Stay over in his room……? Eh, ehhh……?
…… Calm down.
First, observe the situation and gather information.
Miss Liche, beside him, has puffed cheeks and is angry.
The maid as expressionless as ever.
The slap mark on Ouga-kun’s cheek.
Most likely planted by Miss Liche.
Miss Liche being angry suggests something woman-related.
And the “Stay over in my room” directed at me.
In other words — the derived meaning of his words is——
”…………!?”
——Become mine (sleep together)!?
…… No. Because I was just daydreaming of a hypothetical future, I’m now producing optimistic readings like this.
In sane thinking, you don’t issue a nighttime invitation in broad daylight like that.
And the person in question is the Ouga Veret.
A man who hoists his own justice and presses straight down the royal road — there’s no way his head is filled with such lewd thoughts.
So his words just now must have been my mishearing…… no, this body of mine wouldn’t mishear……
There’s no end to thinking about it.
Having recovered some calm from running my thoughts in circles, I decided to ask him directly.
”…… Ouga-kun? What do you mean by that?”
“What else would I mean besides wanting a deeper relationship with you?”
“Nnnngh!? Cough! Hach——!?”
“What’s wrong, Reina!? Calm down.”
He hurried close and rubbed my back.
The feeling of his hand through a single layer of cloth pulled my attention to it.
A rough, hardly elegant hand of the opposite sex — but a hand that radiated strength and the trace of his accumulated effort.
…… No, no. Be calm, Reina.
I’d never imagined I’d be wanted as a woman like this.
The gazes directed at me from others have always been past me — looking at Sensei standing behind me.
”…………”
I touched my chest, gently. The cold mass cooled my flushed fingertips and lowered my surging emotions.
…… That’s right, that’s right.
From that day — the moment I accepted this — I gave up on ordinary happiness.
If he saw my body, Ouga-kun would surely be disillusioned, too.
What pale hopes was I entertaining.
I’m no longer on the side of those who can live a normal life. I’m not even human.
“How is it, calmed down……?”
So please don’t direct those hope-filled eyes at me.
They’re too bright for me.
”……Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“Don’t mind it. I shouldn’t have blurted something like that out of nowhere.”
Ah, so you have some self-awareness……
Which means the become mine suspicion is creeping closer to certainty……
…… Let me push this out of my head for now.
My thought processes will stop functioning properly.
“So — your answer?”
—— He won’t let me escape.
“A-answer?”
“Yes. Are you staying over in my room or not?”
“R-right. After my work is finished, perhaps——”
“No good.”
“Hyah!? ……!? ……!!”
He grasped my hand tightly, and an unbelievably sweet sound came out of my own mouth.
“I want to hear it from your own lips, now.”
A gaze loaded with strong will pierced me.
Wh-what do I do…… Looking away, the girl watching our exchange was right there.
“Ah……! Miss Liche, are you all right with this!? Ouga-kun is saying something incredible!?”
“Hmm…… but once Ouga decides on something, he doesn’t reverse it.”
In an exasperated tone, Miss Liche shrugged.
Tch — she’s already accepted it.
The slap must have settled her at least somewhat.
In that case, I have to bring up the name of the one not here.
“M-Miss Lebetsenka! Yes! Miss Lebetsenka will be sad!”
“I’ve already cleared it with Karen. Mashiro is coming too. We won’t leave anyone out, so rest assured.”
All four of us at once!?
My escape route is fully sealed.
“Reina…… I understand your feelings. You’re anxious (about abandoning your duties), right?”
“Y-yes. After all, my first time arriving in this form——”
“(Skipping out is) the first time, then. Don’t worry. I, with experience, will lead you.”
“S-so Ouga-kun is experienced after all……”
“From here on out, I’ll teach you many (white-corporate workplace) things, Reina. Until you can’t return to your old life.”
“Th-that much……!?”
“Yeah. Plenty.”
He murmured it gently in my ear.
A…… aah…… s-something. Some excuse to refuse……
My mind spun in confused circles.
The capacity to judge the correct choice was being stripped away.
“……understood.”
“Hm?”
“Understood. Tonight — I’ll intrude upon your room, Ouga-kun……”
Even though I’d said it myself — those words, the moment they left my mouth, must have followed pure instinct.
I myself couldn’t believe it for a moment.
Of my own will — I had chosen the action of going to Ouga-kun’s room.
“Yes! That’s wonderful!”
Why are you smiling like that……?
In contrast to my exhausted state, he turned, beaming, back to the two waiting at the door.
“Then, see you later. We’ll go over the Council’s actual business at that time.”
That part is fine, but will there be a mood appropriate for explanation……?
“Heh heh heh…… now I’m really looking forward to it.”
Leaving those words behind, Ouga-kun left the Council room.
Watching his back disappear like a passing storm, I had still not recovered from the shock.
“I-I got pushed completely through……”
…… Eh? Wait, really — after this, I’m…… in Ouga-kun’s hands……
Sensei had said to close the distance with him to draw out the slightest opening.
But this is clearly outside the scope she’d envisioned……
The strength drained out of me; I slumped face-down onto the desk.
”…… How do I dodge this.”
I’ve already agreed to his invitation. Even so — that sort of act, I can’t engage in.
Because my body, by no means, can be shown to anyone.
But — what if…… what if he accepted a body like this……?
A miracle-like fairy tale flickered across my mind.
…… A faint warmth still lingered on my fingertips.
”…… Fufu.”
I pressed my hand to my chest once more.
But Ouga-kun’s warmth hadn’t faded — it remained.