Chapter 290 – It’s None of Your Business

“What are you going to do?”
“…Stay up all night.”

I sat down in the library, talking to Marronnier. There were some things that couldn’t be understood just from attending classes all day, and with such a large volume of material, pulling an all-nighter was the norm. Thanks to Cornus, who stopped by with some sliced fruit, my sugar levels were well replenished.

Cornus’ therapy is the best.

“…Get some sleep. What about tomorrow?”

1 AM. Marronnier, who had finished today’s workload first, stood up from her seat.

Watching her from the side, I understood why people called her a genius. Even though we were solving the same problems, her completion time was consistently 4 to 5 minutes faster. Catching up with one or two problems wasn’t an issue, but over a few hours, the difference became dozens or even hundreds of problems. The gap between Marronnier’s studies and mine was disheartening.

“…You’re still there.”
“…….”

Marronnier, who glanced down at my paper, appeared somewhat surprised.
I apologize for not being more intelligent.

However, I’m not one to be berated for my lack of intellect.
I manage to accomplish my tasks, even if I resort to some tricks or possess a disagreeable personality. Marronnier, on the other hand, is exceedingly smart.

“Get some rest first; I’ll make sure I understand everything here before I leave.”
“…Sleeping might be a good idea.”

At my words, Marronnier attempted to step back, but she gathered her skirt and sat back down in her chair.
She then dragged the chair over to my side. The distance between us was reduced to less than a hand’s span.

“…Would you like me to explain?”

Marronnier looked up at me, her cheeks faintly flushed as she lowered her head. She resembled a cat smirking.

“I’m adept at teaching, you know.”

Her words struck a blow to my pride.

Is this the difference between a genius recognized by the nation and someone like me? I could feel the vast gap between our intellects.

“…I’ll do it alone. It’s more enjoyable that way.”
“I think I know what you mean. Diving into a single problem for like 5 hours.”

It’s a casual remark, but it resonates with me.
It seems I’ve spent 5 hours on a problem before.

“But that’s not good for your health if you don’t sleep.”
“It doesn’t seem to bother me.”
“……”

Marronnier briefly glares at me with a displeased expression.
What does she want me to do? She folds her arms on the desk, rests her chin on them, and stares at my face as if staging a small protest.

-Gulp.

The sound of swallowing is heard.

“Then I’ll wait until you’re finished.”
“…You should get some rest.”
“We’re in the same class, so why not? I used to do this a lot. With my lab friends.”

If she thinks that’ll make me stop.
My stubbornness only made me dive deeper into my studies.
Marronnier alternated between lying down and dozing off, waking up and watching me, then dozing off again.

“Ugh,”

She shifts her waist, seemingly uncomfortable.

I tirelessly moved my pen, but the whining Marronnier became too distracting, and I had no choice but to stop studying midway.

“Ugh.”

This is why magic doesn’t mix well with white.
They’re both so stubborn that neither yields when they clash.
In the end, it’s always me who gives up first, just as it was when I was with White Peach.

“Marronnier.”
“…Hmm.”
“Let’s wash up and sleep.”

Blanche, rubbing her eyes, got up and stretched her languid body.
After getting up belatedly and organizing the books, we both went to our rooms.

“Have you finished?”
“No. You look so uncomfortable sleeping, so I’m just going to sleep.”
“Are you worried about me?”
“Yeah, think of it that way.”
“…Sometimes I can’t tell if you’re kind or not.”

Still, it doesn’t seem to bother her when she smiles at me. The more I observed her, the more it seemed her defenses gradually softened.

In the past, a mere touch of my hand would leave me breathless and excited, as if I had boiled a train’s firebox, but now, we converse without reservation.
Compared to just a few days ago, isn’t this a monumental improvement?
By now, shouldn’t it be acceptable to touch without refusal?

-*Swoosh*-

With that thought in mind, I reached out and caressed Marronnier’s head.
A handful of soft, sky-blue hair filled my grasp.

The silky sensation was remarkable. The strands of hair protruded between my fingers, with some sticking out like cat ears beside my thumb and pinky.
The more I looked at it, the more intriguing her mane appeared.
It seemed to move in response to her emotions.

“Why, why are you touching me again?!”
“Ah. You still feel that way? I was just trying to check if my power was still affecting you.”
“…Cancel, cancel! Forget my kindness. It’s still, it’s still the same…”
“I’m sorry.”

She then struck my shoulder and clutched her clothing tightly.
“But it seems like you’ve improved quite a bit, don’t you think?”

