Roy led Chisato into the basement of the mansion.
"Whoa, what a creepy room. Even Lord Roy's magecraft is so... cough I mean, I never thought Lord Roy's magecraft would be this eerie?"
"This is Touko's workshop. I don't usually come here."
Roy walked over to a workbench, clearing the items on it to reveal a flat operating table.
"Lie down. And take off your clothes."
"Okay."
Chisato took a deep breath—so deep that her cheeks puffed up—then in one swift motion, she stripped off all her upper garments, including her outer coat, sweater, and inner thermal layer.
"Um... do I need to take off my underwear too?"
Down to just her pure white bra, Chisato kept her face tense, stealing cautious glances at Roy.
"No, just expose the area around your heart."
Roy set up a simple rune barrier around the operating table.
"That's a relief."
Chisato exhaled, then climbed onto the table without hesitation.
"By the way, this basement must be teeming with bacteria, right? Performing surgery in this kind of environment—won't there be post-op infections? Wouldn't that be a huge hassle?"
"What are you saying to someone with Crown-class skills? There won't be any side effects, so relax."
With the barrier ready, Roy turned and approached the operating table.
His gaze swept over Chisato from head to toe.
The girl had a well-proportioned figure—curves in all the right places. Though not as striking as the Nakano sisters, she was still quite impressive, a mix of allure and youthful innocence.
Under Roy's scrutinizing gaze, Chisato kept her face stiff, her eyes clear as she stared back, seemingly unaffected by the awkward atmosphere.
"Aren't you embarrassed at all?"
Roy suddenly asked.
"Don't say it out loud! I'm trying really hard to suppress my embarrassment!"
Chisato yelped, her face instantly flushing crimson. The clarity in her eyes vanished, replaced by a glare of mortification.
"Don't be so mean, Lord Roy!"
"Heh."
Roy chuckled in amusement.
Then he reached out and gently patted Chisato's head.
"It'll hurt a little. Just go to sleep. When you wake up, it'll all be over."
"I hope the pain is only in my heart..."
Chisato glanced down at her lower half, about to say something more, but under Roy's soothing touch, her eyelids grew heavy. Soon, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep slumber.
Hearing her words and catching her glance, Roy instantly understood her implication. His lips twitched.
"That kind of pain would definitely require you to be awake."
A life-sustaining barrier unfolded around the operating table.
Restoring Chisato's health required more than just creating a brand-new heart. First, an incision had to be made in her chest to remove the artificial heart inside her body. Then, her life had to be sustained during the period without a heart. Without medical equipment like pacemakers available, magic had to be used to keep her alive while a completely new heart was created. Finally, the incision would be sutured, marking the completion of the surgery.
Fortunately, this procedure was extremely simple for Roy.
In fact, it was effortless. Just a few minutes later, the lights in the basement dimmed.
Night fell.
With the number of residents far exceeding the available bedrooms, the women in the mansion had to pair up and squeeze into the side rooms for the night.
Miku and Itsuki shared one room, Ichika and Nino another.
Takina and Chisato were together.
Takina had just finished washing up and returned to the bedroom, anxiously awaiting the results of Chisato's surgery. She had expected the operation to last until midnight or even the early hours of the next morning.
To her surprise, Chisato returned to the bedroom just minutes later.
"Takina, I'm back!"
As Takina was drying her hair, Chisato walked into the room with a radiant smile.
"Just finished bathing? Let me dry your hair for you!"
Without waiting for Takina's refusal, she snatched the old hairdryer from Takina's hands and began drying her damp, long black hair.
Although there were no signal towers in Fuyuki City, making phone calls impossible, water and electricity were still functioning normally—albeit at exorbitant prices that ordinary households couldn't afford. Appliances like hairdryers were no longer being produced, so they had to rely on pre-Cataclysm relics, which looked very outdated.
"Chisato, weren't you supposed to be having surgery?"
"Already done! Now I'm in full Chisato mode!"
"So fast?!"
"Yep! Here, feel for yourself!"
Chisato cheerfully took Takina's hand and placed it on her chest. What Takina felt wasn't just Chisato's warmth—there was also the unmistakable rhythm of a heartbeat, strong and healthy, something she had never sensed before.
"That's wonderful! That's just wonderful!"
Joy flooded Takina's chest. Overwhelmed, she turned and hugged Chisato tightly.
Ever since learning that Chisato's heart was beyond repair, Takina had been deeply distressed. Coming to this world and living a precarious existence had kept her nerves constantly on edge.
But now, staying in the Aozaki mansion meant no more monster attacks, and Chisato's heart had been healed. No longer would she have to calculate Chisato's remaining lifespan dozens of times a day or face the terror of it dwindling away. The weight lifted from Takina's shoulders, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"It's okay, it's okay. From now on, we can stay together forever, living happily ever after!"
Chisato gently stroked Takina's back, her voice soft and tender, laced with comfort and quiet joy.
"Takina, you're such a clingy baby, aren't you?"
"Huh? What are you talking about? Me? Clingy? No way..."
Inoue Takina quickly let go of Chisato and hastily wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She glared at Chisato with her dark, stubborn eyes, her face full of defiance.
"Look at you, almost crying! Just admit you want to cling to me already!"
"I wasn't crying!"
"You totally were! Takina, you're such a clingy person but won't admit it—you're like a kid!"
"Enough already!"
Takina's ears burned from Chisato's infuriating tone, her face flushing with embarrassment. Without thinking, she grabbed the pillow from the bedside and hurled it at Chisato.
"Oh, you're on! A pillow fight? I won't lose—take this!"
Chisato, undaunted, flashed a triumphant grin and grabbed another pillow, swinging it at Takina like a slap, up and down.
"I won't lose to you—here I come!"
Takina couldn't help but break into a smile as she dashed over, picked up the pillow, and flung it back at Chisato.
"Missed, missed!"
Chisato dodged the pillow with a smug look, tossing her head.
"You'll need another hundred years to hit me, Takina!"
"That's cheating! If you're gonna play dirty, don't blame me!"
Takina grabbed the pillow and lunged at Chisato, laughing as she pinned her down on the bed, smacking her face with the pillow from both sides.
For a while, the room was filled with laughter and playful shouts.