419-Additive-free Episode 74 Molly, Cassilo, and the H...

'Miss Molly . Your room is ready. I apologize for the empty room, but please make yourself at home.

When the business hours of the Sunlit Pavilion were over and the cleanup was nearing completion, Ginette came back to the kitchen.

She had been walking around a lot during the day and hadn't been able to prepare the guest room.

It seems that she was quite tired from weighing ...... herself. If it were a normal gynette, she wouldn't forget this.

'I'm sorry, Mr. Manager. I know it's sudden, but you've been so helpful with everything.

'No, sir. It was very helpful of you to help us close the store.

Molly followed my instructions and did the closing work very quickly and efficiently.

She did such a good job that I could have hired her tomorrow.

She must have learned how to do her job well before she got used to it. I enjoy teaching this type of person. He's the kind of person I'd like to train.

'Hmmm ......'

Staring at the pot boiling water for bathing, Loretta folded her arms and tilted her head.

'What are you worried about? Loretta.'

'No, since we're staying together, I think Molly-chan needs a suitable nickname, but I can't think of a good one. ......'

'Isn't Moriricho?

If it's Loretta's taste, it should be. 'Magdacho and Miriricho, right?

'That's just like Miriri-itcho, so I'm trying to come up with a new idea for a suitable nickname. ......'

'Oh, you don't have to give it to me, okay?

'Why not?What!You don't want to be friends with me?Am I bothering you?

'No, I'd really appreciate it if you'd visit .......'

It seems that Molly has read the air to the fullest and conceded to the extreme.

She might not have thought of it just a moment ago, but now she's thinking 'it might be a bit annoying', the way things are going now.

'What?I've got an idea!

'Then let's think of another candidate.

'Why not?Just listen to me!I've got a good idea!

There's nothing you can rely on more than Loretta's inspiration. ......

'At any rate, just say it.

'I'm Pasi Imoccho!

'Well, Loretta-san, ...... I'd like you to stop using my nickname with my brother if you can.

'What, no?

'Hey, Hammaro (sister).'

'Muaaah!I see, so that's how it is!I understand so much more now that you've pointed it out!

'I'm relieved that you understand. ...... Yashiro, it's amazing that you could come up with an idea that hits the right spot so quickly and accurately.

You've impressed me in a weird way.

It's easy to imagine what Loretta might be thinking, so I'm sure anyone can do this.

'Hmmm ............ mori mokkun'.

'Please don't.'

Loretta, look next to me. He's looking at you with a very serious face.

Molly, that's total rejection. Look, she won't even let go of your eyes. He's watching you to make sure you don't give him a funny nickname, that's...

'...... Moririn, no, Moririn!

'I'm not sure why Moririn was rejected,' he said.

'I felt that it didn't fully express the cuteness of Molly!

'It's probably just my imagination, and I'm not that cute.

'That's not true!Molly has the same cuteness as Mirilichko!

'Then, I'll be Moriri-chou. I'm happy to wear the same one, and I like Mirily.''

Loretta. If I were to translate what Molly just said, I'd say, 'That's enough, don't think about it any more.

It's like she took a compromise before giving her a strange nickname.

'Here, Loretta-san. The water is boiling, please take it with you and Molly.

'I'll leave it to you, manager!Molly, let's take the hot water and have a backwash!

'Eh, I can take a bath by myself at .......'

'Don't be shy!I'm a fellow waitress who worked with you!

With Molly's back pushed, Loretta walked triumphantly out into the courtyard.

It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your time with your family and friends.

...... Take some hot water with you.

'Mmmm. Loretta, you look happy.

'Magda's already gone to bed. She's probably just wanting some attention.

As soon as he heard that Molly was staying at the hotel, he knew that Loretta would be staying there as well.

'I forgot the hot water!

Loretta came rushing back to the house and filled the tub with hot water from the big pot and went out again.

She transferred the boiling water into the tub and diluted it with water to get the right temperature.

'What do you want, Yashiro-san, hot water?

'Molly's here, so I'll wait a bit longer before going upstairs.

'Then I'll get ready to take a bath here.

'Don't worry about me, why don't you go take a bath too. You've worked up a sweat today, haven't you?'

'Yes, I did. Then I'll eat first. ...... Yashiro-san, can you do it by yourself?'

'Don't worry ......, you're worried because I always have Magda do it for me. I'll be fine.'

'It's hot, please be careful.

'What am I, a child?

'Mm-hmm.'

