11. Wonderland (8)
11. Wonderland (8)
The tailors of Yeterinpurk were deeply knowledgeable about Halloween costumes. After carefully examining the physical characteristics of each monster troupe member, they recommended designs suited to each of them.
Yurakne chose the "White Witch." Having played the "Black Widow" before, she wanted to try an entirely opposite role this time.
The look was exactly what the name implied. A white mage's robe, paired with a white conical hat whose brim was so wide it covered her shoulders. Add spectacles, and it projected the image of a scholar who had been holed up too long in a library, untouched by sunlight.
Yurakne liked the design. Ordinarily, she was a typical country woman who loved chatting and cooking.
She didn't dislike that about herself, but occasionally she wanted to dress up and look intellectual and composed. The White Witch costume was perfect for that secret wish.
But when she actually put on the finished garment, she couldn't help wearing a troubled expression. The shop had executed the design faithfully. Yet the garment had a critical defect.
Yurakne exhaled slowly and carefully rose from her seat. Before she could straighten her back completely, she heard a tear from behind. The moment she reached back to check, the button fastening the front popped off.
The button struck the wall, ricocheted, and disappeared into a corner of the room.
She looked in the mirror. Her cleavage was starkly exposed.
She turned to check the back as well. That side was even worse. The robe had torn from her neck down to her waist, revealing bare skin.
This was the problem. The clothes were too small on her. The robe, meant to be loose, clung like an evening dress, outlining her figure plainly.
But Yurakne couldn't blame the tailor. He hadn't been the one to take her measurements.
She had measured herself. She'd been too embarrassed to disclose things like her bust circumference in front of everyone. She'd tried to be precise, but it seemed a mistake had crept in somewhere.
The tailor was due back tomorrow morning to adjust the clothes to each member's body. The thought of standing before people in this state made Yurakne's face burn.
While she was fretting, a thought crossed her mind.
The Troupe Leader's magic. The ability to clothe and undress any garment he'd seen once, freely, adjusting it to any body. Couldn't she use that somehow?
She carefully opened the door and stepped out. The hallway was empty. She moved as fast as she could. She couldn't let the other members see her in such a shameful state.
But is it fine if the Troupe Leader sees me?
She recalled what had happened in Rouge. The Troupe Leader, while testing a new power, had accidentally stripped off all her clothes.
He'd said it was a mistake. It hadn't been convincing at all when said with that smirking grin. But Yurakne knew about the curse on his body.
The curse that forced him to always smile. She was the only one in the circus who knew. No matter what happened, he could only wear a smile.
The reason she could boldly visit his quarters like this was that she felt he, of all people, wouldn't be startled by her appearance.
But when she thought about it, that was actually rather wounding to her pride. He could look at her naked body without a single change in expression. Even knowing it was a curse, she felt somewhat resentful.
At that moment, she wondered what his true feelings had been. Had he been flustered, or... aroused?
Still, she prided herself on maintaining a figure that wouldn't lose to anyone's. And she didn't think her skin fell short of the younger girls' either.
Throughout her travels, she'd seen many people, but no one with a larger chest than hers.
Ah. Except for one. Umon.
In the past, she hadn't had this much confidence in her body. No, she'd been full of self-consciousness. She'd envied women with ordinary bodies.
She'd been anxiously afraid her husband might leave her because of it. Grateful for his love, yet partly doubting his sincerity. She had thought his love was nothing more than pity for a childhood friend.
Her husband had been a thoughtful and patient man. He had stayed by her side through her unending bouts of depression and instability. Thanks to him, she'd been able to overcome her self-hatred.
That alone would have been enough....... If only his smile had remained......
He had left to give her something greater, only to lose his life.
Lost in those old memories, she soon arrived in front of Wonderstein's room. She checked her appearance once more in the hallway mirror. Perhaps because she had hurried too much, the clothes had gaped open even wider than before.
The arms on her back and waist at least kept the garment from slipping off entirely. But the sides of her breasts were unavoidably visible.
Was it really all right to go in like this?
Her reflection suddenly seemed pathetic. Coming to his room at this late hour with her body so exposed—wasn't this openly seducing him? What would the Troupe Leader think of her?
Having thought about her husband on the way here only made it weigh on her more.
As she hesitated before the door, she heard humming from the stairs. A familiar tune and voice. It was Sven's.
Yurakne swallowed hard. She could vividly imagine how that loose-tongued old man would react if he saw her like this. He would tease her for weeks afterward.
The humming drew closer. It would take him less than three seconds to come down to the first floor. Without a moment to think, she rushed straight into the room.
Bang!
That was the exact moment Wonderstein accidentally tipped Starlight Powder into his mouth. He ended up inhaling a dose dozens of times larger than yesterday's, all at once.
[Innate Trait "The Smiling Man" has been deactivated.]
