Chapter 39

Previous summary:

Kato: "Hey, Rose! No, not there! The bottom is off-limits right now! Hey, stop it, I don't like that... Ah, wait, please—!?"

Gebura: "W-What are those two doing...? (Heart racing)"

Gebura, the turtle girl, finds the two of them getting cozy and wants to join in. Despite her unease, the story continues.

21

"…Now that I’ve decided to dress as a girl, we should have Rose make a dedicated outfit for me, right?"

I looked at my friend, who spoke a bit hastily, from behind my mask.

Mana’s face, which was slightly disheveled and held in an embrace, was tinged with a faint blush. As a literal guardian—since I was entrusted by the former master before we parted, I can proudly call myself that—of my frail and close friend, I couldn’t help but find her blushing and weakened appearance particularly adorable, evoking a strong protective instinct.

Nevertheless, the fact that I found her "cuter than usual" suggested that this was something I don’t often see, which made me curious.

"..."

I tilted my head, formed an expression, and prepared to speak, moving my mouth in sync before actually speaking. Unconsciously performing all these actions simultaneously is a massive task, and each one requires extremely delicate adjustments. I marvel at how humans can do such a difficult thing. Every human has superior processing capabilities compared to me, which is undoubtedly admirable.

...I don’t think I, as a doll, will ever be able to do this, but complaining won’t help. All I can do is persistently try.

"Mana?"

After completing all these tasks under my mask, I finally managed to ask my friend.

"Your face has been red for a while. Are you feeling unwell?"

"…No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. It’s just my thing."

Mana avoided eye contact.

This was an even more puzzling reaction, and I began to worry.

"Are you overexerting yourself? If you feel any discomfort, please tell me immediately. You’re not very strong, after all."

"No, really, I’m fine."

Mana waved her hands in front of her body, still avoiding eye contact.

"By the way, Rose, you might seem serious and diligent, but you can be a bit... you know, sometimes."

"…? I’m not particularly smart, but—"

"No, no, that’s not what I mean."

I still couldn’t quite grasp what Mana was trying to say.

If this continues, I might only get better at making puzzled expressions, which would be a bit disappointing.

"I’m not sure what you mean, but thanks to your help, I’ve made progress with the work. I think I’ll start with the upper body this time. I’ll need your help again, so please let me know when you’re available."

"Again...?"

"Is there a problem?"

"N-No. …I understand."

Mana was trembling as if holding back something. Her face, which looked younger than her age, was bright red.

This reaction... I suddenly realized something as I observed Mana’s face.

During the "confirmation" process we were doing to create my body, I had a hunch that this might be the case...

Perhaps Mana is feeling embarrassed.

However, if that’s the case, why? I don’t understand why Mana would feel embarrassed. The "touch and confirm" method was her suggestion, and it allowed me to create a very detailed doll’s face, despite some remaining issues. There’s no reason to avoid this method now.

But why is Mana feeling embarrassed? I pondered her inner feelings, thought, and imagined.

---Understanding the nuances of human emotions is one of my goals.

Mana, as a human girl, has a delicate and complex nature, making her an excellent subject for observation. Moreover, she is the closest human to me, aside from the master, and a dear friend. Thinking about her is never boring.

I want to understand Mana. I want to know her deeply, just as I want to know the master and myself.

"..."

As I thought about why Mana was feeling embarrassed, I had an idea.

Based on what I’ve learned from Mana, human males are often interested in a female’s figure.

And, if not more, females are also very conscious of their own figures.

Specifically, things like the chest, waist, hips, and legs.

While I, as a non-sexual, non-biological monster, don’t fully grasp these concepts, I can understand them and form hypotheses based on this premise.

So, I thought, perhaps Mana is feeling self-conscious about her less curvaceous figure compared to Lily.

She might be embarrassed because she feels she has something shameful to show. Indeed, this makes sense.

If that’s the case, I should probably reassure her as a friend.

Mana’s body is not at all shameful.

With this in mind, I nodded and spoke to her.

"Don’t worry, Mana. Your body is very cute."

"U-U-Uh..."

Mana buried her face in her hands and crouched down.

It was a complete failure.

***

"I’m sorry. I said something inappropriate."

"…No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it."

I bowed my head in apology. Mana remained crouched on the ground, her face hidden, with her ears red through her pigtails.

...By the way, as a side note.

I only learned that exposing one’s skin is embarrassing after some time—once I got used to wearing clothes and began to feel this way myself.

Let alone thinking about anything more than that. I was still very inexperienced.

"But, Mana, if you didn’t like it, you could have said so."

