Translator: Reflet

  Editor: ryunakama

  「A reform, ye say?」


  Youran was visiting Kohaku in her room.

  Loli Baba tilted her head at the twintailed girl’s proposal.

  「Why might ye be saying such a thing?」


  「Well isn’t this place just an old apartment?」


  「Ye be right」


  She hadn’t said it very nicely, but Kohaku showed no signs of anger.

  As long as it was clear that she spoke in terms of buildings, it was a mere fact.

  One of the unique traits of an Eternal Little was that they possessed the rationale to accept facts as facts.

  「The walls and everything are thin, and it just feels halfass for whatever you try to do. Like when you’re making love」


  Though she wasn’t an Eternal Little, Youran was able to suppress her emotions when negotiating.

  You might say that in this moment, she had no “girly embarrassment”.

  「Aye. I do sometimes hear seductive voices through the wall」


  「Right? Rather than leave that sorta thing halfass, I figure you might as well either totally seal all sound or leave everything completely open」


  「Hm, I forgot that ye had that personality. No matter what ye do, yer choices always be extreme」


  「Don’t think that really matters right now. So isn’t this your place?」


  「Aye, but I already relinquished it ta Danna-sama」


  「I’m obviously dropping all pretense」


  Youran said, glaring.

  「What might ye mean?」


  「Obviously, just like how you wanna be ordered around, he also wants you to decide some things and take the lead」


  「……That seems ta be the case」


  「So you DO understand. Hmmm」


  Youran’s glare intensified.

  「So you understand that but don’t intend to do that? Don’t tell me that you wanna push everything on him because it’ll be easier for you?」


  「I won’t be living much longer. I at least want ta spend the rest o’ me life quietly by the man I love」


  「If you’re serious about that then I WILL try to chase you out and drag the others into it」


  「If ye be doing “that”, be ye not in danger first?」


  「I’m fine. You might not realize it, but I correct myself when flaws are pointed out」


  「That be a sight to see if ye can do that」


  「So I have just one policy: pay back what he’s done for you. That’s it」


  「I be doing that, like with this Taiyou Castle」


  「I WILL get mad if you keep this up」


  Youran scrutinized her.

  Her expression showed a change from exasperation to anger.

  「I think not」


  Kohaku broadly grinned.

  「I get it. This be merely Danna-sama granting me selfish wish ta『offer』ta him」


  「Right. Glad you understand」


  「Be that as it may, there not be any fundamental way ta return what I received. What do ye intend ta do in that regard?」


  「I could care less about that」


  That was what she said, but contrary to that, Youran was not outright denying her.

  「Obviously, the other girls around him intend to return even more than the favor. Even without fundamentals, they just start doing it when told」


  「I see. Ye said the “other” girls. What about yeself?」


  「I dunno. Obviously, in a sense you and I are the same. You gave him this place, and I said I’d make him『King of Juunishima』. Obviously we’re “the same way”」


  「Aye, we be “the same”」


  「”Receive” Juunishima, and then do something in exchange for that. I can’t even begin to imagine」


  「……」


  「See, I really do think that at that point I’d have to become his in the next lifeーーmake a vow to give him my very soul, even though it still wouldn’t be enough. It’s on that level」


  「I see. Aye, much affliction」


  「Welp, I don’t really care about that either」


  She dismissed it negligently this time.

  「Well, it be solving itself」


  「Will not solve itselfーー」


  「Be solving itself」


  Kohaku said clearly.

  「Ye have six comrades. If two heads be better than one, six heads be even better. Thatーーbe not anything ta worry about」


  「……Huh」


  Youran turned the other way.

  She was embarrassed.

  「So going back to the conversation. The reforms here」


  「Hm. Ye be wondering whether ta close things off more or open up things more, aye?」


  「Yes」


  「For reference, which be ye thinking is better?」


  「When I think along what I mentionedーーthe first objective involving making love, I’d say closed off」


  「Ye not like the sound of princess sleeping with His Highness?」


  「If I could I would. But he’s retired」


  「Ye truly be straightforward」


  Kohaku stifled laughter.

  「Should I not be?」


  「Nay, I think it endearing. It be good to show yer “girly embarrassment” in front of Danna-sama」


  「What, and put on a show?」


  「Of course not」


  Kohaku grinned broadly.

