I Favor the Villainess Chapter 3Sweet alcohol

“Phew…”

“Thank you for your hard work, Rei. Are they already asleep?”

“Yeah, soundly”

It’s already past 21 o’clock.

After putting Mei and Alea to sleep, I returned to the living room.

Having taken a bath and changed into sleepwear, Claire-sama was sitting alone at the living room table drinking a beverage alone.

Inside roughly one liter bottle was a golden brown liquid.

“Claire-sama, that is? I thought we ran out of juices”

I was thinking of going to the market to buy some tomorrow.

“This? It’s alcohol”

“!?”

I was taken aback by what Claire-sama said smoothly.

Alcohol?

Did she just say alcohol?

“Wait, Claire-sama. You can’t drink alcohol!”

“Why is that?”

“Why… We aren’t twenty yet”

“? That is right, however what about it?”

Seeing Claire-sama with doubt affixed to her face, I recalled.

Come to think of it, in this country you can drink alcohol since you’re fifteen.

That means, legally there’s no problem with Claire-sama or me drinking alcohol.

If anything, depending on type alcohol can be cheaper than water.

The alcohol Claire-sama is drinking seems to be fairly high-quality though.

“I received it from Lambert as thanks. It is a considerably quaffable alcohol”

“Haa… But, please don’t drink too much? It’s not very good for your health”

“I drink in moderation”

Probably, while associating with fellow nobles or at parties Claire-sama enjoyed alcohol before she reached the legal age.

She must know of moderation more than me in this world.

“Should I make snacks?”

“Never mind that, Rei, drink with me”

Because Claire-sama said so, I took out a glass and sat down with her.

The alcohol seemed to be mead.

Claire-sama personally poured me a glass.

“Cheers”

“Cheers”

After we clinked our glasses, I gingerly drank.

It may be made from honey, but it’s not particularly sweet.

It’s because the sugar gets broken down during fermentation process.

I wonder if beer would be the closest in taste.

It has a sweet flavor, so it feels a little different from pure beer.

Moreover, this mead seems to have spices in it.

The flavor and aroma are close to cinnamon.

As Claire-sama said, it’s very quaffable.

I can say it’s simply a delicious alcohol.

“How is it?”

“It’s delicious. It’s certainly quaffable”

“Right? It seems Lene remembered the brewery I was fond of back when I was a noble and told it to Lambert”

“I see”

Way to go, Lene.

Even if she’s no longer a maid, there’s no mistaking she’ll revere Claire-sama as her master for her whole life.

While grateful for her consideration, I continued drinking for a while.

“Hey, Rei… I am happy”

“Claire-sama?”

Claire-sama spoke in a dreamy tone.

When I looked at Claire-sama to see what’s the matter suddenly, she was smiling with her whole face.

“I have Mei, I have Alea, and I have Rei… Every day is truly like a dream”

“It is not a dream. It’s the victory Claire-sama obtained”

“Everybody did. You must not misunderstand that”

Even under the influence Claire-sama is still wise.

She doesn’t think she obtained the current happiness on her own.

“How’s work as a teacher?”

“It is rewarding. Well, children do not listen to what they are told”

Contrary to the contest of what she’s saying, Claire-sama’s tone is cheerful.

Now, Claire-sama and I are teachers at the Royal Academy.

Since students have changed from noble children to the elite chosen from the general public, the Royal Academy has also completely changed.

Because liberal arts and etiquette had been overemphasized, the importance of magic increased.

“It is a great difference from the time I was a noble when everybody listened as they were expected to. But, I find it intriguing”

“Is that so. I’m glad”

I was secretly afraid pride might hinder Claire-sama, but it seems it was a needless worry.

In her own way Claire-sama appears to find her current job rewarding.

I find it very joyous.

“How about Rei? Are you satisfied with your life now?”

“Claire-sama is with me, there’s isn’t anything I want more. Mei and Alea too became attached to us”

There was a time I was resigned to losing her, so there isn’t anything I want more than Claire-sama living with me like this.

And Mei and Alea wouldn’t easily become attached to us at first, but now they’ve completely opened their hearts.

As Claire-sama said, we are truly happy now.

“I’m glad. But, I am dissatisfied with only one point”

“Oh. What is it?”

When I asked, Claire-sama put down her glass and made a sulky face.

“Rei, you haven’t been aggressive towards me lately”

“Bleh”

I chocked.

My ears heard what Claire-sama said, but my head couldn’t keep up.

What did Claire-sama say?

“Excuse me, could you repeat?”

“I am saying! Recently Rei does not tease me, so I feel lonely!”

