[Author's note]
This kind of chapter had to come eventually, there is no slice of life nor harem anime/light novel/ manga that doesn't have one and they are fun to write (This book didn't get this for the 'harem' part, seeing it isn't a harem story, but slice of life still needs this somewhere)
Enjoy a good bit of fanservice...
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[Alina's perspective]
I had slept in long but woke to the loud chirping of the little bugs Big Sis Pomae had told me were called cicadas.
They make a funny sound. It's almost like the chirping of birds, only more pitched and in quicker succession to the sound they just finished.
I'm getting curious what they look like.
Never before, not in Ganrosia, with old Mommy and Daddy, nor in Yggdrasil with new Mommy and Daddy, had I heard this kind of sound coming from bugs.
But with a great leap, I jumped from my bed and onto the soft mats that made up the flooring.
They had a slight brownish-green hue to them and were really soft.
The moment I went to bed the night before, while Mommy, Daddy and Big Sis had a talk with Auntie Miyako, I had lain on my belly for a while, simply looking at the way the mats for the floor were made.
I had noticed they were really long and thin strips of some sort of plant. They were tied together in small bundles and those were stitched into large mats of about three by six foot with thick cloth binding them all together.
I had been really intrigued by the odd flooring.
But now that I was getting dressed, I pulled my shirt up my legs, the halter neck over my head and then tied the strips that go between my wings to it.
"Skirt, skirt... skirt..." I stood mumbling while I went through my skirts Mommy and Daddy had packed for me.
They hung in the closet built into the wall and I stood tapping my foot as I wondered which one I would get into.
Mommy and I had a lot of clothing custom made for the holiday, so I really wanted to wear each and every one of them.
"You win!" I called and took one of the skirts from its hanger and got into it with a flourish.
"Tie, tie, tie!" I stood singing a little, while I tied the lace that kept the skirt on my hips and then ran from my room.
"Big Sis, why are you sleeping in the living room?" I asked Pomae when I found her sleeping.
Where she had sat during dinner, she lay flat on her back, legs still under the table.
"Big Sis, wakey wakey..." I called for her when she didn't respond and tapped her on the cheeks a few times.
But to that, she did not respond either.
"Hime-Sama?" A young girl asked me as she roused in the corner of the room.
"Who are you?" I asked her and she looked at me surprised.
"I'm Akimoto Saki, Hime-Sama. I am one of the maids staffed here." She spoke and I cocked my head at her.
"Akimoto, pretty name." I replied and she gave me a confused glance.
"Hime-Sama, Akimoto is my surname." She said, confusion audible in her voice and I smiled.
"Saki is also a pretty name." I said and she rose to her feet, albeit a bit wobbly.
"You okay?" I asked her and she nodded silently.
"What happened to Big Sis?" I asked Saki and she looked a bit puzzled at me.
"Big... Sis?" She asked me and I looked down at Pomae.
"Big Sis Pomae." I replied and she smiled.
"I see. She fainted after I did, I guess. It's not every day that you are in the company of the Goddess who united our Empire and ended the first Warring States Era." She said and I smiled.
"Yup, Daddy went and did it again." I said with a happy smile and poked Big Sis in her ribs a few times, to Saki's dismay.
"H-Hime-Sama!?" She exclaimed and rushed over to stop me.
"Ouch... that's... nasty..." Big Sis said as she clutched her side where I had poked her.
"Big Sis, finally!" I exclaimed and gave her a good, tight hug.
"Wh-where am I?" She muttered as she looked around in confusion.
"W-wasn't Lady M-Miyako here as well?" She added.
"Well, she can only come to us at night. Or so Daddy told me."
"W-wait... why am I in the parlor?" Big Sis asked while she seemed to finally grasp her location.
She did seem a tad dismayed when she said the last bit, though.
"Hime-Sama. I apologize for having fainted during the discussions with lady Miyako. I shall accept fitting punishment." Saki said.
"There will be no punishments. My husband causes this kind of problem more than I care to even keep track of." Mommy called loudly as she entered the room, Daddy close behind her.
His ears were flat against his head and his tail hung low.
[Padge's perspective]
I was already scolded by Alyssa as soon as we both woke to the chirping cicadas that were common around Agral.
And now, while we entered the parlor where we had sat the evening before, and Pomae seemed to have been woken by Alina, she was scolding me again.
And also reassuring the maid who had fainted the evening before.
Apparently the girl of maybe sixteen expected punishment for not having fulfilled her task of serving us the evening before. But just like we had never accepted violence against staff anywhere in Yggdrasil, we did not accept it here either, even if it might be common here in Agral.
"H-Heika?!" The girl exclaimed in shock as she looked up from her position.
She had dropped onto her knees and prostrated herself, forehead firmly on the ground and from that position she looked at us confused.
"While we stay here, no such punishment shall be meshed out."
I had to clarify as Alyssa stood next to me baffled, but with an understanding glance from me, to Pomae, to Alyssa and then back to me, she nodded as a wave of relief came over her.
Are they that harsh here in Agral? I might need to have a talk with that hornball of an Empress then.