  「It merely happens naturally before Danna-sama’s presence. The maiden in yer heart be awakened all on its own」


  「Hmmm」


  Youran said in a bored tone, returning back to the original conversation.

  「So which one do you prefer?」


  「I prefer an opened atmosphere, to the point where everyone other than the one speaking in a coquettish voice can enjoy listening to it with some early afternoon tea」


  「I get that too, but I dunno about doing that every day」


  「It be everyday life already, so why not?」


  「We obviously don’t seem to agree here」


  「I wonder what we do in this instance. In Aoba’s family they be deciding via majority rule…」


  「Well, I don’t really intend to settle things here」


  「Hm? Ye be not coming here with that intent?」


  Kohaku was puzzled.

  「It’s your place, so I just came to convey this to you first. And though I won’t be deciding anything right now, from now on, I’d like to use you regularly as a springboard for discussion when making decisions. You and I are the most intelligent ones in this house after all」


  「Hold yeself in high esteem, eh?」


  「Dummy」


  Youran spoke with an exasperated face.

  「Calling those of the『bride』variety “smart” is no compliment, duh……And by how you’ve been acting all nonchalant with our conversation you obviously feel the same way」


  「Aye. I bet that we be fighting over who be the least cutest in this case」


  「And I don’t think analyzing it would make it any cuter」


  「Ye be doing it too, eh?」


  「……」


  Youran smiled wryly. Her face showed that just as pointed out, she indeed wished to do that very thing.

  She had a considerable complex with that.

  A personality that would leap from extremity to extremity constantly.

  Before becoming Taiyou’s, her emotions rampaged, and she continued to reject him.

  But now that she had become his, her logic had taken over and she would always end up thinking too much.

  She thought of that current self as「not cute」, harboring a complex.

  But she did not know that Taiyou was the kind of man who would be further drawn in by such a「complex」.

  Kohaku knew that, but didn’t mention it.

  After all, she too thought Youran to be「cute」in that state.

  After seeing it rise to its peak, she thought to convey that to Taiyou.

  Kohaku knew that wasn’t very cute of her, but she was fine with that.

  Harboring complicated mental disturbances, Youran stood up, starting to walk over to the door, when…


  Zugaan.

  An explosion enough to shake the building occurred.

  It was a large explosion enough to erase Youran’s scream that she let out simultaneously.

  The explosion had begun diagonally above the back of Kohaku’s room, and in an instant, chips of wood flew around, dancing like smoke.

  Once the fumes had cleared, the forms of a cowering Youran and a protective Kohaku who had put her small body in front of Youran to shield her could be seen.

  While protecting her, Kohaku looked at the gaping hole that had opened up the room.

  「What be happening?」


  She muttered.

  The cause was soon clear, once she saw the source of the evil beyond the hole: a boy and girl.

  A girl with long white hair was attempting to angrily cut him down. It was rare to see her in her white pajamas.

  The only boy in this house was on the defensive, continuously backing away while dodging her slices.

  「Oh, so that’s what it is……ahh」


  Kohaku nodded, satisfied.

  She watched as Shirokiyami’s slashing attack split the wall, turning it further into fine dust.

  Her attack went into a frenzy as it went about destroying the building.

  「Did Danna-sama attempt to assault her in her sleep, or what?」


  Kohaku murmured, clearly enjoying this.

  Carefree, not concerned at all about the face that her house was being destroyed.

  She had the complete opposite reaction to Aoba and the sisters, who were flabbergasted at this unladylike conduct coming from the other side of the broken wall.

  「H-Hey……」


  Suddenly, Youran’s voice was audible.

  It was a weak voice, different from usual.

  「Hm?」


  「Come on, I’m fine」


  「Ooo, aye, that be so」


  Kohaku remembered, moving away from Youran.

  She had been covering her up until now.

  Youran, who had been protected, cleared her throat and spoke in a composed voice.

  「Now we REALLY have to reform this place quickly」


  「Aye」


  「Well at least we now have a course of action. Guess it’s not a bad thing」


  「Aye」


  Kohaku giggled while Youran had an exasperated look on her face.

  They would not open the house more, nor would they close it more.

  In the end, the phrase that rose into both of their heads was「Just make it sturdy」.