I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 326

Chapter 326: Alone (9)

When I asked for something to cover my eyes, she looked around and brought a towel.

“…Excuse me.”

And with that, my vision was completely obscured by the towel, tightly wrapped around my head.

“Is it… tied properly…?”

Even though she had tied it herself, she seemed worried, asking me to confirm.

“Yes, it seems fine.”

I fumbled with the towel, and it seemed secure.

At least I wouldn't accidentally see her naked.

…But it also meant I had to rely entirely on my sense of touch. Even so, I couldn’t risk leaving my eyes uncovered.

I laid the groundwork, just in case.

“Don’t… don’t get mad if I touch you…”

“I know!”

“…And don’t hit me.”

“Stop repeating yourself!”

…Honestly, I was the one who was nervous.

The slightest mistake could have consequences. My mouth went dry.

I hoped I wouldn't mess this up.

I really did.

After a few deep breaths, she spoke, her voice trembling slightly.

“I’m… ready. If… if anything feels wrong, just tell me…”

“…Okay.”

A shiver ran down my spine.

I wasn’t cold. Not because of the weather, anyway.

‘First…’

I had to remember the item’s effect.

If I tried to remove it too quickly, the “Stone Mask Outfit” effect would activate.

While it could be removed by another person, just like the Stone Mask, using too much force would backfire.

It would cling even tighter to her skin, and unless more than 60% of the garment was removed, it would be even more difficult to take off.

So, one might think,

Why not just have her pull it off herself?

…But that wouldn’t work.

If that were possible, I would have asked her to do it. That was the problem.

The second effect, just like the Stone Mask, was that it could only be removed when the wearer was completely still. In other words, Harnie couldn't move a muscle while I was removing it.

So I had to be slow, meticulous, peeling the garment away from her skin like the skin of a delicate fruit, careful not to bruise the flesh beneath.

…And I had to do it blindfolded.

Why did this item even exist?

And why was the implementation of this particular feature so… detailed, when other aspects of the game were so clunky?

I sighed.

‘I hope the first thing I touch is… safe.’

Her face… well, that would be awkward, but at least it would be easy to identify.

Her shoulders… that would be fine as well. It was within the acceptable range.

But anything below that…

…No, anything below that was dangerous!

I swallowed hard and reached out,

Hoping to touch her head or face.

But… I didn’t feel anything.

“Carsein… I’m… much lower than that…”

“…Ah.”

Right. The height difference.

I hadn’t considered that.

…But I couldn’t lower my hand any further. What if I touched something I shouldn’t?

As I hesitated, Harnie’s voice, trembling slightly, broke the silence.

“I… I can’t move my arms, so… this is… rather difficult… I’m cold…”

“…”

“Perhaps… you could be a little more… assertive…?”

Right. It must be freezing.

Even though we were inside, it was still winter.

And she was standing there, half-naked, in an unheated room.

I had to be bolder.

‘Her face should be around here…’

I lowered my hand.

I felt smooth skin. Where were her clothes?

I continued to fumble around, and finally, I found the edge of the garment.

“I think I found it. Is this it?”

“Mmm…!”

“…Harnie?”

Had I touched something I shouldn’t have…?

Just as I felt a wave of panic,

Harnie instructed me to move my hand.

“A little… a little higher…”

“Higher… here?”

“More! Higher!”

And then, I felt something… familiar.

“Your head.”

“…Y-yes. Hurry up and… take it off… I can handle the rest…”

“No.”

“What?”

“…I… I don’t know how.”

Of course I didn’t.

I had never worn women’s clothing.

Even in my past life, while women wore pants, men wearing skirts wasn't exactly common, unless it was a traditional garment.

And in this era?

Just a few months ago, I had known nothing about this world's customs.

Even wearing my own clothes had been a struggle.

And now, I was supposed to undress a woman?

That was absurd.

“…Y-you… don’t know…?”

“No…”

“…”

Harnie was silent, her embarrassment palpable.

But we couldn’t just stand here like this.

She had to get out of that Stone Mask Outfit. She knew that better than anyone.

“Um… Carsein…?”

“…Yes?”

“This outfit… it covers my entire body… so… you can’t just… pull it upwards…”

“…”

Seriously?

“So you’re saying… I can’t pull it up…”

“…You have to… pull it down.”

As I had feared.

I had to touch her lower body as well.

Oh my god.

I suddenly felt a wave of dizziness.

“It’s… okay… just… be careful… If… if your hand is in the wrong place, I’ll tell you…”

…Her voice was barely a whisper, her embarrassment almost tangible.

I was nervous.

