Chapter 302
Chapter 302
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Heating Up at the Villa
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Continuation of the enjoyable time spent at the villa.
But there was still something I wanted.
I hadn't said it outright yet, but everything I'd been doing from the start had all led to one thing.
"Lize, come with me for a sec?"
"Yes, Young Lady."
So, just like always, I called for Lize, who was resting in her maid uniform.
Actually, "resting" wasn't quite the right word either.
She wasn't really working, regardless of the maid uniform.
Lately at the villa, Lize wasn't doing any actual maid or servant duties.
Sure, when we were all together, she'd handle the occasional annoying chore.
"What is it?"
"Lize, how's your body feeling today?"
"Uh... Good. I don't feel bad or anything."
"Yeah, that's a relief."
I already knew Rozalin's cycle anyway, and no one seemed to be feeling particularly unwell today.
Plus, Lize, who would be helping me from here on out, looked fine too.
"Lize, want to do a little work with me?"
"For what?"
"Nothing big, just some prep I want us to handle together."
"Prep...?"
"Yeah, there's something I want to do, and I'd like your help."
"I don't know what it's about, but I'll assist. What do I need to do?"
She tilted her head, looking curious, but accepted my request without fuss.
That's why I could only ask her for help like this.
Anyone else would have pried with questions, but Lize never did.
"First, for the drinks we'll have tonight, add this."
I pulled a small vial from my pocket and showed it to her.
It was tiny—smaller than my fist.
Inside the clear glass bottle swirled a strange pink liquid that almost made me laugh.
"Mix it in secretly. Hmm... about ten drops per bottle?"
"...Understood."
"And for tonight, in the room where we're all staying together, turn the heating up just a tiny bit more than usual."
"The heating, you say?"
"Yeah, not so hot it's unbearable—just enough that thin clothes feel slightly warm? But wearing a coat would be too much."
I gave her those instructions.
It was still daytime, but we'd obviously all be drinking and hanging out tonight anyway.
Ever since we'd opened up to each other a few days ago to get closer, we'd grown so tight that there wasn't a single night after dinner where we didn't gather and chat.
"And..."
Hmm.
What else?
Honestly, that little glass vial I'd handed her was all I needed for what I wanted.
But giving her just that felt lacking in all sorts of ways, right?
As I pondered that, gazing at Lize, she was still watching me, waiting for more.
"Oh. For tonight, wear some cute underwear."
"...Pardon?"
"Just, something nice to look at underneath."
"Uh... Got it?"
"Yeah, thanks for listening. Go rest easy. You'll be busy tonight too."
"Yes, thank you...?"
That was everything I needed from Lize for now.
They were all minor things, but since I'd have to keep circulating anyway?
I needed to stay in everyone's sight as much as possible, listening in on conversations around my girlfriends.
No helping it—I headed back to join them.
After that, all I could do was inwardly count down the precious few hours until nightfall.
The reason I'd wanted my girlfriends to bond was because tonight's plans included something I'd craved for a while.
.
.
.
Dinner, as always, featured a spread tailored to my girlfriends' tastes, and we all enjoyed chatting merrily through it.
Most of the conversation was led by Ella or Rozalin.
Rozalin, being the eldest and having shared the most stories about me, naturally took the lead.
Ella was just the most bubbly and easygoing personality-wise.
Karen, Ivana, and Lize weren't big talkers either... so the chats flowed pretty much as I'd expected.
Though Rozalin did occasionally bring up my embarrassing anecdotes.
"What booze did you bring today?"
"Whiskey made right in our territory. Lower proof than yesterday's, but I think you'll like it? The flavor's surprisingly rich."
"Niesista makes booze too?"
"Just supplying nearby areas for now. And the Rosaki family has no real need to get into whiskey, right?"
"True enough."
Anyway, we naturally started drinking tonight too.
I hadn't done anything extra—it was just Ella bringing over the prepared bottles.
Of course, something had been done to those prepared bottles.
