Chapter Forty: A Man and a Woman on a Summer Night, with Tentacles (Part I)
It was the day after my newfound experience in sticky play.
I still ate breakfast with Reinhardt-sama, even though I was still woozy from the lack of sleep. So after seeing him off, I went back to sleep again.
Taking a nap after not even an hour awake has become a regular thing for me.
Even though I’m constantly taking time from self-studying just to sleep… I couldn’t help wanting to sleep for longer.
Last night was my first experience in sticky play, so maybe that’s why I was extra tired… I woke up in the afternoon and took a bath absentmindedly. It was already dinner time by the time I realized that I was hungry.
I’ve always eaten dinner alone.
Now, it wasn’t just because I was buck naked… Things had just always been that way.
Reinhardt-sama’s work usually lasted until late in the night. Even if prior arrangements were made for a dinner party, he still finishes the day by eating a light snack in his office.
Because he’s so busy during the day, he relieves all his stress at night… I’m sure of it.
Anyhow, I always eat dinner alone.
Although it was embarrassing to do so while naked, there was no way I could just not eat.
I’d usually wrap a sheet around my body like a bath towel, but it dragged me down too much since the sheet was so big. So, I was now wondering if there’s a way to make it easier for me to move around.
Just as I was about to reach out for the cutlery to eat, Ella-san, who was sitting next to me, spoke for the first time.
“Annelier-sama, there will be an after-dinner snack today. That’s why the meal has a smaller portion.”
“…After-dinner?”
It’s been about a year and a half since I woke up in Annelier’s body, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a midnight snack, so why…?
After the evening preparations were finished, the late-night snack was brought in.
It seemed as though the after-dinner snacks she was referring to were all food that went well with alcohol.
There were hard-baked biscuits and some kind of paste.
A ham and thin slices of melon-flavored cucumber-like fruit, which was sometimes used as a dessert, that was in season.
There were also apricot-dried fruits and fried nuts.
It was an assembly of typical drinking snacks I’ve seen in Japan-trendy izakayas.
Alcohol was, of course, brought in with the snacks.
The alcohol was a sweet and sour fruit wine, something that was occasionally served at dinner.
Along with it were two cups.
This was an evident preparation for two people drinking together.
Two people drinking together…
I can’t imagine that happening at all.
The two of us have never had a drink together at night, so why now?
Was it because Reinhardt-sama wasn’t able to drink enough at yesterday’s evening party?
But even from where I was, I could already somewhat smell the alcohol.
It wasn’t as strong as the smell of hard liquor, but it was still something that gave off the same scent.
Considering that Reinhardt-sama didn’t usually smell like alcohol, I don’t think he actually liked alcohol that much.
If so, I don’t think he’d want to drink it again the next day just because he couldn’t drink enough the day before.
“Then, this is…”
…
Thi, this might look like it’s alcohol, but I think it’s actually an aphrodisiac!
The snacks might also be some form of aphrodisiac!
We’ll be taking in aphrodisiacs together…
…
That, all I can think about are that of terrible things happening…!
Even when I was the only one under an aphrodisiac, it was already a disaster… But if Reinhardt-sama also uses an aphrodisiac now, I couldn’t help but shudder thinking about how long we’ll be doing it for.
It might continue even after morning comes.
Will I be able to survive…?
Driven by impatience, I picked up the bottle that was placed on the table without much thought.
I have to hide this somewhere.
Ah, but there’s nowhere to hide it…
“Annelier-sama.”
As I was wandering around the room holding the bottle of alcohol, it seemed as though the maid watching over me became terrified by my eccentric behavior, and so, called her boss, Ella-san.
Before I knew it, Ella-san had already come into the room and called me, so I turned around.
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Ah, uhm, this, I need somewhere to…”
“Do you not like that type of alcohol?”
“Eh?”
Just as I was thinking about how to explain things to Ella-san, I heard Reinhardt-sama’s voice from the opposite side, making me jump up.
He’s already here…!
“I had told them to prepare something you’ve already tasted in the past.”
“No, no, it’s not that I don’t like it—”
The liquor bottle was smoothly taken from my arms.
After looking at it once, Reinhardt-sama handed it to Ella-san.
“Do you want something sweeter? Then… Prepare some easy-to-drink mead that Annelier would like.”
“I will do so.”
Ella-san bowed her head and placed the bottle on the table. She then went to fetch the other type of liquor Reinhardt-sama ordered her to get.
“Uhm… Are you also going to be drinking alcohol today?”
“I had it prepared to make for a better idle play, but it should be okay to deviate a little if you don’t like it.”
Idle play… Does that mean today was supposed to be…?
No, but I’ve never heard that it was better to be drunk during idle play until now.
In other words, today isn’t just for idle play.
“If you don’t like alcohol, you don’t have to force yourself.”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Then why were you trying to hide it away somewhere?”
Ugh, I got caught.
“That… It’s in a liquor bottle, but I was afraid it might’ve been an aphrodisiac. I thought it would be a bit of a problem if not only me, but also if Reinhardt-sama were under its influence.”
“Aphrodisiac…”
Reinhardt-sama showed a subtler expression than I had anticipated.
“…I don’t drink aphrodisiacs.”
“Ah, I see.”
He doesn’t drink…
What a relief.
“I don’t need any aphrodisiacs. You seem to understand that, to a certain degree, that if I used an aphrodisiac, it would be too much of a burden on your body.”
“You seem to understand already. It makes me feel both happy and sad.”
“It’s just regular alcohol, so you don’t have to worry about anything.”
“Then why would it be better to get drunk…?”
“Tonight’s training, according to what I’ve heard, can reportedly cause fear for some people.”
“Fear!?”
Reinhardt-sama, who has never done anything painful in our training or real life, gave such a terrifying preview of what’s to come…!
“It still depends on the person, since not everyone is one and the same. I thought that being drunk might lessen any fear you may feel.”
As I was still staring at the bottle, Reinhardt-sama glanced at me from the side.
“It’s hard to predict how you’ll react later when you’re already afraid and confused like that, just from looking at a liquor bottle.”
I’m sorry…
But not knowing is scary…!
“So, what exactly are we doing today?”
Please don’t hesitate to tell me and make me guess. Just tell me right away.
Because announcing that there would be inevitable fear is terrifying enough.
“Hmm. It’s along the lines of hanging.”
Hanging!?
Previous | Table of Contents | Next
Looking for your next read while waiting for chapter updates? Visit our Instagram for recommendations on novels involving villainesses, isekais, romances, and everything in between~!
Leave a Reply