A Secret Story
I returned to the potion shop with light steps. As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside, I called out briefly.
“I’m back.”
From upstairs, I heard the sound of someone coming down the stairs. The footsteps were cautious and deliberate, one careful step at a time. It wasn’t Yuria’s gait. Hers were much quicker than this. Who could it be?
“Noel, you’re back? Come on in.”
The person who came down the stairs was Cecily. Not Yuria. Cecily gave me an awkward smile and asked,
“How did it go? What about Miss Kirke? Was she really angry?”
I answered her with a bright smile.
“Persuasion successful. She said she’d cooperate.”
Cecily came running over and threw her arms around me. Her body wrapped around mine gently. It was a little hard to breathe. I squirmed, but the more I moved, the tighter she held on. I patted her back and said,
“Can’t breathe. Let go.”
But Cecily didn’t seem to have any intention of releasing me. The strength in her arms didn’t loosen at all.
“Noel.”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
Our chests were pressed together. I could feel the steady beat of Cecily’s heart against mine. Our heartbeats overlapped. We stayed like that, hugging for a long while. Eventually, the strength in her arms eased just a little. Cecily’s grip was surprisingly strong. Or maybe I was just that weak?
A slightly embarrassed atmosphere settled between us. I tried to act like it was nothing and spoke in a proud tone.
“I told you to leave it to me. This much was easy.”
“Yeah. I believed in you. You’re surprisingly reliable, Noel.”
“I-it’s not that big a deal…”
Anyway, why was Cecily still here? Wasn’t she going back to the church?
Just then, another set of footsteps came down from the second floor. These were faster and more confident than before. This time, it was definitely Yuria’s footsteps. She came down and saw me and Cecily.
“Oh. You’re back, Noel?”
“Yeah. I’m back.”
“How did it go? Did you talk things through properly?”
“Of course.”
“Well done. Honestly, you really are good at charming women.”
“Wait, that’s not—”
I tried to think of something to refute her with, but nothing came to mind. I just accepted it quietly. She was probably just joking anyway.
“As long as it worked out, that’s what matters, right?”
I grinned as I said it. Yuria looked at my expression and let out a small laugh.
“Come upstairs first. Tell us the details once you’re up.”
“Okay.”
I told Yuria and Cecily everything that had happened. I even shared what Kirke had been thinking about and what she was worried about. Of course, I kept my personal relationship with Kirke hidden. I didn’t mention that we had been comrades during the war. If I said that, Cecily would figure out that I used to be the hero. Well, Yuria had probably already guessed most of it.
By the time I finished talking, it was already quite late. Cecily decided to stay the night here. And right now, I was taking a bath.
Yuria had prepared the bath for me and Cecily, since we’d both had an especially tiring day. The large wooden tub was filled to the brim with warm water. I was soaking inside it.
My body felt languid. A gentle warmth spread softly through every limb. I sprawled out in the tub and stared blankly at the steam drifting through the room. It felt like all the fatigue from the long day was melting away. I wished time could just stop like this.
Suddenly, the door burst open. And Cecily walked into the room. Completely naked.
Not a single thread covered her body.
……
I snapped back to my senses in a panic and hurriedly covered myself with my hands. Why the hell was she coming in here?
“W-what?! Why are you coming in?!”
“Hm? I’m here to wash too.”
“I’m already washing! Wait your turn!”
“Can’t we just wash together?”
She said it so casually as she walked closer and closer. She reached the tub and dipped her hand into the water.
“It’s warm…”
I didn’t know where to look. I couldn’t face her directly. I stared as far away as possible and asked,
“…Are you getting in the tub?”
“Obviously? How else am I supposed to wash?”
Cecily answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world and stepped into the tub. She slowly lowered herself in, starting with her feet, until her whole body was submerged.
The tub was just the right size for one person, but far too narrow for two. Our bodies pressed close together. I could feel the soft texture of Cecily’s skin. Maybe it was the temperature of the water, but my entire body felt like it was burning up. I wanted to get out immediately.
I tried to stand up and climb out of the tub, but Cecily grabbed my shoulder and stopped me.
