I Became a Demon Who Can Never Be Headpatted in the Academy?!

Esme’s guard was firm.

Actually, if you have any sense or common knowledge, it would be strange to think that you could borrow a ‘dual casting’ grimoire.

If there was even a slight chance, I would try asking again, but since Esme has firmly told me to come every weekend to read it, it seems like I have no choice but to learn ‘Ancient demon language’ myself and read it whenever I have time.

But can I even learn that? I don’t think there was such a feature in the game.

“Munch munch…”

“Murmur, were you very hungry? You’re really eating well?”

Nikea said with a bright smile.

“Yeah, I was a little hungry. And it’s delicious.”

I, Murmur, took a big piece of whipped cream cake with my fork and brought it to my mouth, munching away.

But it’s really delicious. It’s the most delicious cake I’ve ever had, and since I’m even hungry, I keep eating it.

“You eat so adorably.”

“I was worried it might not suit your taste! You finished all your dinner earlier too, right?”

“Hmm~~ I feel like all the hard work preparing this was worth it!”

Looking at the maids giggling in the corner, I guess I didn’t do anything wrong?

I just ate what they gave me deliciously.

“Hehe, all the maids in our house are very skilled. Among them, Pearl is the best at baking.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“It’s delicious.”

I took another big piece of cake with my fork and munched on it.

They really make it well. Leaving the fantasy world aside, even by real-world standards, isn’t this amazingly well-made?

They made everything from a whipped cream cake with lots of fruit to a chocolate cake.

“Munch munch, nom nom…”

“So cute…”

Nikea rested her chin on her hands and looked at me with a beaming smile.

“There’s pie too, Murmur. Apple pie.”

“I’ll eat it.”

When else would I get to eat it if not now? Let’s eat it while I can!

“You eat so well.”

“How can that much fit in such a small body?”

“She doesn’t eat that much when she has meals with Princess Nikea… I guess she was holding back.”

“Ah… I think I understand a little why the Princess said she’s cute.”

Ignoring the adults’ chatter, I reached for the apple pie Esme brought me with my fork.

Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve ever eaten a pie like this.

“Munch munch… yum, it’s delicious. It’s delicious, Esme. It’s so crispy and soft, it’s the first time I’ve ever eaten something like this.”

“Re… really? I thought apple pie was a common dessert. They have it at the cafeteria too, right?”

Is that so? But I haven’t had it.

“Yeah, it’s the first time I’ve eaten it. It’s so delicious.”

“… … Ea, eat a lot! Murmur! If it’s just apple pie, we can eat as much as you want together!”

Esme pushed a cup full of milk towards me as she spoke. I was thinking I was a bit thirsty, so this is perfect.

“Gulp… gulp…”

“Oh my, she doesn’t dislike milk either, and she drinks it so well.”

“It seems like she’s not a picky eater!”

“Ah… so cute! Look at her holding the cup with both hands while drinking!”

… What is it? Why does everyone say I’m cute?

Are they bullying me?

“Hmm… it’s delicious, but a lot of crumbs are falling.”

“Don’t worry about that, Murmur. I also get crumbs on my face when I eat pie. And we’re going to take a bath after the meal anyway.”

“Take your time. We’re eating with you too, right? I used to get it all over my lips, and Pearl would tell me she wouldn’t make pie for me if I ate like that again.”

So, next is a bath. Still, it’s good that I can have some personal time.

I strangely used up a lot of energy today. I was also thinking about what I should say to Esme so she would lend me the grimoire.

“Okay, I understand. Murmur can wash herself well.”

“Hmm? We’re going to take a bath together, Murmur.”

“…Together?”

“Yes, of course we have to take a bath together?”

Do people usually take baths together?

Don’t they not?

“Murmur by herself…”

“No! We have to wash together! From the start, we invited you to our house and are spending the day together, right? It would be very rude to let Murmur wash alone.”

Where does that come from?

I, Murmur, shook my head vigorously.

“I’ll do it alone.”

“We have to wash together! Murmur!”

“We’ll wash you! Murmur!”

“There’s no need to worry. Unlike the Academy, the bath in this mansion is very spacious.”

“Taking a bath together~ chatting with friends~ it’s a good experience?”

No, no.

That’s not the problem.

“Murmur doesn’t want to. Alone…”

“We know you can wash yourself, but we have to wash together. Shall we take a bath together, Murmur?”

Even Nikea grabbed my shoulder as she spoke.

“I’m, I’m in the 5th grade of elementary school, taking a bath together is a little…”

“What does age have to do with taking a bath together?”

“Let’s wash together! Murmur!”

