Chapter 76 76: “Puck, You're My Favorite-da”

"Terrible — just now, Sister was subjected to indecent treatment inside the guest's mind."

"Terrible — just now, Rem was subjected to wanton humiliation inside the guest's mind."

Rem and Ram threw their arms around each other, trembling, having cast themselves in the roles of maids being mercilessly tormented by the guest.

"Never underestimate my imagination."

Natsuki Subaru played along with their little act, baring his teeth and striking his best leer — the very image of a scoundrel about to make his move on the pair of them.

"Watch as I turn you both into fuel for my fantasies."

"Wow, as expected of the boss — going after two women at once, now that's bold."

Garfiel threw both hands in the air with a cheer. This kind of straightforward, no-nonsense attitude was exactly what he liked about Natsuki Subaru.

"Ah… when it comes to strangers, Ram and Rem really might act that playfully, come to think of it."

Emilia hooked a finger against her cheek, thinking privately that yes, what was being shown on screen was absolutely something those three would do.

"P-please don't say that, Lady Emilia, it's so embarrassing…"

Rem's face had gone scarlet. Just like the figures on the screen, she buried herself against Ram at her side.

The tide of shame was so overwhelming that she pressed her face straight into Ram's chest and refused to come up for air.

Ram, by contrast, was far more composed — because what was turning over in her mind was simply this: so Barusu liked maid uniforms that much, did he.

In that case — next time, she simply wouldn't take it off.

Would that make Barusu even more excited, she wondered?

"Elsa, Meili wants to wear a maid uniform too."

Meili spun around to stare at the Rem sisters with glittering eyes, excitedly patting Elsa on the shoulder.

"Sure, sure — we'll wear them together when we get the chance. I was planning to show Subaru mine anyway."

Elsa drew her nimble tongue slowly around her lips in a way that was anything but innocent.

The image that rose in her mind — herself, draped in a heavily modified maid uniform of thoroughly uncensorable exposure, slipping into Natsuki Subaru's room in the dead of night — sent a flush of color rising across her cheeks.

Only Emilia was left looking from one person to the next, thoroughly at a loss.

How was it that almost no one was paying attention to her? What on earth were they all thinking about?

[Just then, Emilia knocked and stepped through the door.

"Mo~, can't you manage to be even a little well-behaved when you wake up, Subaru?"

Taking in the scene before her, Emilia said it with a sigh — half marveling at Natsuki Subaru's powers of recovery, half exasperated by him.

Natsuki Subaru, the moment he caught sight of Emilia, froze all over again.

His gaze traveled slowly from head to toe over Emilia, who had changed into casual clothes.

Her silver hair was gathered into a loose bundle at the back of her head.

She wore a pale pink slip dress, and her legs were wrapped in a pair of white stockings — pure and alluring all at once.

At the sight, Natsuki Subaru let out a deeply satisfied sigh.

"I have a profound and complete understanding of whoever chose this outfit."

"Ahaha… I don't know what you're saying, but I can at least tell it's something silly. What a shame."

Emilia looked at Natsuki Subaru with an expression of warm, indulgent tolerance — the way one might look at a small child.

After that, Natsuki Subaru and Emilia went back and forth in a round of mutual gratitude.

Having each thanked the other for saving their life, they made their way downstairs and out into the manor's courtyard together.

"It's huge! Calling this a courtyard is being modest — this is practically an open field!"

Natsuki Subaru ran out onto the lawn, did a quick lap, and stood with his hands on his hips, surveying his surroundings.

"Mm… timing, okay. Space, okay."

Natsuki Subaru stroked his chin, muttering something too quietly for anyone else to catch.

"Subaru, don't run so fast! You were badly hurt not long ago!"

Emilia came jogging after him and caught up, her expression displeased.

"And what were you just muttering about?"

Emilia followed his gaze, looking left and right in puzzlement.

Natsuki Subaru turned around with an expression of pure excitement, snapping into a ready stance.

"Radio calisthenics! Radio calisthenics — the warm-up routine passed down from generation to generation back in my homeland.

"It's morning, there's plenty of room — my DNA simply cannot be contained!"

