Chapter 123
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Expert Consultation
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Expert consultation is needed.
Chloe had left the study, and subjectively speaking, it had been roughly ten to twenty minutes?
Unlike Rike, who would faint outright, Eclair hadn't passed out—instead, successive climaxes had drained her stamina, sending her into a deep sleep alongside the alcohol's haze.
I laid her on the floor, pulling a sleeping bag from my Inventory—she was out so cold she wouldn't have noticed even if I'd carried her on my back. Now it was time for cleanup.
"Hoo..."
Just like how washing dishes becomes the main event after a meal, the aftercare phase that followed pillow talk was now squarely my responsibility.
Splash!
I soaked a towel in holy water and carefully wiped away the messy fluids from both our bodies.
Then I pulled out a recovery potion and slathered it onto Eclair's reddened, feverish backside with a sticky squelch.
"Mm... ngh..."
The cooling sensation seemed pleasant enough; even half-asleep, she let out an adorable little hum through her nose.
Her pale skin quickly regained its healthy glow. I reached into my Inventory again, pulling out some spare clothes and dressing her in them.
I couldn't very well put her back in those pajamas soaked through with all sorts of fluids, not when she was fussing in her sleep...
Since Eclair was about the same size as Rike, my oversized clothes fit her somehow, even as she wriggled about.
Whether she was too exhausted to wake or simply recognized my touch as safe enough not to stir, she stayed fast asleep.
After finishing the basic care for the soundly sleeping Eclair, I stood, rolled up my sleeves, cracked my neck, and got my head in the game.
'Time to get to it!'
Rike might be waiting up at home by now, but I had to tidy this wrecked study before leaving.
I took out a deodorizer and a jar of cleaning slime from the general store, then scoured the floor meticulously, leaving no spot untouched.
Leveraging the adhesive properties unique to these modified cleaning slimes, I stuck and peeled the baseball-sized blobs repeatedly to suck up every speck of dust.
Squelch! Splat!
Despite my large frame, my nimble movements put ordinary servant cleaners to shame. With senses as sharp as my sense of smell, the cleaning went off without a hitch.
I even tackled that notoriously tricky carpet, then stuffed the now-discolored cleaning slimes back into their empty jar and double-checked for any missed spots.
"Okay!"
The study felt cleaner than before the deed. Satisfied, I approached her.
I gently fondled the plump cheeks of Eclair, who was deep in sweet slumber inside the sleeping bag, indulging my desires just a bit.
To prevent any mishaps, I trickled a bit of potion from my mouth to hers, slowly restoring her alcohol-dulled senses.
Finally, I sat at the desk she used in the study.
Scritch-scratch.
Using the quill from the inkwell, I scrawled a memo in my signature illegible handwriting, pouring my affection into every stroke, then placed a potion bottle atop it to keep it from flying away.
It sounds pretty sleazy put like that... but with another woman waiting at home, preparations to head back to Eclair's mansion were complete—it was time to withdraw.
I felt bad for not staying with her afterward, but I'd make up for this regret and guilt in the future, once we started living together.
"I love you."
It didn't matter if she heard it in her dreams or not.
After whispering the pure emotion welling up from my heart into her ear, I carefully opened the window I'd entered through, confirmed it latched securely, and put distance between myself and the mansion.
My woman's safety always comes first, so I stood vigil in the night breeze, scanning for any shady thugs lurking nearby, before heading to our house on the capital's outskirts.
...
Thud!
I leaped from a neighboring rooftop, landing squarely in the yard, and opened the door. From the pitch-black bedroom came a cute voice heavy with sleep.
"Oppa~"
Drawn in by that enchanting tone, I headed to the bedroom.
Creeeak—
Opening the door revealed a dim nightlight, like a candle, softly illuminating the space.
There was Rike on the bed, hugging my pillow, blinking her sleepy eyes open to check for me.
I slipped gently onto the mattress beside her. She burrowed into my arms; I stroked her while keeping my voice to a whisper, patting her back in steady rhythm.
"Were you asleep?"
"Yeah..."
She murmured her reply, hugged me tight, and drifted off again—but she'd naturally wake at dawn to head to the bakery.
I closed my eyes, figuring I'd nap if sleep came or mull things over if not.
