After dinner, it was time to bathe and prepare for sleep.
Click...
The bathroom door opened, and wisps of white steam drifted out. Diego also emerged from within.
He was wearing pajamas embroidered with little dinosaurs, a silver cross pendant hanging on his chest, a towel draped around his neck, and a penguin-patterned band-aid on the corner of his mouth. His golden hair had become straight from the water, giving him the air of a friendly neighborhood big brother.
"How strange. Where's the hair dryer in the bathroom?"
Diego looked around but couldn't find the hair dryer in its usual spot. Left with no choice, he headed to the living room with his somewhat damp hair.
The living room was quiet. Diego only saw Frieren and Alicia.
Alicia sat on the sofa, her posture upright, eyes fixed on the soap opera playing on the television. She held a bag of snacks in her hands and took a bite from time to time.
Frieren was lazily leaning against Alicia while reading a book, one leg naturally crossed over the other, one hand propping up her cheek and the other flipping through the pages.
Knock knock...
Diego walked behind the two of them and casually knocked on the small table beside them, making a sound that drew their attention.
"Have you seen my hair dryer?"
One of Diego's hands rested on Frieren's shoulder while the other held the towel, wiping the water droplets from his hair. "I looked for it for a long time but couldn't find it. Now the great me's hair is still wet."
Frieren didn't lift her head. Her calm gaze remained on the book on her lap, her expression carrying a hint of casual indifference.
"I don't know. Shouldn't you ask the last person who used the bathroom about this kind of thing?"
Then Frieren tilted her head and slowly looked at Diego, asking, "Why ask me? Do you need me to use fire magic to dry it for you?"
Although Frieren knew the spell 『Magic That Can Dry Soaked Hair』, she had more important things to do right now—that was, finishing this book "Even Monkeys Can Learn Multiple Languages"!
Although she didn't understand why most of the books in Dio's house were "Even Monkeys Can Learn..." something or other...
The corner of Diego's mouth twitched. He decisively refused. "No thanks. Spare my beautiful hair..."
Unable to get any useful information from Frieren, Diego had no choice but to place his hopeful gaze on Alicia.
"The last person to use the bathroom seems to have been Elga." Alicia pinched her chin and answered uncertainly.
At this moment, Sui came out of the bedroom, holding Diego's hair dryer and drying her hair.
She looked at everyone and handed the hair dryer to Diego, blinking. "I think I heard someone calling me."
"OK~~" Diego took the hair dryer and started drying his hair. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Sui's pajamas. "By the way, your pajamas are pretty."
Sui's pajamas had been brought from her original world and stored in a space rift. It was a white fitted style with delicate lace frills. Under its semi-translucent fabric, her body curves could be clearly appreciated.
"Wh...!? I-It's not like I wore it specifically for you to see!"
Sui's cheeks flushed red. Her expression shifted from calm to shy. To avoid being noticed, she simply turned her head away.
"Ah~~ I'm a bit sleepy..." Frieren yawned, put the book down. "Dio, where's my room?"
"Room... Do I even need to say it?!" Diego's words stalled for a moment. He gave a thumbs-up and proudly pointed at himself. "Of course it's that everyone comes to sleep with me!!"
The moment he finished speaking, Sui reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Ah————?!"
Sui crossed her hands in front of her chest in an X shape and frantically grabbed Diego's collar, shaking him hard several times. "No!!! Absolutely not!!!"
Is this guy Dio an idiot?!
How can you do this kind of thing with other people present!!
Idiot idiot idiot idiot idiot...
"Rejected..." Frieren dejectedly lowered her head. Even her ears drooped along with it. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said with some resignation, "But I guess it's understandable. Frieren said my sleeping habits are really bad. Not only do I steal the blanket, I also roll around all the time. It's normal if you don't want to sleep with me..."
"No, that's not what I meant!!!"
"How could I possibly dislike you, Frieren?"
