In the evening, I returned home once to ask Caro to watch the house, and headed to the bakery where Rachel was working.
It seemed I arrived a little early, and looking in from outside the store, Rachel was still working. It was right at the busy time, and she looked busy dealing with customers. Our eyes met for a moment, and Kent and Rachel stared at each other. Leaving the customers waiting, Rachel came out of the shop.
“You’re early. You came at just the right time. Since you work at a bakery, you know how things are done, right? Help me out a little.”
With that, she grabbed my hand forcefully and pulled me into the store. As I thought this pushiness was just like my sister, I realized something I had completely forgotten. But Rachel immediately had me help her with work, as if to erase it.
“I’m sorry. I’m making you help even though you’re not an employee. But you’ve got a good hand for this. If you’re interested, would you like to work for me?”
As the work settled down, the middle-aged male owner said to Kent. The difficulty of the work was far easier than Marie’s Bakery, as there was only one type of bread. Kent handled the work with practiced ease.
“I’m always getting scolded, so it’s amazing you’re being praised,” Rachel said, looking surprised.
“I’ve been working at a bakery for many years, you know,” Kent replied, feeling good at being praised, even though “many years” was just a setting. He had only worked there since his transmigration, in terms of feeling.
“Oh, Kent, are you working at another bakery?”
“Yes, I work at Marie’s Bakery.”
“Ho ho. That’s good to know,” the owner said with a grin.
“If you don’t mind, could you tell me the secret to that mysterious bread sold at your shop?”
“Well, it’s a company secret…”
“I see… That’s a shame.” The owner didn’t seem inclined to press further and soon backed off, looking disappointed, and went to the back of the store.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Rachel, changed into her school uniform, came out from the back.
“I think I’m a little tired from all the work,” Kent said to Rachel with a hint of sarcasm.
“Really? Then would you like to take a break? Or stay the night?” Rachel replied with a suggestive remark whose intention was unclear.
“Um, you’re joking, right?”
“Oh? Did you imagine something? O-MA-SE-SAN,” Rachel replied playfully. It seemed she was just teasing.
“Well… shall we walk a bit?”
With that, Rachel started walking. Kent hurriedly followed her. They sat down on a bench in the less crowded part of Central Plaza.
“The seat next to you is free,” Rachel said, patting the empty spot on the bench. It seemed she wanted me to sit here.
Kent sat down next to her as if told.
“Thank you for coming.”
“So, what’s the matter?” Kent wanted to finish the conversation quickly and go home, as he was also concerned about Caro. He immediately tried to get to the point.
“First, I want to apologize. I’m sorry for saying so many harsh things. I also did something bad to your girlfriend.”
“It’s fine, but for the record, Caro and I aren’t dating at the moment. We’re just living together due to circumstances,” Kent said. He didn’t deny doing things, but what he said wasn’t wrong, he thought.
“Is that so? I thought you were, since you’re always together.”
“So, is that all?”
“No, the main topic is from here. Actually, the bakery where I work is in serious financial trouble.” Rachel began to speak with a grim expression.
“Huh? From what I saw today, it seemed prosperous with customers coming in?” Kent couldn’t believe Rachel’s part-time job bakery was in financial trouble, seeing how many customers there were earlier. He had even helped out, so it felt that way intrinsically.
“Actually, it was bad until yesterday. Bakeries in town seem to be in the same situation. The reason for so many customers today is just that they flowed over because your bakery was closed. Some places are so desperate they might have to close down.”
“I see…”
Kent had started this to increase his income and for Marie and Catherine, but he had overdone it, and it seemed to be starting to affect other stores by taking their customers.
“I’ve never eaten it, but is it that different?”
“I wonder? I think it’s different,” Kent replied to Rachel’s question.
“Maybe I should try buying some next time. Where is your shop located?” Kent told Rachel the location of Marie’s Bakery.
“Thank you. I’ll go then. For now, I need to analyze my enemy’s strength to come up with a countermeasure.”
