When I opened my eyes, the first light of dawn was just breaking through.
Checking the time, I realized that less than two hours had passed since I fell asleep.
Despite that, my body felt invigorated.
Even after working intensely all night, I felt refreshed as if I could fly away.
It was all thanks to using Debulroos to continuously restore my stamina.
Of course, the sensation I was feeling couldn’t be solely attributed to that.
There was a mental liberation.
That was the biggest part of it.
I looked at Yurakne, who was sleeping, while holding my waist tightly.
Her body was marked with traces of the passionate night we had.
Marks from pinching, biting, and hitting were scattered all over her body.
Using Debulroots, I tidied up the traces of my presence on her body.
Especially, I paid more attention to the areas that were exposed, like her face and neck.
As soon as I swept my palm over her skin, the marks disappeared as if by magic.
With six arms, the task was quickly completed.
I refrained from touching the intimate parts of her body.
Some parts were difficult to reach because she was asleep, but there was also a desire to leave some evidence of our love from last night.
The Evolutionary Research Lab informed me that the effects of the starlight was fading.
I originally thought it was a useful function, but my trust in this tool grew even more after last night.
Thanks to this diagnostic function, I was able to understand all of her weaknesses.
Before long, shy sunlight peeked over the horizon and streamed through the window.
Her figure became much clearer than before.
She always used to tie her hair back with hairpins, but now she was letting it all loose.
Her hair was so tangled that it resembled seaweed.
The parts that had been pressed against the pillow were tangled messily together.
So that’s why she always tied it up.
I was glad to see another side of her that I hadn’t known before.
While stroking her hair, I reflected on last night’s events.
There were moments of embarrassment, where her face turned red, and moments of satisfaction, where a smile naturally formed.
It was the first time I had experienced something like this.
Being intimate with someone else, physically.
Even though I had gained arms and legs here, my mindset about my body remained the same as before.
Handshakes were something done using arms, a “tool,” and walking was done using legs, another “tool.”
Psychologically, I had confined my existence to the familiar form.
For me, the arms and legs on my body were additional appendages, characteristics like the mantilla’s blade, rather than part of my body itself.
But yesterday, I crossed that barrier.
What would it feel like for a mute person who had only understood words with their head and ears to finally open their mouth?
Experiencing others through the body and influencing them physically was a mysterious experience.
Moreover, she wasn’t just a stranger; she was a woman I had feelings for.
She was someone I could converse with most comfortably in the circus troupe, someone who had many things I didn’t.
The ecstasy I felt when we mixed our bodies wasn’t just due to physical stimulation.
There was also a significant emotional satisfaction.
“Um, D-Director?”
Perhaps because I touched her hair too much.
She woke up.
She looked at me with a drowsy gaze.
Her purple eyes sparkled in the sunlight filtering through the window crack.
My reflection was visible in the center of her eyes.
She was still somewhat groggy, but even in that state, she looked beautiful to me.
I felt infinite affection towards her that I couldn’t describe.
I wanted to express my gratitude to her.
I wanted to convey emotions that couldn’t be described at this moment.
But the moment I opened my mouth, an alert popped up.
[Unique trait ‘The Smiling Man’ is being applied again.]
I felt the muscles in my face twist.
A smile, beyond my control, formed on my lips.
The sense of elation I had just experienced subsided into calmness.
I hadn’t noticed this when I always wore it.
But now that I had tasted freedom and returned, I felt it.
This suffocating feeling that fills my emotions with a leash.
What’s more frustrating is that I can’t even get angry in this situation.
I continued to smile, and no matter how much I tried to vent my frustration, my mind returned to calmness.
I still harboured good feelings towards her, but it wasn’t as vivid.
There was an artificial scent that was almost unpleasant.
Why did Wonderstein implant such a trait?
My reflection in her eyes didn’t change much.
Although I twitched for a moment, I was still smiling.
However, she noticed my change.
She stared at my face intently and spoke.
“Have you come back?” she asked.
“…You noticed,” I replied.
“It’s pretty obvious. Now, if it’s about the Director’s body…”
She said with a shy smile.
Her smile would have made me fall for her all over again.
But now, I couldn’t feel that level of excitement.
“Do you know what I was about to say?”
“No. But I can feel it even if you don’t say it. We had enough conversation yesterday.”
She suddenly pretended to wipe away tears while gently stroking my cheek.
It was an awkward sight, stealing glances from a smiling person’s eyes, but I felt a pang in my chest.
“Haha, Yurakne, I really can’t deceive you anymore. What gave it away?”
“Oh no, I just knew.”
I scratched my head awkwardly.
“That’s troublesome. Now we have one member who doesn’t listen to the Director’s authority.”
“It’s good to have at least one. Someone who appreciates your acting.”