"Nice aroma. Send some to my family next time."
"When we get back, I will. But Grace, you like booze more than I thought. Didn't peg you for it."
"If it tastes good, I like anything."
Ella naturally poured the whiskey from the room into our glasses, and we savored it.
No one in the room hated alcohol.
Though some were pretty lightweight?
"Hmm... Tasty..."
"Sis..."
"Hehe..."
...Especially the Rosaki sisters—they were weak to booze.
They were downing straight whiskey, but yeah, they couldn't hold it, and Karen was the worst of them.
Grace was only a bit better than Karen, still nowhere near me or Rozalin...
"Ugh... Young Lady, it's hot..."
Lize couldn't hold it either.
Ivana from the north, where heavy drinking was the norm.
Rozalin and I, who drank often together.
Ella, the young lady freshly of age and quite used to it.
And me... we were the ones enjoying the booze steadily.
Well, considering what we'd do soon, being a little buzzed might actually work in my favor?
"Camellia, try this side dish."
"Sure."
I took the snack from Rozalin and lightly checked my body's state.
The buzz wasn't too bad.
The alcohol itself.
But right now, getting tipsy wasn't the point.
The booze Ella brought wasn't anything special to begin with.
It was low-proof whiskey with a subtle alcohol scent, so it didn't hit hard.
"Hmm..."
"Hoo... It's hot..."
"Drinking like this does make it warm, huh."
"Yeah?"
Lize, drunk and clutching her cool glass tightly, kept complaining about the heat.
Rozalin nodded slightly in agreement.
The room we were in really was... warm, to put it mildly.
But considering it was spring, it wasn't extreme by any means.
Even with the heating just barely nudged up... it was like this.
"Should we open a window?"
"Bugs might come in from outside. How about just taking off our coats?"
"Oh, right. Let's do what Camellia says."
Everything was progressing smoothly.
Rozalin started shrugging off her cardigan draped over her shoulders, and the pretty drunk sisters were already down to thin shirts from earlier.
Especially heat-sensitive Ivana...
"Teacher, make some ice."
"...Already? I just did..."
"It's hot, so I chewed it."
"Ugh... Won't that chip your teeth?"
She was straight-up chewing the ice Ashley made with magic.
In the end, everyone was enjoying their drinks in super light clothing, not making a big deal of it.
Everyone except me.
"Phew..."
The whiskey Ella brought was nearly gone.
We'd all had plenty, time had passed, so the effects should kick in soon.
"Mother."
"Yeah? What?"
"You're putting up with a lot because of Lize, huh."
"Oh, no. I've told you before, right? Lize feels like a daughter to me, just like you. Might be a bit distant for that, but she's just as dear to me."
"Hehe, glad to hear it."
Pretending to worry about Rozalin, I sat right next to her.
Her face was faintly flushed—definitely feeling the effects.
Not as intense as when I'd applied the raw stuff directly to her body before, but still plenty enough.
"Anyway, doesn't it feel properly warm out now?"
"Uh...? Yeah? Y-Yeah..."
I gently pressed her thigh as I asked.
As expected, more sensitive than usual.
"Hehe."
The aphrodisiac had definitely worked.
Not just on Rozalin—touching any of my other girlfriends would confirm the effects were circulating.
"Hmm... Uh...? Why squeeze my thigh all of a sudden? Got something... to say?"
My girlfriends bonding was great.
Chatting happily, light teasing, hanging out together—all good.
Satisfying, even.
But ultimately, what I wanted was a bond so open and sticky that we were completely transparent with each other.
With me at the center, everyone getting along around me.
Like, sharing the bathroom together wouldn't faze anyone.
Dropping by wherever the others were when bored would be effortless.
And finally...
"Mother, shall we do it after a while?"
"Wha...? Huh?"
"Hehe."
Even doing naughty things together—with some embarrassment, but no real aversion.
That had been the groundwork so far...
"Take it off. Mother."
Today was the day we'd reap the rewards of that prep.