Ginette says, 'Well, goodbye,' and pours the boiling water into a tub and walks out into the courtyard.

Shh, shh, shh, shh, ...... bang.

Yeah. Let's get Umaro to fix it. The floor and the door. And a roof over the patio. And then there's the steep stairs, my room. All that's left is ......, and the stairs are still to be negotiated. Now, what should I feed it? ...... At any rate, I want an environment that makes bathing easier. Even if it's not a bath, you can get hot water by turning on the tap. ...... Umaro, do you have any ideas? I'm sure he could invent a hot water heater if he had a "Magda Iko Iko Ticket".Is that impossible?Can't you?It's useless.

Thinking about this, I lock the door to the courtyard, which I rarely close.

You see, it would be bad if someone came in while I was taking a bath by mistake. I could be seen and I could be the bad guy. In every generation, the perpetrator of erotic happenings is always the man who gets the blame without question. Defend yourself, defend yourself.

Move the tables on the floor a little to make more space, and put a tub on the floor.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. It's a bit far from the ...... well. And it's outside.

'Now, let's get this over with.

I take off my boots, which have been squeezing my feet all day, and strip off my socks, which lack elasticity, and my bare feet feel a sense of freedom.

Just then, the door to the hall I had forgotten to lock, the door to the Sunlit Pavilion, was opened.

Oh, no. I forgot over there.

'What?

' screamed ...... Hammaro.

'What's with the 'kya'?

'I felt like I had to say it!

Where do you learn to do that? Oh, right. The Pharmacists Guild. That walking toxic archive.

'Deliver the lady's nightgown!

'Did you come alone?It's not safe here at night.

These sisters are pretty sloppy with little kids.

They'll take them away.

Especially today, when Lucia is at Imelda's house.

'Hammaro. Don't go any further than the church. You won't be able to come back.'

'The old man with the big toe?

'There is no such old man.'

'...... What?

Come on, Hammaro.

Don't stare at me.

Don't rub your eyes with your hands.

And don't stare at me again.

I'm not like that.

'Well, I'm sleeping with you today!

'Oh, wait. Molly's here today.'

'Then I'll sleep with the manager!

'Well, wait, Hammaro. Let's sleep in my room, okay?

'Yes!I'll occupy your bed!

Don't occupy my bed! He was surprised to find that he had grabbed Hammaro's small head before he knew it.

Hey, when did this happen?

Oh, I see.

If Hammaro takes over the bed, I won't have a place to sleep, so if I'm the one who sleeps with Jeannette, everything will be all right, right?

'Bed, you can take it.

'Yay!I'm so sleepy!I'm half asleep!

Hammaro runs into the kitchen with his hands raised.

He shuffles down the corridor and clangs the door.

'A new kind of curse that closes the future!

'...... There's no such curse on me.

Because the lock is rarely closed, Hammaro can't seem to recognize its existence.

Oh, dear.

He walks barefoot down the corridor, unlocks the door, and sends Hammaro off.

Looking up from the courtyard, the second floor was already quiet.

It's unlikely that he's already gone to bed, so he's probably in the middle of taking a bath.

She probably won't come down again after taking a bath. It's too cold outside for wet hair.

I don't know what Hammaro will do, and the bathroom is on the floor. ......

I stopped locking the door and went back to the floor.

The hot water that I had taken the trouble to fill up was already lukewarm.

I don't have a key, and I'm tired. ......

I'll just use the footbath.

The soles of my feet are black from walking barefoot.

I think I'll just remove this dirt and call it a day. You won't die even if you don't take a bath for a day or two.

If you can't stand it, you can at least wipe yourself during the day.

If you can't stand it, you can at least wipe yourself during the day.

I grabbed a handy chair and sat down by the tub.

As I put my feet into the water, a warmth spreads through my body.

Ah ...... feels good.

I really want a bathtub. ...... Estella's house has one. It's not impossible.

Well, it's a pain in the ass to boil it. ......

As I was thinking about all of this, my consciousness was slowly fading.

'Yashiro-san....... Yashiro-san.

My body was shaken, and I opened my heavy eyelids.

'Hmm............ Molly?'

'You'll catch a cold if you sleep here.'

When I opened my eyes, Molly was looking at me with a troubled look on her face.

A chill immediately ran up my spine. ...... Ohhhh!I'm not sure what to do.

The water in the tub I was soaking my feet in was completely cold.

He had fallen asleep for quite a while.

'Oh, sorry. Thank God.'

