Darumako 4 ダルマコ 4

It was time for her midday feeding. Darumako had already been placed in her usual spot, lips parted slightly as she looked up at me in silence. Her eyes, fixed on the source of her milk, shimmered with unease, resignation, and the faintest shade of shame. She needed to be nourished properly—filled from the throat down to the pit of her stomach. As the tip brushed against her lips, her shoulders gave a faint shiver. The milky white liquid coated her mouth, and though hesitant, she began to swallow—her throat trembling slightly with each effort. Every time, her eyes squeezed shut, and a soft breath escaped through her nose. Perhaps she still wasn’t used to it. Now and then, the milk caught in her throat, and she let out a small cough as the thick fluid spilled from her lips, trailing down her chin in slow, heavy drops. Yet Darumako didn’t resist. She kept her eyes locked upward, continuing to swallow with desperate effort. There was no need to rush. There was still plenty of milk… and plenty of time. 昼の時間になった。 ダルマコはすでに定位置に座らされ、小さく口を開けて、こちらをじっと見上げている。 白濁の源を見つめるその視線には、不安と諦め、そしてかすかな羞恥が滲んでいた。 たっぷりと栄養を与えてやらなければならない。 喉の奥深くまで注ぎ込み、腹の底からきちんと満たしてやる。 ゆっくりと先端が彼女の唇に触れた瞬間、わずかに肩が震えた。 とろりとしたミルクが口元を濡らし、彼女は戸惑いながらも、喉を震わせて受け入れていく。 そのたびに目をぎゅっと閉じ、小さく鼻から息を漏らす。 まだ慣れないせいだろう。ときおり喉の奥で詰まり、小さな咳とともに白濁がこぼれ、顎をつたってぽたりと落ちる。 それでもダルマコは逃げようともせず、真っ直ぐにこちらを見上げながら、必死に飲み続けていた。 急ぐ必要はない。 ミルクも、時間も──まだまだたっぷりあるのだから。