Chapter 13: Peaceful Days

It’s already been a week since Yuria came to stay with us.

At first, she looked bewildered watching those two get carried away teasing me, but by the fifth day or so, she seemed to have gotten used to it, and the tension in her demeanor had vanished. I am not pleased.

…Though I’ll never forget—never forget—how the next afternoon she shyly served milk gratin with a bright red face. Apparently, in her hometown, it’s a dish served to celebrate a woman’s pregnancy. Yeah. Never. Forget.

She herself was worried about whether she could keep up with our vibe… but, well, that’s where our Master’s greatest weapon came into play. Money. Income. Cash. Capital. Cold hard munny.

We bulldozed our way through with that.

“To think, not having to worry about tomorrow’s meals could be this wonderful…”

There are plenty of things in this world that can’t be bought directly with money. But if it’s a means to solve most problems, then yes—money can buy that.

I couldn’t hold back tears watching her stare dreamily at our fully stocked pantry, her voice filled with awe.

Thinking of everything she’s been through, my heart ached. But the impact was undeniable—her trust in us skyrocketed. Just the relief of knowing you won’t go hungry tomorrow can make a world of difference.

Thanks to that, while she’s still a bit stiff, her smiles have slowly started to grow more frequent.

Cute girls should smile. It’s just wrong for a life to be ruined by some stupid guy.

Oh, and unexpectedly, she seems to get along really well with Lulu. They often get hyped up over fashion and food.

It looks like she used to be too busy just trying to survive to spare any time or resources for that kind of thing, so now she’s brimming with curiosity when they chat.

She used to cut back on everything—even clothes, makeup, and basic self-care. That’s rough.

Now, under the Master’s motto of “cute girls should be beautifully dressed,” she’s receiving a decent allowance for clothing and such. With just the right amount of pampering and a life of luxury, it seems they both find Master’s place incredibly comfortable.

As for the emotional conflict over being with a man… well, at least in Lulu’s case, there’s no sign of that. Rather than liking it, it’s more like she’s made peace with it.

Still, she doesn’t dislike it, apparently. Yep, that horny cat is just like that.

…Wait a second. When I really think about it, aren’t I the only one still struggling in this setup…?

N-no, it’s fine. I’m a guy, after all. Even if I’m just a pathetic, broke little slave right now, I’ve still got the pride of a Japanese man. If it’s for these adorable girls, I’ll gladly offer up my body.

“So, care to explain why you’re actually stripping me down right now?”

“Just felt like it?”

I was watching the two of them peacefully chatting at the table when Master, who was sitting next to me, casually started unbuttoning my blouse, trying to strip me.

It’s hard to get away when I’m already burdened with debt, so I really wish he’d at least wait until nighttime.

“U-Um… should I leave the room?”

“Please don’t. I need you to stay right here. If this room gets any more empty, I won’t survive.”

I stop Yuria from trying to be considerate and leave.

Master can kind of read the room. He won’t pull anything crazy in front of Yuria, who he hasn’t touched yet.

Lulu, on the other hand, is a lost cause. She’ll happily drag herself into the chaos—and drag me along with her. Actually, she wants to get caught up in it.

Whatever happened to her shy and timid act at the start? Now she’s all, “No fair, just the two of you~!” barging in like it’s a game. She’s always ready for a new challenge, even when it’s completely unnecessary.

That’s why, as long as Yuria’s in sight, things won’t escalate beyond harmless teasing.

“Ah, don’t worry about it. I’ll just move over there.”

“No, you will not.”

Seriously. So stop picking me up and trying to carry me to the bedroom. STOP. FREEZE. SIT. STAY. Wait, those commands sound a bit off.

Also, what’s with today? Are you in heat or something!?

“So yeah, I’m not moving, so please put me down! I said I’m not doing anything! Not today, not ever! Just how many times do I have to say it?!”

“U-Um… good luck, milady.”

“Ah—Senpaiii!!”

Yuria waved her hand. At the same time, a voice rang out from the garden—Lulu, who must’ve overheard the commotion while tending the soil.

“I’ll come by later too!”

Please don’t.

Actually, now that I think about it… hasn’t everyone been treating me a bit too roughly lately…?

“Hyahhh!?”

It was just past noon when a shrill scream rang through our home, breaking the stillness while I was dozing in bed.

Startled, I threw off the sheets and sprang to my feet. Master had gone out to tend the garden, but… don’t tell me—he attacked Yuria!?

“What’s going on!?”

Thankfully, he’d at least let me wear a camisole, so I was able to rush out right away. I can’t decide if he’s considerate or not, that guy.

When I burst into the living room, I found Yuria sitting on the floor, having fallen on her butt, and her chest was completely soaked in some kind of liquid. There was a faint smell—kind of like milk?

“Ah, milady… I’m fine. It just startled me since it was the first time… I had been feeling some pressure in my breasts lately…”

Yuria stood up with a sheepish smile, dabbing at her chest with a towel, and said something very concerning. That liquid soaking her chest… don’t tell me…

“Wh-Whose child is it!? Don’t tell me—it was that scumbag!?”

“Wait, no! Of course not!? Besides, that guy never laid a hand on me—not even once. Always busy messing with other girls outside, though…”

I may have panicked, but I clearly stepped on a landmine. A dark aura rose around her.

