[Part 1/4]
"So, he seems to have gotten into trouble again? And this is..."
Perhaps the one who realized the situation first was the arrogant pink princess.
She was resting her tired body on the veranda of her close friend's family villa, gazing at the splendid garden before her while sighing and pondering.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
A charming voice approached from behind with quick footsteps.
Holding a tray with tea and sweets... beast's milk yokan..., it was the master of the yashiki estate.
While offering her assistance with a gentle smile, Aoi knew it was not genuine goodwill directed at her.
It was mere score-keeping.
A flattery for him.Of course, if it helps him, she won't blame that clever calculation.
"There's no problem directly. ... For that level, he should be able to overcome it easily."
I see.
For folks from the weak Center region, they are surprisingly martial.
Compared to those around, they are much more skilled and troublesome.
However... that's all it is.
It's neither an overestimation nor tinted by prejudice.
Aoi was certain it was a stark reality.
He should have no problem at all.
Perhaps assistance is not needed.
Rather, it might hinder his achievement... no, wait.
"Hmm. Something like that..."
Aoi shared her view with the formula and peeked in, feeling disheartened.
Correction.
It's a bit troublesome.
She could intervene here, but...
"...rather, is it an opportunity?"
"Princess...?"
Ignoring Kayo's address, Aoi placed her hand on her mouth and began to hesitate alone.
That brief moment felt exceedingly long for the clever she.
... And then she came to a conclusion.
Overall, she chose that.
It was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity.
To save him, a grand move that could break this stagnant, unpleasant situation....
"Hehe."
Her lips involuntarily relaxed, releasing a laugh.
It was truly an enchanting and sadistic smile.
A sweet, hot, ripe, and melting maiden's grin....
"Princess, what on earth...?"
"Go. Quickly."
"Huh!?"
Kayo gasped at Aoi's command directed at something.
Something was there.
No, it must have been there from the beginning.
But Kayo got confused because it was always by her side.
The presence of Onitsuki's second princess and her following them.
Kayo first felt its existence by leaving the pink princess, and she recognized it clearly.
It was an overwhelming sense of loss, as if a hole had opened up.
It's different from the invisible youkai she used before.
Much, much stronger than that...
"That was..."
"It's not a big deal. Just me."
In response to Kayo's timid question, Aoi replied with indifference.
In reality, it is 'currently' powerful, but still not as strong as the second princess.
...Of course, it's certain that it's not comparable to the various youkai and exorcists.
Well then... Aoi stood up after taking a piece of the served yokan.
The shock of standing up made her ample bosom sway freely.
She swept aside her lustrous hair that was disheveled from the chaos.
An unadorned beauty reminiscent of an ancient goddess.
Kayo, for a moment, was captivated by that beauty, that form, that overwhelming allure, and felt a terrible jealousy.
As she had done many times before, she looked down at her own body.
She understood she was superior to those around, but still fell short of this princess.
When thinking about whose arms he would push down when they offered themselves side by side, she was overwhelmed by an insane sense of defeat...
"What are you doing? Let's go quickly?"
"...Where shall we go?"
Kayo tilted her head at the princess's call to head deep into the yashiki estate.
The princess chuckled at her friend's clueless attitude.
It was directed at her foolish and slow-witted companion.
"Of course, it's to take care of the livestock, right? There's no time to rest. If you neglect the work, you won't get quality material... We need to prepare for shipment, okay?"
Saying that, the white peach woman went away into the dark, choking depths.
The screams started right away.
The accusations that had gone on for some time.
The brief break that finally came was cruelly taken away, and the sweet hell started again, no matter what the people wanted.
How long will this go on?
Only the princess knows.
A paradise that lasts forever.
Pleasure that is torture...
"Shipment... hurry...!"
Rehashing the overly simplistic words of the princess, Kayo suddenly stood up.
The single thin cloth draped over her shoulder fell to the floor, but she didn't care.
Her exposed white skin flushed, and the mixture of her own and the livestock's bodily fluids, which had begun to dry, glistened lewdly with the sweat that burst forth.
