Man, I must have been more tired than I thought.
Even though my eyes are open, I can’t get up.
Or rather, is my body heavy? I can’t move at all.
Ha ha ha, I guess I was unconsciously pushing myself too much.
I really need to be more careful, just like Aina told me.
Alright, reflection over. I need to get up, take a bath, and go check on that girl.
My eyes are still half-shut and heavy, but come on, get it together. On the count of three, I’ll get up.
One, two, three!
「Hmm…」
Oh…
…Ah, wait, this is different.
It’s not that my body is heavy.
It’s that someone is on top of me.
No, “someone” isn’t the right word here.
This overwhelming softness, this weight, this familiarity… there’s only one person it could be.
The wide area pressed against my chest, the softness, and the boldness make the answer obvious.
「Wendy?」
「Ah… goodh morninh…」
When I opened my eyes and looked down, Wendy was sprawled across me, gazing at me with still-sleepy eyes.
「Yeah, good morning」
「Mmm… Master’s scent…」
「Uh… I haven’t bathed yet, so could you not smell me right now?」
「Suuu… it smells nice though」
No way… I don’t know what time it is, but it’s been almost a full day since I last bathed.
I probably smell a bit ripe, so honestly I’d like to head straight to the bath.
「Come on, wake up already」
「Hmmnh… ah… good … morning? 」
Oh, now she’s properly awake.
But she’s still lying right on top of me.
After blinking a few times and taking in the situation, she suddenly began explaining in a rush.
「Ah, um… well, that girl seemed a little better, but then she fell asleep again, so everyone told me to rest as well. I was worried if Master was resting properly, so I came to check, but then…」
「And you saw me sleeping so peacefully, and while watching my face you ended up falling asleep yourself?」
「Yes…」
Her cheeks flushed red and she looked so adorable that I couldn’t resist hugging her tightly.
Haa… what a nice way to wake up.
「Um, I’m sorry for disturbing your sleep…」
「It’s fine, really. It felt nice」
Still feels nice, actually.
Honestly, I want to stay like this a while longer, but unfortunately I need to bathe… Oh, right.
「Want to go to the bath together?」
「Yes…」
After that, we used teleportation and went to the hot spring, just the two of us.
…We stayed in too long, and Wendy got tired and fell asleep, so after we returned home I tucked her into her bed.
「Alright then… my change of clothes is in my room, but since she’s asleep it should be fine, right?」
I never expected that this little bit of carelessness would lead to what happened next…
-0-
Well then, the most important thing this time has to be the first contact.
I believed it was absolutely vital to show her that I was not her enemy.
For that, I needed to restore her health first, and then meet her while she was in a normal state, acting as approachable as I could.
Especially!
Since she must carry fear toward humans, and me being a human male, I knew I had to be extremely careful.
And yet!!
Current situation.
Me → just in underwear and trousers halfway up my knees
Her → staring right at me
…Yeah, it’s overrrrr!
That’s it, game over!
There’s no coming back from this, right!? No way, right!?
Sorry, Freed. Not only did I break our promise, I’ve just added even more fear to her heart!
「Um… were you… not asleep?」
There’s no need to even ask, she must have been.
Just earlier, when I peeked through the crack in the door and quietly entered to check, she was breathing peacefully in her sleep!
Ahhh, why on earth did I decide to start changing clothes here just because she was asleep?
「I’m a light sleeper」
Oh, so that’s how it is!
I thought you were sound asleep!
I completely let my guard down thinking it would be quick!
In fact, if I had just vanished with teleportation the instant our eyes met, she might have thought it was some kind of illusion.
But the suddenness froze my brain completely…
「…Hey, why don’t you pull up your trousers?」
「Yes! Sorry for showing you something so unsightly!」
Right, of course! The first thing I should do is finish pulling up my trousers!
I’ll jump into them right away! I’ll stop offending your eyes immediately!
「Wait, huh?」
「…What is it?」
「Well, um… are you really alright with this…?」
I was sure she’d scream.
And then everyone would rush in and I’d be the one getting yelled at…
「…That’s true. Honestly, I am scared. But you are the master of this place, aren’t you?」
「Well… yeah. That’s right」
「Then, I can’t exactly start screaming, can I…」
She seemed strangely calm… or rather, composed.
But her expression made it clear she was forcing herself, so I decided I should leave as quickly as possible.
