The Master's Worries
“Hmm… My disciple… no, Asha.”
“…Yes.”
“First of all… I want you to know that everything was for the sake of treatment.”
“…”
The sight of someone I trusted shaking her hips above me… Visually, it was magnificent, but the situation and my feelings… you know. Or maybe I should count myself lucky it was my master…? In any case, my heart was all tangled up.
I don’t remember reaching climax many times in my memories. From regaining my senses until my body cooled down… two, three times? And yet, my body felt so utterly drained and limp, so I must have climaxed far more times than I could imagine.
It was better not to remember… or rather, the memories were hazy anyway.
I let out a soft sigh, and Master flinched.
Seeing that made me feel oddly bittersweet yet strangely pleased, so I shook my head.
Master hesitantly opened her mouth.
“Um… Asha, for now… even if we don’t make a separate bedroom, it might be best to sleep in separate beds.”
“…We don’t have the money.”
“You brat! After going through something like that—”
Master glanced at Cecil, who was pouting, and lowered her voice.
“Cecil…”
“Yes, Asha-nim!”
“Do you remember the potion recipe I wrote down for you last time?”
“Yes! I remember it!”
“Then, could you make one for me?”
“Understood!”
Cecil hopped down from her chair with enthusiasm and toddled off toward the workshop.
Once her footsteps completely faded, I turned back to Master.
“…Honestly, this time it was more because you hugged me and slept like that. Wait a minute. Didn’t you say there was nothing attached to you!?”
Sudden frustration welled up like an aftershock. Recalling that hard rod pressing firmly against my lower belly made it throb there now.
Master’s face flushed red. It was like the look of a woman before her beloved—chillingly so.
“…That might sound like an excuse, but I do have something to say. That homunculus… Cecil, was it? It seems consuming that child’s essence… makes it grow.”
“…Pardon?”
“Didn’t you know? Well, with your personality, you wouldn’t have thought to feed it to anyone else. And you—why did you hide that consuming that child’s essence has an… aphrodisiac effect?”
“…It’s embarrassing.”
“…”
She must have recalled shaking her hips, because she clutched her face.
More than that, I’d never dreamed Cecil’s essence had such an effect. Was it because of what happened to me, or because of what sprouted on Cecil? I still didn’t know.
“Anyway, yesterday… it happened because you hugged me and poked and prodded. Up until then, sleeping together was fine.”
“…Yeah, I suppose so.”
She muttered about the heat and fanned her face with her hand.
“Still, just in case, how about buying another bed?”
“…”
I quickly calculated the cost of a bed in my head. Before I could finish, a tongue-click sounded first.
“I’ll buy it for you—”
The calculation ended right then.
“How many should we get? Should we just make a guest room?”
“…Just one. I can practically hear the coins rolling in your head from here.”
As I pondered what to buy, Master flicked my forehead and spoke seriously.
“Enough of this talk. Let’s discuss your body more.”
“Did you figure something out?”
“Figure out? Hardly… It’s more like I saw some possibilities.”
“Because of what happened last night…?”
“…I said let’s drop that, but it’s inevitably connected, so I can’t avoid it.”
My mouth itched to ask if she’d enjoyed it, but I had enough tact for that.
“It seems researching that child—Cecil’s essence—might lead to a breakthrough.”
“You mean…”
Master scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“We need to collect a bit more. As much as possible.”
“How much?”
“Well… I’ll have to take it back and examine it, so the more, the better.”
“You’re heading back?”
“Why? Disappointed?”
“Not really…”
“At least pretend to be!”
“This disciple is so saddened to part from her master…”
Master gave me a cold stare. Now that was the face I knew.
I grinned sheepishly and opened my mouth.
“I overdid the joke. So, when do you plan to leave?”
“…I originally meant to stay here, but… I’ll need my tools. Yours are…”
“Efficient tools, right?”
“…I call them cheap junk.”
“I make good use of them?”
“You keep arguing… Looks like master and disciple need more conversation.”
