After bathing and making some quick preparations, I was leisurely reading a book when a knock came at the door about five minutes before our promised time.
I knew it was Sieg. I called out a response, tucked my book into my Magic Box, and headed over to open the door. Just as expected, Sieg was standing there.
"Thank you for waiting."
"No, you're right on time. Please, come in."
"Thank you."
As I led Sieg into the room, I found myself slightly taken aback by her appearance. While she was wearing a sleeveless top as usual, it looked like loungewear—loose and airy, with a slightly oversized fit. Paired with short shorts that didn't even reach the midpoint of her thighs, she was dressed far more provocatively than I had imagined.
She looked wonderful, and it was certainly cute, but... since Sieg was tall and long-legged, my eyes kept drifting toward her shapely legs every time she moved.
Her top was quite risky as well. Because it was sleeveless and oversized, it felt like I might catch a glimpse of her chest from the side if she moved too much, making my heart race with nervous excitement.
"Ah, please, have a seat on the sofa."
"Yes. I’ll go ahead and set the food out on the table."
"Thanks. Then I’ll get this ready..."
"That’s the device you received from Electrone-sama, isn't it?"
"Yeah. It has a function that automatically plays music to fit the atmosphere, so I thought it would be a nice, sophisticated touch to listen to something while we drink. The room is well-insulated, so we don't have to worry about the sound leaking and causing trouble. Well, even if it did leak, there’s no one currently staying in any of the nearby rooms anyway..."
The house was simply too large for the number of people living in it, so there were plenty of spare rooms. Currently, none of the rooms immediately surrounding mine were in use.
It was possible that they might eventually be used as hobby rooms—like how Lilia had created her collection room—so it seemed Anima and Illness had intentionally kept the neighboring rooms vacant for my benefit.
Regardless, the room was built so that sound wouldn't leak outside or to the adjacent rooms, so playing music at night wasn't an issue at all.
When I activated the Cat-ear Device on its automatic mode, a slow, beautiful melody began to flow almost immediately. The sound quality was exceptional, making it feel as if we were listening to a live performance. However... the music that started playing was incredibly moody.
"It’s a lovely song."
"It is. It has the feel of something you'd hear in a bar. It's quite nice."
The song felt perfect for an adult evening—certainly the kind of music that suited a private drink with a lover.
"Well then, shall we finish the rest of the wine first?"
"Yes. Should we have a toast?"
"Right, for the atmosphere... Cheers."
"Cheers."
We lightly clinked our glasses, and our late-night session began. It was strange; even though it was the same wine, the change in setting seemed to alter the taste. It felt like it had a richer, smoother flavor than it did when we were watching the stars on the hill.
Right on cue, Sieg leaned her body lightly against mine, just as she had done back on the hill.
Perhaps because she had just finished her bath, she smelled wonderful. Her body temperature felt a bit high, and her skin felt incredibly soft. Since she was wearing much thinner clothes than before, I could feel the warmth of her body much more clearly.
With the atmospheric music playing, the mood felt increasingly intimate. Being alone in my room with my lover for a drink, with no plans the next morning and the perfect atmosphere—it would have been more difficult to not be conscious of the situation.
"This is delicious."
"It is... Um, Sieg."
"Yes?"
It wasn't just the atmosphere; the emotions flowing from Sieg through my Sympathy magic were familiar. They were the same feelings I had sensed when she had invited me to stay overnight once before.
Now that I thought about it, she had set the stage and taken the lead back then, too. This felt like a repeat of that night.
Given the circumstances, I could guess what she had meant when she said she would "say it later" on the hill... but this was something I should be the one to bring up. It might have been my imagination, but I felt like Sieg was waiting for me to say the words.
"...Would you like to stay in my room tonight? There's only one bed, but it's large enough for two."
"...Yes. I was hoping you'd ask... I'm so happy."
Pushed by the mood, I made the offer. Sieg smiled joyfully and leaned into me even further, relaxing her body as she surrendered her weight to mine.
Serious-senpai (Cookie & Jam): "............"
Machina: Munch munch... "Combined with the jam, this is a 90... Chomp chomp... Hmph!"
Serious-senpai: "Gah?! M-My body is back... Gwaaaah?! T-This sugar content! What kind of moment are you reviving me in?! This... I feel like a stomach pain warrior whose fainting has been sealed..."