"Oh, your clothes were covered in dust," Akari said, her eyes downcast with a hint of an apology. "I took the liberty of washing them. I gave you a sponge bath while you were out. You're wearing my husband's clothes right now. They might be a bit big. You'll have to wait until this afternoon for yours to dry."
Alistair noticed her gaze. Even though her head was bowed, her eyes were fixed intently on the blanket covering his lower half—specifically, his crotch.
He realized he was currently commando under a pair of oversized shorts. She had "given him a sponge bath." Everywhere.
Alistair smirked. Whatever, I'm not the one losing out here.
"Anyway, your things are here on the table. I checked your pockets before washing the clothes. Rest up." Akari pointed to the nightstand and left the room.
Alistair checked his belongings. Phone, wallet... everything was there. Wait.
The seal the crazy woman gave me! It was gone. It was a massive Mana Crystal.
Did the attacker take it? If they did, they knew exactly what it was. That meant they were magically literate, which was a headache.
He flopped back onto the bed. "So much drama. Can't I just have a normal week?"
He looked around the room. It was a classic girl's room—light blue theme, a large wardrobe, and a desk by the window.
Is this Shizuku's room?
It was odd. Why would Akari put him in her daughter's bed?
He sat at the desk and looked at the bookshelf. Textbooks, novels, manga... wait.
The bookshelf's spacers were unusually thick. Like, half-a-dictionary thick.
Alistair reached out with his mana to probe the spacers. If there was a secret compartment, he wanted to know. If it was something "juicy," it would be a perfect weapon for "conquering" his senior, Shizuku.
Bingo. It's hollow. There's something inside.
He sensed a locking mechanism. He was about to force it open with magic—he could always use the Horse Talisman to fix the damage later—when he heard voices.
"I'm home~" "Welcome back!"
Alistair quickly scrambled back into bed and checked the time. Noon.
Shizuku ran up the stairs and opened the door. "Ali! Good afternoon. How are you feeling?"
She greeted him warmly, showing zero resentment that he was in her bed. "Don't worry, Mom told me everything. I don't mind. Just rest."
She sat at the desk and opened her books.
Is this the [Pheromone] effect? Alistair wondered. His power grew with his strength. He had been intimate with Shizuku before, so her being affected made sense. But why was Mrs. Fujito being so... hospitable?