“Higan, how do you feel?”

“Mother…did I…fell asleep yesterday? I hope I didn’t oversleep…”

“No, I was just hoping that you’d wake up later.”

“…”

A warm smile from my mother soothes me. She is sitting next to the bed where I am sleeping. The ray of sunlight spills from the windows and warms up the room. The overly extragavant bed feels a little uncomfortable but I am glad I was able to sleep.

It cleared my head and I feel rested

Rested…huh…come to think of it, I’ve been doing nothing but work and a little battle and training for the past few weeks. It certainly fogged my mind and all the fatigues caught up with me. However, even though I said that, my body…still feels heavy.

No…it definitely feels heavy for some reason…

“Higanbana…”

“What is it, mother?”

“Hmm…you see…when you fell asleep yesterday, two people paid you a visit…though you are sleeping…they climbed up in your bed and slept too.”

“…Who?”

Mother just smiled at me.

In a panic, I lifted the thick blanket covering me and what behold in my sight is a small Alstroemeria sleeping on my belly. A familiar scent then entered my nose and I quickly snaps my head to my left and there, I found Asagao sleeping soundly while holding onto my hand.

I can see her sleeping face so close to me, her breathing brushing off my skin, her faint flowery scent that becomes extremely prevalent at morning, and last but not the least, it’s Asagao.

On my belly is a small Alstroemeria in which she exudes a strong scent of youth. Her sleeping face, her soft cheeks that laid bare on me, the beautiful silver hair that radiates even in the dimness of the cover of the blanket, and last but not the least, it’s Alstroemeria.

What are they doing in my bed?!

“Higanbana…your nose is bleeding?!”

“Ah…that’s…”

“A cloth! I’ll get some!”

I tried to hold the nosebleed by pressing my hand on my nose. Mother immediately bolted away to get some cloth and so, I am momentarily stuck between Asagao and Alstroemeria.

I can’t even move…

If I do, both of them will wake up, if not, Alstroemeria will. The only thing I can do right now is to hold off my nosebleed.

Why did I have a nosebleed all of a sudden? I was just staring at them…

In the first place, what are they even doing here? No, I can already guess why but, sleeping with me is just too much, at least, for me.

Asagao…I know…you still don’t hate me and I’d rather have you not to too. It’s a little funny though that back then, I can still act natural beside you, now, I am turning twisted because of my putrid love for you.

“Higan, here! Take this cloth. Let the blood flows out so it won’t dry up inside your nose.”

“Ah…mother. I’m a little thirsty too…”

“Sure, I’ll get some water for you.”

“Mother, wait…”

“Hmm…? Is there anything else?”

“There’s just one thing I’d like to ask.”

“What is it?”

“What do you think about…a girl loving another girl? I…never heard anything from you despite being aware of my own…emotions.”

“Love woes? Don’t you think it’s a little too late to ask that?”

Mother giggles a little when she heard that question. Even I got a little surprised by the words coming out of my mouth but…Asagao’s worries also lie within that spectrum of problem.

A man must only marry a woman to bear offspring. I know that much.

Both of us are girls, though Asagao said that she was previously a man. It doesn’t bother me that much but Asagao grew with a common sense that strictly follows that culture.

Once, a thought crossed my mind…

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I want Asagao to bear my child. To put it bluntly, I want to see Asagao bearing my child. I am already aware that such dream is not even close to being a pipe dream. It’s just plain madness that my obsession for her portrayed. Even with such madness, I continued revering Asagao…

Not only I did such tainted ideals to Asagao, I even thought of that towards Alstroemeria.

“Higanbana.”

“Yes, mother?!”

“Love is war. Love is not something you can win easily. For that very reasons, countries goes to war with a little concern of the consequences. “

“…Yes?”

“I’ll go fetch you a drink now, my dear daughter.”

Mother hastily left me with a confusing answer. I always knew that mother loves rather nonsensical romance that invokes weird feeling, however, as I grew up, things that she said from the past makes sense to me now.

I kept the cloth under my nose and catch any dripping blood, though, it stopped sooner than I expected. That said, I tidy my appearance a little…

“Higan…? Ah…finally…”

Asagao’s voice called out to me.

At this point, I don’t have a choice but to face her.

“Asagao…”

“Ah! Higan, your nose! Was it bleeding?!”

“Wait…! Hey, don’t climb on to me!”

I usually don’t have this kind of thing, however, right now is something I cannot tolerate. Asagao pushes me backward and my head fell back to the pillow I was laying down earlier. She then got on top of me stares at my face.

She extended her hand to my forehead and contemplated a little.

“You don’t appear to be sick! Thank goodness…”

“Asagao, you’re too close.”

“Eh? After all the time that we slept together you say that now?”

“Don’t make it sound like I am some kind of deviant…Asagao…”

Where did mother run off to?

Also, Asagao’s face is too close that I can already catch a whiff of her breath. Her tranquil blue eyes that stare directly at mine, her warmth that became even closer as she gets closer to me, and her ever blooming scent of a flower.

“Higan, your nose! It’s bleeding!”

“Yeah…It did bleed earlier…”

“No! Blood! Blood is coming out!”

Ah…

I can feel something dripping out from my nose again. I dab the cloth under my nose just to find out that blood is still gushing out of it.