Sui's eyes widened abruptly. Then she waved her hands frantically, looking like she was about to cry. She never expected those words would make Frieren think she disliked her.
"I already know..." Frieren muttered softly. She picked up the book she had just been reading, "Social Skills Even Monkeys Need to Learn", and said with a wronged tone, "This book said that to understand a person, you shouldn't look at what she says, but at what she does. But you don't even want to sleep with me..."
?
Which bastard wrote this book?!
I'll burn it later!!
"How could that be?!"
Sui hugged Frieren and affectionately rubbed her cheek, comforting her. "Frieren is the cutest! Let's sleep together tonight!"
Forget it. It's the same if I go after Frieren falls asleep..
"Only tonight?"
Frieren looked at Sui pitifully.
"You can... sleep together as long as you want!"
Only then was the sulking Frieren finally coaxed.
Coincidentally, Diego had also finished drying his hair at this moment. He let out a light sigh.
The plan to share the big blanket had fallen through. He had also lost interest and scratched his hair somewhat gloomily.
"...Do whatever makes you happy. Anyway, there are plenty of rooms here and the furniture is complete. You can stay in whichever room you like." Diego pointed to the nearby bedroom. "Aah, I'm going to rest. Good night."
Then Diego dragged his heavy steps to his bedroom door, pressed the handle, and pushed the door open.
"Ah..."
The moment he opened the door, the sharp-eyed Diego discovered that an unknown creature had occupied his bed and was sleeping soundly and comfortably, with its belly and paw pads exposed right in front of him.
It was the familiar demonic beast of the Magic Flame Dragon, 『Blazing Hell Wolf』.
"No wonder I didn't see Mabel. She was hiding here sleeping..." Diego had naturally seen Mabel's appearance when she wore the beast robe to sleep, so he wasn't surprised. "Then let's sleep together."
"Good night, Mabel."
Diego hugged Mabel, pinching the paw pads she had transformed. The long-lost sense of security allowed him to slowly drift off to sleep, completely forgetting that Sui had said she would come privately to find him tonight.
After an unknown amount of time, Diego's bedroom door was pushed open.
The one who came was not Sui, but Alicia.
I'm sorry, Elga!
But I really wanted to sleep with Dio!
She apologized in her heart, quietly closed the door, and walked silently to the right side of the bed. Looking at the sleeping Diego and the Blazing Hell Wolf in his arms, she couldn't help but think to herself.
Mabel is actually here too...
Then Elga can't blame me, right!
She carefully sat on the edge of the bed and slowly lay down, hugging Diego from behind.
"Good night, Dio."
After another unknown amount of time, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.
Bang!
The bedroom door was pushed open heavily. This time it was Sui who came.
"I finally got Frieren to sleep..." She was holding a spare set of pajamas in her arms and said impatiently, "Orc face, I'm here. You didn't wait too long... did you..."
The only response was the sound of gentle breathing.
Sui's eyes instantly lost their highlights, wearing an expression like she was looking at a dead person.
He clearly promised me we would do it tonight...
But in the end he secretly called Alicia and Mabel over...
Just where am I inferior to them...
Just as Sui's resentment rose and she pulled out an ancient magical tool from a space rift, her peripheral vision suddenly noticed a flash of crimson on the chest of Diego's pajamas.
"...I see."
He got injured in the fight with Wazuki?
Really, why didn't you say so earlier...
Sui stuffed the ancient magical tool back in and took out a healing talisman Alicia had made instead, tossing it onto Diego.
Then she gently shook her head and prepared to leave.
Just as Sui reached the door, she changed her mind.
"Forget it. Since I'm already here."
After yet another unknown amount of time, a white-haired elf mumbling "Where did Elga go" also barged in. With her eyes tightly closed, she staggered straight toward Sui on the bed.
Thud...
In a daze, Frieren pounced onto Sui and peacefully fell asleep.
...
Achievement Unlocked: Sharing the Big Blanket!