“Ouga-sama, please have a seat here.”
Alice, who had been watching from a slight distance, smoothly prepares a chair. I sit down immediately and extend my right arm toward Yueri.
I can’t help but stare at the prosthetic. I said the pain doesn’t bother me, but that’s a lie. Even in my past life, I was the type who couldn’t stand watching needles during injections.
But I’m the eldest son of the Four Great Ducal Houses. Now that I’ve been mockingly dubbed “The Saint (Laughs)”, I can’t afford to show a pathetic, trembling figure.
So don’t you dare shake, right leg…!
Since the [True Dragon Slaying Fist] is directly embedded into my body, removing it inevitably causes pain.
A normal person wouldn’t need to frequently detach their prosthetic, but my situation is different.
Even the slightest misalignment could be life-threatening, so daily checks on its movement are essential.
Any discomfort means adjustments are needed.
“Alright. Now, onto the main event—removal time.”
Of course, such crucial adjustments can’t be made while the arm is still attached.
So this time, Yueri introduced a new magical tool—an intermediary connector placed between my flesh-and-blood right shoulder and the [True Dragon Slaying Fist].
To put it simply… think of it like a power strip.
Before, the [True Dragon Slaying Fist] was plugged directly into my “shoulder socket.” But now, a magical tool acts as an adapter, allowing the prosthetic to be inserted into it instead.
By adding this middle layer, the actual connection is between the tool and the prosthetic, reducing strain on my flesh-and-blood shoulder when removing it.
Maintenance just got a whole lot less painful.
“Alice, I’ll need your help.”
“Understood. Shall I support you as usual?”
“Yeah, that’ll work. Here we go—3, 2, 1—”
Even with this method, Yueri still does a countdown, so if worst comes to worst, I only have to endure the pain for that one moment.
The heavy [True Dragon Slaying Fist] comes off, and I feel that familiar lightness again.
But this time? Almost no pain at all.
I turn my face toward Yueri.
She cradles the prosthetic carefully, as if handling a treasure, and gently places it on a clean cloth-covered stand.
“…So, boy. Any pain?”
“—None. Didn’t feel a thing.”
Hearing this, Yueri exhales in visible relief, patting her chest.
For someone who’s always grinning cheerfully, this was an unusually earnest gesture.
Given how things were with the previous [Dragon Slaying Fist], it’s no surprise.
I never complained, but Yueri later told me she couldn’t forget the pained grimace I wore during past connections.
This intermediary tool was her idea, too.
No wonder her first reaction wasn’t triumph—just sheer relief.
Well, if she went that far for me, the least I can do is celebrate her success.
“Absolute success, Yueri.”
I tap her shoulder and raise my left fist. Catching my meaning, she grins and bumps it hard with her own.
“Ever since becoming your personal mechanic, I feel like my skills keep skyrocketing.”
“Don’t get complacent now. I expect you to keep exceeding my expectations.”
“Obviously. No way I’d stop at just meeting them. Lately, I’ve been flooded with ideas I never even considered before. Just you wait.”
“Oh? If you’re that confident, I’ll look forward to it. Heh heh… I’ll be harsh.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Just as her father intended, Yueri’s hidden talent is blossoming now that she’s seen the outside world.
The stimulation must be fueling her growth.
Staying in one place isn’t inherently bad, but if you want to hone your skills, external challenges are invaluable.
“Alright, I’ll get to adjusting. You can wait here or head back to the mansion. I prefer open spaces, so I’m staying put.”
“Nah, I’ll stay. It’s been a while since I watched you work. A master’s craftsmanship is art in itself, right?”
“Hah! Way to pile on the pressure. What a demanding boss!”
Despite her words, she grins and rolls up her sleeves.
Seeing her enjoy herself is what matters most.
Yueri’s a natural artisan, and that’s a blessing in more ways than one.
“Ouga-sama, you’ll catch a chill. Here.”
“Thanks, Alice.”
Alice drapes a blanket over my shoulders, covering where my right arm used to be.
Mashiro went to shower off her sweat, but I only toweled down since I had this adjustment with Yueri.
Looking back, Alice has really grown into her role as a maid compared to the early days.
“Is something the matter, Ouga-sama?”
