The Women Chosen by the Mask
"Ugh… Is someone there?"
"It is I, miss."
When I drew back the curtains and invited sunlight into the room, the young lady stirred in its warmth. I flung open the tightly shut windows and made a deliberate sound so the vigilant young lady would notice me. She exhaled deeply, as though relieved, and the sword she had been clutching slipped from her fingers onto the bedding.
"…Hana, I’m sorry… I hope this childish version of me hasn’t been too much trouble…"
The innocent smile I had seen that morning had already transformed into something mature in the span of a few hours. It must have been the effect of the medicine I fed her while she slept. But was this truly all right? The young lady forced a smile across her pain-twisted features and tried to steady her ragged breathing. This was the side effect of a suspicious drug that could flip the mind of a dual-personality patient in an instant. That woman called Kaede had known what the medicine would do, yet she had still ordered her own daughter to take it.
I shook the bottle containing the drug, my face twisting with discomfort, when a faint voice calling my name made me lift my head.
"How much time has passed since I regressed? Has the guest from Britain already arrived…?"
"There is nothing for you to worry about. The child version of you behaved herself, and only half a day has passed since the personality shift. The guest will arrive shortly."
I approached the young lady, who was still carefully watching her mother’s mood even now, and gently wiped away her sweat with the damp towel I had prepared in advance, reassuring her.
"That’s a relief… What did Mother say?"
"…She said that today is the most important day for both Lady Kaede and you, miss, and that you must not show any unsightly behavior to the guest."
"……..."
The young lady fell into deep thought, her expression unreadable. That feeling again. A warmth like bright sunlight I had felt somewhere before. Yet at the same time, there was a chill that felt slightly different from the warmth in my memories…
Knock, knock.
"Who is it?"
My wandering mind, which had been focused on the contemplative Harumu, snapped back at the sound of knocking. Instead of the young lady, who calmly turned her gaze, I raised my voice toward the presence standing beyond the door.
"Pardon the intrusion. I was told the guest has arrived at the Japanese branch and is heading to this residence. Lady Kaede instructed me to check on Miss Harumu’s condition in preparation for greeting the guest."
"…So today is the day I fulfill my duty. The day I help Mother reach her beautiful conclusion with my own hands."
Yumekawa Harumu muttered to herself in response to the summons from beyond the door. The pain that had tormented her for so long seemed to have finally eased. She let out a comfortable breath, picked up her sword, and rose from the bedding.
Her bare hips, breasts, and the elegant curve of her back filled my vision. I was momentarily lost in that beauty when the young lady glanced back at me and blinked.
"Ah…! I’m sorry!"
For a moment, Choi Woo-joo—the man—had slipped out. In a serious situation like this, I had to suppress myself and act strictly as Natsuki Hana. I quickly took the thin robe from the hanger and was about to drape it over her shoulders when—
"Nngh—?♡"
"Ah."
Thanks to my little prank, her nipples—already hypersensitive from the Saintess’s saliva—were pressed and rubbed by the fabric. The pleasure generated by those stiff, twitching peaks beneath the thin cloth flooded Yumekawa Harumu’s brain.
"O-oh, ahh?♡"
The mature personality, unaware that her sexual senses had awakened, was now bucking her hips in the air, tasting ecstasy for the first time.
"Miss? What’s wrong? I heard a strange sound…"
"The young lady is changing clothes! She is preparing herself to greet the guest, so please ready the bath!"
"…Understood."
I clamped my hand over Harumu’s mouth as she continued to moan and barely managed to improvise an excuse toward the presence trying to enter. Only when the footsteps moved far away from the door did I finally relax.
"…Miss?!"
I shook the body of the young lady, who had gone limp in my arms at some point. The solemn determination from earlier was gone. Harumu’s eyes had rolled back in what looked like pure bliss. I whispered her name softly so the guards still standing outside wouldn’t hear.
"Harumu? Miss…! You need to wake up…! Haru—"
"…Hehehh~ Hanaaa~ Harumu came from her nipples again… Did I do good?♡"
Whether my desperate plea had reached her or not, the young lady awakened from her daze. She buried her face in my chest with the playful tone of a mischievous child.
I stroked her head, and she let out an adorable laugh. I gently touched my swollen cheek. I’ll probably get slapped on the other side too, won’t I?
The garden was drenched in the fierce heat of summer. In the middle of it stood two women who didn’t shed a single drop of sweat, their expressions unchanging.
"It’s been quite a while since we last saw each other, yet we’ve both been so busy we never had a chance to catch up. So, what do you think? I heard you like flowers and a calm atmosphere, so I went through the trouble of decorating it like this."
"…Why did you call me to your private residence? The Japanese branch quarters are more than enough for rest before a mission."
The heat radiating from Yumekawa Kaede and Isabelle Kang was stronger than the blazing sun itself. The air grew heavier by the second, and my body, standing beneath the eaves in the shade, stiffened like a board.
"Aww, why are you being so cold~? We’re practically old friends, aren’t we? Besides, this is the least I can do for the legendary agent who will be accompanying my daughter on her first mission…"
"Just like you said back in Britain, I dislike long preambles. Get to the point. I already know you have no intention of showing genuine goodwill."
"…Hmm. How rude. So very rude… I wonder why our Agent Isabelle is being so disrespectful?"
Kaede tilted her head slightly and gave me a meaningful glance. As much as I hated it, I had no choice but to step into the middle.