“Please go easy on them. You’re not going to ask for the recipe, are you?”
“Of course not! You worked hard to develop that popular bread, right? There’s no way you’d just hand over something you developed with such effort. If we had developed something like that ourselves, we’d never tell other stores.”
That was true. As just a part-timer, Kent couldn’t get involved in management like he could, so he might not have that much interest. Kent decided to think that way.
“So, I guess that’s all for now. Thank you for listening. I’d like to get along with you from now on too. Please take care of me.” Rachel said with a slightly condescending tone and extended her hand, seemingly for a handshake. Kent extended his hand as well, and they shook hands.
(Huh? This feeling…) As soon as their hands met, Kent felt a nostalgic sensation he couldn’t quite explain. But he couldn’t recall what it was.
“Hey, why are tears coming to my eyes…?” Rachel’s eyes were moist, and she seemed flustered, as if she didn’t know the cause.
In the end, both felt a strange sensation, but since they couldn’t reach a conclusion, they decided to part ways.
Kent hurried back home. More time had passed than he thought, and it was dark outside.
“I’m home.”
“Welcome home, dear.”
As soon as Kent opened the door and entered the house, someone hugged him. He felt the sensation of soft breasts. Judging by their size, it wasn’t Caro. He wondered who it was, and it was Marie.
“I’m home, Marie, why are you at my house?”
Marie, who should have been living next door, was at Kent’s house.
“Before that… welcome home. *Kiss*.” Marie kissed him, saying “Welcome home.”
“Hey, Marie, what are you doing while I’m away?” Caro rushed over from the back, wearing a jersey.
“Welcome home, Kent. You’re a little late?”
“Sorry, I was helping out at Rachel’s part-time job bakery.”
“Is that so? You must be tired. So, did you reach a good understanding?” Caro asked Kent, showing concern.
“Well, I think we made up. I also heard about the management status of other bakeries. Marie, are other bakeries really in such bad shape?”
“Well… it seems some are in dire straits. But they didn’t help us at all when we asked the Flour Union for support before, so maybe they need to suffer a little more. I don’t intend to actually put them out of business, though.”
Kent wondered what had happened before, but since it wasn’t in his past memories, he decided it was better not to ask.
“So, why are you here, Marie?” He asked Marie his initial question.
“I wanted to spend time with Kent. Is that okay?” Marie looked up at Kent with wide eyes. Marie, who was usually classified as beautiful, seemed cute to Kent at that moment.
“Well, that’s part of it, but since you treated me to a meal the other day, I thought I’d make something in return. Catherine is here with me too. We were just about to cook dinner together, the three of us.”
“Oh, I see. Did I trouble you?”
“Not at all! Relax,” the three said.
“Okay, okay, let’s not talk forever. Marie, let’s continue,” Caro said, pushing Marie’s back and leading her to the kitchen.
“Older brother, welcome home.” Catherine came out this time.
“Welcome home, Catherine. I heard you came to cook dinner today. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Mom said she came to eat you, Older brother. Can you be eaten? I want to eat Older brother too!”
(What is Marie saying to a child?)
“Older brother isn’t food.”
“Is that so? What a shame,” Catherine replied with a disappointed look.
After that, Kent returned to his room and changed into a jersey. He could hear the cheerful voices of the three from the kitchen.
“Adding this aphrodisiac will make the night exciting.”
“Shall we do it together tonight, the three of us?”
“Me too, me too!”
Kent decided not to listen to the unsettling conversation.
The dinner preparations were then completed, and the four sat around the dining table. Today, it was vegetable soup and salad. Bread was served as the staple. There was no meat.
“I’m sorry. I wanted to make meat like the day before yesterday, but it’s too expensive to afford…”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve received your feelings sufficiently,” Kent replied.
“Oh, my. In that case, I’ll have to give you a lot in return tonight,” Marie said, blushing.
“Hey, what are you two getting excited about? I helped too!”
“That’s right. Thank you, Caro, Catherine.”
Just as they were about to eat, Kent stopped them.
