By the time Kagura and Ardan got back to the Mejiro estate, it was already past eight at night. The moment they stepped inside, a swarm of young Uma Musume—clearly having waited at the door for a long time—instantly surged forward, surrounding them with excited hugs.
After soothing the little ones who clamored eagerly for storytime and having the maids put away the day's shopping in the kitchen, Kagura finally had a chance to catch her breath. Having spent the entire day running around, she now wanted nothing more than to take a hot bath and flop comfortably into bed.
Settling down into the bathtub, Kagura checked her phone and, unsurprisingly, saw a message from Speed-sama.
[Symboli Speed]:Kagura, how was today? No trouble at Iris's place, right?
[Inari Kagura]:Speed-sama, I'm perfectly fine. You don't need to worry so much~
[Symboli Speed]:My old friend can be really unreliable—I'm just worried something might happen to you over there. The New Year celebrations are coming soon, so I'll come pick you up personally.
[Inari Kagura]:You don't have to trouble yourself, Speed-sama! Just tell me where to meet you, I can run over myself.
[Symboli Speed]:Absolutely not. You probably don't even have proper clothes for shrine visits, right? I still have a few spare sets at home—I'll pick you up so you can try them on. Hopefully something will fit.
[Inari Kagura]:Actually, I brought my miko outfit along. Wearing that should be fine, shouldn't it?
[Symboli Speed]:Ah, I forgot you had that. That'll do—just wear that over when the time comes.
After chatting leisurely with Speed-sama for a while, Kagura realized she'd soaked too long. She stood up, dried herself off, changed into pajamas, and returned to her room.
"…"
Noticing the suspiciously large bulge under her blanket, Kagura didn't even have to guess—there was definitely a pack of restless little troublemakers hiding underneath. Sighing helplessly but too soft-hearted to kick them out, Kagura quietly climbed onto the bed and gently patted the lumps in the blanket.
(A muffled chorus of giggles and rustling noises from the little Uma Musume.)
A moment later, the little troublemakers burst forth, piling onto Kagura all at once and knocking her back onto the bed. Mejiro McQueen also emerged from under the covers with a guilty look, apologizing softly for failing to restrain her little sisters.
"You don't have to apologize, McQueen. I understand—they're just kids, after all."
"I'm sorry, Kagura-oneesan…they've troubled you again tonight…"
"It's okay~ Seeing you all happy makes me happy too. Alright now, everyone stop squirming around and get properly under the blanket. It's wintertime—don't catch a cold."
After tucking the little ones in carefully and making sure even their toes were hidden from the chill, Kagura mentally picked up where she'd left off and resumed last night's tale about the wandering scholar.
...
"Aiya… it really ended up like this again, huh…"
By around 10:30 pm, the little ones finally succumbed to their sleepiness, sprawled across Kagura's bed, sound asleep. Gazing down at their peaceful faces, Kagura smiled ruefully, debating whether she should resign herself to another night on the sofa or gently wake the girls and send them back to their rooms.
As Kagura sat pondering, the half-closed door to her room slowly swung open. Ardan, dressed in her pajamas, peeked inside. Noticing the dark room illuminated only by a bedside lamp, with Kagura alone in a chair at the bedside deep in thought—and after having realized none of her little sisters were in their own rooms—Ardan instantly understood exactly what had happened.
"Honestly… these little ones really are too rude. How could they keep inconveniencing a guest like this? Even McQueen's mixed herself in this time?"
"Ah, Ardan-ojousama, please wait—don't wake them up."
Seeing Ardan storming in, clearly about to shake her younger sisters awake, Kagura hurriedly jumped down from her chair to stop her. Kagura had predicted exactly this outcome when she started the story tonight, so she was fully prepared for it. Spending another night on the sofa wasn't a big deal to her.
"No! I was out today and didn't discipline them properly. They need to understand Mejiro etiquette!"
When it came to matters of the Mejiro family's etiquette, Ardan transformed completely from her usual gentle demeanor into a strict older sister. Kagura was finally seeing clearly just how serious Ardan could become.
