"Phew… finally…"
Face still flushed from the hot spring, Rudolf got dressed and stepped outside, grabbing a bottle of milk from the nearby cabinet and gulping it down, trying desperately to cool herself off.
Am I really such a filthy person…? Having such thoughts about a child who hasn't even reached honkaku…
She glanced toward Kagura, who was sitting comfortably on a chair nearby, leaning against the wall and gently swinging her little legs. Rudolf felt profoundly grateful that Kagura hadn't noticed any of the improper thoughts she'd been having.
Kagura had already changed back into casual clothes, and seeing her now finally allowed Rudolf to calm down a bit.
"What's wrong, Ojou-sama? Why are you staring at me again? Is there something on my face?"
Ever since they arrived at the hot spring inn, Kagura noticed Rudolf had been staring at her far more than usual, making her rather puzzled.
"No, nothing. It's just that your face looks a bit red. You're not feeling dizzy or anything, right?"
"I'm fine~ Ojou-sama's face is so red she looks like a cooked shrimp! I'm more worried about whether you soaked too long."
"Ah… ahahaha…"
Rudolf laughed awkwardly, knowing exactly why her face was flushed. Earlier, while fooling around in the water with Kagura, she had nearly lost control of herself multiple times.
She wasn't sure whether she should be proud of her iron will for not directly doing something unforgivable to that child right there in the hot spring, or amazed at how attractive a child who hadn't even reached honkaku could be.
"Ladies, did you enjoy the hot spring? Dinner has already been delivered to your room."
The inn's owner peeked into the lounge and reminded them warmly.
"The hot spring was great! Thanks, miss owner!"
Kagura smiled sweetly and nodded in response.
"Hehe~ If you two sisters enjoyed yourselves, then that's the best recognition our inn could ask for! I'll leave you two alone to chat then~"
"Okay~"
Kagura responded in an adorable voice, sweet enough that Rudolf nearly choked on her milk, feeling as though she'd just been electrocuted.
"I didn't know Kagura could make such a normal child-like sound…"
"What's that supposed to mean? You're implying I usually don't sound like a kid?"
You usually sound like my mom…
The thought popped into Rudolf's head, but of course, she didn't dare say it aloud—she didn't want to get hit.
"I get the feeling Ojou-sama's thinking something extremely rude…"
"No no, not at all. Kagura, have you rested enough? Shall we head back to the room for dinner?"
"Sure~"
Kagura slid down from the chair, slipping her delicate white feet into slippers. Hopping playfully up to Rudolf, she looked up at her with a bright, beaming smile:
"Let's go~ Rudolf-oneechan~"
"…Pffft!!"
Rudolf finally couldn't hold it anymore.
...
Honestly, the inn's dinner wasn't particularly abundant, perfectly matching Kagura's impression of typical Japanese cuisine. Of course, after a soak in a hot spring, eating too heavily wasn't ideal anyway.
But the most memorable thing wasn't the dinner—rather, it was Rudolf's casual clothes, which Kagura was seeing for the very first time.
"Ojou-sama, who exactly picked out those clothes for you?"
Lying on the bed, Kagura stared at Rudolf, who was scrolling through her phone. Kagura felt her eyelid twitching uncontrollably. This outfit, combined with those glasses, instantly added at least 25 years to Rudolf's apparent age. She had no idea who the genius was who picked this clothing—if she didn't know better, she'd think the academy's discipline teacher had come along.
"I think I got it when I went out shopping with Maruzensky-san that day. She said something about it being the latest young people's fashion trend?"
"…Did Maruzensky-senpai really pick this outfit for you?"
Thinking about the clothes Maruzensky-san previously chose for herself—quite normal, actually—Kagura struggled to accept that this middle-aged auntie outfit Rudolf was wearing came from Maruzensky's selection. Apparently, the day she'd gone shopping with Kagura, Maruzensky had greatly exceeded her usual taste.
"It looks weird, doesn't it… I knew something was off about her fashion sense. Next time, I should definitely bring you along when shopping."
"I'm more practical-minded, though, so I can't promise my fashion sense will be good…"
"It doesn't matter—it'll still be better than that old lady's."
Rudolf chuckled lightly, scrolling through her phone. Glancing to the side at Kagura, who was lying next to her watching videos, Rudolf couldn't resist reaching over to gently ruffle Kagura's hair:
"A kid like you staying up so late—careful or you won't grow any taller."
"I know already…"
Kagura made a soft, kitten-like sound as Rudolf playfully rubbed her head, obediently allowing Rudolf to pinch her cheeks and squish her face around.
Seeing Kagura's adorable reaction, Rudolf couldn't help but roll closer and lightly press against Kagura's back, playfully nuzzling her neck from behind like siblings might, causing Kagura to burst into laughter. Kagura's body still carried a faint floral scent from the hot spring, along with another, indescribably comforting aroma—definitely not the milky fragrance typical of a child, but something entirely different and pleasant.
"Ahh!! Ojou-sama! Stop blowing air into my ear!!"
Kagura trembled lightly, extremely sensitive as Rudolf's nuzzling gradually moved toward her ear.
"Oh… sorry, sorry. Kagura, are your ears especially sensitive?"
"Yeah, and my tail too. Once, when the Head Maid came to wake me up, she blew into my ear a couple times, and I nearly jumped up and kicked her…"
Remembering that morning when she scared the Head Maid half to death, Kagura shivered slightly. She knew exactly which parts of her body were sensitive, and she was all too aware of her own strength. Had that kick landed squarely, even if it wasn't lethal, it would've left the poor Head Maid bedridden for at least a week.
"I see… I'll remember that from now on. By the way, Kagura… you don't mind me touching you like that just now, right?"
This was Rudolf's first time fooling around in such an intimate way with a friend—or rather, someone close to her. Of course, impulse had played a significant role in her earlier actions.
"I don't mind. If Ojou-sama wants, you can even hug me directly."
Hearing Rudolf awkwardly stammer behind her for a long moment, Kagura pretty much guessed the situation. Deciding to just permit Rudolf's actions, she wasn't sure if her body truly felt that nice to cuddle, but considering how many people seemed to enjoy hugging her, letting Rudolf embrace her seemed like no big deal. If it helped Rudolf relieve stress—given how tightly wound she'd been with her recent races—it was a small favor Kagura was happy to give.
Receiving Kagura's permission, Rudolf gently pulled Kagura backward into her embrace, holding her close. Her fingers lightly traced over Kagura's exposed belly, where her pajamas had slightly ridden up.
"Ahh~ That tickles! Ojou-sama, if you're going to hug me, just hug normally! Stop tickling my belly!"
"Okay… okay…"
---
T/N: RUDOLF U DEGEN!!!
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