'Chloe's going to be an issue.'
Come tomorrow.
Heading to the academy meant facing her in practical combat class.
Pretending nothing happened felt like the best play, but what if her gaze or attitude toward me was blatantly off?
Even asking if she was okay would be tricky. Ignoring something obvious might make it seem like I knew anyway.
Acting solely on Chloe's personality from the game's lore had backfired spectacularly this time.
I needed insight and foresight into the heart of the girl dubbed the queen of irregularities—not the sharp instincts for striking vital points on people or monsters.
'I'll consult Rike when she wakes up.'
..
..
"Mm... nngh—!!"
The sun had risen, but it was still too early for academy hours.
Rike habitually woke at this time, arching her back and crawling across the bed like a cat, stretching languidly.
Pat. Pat.
The familiar hand patting her butt made the corners of her mouth curl up naturally.
"Sleep well?"
"Oppa... good morning..."
Mm.
She crawled up my body like scaling a mountain for a quick good-morning kiss, then finished washing up and sipped warm tea while getting ready to head out.
She'd overcome much of her stress- and trauma-induced loss of appetite.
Not wanting to miss this chance for full recovery, she made an effort to eat all three meals, even if just a little at a time.
Plus, the morning walk to the bakery with her lover was something she looked forward to every day.
We left the house, breathing in the damp air of pre-dawn mist, her small fist vanishing into my large hand as we walked.
"How was yesterday? Is sis doing okay?"
"Hm~ She's healthy as can be. I got back fine too, but..."
Her belated concern—unspoken in her sleep—drew a response laced with unease.
"Something happen?"
"Not dangerous or anything, but... not a story for outside ears. I'll tell you at home. Was planning to get your advice anyway."
We entered the bakery, its warm aromas tempting passersby. The couple, now fully familiar with us, greeted us warmly.
-Welcome!
A quick greeting later, we grabbed fresh bottled milk and a few breads before leaving.
Our steps back home were quicker than to the bakery—Rike was clearly dying to know what happened yesterday.
Back home, we swiftly set the table. Seated with milk poured into a cup, she waited for me to speak.
"Yesterday, with the wine I bought? Two bottles."
"Yeah. You said one for sis, and mine's right there, safe and sound!"
She pointed to the bottle standing tall on the shady shelf and grinned broadly.
Giving her even trivial little gifts like this always elicited such joy; as a man, I couldn't help but keep spoiling her.
I reconfirmed our promise to share it on our day off, then began unraveling yesterday's tale bit by bit.
"...Explaining it now, it's wild how all these issues piled up—looking back, it's almost comical."
Any one of these incidents would be rare enough on its own—of course, all overlapping was a statistically absurd scenario.
Of all days, it had to be when Eclair let loose and got blackout drunk.
And of all nights! Chloe showed up at the study for reasons unknown.
From the soundproofing barrier to Eclair's drunken misunderstanding of my attempts to intervene, it spiraled into pure comedic mayhem. Even I couldn't help but chuckle retelling it.
When I got to how Chloe had come all the way to the study and peeked in—leading me to throw caution to the wind and continue with Eclair anyway—
Rike, who'd been holding back midway, finally burst out laughing. Tears welled up as she laughed herself breathless, calming down after quite a while before catching her breath to speak.
"...Haaa! I'm losing it... Oppa, you're hilarious."
Seeing her laugh so heartily lifted my spirits too; the absurdity hit me, and I laughed along.
"So yeah, practical class is today. Any advice on how to handle it?"
She tilted her head thoughtfully, lips pursing when no immediate answer came.
"Gotta see Chloe's reaction first, but she's pretty clueless about that stuff, so even I'll know more once I meet her today..."
"Before class, if she acts super weird, give me a heads-up?"
She agreed without a hint of hesitation to my request.
"Got it! Oh, and some insider noble society stuff you should know—it'll help with sis Eclair's behavior going forward, and Chloe's too. My family used to produce knights, after all..."
I tore off a warm piece of bread and fed it to her; watching her chew contentedly made me want to listen to anything she said and grant any wish.
"Thanks. Advice from you? I'd hang on every word."
She washed it down with milk, flashing me that smile reserved just for me, and began her tale.