Please Bully Me, Miss Villainess!

Chapter 173 : Dream Magic Book 1

"Ouch!"

Sitting on her knee, Bebe let out a cry of pain.

"Oh... Did I accidentally brush her ear while combing?"

The dark hair and drooping ears of the same color blended together, making it easy to confuse them if one's eyesight wasn't good.

One must be extremely careful when combing a beastfolk's hair, as their body structure differs from humans, making it easy to brush against their delicate ears while combing.

"I'm sorry, Mama didn't mean to."

Yvonne quickly put down the comb and gently rubbed her left ear, which was starting to heat up, worried that she might cry the next moment.

"Does it hurt? Is there any bleeding?"

"A little..."

Seemingly concerned about making Yvonne feel too guilty,

"But it's okay~"

She looked up at Yvonne, speaking with a slight lisp, blinked her moist obsidian-like eyes, revealed her canine teeth, and gave a big smile.

...She's really grown up.

Yvonne smiled and patted her head.

"Come to think of it... Bebe's hair has grown so long..."

Stroking her daughter's smooth and soft shoulder-length black hair, Yvonne couldn't help but feel emotional.

When she and Elsa first brought her home, she was just a tiny thing with messy, dirty hair, and in the blink of an eye, she had become a beautiful little girl.

Bebe was now sitting on Yvonne's lap, her little feet swinging excitedly, her paw-like hands resting on Yvonne's hands that were placed on her soft little tummy to prevent her from slipping off.

The Pelo tribe's body temperature seemed to be slightly higher than humans'. She felt warm against Yvonne, like a little heater.

Upon noticing that Yvonne's hands were a bit cold, Bebe placed both of her hands on them.

"Oh my... Are you trying to warm my hands?"

"Mm-hmm~!"

But her hands were too small; even with both hands together, she could only grip Yvonne's fingers.

Even so, it touched Yvonne deeply.

She hadn't been able to play with her much lately, and Yvonne had worried that Bebe might become distant, but now it seemed her concerns were unnecessary.

"Wait a minute! It's too sneaky with just the two of you—I want in too!"

Deliberately speaking in a childish manner, Elsa reached out her hand and placed it on top of theirs.

"...What are you doing?! I'm combing the child's hair!!"

"After all, our Bebe loves Mama the most, right?"

Elsa sat cross-legged on the picnic blanket in their courtyard, opposite Yvonne, teasing them with a smile.

"Right~ Right~"

Bebe also raised both hands, happily repeating like a little parrot.

The late autumn season was quite cold as winter approached.

However, even so, Yvonne always felt it was a gentle season.

"Hold on, don't move... It's almost done!"

With nimble fingers, Yvonne finally finished tying symmetrical little braids for Bebe.

"There—All done!!"

Yvonne was very satisfied with her still-proficient handiwork.

"Ooh ooh!"

"What is it, want to see your new hairstyle?"

Yvonne picked up the mirror from the table and held it up for Bebe to see.

"Hehe, is the customer satisfied?"

Following the trendy styling techniques she had learned before, she had given the little one a lace-edged braid.

"Ooh ooh~~~~!"

Observing herself in the mirror, Bebe made an astonished sound.

It seems she's very pleased?

The child's hair was originally slightly curly, and after braiding, it looked a bit fluffier, light and airy, giving a sense of liveliness.

"Is Bebe cute?"

Tilting her little head, she asked Yvonne and Elsa quite seriously.

"Cute~ Very cute, the cutest in the world! Oh my~ What should we do~ If our Bebe gets any cuter, the world might just end—"

Elsa hugged Bebe tightly, praising her with somewhat exaggerated compliments while nuzzling her soft little cheeks.

"Ehehe~~"

Hearing such praise, the little one's tail was almost wagging up to the sky. Although Bebe couldn't fully understand her words, the tone of admiration was enough for her.

"Mama~ Ball—"

After having her hair done, Bebe held up a somewhat dirty cloth ball that had been set aside for Yvonne to see.

Perhaps it was related to the scent, but even though many better toy balls had been made later, this first ball made from the two's unwanted clothes, now somewhat dirty and worn, was still this child's favorite.

"Oh? Are you going to play ball with the maid sisters next? Go ahead then, but don't run too far, okay?"

"Mm-hmm~~"

Yvonne's gaze followed Bebe's figure, watching until she ran with her little cloth ball towards the maids who were there to play with her, and finally let out a sigh of relief.