We got off the bed and went to the bathroom together.
Even as she showered, she occasionally bumped her body against mine.
But I couldn’t respond to it.
The Smiling Man made me insensitive in every aspect.
Not only in response to stimuli but also in thinking.
Even her subtle gestures required scrutiny to understand their meaning.
Perhaps she felt that too, as she stopped her actions towards me.
“Is it the promise that the Director will fix our bodies? Does it apply to the Director’s body too?”
I nodded.
Seeing that using Tril’s fragments could be release the trait, it seemed that Wonderstein’s unique traits, though applicable to the Director’s body, were not particularly different from those of other members.
If it was a real Tril, fixing this body would also have been possible.
“I hope the Director’s research succeeds.”
But would that mean anything?
When the time comes, I might return to the original world….
After leaving the bathroom, I raised the temperature of my palms to over 60 degrees and dried her hair.
Using techniques learned from the skill book, I combed and styled her hair.
Now I understood how she managed to tidy up this curly hair so neatly.
It was a technique that required having six arms.
After finishing the task, I decided to keep all four arms inside.
I could feel her disappointment.
“We can often stay like this when we’re alone.”
“Really? Isn’t it too much for the Director’s body?”
“Of course not.”
We embraced each other with the six arms we had attached to us.
And finally, we exchanged a short kiss.
But I couldn’t feel the same excitement as before.
It was because of the artificial excitement caused by the Smiling Man.
Had I always lived thinking this state was “normal”?
Even if there was a Smiling Man, I thought I could still be sad or angry inside.
But now I realized that was my misconception.
Compared to real emotions, this was blurry and poor.
I became more wary of the Smiling Man once again.
After breakfast, the tailor arrived at the mansion.
Due to the non-standard physique of the members, even if they took measurements, there were many discrepancies.
He adjusted the clothes on the spot to fit the members’ bodies.
When it was Yurakne’s turn, he exclaimed.
“This is amazing! Haha, I thought the guest’s clothes would be the most challenging. I was worried that we wouldn’t be able to make proper clothes due to the unknowns of the joints and movements of the arms. But to have it fit so perfectly like this!”
The tailor kept expressing his admiration.
Yurakne and I smiled at each other.
The real clothes she received yesterday had become rags and were just thrown away.
The clothes she was wearing now were brought out by me through the capabilities of the wardrobe.
After the tailor left, shortly afterward, the carriage sent by Marquis Slagbrot arrived.
I boarded the carriage with Ella and Maya.
The members came out in front of the mansion to see us off.
As everyone exchanged greetings as usual, Yurakne approached the front of the carriage.
She was dressed in a white robe, a white pointed hat, and wore glasses, dressed as a Halloween witch.
The White Witch quickly scanned Ella sitting next to me and Maya sitting opposite me.
She smiled slightly towards them and leaned closer to me, whispering.
“Have a safe trip, Director.”
Before she got off the carriage, she suddenly kissed my cheek.
It was a very brief kiss.
Shorter than what Ella or Reyna had done.
It was even shorter than what the fruit store lady had done last time.
It was just a light touch of the lips.
But it was enough to shock the members.
“Hahaha, Y-Yurakne, di-did you fi-finally, hahaha, k-kiss him? Hahaha!”
“Wha-what? Wha-what is it?”
“D-Don’t be so embarrassed, Wo-Womon! It’s a, it’s a routine greeting in Kiev!”
“Th-that’s right! I-It’s, it’s no big deal!”
“Why are you guys noisier than Womon?”
Except for the taciturn Bendict, everyone else was making a fuss about Yurakne’s action.
Even the Gascon was laughing so hard he had to hold his stomach.
I calmly smiled and started the carriage.
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
Through the rear window of the carriage, I saw her blushing face and shouting back at the members.
Sven’s head thumped against the ground again because of her slap.
Then, she locked eyes with me.
We smiled at each other and waved our hands slightly.
Only after the view of the mansion completely disappeared did I turn back to the front.
Ella and Maya were whispering something to each other, glancing at me.
It was the first time in months that the two of them looked so friendly.
They conversed with each other in hushed voices, and although I couldn’t hear everything, some things caught my ears.
Ella heard that Yurakne deliberately made her clothes bigger than her measurements, yet she found it strange that they fit perfectly.
Maya nodded in agreement.
“She looks like she gained weight.”
Oh, was that so?
So that’s why her clothes tore?
I was thankful that she gained weight.
If not, her clothes wouldn’t have torn yesterday, and she wouldn’t have come to my room.
“If that’s gaining weight then its great.”
Upon my words, Ella and Maya widened their eyes and looked at me.
They whispered something to each other as if they had something to say, then they glanced at each other’s bodies.
When the carriage entered the square, the two of them seemed slightly embarrassed.