“We had plenty yesterday…”
I ended up taking a honey chestnut to the head.
A gasp came from afar. Cecil.
“Ah, Asha-nim’s master hit Asha-nim… Wh-what should Cecil do?”
“…”
Master pulled back in panic. I was a bit flustered too, but I calmly called to Cecil.
“Cecil. This isn’t what you think.”
Cecil came running with the mint-colored potion, tilting her head. I held out my hand, and she passed it over.
“It’s not?”
“Yeah… How to explain? Ah.”
I checked the potion’s color and concentration, praised her, and stroked her head. Perfect, as always.
“It’s like when I stroke your head.”
“Is that so?”
“Mm… something like that?”
“Then does Asha-nim feel good when hit on the head?”
“Huh…?”
I saw Master’s face twist as she stifled a laugh.
First things first—Cecil.
“N-no, it’s… like a light show of affection.”
“Affection?”
“Yeah. A sign of fondness.”
Leaving Cecil pondering, I brought the potion to my lips. Mint scent wafted up. It tasted vaguely like mint chocolate. I downed it in one gulp.
“By the way, giving her that recipe… means something similar happened before?”
“…Something like that. And in the end… it was profitable.”
“…I worry about you. Scared you’ll get swept up by some weirdo for money and do something foolish.”
It was a woman, not a weirdo.
“Even I wouldn’t do that for money. I want to get back to normal ASAP anyway.”
I shot a glare at the still-suspicious Master and set the empty potion bottle on the table.
Cecil was still mulling something over.
“Cecil, what’s troubling you so much?”
“Ah. Asha-nim.”
“Yes.”
“Well… Cecil wants to show affection to Asha-nim too. So Cecil was wondering whether stroking the head or hitting it is better.”
“…Good thing you thought about it first.”
“Which is better? Should Cecil hit like Asha-nim’s master?”
“N-no, just saying it is fine…”
“But Cecil… wants to do it too.”
“If I had to pick, stroking—”
Before I finished, Cecil beamed and stroked my head. Warm fingers tousled my light pink hair. A gentle touch.
It… wasn’t bad. At all.
I shook my head inwardly and gently caught Cecil’s hand. My cheeks felt a bit hot.
“Um… Cecil?”
“Yes, Asha-nim.”
Her bright, innocent eyes made it hard to say what I’d prepared.
“…Don’t do this to anyone else carelessly. Got it?”
“Of course! Cecil would never do it to anyone but Asha-nim!”
A subtle feeling washed over me. A stifled chuckle came from beside us.
Master reached out and started stroking my head too. Cecil, not to be outdone, stroked harder.
“Never thought I’d see the day. Turns out my disciple’s weak to this type, huh?”
“…”
“Both Cecil and Asha-nim’s master like Asha-nim!”
The two clicked perfectly.
“Alright, alright. By the way, child, how long do you plan to call me Asha’s master?”
“Aren’t you Asha-nim’s master?”
“Come to think of it, I haven’t told you my name. Call me Ariel-nim.”
“Yes! Ariel-nim! You seem similar to Asha-nim somehow!”
“Now that you mention it.”
I grumbled in protest, but it was pointless.
“…You two, hands.”
“What’s there to be shy about? Come, child. Let’s stroke Asha more.”
“Is that… okay?”
“Yesterday… ahem. Didn’t following my words make Asha fine? It’s okay.”
“As expected of Asha-nim’s master… no, Ariel-nim!”
…Their petting continued until a signal that someone had arrived at the workshop. It was a noble’s servant coming for virility potion. Face looked familiar. When he heard Astarote Asha wasn’t here, he tried to scam, but no way. I squeezed every last coin and sent him packing—felt great.
Virility potions were selling now, so soon breast enlargement ones too… Just imagining made me grin.
Master looked at me pitifully, but whatever. If I like it… what can she do?
Now, what bed to buy? Master’s treating, so budget’s free. Something super fluffy, right?