It's so good that she didn't fall.

"That's quite an expression you have there."

Elsa teased, mimicking Yvonne's tone.

"...Don't copy how I speak."

"Would you like some more tea then?"

"...No need."

Gazing at Bebe's retreating figure, Elsa also expressed her sentiments:

"It's lovely... Bebe's braided hair is so beautiful."

"What's this? Are you jealous? Or... do you want me to braid your hair too?"

She turned her head away somewhat awkwardly.

"Hmph... I'm not so petty as to be jealous of my own daughter."

During their casual conversation, Elsa inconspicuously moved closer to Yvonne. After sitting closer, she began to play with Yvonne's hand.

"Evie's hands are so skillful..."

These unadorned fingers were slender and beautiful, their nails reflecting the sunlight, shining brightly.

Fingers entwined, teasing and playing, precious time flowed between their fingertips.

"Come to think of it, winter is almost here."

Exhaling a breath of white mist, Elsa made a slightly melancholic observation.

"It will get very cold then."

"Mm, ha... uh."

As she spoke, Yvonne covered her mouth and yawned.

"...Suddenly feeling so sleepy."

"Feeling drowsy? Speaking of which, now is a good time for a nap. Would you like to borrow my lap?"

"Mm..."

"The weather is nice, it would be good to take a short nap here."

"After all, we're at home, you can relax a bit."

"Then I'll take you up on that offer."

With a sleepy voice, Yvonne closed her eyes and leaned against Elsa.

Her thighs were of medium softness, making for an excellent pillow.

This time, it was her turn to stroke Yvonne's hair.

The feeling of fingers running through her hair and gently tugging was very comfortable, like a kind of soft massage.

"I'll just doze for a bit... Remember to wake me up later."

There was still work to be done.

"It's fine to sleep a bit longer, isn't it?"

"No... there's still work to do."

Elsa pouted, expressing some regret.

Watching her sleeping face for a long time would be nice, even if her legs might get a bit numb.

...

......

Then, after an unknown amount of time had passed. After a comfortable sleep, Yvonne opened her eyes.

"Mm...?"

Upon waking, Yvonne found that Elsa seemed to have been watching her the whole time. Their eyes met, and they stayed like that for several seconds.

"It's still quite a while before my estimated time..."

Seeing Yvonne awake, Elsa said with a hint of disappointment,

"What a pity, I hadn't had enough of looking at Evie's sleeping face..."

"...Don't you see it plenty often?"

"But every day, Evie is different."

Yvonne had thought that when she said before that she 'wouldn't get tired of looking,' it was just a joke, but now it seems she was serious...

"Do you want to sleep a bit more?"

"No need, I'm not sleepy anymore."

Saying she wasn't sleepy was actually a lie; one can never get enough sleep, but now, she also wanted to look at Elsa's face.

Although awake, she was reluctant to get up from Elsa's lap, feeling a strange sense of attachment.

Wanting to talk more, as if doing so could make this moment last longer.

"It's time to get some winter clothes... Do you have any styles you'd like?"

Most of the things in the mansion had been sold off earlier, leaving almost nothing behind. Many items and furnishings were newly bought.

"Just something ordinary is fine, let's buy more for Bebe. That child is growing fast, so she'll need to change clothes quickly."

Yvonne said somewhat helplessly,

"The tailor will have a hard time hearing that kind of request. You should at least give some preferences. Like colors or decorations?"

She pondered seriously for a moment,

"...Can we have formal dresses made too?"

"Of course, what kind of formal dress do you want? Next time when we're free, I'll bring the capital's tailor over to make a custom one for you."

Surprised that she would be interested in formal dresses, Yvonne quickly agreed.

"The kind worn for weddings."

Pff—

Yvonne almost sprang up from Elsa's lap,

"Elsa... are you serious?"

"Of course I'm just joking."

Elsa knew that if she really made such a request, given Yvonne's personality, she would immediately start seriously preparing for a wedding ceremony.

But she also knew that now was not the time.

After clearing her name, bearing the glory of reviving the family, she already had enough pressure and burden on her shoulders.

If she were to cause Yvonne to suffer more pressure from public opinion, her body and mind would certainly not be able to handle it.

It wasn't that she was dissatisfied with the current situation; on the contrary, she loved their current life.

But... she really longed to receive blessings, even if it was just a ceremony, she wanted to gain recognition.