Natsuki Subaru flashed Emilia a wide, bright grin.

"What do you say — want to join me, Emilia? Think of it as keeping me company during rehabilitation."

The words had barely left his mouth before Natsuki Subaru was already moving.

"Right — radio calisthenics, second set — two-footed jumps, loosen up the whole body.

"Wait, I have to do it too?"

Emilia was suddenly thrown into a flustered scramble, flailing her arms as she tried desperately to follow along with Natsuki Subaru's movements.

First a series of two-footed jumps… then reaching both arms forward, straightening the spine, then bending at the waist with a clap.

In short — a thoroughly awkward sequence of movements, one after another.]

"Radio calisthenics… how nostalgic. My darling used to lead the children and me through it every single morning."

The memory of that warm, happy picture of a family together rose in Rem's mind, and a smile of quiet contentment crept unconsciously to the corners of her lips.

"What children?"

Ram, standing nearest to Rem, had caught a fragment of it and turned to ask with a puzzled look.

"N-no… nothing! Never mind!"

Rem scrambled to deny it, and only let out a breath of relief once her sister had turned back toward the screen.

Thinking of her two children, a quiet urgency stirred in her chest.

"My children… I will win your father over as quickly as I can, and then bring you into the world once more. Wait for Mama!"

Then Rem let her gaze soften as it fell on Ram's profile — her sister's eyes fixed intently on the screen — and she thought to herself:

"When the time comes, you'll get to meet your auntie in the flesh.

["And finally — raise both hands, Victory!"

Natsuki Subaru took Emilia's hands and thrust them both high into the air.

"V… Victory!"

Emilia, taking her cue, cried out after him in a voice that trembled slightly with exertion.

At just that moment, Puck emerged from within Emilia's hair and floated up to perch atop her head.

"Victory!"

Puck likewise thrust both tiny paws high above his head and joined in the cheer.

"Oh, Puck — what an entrance. Maximum stylishness."

Natsuki Subaru greeted him with a grin.

This little cat — or rather, big cat? — who had been the first to offer him a lap pillow in that back alley in the Royal Capital.

So fluffy. You could tell just by looking that he'd feel wonderful to pet.

Simply standing near him, Natsuki Subaru could feel his affection for the creature climbing steadily through the roof.

"Good morning, Subaru — what a fine morning it is."

Puck stretched lazily, then drifted slowly through the air until he hovered before Natsuki Subaru's face.

"Thank you for yesterday, Subaru — I nearly lost Lia, so I really must give you something in return."

Natsuki Subaru perked up immediately.

"Then — whenever I want to touch your fur, please let me pet you to my heart's content!"

Before Puck could get a word in, it was Emilia who gasped aloud.

"That's all it takes?!"

"Hmph — for a connoisseur of fine fur such as myself, being able to pet a beloved subject whenever the mood strikes is worth turning down a million in gold!"

"Worth a million?!"]

Emilia lightly covered her mouth and stole a glance at Puck — who, being rather short, was floating in front of her to watch the screen.

It was a strange thing to say, she knew — but that one little scene had somehow made her feel a flicker of rivalry toward Puck.

"Beloved subject?!"

Rem and Ram cried out in unison. Of all the confessions Natsuki Subaru might have made, none of them had expected the first recipient to be a little cat… well, a Great Spirit.

"Pet away, then…"

From somewhere behind Puck, Elsa let out a soft, ambiguous laugh.

The weight of hostile stares bearing down on him from all directions made Puck shudder.

"Hold on — I'm a guy, you know? Betty, say something!"

Puck broke into a cold sweat and turned his desperate, pleading eyes on Betty.

What he saw was Betty — looking as though she had received a terrible blow — crumpled dejectedly on her knees.

"Brother is a spirit, and Betty is a spirit too…

"To think Subaru likes fur that much — does this mean Betty is going to fall out of favor?"

Betty stared vacantly ahead, murmuring to herself.

"Betty, pull yourself together!"

At the sight, Puck was struck by a panic that could only be described as a scene from a famous painting, and he rushed to her side, doing his best to console her.

____

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🔥 New history: A Martial Arts Master Will Never Be Humiliated

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