He quickly took his feet out of the water and realized that he hadn't prepared a towel.

Oh ......

'No, Ginette or Magda usually get them for me, so I didn't.

'Oh, a towel. I'll go get them.'

'Sorry about that. For everything.'

'No.'

Molly runs off to the kitchen.

She comes right back and hands me a towel.

Staring at me as I wipe my feet, hands folded behind my waist, Molly looks down with an apologetic expression.

'Um, ...... maybe because I was up there, Yashiro-san had to take a bath here, right?

'Hmm?'

'I'm sorry. Yashiro-san, you're tired, but because of me, you can't even take a hot bath on the ...... floor. That's why ......'

That's why I could only give you a footbath. And the silence containing these words.

Molly looked down and her lips were drawn together.

'It's not your fault, Molly.

I put on my shoes, skipping the socks, and pat the prone Molly on the head.

Don't think about everything in a bad way. Don't take on everything that's your fault.

There's no need to be sorry for something that's not your fault, and there's no point in losing your energy.

'It was too much trouble, so I just took a footbath.

'Is it called a footbath ......, is it?'

'Oh. Haven't you ever done that before?'

'Well, ...... the water you wipe your body with will get dirty, and putting your clean feet in dirty water is ...... not a good idea, are you going to soak your feet first?But if you do that, the water you wipe your body with will be dirty. ......'

Oh, I see.

For those who don't have the idea of soaking in the bathtub, the tub is just a container to keep clean water in.

'You can clean your feet first and then soak them in hot water. If you want to wipe your body, you'll have to prepare hot water separately.

It's a bit cold to wipe yourself with the cold water after relaxing in the footbath.

'What's the point of warming up your feet?

'Simply that it feels good. Especially after a long walk or a day of standing work. If there's a footbath at the inn where you're traveling, your fatigue will be gone.

'Traveling? ...... I don't know, I've never done that before.

Ever since Molly was a little girl, the sugar factory has been struggling to make ends meet, and her siblings have been trying to make ends meet. There would have been no time for travel.

On the other hand, they probably didn't have any customers who would visit their house. Only traders from the peddlers' guild.

Since Lucia knew about it, it must not be a generally unknown knowledge. It's just that Molly didn't know it.

Well, there's a lot of knowledge you wouldn't know if you didn't need it.

'Try it sometime. It feels good. It's so good you'll fall asleep.

Molly let out a 'chuckle' as she said this.

She finally laughed.

'Well, you can't do that at home. I'm sure I'll fall asleep and catch a cold.

'Why don't you ask Percy to wake me up?

'Brother, you're not allowed in the bathhouse while I'm bathing. I've already told her that any violation will result in her running away from home.

Wow, ...... is that the kind of family environment you have to deal with.

Well, he might want to take a bath with his sister. Like a father who dotes on his daughter.

'The footbath is only for feet, so you should do it with someone else. I've done it with Ginette and Lucia.'

'With men and women, sir?...... that............ special...... no, it's nothing.'

'Molly, why are you looking away as fast as you can?Look at me. I didn't mean it in an obscene way. I was with Magda, Loretta, Hammaro and Gilberta.'

Molly's got a bit of a troubled adolescent look about her.

If the footbath with Jeannette had been such a special event, I wouldn't have let the underage Molly hear about it.

'When you go to a hot spring inn, they fill a tub with hot water and serve it to you as soon as you arrive. 'You must be tired after traveling so far. That's a nice feeling, isn't it?

'Is this an onsen ryokan?

'Yes. It's a place where natural hot water heated by volcanoes boils, and they build a big bath and set up a lodge there.

'Well, I've heard of it. I've never been there, though. But it looks like it's outside the city.

I don't know where it is, but my parents had been there on a trip before they got married.

Yes, hot springs.

I'd like to go there sometime then. ...... Outside the city, there's a good chance you won't be able to speak the language.

If you're on the outside of the city walls, you're still within the range of the forced translation spell.

'Have you ever been there, Yashiro-san?'The Onsen Ryokan.

'Ah. Before I came to this city, in my hometown.''

'Oh. That's nice.

'My hometown was a country that loved baths and good food.

'Yashiro-san, you're from outside, aren't you?

'Oh. Didn't I tell you that?

'Yes, well. But I've heard a lot about you. I've heard stories about Mr. Yashiro from many places.

Yeah. ......

I wish people wouldn't talk about him so much.

