Chapter 56
“Kwahahaha! What took you two so long just to get dressed? Did you lovers go have a little romp?”
“Cough, cough!”
“I-It’s not like that!”
At Broad’s leering gaze, I denied it before I knew it.
For some reason, my face felt incredibly hot.
“Whoa there, I was only teasing. That reaction... Ahem. Anyway, that bunny outfit suits you. Anyone would mistake you for a rabbit beastkin cosplaying as Witchie.”
“Right, right! It looks great on you, Yubel! You’re totally like a bunny!”
“Yeah, it suits you.”
“I-Is that so...?”
It suits me...
At least it doesn’t look awkward.
Since the Hero would only tease me, I changed into the bunny-girl outfit with Prea’s help.
With the bunny headband on and my tail hidden inside the outfit, I really did look like a rabbit beastkin.
And if I put on the mask that looked exactly like my face, I’d be a rabbit beastkin cosplaying as Witchie.
This would let me pass myself off to the dwarves as a rabbit beastkin cosplayer, not the witch who’d come down from the snowy mountain.
“Then, let’s get going!”
At last, I left the stuffy cabin and took my glorious first step outside.
The cold wind of Baelogia blew fiercely against us.
For some reason, it felt a little colder than usual. Had the blessing weakened?
Having finished that thought, I slowly started toward the street.
Just then, one of the dwarves loitering nearby noticed us.
‘Will the disguise... really work?’
The dwarf narrowed his eyes and gradually approached me.
I am a rabbit beastkin.
I am a rabbit beastkin.
I am a rabbit beastkin.
I repeated it three times in my mind to get into character.
Now I was a rabbit beastkin.
Not Yubel, the Archmage of the Hero’s party, but cute cosplayer Rabbit-chan!
“Uh, uhh. Excuse me... Are you perhaps a cosplayer dressed as Witchie?”
“That’s right, hop! I’m the adorable, faaaamous cosplayer, Rabbit-chan! Hop!”
“……”
Ah, was this too much?
I could feel my companions staring at me strangely.
But what could I do? I had no idea how rabbit beastkin were supposed to talk.
I had no choice but to fill in the blanks with my imagination.
“Ooooh! What incredible quality! Of all the Witchie cosplays I’ve ever seen, this is by far the most accurate!”
“I-Is that so, hop? Thank you for the compliment, hop!”
Fortunately, this guy didn’t seem to know much about rabbit beastkin either.
Well, it made sense. The dwarves holed up here had probably never met a rabbit beastkin.
From then on, I strode proudly through the streets, imitating the fictional cosplayer Rabbit-chan.
The dwarves who spotted me here and there began wailing, “I can’t believe it! I was mistaken!”
It was hard to keep from laughing at how oblivious they were.
“Kihihit, hop-hop!”
“……You seem to rather like that outfit.”
“N-No, I don’t, hop! You’ve got it all wrong, hop!”
“Ahaha... I hope we can make it all the way to the snowy mountain like this.”
“Yeah. We’re almost there, so just hang in there until then.”
“Then let’s pick up the pace, hop! This thing keeps digging into me, and I want to take it off already—”
[Heh heh heh, what is that vulgar outfit?]
Huh?
Just as we were chatting amiably, the parasite’s voice barged in like an unwelcome guest.
It had been quiet for so long, I’d thought it had finally passed on, but it had stubbornly shown up again.
[You. I have something important to tell you, so find us a moment to speak in private.]
“You think I can do that right now...!”
“Hm? Make what?”
[A baby.]
“A baby...! No, that’s not what I meant! What are you talking about?!”
“Ahaha... Even so, wouldn’t it be hard to make a baby here?”
“You want to make a baby? Then I’ll be the dad!”
“What a devoted couple.”
“……”
This parasite was always causing trouble.
Because of this bitch inside me, I’d suddenly become a woman who wanted to have a baby.
-As expected of a rabbit beastkin. They say they’re in heat every day...
-Damn it! I want a fertile girlfriend in heat like that, too!
-I’ve got sperm, too...
The people around us started whispering about me.
Is there no such thing as human rights here? What the hell, sexual harassment. I’m genuinely hurt.
I just wanted to wipe out everyone here with magic.
Honestly, was there any reason to keep scum like that alive?
As I was thinking that, the Hero beside me drew his sword and threatened the dwarves.
Perhaps intimidated by his presence, the dwarves hurriedly scattered.
‘...He’s dependable.’
This guy was trash, but sometimes he could look pretty cool—
“Yubel, you shouldn’t say things like that outside.”
The Hero grasped my shoulders and spoke in a firm tone, as if scolding a child.
The height difference made it look that way.
Fwaah—!
“I-I know that!”
I know how embarrassing it is to kiss in public! Who does he think I am, a kindergartener?
But the Hero, oblivious to what I was thinking, wore an infuriating smile that seemed to say, ‘I understand everything.’
I wanted to punch him right then and there, but he started walking again, so I held back.
Clomp, clomp.
[Good grief, he treats you like a child through and through.]
