Chapter 69
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- The Dog’s Heat and the Magical Girl’s Hiatus
“Are you awake?”
“You’re awake.”
“It’s Master! She’s awake!”
“Master! You’re finally awake!”
As Heesu, still half-asleep with hazy eyes, came into the living room, the four men vied with each other to greet her. It was boisterous and noisy. Heesu, in the middle of tidying her messy hair with her fingers, looked around at them with a surprised face.
“What’s wrong with all of you? Did something happen?”
But the house was as peaceful as ever.
“We just greeted you?”
“I merely asked after your well-being, as usual.”
“I was bored!”
“I was waiting for you!”
Different answers poured out all at once, leaving Heesu with a bewildered expression.
It was a day that seemed the same as usual, yet different. Perhaps because there was one more noisy presence, the house felt much more bustling and scattered than before.
“Meal preparations aren’t quite ready yet, so please go rest on the sofa for now.”
“Right……. It seems the amount of food we need to prepare keeps increasing. Violen, you go through a lot of trouble…….”
“It’s fine.”
“Why don’t you tell them to help out a bit instead of just eating?”
“Actually, I’ve thought of that too, but there’s no one who’d be much help…….”
“Ah…….”
Heesu looked around at them with a ‘yeah, I guess so’ expression.
Izzen was always busy, reading the newspaper alone or collecting data, organizing things, operating his pad, or constantly making calls somewhere. Rufus, having only recently turned from a beast into a human, was terribly clumsy with his hands. Even with just eating, he’d barely get used to using a spoon and fork before he’d drop them again. He was so clumsy he couldn’t even help with dishes… no, he was dog-handed.
And the new family member, the incubus…….
“Master, I missed you! I thought I’d die from not seeing you for just one night! To not be treated like a worm by Master for such a long time…….”
“Yeah. Useless, insignificant, annoying worm.”
“Haaang!”
He was busy kneeling on the floor, clinging to Heesu’s legs, and rubbing his flushed cheek against them. He hardly looked like someone who could do housework.
“Maintain your dignity as a high-class demon, Edstan.”
Watching him, Izzen, with a serious face, spoke. He was the only one among them who consistently pointed out what no one else did. He was truly gravely and terribly serious, to the point where even Heesu, who considered the incubus a lunatic, wondered if he really needed to be that serious.
“I’ve already abandoned that name……. I am now merely Master’s beloved male dog!”
Even so, the other party didn’t listen.
Heesu only learned the name Edstan after Izzen told her. She was a little surprised he had a surprisingly normal name. Even so, to Heesu, he was just a perverted incubus, a useless worm, and a horny male dog, so it didn’t really sink in. Especially since he himself was saying things like that.
Nevertheless, Izzen wore a grave expression, as if the world was crumbling.
“H-how could such a thing happen…….”
Saying that, Izzen let out a deep sigh, his face etched with fatigue. He looked just like a salaryman, worn out by overtime, late nights, all-nighters, nagging bosses, and customer complaints.
Lately, Izzen often wore that expression. His once confident and relaxed, audacious face was still vivid in her mind, yet he seemed to be getting more and more worn out.
What on earth made him like that? Who on earth was tormenting him like that……? Without realizing that she herself might be the culprit, Heesu felt pity for Izzen. Even so, the one Heesu was more concerned about was Violen, whose household chores had immediately increased.
“Violen……. Can I help with anything?”
Heesu glanced around and asked, but Violen smiled and shook his head.
“No. I’ll be done soon. Please go sit down.”
“Okay…… If anything comes up later that I can help with, call me.”
Heesu went to the sofa and sat down, feeling somehow uncomfortable. If she knew more about housekeeping or cooking, she would just help out without being asked, but Heesu, who had never properly helped with housework in her life and had never cooked even in her studio apartment, only eating instant food, was utterly ignorant in these matters.
……Now that I think about it, Mom must have had an even harder time, with four family members from the start.
Suddenly, thoughts of her mother came to mind, and Heesu felt a vague sense of melancholy along with a heavy pang of guilt. Until now, she had only taken her mother’s labor for granted, never once feeling grateful or concerned, yet here she was, feeling concern for a complete stranger like Violen. She suddenly realized what a truly terrible child she was.
Seeing Button diligently cleaning sluggishly even today made her feel even more sorrowful. Mom didn’t even have a Button, did she……?
Should I go see Mom soon? And bring her a gift…….
Lost in such thoughts, Heesu lowered her head.
“Gah!”
Then she discovered the two men sitting clinging to her feet, glaring at each other, and cried out in alarm.
“Why are you two doing that?!”
Regardless of Heesu’s question, the two men were preoccupied with their war of nerves.
“This is my spot!”
Rufus roared, making a growling sound like a threatening beast.
“Oh, why, what?! Did you pay rent?! A male dog is supposed to always stick by his Master’s feet!”
Edstan retorted shrilly with a sulky expression.
“You are not a male dog! I am the male dog!”
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