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[AI ERROR / SAFETY BLOCK - RAW ENGLISH RETAINED]

“…Wow. You might look thin, but you’ve got some muscle.”

“Where are you touching?!”

“I-it’s not what it seems like. My sister is kicking me from behind, so I keep being pushed forward!”

She made no attempt to retract her hand.

“Boys run warm. I feel as if I might scald myself on you…”

“You just said our skin isn’t supposed to touch.”

“Th-this was just inevitable! And you’re wearing clothes, so it’s not a problem.”

“Is thatreallythe issue?”

“…A-all right. Then…then…”

In the darkness, he could make out Alice nodding to herself. Her small lips were moving ever so slightly as the witch princess whispered to him.

“D-do you want…to touch me, too…?”

“We’re rivals, right? I’ve touched you, so it’s not fair unless you touch me there, too.”

Alice was touching him on his chest, which meant…

Almost unconsciously, Iska ended up looking down. He could catch a glimpse of her delicate collarbone above the neckline of her nightgown. The mound under her clothes bobbed up and down with each breath. Alice had more than enough of what Elletear had called a “royal embrace.”

“Oh, stop… Don’t look so close… This is so embarrassing…” Alice’s face was turning red.

It didn’t seem like he was imagining that she was starting to pant.

“H-hurry up… If you say you want to touch them…then I’ll put up with it…”

“You’re making me seem like I’m a pervert!”

“I-I mean, those are our rules. I want to have a fair battle with you. Ah, but now that I think of it…”

“Now that you think of what?”

“…” Alice stared straight at him.

She seemed completely different from before. She had gone from looking like an embarrassed maiden to seeming as though she

were about to seek recourse from him.

“Wh-what is it?”

“…You saw.”

“Saw what?”

“…My underwear. When you were with Sisbell in my room. You were squeezing them in your fists…”

“I-I wasn’t! That was a misunderstanding!”

“We need to beequal, right? As rivals.”

A shiver went down his spine.

“That’s right. You got an eyeful of my underwear, so it’s only right to look at yours.”

“There’s definitely something wrong about that!”

“Nothing wrong with equality. As your rival, I think I have a right to know everything about you!”

Alice’s hand was gripping the hem of his clothes. She was readying her hand to rip them off.

“Show me your underwear! Then we’ll be even!”

“Even in what?! Wait, Alice! Hey! Agh! Rin! Where’s Rin?! Your lady’s gone mad! Stop her!” shrieked Iska, calling for the absent attendant.

For the rest of the night, Iska was locked in a fierce battle to hold Alice back.