Before he could settle back into his seat, the female manager eagerly thrust her business card and a pen toward him. "Prince Sawamura, please grace me with your autograph!"
"…" Kagura sighed inwardly, resigned. In such moments, it was simpler to comply.
But the moment he signed for the manager, a swarm of female fans surged forward, encircling him in a fervent throng.
Katou, Yui, and Miko exchanged bewildered glances, sighing in unison, "Being that popular must be exhausting…"
Kagura dutifully signed for each, including Sakura. Her personal life, however libertine, was her own affair. Kagura, no stranger to desire himself—having indulged with Hayasaka and eyeing Yukino—saw no cause to judge. Her antics had brightened his day, and he felt obliged to repay the favor.
Miko, meanwhile, had noticed the horde of "simping specters" trailing Sakura. What a pair, her and that Usa… she thought.
Snap. With a flick of his fingers after signing Sakura's item, Kagura dispersed her spectral entourage into motes of light.
Miko's eyes widened, but Kagura merely shook his head subtly.
He'd tested the Nine-Word Mantra's potency. Sakura, a genuine fan, deserved a small kindness, so he'd obliged. He hoped she'd be more discerning henceforth, lest she accrue another ghostly retinue.
This confirmed Miko's innate spiritual sensitivity. Her unique reactions to his two spirit purifications marked her as one who saw. Yet, her earlier panic suggested she possessed only clairvoyance, lacking his ability to banish or purify spirits.
Kagura's inference was spot-on. In Miko's eyes, when he'd touched the female ghost menacing her, his guardian nine-tailed fox had exhaled a breath that reduced it to light. For Sakura's specters, a single sweep of the fox's tail had obliterated them all—a display of formidable power.
Finally, Kagura returned to his seat.
The manager approached, hands clasped apologetically. "I'm terribly sorry for disrupting your enjoyment. Please accept these modest tokens, and do visit us again. Oh, and… could you sign something for the café?"
She presented four 10,000-yen vouchers, usable only at the establishment, likely one for each of them.
One doesn't strike a smiling face. Her gesture was gracious, so Kagura accepted warmly. "Thank you kindly."
He handed the vouchers to Katou and rose to sign for the café.
Katou flipped through them, murmuring, "Going out with Sawamura-san is quite the pressure…"
"I'm getting a taste of what it's like to hang with a celebrity…" Miko mused, chin propped on her hands.
"Ugh…" Yui dabbed at teary eyes, whimpering, "I'm such an idiot. I should've asked Sawamura-san for an autograph that day…"
Pat. Miko tapped Yui's shoulder consolingly. "Don't cry. Ask later. Katou-san, you're in his class—surely you've got one already?"
"Well… not quite," Katou admitted, shaking her head.
"Ahem… to each their own, right?" Miko backpedaled, flustered.
"I quite fancy Sawamura-san's Lover of Ireland, but Maid's Skirt is a bit… hm…" Katou trailed off.
The other two nodded, sharing her sentiment.
"A tad risqué…"
"Feels a bit too mature…"
"Exactly, that's the vibe."
The trio bonded, exchanging contacts on their phones.
Kagura returned, having signed for the café. In Japan, unlike perhaps his past life's homeland, store owners eagerly sought celebrity signatures to boast, "So-and-so was here!"
"Exchanging contacts? Mind if I join?" Kagura waved his phone.
"Sure thing!" Miko answered first, outpacing Yui, who blinked in surprise.
Miko faltered, nudging Yui. "Er… Yui, you go first."
"N-no, Miko, you first!" Yui hid her phone, giggling nervously at Kagura.
"You go!" Miko blushed.
Yui demurred, and their back-and-forth left Kagura chuckling. He swapped with Katou first.
Both Yui and Miko groaned, "Ugh!" and slumped onto the table in sync.
Ultimately, he exchanged contacts with all three.
Sated, Kagura offered to use the vouchers, but the manager insisted on comping their meal. Embarrassed but grateful, he accepted, and they left.
"Looks like dining with Sawamura-san gets us free meals~" Miko teased, nudging him.
"Spare me, my face isn't that swipeable~" Kagura quipped, patting his cheeks.
The girls laughed. Miko and Yui went shopping, while Kagura stayed with Katou. They parted ways, each pair to their own pursuits.
By 4:00 p.m., Katou was weary. Kagura hailed a cab to take her home.
Her house wasn't far from his—his estate, a secluded manor in the forested southern suburbs by the sea, was about three kilometers from Aki's and just under four from Katou's.
Katou's serene beauty reflected in the car window. She stretched, fingers interlaced. "Today was wonderful, Sawamura-san. Thank you for spending it with me."
"Hey, I had a blast too. A lovely lady by my side makes anything delightful. Time flies in such charming company."
