The women I set free are obsessed with me

You can read 205 episodes on patreon and 50 new episodes are released every month. patreon.com/Ashenrose

It felt like waking up after a very long sleep.

How to describe it? Like Snow White, stabbed by a dwarf, waking up from the queen's kiss instead of the prince's.

If you didn't understand this bullshit, then you've understood perfectly. Because I had no idea what I was talking about either.

"Ugh."

I struggled to raise my stiff body. While holding my dizzy head, I looked around.

An incense candle on the bedside table wafted the scent of herbal medicine. The room's appearance, reminiscent of an inn from a martial arts novel, was unmistakably Yuhwa's Celestial Pavilion.

Why was I here? I vaguely remembered being struck by the Blood Wolfman's claw in the Forest of the Crimson Night. After that, my memory was blank.

If that were the case, Rin must have brought me to the Celestial Pavilion. She probably thought Yuhwa could heal me. That was likely the explanation.

"Phew…"

A sigh involuntarily escaped as I got out of bed. My legs had no strength at all like someone who had been bedridden for weeks.

Is it because I was stabbed in the stomach?

Lifting my shirt slightly, I saw an ugly scar on the left side of my abdomen. No wonder I had no strength.

Still, to think the wound would heal completely in just a day. As expected, while Yuhwa might not be good at other things, her magic skills were top-notch.

I hope my Rin becomes that skilled soon too.

After adjusting my clothes, I somehow managed to crawl out of bed and went outside. It was a separate guest area. The atmosphere was eerily quiet.

I walked aimlessly, looking around. What I found while wandering the merchant group was not dog meat… but Hoyeon.

"Mr. Hoyeon."

"S-Sir Karami?"

Having passed Yuhwa's test, I had received a free pass to enter the Celestial Pavilion. Thanks to that, I could be considered something of a VIP here.

But for some reason, Hoyeon's gaze was more like that of a tiger seeing a ghost than looking at a VIP.

"You're awake!"

"Yes, well. Now that I'm up, I guess I'll be walking around?"

He was even making a fuss. Anyone watching might think a vegetative patient had just woken up.

"How are you feeling? Are you alright?"

"I feel a bit off, but I'm fine."

"That's a great relief. Ah, the Elder said to bring you to her immediately if you woke up. I will guide you."

"That's not necessary. It's not like this is my first or second time here. You must be busy, please go about your work."

I skillfully found my way to Yuhwa's office, the sky. Her magic only affected me on my first visit; it stayed firmly in place after that.

This privilege, however, was reserved only for Rin and me. Sometimes we'd walk the same path as the employees, but when we came to our senses, we'd discover that only we had arrived at the correct destination. Her magic showed no mercy, even to her own staff.

You'll regret it when you really get dementia and have to live alone forever.

Of course, I hoped she stayed healthy until Rin became a full gumiho.

Lost in these thoughts, I soon arrived at the office. Opening the door, the familiar sky greeted me, and Yuhwa drinking tea on the clouds to complete the set.

"Celestial Fox."

"Hoho, you've finally woken up."

"Thanks to your treatment. I'm indebted to you. By the way, where's Rin? I didn't see her in the room, is she here?"

"Yes, she was training. She's almost finished now…"

Yuhwa's voice trailed off. I didn't miss her eyes darting behind me for a moment. Rin was clearly trying to play a prank on me from behind.

Tap.

A soft, fluffy sensation covered my eyes, blocking my vision. See, Rin's playing again… Wait.

The hands seem a bit big.

Moreover, with Rin's height, she'd have to jump to cover my eyes, but the hands were still and didn't move at all. As if reaching out from a standing position.

"Guess who~?"

The voice was similar to Rin's but subtly different. A bit more mature? It was the kind of voice Rin might have when she grew up, but it didn't fit right now.

"…Who is it?"

"It's been so long since I've heard Master's voice, and that's how you respond? Rin is hurt."

"Rin…?"

"Wrong."

The hands covering my eyes fell away, and my body spun around. In front of me stood a pink fox girl,

"The correct answer is the most lovable Rin in the world."

…with five tails swaying gently.

***

"So you're saying I collapsed not yesterday, but a month ago?"

"You could say that."

Unlike me, who was greatly shocked, Yuhwa leisurely sipped her tea as if it were no big deal. These long-lived races really had no sense of time no matter where they were.

More than a month…

I still couldn't believe it. No wonder my legs felt so wobbly; after lying in bed for a month, it was a wonder I could walk at all.

No, wobbly legs were the least of my problems compared to Rin, who was clinging to me with her arm linked through mine.

Five swaying pink tails. I collapsed and woke up to find Rin had become a five-tailed fox. The tiny Rin had grown into a proper young lady.