As the message appeared, his face contorted and he broke into violent coughing. Some of the powder had gone down his windpipe.
"Ugh... hack, hack!"
"T-Troupe Leader, are you all right?"
Startled, she hurried toward him. But two steps away, she stopped dead.
The sight before her was that shocking. The man who never lost his leisurely smile under any circumstances was now grimacing, tears welling in his eyes.
"Haa, I think I took too much of this."
Wonderstein let out a breath and turned to her.
"You startled me. What happened, all of a sudden?"
Reproach surfaced on his face. Even his voice, usually laced with a perpetual note of amusement, was now laden with grumbling.
This was the first time she had seen him like this. She opened her mouth.
"You're not... smiling?"
At her words, Wonderstein blinked, then let out an exclamation.
"Ah! Oh, th-that's... just a moment...."
Yurakne watched his actions blankly.
He fumbled around, searching for a mirror. There wasn't a trace of his usual composure in his movements.
After checking his expression, he scratched his cheek and forced an incredibly awkward smile.
"Uh, haha, well, you see, there are circumstances...."
He couldn't hide his fluster. Stammering his words, he kept breaking out in a cold sweat.
Yurakne felt her common sense crumbling. She'd never seen him lose his calm like this.
Yet for some reason, she didn't dislike it. A chuckle escaped her. She didn't quite understand what was happening, but this side of him felt fresh and entertaining.
"What happened?"
"Well, you see...."
Wonderstein, now somewhat composed, calmly explained the experiment he'd been conducting.
"Ah, so that's what it was. Then has your curse been completely lifted now?"
"No, not at all. It's only for a limited time."
As he spoke, Wonderstein felt a sense of dissonance. He didn't feel like himself.
Until now, acting like Wonderstein had been easy. With The Smiling Man, even carelessly spoken words automatically came with a smiling face and a voice tinged with laughter, which made him appear his usual self. The social dimension of speech was lightened, and he could always assess situations calmly.
But now it was different. He had to constantly think about what expression to wear and how to speak for every situation. It felt like suddenly having to play manually after always relying on auto-hunt in a game.
The person sitting across from him made it even worse. Throughout the entire conversation, he couldn't meet her eyes directly.
Because of her attire. Her voluptuous breasts, barely covering the most sensitive areas, were bared in the flesh.
Every time he saw them, his face flushed bright red. His heart raced, and the thing between his legs stiffened.
This was the first time since crossing into this world.
It had never happened before. Even when he felt human affection toward a woman, he had never felt sexual desire. The fact that his body had always maintained its composure meant he couldn't become aroused.
That had applied to his libido as well. Experiencing this for the first time in six months felt profoundly strange.
Yurakne grasped his state completely. Unlike before, his eyes, expressions, and movements were all far too easy to read.
She could tell that every time she subtly revealed her chest, he flustered deeply.
She suppressed the laughter threatening to burst out.
Everything about him was so adorable. The man who always wore a confident, sly smile was now blushing like a young boy. His shy manner, so at odds with his handsome face, carried a gap-moe charm she'd never seen before.
Yurakne licked her lips. Until now, she had kept a comfortable distance from him. She knew all too well how much suspicion and clinging could make the other person suffer.
First, she had aimed to grow at ease with him, to increase their time together, and to slowly draw closer. Of course, that alone couldn't break through Wonderstein's equanimity, which had been like an iron fortress.
But now the opportunity had come. A woman's intuition, having once won over a man, was telling her: it was time to move.
She approached the bed where he sat.
"Troupe Leader."
She pressed herself right up against his side.
Wonderstein felt lightheaded. The raw, animalistic scent rising from her skin made his head spin.
"How do you like my outfit?"
She slipped her fingers under the front opening and flicked it. Her breasts shook heavily.
Wonderstein's eyes swayed, following the movement.
"I-it suits you well...."
"Pfft, it's torn like this and my breasts are completely exposed, you know?"
She tapped his back lightly with her palm. Her lips curved into an alluring smile.
Wonderstein felt his reason paralyzed by her bewitchment. His mouth moved on its own, free of its owner's control.
"Then isn't that a good thing?"
What on earth had he just said? He quickly shook his head.
"No, that's not what I meant, I mean...."
Just as he was trying to salvage his words, she moved.
Her shadow, cast by the moonlight pouring through the window. From it, six arms rose.
The two arms on her back seized his shoulders. The two arms at her waist pulled his body against hers. And her two normal arms wrapped around his head.
"Y-Yura?"
"Stay still."
At her words, his body stiffened. Her voice carried an irresistible magic.
Her purple eyes grew larger. Her hot breath tickled his neck.
"What suddenly... mmph."
He couldn't finish speaking. His breath was cut off. She sealed his mouth with hers. Something soft, slick, and hot pushed into his mouth.