I felt as if someone had just brushed my bangs.

'Mmm......'

When I woke up, I could see the ceiling of my room and a blonde girl peering at me.
It seemed that I was lying on the bed.

' ? Oh ......, good morning. How are you feeling?

I called out to the girl in the priest's robe who hurriedly retreated.

'Cyril, ...... is this ......?

'Oh, it's your room. You were knocked out by Satsuki's stupidity, and we brought you here.'

'I see. ......'

I shake my head to awaken my consciousness and raise my upper body to look around.
I was indeed in the room of the inn I had taken for my stay.

The room was spacious enough for one person, with a table and chairs in addition to the bed I was sleeping on.
The large window at the back of the room was fitted with transparent glass, through which I could see the night view of the mining city of Novan.

It was a luxurious design.
It was a far cry from the cramped rooms of the cheap lodgings that I usually stay in, where I feel as if I could reach out and touch the wall with my hands.
This time, I stayed in a high-class hotel, so I had a room like this, but I would like to be able to live in a room like this on a daily basis.

In this room, Cyril had moved a chair to the side of the bed where I was, and was sitting there watching over me.
Because priests (Holy Order) are able to use healing magic, they often take care of the injured and sick, and for that reason they learn general nursing knowledge and skills in the temple.

'Cyril took care of me when I was unconscious, didn't he? Thank you. ...... Where are Satsuki and Mee?'

'Oh, yeah...... well, in a manner of speaking, yes. ...... Satsuki and Mee are in our room. Satsuki said she wanted to take care of William, but I told her not to because you're too heavy right now. So please don't be angry with her. By the way, Mee is Satsuki's chaperone.

'I see. I'm sorry that Cyril and the others had to worry about so many things.

'It's nothing for you to worry about. It's nothing for you to worry about. ...... In return, I got some perks.'

'Perks ......?

'Uh, no. It's nothing. Don't worry about it.'

The girl in the priest's robe, her cheeks dyed vermilion for some reason, looks flustered as she scrambles around.
I feel like I've been making a lot of strange gestures since just now. ...... Well, I guess it's nothing to be concerned about.

If you're in good health, then let's have dinner. I'm starving.'

'Oh. ...... But aren't meals brought to your room? I don't think you had to wait for me.

According to what I heard from the front desk earlier, dinner was not taken all at once in the dining room, but rather food was brought to each guest's room.

Naturally, the rooms were separated for boys and girls.
Since Cyril and the three of us would be staying in the women's room and I would be eating alone in this room, I don't think there was any particular need to wait.

But when Cyril heard my comment, he raised his eyebrows in annoyance.
Then she put her hands on her hips and said to me as if she was scolding a child.

'You didn't mean to have a lonely dinner alone, did you? I've told the innkeeper to bring your dinner to our room. Come with us to our room.

'Oh, yeah, ......, right, okay.'

'Hmm, good.'

Satisfied with my reply, Cyril smiled at me this time.
She's a beautiful woman, so when she smiles straight at me like this, my heart starts to flutter a little.

Recently, however, Cyril has been acting strangely protective of me at times.
If I had an older sister, I wonder if she would have been like this: .......

With this in mind, Cyril took me out of my room and headed for theirs.


I'm sure you'll agree.


When we arrived at the three girls' room, we found that it was a magnificent room, much larger than my room.

There were four beds in the room, as if the room was originally designed for four people.
The table and chairs also seemed to be designed for four people, and the inn staff was just now serving food there.

The dishes included steaks, saut ed colorful vegetables, potage soup, and fresh bread.
Cyril said that he was starving, and I too felt hungry at the sight of these dishes.

Eventually, the inn staff finished serving the food, bowed, and left the room.
Then, it was time to eat.

But before that...

'Satsuki...'

When I called out to her, the girl who was sitting on one of the beds on the other side of the room with her back to me shivered.

But that's all she did, and she didn't move again.
The kimono-clad girl's back looked like a white-faced, defeated fist fighter.

'Satsuki~, William wants to see you~'

Mee called out to her, but she didn't respond.
The beast girl strode around in front of Satsuki and spoke to her, but Satsuki only shook her head in response.

'...... No. Your eyes are as dead as ever.

Mi, who had thrown the spoon, came back and sat down on her seat.
Apparently Satsuki was seriously ill.

I switched places with her and went to the bed where Satsuki was.
As I stood in front of her, I heard a girl murmuring something in a very quiet voice.

I listened carefully...

'...... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm alive, I'm sorry I can't do this anymore, I'm sorry I'm dying, I'm sorry ......'.

It sounded more like a curse than a word of apology.
When I looked into her face, the girl's trembling eyes had lost their light, as if they were reflecting nothing.
Indeed, her eyes were dead.

'Satsuki, are you okay? Don't worry about it. I'm fine like this.

I tried to call out to him, but he still didn't respond.
I grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him, but to no avail.

...... Oh dear.
The food is going to get cold if I don't do something.

In the meantime, Cyril sees the situation and sighs loudly.

'Oh, Satsuki, you are such a helpless child. William, why don't you give her a kiss to wake her up?

'...... You're kidding, right?

'Hmm, yeah. I don't think it's funny that Satsuki gets the best of me when I'm in trouble, so ......'

Cyril's face became thoughtful.
Then, a little later, he clapped his hands as if he had thought of something.



'Have you come up with something clever?

'Yes, it's a little rough around the edges. Can you give me a hand with this, William?'

'Yes. I'd be happy to.

Satisfied with my reply, Cyril moves toward me, to the side of Satsuki's bed.
...... I wonder what he's going to do.

'William, open your palms.

'Hmm ......? Like this?'

I do as she asks and show her my hands open.

'Yes. Keep them open.'

And then Cyril had an idea...
What did Cyril think he was doing? He took my back, snuggled up to me, and grabbed my wrists with his white-fish hands.
When she put her weight on me, her ample breasts pressed against my back through her robe.

'Si, Cyril......? What are you doing ......?'

'It's okay. Keep your hands where they are.'

'Oh, yeah.'

You can't help but be puzzled by the way they are trying to make you feel, but as a boy myself, I can't help but be excited when they do this to me.

And Cyril, on the other hand, moved my hand...

'Eeee!

...poof.
She unexpectedly placed both of my hands on Satsuki's chest.

'What ......?

'...... Huh?

Satsuki, who had been unresponsive, reacted slightly to that.
That was fine, but .......

'Oh, hey, Cyril......!

'Hmm, one more push. So long, .......'

Cyril didn't even bother to listen to my protests.
On the contrary, he put his own palm on top of mine and began to move his hand in a squirming motion.

In other words, my hand was squeezing Satsuki's breast.

'What the hell ......?

The light returned to Satsuki's eyes.
Then she jumped back and stared at me with a face as if she was about to cry.

'What are you doing, Will? This isn't Cyril's work! What the hell are you doing?

Good morning, Satsuki. Are you awake?

'I'm awake! Of course you're awake!

'Good. Let's have dinner then.'

Cyril said as if nothing had happened, and moved away from me to the dining table and sat down.
Satsuki and I could do nothing but stare in amazement.

'...... What are you doing, Cyril?

Me, who had already arrived at the table, looked at Cyril, but Cyril replied with a sober face.

'It's guilt control. Guilt and punishment. If a child has too much guilt, it's easier to punish him or her.

'That's punishment? ...... That's really cool.'

'Hmmm...'

Cyril was laughing happily.
He's a funny guy, that one. .......