To become a true, acknowledged 'family member'.

"Even if it's a joke, I'll keep it in mind."

With her eyes closed, holding Yvonne's hand, she said this to her.

"But... actually, even without such things, we've long since become family."

"Mm, of course I know that."

The words flowed like a warm current in her heart, as if something had been filled.

The temperature transmitted through their tightly clasped palms was warm and crowded, yet very comfortable.

They thought things would continue smoothly from here on,

But for some unknown reason, Bebe started having continuous nightmares.

She would fall asleep at night, only to wake up startled for no apparent reason, appearing frightened and unable to rest properly, which made both of them feel very distressed.

"...There's a monster!"

Bebe said there was always a monster chasing her in her dreams. She couldn't hide and could only run desperately.

Just when it was about to catch her, she would wake up.

Every time she fell asleep, the distance between her and that monster became closer and closer.

By today, she refused to sleep no matter what.

This might be related to the curse of her race.

They had inquired with the Pelo tribe, but they knew nothing about the affairs of the Anubis tribe.

The two made a rare visit to the "Myriad Leaves Gold" Association, where they found Brin.

When they found her, she was at her office desk eating a cute bento from a small wooden box with a fork, seemingly prepared specially for her.

"...What are you two here for?"

Seeing the two of them, Brin quickly put away her bento.

"It seems things are going well with the teacher..."

Elsa showed an understanding expression.

This woman, though young, was excessively perceptive about such matters.

"Instructor Brin, it seems your meals have been quite good lately."

Knowing the reason, Elsa stood beside Yvonne, covering her mouth and giggling teasingly. Brin's face turned bright red in an instant.

"Never mind about me, what are you here for?"

After tidying up, Brin asked irritably.

"I apologize for interrupting your meal... but I have an important matter I wish to discuss with you."

Yvonne's expression turned serious as she explained their purpose.

After listening, Brin furrowed her brow.

"Seeking a method for peaceful sleep, to dispel the monster in dreams. So... you want to borrow from the association's library?"

"I want to find the 'Dream Magic Book'."

The Myriad Leaves Gold is not just a simple magic association, but also manages the largest magic book library in the Oz Kingdom.

The 'Dream Magic Book' is a powerful magical artifact that can read, write, and enter another person's dreams. Yvonne wants to enter Bebe's dreams to help her eliminate that terrifying nightmare.

These two... actually using a magic book to comfort a child... how extravagant.

Brin made a simple magical record, then gave the two a complex look.

"Magic books are not usually allowed to be borrowed... but considering the substantial donations you've made to the association before, I'll lend you my 'permission' for now."

"We are truly grateful!"

Originally thinking the negotiation would be difficult, Yvonne was overjoyed that Brin agreed so readily based on their friendship.

"However... regarding the magic books, you must be careful in your selection."

Brin still seemed somewhat worried.

Although she trusted the magical abilities of these two, she didn't trust those unknown and terrifying books in the library.

Due to poor management by the previous curator, some books from the Oz era were mixed in together... there might be some dangerous books among them.

Hearing this description, both of them became nervous.

"Let me say this first, when actually using it, an adult must be present. Otherwise, with a child's mental strength, it's easy to get trapped in the book and unable to get out."

"We will certainly be careful."

After repeatedly promising to be cautious, Brin finally handed them the key to the library.

"The door will only be open for half an hour, so you'd better be quick."

Brin instructed, then without further ado, pushed the two into the opened door of the 'Archive Room'.

"How amazing... There are actually so many books!!"

Books were everywhere in sight.

Under some unknown magical input,

"...This country actually has a place like this?"

This was no ordinary archive.

Similar to the atmosphere Oz King gave people in the 'Tower', this too was some kind of magical space constructed by spells.

Come to think of it... the activities outside the main storyline of this game all unfolded in the form of the protagonists entering magic books.

While searching through the magic books, Yvonne recalled things from the game.

But, if one could really enter the books, it should be quite an interesting thing.

"Ah... I found it!"

Yvonne patted a dusty magic book,

'Sleeping Beauty', and 'Snow White'... all different worlds, seeing these things really is strange.

But these are not ordinary fairy tale books. These are magic books that allow users to dream corresponding stories.

"Huh... what's this?"

On the other side, Elsa found an old book on a floating bookshelf.

But when she opened the book, there was nothing inside, all pages were blank.

"...Is this also a 'Dream Book'?"