Chapter 152
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
We reported back to Ms. Wendy at “Hooters,” then headed home to the apartment.
On the way out, we stopped at the store downstairs to pick up some supplies.
Iris and Arisa already had their room keys, but they needed certain bulky items—firewood, a kettle, pots, and buckets—which were easier to get locally.
Mostly for heating and water use.
Since we arranged for those to be delivered, our load didn’t change much from when we arrived at the shop.
With our main tasks done, we felt lighter on our feet and soon reached the apartment.
Then the two of them spoke up.
”Ah, right—before we settle in, we should greet the building manager,” Iris said.
”That’s true. But which one should it be?” Arisa replied.
Iris suggested it, and Arisa agreed.
Renting a place normally calls for a courtesy visit, but the manager, Ms. Sakura, was a different story. I’d arranged to have an “opportunity”¹ with her, which made things awkward.
*T/N ¹: Here, “opportunity” (機会 kikai) is a euphemism for a private meeting with romantic or intimate implications.*
The last time, I’d half-threatened her not to eavesdrop on our affairs… but it seemed she was actually looking forward to it.
I wondered if that was still the case.
Though she was beautiful, having “Silver Orchid” and “Hooters” next door with their own people watching me—and now Iris and Arisa living here too—meant that any “opportunity” with Ms. Sakura might be hard to come by.
Still, I couldn’t avoid meeting her forever, so I decided to report our return and probe her feelings while introducing Iris and Arisa.
With that, I led them to the manager’s office.
Knock knock knock…
”Y-yes?” Ms. Sakura answered.
Ms. Sakura was home and answered quickly.
Click.
”Oh!” I greeted her.
”Hello again. Long time no see,” I added.
”…” She remained silent.
”Is something wrong?” I asked.
When she opened the door and saw me, she froze and flushed bright red.
”Um…” she stammered.
”…Huh? Ah, welcome back!” she replied after a moment.
I called again, and this time she relaxed and greeted me, fidgeting as she glanced my way.
”Uh, so… when would you like to… you know?” she asked hesitantly.
Straight to the point.
She was still hoping for that “opportunity.”
I didn’t mind being wanted, and it was partly to keep her from eavesdropping that I wanted to consider it.
But now was a bad time.
Just then, the two appeared behind me.
”Nice to meet you. I’m Arisa, moving in today,” Arisa introduced herself.
”Same here, Iris,” Iris added.
”Eh? Since when…?” Ms. Sakura asked, surprised.
”From the start,” Arisa replied with a sideways glare.
”Umm…” Ms. Sakura murmured awkwardly.
Arisa gave her a sideways glare, and Ms. Sakura looked awkward.
She still seemed embarrassed about inviting me for a tryst and being caught by a man.
Arisa caught Ms. Sakura’s glance toward me and gave her a subtle look in return.
Maybe that’s why Ms. Sakura quickly changed the subject to Iris and the others.
”Uh… moving in today? I wasn’t told anything,” Ms. Sakura asked.
”I just signed the contract at the real estate office. Got the keys too,” Iris answered, holding up the keys.
”You decided without seeing inside?” Ms. Sakura sounded doubtful.
”I heard it’s not much different from Koji-san’s room,” Iris explained.
Ms. Sakura seemed skeptical since she hadn’t seen the place, but when Iris said that and mentioned me, she grew curious about why they were with me.
”Uh, what’s your relationship with Koji-san…?” Ms. Sakura asked hesitantly.
”He’s my fiancé,” Arisa answered firmly.
Probably to keep me from adding to my tally of partners—though I’d made it clear I wasn’t interested in that.
”Arisa, we talked about this, remember?” I said.
”Yeah… but I still don’t want it to go any further…” she murmured.
”You didn’t mind at your parents’ house, though,” I pointed out.
”That’s because all the women there knew their place,” she replied.
”Oh, I see,” I said, thinking about the implications.
I thought about marrying into the Gavrett family. The maids at her house and women in the Amilas Merchant Guild avoided complications—they didn’t want children.
But that only worked where the Gavretts had influence. Arisa, as a woman, was using the means available.
Had that made me tense around Linna? Had I guessed she was selling her body?
