Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Tasting Session
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I finally had a vague idea why something like teabagging existed in my old world.
From a distance, it might've looked like the height of bad manners, but doing it to Evelyn made it thrilling and fun every time.
And on top of that, it was her karma from the start, so I didn't need to feel any guilt at all. That just made it even better.
If she was jealous, she should've made something proper to begin with.
After saying, "Wouldn't it turn out better if you tested it by putting it in?" and then failing to make anything, wasn't it her responsibility to deal with the consequences?
In the game, she whipped up anything in a snap, but that was probably thanks to some game mechanic leniency.
If I thought of it as only showing options for things she could make right away, it made a bit of sense.
That explained why new craftable items would suddenly pop up one day.
Someday, Evelyn might crank out perfect onaholes that satisfy everyone, one after another.
But not right now.
And one more thing.
With Undine's help beyond the partition, as I milked my breasts, I asked her.
"So... ngh... haa, can you make a potion that makes them smaller...?"
I peeked my face out from behind the partition to look at Evelyn. She replied with a brighter expression than when we talked about onaholes.
"It's not that I can't make it, but... it's not about making them bigger, it's shrinking them... No one to test it on."
As she said that, Evelyn ran her hand down her chest with a gloomy look.
...Well, yeah, they're so small she couldn't test it on herself, and as she said, there's no demand for shrinking when everyone wants to enlarge.
What a shame.
If I could just detach mine and give them to her, that'd be great.
I didn't need them anyway.
As I looked at her with sincere sympathy, Evelyn gave me a lukewarm stare.
Yeah, you must feel bad about it too.
"Haa..."
By then, no more milk was coming out, so I hurriedly dressed and stepped out from behind the partition.
A nutty aroma seemed to linger at the tip of my nose.
I swallowed a sigh inwardly and took my seat. Undine poured the "milk" that had been floating in the air into a teapot and set it down in front of me.
No, just throw it out, why...
The teapot clinked onto the table. Charlotte, who had been blushing, and the gloomy Evelyn both focused their gazes on it.
Evelyn spoke first.
"Um, Teacher Plumeria."
"Yes?"
"...What are you planning to do with that?"
"Do with it?"
Throw it out, obviously.
But it seemed a waste to her.
"If you're just going to throw it away, could you give it to me instead?"
"...Why?"
Seeing my expression stiffen, Evelyn floundered and explained.
"No, I just thought... drinking it might make them... grow a bit..."
"Yesterday, you─"
I was about to say she'd gobbled plenty yesterday, but I caught sight of Charlotte and clamped my mouth shut like I'd bitten my tongue.
In the silence that followed, I saw Charlotte fidgeting with her fingers.
Meeting my eyes, she blushed faintly and mumbled in a timid voice.
"Teacher Iris... um, could I have a little too?"
"..."
Rather than disgust at the idea of drinking it, I felt pity first.
Honestly, the fact that milk came from my breasts felt so surreal that I didn't have much aversion to it.
Maybe I was forcing myself to think that way... but anyway.
I nodded, and the two eagerly poured some into teacups, then sipped it with excited faces.
Did they think drinking milk from big-breasted person would make their own grow?
...My mouth twitched at the thought of whether it'd actually work, but I held back after glancing at Charlotte's face.
Yeah, maybe it could have an effect?
It was coming out because of a potion anyway, so who knows.
"I-It tastes good."
"You don't have to share your impressions..."
"Ah... sorry."
Sharing impressions felt a bit much.
Anyway.
After happily sharing the milk, the two left the infirmary with slightly upbeat expressions.
It felt a little weird, but I let it slide.
I thought peace had returned to the infirmary.
"I hope I didn't disturb your break."
"...Of course not. This place is always open to students, so don't worry."
"Is that so?"
"Yes?"
Probably.
An open space where people come to spew white stuff and leave.
...Does that even make sense?
But what could I do about reality?
As I grumbled internally, Princess Irene sat across from me with a meaningful smile.
I glanced at her, still exuding elegance.
I blinked, realizing Leona—the constant shadow, er, tagalong—wasn't there. Irene spoke with a faintly excited look.
"Lunchtime's almost here, right? I came at an awkward time, so I wanted to treat you to a meal... That's why I stepped away for a bit."
With surprisingly deft hands, she brewed some tea.
I watched blankly, thinking when would I ever get to drink tea made by a princess.
"Oh, perfect, there's milk right here. I actually prefer milk tea, but Leona never makes it for me, saying it's not good for my health."
Shouldn't you sneak some when she's not around?
With a playful crinkle around her eyes, Irene poured some of my "milk" into the brewed tea.