“No… just appreciating how far you’ve come. Choosing you that day wasn’t a mistake.”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“I’m still inexperienced… but to have my efforts recognized by you is a joy beyond words. If I had to say… ah, perhaps it’s the power of… love?”
“Alice…”
“Ouga-sama…”
“…Ugh, it’s hot. So hot. Can you two take this somewhere else?”
Yueri’s sarcasm flies right past me as Alice and I share a charged gaze. I don’t care one bit.
“boy, you can go take a bath first if you want.”
“I said I’d watch you work, didn’t I?”
“I want you to watch, but… isn’t sitting around sweaty gross? Big sis is just looking out for you.”
Her unexpected remark throws me off.
“…Didn’t know you had that side to you, Yueri.”
“What do you take me for…?”
“Sorry. The image of you in Encartón is still burned into my mind.”
“I was desperate back then, okay? Ahem! Anyway, I do care about these things, so be nicer to me, got it?”
Her tone is oddly playful, like she’s running on no sleep, poking at me with faux-tsundere energy.
“Unnatural voices strain your throat. Don’t overdo it.”
“Wow, harsh much? Really mean, y’know~?”
She jabs my ribs with her elbow. With my right arm gone, I can’t resist—so I take it.
“Eh, half of what you said is true, though. I ignore the discomfort ‘cause tinkering’s fun. Obviously, not sweating would be ideal.”
“That’s why I wear a tank top—to stay cool” she adds, tugging at her collar for emphasis.
The next instant, my vision is blocked by a hand.
It was Alice who did it.
I feel the slight weight of certain assets against my back—no mistaking it.
“Lady Yueri, please refrain from uncouth behavior. As the Vellet family’s official mechanic, you must maintain some decorum…”
“Ah, my bad. Old habits from Dad’s workshop… Don’t worry, I won’t steal your man.”
“That’s not the concern. Also, I strongly advise against doing this in front of Lady Leiche.”
“Leiche? You mean Mashiro? Why?”
“…You’re still new here, so you wouldn’t understand yet. But you will. Remember my warning.”
“O-okay. I won’t do it again.”
Whether cowed by Alice’s intensity or the weight of her words, Yueri backs down.
Part of me mourns the lost chance for a lucky peek, but… this is probably for the best.
Mashiro, though…
Sure, she’s jealous—but in an adorable way—
[Hii~, Ouga-kun. Earth to Ouga-kun~]
[Ouga-kun? Ignoring us for Alice-san~?]
[…Huh? Why does Ouga-kun smell so much like Alice-san…?]
—In an instant, visions of Mashiro’s adorable jealousy and the accompanying pain flash through my mind.
…And yet, these memories are dear to me.
Yueri might not be the one taking damage, but I’ll gladly bear it. Because I’m the only man in the world who gets to be Mashiro’s husband.
“Ah~!!!”
Speak of the devil.
Mashiro’s voice called out from behind me.
……Just now, my shoulders twitched involuntarily—but let me be clear, it wasn’t out of fear!
It was just a crazy coincidence that Mashiro returned at the exact moment I least expected, that’s all…
There’s no way I’d ever feel that way about adorable little Mashiro, haha.
……Wait. Now that I think about it, from Mashiro’s perspective, wouldn’t it look like Alice is hugging me from behind…?
“Alice-san, that’s not fair… I wanna do that too…”
Her usual cheerful tone was completely gone, replaced by something unnervingly sweet.
That gulp I heard? Definitely Yueri.
Seems she finally witnessed Alice’s “claims” firsthand and understood they weren’t exaggerations.
I could tell Alice was tense too—her hands, wrapped around my face, stiffened slightly.
“I-I wanna hug Ouga-kun too… Alice-san, could you—”
“No!”
“Ehh?! Alice-san, you’re so mean— Wait, huh? That voice just now was…?”
I could tell something had happened to Mashiro behind me, but the details were lost.
At first, only my eyes were covered, but after Mashiro showed up, Alice somehow ended up cradling my head against her chest, burying the back of my skull in her cleavage.
……Mmm. I don’t mind staying like this for a while.
But the moment I thought that, the warmth vanished as Alice’s breath tickled my ear.
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