Ah! I really don’t want to!

* * *

“Ugh…”

I, Murmur, had my eyes tightly closed.

What should I say? It felt like if I opened my eyes, I would cross a line that I should never cross.

Although I’ve become somewhat accustomed to life at the Academy, until now, I’ve only felt the stark reality of being ‘Murmur’, not the tingling sensation of being a ‘girl’.

Of course, there were times when I inevitably felt it, like in the bathroom or when showering in the morning, but that was different.

“It’s a pretty… nice bath, I think. I like it a lot.”

“Isn’t it not as good as Nikea says?”

“Ah, that’s… not that I’m bragging? The bath in the Imperial Palace is really too big, it doesn’t feel like you’re bathing at home at all.”

“Was that rumor true? The one about the Imperial Palace’s bath being so big that all the maids could bathe in it and there would still be space left?”

“Surprisingly, I think it’s not a lie.”

Can someone please get rid of these two young ladies talking in front of me?

“Murmur… did you get some dust in your eyes?”

Esme held my hand tightly and spoke.

“That’s not it.”

“Then why are your eyes closed?”

“… I feel like I shouldn’t open my eyes.”

This is a line I shouldn’t cross.

How can I look at Esme and Nikea’s naked bodies?!

If I see this, it’s really not okay, right? I shouldn’t look, right? If I have any conscience, I absolutely shouldn’t look, right?

They’re in the 5th grade of elementary school, right? I shouldn’t look at this!

“Murmur sometimes says strange things. And she’s still wearing her clothes by herself.”

“That’s why I think she’s a little cute.”

Who is that woman talking behind me? Judging by her tone, is she Nikea’s maid?

Why is a maid here? Isn’t it just the three of us bathing? Are they really going to ‘wash’ me?

“Murmur, I will help you.”

“Wait, I don’t wan…”

Before I could even do anything, hands reached out from all directions and quickly stripped off my clothes.

“Ugh…!”

“Maybe… are you shy, Murmur?”

Nikea gently stroked my cheek as she spoke. Then, she pressed my cheek lightly with her thumb.

“There’s no need to be shy, Murmur.”

“That’s not it.”

“Because we’re friends. I think we can take a bath together like this.”

“But… that’s right. If Murmur thinks it’s too difficult, I’ll give you time to wash alone.”

If you say it like that, what does that make me?

Ah, seriously…

“… Okay.”

I gave up and cautiously opened my eyes to look around.

First of all, thankfully, the steam filling the bath did not conveniently obscure Nikea and Esme’s bodies.

“Let’s bathe together.”

“Hehehe, were we too thoughtless?”

“That’s not it.”

What should I say? Now that I’ve opened my eyes, it’s an unavoidable fact that I can see.

Nikea really has a mature body. Knowing what her worries are, it makes me think a lot more seeing her body becoming an adult so arbitrarily.

But, is she really in the 5th grade of elementary school? She doesn’t seem like it? The curves of her body are so different.

For now, I know it’s pink. Please don’t input any more information. My brain!

“Were you shy? It’s okay, Murmur. My height also suddenly increased a lot.”

“It’s not because I was short.”

Esme was normal.

Let’s not think about it anymore.

Wait, but she naturally said I was small? There’s definitely a difference in height, to the point where my face reaches Esme’s chest, but it’s not that bad, is it?

“Ah… could it be?”

Nikea belatedly brought her right hand to her chest and pretended to cover it.

“Murmur will also become like this soon.”

“That’s not it!”

What are they suddenly looking at me like now?

Are they seeing me as a little demon girl who’s agonizing over not having puberty yet?

This is bullying. Bullying!

“There’s no need to worry, Murmur. Today, I will do my best to assist you.”

“Ugh…!”

What’s this one now? Do maids normally take off all their clothes to wash you? No, right?

No? This common sense of mine is universal, right? Right?!

“Oh right! Nikea, are you okay? I asked too late.”

“Of course. I always bathe with everyone when it’s my turn to bathe.”

“Hehe! It seems like Nikea has the same idea as me? I think it’s too inefficient to order people to wash while wearing clothes.”

“Right? After all, they are the people who have spent my childhood with me. I don’t want to treat them so badly.”

I understand the setting, I understand the story!

I! I don’t know where to put my eyes!

─ Splish splash!

“Ugh…!”

I don’t know. Let’s give up.

It would be rude to look at the maid who started to serve my body with a bright smile with a bewildered expression.

“But… Murmur’s body is really small.”

“… Isn’t it wrong to say that after you’ve undressed me? Murmur thinks so.”