“Exactly...! We’re lovers!”
This time, I replied quietly enough that the person beside me couldn’t hear.
We had to look like lovers so Broad wouldn’t suspect us, but this guy was treating me like a kid, as if he’d forgotten the whole act.
But then.
[What! Lovers? Did you just say you’re lovers!?]
“Eek, you startled me...! I almost screamed because of you!”
[This cannot be! My toy, in the hands of some worthless man! Who confessed first? Yubel, answer me at once!]
What’s wrong with it?
It had been the one trying to set me up with the Hero, and now it was acting like a parent whose daughter had been stolen away.
“We’re just pretending to be lovers, so calm down! That dwarf behind us is interested in me!”
[Ah, is that so...? Ahem. To conceal such an important matter from me instead of reporting it at once! How insolent of you!]
“Are you insane! You misunderstood all on your own, so how is this my fault?”
Bickering!
I got into a petty argument with the parasite.
Then I noticed my companions up ahead looking at me with pity.
At first, I was confused by their gazes, but I soon realized what the problem was.
‘I can lower my voice, but I can’t hide my expression.’
***
[If you want to look like lovers, shouldn’t you stick together? Why are you walking so far apart?]
“No, but what was the important thing you wanted to tell me? We’re away from the others now, so hurry up and say it.”
[On second thought, it’s not something you need to worry about. Besides, the important matter right now is pretending to be lovers, isn’t it?]
It got me curious and then refused to tell me.
Honestly, even the way it acted was irritatingly parasitic.
“Haa... So what exactly do you want me to do?”
[I want to see you and the Hero being all lovey-dovey?]
“Hey, didn’t you see what happened earlier? He suddenly started treating me like a baby! If this keeps up, Broad will figure us out. What is he even thinking...?”
[Hmm, I think I can help with that.]
Perk.
When I paused, the bunny ears on my headband wavered slightly in the breeze.
“You...? How?”
[Heh heh, don’t you trust me? Just follow the lines I feed you, like last time, and a Hero like him will be easy as pie.]
Th-That’s true.
When I did what the parasite told me last time, things had worked out like magic.
“Then I’ll trust you again?”
[Good. Go over to the Hero first. There’s something only a rabbit beastkin can do.]
Following the parasite’s instructions, I immediately ran over to the Hero.
Soon, the others’ gazes began gathering on us.
“Are you done taking care of things, Yubel?”
“Y-Yeah. I just felt like something got stuck in my butt.”
Side glance.
I could feel the Hero’s gaze briefly turning toward my butt.
[Hmm, the situation isn’t entirely hopeless. Walk right up close in front of the Hero. We should draw attention to our most prominent feature, shouldn’t we?]
“O-Okay...”
Following the parasite’s advice, I passed the Hero and walked as naturally as I could.
But I soon felt awkward.
It was because I could feel a gaze pricking at my butt.
[Endure it. A bunny-girl outfit is meant to emphasize the flesh spilling out from beneath the bottom.]
“B-But...! Do we really have to go this far? I only want us to look like lovers...”
[If you want to look like lovers, shouldn’t you first make the other person lust after you? Honestly, you’re so frustrating.]
“...Fine, so don’t get mad.”
[Haa, since you’re having a hard time, I suppose it can’t be helped. It’s a little soon, but turn around right now and hug the Hero.]
“Hug him!?”
[Hurry.]
Ugh.
For some reason, the parasite’s firm tone made me feel like I had to obey.
‘Right, this is all just acting. I can’t help it.’
Pat-pat! Thump!
“Huh!? Y-Yubel?”
I turned around and wrapped my arms around the Hero’s waist.
My chest was pressed between the Hero and me.
I felt his gaze shift from my butt to the top of my head.
My face was buried against his chest, so I couldn’t see his expression.
And the Hero’s now-familiar scent reached my nose.
It still made me feel good.
The people around us were clearly surprised, but my ears were pressed against him, so I couldn’t hear them.
[Now look up at the Hero and do as I told you.]
Whisper, whisper.
The parasite fed me my lines.
‘Y-You want me to say something that embarrassing? To him?’
Still pressed against his chest, I looked up at the Hero.
Then my eyes met his.
Ah...
For some reason, my heart was pounding.
“Wh-Why aren’t you h-holding me from behind...?”
I was so embarrassed I could barely get the words out.
My face was burning hot, as if it might burst.
My eyes stung, and I could feel them growing moist.
In the end, I couldn’t meet his gaze any longer.
I buried my face and murmured.
“R-Rabbits die... when they’re lonely...”
“……”
Burning hot—!
Aaaah.
I-I’m so embarrassed...!
I’d said it in front of everyone.
The moment I said it, a crazy wave of regret washed over me.
‘This is so embarrassing... I want to crawl into a hole...’
I was sinking into gloom over that thought, but only for a moment.
I felt a warm hand stroking my head.
“Yubel.”
“Mmm... What—? Hup!?”
My breath caught.
It had to.
Because right by my ear...
Smack.
I heard that sound.