"Please wait♪ I still have some toys we haven't tried yet♪"
Chasing after the princess, the young lady moved deeper inside.
With a joyful, dancing step, her honey-colored hair swayed, and her petite body disappeared into the dark filled with the scent of femininity.
With an ecstatic smile, a sadistic grin like a witch, she prepared the offerings to be presented....
"Kayo-san, how about it? ...Shall we try a little gamble?"
* * *
For humans, the perception of time is ambiguous.
Even without a clock, if there are no changes in the darkness of the sky, the height of the sun, or the temperature, the sense of time gradually melts away and is lost.
If one loses consciousness just before, is restrained, and there is nothing around to prove the passage of time, then closing one's eyes and remaining silent only makes it worse.
...Based on the long experience accumulated by the Juuyaku family, she came to discern it.
"Good evening♪ Are you hungry? I've prepared some food for you♪"
The lock was removed, the bolt was pulled out, and the iron door opened.
A happy shout echoed in the empty space.
A smell that tickled the nose drifted in... the sweet smell of Zosui rice porridge.
"Ta-da! Look at this! Doesn't it look delicious? I made sure to simmer it well so it's gentle on an empty stomach! Look, it's full of nourishing ingredients!"
Kaya appeared before the man who remained silent with his eyes closed, acting like a playful puppy.
She brought the small earthen pot on the tray right up to his nose to show him.
White steam rose up.
Eggs, mountain vegetables, fragrant herbs, all of them melted together with the white rice in a rich, gooey mixture.
It looked delicious at first glance.
And... the danger known to those who understand the way.
The Yakushiji family is specialized in the development of spiritual medicine.
The food served comes from the Juuyaku family branch.
It was an act of folly to consume it, especially since it was presented to captured prisoners, overflowing with herbs.
The moment it touched their lips, they could not imagine what would happen.
...Thus, the Household Member Coordinator, being a prisoner, fell silent.
He sealed his lips tightly, acting as if he would never open them.
It was a pitiful sight.
"...Come on, can you at least open your eyes?"
Kaya knew.
She knew that the prisoner in front of her was not only silent but was barely even breathing.
He was likely wary of the components in the steam.
It was a warning, or rather, a threat.
A person cannot live without breathing.
It is only logical.
"..."
"Nyahaha! I love obedient people~♪"
After a few moments, his eyes slowly opened.
Facing Kaya's hostile gaze, she responded with a friendly smile.
As promised, she lowered the tray for a moment.
"So, I guess dinner will be on hold for now? Shall we look at this instead?"
"A scroll... a contract?"
The prisoner couldn't help but murmur, having seen the scroll Kaya took out happily from her pocket.
Kaya became even more cheerful upon eliciting a reaction.
"Yes! It's a contract♪ Do you want to check the contents?"
"..."
"Then I'll show you!!"
Seeing the silent prisoner's attitude, Kaya continued speaking on her own.
She untied the scroll and quickly spread it open.
And then, the text was revealed before the Household Member Coordinator's eyes.
"Huh!? Wh-what is this...!?"
His sharp gaze widened in shock.
Kaya, grinning, pointed at the text on the paper, reading it out loud line by line for the Household Member Coordinator to see.
The main family and branches of the Juuyaku family vow that those who agree to this contract shall promise the following points to Party A without alteration, and Party A likewise swears to strictly adhere to the following contents to the Juuyaku family.
First.
The party A shall immediately surrender himself to the Juuyaku family.
Furthermore, his range of activities shall be limited to within one ri (0.62 miles or 3.927 kilometers) of the Juuyaku family estate, and he shall refrain from any acts of harm against the Juuyaku family and its domains and assets.
However, this excludes exceptions that will be presented later.
First.
The Juuyaku family shall strictly refrain from any physical or mental destruction of A, except as noted later, and shall guarantee him sufficient food, clothing, and shelter.
They also have an obligation to protect him from all social situations.
First.
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