“Tsn tsn.”
“Nn?”
“Tsn tsn.”
“Really, Marie, being mischievous first thing in the morning is so unreasonable!”
The next morning, Kent woke up to the sensation of being poked by fingertips. Kent often slept in the same bed as Marie, and they had slept together last night as well. Since no one else was in the room, Kent was sure it was Marie poking him.
“Tsn tsn.”
“I’m already awake. Huh? Oh, it’s cold.”
Last night he had been tired and gone straight to bed, so he was still in his pajamas. For some reason, his arm felt cold.
“Is this coldness Marie’s drool? Ugh, she’s sleeping so soundly with her mouth wide open.”
“Tsn tsn.”
Marie was sleeping with her mouth agape on Kent’s arm. A clear liquid was flowing from her mouth, wetting the part of Kent’s arm where her head rested.
“Her pajamas are all rolled up, and her breasts are completely exposed. Her sleeping posture is as bad as ever.”
“Tsn tsn.”
“Speaking of which, you’ve been poking me for a while now, but Marie is asleep. Who is it?”
Kent realized it wasn’t Marie who had been poking him repeatedly. He once again tried to confirm who it was.
“Nn, good morning. It’s your wake-up call.”
“Ah, Hanako. Good morning. It’s unusual for you to come wake me up.”
The person poking Kent was Hanako. Checking the time, it was almost time to get up.
“Breakfast is ready. You should go eat first, Master. I’ll wake her up.”
Hanako said, pointing at Marie.
“Well then, I guess I’ll leave it to you.”
“Nn, leave it to me.”
Waking Marie up consumed a lot of energy, so Kent decided to leave it to Hanako, who offered to do it. Carefully withdrawing the arm Marie’s head was resting on, Kent got changed and left his room.
“Good morning, Master. I’ve prepared breakfast.”
“Good morning, Al. Did you prepare breakfast, by any chance?”
“Yes. Catherine didn’t wake up today, so I made it instead. She came home late last night and seems tired. Could you go check on her, Master, and wake her if she seems alright?”
“Indeed, she came home late last night. I understand. I’ll go and see how she is.”
Moving to the living room, Al was in the kitchen, wearing an apron and waiting after preparing breakfast. Hanako’s phrasing had made it sound like she had made it herself, but it turned out to be Al who had made breakfast. Last night, Catherine had worked late at the sanctuary and returned. After finishing dinner, she quickly bathed and then went straight to her room.
“Knock knock.”
“Catherine, are you awake? Hmm? No response. Excuse me for a moment.”
Kent entered Catherine’s room to check on her.
“Zzz, zzz.”
When Kent entered the room, Catherine was still asleep. Unlike her mother, her sleeping posture was as beautiful as if a doll were lying there.
“It seems better to let her sleep a little longer.”
Seeing Catherine’s peaceful sleeping face, Kent felt it would be a shame to wake her and quietly left the room.
“Master, how was it?”
“She seems tired. I think I’ll let her sleep a bit longer.”
“I understand. In that case, I’ll cover Catherine’s breakfast.”
Al said, and then began to cover the plate with Catherine’s breakfast with plastic wrap.
“Is Marie-sama still sleeping?”
“Hanako said she’d wake her up.”
“In that case, I appreciate your effort.”
Al said, and then clasped his hands together in the direction of Marie’s room.
“Nn, I’m waking you up.”
“Ugyaaaaaaa!”
After Hanako let out an unusually loud cry, Marie let out a scream she never usually made.
“Wh-what happened?”
Kent hurriedly returned to his own room.
“Nn, I’m awake.”
“You are certainly awake, but how did you wake her?”
“Nn, I just ran a little electricity through her body.”
For some reason, Hanako was speaking with “cha” at the end of her sentences.
“My whole body suddenly tingled and I jolted awake. Ah, good morning, Kent.”
“Good morning, Marie.”
Marie had a refreshed expression, as if she had received low-frequency therapy.
“Marie, are you alright?”
“Yes, strangely enough, my stiff shoulders are gone, and it’s a very good awakening.”
“Ah, is that so? Oh, right. Marie, Al has prepared breakfast for us.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I’ll get changed then.”
Marie, without any hesitation and seemingly unconcerned about Kent’s gaze, began to undress and change her clothes.
“Nn, I’ll head back to the living room then. Kent, are you coming after watching your mother change?”
“No, I’ll come too.”
Kent wanted to watch Marie change for a while longer, but time was short, so he reluctantly headed to the kitchen to eat breakfast.
“Catherine seems tired, so I plan to let her sleep a bit longer.”
“That child must be working hard with helping at the shop and her duties as a saintess. If you think so, Kent, I won’t say anything.”
Marie joined them for the meal, and Kent mentioned his plan to let Catherine sleep a bit longer. Marie agreed with Kent’s idea without any opposition, and Kent and his companions headed to work, leaving Catherine at home.
“She slipped away when she had the chance, so why isn’t that child here?”
“I can’t help you if you ask me that.”
A little while after the shop opened, Patty was being bothered by a strange woman at the cash register.
“You’re hiding in the back because you’re sick of my persistence, aren’t you?”
“As I’ve said, she hasn’t come in to work yet today.”
“Patty, what’s wrong?”
“Ah, Kent.”
Kent went to Patty, who looked troubled, and spoke to her. Hearing his voice, her face brightened with relief.
“Actually, Cindy is demanding that Catherine be brought out. I’ve told her that she hasn’t come in to work yet today, but she’s not listening.”
“Cindy, Catherine is tired and still sleeping. So she hasn’t come out to the shop yet.”
“Well, if Kent says so, it seems to be true.”
When Kent reiterated the same explanation to Cindy, she believed him easily.
“Ugh, she didn’t believe a word I said, but she believes what Kent says… *sniffle*…”
Patty looked very sad at the difference in their attitudes.
“Kent, you’ve come at a good time. What is your relationship with the beautiful blonde woman you were walking with yesterday?”
Cindy’s voice resounded throughout the shop, and all the clerks and customers focused their attention on the shop’s only blonde woman.
“Eh? Me? I wasn’t walking with Master yesterday.”
Emily, on whom all eyes were now focused, waved her right hand vigorously, trying to convey her ignorance.
“Indeed, she is blonde, but it’s not her. A woman of much more divine beauty.”
“M-Master. I’ve shaped myself into this physique to pursue your ideal… *sob sob*…”
For fairies, as long as they receive a moderate supply of magic power, it doesn’t bother them much if their contractor walks with human women. Therefore, Emily appeared to be crying, but in reality, she was acting, partly for the sake of the other customers.
“Kent, would you care to explain in detail?”
“Ah, I would also like to hear about the circumstances.”
*Stomp stomp stomp stomp*
Marie and Elnet, who had been listening, advanced on Kent. The sheer intensity of their pressure was so overwhelming that the customers in the shop felt a sense of danger and fled the store as if escaping. Then, through the shop windows and doors, the customers, now spectators to the sudden “Shura Field” event, watched its unfolding.
