Chapter 51

A few days have passed since the Miss Contest attack.

In the end, no one from the Holy Maiden or the Medine Church came to visit me. I thought that perhaps the Holy Maiden just didn't want to talk to me in public and might visit me later.

The Area Heal during the Crank Height Turtle incident was called a miracle by the people of the town. So, maybe she couldn't talk to me in the crowded Miss Contest venue to protect that rumor. I had such thoughts later, but it seems I was wrong.

There was also the possibility that they were monitoring my actions without making contact, but if someone was watching or following me, Yuel would have noticed. When I casually asked Yuel, she said she didn't sense anything like that.

It seems that "finding" me was just a misunderstanding on my part.

So, everything is peaceful.

"Master, here's your towel."

"Ah, thank you, Yuel."

I was worried about how Yuel's mental state would be after Luluka kissed me, but there were no particular problems. There was some impact, but she didn't cry as much as when I touched Luluka's chest.

The impact was that recently, whenever I roll over in bed, Yuel's lips end up near my cheek, which is dangerous. Sometimes, when I notice, Yuel is staring at my cheek from a distance where she might touch it, which is dangerous. And just a moment ago, while we were in the bath, I felt a stronger gaze from Yuel than usual, which is dangerous.

That's about the extent of it.

If Yuel had been deeply upset or sad, I would have been at a loss, but this level is manageable. Yuel's behavior has always been like this, I think. Besides, this time, I was only kissed by Luluka, not that I did anything. Probably, it was just barely safe for Yuel. She recovered surprisingly quickly.

Maybe she's not that concerned about Luluka after all.

So, everything is very peaceful.

I took the towel from Yuel, dried my body, and changed clothes. Then, I left the bathroom...

But in the changing room, I noticed Yuel had paused in the middle of changing and was moving her neck around. She was sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall, moving her neck. What is she doing? Maybe stretching?

...Come to think of it.

Yuel's part-time job as a waitress at the tavern is quite demanding. Maybe she hurt herself somewhere while working. Yuel might hide such injuries or fatigue to avoid troubling me.

This can't be ignored.

"Yuel, what are you doing?"

"Well, the waitress at the tavern said that sucking on your chest makes it bigger, but it seems impossible for me... I thought that if I took a bath and my body became soft, maybe I could do it myself."

I should have ignored it.

"Luluka is big, and if I get bigger... well... The waitress said it's possible to do it alone."

While saying this, Yuel looked down, blushing. ...So, she was worried about Luluka after all.

But it seems I really should have ignored it. Yuel, who said she couldn't do it herself, suddenly looked as if she had realized something and stared at me intently. But I couldn't understand the meaning of that gaze.

That waitress who can do it alone is amazing. How flexible is her body? No, maybe she's not as flat-chested as Yuel. She's probably well-endowed. ...And she makes her chest bigger by sucking on it. I'd like to meet her, but Yuel was fidgeting, rubbing her fingers and thighs together, and seemed about to say something to me. I shouldn't be thinking about this now.

"Ah, um, Master..."

"Come on, Yuel! Hurry up and change! ...Yeah, today I'll teach you healing magic! It seems your magic power increases when you're with me, so you might be able to use a spell or two!"

"If you'd like, I can—"

"Then I'll wait in the room! Hurry up and change! Remember to put on your clothes properly!"

I rushed to the room, talking quickly to drown out Yuel's voice. I didn't hear anything. I didn't hear anything at all.

But what should I do?

It seems Yuel is quite concerned about Luluka. At the time, Luluka left quickly, so I managed to calm Yuel down. But how will Yuel react the next time I meet Luluka? I was anxious about meeting Luluka after the Miss Contest, but now I feel a mix of wanting to meet her and not wanting to.

Honestly, I want to meet her without Yuel or Elise finding out. I want a secret meeting. Ultimately, I want to raise the affection of both Elise and Luluka and form a harem.

...Come to think of it, Elise too. Recently, she often meets my gaze, but then looks away with a troubled expression. It seems she has her own thoughts about the incident with Luluka. I tried to explain, but it didn't seem to have much effect.

Elise, being the type who resists unmarried men and women kissing, probably has a high sense of chastity. She might think that kissing is something to do after marriage. Even touching her head or ears makes her uncomfortable.

...Elise would probably never accept a harem.

But, in some noble and wealthy merchant families, polygamous harems are not uncommon. In general, monogamy is the norm, and both Elise and Luluka hold those values.

However, since it is institutionally recognized, there must be a way to form a harem by steadily raising their affection. I don't have a concrete plan yet.

Just as I was thinking about this, Elise appeared from the other side of the corridor. She was probably going to take a bath. When our eyes met, she quickly looked down and continued down the corridor.

"Hey, Elise. Are you going to take a bath?"

"...Yes."

"Ah, right... By the way, Yuel is in the changing room. If she's not dressed yet, can you tell her to put on her clothes?"

"...Yes, I'll tell her."

Elise, who usually avoids eye contact, gave a brief, indifferent response. She's been like this lately. It's undeniable that her affection has decreased because of the incident. While things progressed with Luluka, it feels like I've taken a step back with Elise. No, it's not that her affection has decreased... It also seems like she's just depressed and thinking about things. But given Elise's personality, it's natural to think that her affection for me has decreased because of the incident.

While I was thinking about this and looking at Elise, I was staring at her body as she was about to take a bath.

Suddenly, Elise looked up.

"Ah..."

She met my gaze for a moment, then quickly looked down again. What's going on? It seemed like she was about to say something, but maybe she just noticed my gaze on her chest.

"Master, I've changed!"

Oh, that was quick, Yuel. With her voice, Yuel ran out of the changing room.

I'm concerned about Elise, but letting Yuel talk freely right now is not a good idea. I need to lead the conversation and avoid the topic of her chest.

"Ah, yeah! Healing magic, healing magic. Leave it to me, I'll teach you, and you'll be able to use it in no time!"

"Yes, I'll do my best to heal you if you get hurt, Master!"

I can heal myself, but Yuel is enthusiastic. This way, she won't say anything dangerous. I was relieved, but then Yuel suddenly looked at Elise.

"Elise, what's wrong?"

Looking over, Elise hadn't moved from her spot. She said she was going to take a bath, but she was just staring at me and Yuel.

When she noticed I was looking at her, Elise quickly looked away, flustered.

"Nothing, Yuel. I'll go take a bath now."

She immediately went into the changing room. ...Elise's behavior still seems a bit off.

Maybe I should ask Aria for advice. But if I see Aria, she'll probably start questioning me about Luluka. After the incident, Aria was busy with cleaning up the monster's remains and guiding the audience, so we hardly had time to talk.

If I see her, she'll definitely accuse me of cheating. If I tell her that I'm aiming for a harem including Elise, she might even try to kill me.

Besides, Aria hasn't been to the clinic since then, probably because she's busy with her knight duties. It's understandable if she's busy after such a monster attack in the city.

"Master?"

Yuel, noticing that I wasn't heading to the room, looked at me with concern. Thinking won't lead to a good solution. I should teach Yuel healing magic now.

"No, it's nothing. Let's practice healing magic!"

"Okay!"

As she responded, Yuel's ears twitched up and down. The movement of her ears alone showed her emotions. She must be very happy to learn healing magic. I might even want to teach her Ex Heal.

But then, Yuel's ears suddenly stiffened.

And she grabbed my clothes tightly.

Looking at Yuel's face, I saw a mix of worry and loneliness.

"Shiki, is here!?"

I immediately understood why. A familiar, cheerful voice came from outside the clinic.

It's so late... Luluka.

The next update will be in about three days.