"Wait! If you really have to reprimand them, can't it wait until morning? They've finally fallen asleep—don't wake them now!"
"Kagura, you can't keep defending them! If you keep indulging them like this, they'll develop bad habits!"
"Just one night won't hurt!"
Kagura tried her best to whisper-shout without waking the little ones. Ardan's expression darkened visibly, clearly upset.
"Then where will you sleep tonight? Don't tell me you'll go sleep on the sofa. If you say that, I'll go fetch Ramonu-neesama and Iris-sama right away!"
Ardan frowned deeply at Kagura. She understood Kagura's kindness, knowing this was exactly something Kagura would do—but understanding was one thing. As Iris-sama had emphasized, Kagura's generosity was her own choice, but maintaining Mejiro family etiquette was their responsibility. They absolutely couldn't let something like this slide.
"Calm down, calm down—there's no need to trouble Iris-sama and Ramonu-san about something like this!"
"Sigh… Kagura, you spoil these little ones too much. I've told you before, treat them as your own little sisters. No elder sister spoils her younger siblings this excessively—discipline is important!"
"Just for tonight! Tomorrow, I'll definitely send them back. Please!"
Kagura clasped her hands pleadingly, giving Ardan a helpless smile and bowing slightly. Seeing Kagura—the actual victim—pleading so earnestly, Ardan could only sigh reluctantly, unable to say anything else.
"Fine, fine. I'll settle things with these troublemakers first thing tomorrow morning. But Kagura, you absolutely won't sleep on the sofa tonight—come sleep in my room instead. My bed is big enough for two. Tomorrow morning, I'll call Ramonu-neesama and Iris-sama to handle this together. You're not allowed to protect them then."
"Got it!"
Kagura nodded vigorously, breathing a sigh of relief.
Following Ardan out of her own room, Kagura cast a final pitying glance back at the peacefully sleeping little ones, already silently mourning for them in advance. Tomorrow morning, facing the combined lectures—and likely punishments—from three senior family members would certainly be tough.
Sorry, little ones… This was the best outcome I could manage for you. Look on the bright side, at least Iris-sama won't give you the bamboo-shoot stir-fry treatment…
...
Although Ardan had impulsively delivered a stern lecture earlier, when she actually brought Kagura back to her room to settle in for the night, she belatedly realized how reckless her decision was.
I was careless! My head got too hot back then—I didn't think clearly about this situation. Kagura-san's presence…
Ardan's room, naturally, only had one bed, meaning Kagura had no choice but to sleep right next to her, just like that one time in the dorm at Tracen. Ardan now found all her well-trained composure and etiquette dissolving completely; she could vividly sense Kagura's warm presence right beside her, giving rise to an overwhelming impulse to hug Kagura tightly. Kagura, entirely trusting and defenseless around her, had already turned her back and drifted quickly off to sleep, exhausted from the day's activities.
I really should've just called Iris-sama immediately and had her drag those little brats away!
Right now, Ardan was still awake, barely suppressing that wild impulse—fueled by impeccable etiquette—to hug Kagura like a body pillow and bury her face against her. But Ardan knew clearly from past experiences—such as accidentally squeezing Wudi in her sleep or cuddling unconsciously under the kotatsu—that her sleeping self was utterly uncontrollable. At such close proximity, she was certain she'd wrap herself around Kagura the moment she fell asleep, a terribly improper thing to do.
I…
Her cheeks burning, Ardan desperately looked around her room for a sofa. Unfortunately, her room had no such furniture. The balcony chairs weren't suitable for sleeping either. Torn between staying still or moving away, she now thoroughly grasped the Chinese term for "torment" with a new level of appreciation.
If I run out to sleep on the sofa now, wouldn't that make me the same as Kagura-san last night? After all I said about not letting her sleep there… When Kagura-san wakes up tomorrow and sees me like that, she'll definitely tease me…
Ahhh… I really shouldn't have been so impulsive!!