I went down to the kitchen with a somewhat dejected-looking girl. For some reason, she seemed dissatisfied, but I didn't bother asking why.
Well… maybe her self-pleasure wasn't satisfying? It's information I'd rather not know.
Since morning, my stomach still wasn't settled enough for meat, so I roughly put together a salad with leftover bread and boiled eggs.
This is the last of the eggs too…
I want milk.
I watched the girl diligently munching away at the meal I prepared. The way she chewed was cute. She ate well too.
…My food expenses are going to double.
Feeling gloomy at the news, I stabbed at the salad with a fork, and upon putting it in my mouth, I realized that since I'm eating less now, it might even out.
Should I be happy…? I don't know. My mood kept going up and down, which was really strange. Having no appetite, I was just picking at my food when the girl, having finished her meal, approached me.
"Asha-nim."
"Yeah?"
She came close, sniffed, and tilted her head.
"You smell strange."
"Strange smell?"
"A strange smell, not Asha-nim's own scent, is mixed in with Asha-nim's scent."
…Are you a dog Beastfolk, not a Homunculus?
"I went to get Potions while you were sleeping, and that person was a Beastfolk."
"Is that so?"
She nodded her head as if understanding.
"Do you like animals, by any chance?"
"Animals, you mean?"
"Yeah."
I thought if she said she liked them, I might be able to enjoy some carefree pleasure. The girl's face became thoughtful, as if pondering for a moment.
"I haven't seen any directly, so I'm not sure."
"Is that so…?"
The girl sniffed again.
"But I don't think I'd like them much."
"So?"
"Yes."
Too bad, I don't have the spare time anyway.
"Oh, I thought about your name."
Then the girl looked at me with sparkling eyes. Ahem, clearing my throat, I calmly opened my mouth.
Your name from today is Cecilia, and your nickname will be Cecil.
"Your name from today is Balgi."
As I mulled over what I said, I realized my mistake. Cold sweat ran down my back.
But… it seemed our Balgi-yang liked that. With a still sparkling face, she softly cheered "Balgi!" and quietly continued.
"Balgi, you mean?"
"Ah, no, that's not it…"
"It seems like a pretty name."
Are you serious?
Really?
"That was a joke just now."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah."
"Is that so?"
She looked a bit downcast, as if she had liked the name Balgi.
…No matter what, I couldn't name a girl Balgi, so I clearly corrected it and moved to the Workshop. I really had no appetite.
"Then… Cecil?"
"Yes, Asha-nim."
"Then, can you make the same Potion as yesterday?"
"Understood."
Cecil, her silver hair bouncing, ran to the Preservation Box. I watched contentedly as she diligently took out the materials I had explained and began working, and I also opened another Preservation Box.
First… that thing.
Cecil's essence.
I took out the sealed Beaker I had stored in the Preservation Box. Actually, after this much time had passed, it should have become murky and dispersed, but it still boasted a jelly-like stickiness and density. Partly because it was stored in the Preservation Box, but even so, this was a bit… strange.
Holding it and gently shaking it, it reminded me of milk somehow. Everything weird looks like milk to me.
Should I try scooping out a little first?
I took a mouse pipette from the tool box. I slightly opened the sealed lid, inserted it, and then brought the tip to my mouth. The appearance felt like sucking essence through a straw, which wasn't pleasant, but there was no choice.
…If I knew it would be like this, I should have spent more money on this.
Anyway, I sucked it in with my mouth. Carefully, slowly, so as not to accidentally swallow. But… it was too sticky and wouldn't suck up well. Let me try sucking a bit harder—
"Asha-nim?"
"Hueup! Cough! Cough! Wai, wait a minute…"
Ah, damn, I swallowed it.
Gagging, I ran to the bathroom. My throat felt sticky. My tongue felt slippery.
I entered the bathroom and closed the door.
I put my finger in to try to vomit out what went down my throat, but something felt strange.
"Hueut…? Euh?"
The finger pressing on my tongue felt pleasurable. To the point where the pressure felt on my tongue made my mind hazy.
After staring blankly for a moment, I pulled out my finger. A long silver thread stretched from my mouth to my finger. I felt moisture around my mouth.
Wiping my saliva and clearing my throat, something sweet remained. But I didn't have time to pay attention to that. Because suddenly my body… grew hot.
"Huk… what is this, why is this happening."
The low-grade fever I experienced yesterday returned. This time it was more severe. My mind was hazy, and my body felt itchy. Something round and full gathered in my lower abdomen, feeling like it was blocking something.
Unable to properly control my body due to this strange sensation I was feeling for the first time, I grabbed the toilet and exhaled rough breaths.
My breath… was hot. The area around my mouth was soaked with fluid.
"Hueu…"
Especially the inside of my thighs… and added to that, the place where a rod originally hung was particularly severe. To the point where I wanted to scratch it immediately.