"Here you go again, Sawamura-san. Tease me more, and I'll keep calling you 'Lord Sawamura'~"
"Ahem, my apologies. But I'm speaking truth~"
"And I'm not?"
"Alright, we'll both concede a step."
"Fair enough," Katou said, smiling. "I'm hardly a noteworthy beauty…"
"Speaking of…" Kagura, triggered by "beauty," rubbed his chin. "Katou, want to join our club?"
"Club…? I don't know music."
"Not music. A bit of a mixed bag," Kagura said, snapping his fingers. "We're making a gal game. I think you've got heroine potential."
"Heroine…? I've never considered that…" Katou tilted her head, puzzled.
"It's about creating a game. Interested?"
"Hm… Where's the club based? I'd like to visit first."
"Once the proposal's finalized, I'll let you know. We'll have a meeting with everyone."
Aki was still drafting the proposal, likely progressing well with Kagura's [Absolute Focus] buff.
"Can I ask who's in it?"
"That's a secret~" Kagura winked. "But rest assured, no shady characters."
"I trust your character, Sawamura-san."
"Good." Kagura extended his left pinky. "Pinky swear?"
Katou giggled at the childishness but humored him, sealing the promise.
Soon, they reached Katou's modest single-family home, slightly larger than Aki's. Kagura told the driver to wait and stepped out with her.
"Sorry for all the trouble today… Next time, let me treat you." Katou bowed.
Kagura waved it off, smiling. "No big deal. Get home, don't overthink, and have sweet dreams."
Katou straightened, nodding and waving farewell.
Kagura returned to the cab, directing it to his estate.
He could've called Miss Nao, but after last night's fervor with her daughter, asking her to drive him and another girl felt awkward.
Back home, marveling at his near-tireless body, Kagura praised the triple recovery potion. He'd skipped system quests before, but now saw value in completing them.
"Young Master Kagura, Miss Eriri requests you visit her room upon your return," a maid, substituting for the exhausted Hayasaka, said, bowing with hands clasped.
"Got it."
Kagura swapped his dusty shoes for slippers and headed to the third floor, toward Eriri's room.
He knocked, and the door creaked open slightly—it was unlocked.
Odd for a teenage girl to leave her room unsecured.
"Eriri? You there? I'm coming in."
No response. To be safe, he called again.
Still nothing.
"Weird…"
Kagura entered. The room felt empty. Her melon-colored bed curtains were tied back, the grand princess bed bare. Her desk and workspace were immaculate. Where had she gone?
He closed the door—unlocked, as it wasn't his room—and approached the bathroom, knocking lightly. "Eriri?"
Silence.
"Strange…"
He scratched his head. Maybe the second-floor art studio? Or downstairs? Eriri had summoned him, yet she and Sora were both absent.
Sora's nested room was visible, its door unlocked, but barging in was unwise. Sora wasn't his sister, her status delicate, and as a teen, she might be changing. If she didn't answer and he entered, he'd be asking for trouble.
The system chimed.
"Lord Kagura, a new quest is available. Choose one to complete or skip:
A: Check the toilet.
B: Check the bathroom.
C: Check under the bedding."
"Hm… I'll try the bathroom. B."
Eager to stockpile recovery potions, Kagura resolved to tackle quests.
Reality returned. He strode to the bathroom.
His and Eriri's rooms shared similar layouts: vast bedrooms, separate dressing areas with vanities and nested bathrooms, independent toilets, and maids' quarters.
Maids' rooms had only basic toilets and sinks, meaning Hayasaka and Sora bathed in their masters' bathrooms for convenience. Separate toilets prevented nighttime disturbances.
At the bathroom door, Kagura knocked. No lucky mishaps expected. No answer. He turned the handle and entered.
The spacious dressing area held skincare products, a hairdryer, and various bottles, with Sora's and Eriri's items neatly separated. A cabinet held towels, and near the frosted glass bathroom door, a rack bore four modestly sized wicker baskets. The top two, covered with white towels, held clean clothes; the bottom two, empty, were for laundry.
No water sounds came from the bathroom. Kagura stepped onto the absorbent mat, slid the silent glass door open, and surveyed the interior.
A large wooden hot-tub-style bath, spacious enough for four, was separated from the shower area by clear tempered glass. Filled with 42°C water on a heated cycle, it was ready for soaking. Petals, bath salts, and milk were on hand, with a red button to drain the tub. Cleaning maids, not Hayasaka or Sora, handled upkeep.
"What was I even hoping for?"
The empty room was unmistakably empty.
He closed the door. The system pinged.
"Thank you, Lord Kagura, for completing the quest. Rewards: Item [Object Possession] x2, one triple recovery potion."