About middle school age?

It was good that Rin had grown.

She grew up to be cute and very pretty.

But… but…!

I wanted to see Rin growing up too!

This sense of loss was indescribable. It was on par with losing a country, maybe even worse.

Rin thrust her face right in front of me.

"How do I look, Master? Rin's grown a lot, right? I've become much prettier, don't you think?"

"It's not Master, it's Mastah…"

"Teehee. Master, that's such an old way of speaking. That's from when Rin was suuuper young."

"No, it was just a month ago…"

"Really now, Master~ Haven't you heard that you shouldn't pry into a lady's past?"

Wow, look at how she talks.

The world has truly gone mad.

It seemed she learned not only magic, but also a fox's coquettishness while with Yuhwa. From her flirtatious glances to her way of speaking and intonation.

The innocent Rin had disappeared into a past that would never return.

"Master… doesn't like it? Is Rin weird?"

Reading my troubled expression, Rin's face turned gloomy.

I knew I shouldn't be like this, that she would grow up someday, but it was all so sudden that I just couldn't get used to it.

And it wasn't like she had just grown up, her impression had changed quite a bit too.

But no matter how she had changed, Rin was still Rin. The fact that she was my slave hadn't changed. As her master, I should embrace her with an unwavering heart.

"That's absolutely not true. I just woke up after a long time, so I have a lot to think about. You've grown up beautifully."

"Right? I knew Master would say that. Hehe."

Rin tilted her head towards me, laying her ears flat to make it easier to pat her. Though her appearance had changed, this much remained the same.

I patted Rin's head, and her five tails danced happily.

"It's nauseating. If you want to be lovey-dovey, go get a bedroom."

"We were just about to. I've been away for too long."

I needed to check if the cat café was alright, and I should meet Seira too. I wasn't sure if she was worried, but since I suddenly disappeared, she must be concerned.

Well, Seira was very capable. Everything should be fine. She must be managing well.

We left the Celestial Pavilion.

A three-tailed fox might be manageable, but five tails was pushing it. It was like advertising, I'm about to become a gumiho~

Fortunately, Rin, having mastered shapeshifting perfectly, could even control the number of her tails. She walked around with just one tail showing.

We headed to Seira's house.

"Where did the house go?"

But the house was gone. It wasn't just something missing; the entire house had vanished. Her house should have been in this location, but now only an empty lot remained.

I stopped a passing cow lady to ask. It was the neighbor cow lady Seira used to get milk from.

"Excuse me, wasn't there a house here belonging to Miss Seira?"

"The house? It suddenly collapsed a month ago. We thought it had been struck by lightning. Come to think of it, didn't you two live with Seira? Where have you been all this time?"

"There were some circumstances… Do you know where she might have gone?"

"Well… I saw her leaving with just a bag, looking dazed. Maybe she went to an inn or her office's night duty room?"

After sharing this information with us, the cow lady went into her house. She gave me a glass of freshly squeezed milk to drink. I downed it in one shot.

Wiping the milk from my mouth, I thought for a moment. A month ago coincides with when I collapsed. Did something happen while I was unconscious?

"Rin, do you know anything about this?"

"Seira destroyed her own house."

"Her own house?"

"I was really surprised… I nearly died, you know?"

This unexpected information left me dumbfounded. Unless she was trying to claim disaster insurance or rebuild, why would she destroy her own house?

Thinking about it, the day of the accident coincided with the full moon rising. Maybe Seira, being a wolf beastkin, was influenced by the moon and went berserk.

We can't find her right away without knowing where she went.

Well, we could probably meet her if we went to the border area where Seira worked in the Immigration Management Department, but that was on the opposite side from here. Before going there, we should stop by the cat café.

So I headed to the cat café. Fortunately, contrary to my worries, it was operating normally, just as it had been a month ago.

The cat people were startled to see me appear after a month.

"Boss! Where have you been all this time, nya? "

"I was resting because I wasn't feeling well. Has everything been alright while I was gone?"

"No problems at all, nya. Except for those dog-loving idiots and cat ladies causing trouble."

"That's a relief then."

The cat café didn't require much expertise, and the cat people could express themselves. Fortunately, the place could run with just the employees, even without the owner.

"Bosss, I missed youuu~"

Persi greeted me more affectionately than the other cat people. With her princess-like attitude, Persi saw me as some kind of savior for rescuing her from the back alleys.

As always, Persi was about to cling to me, but…

Swish.

A pink tail blocked the space between Persi and me.

"Rin?"

Rin gently pulled me back. The gentle smile she had been showing me disappeared without a trace, and she glared at Persi with fierce eyes.

"He's Rin's master. Don't approach carelessly."