“Stay a little longer. Let’s wash together.”
“Ugh…”
There was no way I could leave now. I had no choice but to stay put. Cecily scooped up some water with her hands and poured it over my head. I flinched at the sudden splash.
“Relax. We’re just two girls washing up. Why are you so tense?”
How was I supposed to relax? Ever since she got in, her chest had been pressed against my shoulder. My mind felt completely scrambled. All sorts of distracting thoughts flooded my head.
“You’re supposed to wash by yourself…”
“It’s hard for me to wash alone, you know?”
Oh. Right. Cecily couldn’t see. It might be uncomfortable for her to wash by herself in someone else’s unfamiliar house.
“I was hoping you’d help me wash, Noel…”
“…Just this once, okay?”
I picked up the wooden scoop from the floor. I filled it with water and poured it over Cecily’s body. I washed her thoroughly, being careful to avoid the most sensitive areas. She could handle those herself. Only after I had cleaned her properly could I finally get out of the tub.
I’d been in the water too long. I felt dizzy. My head was starting to throb. I left Cecily to finish her bath and stepped out of the room first.
I returned to my room, clutching my throbbing head. I changed into my pajamas and flopped down on the bed. Lying there, I stared up at the ceiling. The headache seemed to be easing up a little. As I lay still, I thought about something.
Come to think of it, where was Cecily going to sleep tonight?
A wave of unease washed over me. I had a bad feeling about this.
Knock knock.
Someone was knocking on the door. I got up from the bed and walked over. I opened it.
The person standing there was Cecily. She had changed into pajamas and was waiting in front of my door. The pajamas she was wearing looked a little small on her. They must have been borrowed from Yuria.
With a bright, innocent face, Cecily asked me,
“Can I sleep here?”
“No.”
I refused firmly. Go sleep in Yuria’s room. The bed there is bigger.
“…But I want to sleep here.”
Cecily puffed out her cheeks like she was sulking. Then, without waiting for permission, she boldly walked into the room. With no other choice, I guided her toward the bed. I figured I could just go sleep in Yuria’s room instead.
After I sat Cecily down on the bed, I sat on the floor.
“You can sleep here tonight.”
“Then what about you, Noel?”
“I’ll go sleep in Yuria’s room.”
Cecily felt around the bed until she found the pillow, then hugged it tightly.
“Hey, Noel.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you usually sleep with Yuria a lot?”
I hadn’t actually slept with Yuria that many times. That’s why we had separate rooms.
“Not really?”
“Liar.”
Cecily threw the pillow at me. It hit me square in the face. Was this girl really blind? How was her aim so good?
I picked up the fallen pillow and handed it back to her. Cecily gently tossed it to the corner of the bed, then grabbed my arm and pulled me.
“W-wait, whoa?!”
I tumbled onto the bed. Cecily ended up underneath me.
“Let’s sleep together tonight. Can’t we?”
“No, we can’t.”
“But you sleep with Yuria…”
“……”
“I want to get closer to you too, Noel…”
Cecily made a dejected face as she said it. When she put it like that, I felt like the bad guy.
……Should I just sleep with her? Would that be okay?
After all, I was currently in the body of a young girl, and I had slept with Yuria before. Sleeping with Cecily probably wouldn’t be a problem.
“…Then, should we sleep here together?”
“Yes!”
Cecily nodded vigorously. She lay down beside me. I could hear her breathing. I kept staring at the ceiling without turning to look at her. If I did, I’d end up face-to-face with her, and that felt a little too embarrassing.
“Um, Noel.”
“Yeah?”
“I like you, Noel.”
The sudden confession caught me so off guard I nearly choked on my own saliva. I tried to hide my panic and answered as casually as I could.
“U-uh? What… do you mean by that?”
“I like you. As much as I like Irene or Yuria.”
Oh. So that’s what she meant? Like a friend?
“That’s why there’s something I want to tell you, Noel. It’s my secret story.”
If that was all, then it was fine. I liked Cecily too. I thought of her as a friend.
“I’ll listen to anything you want to say.”
And so, I prepared myself to hear Cecily’s secret story.