Toasteful: Chapter 86, Part 3

　[Part 3/4]

　"Isn't it carefree of you to indulge in leisure activities instead of taking care of yourself, considering that you were in a position where you might have been torn apart just a moment ago? You have quite the nerve," the princess in pink announced gracefully, her eyes sadistic as if she were a carnivorous animal torturing her dying prey.

　Also, that prey was probably me. Oh Buddha, are you still sleeping?

　"Oh, cousin (itoko-sama)! That was my—"

　"Be quiet, sit down... I don't want to hear anything from you. Know your place," she interrupted with a cold tone, silencing Murasaki's attempt to defend me, and with a curse from Gorilla-sama's word technique, she was instantly neutralized, mouth shut and made to sit properly. Now I'm all alone.

　By the way, it happened just when I was getting into the swing of Iruka's cheating, Gorilla-sama hit me with a wind blow. The Hanafuda exploded into pieces, and half of my house itself was blown away. And now I was in the middle of the preaching time.

　"P-please forgive me, Princess. I would never behave in such a foolish manner..." I stammered, kneeling on the ground, but I was cut off without even being allowed to finish my sentence. "I don't want to hear your excuses. Don't you think this is funny, servant?"

　"Yes. I apologize, Princess," I murmured, my head lowered in shame.

　The princess was heartless.

　"You've got a thick skin too, don't you, dog? ...You don't really think you can get away with everything as you are, do you?" The princess' words stung as they were directed at Iruka, who was kneeling right next to me. Although Iruka's forehead was sweating, she kept a fearless expression on her face.

　"Hehehe, no no, of course not. I never had such a naive idea." Iruka responded confidently, but I could sense the fear in her voice.

　"Oh, really? But isn't playing Hanafuda quite carefree? You might be separated from your head and body in the next moment, you know?" Gorilla-sama taunted, fanning herself. It was an obvious threat, but I couldn't do anything to stop it.

　"Life is short and thick," Iruka said wistfully, staring off into the distance. "We never know when we'll die, that's why I'm enjoying the present."

　"Good heavens, you've got a sharp tongue, don't you?" Gorilla-sama sneers at Iruka's reaction and she smiles coldly. This is... not good.

　"Iruka, watch your mouth. ...Princess, please pardon my impoliteness. Ugh...! As the half-youkai here is the property of the guest, please forgive her arbitrary action."

　I scold Iruka before admonishing Gorilla-sama. I'm met with hostility, but I say it anyway. If Iruka dies here, there's a chance the protagonist will fall into darkness. I don't want to end up in the "dark night's curtain" like this, okay?

　"Hmph, Tomobe" Gorilla-sama sneered. "You're really taking her side, aren't you? Did you get attached to her?" Her words dripped with disdain. "Even though you were a member of the group that tortured her."

　Gorilla-sama's last words were whispered in my ear, catching me off guard. "...!!?"

　As I suspected, due to the way she had been treated, she knew.

　(If that's the case, am I being tested...?)

　In the original Gorilla-sama, there were several similar situations. Making the wrong choice or saying the wrong thing would result in the loss of one's head or one's upper body being stained. But this is... how should I put it?

　"I prioritize obligation over resentment," I said solemnly after a moment of silence. My head hung low, and my tone conveyed a deep sense of regret. Though I wasn't lying, I knew Gorilla-sama would be able to see through any falsehoods.

　In fact, I don't have any ill-feelings towards Iruka because she did help me save my sister. Of course, I can't say for sure that no one was made unhappy because of her... but for me, Iruka was a person to whom I owed a debt, more so than an enemy. That's why I'm responding in this way.

　...it's just a bit of self-righteousness, isn't it?

　"Please forgive me," I pleaded, my voice shaking with fear. The air around me grew colder as I waited for Gorilla-sama's response.

　After what felt like an eternity, she tapped the fan against my neck. "Okay. You're not very good at living, are you? You've always been foolish," she said, her voice laced with frustration and ridicule.

　It seemed I was not going to die today. I quietly felt relieved.

　As the tension subsided, Gorilla-sama shifted the conversation to the shattered remains of my home. "But still, it was quite damaged. I can't believe it was shattered by the slightest breeze."

　"Well, it was because princess..."

　"To crumble just in a breeze, it really is shoddy, isn't it?"

　"Y-yes..."

　I tried to argue, but I immediately surrendered to Gorilla-sama. It was the same old power harassment.

