章 191: Heart to Heart

Snow was understanding of Cherry's request and went to go grab several pillows from out of storage to make Peri a new seat on the ground. For reasons which I'm sure there's no need to explain, the blue-haired Catfolk is now unable to sit on her stool. She makes herself at home on her new temporary pet bed, though, whining as she rubs her pale, bruised butt-flesh while I do everything in my power to avoid staring at the admittedly erotic display.

"If there's any left when the girls get home, I'll let you drink a bit of a health potion. While what you did was bad, I don't think it warrants ruining your special day tomorrow." I tell the kitten as I reach down to pet her.

"Thank you, Myaster..." Peri purrs at my touch, nuzzling her head against my loving hand.

"Don't spoil her," Snow reminds me, crossing her arms. This makes the kitten on my hand grumble softly until Cherry defuses the tension by standing up and looking towards the Taskmaster screen.

"YOU MAY PROCEED, UNSEEN CATFOLK GIRL."

Cherry starts to sweat, and she frowns as she takes a sharp breath in.

"It's ok, Cherry. You can do this." Doing my best to support the nervous Catfolk, I reach out to take her paw in mine. She stops me from doing so, to my surprise.

Shaking her head left and right, Cherry frowns and says, "I need to do this without help, nyaa..." She turns to look Peri straight in the eyes, or rather, straight in the bangs. "Peri?"

"Yes, Cherry...?"

"...Ever since that first trial period we had, I've been sabotaging all of our chances at adoption. I knew what I was doing. Even now, I'm not sure what I thought I would gain from this, but... we almost lost everything when it happened, nyaa..." She bites her lip, tears starting to well up in her magenta eyes. "Creeps don't often work their way through the screening process, but..."

"Cherry, no! Don't blame yourself, nyaa! If you weren't there to protect me, then we would have-"

"I'm not done, Peri! I don't blame myself. I just... took it out on every single person who wanted to give us a chance since then... and I knew I was crowding you and that I never allowed you to improve your skills as a maid, nyaa! I didn't care! The only thing I DID care about was making sure I was always there to protect you... even if it meant sacrificing our chances at adoption, and even if you ended up hating me for it! I'm... I'm sorry for everything that happened to us in the last four years!! It was all my fault, nyaa!!"

"Hee hee hee! Hey, anyone else think that it's funny how they're having a dead serious conversation, and they have to keep going 'nyaa' every now and then? Cause I sure as heck- OW!" Sam interjects in the rudest way imaginable before Zutiria hits her over the head with her staff.

'Don't make me waste mana trying to find a way to quiet you. I don't know a silencing spell, ironically, so I'd have to get creative...' The little Mage warns.

"VERY HEARTWARMING, YES. THIS WAS GOOD DRAMA. THANK YOU." At the statue's decree, the scales tip a considerable amount, and we're almost at the point of getting the key. Maybe just one more small to medium-sized secret, and we'll be good to go.

Peri looks up at Cherry from her makeshift pet bed at my feet, cheeks red with blush and her mouth opened wide. "Cherry...?" She calls out in a soft, gentle tone.

"Y-Yeah...?"

"I can see your panties from down here, nyaa." Peri giggles as she enjoys the benefits of her worm's eye view, this sudden revelation sending Cherry into a deep blush of her own.

"HAH! Panties." Sam snorts, earning her another annoyed sigh from the Mage.

"W-WHAT THE HECK, PERI!? I WAS TRYING TO BE SERIOUS!!" She yells down at her friend, who can't stop giggling.

"I know, and I don't care about any of that stuff," Peri says with a catty, comforting smile. "I'm happy you apologized, but... as long as you know what you did was wrong... none of that matters anymore. We have our Myaster, we have the Mistresses, we have our forever home... and the best part of all is that we found all of these things without losing each other, nyaa."

Cherry's face contorts from bewilderment. She looks down at the blue-haired Catfolk by my feet, mouth opening wide from astonishment. "Peri...?"

"I love you, Cherry." She offers up cutely to her longtime friend and lover.

"...I love you too, Peri!" Cherry returns, crying fiercely as she kneels down on her knees to hug the busty kitten for all she's worth.

I want to reach down and pet them both, but I know it wouldn't be right to interrupt their moment and make it all about me. Besides, my attention is quickly taken from their togetherness as soon as I get a look at Snow.

"I'm so proud of you girls..." Snow says, yet, her face is anything but supportive. She's trying to make it seem like she's happy for them, but... the older maid isn't doing a very good job of it, and she knows it. "I need to go freshen up, nyaa..." Excusing herself, Snow rises from her seat and leaves the office.

