Itsuki seemed particularly sensitive to the delicious dishes on the table. With her puffed-up cheeks, it was clear she was a little foodie. Reina's clear, gem-like eyes scanned the room, and she seemed to understand.
If anyone was sneaking food, it had to be Muxiao.
Itsuki had caught on, but he stayed hidden, perhaps not wanting to scare the kids? What a gentle guy, Reina thought, adding another layer of admiration for Muxiao.
"Did you eat it by mistake, Itsuki?" her sisters muttered, since no one else had taken anything.
"No way! How could you accuse me, Nino?!" Itsuki fumed, her puffed cheeks adorably indignant. "Someone definitely stole it!"
"Ahem, Itsuki, Mommy ate it," Reina said, soothing her daughters. The stunning woman feigned sadness, patting her stomach. "Mommy's just recovering, so my appetite's bigger. Don't be mad, okay, Itsuki?"
"Ugh, I'm not mad, Mommy…"
Playing with her daughters in the room, Reina was tugged along, unwilling to part. She patiently stayed by her little lolis until they tired out and fell asleep on the tatami, then gently covered them with blankets.
"I thought you'd left, Muxiao."
The red-haired beauty didn't turn, continuing to stroke her daughter's head. Muxiao swung in from the window, his sharp tentacles gripping the ceiling with suction stronger than suckers, landing beside Reina.
"You're my personal secretary—how could I leave alone?" His youthful, human-like voice made it hard for Reina to see him as a monster anymore.
The more she interacted with him, the more curious she grew about his secrets, and the easier it was to sink into his world…
"That's quite a thing to say… like I'm indispensable to you," Reina said, shifting her gaze from her daughters to him.
"You are important to me, obviously."
Muxiao's tone was casual, almost mundane, but its matter-of-fact nature hit Reina like a hammer, making her tremble, her heart skipping a beat.
Such a simple sentence shook her to her core. She didn't know why—despite all she'd been through, she wasn't some naive schoolgirl, yet an uncontrollable flutter stirred within her.
Her body heated up.
"What's wrong?" Muxiao's super intuition picked up on her change.
"Nothing, I just… suddenly understood something."
"Understood what?"
"Why Natsumi likes you," the beautiful young mother said, closing her eyes. When she opened them, her gaze sparkled vibrantly. "You really are special, Muxiao."
"You mean what I just said?" Muxiao caught on, grinning smugly. "That's nothing—I can say even cheesier lines."
Though it's a bit embarrassing.
"For me, that's enough," Reina said, pursing her vivid red lips. Her delicate face held an unreadable expression, her gaze warm with a hint of shy allure.
That faint blush on her fair face made Muxiao think he'd misseen.
"Muxiao, if only I'd met you sooner."
"Huh?"
"But it's not too late now. Meeting you is wonderful."
Natsumi said something like that too, didn't she?
Before Muxiao could dwell on it, a unique floral scent wafted from her—Reina's fragrance. Accompanied by the scent, her warm, jade-like body leaned closer, her soft warmth rising as she pressed against him.
Touching, cuddling.
"R-Reina?"
He was dumbfounded.
"Maybe you think I'm strange like this? Honestly, I feel strange too…" Reina exhaled softly, her sparkling eyes earnest. "But I can't help it."
Her tender lips brushed against him, breathing warmth. "You must've cast a spell on me, a charm spell, right?"
Muxiao: "…"
I'm a tentacle monster, not a succubus!
Reina, with how you're acting, you're the one casting a charm spell!
How'd you turn into Natsumi?
Questioning Natsumi? Understanding Natsumi? Becoming Natsumi?
Before he could retort, the alluring red-haired mother grabbed his tentacle, her radiant face blooming like a rose, her pearl-like eyes piercing into Muxiao's core.
"Muxiao… come with me."
Her voice was gentle but carried an undeniable tone. What do you want to do? Can I say no?
He shivered.
On the tatami, one of the quintuplets stirred, waking groggily. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up. "Mommy?"
No mother in sight.
The room was silent. The identical little loli, indistinguishable from her sisters, wobbled out, clutching her stomach and heading for the bathroom.
She needed to use it, but the door was locked and wouldn't budge. Strange sounds came from inside. Listening closely… was that Mommy?
"Mommy? Are you in there?"
"Nino?" Reina's voice held a fleeting panic. "Why are you… ugh~"
How does she recognize her daughter's voice so accurately?
"Mommy, when are you coming out? I need to use the bathroom—"
Nino knocked urgently.
"I'll be out soon… ah."
Why's Mommy's voice so strange? Hearing sticky, odd moans, Nino tilted her head. "What are you doing, Mommy? You sound weird."
The innocent loli's words made Reina even more nervous inside, her breaths clearer the tenser she got. "N-Nothing, Mommy's using the bathroom too. My stomach… ugh… it hurts a bit."
"Nino's still outside, Muxiao, you…"
Nino: ???
The stifled moans grew harder to suppress. Through the door, the little girl thought her mother sounded in pain—probably a stomachache.
Naive, she didn't think much, just worried for her mom.
She couldn't discern the mix of pain and pleasure in her mother's voice. Knowing her daughter was outside made Reina tense, her body rigid.
"No! I'm… going to… ugh—"
A high-pitched cry rang out, then the bathroom fell silent. After a moment, the door slowly opened. Reina emerged, biting her lip, face flushed with a drunken glow, stepping out cautiously.
"Mommy, you okay? Is your body acting up again?"
"No, I'm much better," Reina said, avoiding her daughter's gaze, feeling absurd and depraved, like a fallen woman. "Nino, go use the bathroom."
"Oh…"
The loli didn't overthink, relieved her mom was fine, and hurried in.
The window opened, letting in a breeze, but she still caught a strong scent.
"Huh? What's this smell?"