“…Well, it’s not that I improved… I was just lying in your bed…”

Marronnier murmured in a barely audible voice, as if it were slipping into a mouse hole. It was so faint that it seemed not intended for me to hear. While traveling to the past, it wasn’t just my magical power that had developed; my five senses had sharpened as well, allowing me to hear everything.

I hadn’t known why Marronnier was lying in my bed, but now I wondered if it was for such a perverse reason. When I considered it, I felt as if I had become a drug. Lee Se-Young and Zodiac would embrace me whenever they had the chance, claiming they were taking my essence.

“What did you say?”
“…Nothing.”

When I asked again, Marronnier averted their gaze, perhaps believing that I hadn’t heard them.

‘I should pretend not to know about this.’

Although it may not seem like it, Marronnier’s actions were part of their strategy to endure subservience. It didn’t appear to be a good choice to explicitly mention it and cause embarrassment. Lying in bed was acceptable, as long as they didn’t immediately lie down with wet hair after bathing.

While engaged in such conversation, Sephirot carefully stepped over the scattered books in the corridor outside the library and entered the room. Inside, Cornus was lying on the bed with her eyes open.

“…Sieon.”

“Didn’t you sleep either?”

“No, I can’t seem to fall asleep.”

“Why can’t you sleep? Are you feeling unwell?”

“It seems to hurt a bit.”

Oh dear.

Has the time finally come?

“Does Cornus hurt?”

Worried, Blanche also took a step closer to check on Cornus’s condition. As for me, I couldn’t figure out the cause, but there was no other way to cure this chronic ailment. Cornus placed her hand on her chest as if feeling tightness and glanced at me.

“Sieon, I…”

“Ahem.”

Touch my chest.

Just before saying that, I coughed. It was a sign not to do it, and understanding the signal, Cornus clenched her mouth shut.

She seemed to have endured quite a lot, even tightly closing her eyes. It was my fault for not taking care of her physical condition for some time.

“What should we do? Should I call the sage?”

As I stopped Marronnier from stomping his feet, I let out a sigh. It couldn’t be that serious of a medical situation.

“You should rest first.”
“…What will you do?”
“It has happened before. Give me a massage. I’ll be near the changing room, so wash up first and go to bed.”
“The changing room?”
“I’m a bit embarrassed to show others.”
“…Embarrassed?”

Marronnier is so kind that I believe he would keep a secret even if he found out. However, it doesn’t seem necessary for him to know. Still, if I was caught lying for no reason, it would be troublesome, so I chose my words carefully.

Sansuyu suddenly got up from her seat and approached me with a clumsy gait.

“…Quickly.”

Sansuyu groaned. Only then did Marronnier realize the situation and nod.

“Go quickly. You look very strained. Are you sure you can fix it? If it’s serious, wouldn’t the sage know better?”
“It’s not a big deal. Oh, but I have to go to the shower room to wash up…”

“I, I’ll go into the shower. Do it here. We can do it here, right?”

I calmed her down and sent Marronnier to the shower.

“Sian.”

Sansuyu swiftly removed her T-shirt as soon as Marronnier left with her clothes. Breast milk filled the cup, streaming down.

I immediately reached out, evaporating the breast milk. The scent was inescapable.

– Drip, drip.

As I grasped her bra cup and lowered it, her bouncing breasts filled my vision once again. My entire body reacted to the addictive sight, akin to a nicotine craving.

“…I’ll teach you how to use a milking machine.”

It would be difficult to do it directly from now on. I retrieved the milking machine from Sansuyu’s luggage.

* * * * * * * *

I knew she was taking a shower, but she didn’t say how long it would take.

*Shuaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.*

Bubbles cascaded down the pristine white skin.

*Gulp.*

Washing hair, scrubbing the body, and even applying the treatment took no more than 15 minutes. Exiting the changing room with a towel wrapped around oneself and drying the hair to its full length would at best take 30 minutes.

‘Is it over?’

It was said to be an embarrassing situation.

Marronnier knew that if someone tried to hide something, there must be a reason. A person of their word, Marronnier always prioritized keeping promises above all else.

However, no specific timeframe had been given… Therefore, one couldn’t simply sit in the changing room indefinitely.

Marronnier gazed at the tightly closed door.

“Lee Si-heon, it’s Suyu. Are you done?”

No response came through. Naturally, as the room boasted flawless soundproofing. Even after changing all of their clothes, sitting still, and watching the moisture trickle down the walls, Si-heon didn’t open the door.

But Bam couldn’t stay here all night. Helpless, Marronnier cracked the door open just a bit and tried to speak to her.

– Squeak.

She carefully opened the door.

-…Ahhhh!

“?”