Shortly after the white-haired Catfolk exits, I hear the restroom door close in the hall.

The two kitties are still lost in their own little world hugging each other, so I turn my attention back to the screen. Meri has finally gotten up, although her blush is still ongoing. She sighs, saying, "I can't believe you, Master..."

"I can't control what I find hot, Meri." I shrug, knowing full well that wanting to tease her over her soft tummy is a bit 'out there'...

"I-I'm into a LOT of weird stuff because of you, Master, b-but, I'm not gonna let you just... just!!" Her face continues reddening before letting out a whiny sigh. "Oh, who am I kidding... I don't think I fight back against anything you ever wanted to do to me..."

'Perhaps we can have this discussion later,' Zutiria offers. 'I would rather we hurry things up so we can go home and sleep this absurd night off.'

"But I'm having so much fun with everyone! Daddy, I don't want to go home!" Sam whines.

"Zutiria's right. We just need one more small secret to tip the scales once and for all, and we'll earn us that boss key. So come on, now. Anyone?"

"U-Um... I think I can do one... I don't wanna give you another chance to embarrass me, Master." Meri puts her foot down. I didn't know she was so cute when pretending to be mad at me... it makes me want to tease her more.

"LET'S HEAR IT, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ONE LAST PIECE OF DRAMA BEFORE MY PURPOSE IS SERVED AND I RETURN TO THE COLD, UNCARING VOID OF NON-SENTIENCE FROM WHICH I CAME."

'No pressure or anything, Meri.' Zutiria sarcastically adds to the blind Goddess statue's depressing proclamation.

Meri takes a really, really deep breath and lowers her head. "One of... my biggest fetishes... t-that I haven't told anyone about yet... is h-h-husband and wife stuff!! Ever since I read the wedding arc in Dungeon Sluts VII: Tying the Bondage Knot, I keep imagining stuff like... like M-Master coming home from work to see me waiting for him in a naked apron!!"

"But Daddy works from home, dummy." Sam snorts, thinking she's just the smartest.

Ignoring the brain-deficient Princess's interjection, Meri continues on, "A-and then I'd ask him if he wants dinner, a bath, or me!!"

"You don't even make dinner, though. We do, nyaa." Peri offers in a teasing tone.

'How romantic. Welcome home, Honey. If you want dinner, just let me know, and I'll have the kitties start on it. The apron? Oh, it's just for show.' Zutiria tries to hold back a snarky smile but fails.

"S-STOP MAKING FUN OF MY FANTASIES!!" Meri starts to sniffle, getting dangerously close to returning to turtle form.

With shining eyes and a satisfied smile, the statue raises the scale as the balance finally shifts entirely to the boss key's opposite side. "ACCEPTABLE, THE CHUBBY GIRL GETTING TEASED AMUSES ME GREATLY. YOU MAY HAVE THIS KEY. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME ENTERTAINMENT DURING MY BRIEF EXISTENCE." With those final words of parting, the Golem closes its eyelids for good and returns to being completely static and devoid of life. The much sought-after key tumbles out of her scales and onto the golden floor below, where it's promptly snatched up by the young Shield Maiden.

"Hmph," She grumbles adorably.

Meri deserves a reward, so I try to give her what she wants. "Thank you, my dear. If it makes you feel better, I think you would make a wonderful wife."

"Master...! W-Wait a second, don't think I've forgiven you over the, um, tummy stuff!"

"We both know you already have, Meri. You don't have a single mean bone in your body."

"...Urk." Meri blushes, hanging her head. I grin, knowing I'm right.

"Daddy, wait! What about me?! I found you first. It's not fair!" Sam interrupts once again.

"You would make... a wife."

"Heck yeah!" The Princess pumps her fists, unaware of the insult that was just lobbed her way.

"Beastfolk don't do marriages, nyaa. Not in that way." Cherry blushes, looking away as her big, fluffy brown tail wiggles excitedly behind her. Beside her, Peri grins.

"We have the mating ceremony, and that's it, nyaa! The intent behind it is the same, though. Mutual devotion, till death do us part, blah blah..." Peri continues smiling up at me from below before nuzzling her head against my leg. She sure is making fair use of that makeshift pet bed...

'As much as I would love to sit around and speculate the bizarre reality that will inevitably be Sir's eventual married life to thirty-seven girls at the same time, we should head to that other room. In the meantime, why don't you go and check on Snow?'

"I was just going to suggest that," I say while rising from my seat. "Watch the screen, kitties."

I leave the office to the sounds of both kittens accepting my command, and right away, I notice a smell in the air that doesn't quite belong. Is that... fire?