I took the hand of the young lady, who was beaming brightly while gripping my fingers tightly, and walked with her to the center of the garden.
"Yumekawa Harumu and Natsuki Hana. You’ve heard about them, yes? These two will be your companions on this mission."
"…Greetings."
"Ah, hello!"
I bowed my head to Isabelle with a flat tone. Harumu, watching me, quickly copied the gesture with a cheerful greeting. I hoped this situation would pass without incident, but the moment I raised my head again, it felt as if God was laughing at my meager wish.
"……..."
Eyes as sharp as blades glared at Harumu, who had switched back to her childish personality. Kaede wore an expression no mother should ever show her child and clicked her tongue softly. I could feel her irritation and rage shift away from Harumu and lock directly onto me.
The gaze was so icy it could dispel the summer heat. Startled, I lowered my eyes and squeezed Harumu’s hand tighter. I didn’t want to leave the girl under a stare that openly displayed such raw disappointment toward both her and me.
"…Hana?"
Harumu, completely unaware of how her mother was looking at her, smiled innocently.
"Haah… Harumu."
"Yes, Mommy!"
Kaede was clearly about to say something that would wound the child version of Harumu. The moment I felt the young lady’s hand trembling in mine, I lifted my head once more. I had no idea what I was thinking. The instant I tried to block the scorn that was about to spill from Kaede’s lips, I finally recognized the anger that had settled over the garden like a heavy fog.
"…Why are you doing this?"
"…What?"
A voice as cold and sharp as a blade called out to Kaede. In the blink of an eye, she had stepped in front of me and gently placed her hand on my swollen red cheek.
"I’m asking why this person’s cheek is so swollen."
"…Is that really important?"
"Answer me."
Isabelle’s gaze was terrifying enough to make the veins in her eyes bulge with fury, cutting off Kaede’s irritated complaint.
"Hah, since when has Agent Isabelle been so concerned about others? Is it because she’s taking this agent on tomorrow’s mission? It’s nothing serious."
"……..."
I needed to stop Isabelle, who looked ready to lunge at any moment, but the oppressive pressure kept my body frozen. All I could do was roll my eyes frantically. But she wasn’t looking at me anymore—her eyes had already glazed over with rage.
"Aaah, how annoying, annoying, annoying! You’ve always looked at me with those eyes!! Who the hell do you think you are to stare at me like that?! Don’t you dare laugh at me!!"
Kaede screamed as she tore at her own hair.
"…You crazy bitch."
Isabelle’s eyes were ice-cold as she drew the collapsible baton from her waist.
Long-accumulated madness from the distant past. Rage directed at the one who had wounded her master. Just before those two forces collided, a clear sound like something shattering rang out.
Harumu, who had been standing beside me, was suddenly airborne. The blade she had drawn from her waist sliced through the air and split Isabelle’s baton cleanly in two. The broken pieces clattered onto the gravel path. Harumu landed gracefully a moment later and shouted.
"Don’t bully Mommy!!"
"……..."
"……..."
The fury and madness vanished from the faces of the two women staring at Harumu. Isabelle looked back and forth between her cleanly severed baton and Harumu, immediately raising her guard. Meanwhile…
"…Hah…!"
Kaede looked down at the daughter protecting her and let out an ugly laugh. The old fox gently embraced Harumu, who still held her blade at the ready, hiding the girl’s expression while whispering her own desires and wishes. Her eyes remained locked on Isabelle.
"My goodness, my daughter… I had no idea you could be this reliable~"
"Mommy… It’s okay! Harumu will protect Mommy from now on!!"
"Mmm, no. Mommy got a little too excited and was rude to our guest. It seems our ‘precious guest’ is quite angry. Harumu, could you greet the guest in Mommy’s place?"
"…Greet the guest… Okay! Harumu can do it!"
Kaede, composure restored, snapped her fingers. The maids waiting beneath the eaves immediately moved. Dozens of them drove stakes into the gravel to create a fenced ring, trapping Harumu and Isabelle inside. They hung wooden training weapons on the fence and stepped back.
"Hello, guest!"
Among them, Harumu sheathed her real sword, picked up a wooden practice blade, and shouted brightly.
"…So you’re Yumekawa Harumu… Move. I have business with your mother."
"No! Big sis has to play with Harumu now."
"What are you—"
It happened again. The moment I blinked, Harumu kicked off the gravel and swung her wooden sword. Just before it could shatter Isabelle’s left shoulder, the latter, who had been tracking the strike with her eyes, twisted her body at an angle and leaped backward, creating distance.
BOOM—!!
The wooden sword that missed Isabelle slammed into the gravel, sending a shockwave through the air. Thick dust rose as pebbles that had been thrown into the air pattered back down. Was this power something a human could produce? Even a martial artist who had trained their entire life couldn’t shake the earth like that. Moreover, Harumu was blind. She was a young lady who lived with the constant help of maids because she could not see. How had she aimed so accurately at Isabelle? What exactly was happening here?
"I request a spar with Big Sis!"
"…Now I understand. So this insane fox, Yumekawa Kaede…"
Isabelle rose from the gravel, brushing off dust, and selected a weapon hanging on the fence. She took two wooden tonfas in both hands and assumed a stance. Harumu raised her wooden sword high.
"Yumekawa Harumu. You too have read the letters of the mask. You possess something—just like me."