She’s been bottling it up, huh. Maybe the “in-love maiden filter” finally wore off. The more you love, the more you loathe—was that it?

“Ahem… Looking back now, I’m honestly glad I didn’t end up doing anything irreversible with someone that awful.”

It’s not like she’s completely over him, but she’s clearly trying to move on. That’s a good sign. You’re doing great, Yuria—just keep growing stronger and living proudly. Also… what is this situation exactly?

“Yuria-chaan, I brought you a change of clothes! Welcome to adulthood, congrats!”

Lulu returned, apparently having gone to fetch Yuria’s outfit, and said something odd. Adulthood?

“Um, milady, do you know about the Holstaurus body type?”

“I do not.”

Come to think of it, I’d heard something about them having unique traits that made them very popular. So this is… connected, isn’t it? Definitely is, judging by the flow.

“For women of our tribe, once we reach adulthood, we begin producing highly nutritious breast milk—even if we’re not pregnant. That’s why humans started targeting us, and we had to move to secluded areas. My parents were oddballs, though—they lived among regular villagers back in our hometown.”

Milk even without pregnancy… What a ridiculous race. No wonder men flock to them. It’s a terrifying power.

“But wait, how old do you need to be to be considered an adult? I assumed Yuria had reached adulthood already.”

“Ah, well, the official age is fifteen, and I’m seventeen now, but… um, there’s kind of a… condition…”

Huh? Why is she suddenly blushing and fidgeting?

“You have to be… emotionally mature as a woman—basically, awaken your instincts, right? Shuya-sama forgot to put up the soundproofing spell, and we could hear senpai’s voice all the way from here. Yuria’s been squirming ever since. I think that’s what triggered it~”

““――――””

Our faces went red instantly. Yuria’s looked like a boiled octopus, which is odd considering she’s a cow.

That bastard. He didn’t do it on purpose… right? Because if he did, I’ll bite it off. All of it. I won’t say what, but all of it.

Not that I made any weird sounds or anything. Nope. Not even a little. Probably just some fake noise he whipped up with his magic. That vile man.

“What’s the commotion?”

That’s when Master walked into the living room, still in his dirt-stained work clothes from the garden. He looked at me and Yuria, both red-faced, and tilted his head. His cluelessness is infuriating.

“Yuria-chan became an adult! Let’s all celebrate later! Shuya-sama, pretty please!”

“Oh? That’s wonderful. Guess I’ll go pick up something tasty for dinner tonight.”

So red rice, basically. Well, it is worth celebrating. But Master—I won’t forgive you!

“That’s fine, but Master—what do you mean you forgot the soundproofing spell!?”

Not that I made weird noises or anything, so it’s not really a problem, but there are privacy issues here! That’s something to take seriously!

“…………Ah.”

Ah? Ah?! You heartless monster! What if Yuria got weird ideas because of you!? She started lactating, you know!? Do you even realize what you’ve done!?

“……Divine punishment!”

Since I’m too short, I leapt into the air and aimed a spinning kick straight for his jaw.

“Whoa!? Alright, alright, calm down—I was in the wrong!”

Even though I kicked with everything I had, he dodged so easily it left me unsatisfied. I’ve been training at home, moving and exercising as much as I can. So why? Is it all just surface-level after all?

“Senpaai~, no fighting inside the house, okay~?”

Lately, that junior of mine’s been getting more and more self-indulgent... Maybe it’s time I actually disciplined this hopeless catgirl.

“Yuria, please say something too! If this kind of thing keeps happening, we’re all just going to end up feeling awkward!”

Trying to win her to my side, I turned toward Yuria—only to find her frozen in place, face bright red as she stared at my feet.

That reaction was unexpected. What could have happened? I glanced down toward my own lower half.

“Ah—see, it’s because you thrashed around so much… What if it stained the carpet?”

Lulu muttered, half-grumbling, as she wiped around my feet with a towel. Yuria turned her reddened face away, lowering her gaze even further.

Honestly, I wanted to bury my own head in the ground and disappear, too.

At this point, there was only one logical course of action for me. Sprint full-speed to the washroom.

“UWAAAAAAHHH!! MASTER, YOU IDIOTTTTTTT!!”

“…Was that really my fault…?”

Who else’s fault could it be!?

◇◆ADVENTURE RESULT◆◇
【EXP】
MAX Combo 3
BATTLE TOTAL 3
◆【Sora Lv.14】+3
◆【Lulu Lv.6】+1
◆【Yuria Lv.0】
◇―
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
Sora Lv.14 [143] → [146]
Lulu Lv.6 [62] → [63]
Yuria Lv.0 [0]
【RECORD】
[MAX COMBO] >> 21
[MAX HIT] >> 21
【PARTY】
[Shuya][Lv.32] HP 440/440 MP 720/720 [Normal]
[Sora][Lv.14] HP 30/30 MP 110/110 [Disturbed]
[Lulu][Lv.6] HP 352/352 MP 24/24 [Normal]
[Yuria][Lv.0] HP 400/400 MP 32/32 [Normal]
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
【Comment】

“...I can never get married now...”

“Isn’t it a little late for that, Senpai?”

“(...Married to who?)”