'Isn't that about 80% false rumors?The people who talk about me are always looking at things from a different angle, and they're always adding twists and turns.

'No, sir. It's mostly true.

That 'truth' often deviates from what I think is the truth, though.

'Oh, by the way. What's Molly doing on the floor?Did she need something?'

'No, um, ...... to use the bathroom.'

'I see. I'm sorry I held you up. Go on, then.'

'No, ............, I'm done.'

Oh. So you thought, 'Oh, he's asleep, he's going to catch a cold,' and went to the bathroom first.

You're a pretty solid guy, Molly.

Well, I don't feel comfortable being escorted to the bathroom or having strangers outside the bathroom on a quiet floor in the middle of the night. A wise decision, yes.

'It's early tomorrow, so you'd better go back and get some sleep.

'Yes, sir. ............ um...'

Molly nodded, but did not move.

She turned her head a little and fidgeted.

'If you've woken up from your sleep, would you like to have a warm glass of milk and a chat?

'Yes. By all means.'

It's a little hard to go back to bed when you can't sleep, isn't it?

...... Maybe Molly's bed has Loretta in it.

'Loretta, which side did you sleep on?'

'Um, ...... in the guest room.'

'You can throw her in Magda's bed.'

'No, that's as good as .......'

'He's not a good sleeper, is he?

'No, not at all. He's ...... hugging me, though.'

You're not a good sleeper.

'I heard Magda gets hugged too. Ginette said so.'

'Loretta also said that. You all get along well, don't you?

'They are.

They sleep together all the time.

...... I think it's okay for me to do that once in a while too!

That kind of thing!

'By the way, do you have any information about Jeannette's sleeping patterns?

'Nothing in particular ......, but Loretta says that the manager smells nice.

'Another good smell?What the hell does it smell like?

I bet it smells sweet and girlish!

Since it's Ginette, it might smell more like vanilla than flowers.

''When Loretta slept with her, she said it smelled like curry.

'That's not exactly what I was expecting!

No, it's definitely a nice smell, but curry!

That's the smell that seeped in from the kitchen!

Even after taking a bath, it didn't come off. ......

That's a shame, Ginette.

'So, let's dump the water and heat up the milk.

'Oh, I'll do that.

I was about to lift the tub, when Molly quickly stepped in.

'No, it's really not a good idea to let Molly do it.

'I'm stronger than you, Yashiro.

That's right.

Molly was also a beastman.

Unlike Percy, she's got raccoon ears.

Well then, I guess I'll leave it to you to make me some hot milk as a thank you.

'Which do you prefer for hot milk, sugar or honey?

'Ugh...... business, I'd like to answer sugar, but ...... I've never tried honey, so I'm curious.'

Molly would definitely use sugar in her hot milk at home. You have a lot of it.

Well, I guess I'll stick with honey today.

'I'll make it a little sweet. It'll help you sleep.'

'...... Won't it make me fat?'

'I'm fine with this much.'

'I see!So you're okay with that much!

'It's got ...... calories, right?'

I'm afraid to say I'm fine, 'I'm fine with this much! I'm afraid I'll say I'm fine, and then drink several glasses in the middle of the night.

Pour the milk into a small pot and put it on the stove.

I'm used to this kind of thing. I'm also good at making fires.

I still sigh every time I remember how convenient the stove is.

I hear the door open with a squeak.

It seems that Molly has gone all the way to the courtyard with a tub to dump the water.

I could have dumped the water in the sink, but since this is a kitchen, I don't want to dump dirty water if I can help it. They must have taken that into consideration.

In addition, she washed the tub lightly and put it outside.

What a well-behaved sister she is. She's going to be a good wife. ...... if it weren't for the shackles of being a brother-in-law.

'Haha...... is delicious.'

'I'm glad it suits your palate.

'You're a very good cook, aren't you, Yashiro?

'I guess it comes from my parents.

The landlady's cooking was like magic tricks and magic, and it was fun to watch.

Things that might be called 'garbage' if piled up on top of each other were transformed into a 'feast' in no time at all.

It was a kind of entertainment, I still think so.

'The manager's cooking is really delicious and professional, but the food made by ...... Yashiro-san has a gentler taste, or ...... I don't remember much, but it's like my mother's cooking. I'm not sure I remember much, but it's like my mother's cooking.

I'm not sure if I've ever made anything for Molly before.

'Like this.

I lifted the cup lightly, wrapping it between my hands.

'Hot milk isn't cooking, is it?