When I said this, Mana, sitting on her knees, peeked at me through her fingers.

"…It’s not that I don’t like being touched by you, Rose."

Her eyes were slightly resentful.

"It’s just... I feel like I’m waking up or something. You’re tall, slender, and cool, and your voice is low and calm, which makes me feel a bit... you know, girly. And now you look a lot like us, which is my fault, of course."

"Um, Mana? I understand you’re complimenting me, but... waking up? Feeling... girly? What exactly...?"

"Well, it’s a joke, so it’s a bit awkward when you take it seriously. ...Yeah, a joke. A joke. It’s just skinship between girls, you know..."

Mana, hiding her face again, muttered something I couldn’t understand.

"Mana?"

"…At least, let’s do it after a bath next time."

At Mana’s request, I tilted my head.

"A bath? Okay, I understand."

"You probably don’t get it. ...But it’s fine."

She sighed, shook her head, and stood up.

"Anyway, I think I’ll start preparing Rose’s clothes."

"My clothes?"

It seemed Mana had recovered. I decided not to mention the lingering redness on her face.

"Are you going to ask Gebura to make my clothes?"

"Yes. I want to get something that suits you."

"That’s not necessary. I’m fine with what I have. We can just have her make the same thing."

"No, that’s not acceptable."

I pointed to the dress I was wearing, which belonged to Lily, and Mana firmly rejected my suggestion.

"Listen, Rose. Being a girl is like a daily battle. Clothes are like swords, spears, axes, and bows. You can’t wear something so unflattering."

"…But this is Lily’s dress."

"You can’t use a cheat as a reference."

"Actually, I don’t think Lily is unfair."

"Look, she’s beautiful, cute, devoted to the one she loves, and also a predatory type. She’s connected to the senior by a special bond, and her feelings are transparent. They’re always whispering love letters to each other. How is that not a cheat?"

Mana was quite outspoken.

But I could nod in agreement to some extent.

"Wouldn’t you want the senior to see you dressed up, Rose?"

"…Yes, that’s true, but—"

"Then it’s settled. Let’s go ask Gebura."

Mana convinced me and quickly decided on a course of action.

She’s really reliable in these matters. She often teaches me how important certain aspects are as a girl, which I usually overlook.

I usually take care of the frail Mana, but in these areas, I’m the one learning from her. The roles are completely reversed, but I don’t feel any resentment. Perhaps it’s because she’s Mana.

A different feeling from the sisters I look up to and care for. This is what a friend is, I suppose.

I followed Mana, who started walking ahead.

"Huh?"

However, Mana stopped after just a few steps.

She looked at the cave entrance and blinked. Something was wrong.

"Gebura isn’t there."

"Not there? That’s strange."

Gebura had gone out to keep watch.

I thought she was making clothes for the master outside the cave.

"Maybe she’s checking the fortress."

If you climb a bit up the steep slope where the cave opens, you can see the fortress the master went to.

You can’t see the master, but it’s a matter of the heart. I often look in that direction several times a day.

Gebura frequently checks the fortress and even claimed to have made eye contact with a blonde sentinel the night before last, returning with a pale face. I had warned her to be careful then...

"No, that’s unlikely."

I shook my head.

"Gebura isn’t foolish enough to go somewhere without telling us."

"That’s true. Then she must be nearby..."

As Mana spoke, she started walking again and stopped at the cave entrance.

Curious, I looked out from behind her shoulder.

There was a white spider.

Gebura was sitting by the side of the cave entrance, a spot not visible from inside.

She seemed to be doing her job as a lookout. So, there was no problem. I was relieved.

Gebura can be a bit unreliable, so I was a bit worried earlier, but it turned out to be unnecessary.

...But then I noticed something was off about her.

I realized it, rather than noticed it, to be more precise.

Gebura was indeed doing her job as a lookout, but that wasn’t all.

"Ku, ku… kufu, kufu… kufufufu…"

The white girl was there, with a relaxed smile on her face.

It was a sloppy, silly grin, far from the inorganic, doll-like expression of my face.

Her usually well-structured, almost inhumanly perfect features were now very unfortunate.

"Fufu, fu, fufufu."

Gebura was staring at a cocoon made of spider silk in her arms.

It seemed to be the cause of her relaxed expression.

"Fufufu… fu?"

A bit later, Gebura, who should have had sharp senses, finally noticed us.

Her red eyes turned to us, and her relaxed mouth quickly tightened.

"…Fuh!?"

Time froze.

I, Mana, and Gebura were all frozen in place.

We must have seen something we shouldn’t have. The fact that she was in a spot not visible from the cave suggested she had intentionally placed herself there.

