Episode 87
"Guuu!"
"Haaah!"
Serena's white owl rapidly descends toward the cat doll that was grabbing my leg and trembling.
Of course, the cat doll didn't lose without a fight and launched meow punches with its claws extended, but since it was a doll rather than a real cat, it only tickled the owl.
"Meow..."
With its meaningless resistance ending in failure, the cat doll, caught in the owl's talons, began flying through the air while letting out pitiful cries.
"Hmm... my hair keeps sticking up."
I, who had been touching my hair while looking in the mirror, leaving behind their bloody fight, soon smiled and murmured.
"I wonder if there's a gift I could give Serena?"
Serena has devoted herself to me all this time. It wouldn't be right not to give her at least one gift.
"Kitty, what do you think Serena would like if I gave her something?"
After sitting and pondering for a while, I rescued the cat doll that had been flying around caught by the owl and asked it a question.
"Right, that would work... mmph."
Then, as I was speaking with a smile after suddenly having a good idea, my mouth was covered by the cat doll's front paws.
"Meow."
Soon after, it made an annoyed expression and turned its head away before slipping out of my grip.
"...Hmm?"
And the next moment, it suddenly disappeared. I definitely saw it jump down from my hand, but where could it have gone?
"Sorry, I'll play with you next time."
Since the cat doll liked dark and secluded places, like inside my clothes, I assumed it had hidden somewhere in a huff and stood up from my seat.
"Guu!"
"...Right, let's go."
Then the owl flew over and sat on my shoulder, rubbing its cheek against my face.
It's a bit awkward since this fellow who pecks at everything is suddenly acting cute, but anyway, it's better than being pecked, so I don't mind.
"Frey? Where are you...?"
As I left the room with such thoughts, Irina, who happened to be passing through the hallway, tilted her head and asked.
"I just have somewhere to go for a bit."
"...Mm."
At those words, Irina's expression turned pale. It seems she developed trauma from what happened last time when I said something similar and went to the Demon King's army.
"I'll be back by tomorrow morning, so you don't need to worry too much."
Irina swallowed and nodded at my words, then suddenly discovered the owl sitting on my shoulder and her eyes began to widen.
"Th, that owl is..."
"Guu!"
The owl blocked her approach by fiercely glaring at Irina, then began gently pecking my face and hurrying my steps.
"Well then, take care. Especially make sure to keep watch so Lulu doesn't do anything reckless."
"...Okay."
Saying that, I began heading toward the mansion's exit, leaving behind Irina who had somehow become gloomy.
"...I sense black magic power from somewhere?"
It seemed like Irina was muttering something behind me, but I decided not to pay attention since I was in a hurry.
.
"...Hehe."
In her room at the Moonlight family mansion, Serena was giggling while holding a letter.
- Safe. Escaped safely.
It was a letter Frey had sent to her a week ago.
- I love you.
"Me too..."
Serena, who had been smiling as she took in those words she had read over and over again, quickly got up and approached the window when she sensed someone in the yard beyond the mansion.
"He's here...!"
Then, Frey's figure getting off a carriage came into her view.
"...Heh."
Serena, who was watching Frey enter the mansion with a slightly awkward expression, began preparing a small prank.
- Zzzzt...
"Alright, let's try it."
Since childhood, she had often played pranks on Frey.
And among them, her favorite prank was pretending to prick Frey with a poison needle.
Of course, she had no intention of actually hurting Frey, so Serena had devised a magic that would only make the opponent feel slightly stinging.
Thanks to that, Frey in his childhood would always ask her for an antidote with a pale face.
Of course, after he changed, she couldn't play such pranks anymore, but now she might be able to see his cute appearance one more time.
Although last time there was an unexpected situation and she had to give the antidote quickly due to lack of time, now it would be different.
- Knock knock knock
"Come in."
Thinking such thoughts, Serena quickly pressed herself right next to the door and spoke in a calm voice when she heard knocking.
- Creak...
"...Huh? Serena?"
Then the door opened, and Frey's flustered voice was heard.
He was probably very confused because Serena wasn't visible even after opening the door.
"What...?"
Frey, who had been standing with a blank expression for a while, cautiously took a step into the room, and Serena, not missing that moment, reached toward Frey's neck at lightning speed.
"Serena, what do you think you're doing?"
But at the same time, Frey, with the corner of his mouth raised, simply grabbed Serena's hand.
"...Well?"
Serena, who was slightly flustered by this, soon put on a brazen expression and asked back.
"If you're going to be like that... I have no choice."
"Ouch."
Then Frey, with a mischievous smile, grabbed Serena's extended finger and pressed it against her own neck.
"Now you're poisoned, so you need to drink the antidote, right?"
Then, Serena took out an antidote from her bosom with a sullen expression.
"My first failed prank... really shocking... ah!"
"...Got it."
Soon after, Serena, who had been mumbling with her shoulders drooped, had the antidote snatched away by Frey in the blink of an eye.
"Ah-uh. (Drink)"
Frey, who poured the snatched antidote into his mouth all at once, smiled with his eyes just like Serena had done before.
"...I guess I have no choice if I want to live."
Then Serena, who also smiled along with him, soon kissed Frey gently.
"Puh."
It was only after several minutes that the two, who had been kissing for a while, separated.
"By the way, I'm curious about something..."
"What is it?"
"Is this antidote supposed to be bland?"
Frey, who was frowning and tilting his head, continued speaking with a questioning expression.