Feeling uneasy, I just breathed heavily for a long time, but eventually couldn't hold back and surrendered my body to my hazy mind.
I inserted a hand that didn't feel like my own—white and slender—between my thighs. I touched the small protrusion where a rod should have originally sprung up.
"Huh?"
Along with a tingling sensation, I felt something being satisfied. This, I had to touch this. This time, going beyond just touching, I flicked my index finger and rubbed it. Something tingling began sending some signal from the small protrusion to my lower abdomen.
I felt the round, gathered mass wanting to go somewhere. With another flick, it spread out a bit with a 'pah' sound. My body, thinking this was the answer, flicked its finger on its own.
"Heuk… hiik… heek…"
Making sounds like a beast in pain, I kept touching it. Ju, just a little more, and the strange feeling gathered in my lower abdomen would disappear, I thought.
Then, a voice came from beyond the closed door. It was Cecil.
"Asha-nim?"
"Heuk!"
I bit my arm to suppress the voice caused by the already flicking finger. The bitten forearm quickly became damp. Cecil's voice continued.
"Asha-nim? Are you alright?"
When there was no answer while biting my forearm, perhaps sensing something was wrong, Cecil tried to open the door. Pulling the forearm from my mouth, I grabbed the handle. Suppressing the bizarre pleasure from the unstoppable finger with effort, I responded to Cecil.
"Huk, I'm, I'm fine, my sto, stomach just hurts a bit."
"Are you sure you don't need help?"
"Uh, yeah…"
A squelching sound came from the fluid flowing from the cleft. An, any more stalling and I'd likely show this disgrace to Cecil.
"I, I'll be fine, so go, go back to the Workshoop…"
"Understood."
As Cecil, who had been hesitating for a moment, moved away, something gathered in my lower abdomen burst forth. Intensely, like a dam opening its floodgates. Worried Cecil might hear, I brought my forearm to my mouth again. The already bitten forearm was probably red from my teeth marks, but I had no time to care about that.
"Heuk!!!"
Slumping to the floor, biting my forearm, I surrendered to the unknown sensation. The floor became soaked with the fluid that spurted 'pwuut' from my cleft. Overwhelmed by a sudden urge to urinate, I let out water again.
Lost in the afterglow, I trembled for a long time. Only after exhaling heated breaths for a while did my body return to normal. I tried to get up holding the wall, but my legs were shaking so much I couldn't get up at all.
Eventually, I slumped down again and buried my face in my knees. Feeling the shirt clinging damply to my body and the moisture felt on my buttocks, I trembled.
"Fuck… what the hell just happened."
I cursed for no reason. Rational situational judgment was impossible. I was flustered by my body suddenly showing such a strange reaction.
Soon, self-loathing washed over me to the point where I even forgot why I came here.
"…I need to find a way to return to my original body quickly."
Before figuring out the cause, I first cleaned up the mess I had made. I brought a rag, wiped the floor, and changed clothes. I wanted to shower too, but doing that would take too much time.
Rinsing my mouth with water, I moved my steps to the Workshop. Cecil was waiting for me, whimpering like a puppy needing to poop. Sighing, I approached Cecil.
"…What's the matter?"
Noticing me, Cecil's expression brightened, and she came running, her silver hair fluttering.
"I was doing what Asha-nim told me to do, but a problem occurred."
"What kind?"
"The materials you mentioned have run out."
"Ah."
Thinking about it, I should have gone shopping once. I should have gone out first, not done experiments.
…What a mess.
It's all because my body changed. It's not my fault.
Cecil sniffed.
"Asha-nim!"
"What."
"You smell nice!"
"…What are you talking about."
"The beast smell is gone!"
Is it because I changed clothes?
"Yeah, yeah…"
While making plans to go out, I patted Cecil's head, and Cecil's shirt was bulging out.
So… it meant she was erect again. Not fully, but half…? Cecil didn't seem to have noticed yet.
"Cecil."
"Yes."
"We're going out, so let's get ready."
"Going out?"
"Yeah… there's a lot to buy."
"Understood."
In times like these, pretending not to notice is best.
"But what preparations should I make?"
"…Uh, um."
Not expecting this question back, I was momentarily flustered before responding.
"…Money?"
Then Cecil opened her red eyes wide. She looked like a rabbit.
"That's a problem. I don't have any money."
"…I have money, so don't worry."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah…"
Somehow filled with thoughts of going out, Cecil's shirt had also calmed down. With a sigh, I tidied up the Workshop.
Putting away the Beaker containing Cecil's essence felt a bit uneasy. Probably because of this.
My rinsed mouth still felt sticky.
Author's Note (Author's Afterword)
If you ask why I used a mouse pipette to transfer it... I'd answer: because it looks sexy. Thank you.
Thank you for the private 10-coin sponsorship.
It may be belated, but I inform you that the main tag is high-level, and I'll end here. Have a good lunch.