Please, don’t let me make a mistake.

***

I didn’t know how long I had been in the bathroom.

I couldn’t tell. I hadn’t been able to focus on anything but the task at hand.

The unfamiliar scent of her skin, the awareness of her nakedness, the potential for a disastrous misstep… it had taken all my concentration.

Every second had felt like ten minutes, every minute like an hour. I had felt trapped in a distorted time warp, carefully differentiating between skin and fabric, meticulously peeling the garment away from her body.

And finally,

-Slide.

“…Ah!”

The cursed outfit was finally off.

I had been waiting for this moment.

I could finally breathe again.

The cold sweat that had been dripping down my back evaporated, replaced by a wave of relief.

I had done it!

I wanted to pump my fist in the air, to celebrate my victory.

After all, Harnie hadn't said a word!

From the straps to the upper body, then bending down to carefully peel the garment from her back and lower body… She had only given me instructions about where to place my hands. Nothing else.

Which meant I had succeeded—

-Thwack!

“Oof!”

…Or so I had thought.

Something wasn't right.

“Honestly, you…!”

Ah. Her voice.

It was cold, dangerous.

A shiver ran down my spine.

The telltale signs of an impending backhand spike.

And there was only one reason for her to be angry at this moment.

-L-lift my arm… I’ll… I’ll move my body… Ugh…!

-…What? Did I touch something…?

-A little to the right… Gasp!

-…Did I do something wrong?

-Just move your hand!

…Now that I thought about it, perhaps I hadn’t handled that so well after all?

I gulped and asked,

“H-how many times… did I… mess up…?”

“How many times…?”

Her voice trembled, barely suppressed fury lacing each word.

“I was trying to be patient…! But…!”

This was going to be a powerful one. My survival instincts kicked in.

“B-but you said you wouldn’t hit me! It… it couldn’t be helped! And your skin is so soft… I thought it was all the same…”

“Don’t say another word—!”

-SMACK!

Oh, wow.

That was a powerful one.

The culprit… Harnie…

***

Harnie, now free from the cursed outfit, decided to take a bath.

And I, the victim of a record-breaking backhand spike, was ordered to stand facing the wall, as punishment.

While I was still blindfolded, I didn’t want to be hit again. I had no choice but to obey.

Some time later,

The bathroom door opened.

She must have changed now.

I turned around, intending to take a bath myself before she could inflict further punishment.

But Harnie’s attire…

I quickly averted my gaze.

“…What is this?”

“I couldn’t stay in that outfit… so I had to change…”

Of course, she couldn’t stay in that cursed item.

She had to change. But…

“Why are you wearing my clothes? Didn’t Camilla leave something for you?”

“Sh-she did, but… I can’t wear it.”

“…What?”

She had clothes, but she couldn’t wear them?

“W-well, the clothes Camilla left were… normal. Ordinary women’s clothing. I was going to wear them after my bath.”

“And?”

“But…”

Harnie blushed and brought something from the bathroom. It was Camilla’s outfit.

But…

It was unwearable.

‘Oh my god. So that’s why she’s wearing my shirt… and nothing else?’

I facepalmed, looking at the torn garment.

It didn’t fit? Seriously? I hadn't anticipated this problem.

…But something didn’t seem right.

Camilla’s clothes weren’t that small…

While it was possible that they didn’t fit Harnie, would they really rip so easily?

“D-don’t say anything! It… it couldn’t be helped! I either had to wear this, or those… or nothing at all! And I couldn’t wear the pants, so…”

“…”

Whatever.

The quality of those clothes must have been terrible.

I couldn't say anything, so I would just have to ask her to send me some new clothes later.

“Then I’ll go and take a bath—”

-Growl.

My gaze returned to Harnie.

Harnie’s face flushed crimson, and she clenched her fists.

“Th-that wasn’t me!”

“Right…”

“I said it wasn’t me!”

“Of course…”

We needed to eat first.

***

-Sizzle.

Carsein was preparing dinner.

While she appreciated the gesture, Harnie was slightly disappointed.

‘I was going to cook while he was taking a bath.’

She had told him to take his time, that she would prepare dinner, but he had emerged from the bathroom in record time.

And now, he was cooking.

Wearing nothing but pants.

The sight made her face flush.

He had touched her everywhere while helping her remove that cursed outfit.

His hands had been all over her body, and just thinking about it made her blush.

‘But… this is fine.’

Thanks to Camilla’s torn clothes, she could stay with him a little longer.

It was the perfect excuse to share a bed.

The thought of being in Carsein’s arms again made her feel a warmth spread through her.

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