“Ah? Yes? That… ahem. When I look at Murmur sometimes, I think she’s mature.”

Of course. Do you know how old my soul is?

“I agree with that. Ouch ouch…”

Esme continued, rubbing the soap that had gotten into her eye.

“You saved me, who was bullying you and saying bad things to you, Murmur.”

“I didn’t… say anything that bad. And we’re friends.”

If we had just left it, we would have fought a lot.

To be honest, I felt relieved that Esme did well in the collaborative assignment back then.

“I think that’s amazing. I’ve never thought about becoming friends with someone who said bad things about me.”

“I always learn not to make enemies, but I think it’s not an easy thing to do.”

“In that aspect, Murmur seems really mature. But on the other hand, your body is really small and cute… hehehe.”

I instinctively covered my body with both hands.

“Nikea, you… smiled weirdly just now.”

“Huh? Me?! Ah… no!”

“You went ‘hehehe’! Nikea! Hehehe!”

“Ah, no! I, I didn’t… Lio, don’t laugh either! I didn’t go hehehe!”

Nikea, with a red face, desperately tried to deny it, but no one took her side.

* * *

“Murmur! Come over here!”

I really ended up wearing a sheep wool pajama.

What’s more annoying is that I’m finding this pure white fluff ball surprisingly comfortable.

I want to deny it, but it’s comfortable…

“Ugh…”

Even worse, I had a sheep towel on my head. My body was covered in wool, a sheep head on my head, and even horns.

I’ve become a complete set of soft, fluffy sheep.

“You’re not going to take any more pictures, right?”

“Hehehe, yes, we’ve taken all of them.”

“I didn’t know Esme had a camera. Isn’t that one of the demon race’s technologies?”

Nikea, who also wore a wool pajama but somehow reminded me of a different animal, spoke while snuggling up to me.

Nikea on my right, Esme on my left…

Help me. I’m suffocating!

“Well, I don’t really like the demon race’s technology, but I think a camera is okay. It’s also my mother’s item.”

Esme smiled, handed the camera to Pearl, and quietly looked at Nikea.

Ah right, we were going to look at it together before going to sleep.

“First, I’ll apologize, Esme. Because of the situation, there are parts that I read first.”

“No, it’s thanks to the will that Princess Nikea found that made Aunt Colette give up everything and run away, right?”

Nikea smiled and pushed a box towards Esme. Inside was a slightly luxurious-looking piece of paper.

“My mother wrote…”

Esme swallowed hard, blinked, and took the will with both hands and began to read it.

I could clearly see the contents, so I could summarize it.

『I, Amara Bloodberry, the head of the Bloodberry family, declare that I am of sound mind and body, and this is my will. Also, I announce that my beloved daughter, Esme Bloodberry, is the sole heir to my property.』

The will, which began in a rather stiff tone, stated that the head of the Bloodberry family, Esme’s mother, had designated Esme as the next head and was handing over all of the family’s assets to Esme.

There were detailed stories about how much assets there were currently, which books should be referenced to manage the territory, and what kind of dignity and etiquette the head of the family should show.

“Thank you, Nikea… I was really happy to feel my mother’s mana after a long time.”

“I hoped it would be of some help to Esme. And of course, it was a document that Esme should have seen before anyone else.”

“Hehehe, isn’t this also the power of making good friends? Do you see the last sentence?”

Esme fluttered the will and showed it to us.

“‘Hoping that my beloved daughter, Esme, will make invaluable friends.'”

“Esme’s mother, whom I briefly met when I was young, was a really dignified and kind person.”

“He, hehehe! Of course! My mother was a truly amazing person!”

Esme smiled happily, put the will back in the box, and pushed it towards me.

“Murmur, can you read it?”

“Murmur can read the common language.”

To match Esme’s joke, I reached out to the box containing the will.

“Huh?”

I had only done that brief, natural action, but Esme was surprised and her eyes widened. Honestly, I was also flustered.

What is this?

“Murmur… what did you do?”

It was a natural question. The box had started to glow pure white just from my hand touching it.

“Murmur didn’t do anything.”

“I, I know! But it’s glowing! Sorry! Let me check it for a second!”

Esme hurriedly took the box back, opened it, and took out the will. The light was coming from the will.

But this light, it feels like it’s mana, right?

“Gosh… So that’s why I felt my mother’s mana…”

“Esme? What happened?”

“The contents have changed. Look!”

『To my beloved daughter, jewel, Esme, who made invaluable friends』

The will, emitting a pure white light, was the warm consideration of an adult who was telling us that Esme and I had made the most correct choice.