"Ah… do I really have to tear them…?"
Before Flo stood Cynthia's sheer black pantyhose.
According to the latest mission objective, all she needed to do was rip her sister's stockings—even without brewing lemon tea—and she'd earn a whopping 40 points.
Such an enormous reward made Flo seriously waver.
This is for points! This is for my life!
It's definitely not because I want to feel how they texture feels!
Swallowing hard, Flo placed her hand on Cynthia's thigh. The silky fabric felt far more luxurious than she'd imagined.
She couldn't resist giving it a gentle stroke—but immediately snapped back to reality.
As much as she wanted to keep touching, the mission came first. Cynthia could wake up at any second.
So Flo steeled herself… and prepared to tear the pantyhose.
"Enjoying the feel, little Flo?"
"Mmm, yeah—it's even nicer than I thought, hehe… EHHH?!"
Flo froze solid. Slowly, she lifted her head.
At some point, Cynthia had woken up—and was now gazing down at her with a dangerously sweet, knowing smile.
"…"
"Why so quiet now, little Flo~?"
"A-ahahaha… G-good evening, Sister…!" Flo's brain had completely short-circuited.
"Good evening. What brings you to me?" Cynthia's smile remained, but it carried an edge.
"N-nothing! I just… worried you might catch a chill, haha…"
As she spoke, Flo subtly tried to inch toward the door.
But before she'd taken two steps, one of Cynthia's massive red tentacles coiled snugly around her waist.
"Be honest with Sister now~"
Cynthia still smiled—but a dark aura now crackled around half her face.
Flo: "I'm doomed… (つД`)"
Caught red-handed… (tragic)
♡♡♡
"You wanted my pantyhose?" Cynthia arched an eyebrow.
"U-um… yeah…"
Flo's face burned crimson as she buried it into the sofa cushions, too embarrassed to look up.
There was no point lying—she'd never been good at it. Cynthia always saw right through her, and would punish her with merciless tickle-torture using her big tentacles.
Defeated, Flo confessed everything.
"I'm sorry, Sister… just pretend I never said anything…"
At this point, those 40 points were clearly gone.
But honestly? After getting caught doing something so mortifying, Flo just wanted the floor to swallow her whole.
Yet Cynthia's response stunned her.
"Why? I never said no."
"…Huh?"
Flo looked up in disbelief.
Cynthia had already slipped off the pantyhose, neatly folded them, and now held them out in her hand.
"If little Flo wants them, you could've just asked, you know." She smiled gently as she offered the folded stockings.
"Really? You're just… giving them to me?" Flo hesitated to take them.
Was her sister really this okay with such a bizarre request?
"Of course."
"But… is this really alright? It's such an unreasonable thing to ask…"
Receiving them so easily made Flo feel oddly guilty.
"Sister remembers," Cynthia said softly, her expression turning somber.
"All the things you did in our last life… the mistakes you made… they could've been avoided."
"I bear responsibility too. Back then, I tried to protect you by controlling everything—restricting your choices. If I'd trusted you more, given you a little freedom… maybe you wouldn't have acted so desperately."
"So this time," Cynthia's smile returned, warm and sincere, "I won't interfere anymore. Little Flo can live however she wants—just as long as…"
She leaned in and kissed Flo's forehead.
"As long as you stay by my side."
"So if you ever need anything… just ask."
"Sister…"
Tears pricked Flo's eyes as she accepted the black stockings.
Cynthia yawned. "It's late. I'm off to bed. You should sleep soon too, little Flo."
"Mm-hmm!"
With that, Cynthia gave her another gentle kiss on the forehead and left for her room.
Alone in the private theater, Flo sat on the sofa, heart swirling with complex emotions.
"I never knew Sister remembered everything from our last life…"
[Of course she does!] Sui Sui's voice chimed in. [Anyone whose fate is tied to yours retained their memories from the first timeline—and Cynthia definitely counts.]
Flo: "So… does that mean my mission is complete?"
[Yep! Just tear those stockings, and the 40 points are yours, mew!]
Flo: "…Nah. It wouldn't feel right to ruin Sister's clothes like that. I'll brew the lemon tea, wash them clean, and give them back."
[Really? You're just giving them back? Not keeping them for… other uses?]
Flo: "…What 'other' uses?"
[You know… fun uses.]
Flo: "Wha—?! I-I'd never do anything gross with Sister's stockings!"
[Fair enough, mew. After all, if you just ask her, she'd probably play with you directly—no need for substitutes, right?]
Flo: "SHUT UP, YOU DAMNED GREMLIN!"
Just as Flo was about to retort—
[Ding-dong!]
[Congratulations! You've unlocked a new skill!]
A system alert rang out.
Flo: "…A new skill?"
Suddenly wide awake, Flo immediately cast "Instant Appraisal" on herself.
[New Skill Rank: SSS]
Flo: "SSS rank?! That's the highest possible tier!"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. What could this skill be?
[Skill Name: "Help Me, Sister!"]
[Rank: SSS]
[Effect: Summons your beloved sister Cynthia to instantly eliminate any obstacle in your path.]
[Activation Condition: Simply shout "Help me, Sister!" Once per day. Requires a small payment.]
Flo: "Summon Sister? What does that even mean?"
[It's simple, mew! Wherever you are, shouting that phrase will instantly teleport Cynthia to your side to solve any problem.]
Flo: "Anytime? Anywhere?"
[Anytime. Anywhere.]
That actually sounded amazing! Even if it was once a day, having her ultra-reliable Sister on call meant Flo would never be truly helpless again.
Flo: "…But what's this 'payment' thing?"
[Well, if Sister helps you, you gotta pay her back, right?]
Flo: "Pay her back with what?"
She was genuinely confused. Cynthia had everything—money, power, status. What could Flo possibly offer?
[Mmm… it's not a big deal. You just have to give her… dumplings.]
Flo: "Dumplings? But Sister doesn't even like those!"
[Not those dumplings… your dumplings.]
Flo: "Huh? Are you joking? I don't even have any… dum… plings… uh…?"
Flo: "(°ー°〃)"
[Judging by your face… you get it now, mew.]
"…No! I don't get it! I don't know anything! AAAAAH!"
From that moment on, Flo swore—never, ever would she use this skill lightly!