"I-I shall instruct the kitchen staff to prepare breakfast." The girl said with a deep bow and bolted from the room, although still in a graceful manner.
"Saki is nice, a bit odd, though." Alina said and Alyssa suddenly returned to her senses.
"Saki?" She asked and Alina simply pointed at the door where the girl had run of to.
"Saki just left." She replied with the innocent smile only a child could muster, no matter what they have been through it seemed.
"Sorry for Padge's 'invite' yesterday. He tends to pull that kind of stunt without thinking." Alyssa said as she knelt next to Pomae.
"D-don't worry, Your Highness. I have a thick skin, even if it may not have seemed like it." Pomae said softly and Alyssa sat next to her pouting.
"Even on holiday?" She muttered and Pomae seemed oblivious to why Alyssa was mad.
How thick skulled can this girl be?!
"Shall we visit the beach today? I'm pumped to show you my bikini. I had Her Highness have one made with guidance from me." Pomae said to us all and Alyssa let her head thud onto the table where we had all sat down.
"Holiday!" Alyssa shouted and three maids came rushing into the room.
"Heika, you called?" They spoke in chorus and Alyssa sighed annoyed.
"I didn't. Someone can't get through her thick skull that I don't want family to stick with those damned formalities when we're in private. Especially now on our holiday." Alyssa sneered, mainly intended for Pomae across from us.
"Eh?" She muttered and this time I sighed.
What's with the stupid sound?!
"You may take your leave." Alyssa said and with a bow the three maids left.
After we had our breakfast, the sun was already blistering when we went to get changed into our swimwear.
It was apparently something that had become rather common in Agral and one of their main exports of luxury products.
To my surprise, they were rather on-par with the modern swimming clothes I was used to, although not mechanically manufactured, obviously.
I stood waiting in the shadows of the overhang before the front door of the mansion while Alyssa, Alina and Pomae were getting into their swimsuits.
"Oheyo!" Pomae called at me, waving largely as she came from the dimly lit interior of the mansion.
Holy shit?! That is normal swimwear?!
While she walked my way, the thin fur on her lower legs neatly brushed and vanishing in an ever thinning line where it disappeared just above her knees. Her small hooves softly clicked on the wooden floors as she came my way.
When she stood next to me, she immediately darted into the sunlight and I could see it glistening on her skin with the healthy gloss it had. Her silvery blonde hair fell smoothly over her bust as she leaned into me with expectant eyes.
"How do I look?" She asked me in a playful manner.
"Y-y-you look good." I replied a little flustered.
But she simply pouted at my reply.
"Good isn't good enough." She replied and poked my chest with a fingernail.
"You look... handsome." She said and I felt my face burn up.
What was I supposed to say? She is freaking gorgeous like this, well she is already a beauty in her own right, but this just knocks it out of the park.
The deep purple bikini she wore had a halter neck which she had tied with a decorative bow in her neck. A matching bikini slip covered her downstairs, while still having a small opening for her tail.
It was only now that I even noticed she had a tail to begin with.
"Why are you staring at my ass?" Pomae suddenly remarked at my glances.
"I'm not, I just now noticed you have a tail." I replied a little flustered, but she wasn't buying it.
It's the truth, I'm telling you, I'm innocent!
"That's right above my ass, so you were staring at my ass."
"Yeah, it is right above your ass, if it was in the middle of your back you be asking me what he hell I'm looking at." I replied and she giggled a little.
"But you were staring at her ass, though."
When had Alyssa snuck up on us?! Sneaky little fox.
"I wasn't I told her already, I just not noticed she has a tail." I replied, hoping to save this sinking ship of a discussion.
"It's a nice ass, though." Alyssa suddenly chimed in and I almost choked on the air I was breathing in, hoping to calm myself.
"I like that ass more." I replied while pointing at Alyssa's butt with a smirk.
"Seriously, Padge, I'm jealous of her ass."
"You can have some." Pomae chimed in at Alyssa's remark who turned beet red at the comment.
"Sorry, claimed." She said suddenly holding on to one of my arms.
"But, how do I look?" Alyssa asked me, simply placing me in a three-way dead-lock. It was either evoke Pomae's ire or Alyssa's. Well rather Pomae's, honestly. I'm not married to her yet, so I guess that would be my safest bet.
"You're gorgeous, Sweetheart." I said and gave her a slight hug.
Why did it feel like the temperature dropped ten or so degrees suddenly?
"Hrrrrr..."
"Huh?" I asked when I looked up from Alyssa's face that had turned a bit pale as she held Matthew in her free arm.
"Could you keep that killing intent away from Matty." Alyssa suddenly said and saw Pomae was glaring daggers at me.
Her hands were balled into firsts so tightly the skin had turned white on her knuckles.
That might not have been the safest choice. There are ninjas and shit here, so...
"And I just looked... good." She sneered at me, pacing onto the beach with a firm gait while the sun shone on her back.
"Eh?" Alyssa muttered while I exchanged a glance with her and Alina suddenly jumped up against my back, hanging herself off my shoulders.
"Look Daddy!" She chimed and dropped herself down again.
Turning around I saw she stood in a cute frilly one-piece swimsuit of light green.
Her copper scales poked from under the fabric in a few places.
