KoushaRyouri ~C26

 

Chapter 26: It's so fluffy.

 

 

"Ho!"

 

I picked out a piece of firewood from the back of the mansion and swung my hand knife into it.

 

The firewood split into six pieces like a flower blossoming open.

 

After quickly piling up the wood, I used my Flame magic to light the fire. Smoke rises into the sky, and dawn is coming.

 

I stared at the large mansion.

 

It is the house of the Letivia family.

 

The roof is orange like the sun, and the pure white walls give off a sense of integrity with various sizes of glass windows.

 

Most of them are covered with curtains, blocking out the morning sun about to rise.

 

I take a deep breath.

 

The air here is different from the forest, which smells like animals and grass. If I listen carefully, I can faintly hear people talking.

 

Finally, I am here. The human settlement...

 

However, it seems that my living habits in the mountains still stick with me. After a long ride in a horse carriage, I arrived at the mansion and slept in a soft bed. But I woke up early as usual.

 

Long tree branches are arranged to form a bonfire. There was a water-filled pot tied with threads that couldn't be broken even by the heat of the fire spider hanging above it.

 

I can boil water with magic, but my magic power is too much to cook small amounts of water, and the water would evaporate entirely.

 

"There you are!"

 

The back door opened, and Richil-san appeared.

 

Her eyebrows are furrowed, and she turns her angry face to me, which is unusual for her. She seemed to be angry, but I was surprised by something else.

 

"Ri, Richil-san, that outfit...!"

 

I unconsciously point at Richil-san.

 

At first, I thought she was standing there in her nightgown, but I was wrong.

 

She is wearing a black blouse with a long skirt. On top of that, she is wearing a pure white apron.

 

She is dressed like a maid. The design looks more formal than the maid outfit I know. Richil's black hair is pinned with an alice band, and her apron has frills on it.

 

It looks more like a dress than a maid's uniform, which suits her very well.

 

"Oh. Actually, I am working as a knight and also taking care of the Letivia family."

 

"Is that so?"

 

"Is it... weird? My outfit..."

 

Richil-san picked up the tip of her skirt as she asked.

 

I hurriedly shake my head.

 

"No, no. Not at all."

 

The design is cute, like a doll, but maybe a bit too girly.

 

But who on earth is the designer?

 

"Really? Thank goodness. I proposed this to our Lord and made it."

 

Richil-san made it.

 

And Clavis-san approved it...

 

"I've been asked to be your caretaker from this day forward. Once again, welcome to our house, Luciel-kun."

 

Richil-san greets me while holding three fingers in front of her chest.

 

She looked charming, but I couldn't help but raise my voice unintentionally when I heard her words.

 

"Eh? Caretaker?"

 

"That's right."

 

"No, no, I don't need it. I, I can...."

 

"No. It is true that you have lived much longer than me, but that is life in the mountains. The lifestyle in this mansion and in the city is completely different from 300 years ago."

 

...... Ugh. Maybe that's true.

 

"And we need to do something about that ancient way of speaking."

 

It seems that I have no choice but to do what Richil says here.

 

The Tristan family also had many waiters. Furthermore, each family member had their own caretaker.

 

At that time, I thought it was perfectly normal. But now, when they assign a caretaker for me like this, I feel sorry.

 

"Actually, one more person will take care of you. But..."

 

"Eh? Two people assigned for me?"

 

"Finally, she came. Mildy, over here. She is here."

 

Richil-san waved her hand.

 

 

 

As I thought, it was Mildy-san.

 

She comes slipping out of the back door.

 

It seems that she is not a morning person, and her complexion is pale. She looks a bit shaky.

 

"Good morning, Luciel-kun. You're up so early... Fuwaa."

 

When Mildy-san yawned loudly, Richil-san poked her.

 

Mildy-san is also wearing a maid uniform, the same as Richil-san.

 

It suits her well, too.

 

But what surprised me the most was her head and what popped out of her skirt.

 

"Ears and a tail...."

 

That's right. A pair of animal ears are on Mildy-san's head, and a fluffy tail is swaying out of her skirt.

 

Maybe she is a yellow fox. This is the first time I have seen it.

 

I have heard that among the beastmen, the yellow fox race is particularly small in number.

 

"Is Mildly-san a beastwoman?"

 

"Oh. Yeah. I usually hide my ears and tail. It is the first time I show my ears and tail to Luciel-kun."

 

I hear that the beastmen's number is smaller than humans'. They are physically stronger than humans but vulnerable to disease.

 

Because they are a rare species, they are often hunted illegally by slave traders.

 

That is why beastmen - especially human-looking sub-beastmen like Mildy-san usually hide their tails and ears.

 

This custom seems to have remained unchanged for 300 years.

 

"Luciel-kun. You are looking at her so enthusiastically. Do you want to touch Mildy-san's tail?"

 

"No way. It's just that sub-beastmen are rare."

 

Richil-san corrects her, but Mildy-san taunts me further.

 

"Here, here... Touch it. Touch it."

 

"Mildy...!"

 

"It's okay, right? After all, Luciel-kun saved my life. It's okay to return his favor here, right?"

 

"That's true, but... But your method is a bit irritating. Even though he is older than us."

 

"What do you think?　Don't you want to touch it, Luciel-kun? It's very fluffy."

 

For 300 years, I have been living in the mountains full of monsters.

 

I was surrounded by nothing but monsters and wild animals.

 

As a result of living surrounded by monsters, I have grown attached to the skins and feathers of monsters.

 

Now, Mildy's waving fluffy tail is the best example of that.

 

"Well then, I...."

 

I approach her as if I am being lured in.

 

Richil-san looks blushing a little as she stands beside me.

 

It's not like I'm doing anything wrong. It's just a little skinship.

 

While telling myself that, I am lured to Mildy's waving tail.

 

Ooh. It's soft.

 

It's really soft and fluffy.

 

"Fufufufu... You can poke your hand in a little deeper, Luciel-kun."

 

"Are, are you sure?"

 

Then I'll take your word for it.

 

It is soft and very warm. And it smells good, too.

 

Each hair is sharp but stands straight and shiny.

 

It feels smooth to the touch and softer than the ordinary fox.

 

"Satisfied?""

 

"Ye, yes. I want to touch it forever."

 

I'm so happy. It feels like a dream.

 

"Fufufufu... If you’ll be a good boy, I'll let you touch it again."

 

I can enjoy her tail again at...

 

My face unconsciously blushed, but suddenly my eyes met Richil's on my side, and I turned my head away.

 

I, I'll say it again, but it's not like I'm doing anything wrong.