'No, sir. It's a fine dish. Because ...... I felt so relieved when I took a sip of this. ......'

Molly's eyes looked a little sad as she looked into the cup.

It seems that Percy doesn't come home for work very often, and although she says she is used to being alone, she still feels lonely.

She says she is used to being alone, but she still feels lonely. Especially when she stays at someone else's house, her anxiety increases.

At Molly's age, it is not surprising that she is homesick.

'It looks like you were doing your job.

'To ......?'

'I asked Natalia to have Estella's waiter take a look at it, the sugar factory.'

'You went all the way to ......?'

'You were worried, weren't you?'

I got the information so I could tell Molly if she looked worried.

I didn't tell her until now, because I thought it would be better not to tell her if she was truly disgusted by my brother.

'I see. ...... I'm relieved. You're doing a good job, aren't you?

'I heard that you are getting your ass beat by the factory lady.

'Oh, it's probably Aunt Zessica. She's been working for us since my father's generation, and she's like the leader of the employees.

Molly's expression softened as the scene at the factory flashed through her mind.

She might have started working at the factory in her mind. The corners of her mouth lifted up and her body shook.

She must be one of those people who can't wait to get to work.

'Tomorrow afternoon, right, deal?

'Yes.

'Then you'll pick me up in the evening.'

'Yes, sir. I'm sure I'll come running.'

Molly shakes her shoulders, giggling.

The anxiety of homesickness had all but disappeared from her face.

'Thank you, Yashiro-san.

Molly mumbles, turning over a little to hide her face as she sips from her cup.

'I feel better now that I know what's going on with my brother, and that I have hot milk like my mother cooked.

'That's good.

Molly glances at me, and when our eyes meet, she smiles shyly with an 'ehehe'.

There was a smile on her face that was not very sweet.

It's hard for a sister to be pampered if her brother is not strong. Without her parents, she might have told herself that she shouldn't be spoiled.

She should learn how to be a little more like the ham kids.

Molly can be more lenient.

'You should eat Jeannette's cooking.

As I suggested that Molly should be more open to being pampered, I heard a creak ...... in the wood.

Is it ...... the house ringing?

You look towards the hallway where the sound came from.

There is a corridor at the back of the kitchen, and at the end of it is a door leading to the courtyard. It's a door that's badly fitted and makes a creaking sound.

I didn't hear that noise, so I don't think someone came in. ......

'Can I help you?

'Hmm?Nope. It's nothing.'

The floor and kitchen have been remodeled, but the corridor behind it and the second floor remain untouched.

I think we should ask Umaro to repair them. The building is seriously decrepit.

Let's try to keep as much of the old look as possible, and make it more convenient. For free!

Ginette's food is delicious. Ginette's cooking is good. The renovation was in exchange for Ginette's cooking.

'What?Is that so?

Well, the food was an added bonus.

'Besides, I'm probably here because of Jeannette's cooking.

Maybe it was because Molly was remembering her family.

Maybe it was the way she smiled, so happy.

I remembered the master and the landlady a little too. The scenery of the house we lived in together, the landlady's cooking, the smell of oil from the master's factory: ......

Maybe that's why I felt the urge to talk about the past.

Maybe it's also because I'm talking to Molly.

I felt that I could talk to Molly, who was not a citizen of District 42, if I wanted to.

'The first time I ate stir-fried scraggly vegetables. It was a cheap dish of scraggly vegetables seasoned with common seasonings, but ...... it was delicious.

I took a bite and it reminded me of the landlady.

Thinking about it, I was crazy about it from the second bite.

After the masters left and before I came to this town, I had lost all sense of taste in my mouth.

Those stir-fried scraps of vegetables were truly delicious.

'If you try Ginette's food instead of the food I brought, you'll realize what Molly was talking about earlier about gentle food. His food is not only delicious, but it makes you feel warm and fuzzy right here in your chest.'

I've never had it before, but I miss it.

It's not a big dish, but it's a feast.

That's what Ginette's cooking is all about.

'I was thinking I brought a little too much ....... Honestly.

That's what I've been thinking.

Every dish I've brought in has made a good profit. Ginette enjoys making them.

However, it's taking away from the character of the Sun Goddess Pavilion. I can't help feeling that this is the case.

'Especially, the red bean paste donuts and curry donuts were a bad move.

'Bad move? ...... They were selling very well today, too.

'No matter how well they sold, they weren't made by Jeannette, were they?

Anyone can make a donut.

Even the ones that sold today were made by Magda and Loretta.