"Last time too... and this time too... normally antidotes contain herbs and taste bitter, don't they?"
At those words, Serena smiled and answered.
"It can't be helped, it's just water."
"...What?"
As Frey made an expression of disbelief, Serena chuckled and continued.
"That, it's just water. It has no effect at all."
"Then, you mean I've been played by you both then and now?"
When Frey asked with a hollow expression, Serena answered with a proud expression.
"Still, I'll praise you for grabbing my hand. Thanks to that, my heart was racing."
Soon after, Serena, who had been reaching toward Frey, stopped her hand and slightly frowned.
"Serena, what's wrong?"
"How careless can you be, walking around with this on you."
Saying that, Serena, who raised moon mana in her hand, began stroking Frey's collar.
- Sizzle...
Then, black smoke began rising from Frey's collar.
"Really, such an insolent cat..."
Smirking, Serena, who was unbuttoning Frey's clothes, stopped mid-sentence and frowned again.
"Serena? What is it this time?"
When Frey tilted his head at her behavior, she answered with a cold smile.
"...There's an uninvited guest."
"Cough! Cough!"
As Serena sent moon mana into the pocket on Frey's outer garment, coughing sounds began to come from inside the pocket.
"...Me, meow."
Soon after, what poked its head out of the pocket was the cat doll that had disappeared from Frey's room earlier.
"What... why is this here?"
Frey, who was watching with a flustered expression, scratched his head and muttered.
"I definitely didn't feel anything in the pocket...?"
"Do you know, Frey?"
Serena, who didn't miss his words, began speaking in a low voice.
"Nothing is as frightening as becoming accustomed to something."
"Huh?"
"Without realizing it, you end up accepting it naturally."
Having finished speaking, Serena picked up the black cat doll that had been in Frey's pocket.
"By the way... this doll is quite pretty?"
"Y, yikes... meow..."
"My, it makes cute sounds too."
Soon after, Serena, who was pressing the cat's belly, smiled with her eyes and asked Frey.
"By the way, would it be okay if I keep this?"
"Sorry... that's a doll that's a bit precious to me."
"...I see, that's a shame."
When Frey shook his head with an apologetic expression, Serena murmured like that and began staring intently at the cat doll's eyes.
"Instead, I have a gift prepared for you."
"Huh?"
Serena, who had been following the eyes of the cat doll that was frantically looking away with a startled expression, looked up with a dazed expression when Frey spoke in a shy voice.
"H, how is it?"
"This is..."
What Frey held out with his face slightly red was a star-shaped crystal that sparkled silver.
"I gathered my star mana, and gathered it some more to make this. Using the star magic I awakened recently."
"Ah..."
"I, was it too insincere? Sorry, but since I received sudden contact, I didn't have time to prepare a gift..."
When Serena just stared at it with a dazed expression, Frey began making excuses while sweating cold sweat.
"...It's the best gift."
Serena, whose face had by now turned completely red, quickly took the sparkling star-shaped crystal and said.
"Meow..."
"...So, why did you call me?"
After that, Frey and Serena, who had maintained silence with red faces for a while, came to their senses at the cat doll's pitiful sound and began talking again.
"Your birthday was a few hours ago, wasn't it?"
"Right, but why is that?"
"I called you because I wanted to give you a birthday present."
Hearing Serena's words, Frey asked with a puzzled expression.
"But isn't the birthday party hosted by the imperial family coming up soon? You could give it then..."
"That's something I can't give then."
Saying that, Serena placed the cat doll she was holding on a high shelf and began leading Frey by the hand into the room.
"Just what are you trying to give...?"
Frey, who was being dragged along by her in bewilderment, soon froze when he discovered where he was heading.
"...Eek!"
Serena, who had fallen onto the gorgeously decorated bed along with Frey, whispered in Frey's ear with a shy smile.
"...Me."
Having said that, Serena grabbed the blanket next to her and spread it, covering both Frey and herself.
"...Meow."
According to the cat doll that watched this scene, they didn't come out from under the blanket for a long time.
.
"Frey, I can feel your heartbeat."
"...Me too."
Serena is crushing me under the blanket.
Thanks to that, Serena's breathing and heartbeat can be heard clearly, and her curvaceous figure is pressing against my body, revealing its shape.
"Then, I'll begin..."
"Y, yeah..."
As Serena, who was looking down at me in that state, spoke shyly, I swallowed and reached out to her.
"...To give you the real birthday present you need."
"What?"
She, who grabbed my hand, suddenly changed her expression to a serious one and began speaking.
"I'm sorry. You must feel very frustrated, right? But there's something I have to be this thorough about."
"Just what is..."
"...Of course, I also intended to tease a certain cheeky cat."
Looking at Serena who was still crushing me and making her characteristic incomprehensible sounds, I began poking her side gently and urging her.
"So what are you trying to say?"
"H, hiy!"
Serena, who let out an involuntary moan when poked in the side, her only weakness since long ago, soon blushed and whispered.
"The, the reason I was able to discern the truth about you... and something you absolutely need to know."
Hearing those words, I tensed up, and when I heard Serena's next words, my mouth fell open.
"You have the 'Book of Prophecy', don't you?"
"How do you know about that... mmph."
Soon after, Serena, who covered my mouth when I raised my voice, whispered in a cautious voice.
"I have it too."
"What?"
When I asked with eyes full of disbelief, Serena spoke to me again in a clear tone.
"I'm saying that I, in this cycle, also possess that Book of Prophecy."