"…Rose-sama, is that you?"

"Yes."

I realized I was in a completely different form.

Gebura could identify me because I came out of the cave with Mana and because of the bond between us.

"I had a thought and changed my form. What are you doing, Gebura…"

"I, I… I…"

Gebura’s mouth opened and closed, unable to speak.

She was extremely embarrassed, her usually pale face now bright red. She couldn’t continue, and an awkward silence fell.

This was a first, and I didn’t know what to do.

I was severely lacking in experience.

Well, strictly speaking, this wasn’t my first time in such a situation. I once stumbled upon the master and Lily kissing and sleeping together naked. It seemed I shouldn’t have seen that, as the master looked very uncomfortable afterward.

At the time, I was unaware of such subtleties and didn’t think much of it.

Now, it’s different.

It’s incredibly awkward.

A moment of growth. ...But it didn’t have to be in this situation.

Gebura didn’t move either. Despite our past conflicts, I now recognize her as a "sister" of sorts, and she was shaking her head.

Her eyes were almost teary, and her pale cheeks were flushed red, as if they might burst if touched. I couldn’t move carelessly.

I instinctively turned to my friend.

Mana, noticing my gaze a beat later, widened her eyes as if to say, "Me? Me?"

Her mouth twitched.

"…Ah, um. Come to think of it…"

She seemed to be rapidly thinking of a way to smooth things over, speaking in a slightly high-pitched voice.

"I remember Senpai mentioning that some spiders make cocoons to wrap their eggs… or something like that…"

"Is, is that so?"

In hindsight, relying on Mana wasn’t a good decision.

Mana, though perceptive and intelligent, usually needs thorough preparation to use her insights effectively.

In other words, her quick response isn’t always reliable.

Just like how she was helpless when I stripped her earlier.

And, of course, I was in a similar state. I just wanted to go along with Mana to avoid the awkwardness.

"But, even if it’s eggs, Gebura hasn’t engaged in reproductive behavior, at least not with the master."

"No, no, that’s not what I meant. I’m saying, it’s probably practice for the future."

"Practice?"

In response to my question, Mana, in her usual way, gave a detailed example.

"Like, in human terms, making baby clothes for a baby with your loved one."

"Really? She looks so happy, even though they’re not in that kind of relationship yet?"

I shouldn’t have asked for a clear example.

Confirming it only made things worse.

"…!"

Gebura, her face bright red, let out a soundless scream and ran away with teary eyes.

***

"…I failed."

Mana muttered, looking a bit awkward.

"I didn’t mean to…"

"You were trying to say it’s a spider’s instinct, right?"

"Well, yes, but instincts can also be embarrassing. I misjudged the direction of my support."

"…It’s complicated."

After regaining our composure, we asked Gebura, who had returned, to make my clothes and decided to head to a spot with a view of the fortress.

It was too awkward to be near Gebura, who was still blushing and teary-eyed.

I felt bad for her and thought it best to give her some space.

Reflecting on this, I helped Mana climb the slope.

"…Hmm."

Pushing through the underbrush as usual, my clothes getting caught on branches was a bit annoying. It would take some time to get used to this.

I planted the butt of my axe in the ground like a cane and offered my other hand to Mana.

"Are you okay, Mana?"

"I’m, I’m fine."

Mana, slightly out of breath, used my hand to climb the slope.

"Let’s take a break."

"No, no, it’s not necessary."

Mana, resting her hands on her knees and catching her breath, looked up at me.

"I’ve been living in the forest for a long time… I’m getting used to walking and building up stamina. You don’t need to worry."

"Still, you’re small and frail, so I can’t help but worry."

Hearing this, Mana gave a small, wry smile.

"Rose, you can be a bit overprotective. But, it’s nice to know you care."

"Mana, you collapsed just two days ago. It’s only natural to worry."

Originally, Mana was supposed to be with the master at the fortress. That didn’t happen because she fell ill just before they were to leave.

"The master is also very concerned about you. Take care of yourself."

When I said this, Mana’s shoulders twitched.

"…Really? Even from your perspective?"

"Yes. The master has been more concerned about you recently. Well, he’s probably always felt this way but didn’t show it as much before."

The master talks to Mana more often now. This seems to have started after the night I allowed him to teach her magic.

Something changed in him that night. I can’t guess what it was, but I can tell it wasn’t a bad change.

The master has always cared about Mana, even when he was suspicious and wary of her. I remember him often expressing concern for her health, even during the most distrustful times.

The fact that he took on the burden of caring for Mana, a liability, during a difficult period speaks to his character.

Reflecting on those times, the master often used the word "