This time I properly made out her words and understood them, but they didn’t sound like the words she’d say.

That prideful Claire-sama… wants to be teased?

“Claire-sama… By any chance, are you drunk?”

“I am not drunk!”

Claire-sama denied my suspicion, but her face is bright red, and above all her behavior is suspicious.

In the first place, those who are drunk tend to say they aren’t.

“Claire-sama, how much did you drink?”

“About half a bottle. I will not get drunk with this much”

When I checked the bottle, it was already almost empty.

Since I only drank two, three glasses, Claire-sama emptied 80% by herself.

It’s doubtful she can even recognize the current situation.

“Claire-sama, enough with drinking, let’s go to bed”

“Don’t want to. I want to chat with Rei more”

Dodging my hand trying to take away her glass, Claire-sama took another sip of the mead and sulkily said so.

“Claire-sama…”

“Back in the academy days Rei was more aggressive. You were really cute following me around going, Claire-sama Claire-sama”

For some reason she brought that up.

If I don’t stop her while I still can, won’t Claire-sama die of shame afterwards.

“Heey, Rei. Do you love me?”

“I love you”

“Truly?”

“There’s no speck of lie in it”

“Fufu… I see?”

Claire-sama showed a bewitched smile.

Bad.

I love the usual unyielding smile, but showing such a smile once in a while is a foul play.

I desperately maintained self-control.

“Now, Claire-sama. Let’s go to bed”

“Don’t want to. I want to flirt with Rei more”

“…”

What is this cute creature.

No, Claire-sama is always cute, but today she’s a little too cute.

I also drank alcohol.

My reason has weakened, so if this continues mistakes are likely to be made.

I’ve had a close relationship with Claire-sama for a long time, but somehow I’m hesitant of taking advantage of her drunkenness.

“Reeei?”

“Yes”

Claire-sama called out to me in a sweet, nasally voice.

It’s getting harder and harder to restrain myself.

Jeez, she’s cute.

“Hey, give me a kiss?”

“… Claire-sama, enough. If you tempt me anymore, I’m not confident that I can endure”

“Why do you need to endure? Rei is mine, and I am Rei’s, right?”

Her gesture of tilting her head was devilish.

My reason is reaching its limit.

“Claire-sama, is that fine. I love Claire-sama lots?”

“Fufu, I am happy. I love you lots too”

“I’m saying… If you keep saying such cute things, my reason will be in danger”

“Ufufu, is that so? I am happy”

Claire-sama sweetly smiled.

I don’t care anymore.

I’m not at fault.

It’s Claire-sama’s fault for being too cute.

I stood up, knelt near Claire-sama and took her hand.

“Claire-sama, can I embrace you?”

“Fufu, you finally feel like it. Yeah, with pleasure”

Saying so, Claire-sama kissed me.

In response, I boosted my strength with magical power and lifted Claire-sama’s slender body in my arms.

“We’re going to bed”

“… Yeah”

All that’s left is to enjoy an erotic time to my heart’s content.

I thought so, but.

“Ah”

“Ah”

“…”

“What is the matter, Rei? Quickly, take me…!?”

My eyes met two sets of eyes peeking here from the children’s room.

“We’ve been found, Alea”

“We have been found, Mei”

Mei and Alea said so without a hint of shyness.

“Both of you… You didn’t go to sleep?”

“Because, we heard Rei-okaasama and Claire-okaasama’s happy voices”

“You were being intimate, so we attentively watched together”

“…! …!”

I want to you understand my feelings when I heard Mei and Alea answer as if nothing happened.

Claire-sama’s shrieks are no longer words.

“And, Rei-okaasama, what do you do next?”

“Do you have a good time in the bedroom?”

My head controlled by desire rapidly cooled down.

Probably, Claire-sama sobered in an instant too.

“We don’t do anything. We just tell each other good night and go to sleep”

“Is that so?”

“How uninteresting”

“That’s why, good night to you too. If you stay up late, you won’t be able to play plenty tomorrow?”

“Not that”

“We are good children, so we will go to sleep properly”

Saying so, they obediently crawled into futons.

I wanted to be relieved, but there’s still something I must do.

“Claire-sama…”

“~~~!”

That is, to deal with troubled Claire-sama in my arms.

“Have you sobered up?”

“… yeah”

Her voice sounded like it’d vanish.

We’re both ashamed enough to wish we could just disappear.

“Claire-sama, let’s decide on one new rule”

“I am in agreement”

There are a few rules in our house.

They’re casual rules for our daily life.

Tonight, one more was added.

That is – alcohol in moderation.

Author’s note

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