A moan from Cornus reached her ears.

Marronnier’s body stiffened like a stone. She knew that sultry voice all too well. It wasn’t a cry of pain, but rather a woman’s sound when lost in pleasure… the noise made during that kind of act.

Unable to resist any longer, Marronnier immediately turned her head and looked at the scene.

“…!?!?!”

A medical procedure. No… that wasn’t it.

Cornus held a bell-shaped silicone object, teasing it with both hands. Marronnier gasped, quickly closed the door, and covered her mouth with her hands.

– Thump, thump, thump.

‘What is it, what is happening… what?’

Her mind reeled, on the brink of shattering.

The surprise was fleeting, as Marronnier felt a tainted emotion stirring deep within her heart.

‘Embarrassing, indeed…’

Was it for such a vulgar act?
Her chest ached as though it were being wrung out.
Did Lee Si-heon’s unique ability encompass these feelings too? Struck by the impact of being hit in the head with a hammer, Marronnier was unable to regain her composure.

‘I never did anything like that with anyone else.’

Why did Lee Si-heon’s words suddenly resurface in her mind?
She knew it was a lie, yet her heart ached as if it had been cracked.

“…Tha-, ah. Ahhhhh! Why did you look! Blanche, seriously, ahhh!”

Marronnier pounded the floor in regret.
Her excitement and curiosity briefly flourished despite the pain, and she waved her hands, shaking off the beads of sweat that had formed on the tip of her chin.

‘So, they were involved like that…’

Whether it was a medical procedure or something else, she couldn’t tell.
But surely, a relationship that involved touching one’s chest with a device was far from ordinary.

Holding her breath, Marronnier flung the door open once more.

The scene glimpsed through the gap in the door…

Lee Si-heon was right before my eyes.

“It’s over.”

“Eeek!”

Crash!

I fell to the floor.

“What’s the matter?”

I quickly glanced around the room. The scent of milk – that aroma that occasionally wafted from Cornus’s body. Cornus was wearing a white T-shirt, and as I observed the scene, I found myself reflecting on what had just transpired.

-Thump, thump.

For some reason, I felt slightly angry.

“…Is Cornus alright now?”

“Yes.”

She said so brazenly. I pursed my lips in annoyance. It’s difficult to put this into words. If the two of them had agreed to this, there was no need for me to interfere.

…Perhaps I was mistaken, and the feelings were simply fabricated. Those two, they could be genuine lovers. It had never occurred to me that Lee Si-heon might use that ability on Cornus as well.

“Get up.”

I stood, taking Lee Si-heon’s hand.

At that moment, the smell of sweat enveloped them.

The scene played through her mind once more. Marronnier envisioned Lee Si-heon, soaked in sweat and teasing his chest, and felt as though she had transformed.

…Again.
She craved that sensation once more.

“…I need to use the bathroom.”
“Huh? Oh, go ahead.”

*Squeak!*

*Bang!*

The door echoed loudly.

Marronnier gently pushed Lee Si-heon aside and entered the bathroom. She immediately sat on the toilet and lowered her stockings. Despite having showered, her vagina was fully aroused, and her body quivered as if in a seizure when touched.

“…You said you only did it to me. What kind of medical practice is that?”

Sansuyu’s anguished face had long since vanished from her mind. Even if it truly was a medical procedure, and even if Lee Si-heon had appeared embarrassed, Sansuyu’s expression revealed her enjoyment.

And Lee Si-heon, too, as he caressed her ample breasts.

Such an exhilarating expression… it drives me mad.

It seemed I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

* * * * * * * *

After taking a shower, I closed my eyes for a short while. For some reason, Marronnier took quite a long time in the bathroom, so I considered striking up a conversation, but ultimately, I fell asleep first. It’s always the case that when I have a lot of contact with Cornus, I tend to sleep more.

“…Didn’t you sleep?”

As I sat up in bed, I saw Marronnier sitting there. It looked like she was just about to leave. However, her attire was somewhat revealing. Her underwear was visible beneath her white stockings, and she wore a short-sleeved top with only pantyhose. It seemed as if she was watching me from somewhere.

“…I couldn’t sleep.”

The one who had yelled at me to get some sleep couldn’t sleep herself.

“Why?”

As I asked hesitantly, Marronnier stuck out her tongue while braiding one side of her hair.

“…It’s none of your business.”

A subtle expression of reproach directed at me. At that moment, Sansuyu stirred. Upon seeing Sansuyu’s soft, lustrous face, Marronnier inexplicably glared at me with an even more pained expression than before.

“I don’t know.”

She was on the verge of tears.