She was clearly proud of the outfit.
The swimsuit was, like all her clothing that covered at least her torso, a halter neck, only this one was open in the back.
"You look cute, Lina." Alyssa said with a smile and sent and angry glare at me.
"You have some making up to do with Pomae." She said venomously.
"Yeah, I figured as much." I said, my ears folded flat at the idea.
"Come, let's head onto the beach." I said and took Alina's hand while she walked proudly next to me and Alyssa.
The sand was scorching hot under my feet.
Alina however, seemed to have no trouble with it.
In fact, she seemed a little hyper, more so than when we would do something that had her excited back home.
Maybe that's the effect her first holiday has on her.
When we joined Pomae on the beach, she had plopped herself onto one of the three tatami-sized sheets that maids had draped out for us while we were changing.
Saki, the girl Alyssa had 'saved' stood by the side of the sheets in her full work outfit.
She must be getting boiled alive like that!
She stood outside the shadow of the four parasols that had been set up for us. I mainly requested it so Alyssa could sit out of the sun with Matthew, or whoever was looking after him at that moment.
She didn't deem it necessary, but I whispered to her it was knowledge from my past life that made me do so.
With that, she accepted it without any trouble.
I am starting to think that Alyssa is putting a lot more weight into the things I tell her from my previous life. Honestly, I'm kind of glad she is doing that, she often can't comprehend the reasons behind it.
And frankly, I suck at explaining them as well and that doesn't help.
"Pomae, can we talk a moment?" I asked the girl as she sat looking out onto the ocean before us.
"Hmph." She turned her eyes away from me.
Not a good start!
"Listen, I'm sorry for back there."
"Better be!" She hissed at me.
Is this the ire of an angry woman?
"I didn't mean to hurt you with that, I didn't really know how to respond to you. I am comfortable around Alyssa because we've been married for eight years already, I had these clumsy moments with her as well in the past. You look gorgeous as well, I just chickened out and tried to take the safe road, but that turned out to be a narrow cliffside to walk." I told her my reasoning behind it and she gave me a sulking glance.
And then she puckered her lips at me.
Oh, shit!
"Waiting." She muttered with closed eyes and I gave Alyssa a worried look.
A shrug?! I'm asking for help here!
She just shrugged at me and left me there while she sat down on the other end of the sheets, the very opposite end to where I sat with Pomae.
"Still... waiting..." She said and I let my head hang briefly.
Her lips were surprisingly soft.
She slight smell of lavender filled my nostrils as I felt her pull back after a brief moment and saw her smiling at me when I opened my eyes.
"It's yours... my first kiss." She said with a proud smile.
"Huh?" I simply could not believe my ears, but that might also be some lingering common sense of my old life.
When will that finally get lost. I have no use for that!
"That was my first kiss, dummy." Pomae said teasingly and I nodded, it was all I could give as a response.
"It really was your first?" I asked her and she nodded.
"If I hadn't fallen in love with you from the tales the bards brought, I might have been married of to some Agral nobleman's son a year ago. But Mother decided to try and give in to my request." She said, a little dejectedly.
"And then..." She trailed off with her eyes, but I knew what she was hinting at.
"But then Ruflourus tricked your Mother into that allegiance, huh?" I asked her and she nodded.
A tear sprang from her eye, but she smiled at me.
"I was heartbroken. You were my first crush. Even if I had never even met you before. I thought my dream of marrying you might never come true. But when Mother told me Medrus had left the allegiance after visiting you, I felt renewed hope." She said, visibly a bit dejected at the thoughts of back then.
"So I pushed Mother to go and see for herself." She said, puffing out her chest proudly.
"It took me two months to finally convince her, she really can be stubborn." Pomae was starting to shine with her pride of having managed to fulfil her dream.
I guess in her eyes she had already won that agreement which might as well have been a bet on Agral's end.
Wait, she might have already won that!
The thought burst into my head with surprising force that it literally knocked me flat on my back.
"Eh?" Pomae squealed and then let herself fall onto her back as well.
"Lina, be careful around the water!" Alyssa called and I looked up for a moment.
Alina was messing with a few of the Valkyries who had joined us on the beach for security. But it was innocent enough.
She just had them chase her and ran at the water leaving some of them to panic a little.
"Okay!" Alina cheerily called and I saw Pomae had pushed herself up on her arms next to me.
"Come, let's play!" She said with a voice full of cheer.
Play? We're adults by this world's standards!
Suddenly, she took my hand and pulled me to my feet, catching me in her arms and pressed another kiss onto my lips, this time, she sneakily slipped her tongue into my mouth when I made to rebuke her for wanting to 'play'.
In a half-dazed moment, I let her go and began to let my tongue swirl around hers and before I knew it we were having a make-out session where we stood.
Yeah, I fear she might have won that 'bet' already. Please forgive me Alyssa!
After she finally released my lips from her capture, Pomae dragged me onto the sand.
A slight distance from where we had stood, she dropped onto her knees and began piling up the sand before her.
"What are you doing?" I asked her confused.
"We're making sandcastles. A competition who can make the biggest and prettiest one!" She chimed and I gave in.