“Um, are we eating the salad as is?” Kent asked, looking at the plain salad that had just been served.
“Isn’t this how you eat salad?” Marie asked, as if wondering why he was asking the obvious. The other two had similar expressions.
“Just a moment.”
With that, Kent returned to his room and ordered several types of dressing using his terminal. He returned to the three of them and lined up the dressing containers he had brought.
“These will make it delicious. I thought preferences might differ, so I prepared several types. Try them.”
Each of them picked up a container, tasted a little, and repeated the process with the next container, searching for their favorite flavor.
“How is it?” Kent asked the three.
“It’s amazing. Just by adding these, we can enjoy various tastes. I think I like this one,” Caro said, pointing to her preferred container.
“I like this one,” Marie said.
“They’re all so delicious, I can’t decide!” said Marie and Catherine. Catherine seemed unable to decide which one was the best.
The four of them enjoyed their meal and then decided to take a bath.
Marie and Catherine, having remembered how to use the bath from last time, bathed together.
“Kent, what about your bath today? Shall we bathe together?” Caro asked. Kent hesitated for a moment, considering Marie and Catherine were present.
“No point in hesitating now. Let’s bathe together as usual.”
In the end, they decided to bathe together.
When Marie and Catherine came out of the bath and were changed, Kent was about to go in when Marie stopped him.
“You don’t mean… you’re going in together?”
“We always do,” Caro said to Marie with a smug look.
“…Damn it. I should have thought of that,” Marie muttered under her breath.
“Don’t peek, okay?” Caro warned Marie.
“Kent, I’ll wash your back for you.”
“Please.”
Caro seemed ready to wash his back, as usual. In reality, she would wash more than just his back… Kent noticed the feel of the towel was different and looked back.
“Stop looking! It’s embarrassing,” Caro said, having covered herself in body soap and rubbing against him.
(This is something adults do in the bath.)
“Caro, what kind of washing are you doing?”
“As aristocrats, we are taught from a young age how to please gentlemen. Not everyone necessarily ends up in a loving relationship, and sometimes marriages are used as a bargaining chip, or one has to marry into a place they don’t want to go for political reasons.”
“I see…” Kent was speechless, having learned a little about the dark side of aristocracy.
“That’s just how some people are. Fortunately, I can use the skills I’ve learned on you, Kent, so I’m happy?” Caro said something that made him happy. He couldn’t help but hug her.
“Oh, Kent!” Although she said that, Caro hugged him back in the same way.
“You two are having fun, aren’t you?” Marie said as she entered the bathroom. Of course, she wasn’t wearing any clothes.
“Um, where’s Catherine?”
“She’s already asleep. She seemed tired… No, that’s not it, no jumping the queue!”
“If we’ve been found out, there’s nothing we can do. Let’s all bathe together.” It seemed Catherine had already fallen asleep. On Caro’s suggestion, the three of them would wash together. Or rather, Kent would be washed by the two of them.
Kent, with his whole body glistening, emerged from the bath first.
“As expected, I can’t handle being treated so intensely,” Caro and Marie, who were still somewhat unsatisfied, seemed to be doing something together. Their moans could be heard from inside.
“Oh, Caro, you’re making it like this…”
“Marie, you’re like this too, aren’t you?”
After changing, Kent was resting in the living room. The two who came out of the bath were only wrapped in bath towels.
“You two, please put on some clothes.”
“Huh? We thought Kent would prefer it this way,” Caro said.
“Was this better?” With that, Marie took off the bath towel wrapped around her.
“You’ll catch a cold,” Marie, told this by Kent with a serious face, dejectedly returned to the changing room to put on clothes.
The three, having finished changing, decided to go to sleep. In Kent’s room, Catherine was sleeping sprawled out on the bed. There was no other space to sleep.
“Oh my, this child. We can’t help it, can we?”
“We can’t help it, can we?” The two looked at Kent with the predatory eyes of hunters.
“Let’s sleep together,” they said in unison.
