Upon arriving at the Yotsuba main estate, Miyuki and Minami were shown directly to the reception room where Maya Yotsuba awaited. Under normal circumstances, their arrival would have been preceded by a formal greeting at the gates, but given the gravity of their purpose, Maya had granted them immediate audience.
"Welcome, Miyuki-san. And you too, Minami-chan," Maya said, her voice a melodious yet chilling purr. "So, Miyuki-san, tell me—is the report true?"
"Onii-sama has acknowledged it as fact, and the P-94 unit, Pixie, has provided corroborating testimony. There is little room for doubt."
"I told Aoki-san that the methods and the cost were irrelevant," Maya sighed, a flash of genuine irritation crossing her beautiful face. "But to think he would go so far as to slight Tatsuya-kun... that I cannot overlook."
Maya's anger was not merely professional. While she had a keen interest in the Parasite entity, Aoki's dismissive attitude toward Tatsuya—her own kin and perhaps the only person who truly understood the nature of the Yotsuba—pushed her past the limits of her patience.
"And where is Aoki-san now, Aunt Maya?" Miyuki asked, her voice as sharp as a diamond blade.
"I've sent him on a rather long-distance errand. Even if he hurries, he won't return until tomorrow at the earliest. Please, make yourselves at home until then."
"I see..."
"By the way," Maya added, her eyes sweeping the room, "where is Tatsuya-kun? I was quite certain he would accompany you."
"If I had brought Onii-sama, the attendants and branch family members would have treated him with disdain, while the maids would have likely collapsed into fits of longing," Miyuki replied flatly. "Even with your authority, Aunt Maya, an order to not fall in love with Onii-sama would be fundamentally impossible for them to follow."
"True," Maya chuckled. "I doubt there is a single woman within the Yotsuba who could remain indifferent to him."
As if on cue, a soft knock sounded at the door. The head butler, Hayama, entered with impeccable timing. Miyuki and Minami both rose slightly to offer a respectful greeting.
"It has been some time, Master Hayama. Not since the Yokohama incident, I believe," Miyuki said.
"Indeed. It is a pleasure to see you in such good health," the elderly butler replied with a deep, graceful bow. He set a steaming cup of tea before Maya.
"Bring some for Miyuki-san and Minami-chan as well," Maya instructed.
"I have already prepared them, My Lady."
Ever the professional, Hayama produced two more cups. While Miyuki accepted hers naturally, Minami looked utterly mortified. She sat frozen, unable to bring herself to touch a cup of tea poured by the legendary head of the Yotsuba's servants.
"Please, do not let it go cold," Hayama said gently. "Today, you are a guest of Lady Maya. It is only right that I attend to you."
"B-but... I am in no position to be served by you, Master Hayama..."
"You are a guest," Hayama repeated, his eyes twinkling with a kind of grandfatherly mischief. "Forget your station for a moment. For this afternoon, your status is higher than that of this old man."
With a final bow, he vanished from the room as silently as he had appeared.
"Do as he says, Minami-chan," Maya encouraged. "Ease your tension, if only for a little while."
"Y-yes, My Lady..."
Minami complied, though she lacked the iron nerves required to truly relax in the presence of the two most powerful women in the Yotsuba family.
Back at the Shiba residence, the absence of Miyuki and Minami meant that all domestic duties fell to Pixie. Tatsuya was more than capable of handling himself, but Pixie—driven by the combined persistence of a domestic robot and Honoka's inherited will—refused to let him lift a finger. Resigned, Tatsuya spent his afternoon in his room, focused on his CAD engineering.
『Master, dinner is served.』
The telepathic message hummed in Tatsuya's mind. He stood up without a word and made his way to the living room.
"You really are a top-tier domestic unit, aren't you?" Tatsuya noted, eyeing the table.
『Please, reserve your judgment until you have tasted it,』 Pixie replied. 『I may not be able to surpass Miyuki-san, but I have staked my very purpose of existence on this meal.』
"There's no need to compare yourself to Miyuki. It's clear enough that you've done an excellent job."
Tatsuya sat and picked up his chopsticks. As he moved to take a bite, he felt a strange, heavy pressure coming from behind him. He paused, setting the chopsticks down, and turned to look at the robot standing at attention.
"There's no need to be that tense."
『As I said, Master, my existence is on the line. Tension is a logical response.』
"Even so, don't stare at me like that. It's difficult to eat under such scrutiny."
Tatsuya didn't "feel" the awkwardness in a traditional sense, but he knew from social data that being stared at while eating was universally uncomfortable. He used this general logic to settle her down.
『I apologize... To cause Master discomfort is a failure as a domestic unit...』
"Don't look so dejected. I understand you were nervous. Just don't do it next time."
Tatsuya resumed his meal. Pixie continued to watch him, her aura still vibrating with a muted, mechanical anxiety.
"Don't worry," Tatsuya said after a few bites. "It's genuinely delicious."
『Truly?! But... surely it is inferior to Miyuki-san's cooking?』
"Miyuki has her strengths, and you have yours. It's not something to be measured on a single scale."
Miyuki's cooking was tuned specifically to Tatsuya's biology and preferences; for him, it would always be the pinnacle. However, he acknowledged that objectively, Pixie's culinary skills might actually appeal more to a general palate.
『Master... I have a request.』
"What is it?"
『For this night only... would you allow me to sleep beside you?』
Tatsuya paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Is that a request born of Honoka's feelings? Or is it coming from 'Pixie' herself?"
『That is a difficult distinction to make, Master. My consciousness was forged from Honoka Mitsui's heart. However, these words are undeniably mine. Whether they began as her feelings or not, they are what I feel now.』
It was a complex, philosophical answer, but Tatsuya could sense the sincerity behind it. He considered the consequences. Miyuki and Minami would undoubtedly be furious, but...
"…Only for tonight," Tatsuya said.
『Yes!』
Tatsuya reasoned that Miyuki's legendary "scent detection" probably wouldn't register the presence of a robot in his room. It was a rare, calculated risk taken to satisfy the entity that had clear and distinct feelings for him.
Note:
Hello everyone!!
I want to send my warmest New Year wishes to all of you. May the new year bring you all your wishes, along with good health and countless joyful moments with your loved ones!
Holiday Announcement:
To rest and spend time with my family, I will be taking a Lunar New Year holiday from February 15th to February 22nd, 2026. I will officially return on February 23rd.
During my break, I will focus on translating more new chapters so that when the holiday ends, I can release chapters regularly for you all!
Thank you so much for your continued support.
Happy Lunar New Year!