And…now that I’ve noticed it…my chest is unusually warmer and I can feel something tingling in my body. Not only that, my face gets really hot and my sight is becoming a bit hazy again as I stare at Asagao.

And most importantly, I can feel my breathing becoming labored as each passing second I look at her.

“Higan! There’s something definitely wrong with you!”

“Oh? What’s happening? Oh, Higan’s face is so red!”

Asagao pointed out that there’s something wrong with me which I can definitely make sure that there is. And seemingly fate knew the situation isn’t worse enough, Alstroemeria just has to wake up. She squirms around my thigh and belly that somehow sparked something even more ridiculous inside me.

My mind is now being pushed to the edge of my sanity. I have always restrained myself from doing anything to Asagao. Kissing as at best but in this situation…I can definitely feel something will snap in my mind…

“Higan, do you feel sick? Hey, tell me, please! I was…wondering too…did I do something wrong for you to avoid me?”

“Higan is so red and hot. Fever? Cold?”

Ahh…

What’s happening?

These two…Asagao and Alstroemeria…they look so erotic and cute…

They both squirm around, causing so much friction…

At this point…my mind is going to snap…

“Wha--! Miss Asagao and Miss Alstroemeria, please get away from Higanbana!”

I can hear someone shouting…from the entrance of the room, my mother is there, standing with a canister of water, however, her countenance shows an anxious face.

From my mother’s words, Asagao and Alstroemeria immediately retreated with an instinct of a warrior, however, worry didn’t vanish from their faces as they stare at me.

As Asagao and Alstroemeria’s presence, scent, warmth, and bodily contact suddenly weakening, my mind regained some sanity that was about to snap. The spinning sensation in my head clears up a little and I was able to control my breathing once more.

“Lady Izuna, what happened? What’s happening with Higan?!”

“Calm down Miss Asagao. There’s nothing really wrong but…thing could get a little dangerous.”

“There’s definitely something wrong if it is dangerous!”

“No, I mean….how should put it…”

“Lady Izuna?”

“Higanbana, right now…her body was forced to go in heat!”

“…Eh?”

“For a young beast kin such as Higanbana, her body hasn’t adjusted to a seasonal heat yet so her body will undergo a random attack of heat.”

“Then why is her nose bleeding?”

“Well…I don’t know…”

Am I …in heat?

Isn’t that something…someone experienced in our race whenever they are…looking for a partner?

“Anyway, Asagao, it seems I can’t let Higanbana get close to you or to Alstroemeria. I think you two, are right now, the trigger for it.”

“…I kind of understand yet find it a little…”

“Do you know anyone who is knowledgeable of medicine or some sort? I want to give her medication in the meantime. If she stays like this, I’m afraid I have to take her home.”

“What are you going to do about it?!”

“Ah, depending on her preference, I might have to get some fox servant’s, of course, female, and try to relieve her.”

My ears perk up from mother’s words.

I can feel the boiling desire within me receding and my head jolted to a clear and calm mind, no, I got rather angry,

“No, I don’t want that, mother.”

“Eh? Is that right?”

“Yeah…”

“Then, why don’t you try doing it again with Miss Al--!”

“STOP!”

How?!

How did mother sniff that one out?!

She took a playful glance at me and to her.

I can’t possibly do that now! Though my heart is breaking apart from denying it myself but still…

Asagao tilted her head in confusion together with Alstroemeria. I can feel cold sweat dripping down from my back.

“Oho? If you want medication, I can create some on the go!”

“Who?”

From the entrance of the door, a woman with a bun of hair on her head wearing thick glasses appears. Her scale under her jaw gave away that she is a dragonkin.

For some reason, I don’t like her…

“Mimosa…you scum…”

“Ohohoho! Aren’t you harsh my feisty apprentice, you’re so cleverly stupid yesterday too!”

“Ah, you’re heavy! What are you even doing here you pervert!?”

“I’m offering help, what could it be more?”

“At the right timing? Say…did Senya…”

“Shhh! You’re the most perspective on crucial things.”

“Grr…fine…”

“Yay!”

She wraps her arms around Asagao. Get your paws off Asagao…

That’s mine!

Not yet…not yet…

“Hmm, I do remember you being a companion of the Fairy’s representative, Miss Senya.”

“Yes! I am Mimosa, an alchemist, and inventor.”

“Well, your attire give your profession away. More importantly, do you know anything to help my daughter?”

“Ahh…I do think relieving her physically is the best.”

“She doesn’t want that.”

“Just throw this gal at her. I’m sure it will be consensual.”

“For some reason, my daughter refuses that notion too.”

“What a pain…”

“Aren’t you offering a help here of your own volition?!”

“Ahahaha! Sorry, sorry!”

When that woman said that throw that gal at me, she pointed at Asagao. I also desire that but Asagao has some withholdings.

“Stop messing around Mimosa! Also, Higan is still too young!”

“Yeah? Okay. Wait, you say that now?”

I see…

That’s the whole reason she won’t answer to any of my advances.

Even how much I tried, she will keep refusing my offer.

“Enough!…Mother…I want to go home…”

“Higanbana? Why so sudden?”

“I don’t think…I can go any further…”

“I’m fine with it. I’ll let Folga know. From here on, he will take over, okay?”

“Yes…”

I never knew that one of the largest factor that will stop Asagao from making any move on or accept any of my proposals…

Is due to the gap in our age…

I don’t care about it but…her values strongly uphold it.