Those two are also waitresses at the Sunlit Pavilion, so it's good to have their specialties on the menu.

But it's different if they become the mainstay.

'Sunlit Pavilion needs to have Jeannette's cooking as its mainstay.

'...... Um, Yashiro-san. I'm not sure if this is a good idea,.......'

Molly is looking at me like she's having a hard time saying it.

I've told you so much. I can answer that question honestly.

There's no one else here, anyway.

'Publishing a recipe for red bean paste doughnuts is .......'

'It's for profit. Isn't that what I said?

'But the profit will go down ......, right?'

'It's the sales that go down. It's different from profit.

'Profit doesn't just refer to money.

'Ginette cooks with a happy smile on her face, and people who like that kind of cooking gather here and eat happily. That's the best interest of the Sun Goddess Pavilion.

You can make money in many other ways.

But you can't get that atmosphere and air of the Sunlit Pavilion in any other way.

It's a precious thing that can only be obtained if Ginette is smiling happily and everyone eats her cooking.

'A rare thing can be valuable. Especially if it's special to someone else.

For Ginette, the sunny pavilion is a place where she remembers her grandfather, and now it is an irreplaceable place where her good friends gather.

It's not something you can get with money, and it's not something you can give away with money.

'If you can get it back, the small amount of sales you get from the An Donut monopoly won't matter. If you want to make more money, you just have to plan your next strategy.

I don't want Jeannette to be left in the dark because she can't cook, like today.

I'm ashamed that I didn't realize that until this situation arose.

'Ginette is just fine when she's a little too busy. You should cook so many dishes that other people will be amazed and as many customers as possible will say, 'This is delicious. I'm sure that will make Jeannette happy.

And if it makes Jeannette happy--

'That would be the best interest of the Sun Goddess Pavilion. Right?'

That's why it's okay to publish the recipe for the red bean paste doughnuts.

If you publish it, you can eat it whenever you want. It's not like I'm sealing it. Then why not?

It's enough for Ginette to make an-donuts and curry-donuts whenever she feels like making them.

'...... I think it was the honey. My mouth slipped a little too much.'

He puts the empty cup in the sink and smiles at Molly.

I'm going to have to curse you for being a little too hard to resist.

'So, Molly, don't tell anyone what you just heard, okay?See?'

If I tell her with this smile, most people will nod.

With a slightly twitchy face.

But Molly smiled softly.

'I also slip up because of the honey, but ......, Yashiro-san looks like someone I like.

Hmm?

Molly's favorite person?

...... If you look like him, it's not me, is it?

............ Who's that?I'm just curious.

I don't know, I'm a little shocked that a quiet, solid girl like Molly has a guy she likes. ...... It's not too early to tell.Are you okay?Are you sure you're not being tricked by a bad guy?

'Molly. Tell me more about this guy.

'Oh, no!No, you can't, you can't!

Molly turns red and waves her hands in the air.

Oh ...... this is serious stuff.

I'm so shocked,.......

But ...... Yashiro also told me his secret. ...... If it's a mutual secret, then ...... just a hint, then ............'

I'm sure you'll agree that it's a good idea to have a cup of coffee with you.

'The clue is ...... sugar radishes,' she says.

Then, perhaps having reached her limit, Molly rushes off, squealing down the hallway. And then she ran out of the hallway, squealing.

So ...... is it one of those guys ............?

Wow, that's surprising.

I mean, Molly.

You look like one of them, that's a bad word.

I'm giddy at the prospect.

I can see the faces of the anteater brothers in my mind's eye, laughing like they're in a junior high school English textbook, and my heart sinks.

...... I wonder what the similarity is. Please tell me. I'll do my best to fix it.

'...... I'm going to bed too.

I leave the washing up for tomorrow and head out into the hallway.

Molly ran out the door, which was left open.

...... Huh?

I'm not sure if I've ever heard Molly open a door when she ran out.

............Then the rumbling in the house earlier was ......?

'............No way, man.'

I tried my best to shake off the bad premonition that flashed through my mind for a moment, and rubbed my twitching cheeks as I walked out into the courtyard.

Looking up at the second floor, I saw that all the windows were closed and no light was leaking out. I turned my gaze to the largest room on the right side of the quiet second floor, as seen from the courtyard.

Ginette, you're already asleep,......, right?

'.................. Let's go to bed.

Bad things don't happen that way.

No such coincidences happen.

I told myself that, and I slowly walked up the stairs.