That evening, after Roxy had finished sulking, Sylphie, urged on by Ash, changed into the dress with help from her mother and Roxy.
Before long, Sylphie came out of the room with her head down, her hands unconsciously tugging at the hem of her skirt, her face flushed. Shy yet a little nervous, she looked at them with expectant eyes and asked quietly, "Lord Ash, Master, Mother, I... this... h-how is it?"
"Do you even need to ask?"
"Of course it's cute!"
"No, it's very cute!"
The adorable girl, wearing a proper dress for the first time, naturally received everyone's praise.
Colona's eyes reddened slightly at the sight. She felt a bit sorry for her daughter, and even Laws, who had just returned home, showed a face full of guilt and delight when he saw this.
They both felt they had failed their daughter in many ways.
Laws ended up drinking with Ash until they were both thoroughly drunk, and Sylphie, in her dress, poured their drinks on the side.
Roxy sat nearby, propping her chin on one hand as she stared at Ash, occasionally reminding him with a hint of complaint, "You're not fully grown yet. You shouldn't drink too much. That's enough. If you drink more, it'll affect your development, right? Since boys should be able to grow until about twenty, right?"
"Yes, yes, I know," Ash smiled helplessly and reached out to ruffle the girl's hair.
He said all the right things, but didn't seem likely to listen, and his attitude of treating her like a child naturally made Roxy swat his hand away in annoyance.
But even so, the atmosphere in the house was still carried along by the girl who kept twirling around to admire her skirt, as if filled by her joy.
And that night, the family absolutely refused to let Ash leave, so... he stayed overnight at Sylphie's house for the first time.
Roxy went to Sylphie's room and slept with her, while he took the guest room.
Almost as a matter of course, the guest room lacked many necessary supplies; the blanket and pillow inside were all brought by Roxy herself.
That faint, familiar scent was unconsciously distracting, but he didn't have much of a sleeping habit, so he lay on the pillow reading a book.
And so, when the night reached the late hours... Ash, who had been reading peacefully, suddenly heard a woman's suppressed moan.
Being experienced himself, he naturally knew what that sound was. Although the couple was trying their best not to make noise, the woman's voice was often hard to completely suppress.
Hearing Colona's voice, Ash simply felt awkward. So he quietly slipped out of the room, planning to go to the fields outside for magic practice.
But no sooner had he left the room than he noticed... although the couple had properly closed the door for the sake of their child's health and well-being... the blue-haired girl in her pajamas stood in the living room, staring at the clothes in her hands with a troubled expression. She held the garment in one hand while the other unconsciously reached down.
"Wh-Wh-Wh-What do I do!? This really is immoral! B-But... if no one finds out, it should be fine, right? It's all Ash's fault! Because of him, I heard the missus's strange sounds in Sylphie's room tonight! But... tomorrow I'll be nice to Ash, and later I'll wash his coat for him, as... compensation?"
Roxy mumbled to herself, staring at the coat, desperately finding excuses, and swallowed unconsciously. She then buried her face in Ash's coat, which had been left in the living room.
Clearly, the girl intended to use his clothes as a reward for her own efforts.
And Ash, watching from not far away, the girl suppressing her slightly quickened breathing, about to act, felt a little concerned about his coat in her hands, but still thought it best not to disturb her.
After all, she was a teenage girl. As long as she didn't get too obsessed, it was understandable. But she kept going on about morals, and now she was the one being the most immoral?
He wanted to call her out on it, but to avoid utterly mortifying Roxy, he decided to simply close the door and pretend he hadn't seen anything.
However, the girl, who had been looking down, probably intended to go back to her room for... that. But when she looked up to check her way, the corner of her eye caught sight of someone who was supposed to be asleep.
When their eyes met, the air seemed to freeze solid. Roxy's face flushed instantly, as if it might drip blood. Her blue eyes went wide, her mouth opened but no sound came out, and her expression was filled with panic and bewilderment.
She stood frozen, as if her soul had left her body.
Ash sighed, patted his forehead, and silently stepped forward to grab the back of her collar, dragging her straight from inside the house to outside.
———
Frozen in place, her mind blank, completely at a loss for how to react, Roxy remained unresponsive even after being dragged out into the fields.
It took a nudge from Ash before she seemed to snap back to reality, frantically hiding the coat behind her back and stammering nervously, "Wh-Why are you here? Y-You you you, weren't you supposed to be sleeping?"
"First, try to calm down?"
"I-I-I-I-I wasn't doing anything!"
Even though Ash just patted her head, Roxy reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her voice suddenly shooting up.
But immediately realizing that her reaction was too incriminating, she quickly lowered her voice and said, almost tearfully, "Y-You mustn't tell anyone! Or else... or else I'll take you down with me!"
"I know! I know! I won't say anything. Don't worry."
"Th-This is... it's just... A-Anyway! I didn't mean anything like that! I really just see you as my disciple! Believe me! Please!"
Biting her lip, tears welling up in her eyes, Roxy was so embarrassed and flustered she looked about to cry. She felt all her dignity as a master crumbling, but even so... she didn't want to be seen as a master who would cross that line with her disciple.
But at this point, Ash naturally couldn't provoke her. Even though he was a bit speechless, he could only press his hands down in a calming gesture:
"It's okay, I understand. I really do understand... just take a deep breath first and calm down, alright?"
"How can I calm down?"
"Wait... why am I, the victim, so calm, yet you're the one getting all worked up?"
"B-Because! I... my..."
She wanted to say her innocence was ruined, but saying that in front of her victim felt off, so she just stared at him with tearful eyes.
He shook his head and let out a long sigh, "Really, don't worry. I don't mind."
"You might not mind, but I do!"
"Then I don't know what to do," He sat down silently on the ground, gazing at the moonlit fields.
The girl on the verge of tears couldn't help but crouch down beside him, shaking his shoulders, "Do something! Don't be so cold about it!"
"If I'm not cold, what do you want me to do? Help you with my hand?", He gave a somewhat disdainful glance at her left hand, which had been down there earlier, but still wore a resigned expression as he silently raised his own left hand.
"What lewd things are you saying! I'm your master!"
"After everything, do you really have the standing to say that?"
"I'm sorry!"
"You're loud when apologizing, but... why are you apologizing with your back to me?"
Watching the girl instantly turn her back and bow at a perfect ninety degrees, he couldn't help but be a little dumbfounded.
But Roxy soon crouched down on the ground, one arm around her knee, the other drawing random circles on the dirt. With a broken expression, head tilted, eyes hollow, she let out an empty voice, "Honestly, the shock is too much. I don't know what to do anymore, and I can't even look at you... I want to die. In fact, just kill me now. I definitely have no choice but to die now..."
"Don't worry. Only heaven knows, only earth knows, only you and I know. And besides, you won't see me tomorrow."
"Suicide pact?"
"Why would I die together with you just because you were getting yourself off?"
"I really am a terrible master..."
"Didn't I say I'm traveling, looking for a way back to my homeland?"
"I think I remember something like that?"
With her mentality completely shattered, the girl was struck by yet another remark from him and couldn't focus on what he was saying at all. She was entirely preoccupied with finding a place to bury herself, responding mechanically with a broken expression.
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