Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: The Process of the Cat Being Eaten - 1
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"Nya?"
The conversation that ended up just between the two of us in the drawing room. Cheshire tilted her head, as if she couldn't grasp the intent behind my question.
"Answer me."
Urging her on, she turned the question back at me instead.
"Did I hear that right just now, nya...?"
I nodded, and Cheshire's face turned as red as a ripe apple.
The question I'd asked her was none other than whether she had a lover.
As Cheshire floundered, unable to respond, I added a few words.
"If you have a lover, I'll give you a raise. If there's someone you want to take responsibility for, it's only right to help out. You're a full-fledged Elbalom executive, after all."
It wasn't a lie that I'd support executives and their loved ones in every way possible if they had someone precious.
However, the reason I was asking this question right now was a bit different.
To acquire her unique ability, Stealth, I need to sleep with her.
But I had no intention of treating my executives as mere tools. Why? Because that's what Elfriede does.
Given her personality of betraying everyone and everything, I figured she probably didn't have a lover, but the world is full of exceptions.
So, if Cheshire did have a precious lover, I planned to scrap the idea of sleeping with her.
That was the gist of it. But Cheshire avoided my gaze, scratching her cheek without answering.
"So there is someone?"
"Th-that's... not it, nya... I've never had a boyfriend even once..."
"Not even once up to now?"
"Nya..."
Cheshire nodded.
"With all the betrayals and such, no one's ever stuck around... Anyway, that's how it is, nya..."
"Then you have a crush on someone?"
"Hmm, maybe I've betrayed those feelings too, nya... Truth is, I'm such an exceptional being that I don't really need romance..."
"Cut the nonsense."
"...Sorry, nya."
A brief silence fell.
Looking a bit deflated, perhaps embarrassed by her own words, Cheshire added,
"T-truth is, I've thought about wanting to try dating once or twice, but it just never happened... That's how it turned out, nya. Looking back now, I've never had a crush on anyone or dated in my whole life, nya."
"So you're a virgin?"
"Nya?"
It felt a bit ridiculous asking directly, but it was the most crucial part.
Reflecting on my physical relationship with Ellis, it seemed the stigma only properly absorbed abilities if the partner was a virgin.
Best to clear up curiosities as they arise.
"Virgin... N-nya. Y-yes, nya. I'm a virgin, nya..."
"I see. Go back to work then."
Cheshire scratched her cheek as she replied.
"Um... but why are you asking all this, nya...?"
"I said go back to work."
"N-nya."
Calling her in out of the blue and grilling her on boyfriends, crushes, virginity—it was no wonder she was flustered from her perspective.
But I couldn't just come out and say, "I wanna bang you." I waved her off to leave quickly.
"I-I'll be going then, nya?"
Still baffled, Cheshire turned back from the doorknob to look at me.
"Yeah."
After Cheshire left the drawing room, I got up to leave as well.
But suddenly, someone else entered and sat across from me.
She had striking mint-green hair—codename Sea Turtle, Elbalom's construction head, Tyr.
"What?"
Yet Tyr just stared at me silently. Growing impatient, I asked again.
"What is it? Ask one more time and tonight's turtle soup."
"Boss. You're going to sleep with Cheshire, right? To get her Stealth ability. I figured it out—looks like you absorb unique abilities through sex."
"Sharp. Not hard to guess, though. Anyway, why bring it up?"
"Just wanted confirmation. I'm worried I might end up in armor or something."
Her eyes were fixed solely on the stigma-etched forearm.
She seemed anxious that I might not get Stealth and say something like, "Guess we'll armor up one of the executives instead."
"I plan to, but it's not easy."
"What do you mean not easy! Are you nuts?"
She twirled her index finger by her temple like I was crazy.
"Among the stuff from the Cherno Duchess's place, there's beastkin aphrodisiac powder, right? Beastkin go into heat like crazy with that. Just use it."
"Feels like drugging someone. Not easy."
"Cheshire might want it. She has urges too."
"Who knows."
"If it were me, I'd do it. My ability needed for the org? I'd spread 'em anytime. Right?"
Humans dominate this world, so beastkin aphrodisiac isn't classified as a drug, but for beastkin, it's practically the same as a drug crime.
And thinking about it, Sea Turtle was being awfully cheeky.
"And I told you to fix that attitude."
"Sorry. But I'm always on construction sites, so my social skills suck."
"So what?"
"Sorry."
Smacking Ellis's ass whenever I was bored had apparently rubbed off badly.
Training executives was as important as raising kids, so I decided to chew Tyr out a bit more.
"Tyr."
"Yes."
"What'd you do wrong?"
"Talked too cheekily. You have your own worries, Boss, and I just spouted my thoughts rudely."
"Anything else?"
"I smoked. Sorry for coming without airing out the smell."
"More."
"More?"
I picked up the Ermethylene hammer from the drawing room table. Tyr's eyes went wide.
"No idea. Sorry. Tell me and I'll fix it right away."
"Doesn't end your Elbalom days if you don't know?"
"No. Sorry."
"It's not the sorry—why don't you know?"
"......"
Tyr rolled her eyes furiously but couldn't move her lips. Truth is, I didn't know what else she'd done wrong beyond what she said.
"I'm talking and you're rolling your eyes?"
"Sorry."
"What're you staring at straight? Boss is talking."
"Sorry."
"No more sorries. So, Tyr, no more screw-ups, right?"
"As far as I can tell..."
"Right. So I'm the psycho chewing out a blameless executive. That's me."
"Sorry. Really sorry. I'll behave properly from now on."
Tyr bowed repeatedly, forehead nearly touching the table. Only then did I feel like letting her go.
"Good. Now report."
"On what?"
"What buildings you've designed, which are complete, current construction costs broken down. Snacks for workers, sleeping arrangements, daily break times. All of it."
"......"
"Write it up as a report. By tonight."
"Sometimes I wanna quit as Elbalom exec."
"Ellis said the same."
"What happened?"
"Told her no severance, just execution."
Tyr left the room with a dejected look.
-If it were me, I'd do it. My ability needed for the org? I'd spread 'em anytime. Right?
She'd regret those words later.
Dinnertime.
Tyr picked up her fork looking like a skull bowl, her seat piled high with the report.
A sudden thought hit me.
...Academy dropout—can she even read reports?
"Nah, no way."
I quickly shoved it from my mind. Voicing it might get my head smashed for real.
Food tastes like crap too. Gotta tell the chef for saltier soup.
As Tyr headed to the kitchen, the diligently working chef caught her eye.
"Whose meal is that?"
"Oh, for Cheshire."
Elbalom's welfare was decent—personalized meals for each executive's tastes.
Florian was clever for thinking of it, but the chef making it real was impressive too.
"Yeah. Good work."
She set down the tray absentmindedly to leave.
Hmm...
She pulled out the beastkin aphrodisiac powder from her pocket and sprinkled it wildly over Cheshire's tray.
-Not easy.
Florian had said that, but for Tyr, using it was the easiest thing ever.
All for the organization.
Plus, if Florian and Cheshire hooked up, maybe delay her report a bit—wishful thinking.
Stuffing the powder back while glancing around, she locked eyes perfectly with Cheshire coming for her tray.
"What nya?"
"......!"
Ahem. Tyr cleared her throat.
"Oh, mixed up the trays."
"Idiot nya? Can't do anything but build, nya."
With that, Cheshire snatched her tray, tail swishing from her rear.