「Sigh… Nice to meet you. I’m Mizera. You probably already know, but I’m a half-elf」
「Ah, um… I’m Shinomiya Itsuki. As I said earlier, I’m the master here, and I work as an alchemist」
「An alchemist… then I suppose that makes me nothing more than a test subject, doesn’t it?」
「No, that’s not what I mean at all…」
While tying the cord of my trousers, I answered her question, though for some reason I was fumbling more than usual, rushing too much…
「Then, what exactly are your intentions…? Just so you know, if you touch me with wicked thoughts, you’ll get shocked」
「I told you I don’t have any such intentions… Anyway, for now, focus on recovering your health」
Ah, there, finally tied it.
In any case, this isn’t the kind of serious conversation one should be having while sweating nervously from the forehead.
「If it isn’t for my body… then perhaps it’s an experiment so harsh I couldn’t endure it without regaining my strength?」
「That’s not it either. Just focus on getting better」
My coat, my coat… wait, where is it?
「…I understand. Milord. Since you are my lord, I shall obey… But, don’t you think I’ll try to escape once I regain my strength?」
「Well, I do think that’s a possibility」
I had already heard at the last auction that she had a tendency to run.
But that doesn’t mean I intend to restrain her.
…No coat, huh. Fine, I’ll just go outside like this.
「If you want to run, then run. I won’t chase you. But still, wouldn’t it be better if you at least observed things for a while?」
「Observe?」
「Yes. See what kind of person I am, what life here would be like. I get that having a human man as your master would make you suspicious. But for now, the one thing I can say is this: if you seek it, I will extend my hand to you」
Saying only that, I left the room, still bare-chested.
-0-
…That was close!
Just in time! Wendy had said someone else was looking after her, so her absence from the room must mean she had stepped out for some errand.
If she had seen that scene, she would definitely have been furious!
And if I were scolded right in front of Mizera, then there would be no dignity left, no hand to extend.
She would never trust a pathetic man like me after that.
Still, it seemed we could at least communicate somehow.
Honestly, I had thought she might immediately break down at the sight of a man.
Though, clearly, she had been forcing herself quite a bit…
「…Master, why are you half-nakedssu?」
「Pya!」
「You didn’t… do anything strange to Mizera, did youssu?」
「N-no, nothing at all!? I just got out of the bath and was cooling down because it was hot!」
Renge’s suspicious gaze bore into me, making me sweat all the more and my eyes dart nervously everywhere.
「…If you’re cooling down, you should just wipe off the sweat quickly. Or, if you’re that hot, why not train outside instead? Aina and Sorte are out there」
「R-right. I guess I’ll do that then」
If I can get away from here right now, anything is fine!
Alright, time to train my body!
「Ah, Wendy took your jacket with her」
「I see. So that’s why it wasn’t… huh!」
「…I’ll keep quiet about it, but only if you take a bath with me after training, just the two of usssu」
「…Fine」
「It’s a promisessu」
She caught me… or rather, it was obvious all along.
Well, if it only means taking a bath together, that’s a cheap price.
Actually, for me it’s nothing but good.
Alright then, time to get thoroughly worked over.
Once I’m worn out, I’ll have Renge wash my body.
「Oh? My lord, good morning. Are you going to train?」
「Morning. Mind if I join?」
「I don’t mind, but you don’t have other plans today?」
「None at all. So I’ll leave it to you to go all out」
There are no deliveries scheduled for a while and I haven’t made any promises to anyone.
Normally I would also set aside time for magic training, but since I can’t use it, I have more free time than expected.
I might as well spend that time on training my body.
「All out, huh. Then let’s start with a mock battle right from the beginning」
「Alright. Wait a second, let me take out the Mana-Eater」
The Mana-Eater is the single-edged sword I use for mock battles.
When it touches a living being, the blade turns spectral so it cannot cut.
But it absorbs the magic power of the one it touches and returns it to its wielder.
Aina and the others can stop their strikes at the last instant, but I don’t have that kind of skill.
It’s safe for sparring, and even though Aina and Sorte are stronger, it’s perfect for me, a coward afraid of even the slightest chance of hurting them.
「Then come at me with everything you have, my liege」
「Yeah, but go easy on me… no, actually, come at me seriously for once」
「Heh, then make me get serious」
「You’re asking for it…」
I rested the Mana-Eater on my shoulder and leapt forward, but my losing streak was extended yet again by Aina and Sorte.
After that, as I lay on my back gasping at the sky, Shiro appeared with an eager look and added even more to my record of defeats.
That day I was completely unable to move and left everything to Renge, who happily and devotedly looked after me.
I can’t say it was only a day late because I couldn’t think of a name.
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