If so, the risk of pregnancy was high, and even if the child wasn’t mine, she could claim it was.
Without a clear way to prove otherwise, that’d cause a huge mess.
Assuming I carried Gavrett blood, I understood Arisa’s worry.
But—
”Don’t you know that can be prevented?” I asked.
”No, but it could happen while we’re sleeping, right?” she said, worried.
She said that, aware I had magic armor to prevent pregnancy, but she couldn’t stop imagining the worst.
If that happened, it would mean no consent, and I wouldn’t accept such a child.
Likely, it wouldn’t even be mine.
I couldn’t explain the magic armor to Ms. Sakura, so I steered back to their moving in.
”Well, let’s set that aside. Ms. Sakura, these two are staying with me, entrusted by acquaintances. That’s why we’re all in the same building,” I explained.
”Ah… I see,” she said, taken aback.
She was taken aback by the sudden topic change, but, seeing no way to verify, seemed to accept it.
”May I see the keys for a moment?” Ms. Sakura requested.
”Sure,” they replied.
They showed her the keys.
Her expression tightened slightly at the sight.
”You’re on the same floor as Koji-san, huh? But both his neighbors’ rooms are occupied, so…” she said, trailing off.
From earlier, she likely figured I had close ties with the two women.
Not knowing about the magic armor, she seemed to warn me that intimacy in my room could stir gossip.
I kept my answer brief.
”It’s fine. I’m handling it carefully,” I assured her.
”I-I see. Well, in that case…” she said, blushing again.
Her face flushed again.
Curious, I held back and let her show us around.
”The water comes from the well in back. Do you have a water jug or something?” she asked.
”Yes, we ordered one; it should arrive soon,” Iris answered.
We climbed to the fourth floor, following her instructions in Iris’s room near the stairs.
Then a knock.
When I opened the door, a young woman in a Hooters uniform stood there.
”Delivery?” I asked.
The items I bought were heavy and bulky, so I’d requested delivery—and was surprised to see her.
She smiled and explained.
”Actually, someone else carries them. But deliveries to single women can attract trouble. Our guild has no miscreants, but for peace of mind, a female member accompanies all deliveries,” she said.
”I see,” I replied.
Similar incidents had happened in my past life. With enough staff, offering such service made sense.
Hooters had become the go-to place for deliveries to single women.
This tied back to Silver Orchid—the other guilds couldn’t match their reputation, even if they tried.
While we talked, the female member got Iris’s permission to bring in the packages and had two men carry the items to their rooms.
With her supervising, I helped out, and the move finished in minutes.
Rustle rustle…
”Yes,” Iris said.
”Yes, indeed. If anything comes up, please let us know,” the woman said politely.
After Iris and Arisa signed off, the woman took the papers and left.
As they carried their belongings from my room to theirs, Ms. Sakura approached when they weren’t looking.
”Ah, um… if it’s my room, you don’t have to worry about neighbors,” she said quietly.
As expected, she looked at me with those same expectant eyes from before I left town, as if nothing had changed—
Ms. Sakura, with her distinctively Japanese features, felt familiar. Knowing she’d eavesdropped on our affair, she still handled things gently.
Being wanted by her brought a nostalgic warmth—and a reluctance to refuse.
Even when I’d pulled her into the storage room and teased her, there was a different kind of satisfaction.
Maybe I gave off an accepting vibe, and she sensed it…
”Tonight, if you’re not too tired… I’ll be waiting ♡” she said, and without waiting for a reply, returned to the manager’s room.
As for me, stamina wasn’t an issue. If possible, I wanted to respond sooner rather than later.
If I could come to prefer practice over eavesdropping through actual experience, maybe I could get her to ease up.
I’d be careful, but sometimes, private conversations without soundproofing happen.
Well… with Iris and the others around, I could create as many chances as I wanted.
After explaining the situation, maybe I’d drop by Ms. Sakura’s room.
Notes:
• Wendy – The daughter of merchant guild Hooters
• Arisa – Alicia’s (Iris’ sister) fake name.
• Iris – The first collaborator to request a curse-breaking item.
• Linna – A woman from the protagonist’s past; seems to have been selling her body.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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