Checkmate and a Shopping Trip
"Checkmate."
Yukiko placed the knight in a masterful position. My king had nowhere to go.
"Lost again."
"There was a mistake three moves ago. When you took my bishop instead of moving your king, checkmate was already inevitable."
"So I should've just sacrificed my pawn there, huh?"
"Precisely."
Yukiko carefully replayed the previous moves and the one before, explaining exactly why I'd lost.
"You're full of surprises. I didn't know you had a talent for this."
"It's nothing to boast about. Games like go, chess, or shogi are simply classics I needed to learn, so I did."
Yukiko meticulously gathered the chess pieces.
"How's Mikoto been lately?"
"She remains... incompetent, but her attitude has improved considerably."
It was hard to believe at first glance, but Mikoto was keeping up with Yukiko's schedule. Knowing how much of a workaholic Yukiko was, I couldn't help but be amazed.
"If Mikoto seems worn out, make her rest, even if you have to force her."
Looking at Mikoto's expressions, I doubted she'd ever take a break on her own.
"That goes for you too. Rest anytime if you feel even a little tired."
"I can manage my own body."
It was just the three of us living here, yet the workload was overwhelming. Yukiko's service and dedication felt almost too much for me.
"That civil servant asked when I planned to buy the next slave... Do we need more people?"
"We don't need more hands. If I had a choice, I'd prefer someone skilled in protection with combat experience."
It was an unexpected answer.
"Huh... Isn't the work too much?"
"I have no intention of leaving matters related to Master to others, so even if we add people, my workload won't decrease."
"You seemed overwhelmed when you first arrived..."
Yukiko gave a small smile.
"Back then, I lacked efficiency and had excessive ambition to do more for Master. Above all, the me now—who is certain of Master's love—is different from who I was then."
Yukiko puffed up with confident pride. I smiled for a moment, but it was hard to keep it up.
"If you're worried about Mikoto rather than me... I can reduce her tasks immediately."
When talking about Mikoto, Yukiko wore her usual cold expression. In the end, Mikoto was just another person to her.
"But I believe it's better for her to work than let her dwell on idle thoughts. It's not the work that's wearing her down."
"I see... Thanks for looking out for her."
"Fulfilling Master's will is my joy."
Yukiko bowed her head lightly.
A brief silence fell, then Yukiko spoke again.
"Are you concerned about Mikoto?"
"I'm... not sure."
"Just as Master isn't deceived by Mikoto, she isn't deceived by Master either."
Yukiko put the chessboard and pieces back in the drawer. I stared blankly, following her movements as I mulled over her words.
"Simply enjoying her purely as she is would be the easiest way to improve things."
Yukiko delivered the answer as if it were nothing. She was never wrong. This time too, it was just an answer I already knew but didn't want to face.
"Got it."
"I'll call Mikoto on my way out."
I nodded silently. Before she closed the door, I murmured my thanks.
"Thanks always, Yukiko."
"Think nothing of it."
"Master bro, you called for me?"
Mikoto entered with her usual bright, bubbly smile. She came right up to me and threw herself into my arms. The soft, ticklish sensation of her breasts spreading like liquid against my body made me grin involuntarily.
"Yeah, perfect timing!"
But the fatigue in Mikoto's eyes was too deep to hide. If she weren't working with Yukiko, I'd suspect someone was forcing overtime on her.
Maybe it was my imagination, but the shine in her hair seemed a bit dulled. No, it really was subtly faded. When I first saw it, it had a slight sparkle; now the color was a touch darker and muted.
"E-eh? Is my hair weird?"
Mikoto startled and patted her head. But with her short bob, she couldn't see it herself.
"No, you're fine, Mikoto."
I stroked her hair to ease her anxiety.
"Hehe, sooo, why'd you call me today, Master bro? In the middle of the day like this? Not that I mind... You're so naughty~?"
Mikoto smiled seductively, teasing me.
"Oh, I wasn't planning on that right now... Right, can you show me some cosplay?"
"E-eh?"
Mikoto bowed her head.
"Ah, if you don't want to, it's fine!"
I'd been too careless. It must be a sensitive memory for her; I should've approached more delicately.
"I-it's not that I hate it, everything Master bro wants is good... But I threw out all the clothes. I'll go buy some right now, just wait a sec!"
Mikoto scrambled to salvage the situation. But in her haste to leave the room, she tripped.
"Eek!"
"Careful."
I caught her body with one arm, hooking it like a cradle. She barely avoided falling.
I could feel Mikoto's weight in that single arm. For a person, she was far too light.
"No need to rush out like that. But why'd you throw out the clothes?"
"W-well, they were... too flashy... I just wanted to buy clothes Master bro would like more..."
"Then there's no need to get the same ones again. If you were planning new ones, want to go shopping together?"
"Huh?"
Mikoto looked up at me with wide eyes. Her small face and big eyes made her unbearably cute.
"I was heading to the department store anyway. Wanna come?"
Only after saying it did I chuckle inwardly—it sounded like a creep luring a kid with candy.
"C-can I really come too?"
Mikoto grabbed my sleeve with trembling eyes.
"Yeah. I'd love it if you did."
"Then I'll go! Definitely!"
Mikoto beamed and hugged me tight.
"Mikoto's ready! Let's head out quick, Master bro!"
Mikoto waited at the entrance, grinning ear to ear. I grabbed my phone and cards, rushing out.
In the elevator, our eyes met. Being so short, Mikoto had to crane her neck almost horizontal to look at my face. Even then, until I looked down, all she could see was my jawline.
"Hehe..."
Mikoto giggled foolishly when our gazes locked. I smiled back as wide as I could.
This was an outing without Yukiko, for once.
I offered to drive, but Mikoto confidently took the wheel despite her small stature.
"D-don't stare like that! I can do it! And if Master bro drives, I can't do anything~?"
"You don't need to do anything."
"I got my license in Japan too! I'm a proper adult, I can handle it when I need to!"
I wondered if a Japanese license worked here, but there was no real reason to stop her. Just in case, I slid into the passenger seat.
Watching Mikoto steer the big car with her short arms and legs was quite the spectacle. We arrived safely at the department store parking lot, reminding me anew how skilled a driver Yukiko was.
Mikoto's driving was far more thrilling and pulse-pounding. She'd lean her whole body into turns or tense up and duck low when braking—it naturally had me gripping the edge of my seat.
Of course, I couldn't expect Yukiko's smooth, effortless gliding. It wasn't crash-level, but the car definitely rocked. If not for the big, fancy vehicle making others yield automatically, there might've been trouble.
"S-sorry, Master bro! That must've been rough, right?"
Fortunately, she wasn't as deflated as I'd feared. Her head hung low, but there was still a hint of playfulness peeking through.
"Nah, it was fun... Now that we're here, what kind of clothes do you want?"
"Eh... wha?"
If anything, my question flustered her visibly. Her eyes lost focus, her posture wobbled. From experience, leaving Mikoto like this could lead to her forgetting to breathe—or hyperventilating.
I knelt on one knee and hugged her tight, just enough pressure to ground her.
As her mind steadied bit by bit, focus returned to her eyes.
"Master bro... I-I... have to pick the clothes myself?"
"Huh? It's your clothes. Who else would pick?"
"I thought Master bro would choose for me..."
I wondered if that was really so shocking. But I couldn't know exactly how she took every word of mine.
"You can leave it to me if you want."
What I could do was limited anyway.
"I don't know much about fashion, but I'll pick the prettiest ones I can."
I held Mikoto close, patting her back.
"So, let's go. I wanna see you in new clothes."
I smiled as brightly and widely as possible—my best effort.