt a delusion as if my lower abdomen was tightly clenching. As I trembled silently, Cecil restlessly waved her hands as if anxious.

「Ah, Asha-nim? Are you still hurting?」

「…Well, I just had something to think about for a moment… I’m fine now. Thank you for worrying.」

「That’s a relief!」

When I heard Cecil ask if I was hurting, cold sweat trickled down.

She wouldn’t do that, but… if I was still in a ‘hurting’ state… it felt like she would pull out the rod hidden inside that dress.

I shook my head internally and looked down at the tray Cecil brought, seeing a sandwich that was presumed to be a clumsy imitation of something I had made.

Somehow, this sandwich was so free-spirited that it seemed like it would derail and commit a misdeed at any moment! -it was a sandwich that brought such words to mind, but recalling her making it for me… and restlessly pacing until I woke up, my heart ached.

「Did you make it yourself?」

Cecil’s eyes trembled, a rare sight.

「Yes… Asha-nim. But Cecil couldn’t make it properly….」

I felt like I knew what words were omitted after that. As I carefully reached out to stroke Cecil’s head, I felt a slight pulling sensation.

It was because my breasts had noticeably shrunk compared to when I first ate. Seeing that they were still this big after being sucked so much, it seemed the effect was stronger than I expected.

I barely managed to lift my still trembling arms and stroked Cecil’s warm head.

「Since I haven’t taught you how to make it yet, it’s natural that you can’t, so there’s no need to worry.」

「Is that so…?」

「Yes. I’ll eat well. By the way, how much time has passed?」

Cecil mumbled her reply.

「A day has passed. The sun is currently overhead.」

「I see.」

As I gathered the sandwich Cecil made, put it in my mouth, and chewed, my body ached. If I didn’t take any action like this, it seemed I’d have to rely on the bed for a while.

But… I couldn’t do that. How much loss would that be…?

But… there was no Healing Potion. While I was wondering what to do, a signal that a visitor had arrived was heard.

「Who is it…?」

「Cecil will go check.」

「…Hmm, okay. If it’s someone looking for me, come back and tell me.」

「Yes!」

Cecil energetically opened the door and went out.

I thought she would return quickly, but it took a little time. Somehow, I became anxious. A little later, footsteps were heard. But… the number had increased.

The door opened, and I saw Cecil with a sulky face and Claudia with an annoyed face.

Ah, today was the day Claudia regularly visited.

Their furrowed brows completely smoothed out when they saw me. The feeling was truly… strange.

Claudia approached, waving her hand with a welcoming face. Her droopy tail wagged back and forth with a whooshing sound.

「Hello, Shaa.」

「…Claudia.」

「Dia.」

「Yes. Dia.」

I don’t know why she’s so fixated on nicknames, but… if that alone brings her goodwill, there’s nothing to lose, so I obediently called her that.

Claudia smiled contentedly and continued speaking.

「Master still hasn’t returned?」

I felt a little stung, but I nodded my head to express affirmation.

「Then, Shaa will take Master’s place?」

「Yes. There won’t be any particular changes.」

「Really? Well, it’s good for me, but. The potions that went out this time also received good reviews. Your skill seems to be on par with Master’s, doesn’t it? Or did you make them in advance?」

「…Because I’ve learned everything there is to learn.」

When I talk with Claudia, I sometimes feel a little… offended. It’s probably because she doesn’t know that I am Astarote Asha, but… the difference in temperature is a bit… even though I only changed from a man to a woman.

「What’s wrong? Is there something you don’t like?」

「…No.」

「Then that’s fine. By the way, what on earth did you do that you can’t get out of bed?」

「Well… there was a bit of an accident.」

「Accident?」

I stopped Cecil from opening her mouth. When I sat her next to me, stroked her head, and whispered that it’s our secret, she whispered “Understood!” and laughed softly. Come to think of it, I needed to have a conversation with Cecil. When would be a good time?

For now, let’s think about it after sending Claudia back.

「Well, setting that aside….」

Shrugging her shoulders, Claudia’s eyes swept over my chest.

「It’s been bothering me since earlier, but… why did they suddenly get bigger? Didn’t you say you weren’t interested? For something like that… quite big?」

「…There was a slight error during the experiment. They’ll shrink again.」

Claudia sniffed.

「I think I smell something sweet.」

I waved my hand vigorously and distracted Claudia.

「…It hurt.」

My brow furrowed on its own. As I clutched my body, Claudia gently grabbed my arm.