　I attempted to argue, but Gorilla-sama's power harassment silenced me once again. "Achoo!" I heard a sneeze from behind me and turned to see Mari, the blind girl, sitting in the corner. "Are you all right, Mari? Should I give you a blanket?" Magoroku asked, concerned.

　"No, no, I'm okay, brother (Onii-sama). Don't worry about me. Please give it to someone else instead," Mari replied hesitantly.

　"...princess."

　Gorilla-sama asked, "What is it? Do you plan to beg from me, your master?"

　"No, but..." I trailed off, feeling defeated.

　If it were just me, I wouldn't mind sharing a room with the other servants. But with Magoroku, as well as Mari, who has a weak body, and Iruka, who is only half a guest, it's not ideal.

　(Since Gorilla-sama's place is almost unoccupied, it would be good... but it's impolite to ask for a little...)

　The place where Gorilla-sama lives, who does not trust others, has only a few people, including Shiro, compared to the size of the place. Besides, most of the necessary chores were done by shikigami. However, it would be presumptuous of me to say... if she would at least let us live here even if it was a corner shed, given that they are all women.

　"...Hehehe, you're quite audacious, aren't you? A servant who dares to ask to borrow someone else's abode," Gorilla-sama's laughter made me jump.

　"...! P-please forgive me if it's just an idea!" I stuttered out an excuse as Gorilla-sama looked at me with a mixture of incredulity and scorn.

　"Hehehe. But you're right. It was unpleasant for me to come to this dirty little shack to meet with you. ...Then, do you want to use the unused storage shed in the back?"

　I lifted my face to look at Gorilla-sama in disbelief when she said that. I then hastily lowered my head in gratitude.

　"I-I'm very grateful for your kindness!"

　Deeply and humbly, I expressed my gratitude. But even as I was thanking her, I felt a sense of unease. I mean, Gorilla-sama was being too accommodating.

　(She is too generous, did something bad await me...?)

　As I was thinking this, I sensed my body being lifted up as if suspended in midair. This sensation was not foreign to me.

　Immediately I make eye contact with Gorilla-sama and saw her smiling sweetly. I smiled back, my smile feeling strained.

　"Chouei (The invisible hondo-shikigami), do it."

　"Hey, wait! Whoaaaa...!"

　With those words from Gorilla-sama, I was thrown into the air. I fell in an arc, obeying gravity, and then...

　"It's not good..!?" I groaned as I crashed head-first into the fish pond in the residence's garden, creating a splash. The carp swimming inside were startled by the intruder and jumped out of the water. Gasping for breath and with my face above water, I crawled out of the pond, completely drenched.

　"Cough, cough...!? D*mn it, what the hell...?!” I grumbled through gritted teeth, but I felt a presence before me. I look up and there is Gorilla-sama looking down at me with arrogance.

　"P-princess...?"

　"I forgot. Your body smells terrible. Hurry up and take a bath. ...And leave the luggage to the other residents here. Understand?" Gorilla-sama imperiously waved her hand in my direction, and glanced at Iruka and Magoroku as she spoke, effectively giving an order.

　"...Understand, Princess," I replied meekly, my voice heavy with defeat.

* * *

　Bathing is often referred to as "cleansing the soul." In fact, there is no doubt that keeping the body warm by bathing improves blood circulation and has a calming effect on the mind. In ancient Rome, bathhouses were essential to maintaining the morale and improving the hygiene of the military, and in East Asia, the concept of "toji (hot spring therapy)" is associated with medical treatment.

　Moreover, knowing the hygienic life in my previous life, it was inevitable that I would miss bathing regularly, even though I had become accustomed to living in this world, and at the same time, it was a luxury that I was not willing to pay for.

　At places like the capital or Hotoya village where hot springs constantly gushed forth warm water, it was easy to obtain hot water for bathing. However, to obtain enough water to take a bath, one had to boil it, which was extremely time-consuming and required a large amount of firewood. The cost and time required for bathing are incomparable to those of modern civilization. Only the privileged could afford to bathe every day, and it was not uncommon to find people among the poor who had never even soaked in hot water.

　"Phew. I'm back to life."

　So, for me, who had just been immersed in a bath full of hot water, this opportunity was a blessing, regardless of what Gorilla-sama had in mind.

　The fact that she even prepared soap. I don't know what she was thinking at all..."

　It was clearly an action that went too far, even for a servant like Yun-shoku. But that Gorilla-sama sometimes acted in the original story as well, so it may be pointless to think about it. That princess may not be as cruel as the Blue Demon, but she is a hedonistic momentary thinker.

　"Well, I don't need to think that hard about it, do I...?"

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