Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 6 - Chapter SS

Extra Story 1: A Good Push ~Katou Mana’s POV~

The file practically danced in her hands.

“You look like you’re in a good mood, Rose,” I said.

Rose kept to her work but turned my way. We were all alone right now, so she wasn’t wearing her mask. Her facial features still seemed inorganic, but she’d gotten rather good at smiling lately.

“Is your mood maybe because of Lily?” I asked.

Lily was currently recovering from the major incident that had happened the other day. Still, her bond with Majima-senpai had deepened because of it, so even though she still needed time to fully recover, her days passed by in happiness. I remembered how delighted Rose had been to see her older sister like that.

“You can see through me so easily, Mana. Yes, Lily is one reason for my mood.”

Rose stopped working and put down her file. I realized what she wanted and handed over a smaller file lying nearby.

“This one?” I asked.

I’d spent a lot of time watching Rose work, so I had a rough understanding of her process. I could now figure out what she was going to do next.

“Thank you, Mana.”

“You’re welcome.”

The fact that such a trivial exchange made me happy was something I’d only discovered after coming to this world. Thinking of how I’d once completely given up on happiness, times like these were an unexpected but prodigious boon to me.

“So, Rose, you said Lily is one reason?” I asked as Rose started filing again. “Meaning there’s another?”

“Yes. I was just thinking of Gerbera.”

“Aah...”

I hadn’t heard the exact details, but apparently Gerbera had expressed her feelings to Majima-senpai, and he’d reciprocated them. I was honestly a little surprised. He had a very typical...or rather, rigid, view of love. I was impressed that Gerbera had managed to get him to capitulate. The Great White Spider’s staggeringly destructive charge had quite the effect, it seemed.

This was something to celebrate. It was of course a great thing for Gerbera, but it was also great for Rose. Gerbera had broken through Majima-senpai’s rigid nature.

For Rose, who was fundamentally reserved and generally took a step back from things, this was good news. However, one could also say that she’d had the initiative taken away from her.

Rose didn’t care the slightest bit about any of this. On the contrary, she was genuinely pleased that her little sister was happy. This was very much like her, and I found it quite charming, but I believed just a little panic would be good for her. At this rate, she wouldn’t make any progress no matter how much time passed. Someone had to give her back a good push.

“Rose,” I said after thinking it over, “isn’t it about time you take off your mask in front of Majima-senpai?”

She dropped her file and it tumbled across her lap.

“What...did you say...?” I could practically hear rusty creaking as she turned her head stiffly toward me. “Show my master my face?”

“Yes. You can make some pretty normal expressions now, so I think it’s about time.”

Nothing would start until she took that one step forward. From what I could see, now that Rose was dressing like a woman, Majima-senpai was starting to be conscious of the fact that she was one. It was about time to try the next step.

“B-But it’s still somewhat unnatural looking...”

“Stop saying that, Rose,” I said, thrusting my finger at her face. “It’s not a bad thing to be a perfectionist, but you won’t get anywhere like that. There’ll be no end to it if you criticize everything with such a high demand for perfection. You need to reach a point and stop.”

I stared at Rose’s daunted expression, a reflex she’d practiced numerous times. I knew very well how much effort she’d put into these expressions beneath her mask. There was a little peculiarity left, but that didn’t take away from Rose’s charm.

“But will it really be all right?” Rose asked, lowering her gaze to the ground. “Won’t I offend my master?” she muttered helplessly.

Even though she was always so reliable, she had no confidence when it came to herself. She was so innocent, and it made her so sweet.

I stood up and walked over to Rose’s side. I lowered myself to my knees and matched her eye level as she raised her head.

“It’s okay. As you are now, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I guarantee it.”

“Mana...”

“On the contrary, you might make him go weak in the knees,” I added jokingly.

“So long as Lily and Gerbera are around, I believe that is unlikely,” Rose said, finally breaking into a smile. “You’re right. It would be rude to you to constantly doubt myself after you’ve helped me so much.” She paused, then gave me a reassuring nod. “Very well. I’ll gather my courage.”

“Do your best, Rose,” I replied, returning her nod as I smiled. “Now that it’s decided, I suppose we should discuss what needs to be done.”

“Yes. Could you verify with me one more time whether there’s anything strange about my expressions?”

“Of course. We need to be careful with our final adjustments, after all. There’s a ton of other stuff to do too. The new clothes we asked Gerbera for are already done, so all that’s left is to pick out the right accessories. The timing is also important...”

There was plenty to talk about. I really did find this fun. I wanted Majima-senpai to know all about this innocent and adorable facet of Rose as soon as possible. Thinking of the day that her efforts would be rewarded, I couldn’t suppress the exhilaration in my heart.