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Volume 4 Chapter 10-4: Compromise

After guiding the two of them and leaving the room, I went outside. I wanted to breathe in the fresh air after using my brain more than usual.

Then, I saw Yukino’s back, holding a bag with a bento box in her hand. I ordered her to clean the room that I had lent to Azul and the woman in men’s clothing and told her to go home when she finished, but she must have worked hard until the last minute.

I was about to call out to her, but Kemin, the yellow fire fox, and Kurone, the black fire fox, who had been going around the houses collecting empty milk bottles, ran towards Yukino, so I reflexively hid.

「Yukino-chan, I’m glad you’re feeling better.」

「I was worried because you seemed down recently.」

As the two of them said, Yukino had been feeling down about what Voldeck had told her in Bell Erucy. They are not her best friends for nothing.

「Sorry for making you worry, both of you. Yukino is fine now.」

She said it with a certain pride. She seemed to want to say something.

「Yukino-chan, did something happen with Cyril-niisama by any chance?」

When Kurone asked, Yukino’s ears twitched.

「That reaction, maybe, just maybe, but really, just maybe, did you,  ‘fox’ with Cyril-niisama?」

Kemin asked tentatively, and Yukino blushed slightly as she slowly nodded her head.

「Today, Yukino ‘foxed’ with Cyril-niisama.」

「Kyaa, kyaa, kyaa!」

Kurone and Kemin pranced around, making high-pitched voices. Yukino’s face turned even redder. ‘Fox’? I had been curious about what it meant for a long time, but I might find out here.

「Yukino-chan, you’re all grown up.」

「As expected of a silver fox, you’re a bit different from us.」

「Both of you, you’re exaggerating.」

「It’s not an exaggeration at all. You did ‘fox,’ Kuro is envious.」

「Did you ‘kon kon’ yet?」

「Not yet.」

「Kyaa, kyaa, kyaa!」

The two’s excitement had been at its peak since a while ago and didn’t seem like they would calm down soon. A new strange word has appeared, what is ‘kon kon’? The mystery of the fire fox deepens.

「Kurone, we need to find a darling soon.」

「Kuro would like to be with Cyril-niisama too.」

「I think Cyril-niisama’s hands are too full already. Besides, he’s going to marry Kuu-neesama, so doing ‘fox’ with him would be…」

「Kuro doesn’t want to die. Yukino-chan, you’re amazing. You’re like a kamikaze, aren’t you?」

The moment Kurone said that, Yukino broke into a cold sweat. When I thought about it calmly, I started to get scared too. We might have crossed the line if I had made the wrong move.

「Yukino is sure it’s okay. Yukino was only ‘foxed’, Yukino didn’t ‘fox’ Cyril-niisama. Yukino only became Cyril-niisama’s, Yukino didn’t receive Cyril-niisama. So, Yukino doesn’t think Kuu-neesama will be angry. I’m sure Kuu-neesama has been ‘foxed’ a lot by Cyril-niisama.」

Feeling relieved after saying that, Yukino immediately became aware of the disparity between her and Kuu which made her feel a little depressed. I had received her feelings, but I also clearly told her that I saw her as a little sister. She must have remembered that.

「Yukino-chan, do your best. Mom used to say, ‘Men are pitiful existences that may say ‘only a little’ at first, but once they start, they’ll always go all the way.’ Cyril-niisama will probably go all the way in the end.」

「…Kurone, your mom was that kind of person, huh? But Yukino is cute, so I’m sure it’ll be okay.」

Yukino nodded, pondering the words of the two.

「Even if that day never comes, Yukino’s feelings won’t change. But even so, Yukino hopes that day comes… But Cyril-niisama seems to be devoted to his wives and won’t take any more brides.」

Kurone walked over to Yukino and patted her on the shoulder.

「Don’t worry about it. Mom used to say, ‘Truly reliable people never cheat.’ Cyril-niisama has accepted Kuu-neesama. People who cheat once will find reasons to do the same thing over and over again, especially smart people who are good at justifying themselves. Cyril-niisama is the type who cheats a lot. He takes after Dad, so I know it well.」

Kurone’s words, who I had thought of as the most innocent among the little fire foxes, pierced my heart. The worst was that there was a part of me that was convinced of it too.

「…Kurone, don’t say that in front of Cyril-niisama or Kuu-neesama.」

「I won’t say it. Kuro is smart, so I choose the right time and place when I do or say dangerous things.」

「You’re surprisingly devious.」

「Because Kuro is a black fox, after all.」

The three little fire foxes, focusing on Yukino, chatted excitedly.

「When you did ‘fox’, how was it?」

「It was normal, just a little rough, and it hurt, but the pain was warm.」

Blushing with embarrassment, Yukino said that, and Kurone and Kemin nodded in agreement.

「Kurone, let’s reenact it.」

「Roger.」

Then they walked over to the wall of the nearby house, and Kurone leaned against it.

「Yukino, my cute little fox, I want everything from you.」

「Kyaa, Cyril-niisama, that’s so embarrassing, but Cyril-niisama has Kuu-neesama…」

Then Kemin approached Kurone as if to cover her, and then slammed the wall with her right hand.

「Kuu doesn’t matter. Let me hear your honest feelings, Yukino. You want that, don’t you?」

「Yes, please, Yukino wants it.」

「Come on, tell me what you want.」

「‘Fox’… I want to ‘fox’.」

「That doesn’t tell me anything. I might just leave, you know?」

「‘Fox’ me Cyril-niisama!」

「You’re a good girl. I’ll ‘fox’ you.」

And then, Kemin stroked Kurone’s tail and squeezed the air. It was probably a gesture of squeezing the tail. Fire foxes don’t squeeze each other tails even while playing around. I finally understood. For fire foxes, squeezing the tail is ‘fox’.

「Kyaa, Yukino-chan, you’re so bold.」

「My tail felt strange too.」

Yukino’s face turned as red as a boiled octopus as she was teased by Kurone and Kemin.

「Yukino won’t share. Yukino won’t share the feast Cyril-niisama gave Yukino. Yukino will eat it all by herself.」

With that, she dashed off while holding the lunchbox I made.

「Sorry, Yukino-chan. Kuro wants to eat Cyril-niisama’s cooking too.」

「My bad. I teased you a bit too much.」

Yukino was being chased with all their might by the two. I reflected on it a little. It seems that Yukino always divides the bento and gives some to the other two. Next time, I’ll make sure to prepare enough for all three of them.

「Those kids are something else.」

I felt a little lighter. In two more days, the battle without weapons that would determine Erucy’s future would begin. I’ll put all my strength into it.