"Object Possession?" Kagura blinked, baffled by the system's increasingly esoteric rewards.
"This item allows you to inhabit a single object, restricting movement while aligning your senses with it."
"Huh? Why would I possess an object? Being human's fine. If I'm a vase and it breaks, am I done for? If it's shipped to Antarctica, am I stuck?"
"No need for concern. If the object faces destruction, you'll be forcibly ejected beforehand. For relocation, silently chant 'Prank Over' to exit, entering an invisible, controllable intangible state. Find a safe spot, repeat 'Prank Over,' and you'll return to normal."
"Got it. How's it used?"
It seemed potentially useful, though he wasn't sure how.
"Avoid large objects or fluids. To use, hold the item with both hands and chant 'Prank Begin' in your mind."
"Alright, dismissed."
Reality returned. Kagura scanned the bathroom, rubbing his chin. Should he test it? The system framed it as a prank, so perhaps something playful…
Possess the hairdryer to tangle Eriri's hair? Typical brotherly mischief.
His gaze settled on the four wicker baskets. His bathroom had the same setup: top baskets for clean clothes, covered for modesty (he didn't bother, but Hayasaka did), bottom ones for laundry.
The bottom baskets were empty—laundry likely taken by cleaning maids. He inspected the top left basket; its towel sat higher, indicating contents.
Glancing back warily, he lifted the towel.
A white panty and matching bra lay atop a silvery silk nightdress—Sora's. The panty and bra bore ruffled edges, the panty adorned with a red satin bow. Kagura's heart skipped, guilt surging.
Sora's underwear?!
Clean, not worn—pity, or he might've sniffed it.
He replaced the towel, checking the door. Empty.
His pulse raced. He harbored feelings for Sora, but stealing underwear was vile and illegal. Yet… her panty!
His throat tightened. Temptation clawed. He slipped both hands under the towel, forming a tent, fingers trembling as they grazed the panty, hooking and stretching it slightly…
This is wrong…
A gentleman pursues desire honorably. Why resort to this? Despicable, Kagura!
He moved to withdraw, but the bathroom door clicked.
Panicking, he couldn't extract his hands without risking Eriri or Sora catching him ruining his cultivated image. Possessing the panty felt too perverse, so he grabbed the nightdress, chanting, "Prank Begin!"
Darkness enveloped him. Limbs unresponsive, he felt no body or fabric—just an unreal sensation. No need to breathe. He was the silk nightdress.
Footsteps approached—pat, pat.
Whoever it was—Eriri or Sora—would never suspect Kagura was now a nightdress. Safe, for now.
"Hm…" Vision returned.
Sora lifted the towel, peering down. Her cheeks flushed, perhaps from a fever, sweat beading on her delicate face. Her breathing was slow, her usual displeasure etched in her expression.
Seeing Sora, Kagura's heart raced, despite knowing she couldn't detect him. His first time as a girl's nightdress—how could he not be nervous?
"Hm…" Sora replaced the towel, plunging him into darkness.
Rustling followed. She was undressing, having checked her basket for clothes. She'd bathe soon.
End this now. This is wrong…
Kagura wrestled internally.
An angelic voice urged, "Kagura, pursue desire honorably. Win her heart, then her body!"
A devilish one sneered, "What a saint! Men have base urges. If it's secret, it's no crime."
"Devil, don't corrupt him!" the angel snapped.
"Bullshit!" The devil brandished a pitchfork. "Hayasaka said even incest with Eriri's fine if hidden. Sleeping with your sister's okay, so what's a nightdress?"
"You can't!" the angel wailed.
"Pfft!" The devil tempted, "Only you, the system, and the heavens know. Sora's clueless. She's always cold to you, barging into your room. Who's the servant? Teach her a lesson!"
"I…" Kagura wavered.
"No, Kagura!" The angel yanked his ear. "Don't stoop to sneaking!"
"Shut it! No balls?" The devil impaled the angel with its pitchfork.
"Kagura… don't…" The angel dissolved into light.
"Do it! Stay legal, it's nothing!" the devil roared.
"No… I'm no saint, but I'm not a creep!" Kagura punched the devil away, chanting, "Prank Over!"
He became a translucent spirit, standing beside the rack. Touchable to himself, he passed through objects unless intending contact.
Testing, he willed to touch the rack and succeeded, feeling it normally.
He glanced at the frosted glass, Sora's silhouette visible.
Peeping's not my style. Bathing girls aren't that alluring—undressing slowly, revealing lingerie, that's the charm.
Shaking his head, he phased through the door, settling on Eriri's bed to wait.
Twenty minutes later, Sora emerged, skin dewy, bangs clinging to her forehead. Her post-bath glow was healthy, the feverish flush gone. She lifted the towel, tilting her head to drape her hair leftward, drying it vigorously.