「Shaa, what’s wrong with your body?」

「This too… an accident.」

「…My heart aches. So this is why you were in bed? Did you eat?」

「I just ate a sandwich.」

Claudia’s gaze fell on the tray, where a clear bite mark was visible….

「…Surely this child didn’t call something that looks like mud play a sandwich, did she?」

「…Cecil made it for me, though.」

As I mumbled softly, Claudia flinched, as if she had heard it. Cecil, who was next to me, lowered her head with a dark expression.

「…」

Claudia’s face became awkward. She scratched her cheek as if embarrassed, then carefully opened her mouth.

「…Well, um… Damn it, just wait a moment, I’ll make something. It’s okay if I borrow the kitchen, right?」

「You know how to cook?」

「It’s basic knowledge.」

Come to think of it, the shop we went to together also suggested that she seemed quite interested in such things.

Cecil stopped Claudia, who had turned to go to the kitchen. At the sudden impulsive action, not only Claudia but I too couldn’t help but tilt my head.

Cecil didn’t mind and quietly said what she had to say.

「Beast… no, Beastfolk….」

「What is it, tail… no, Assistant.」

At Claudia’s reply, Cecil mumbled for a moment.

「Teach Cecil how to cook.」

「What?」

「Huh…?」

At the words that came out of Cecil’s mouth, not only I but Claudia too clearly showed signs of confusion.

「…As the Beastfolk said, Cecil can’t cook. But I want to make something delicious for Shaa-nim. So, Beastfolk, please teach me.」

Claudia, who had been looking at Cecil with a strange expression, let out a snicker.

「Teaching is fine, but for free?」

「For free?」

「There’s no reason for me to teach you without any compensation, is there?」

Cecil fidgeted with her fingers, then looked at me and spoke.

「But Shaa-nim taught me everything for free….」

「That’s because you’re Shaa’s assistant?」

There’s no need to explain the exact reason, I guess. It felt like cold water was being poured over me. Even I thought it was a bit… like that.

「Then what should Cecil do for the Beastfolk?」

「Well….」

Claudia, who had been stroking her chin for a moment, grinned and looked at me.

「Shaa will pay that price instead. With a Date, that is.」

「…Dia.」

「Date?」

「It’s not like I’m short on money… and there’s no compensation I can receive from the assistant, so wouldn’t it be right for Shaa-nim, the assistant’s supervisor, to pay the price?」

Claudia looked at me with a mischievous smile. While I scratched my head, Cecil asked in a questioning voice.

「Beastfolk, is compensation really necessary?」

「Of course. That’s how this world works, you know? Just look at Shaa, she gives out potions for money, doesn’t she? Paying a price for what you need is a natural thing.」

Cecil nodded silently. Come to think of it, I had handled all the money-related matters, so it made sense that she might not have known.

「How about it, Shaa-nim? If it’s now, I’ll even give you a Healing Potion’s core ingredient as a bonus.」

「…I have ingredients, you know.」

「If that were the case, you would have already drunk it, wouldn’t you?」

At her sly reply, I briefly tapped a calculator in my head.

I don’t know how she knew, but it’s true that I can’t make it because I lack the core ingredient. If I wait for natural healing without drinking a potion… when will I be able to get out of bed?

Personally, I wasn’t very keen on going to the Temple. It wasn’t like they treated for free anyway.

If I consider it that way… it’s quite a big loss.

Because I had to make the potions that Cecil couldn’t make.

「…Okay.」

「That’s an excellent choice. Alright, Assistant, shall we go down to the kitchen?」

「…Before that, if I may add one thing, things like last time are absolutely not allowed.」

Claudia chuckled and nodded. Next to her, Cecil was looking at me with a face that asked if I was really okay.

「…It’s nothing much, so learn well and make me delicious food, Cecil.」

「Yes! Shaa-nim!」

I could have taught her how to cook, but… the Healing Potion ingredient was the catch. It wasn’t an ingredient I couldn’t obtain if my body was fine, but it wasn’t a common ingredient, especially since I had only prepared one for emergencies.

Somehow, I felt like I was being drawn into Claudia’s schemes.

Still, the two people who had been growling at each other… whether they’re getting along… I’m still not sure, but I felt relieved that they seemed to have gotten closer. Since they’ll be seeing each other often in the future, it would have been a bit awkward if they kept growling.

While waiting for the two of them to return, I buried my body in the bed. The soft sensation felt good.