Plop plop went the sugar cubes. Only then did I snap to my senses.
"Ah."
*Slurp*...
"Mm... Maybe it's been so long, but it feels sweeter somehow?"
"...Is that right."
I chose to keep my mouth shut.
For some reason, I felt restless, clenching and unclenching my fingers before sipping my own cup of tea. Luckily, the milk ran out after filling Irene's cup, so I avoided drinking mine.
...But honestly, I was a little curious.
Everyone who'd tried it raved about how nutty and sweet it was with delighted smiles. How could I not be curious?
By the way, did she come just to drink tea?
As I sipped my tea while watching Irene enjoy her milk tea.
She stared at me intently, then asked in a serious tone.
"Teacher Iris."
"Ah, yes. Student Irene."
"You said that 'it' growing is a natural thing, right?"
"Pardon?"
Did I say that?
I guess I did. From what Michelle vaguely told me, yeah.
The others nodded along too.
I absentmindedly nodded and set down my teacup.
"It felt a bit different from what I know."
Pardon?
Irene's eyes began to cloud over slightly.
Startled by the sudden change, as I blinked in confusion, a faint light glimmered from her chest.
What was that?
Was there an event like this in the game?
I remembered the necklace around Irene's neck. It was a treasure handed down in her kingdom or something, but I'd never seen it glow.
What the hell was happening right now?
I felt extremely flustered.
Irene's eyes cleared again. She looked at me with a stiff but somehow excited gaze and spoke.
"I'd like an explanation... of what's going on right now."
No, I don't know either!
But Irene didn't seem to think so.
Irene, having sent a letter to her home country, drummed her fingers on the desk at the reply.
[─It's natural, so sorry if it surprised you. I did it so you wouldn't know about such things, but now─]
Something was off.
When Iris explained it, even Leona had agreed, so she'd brushed it off as that. But no matter how she thought about it, something was wrong.
The idea that women grow male parts at a certain age.
Strictly speaking, there had been such a time.
But that was only in myths.
Only then did she pry open the hastily locked drawer of memories and harbor doubts.
But immediately, some force intervened.
As her mind grew foggy, a faint warmth from her chest cleared it.
If she hadn't been wearing the necklace, she would've nodded along like Leona, thinking, "Oh, right."
Her thoughts grew complicated.
Something bizarre was definitely happening.
But was it a big deal? She was honestly unsure.
More suspicious was how the student council treated it seriously and issued measures, yet no one questioned its absence.
Something close to brainwashing was at play, and it was just... making female students perceive temporarily growing male parts as natural?
...What the hell?
Justifying this terrifying mental interference with something as trivial as believing temporary male parts on girls is normal?
It didn't make common sense.
Unless they were trying to eradicate men from the world... but even then, it wasn't permanent, so that didn't fit either.
If she told anyone, they'd probably call her crazy—if they even believed her.
...She probably couldn't even speak it aloud.
As she pondered, Iris came to mind.
Was she affected by this interference too?
Had her eyes ever glazed over during their talk?
"─Common sense, right?"
"Isn't it? Ah, Your Highness might not know. His Majesty─"
Unlike her childhood friend and loyal maid, who already saw it as "common sense," it hadn't happened with Iris.
Did she know something?
Maybe she was the culprit.
She was a bit... suspiciously eccentric, an undeniable fact.
Breasts so large and pretty even another woman couldn't look away.
A sweet body scent like perfume.
...And those lewd demonstration touches.
An ambiguous threat hard to call outright dangerous.
A harmless-looking smile.
But it was definitely something huge.
Whatever the goal was.
Then, she should confirm it.
Was Iris the culprit?
If so... why do this?
She'd find out.
Irene felt her heart race. Having lived overprotected, she'd always dreamed of adventures like this, so in a way, it was inevitable.
She had insurance, so no real worries.
Having decided, she looked at her loyal maid and said.
"Leona? Sorry, but could you fetch some lunch?"
"Not eating at the cafeteria today?"
"Yeah... I have a little errand."
"Understood."
Lying to Leona didn't feel great, but she saw it as necessary and headed to the infirmary.
Sipping the unusually sweet milk tea, with the magic tool hidden in her bosom ready to use anytime.
She posed the question to Iris.
The necklace glowed.
But her eyes didn't cloud.
"I'd like an explanation... of what's going on right now."
Bingo.
Irene smiled inwardly with satisfaction, fiddling with the magic tool in her hand as she spoke.
Iris visibly startled, recognizing what it was, her body shuddering once.
"..."
Seeing that, Irene felt a chill for some reason and spoke again.
Thinking she'd been right to come to the academy.