Soon, she tossed the towel into the laundry basket and reached into the clean basket, hesitating before withdrawing her hand. Naked, she stood, dazed.
She returned to the bathroom door, locking it with a click.
"If Eriri saw, I'd be done…"
Sora licked her index and middle fingers, glancing at the wide vanity. Unclothed, she approached it.
Her unspoken feelings for Kagura, coupled with Eriri's demanding nature, weighed heavily on her as a maid. To cope, she'd developed a shameful habit.
Not masturbation—that was routine for a teenage girl, barely easing her stress. Her method was…
Sora paced the mat, drying her feet, then climbed onto the vanity, using the left sink (Eriri used the right).
Gripping a U-shaped handle—meant for holding items—she squatted, adjusting her stance.
Her long silver hair, still damp, clung in strands, dripping onto her waist and pert hips, sliding down her curves to the floor.
"If anyone saw this, I'd rather die… but I can't stop…"
Sora gazed at her moist reflection, slowly parting her knees, revealing her intimacy to the mirror.
Her vulva resembled a delicate, unbaked French roll—pale, smooth, nearly devoid of pigmentation. As her thighs shifted, the pink slit parted slightly.
If her vulva was the roll, the inner seam was a diamond-shaped shuttle. The term "camel toe" fit perfectly. The upper slit was pronounced, but her clitoris sat lower, mostly hidden, small and shy within tender skin.
The labia minora, slightly longer, bore distinct folds, framing a short, non-sagging seam that parted naturally, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her entrance. Beyond the clitoral hood, her labia covered only the urethra and Skene's glands, flaring invitingly.
"I might be… a pervert…"
Sora caressed herself, blushing at her reflection. Her middle finger traced her abdomen to her clitoris, then lower, nestling into the seam. Her index finger pressed the left labium, her middle the right, spreading them fully.
The parted labia flattened, transforming the vertical seam into a near-square of pink flesh, tilted forty-five degrees. The clitoral ridge connected to the slightly protruding head, curving outward like a finely carved snuff bottle, layered intricately. The innermost part resembled a flattened pink almond, dipping inward.
Deeper details eluded the mirror.
"Mmm…" Sora glanced at the door, biting her lip, fixated on the lewdly stretched seam.
Seconds later, a clear droplet splashed from the spread flesh onto the sink's faucet base. Her legs trembled with shame and thrill, but she stayed perched, letting the stream cascade, spreading across the porcelain and draining away.
The flow intensified, then weakened, a final trickle dripping into her pulsing entrance. She didn't mind.
Squeezing her abdomen, she expelled the last drops, splattering the sink.
Releasing her flesh, she grabbed a tissue, wiped carefully, and tossed it into the bin. She climbed down, rinsing the sink thoroughly.
"Phew… Doing this sometimes feels so good… A girl with such a perverse body—sorry, Mom and Dad…"
Dressed in her underwear, Sora unlocked the bathroom, plugged in the hairdryer, and began drying her hair.
Her long, thick hair took ages—unlike Hayasaka, who kept hers manageable.
Whoosh. The bathroom door swung open.
Sora paused the dryer, glancing right.
"What, just you, Sora? Thought it was Kagura drying his hair."
Only Eriri, Kagura's dear sister, would barge in unannounced.
Kagura, seeing Eriri, followed her, staying outside since he wasn't sure of Sora's state of dress.
"He's not back yet?" Sora asked, her tone devoid of respect, tinged with irritation—as always.
"Who knows? Reiko said he's back and that I was looking for him, but… no one's here?" Eriri strode to the bathroom door, yanking it open.
Kagura peeked, confirming Sora was fully clothed, then sidled up to Eriri, sticking out his tongue playfully.
"As if he'd be there…" Sora eyed Eriri's reflection, unimpressed.
"Then where is he?"
"How should I know? I didn't tag him with a tracker."
"Fair…" Eriri deflated.
Kagura chuckled. Eriri, always lording over me, getting schooled by Sora.
Sora spared no one but Sayuri.
"Eriri, checked the toilet?" Sora softened, perhaps feeling she'd been harsh.
"Yeah, nowhere."
Eriri grabbed her toothbrush and cup from the rack, joining Sora to brush. She'd eaten spicy snacks in Sayuri's room, leaving her breath odd.
"The doll girl's room?"
"No key."
Eriri shrugged, filling her cup.
The household had five master keys, opening all rooms except the father's study. Sora and Hayasaka each held one; the other three were with senior maids. Kagura and Eriri had none and couldn't demand them, though they could request access.
Sora hummed, adding before resuming the dryer, "I'll help look after my hair's done."
"Thanks—"
Eriri brushed amid the dryer's hum, Sora focusing on her hair.