——Hori Household——
"Ugh..."
Hori Kyoko stood on the weighing scale, her face dark. The number displayed on the scale beneath her feet had risen quite a bit compared to before.
This plunged her into self-loathing.
She had been cooped up at home recently and hadn't gone out. She never expected things to turn out like this...
Aaaaaahhhhhh!
What on earth am I doing?!
Hori left the bedroom dejectedly. Just then, Sota happened to come home.
"Sis—" Sota changed from his sneakers into slippers and scampered over to the fridge. "Can I eat the pudding in the fridge?"
"Whatever..."
Hori replied like a zombie.
Then she looked toward the door and caught sight of Jolyne and Polnareff's departing backs.
Failing to see Diego, Hori raised a hand to tidy her hair and casually remarked, "It's rare. You went to play at Dio's place but didn't bring him back."
"Because Dio-oniichan still has guests over." Sota took two puddings out of the fridge, his gaze darting around. "Sis—which one do you want?"
"You can have both. I'm on a diet." Hori waved a hand in refusal. Her tone hesitant, she asked again, "Guests... you mean Rikka and Sanae?"
Sota shook his head and answered straightforwardly, "No."
"Eh? Then the guests are...?"
"I don't know. There are four pretty onee-sans I don't recognize. They were the ones who entertained me." As Sota answered, he peeled open the orange pudding. "Whoa! This one has orange pulp inside!"
"F-Four...? Huh? And all pretty girls?" Hori's mouth gaped wide, her movements froze, and she was so shocked she didn't know what to do with herself.
"Yeah! Dio-oniichan seems to be in a really good mood today."
Recently very depressed → Dio couldn't return to his hometown → four unfamiliar girls appeared at home → today his mood became super good → then the people who came, could they be...
A storm of thoughts whirled through Hori's mind. She squatted down, placed her hands on Sota's shoulders, and asked solemnly, "Sota, let me ask you. Among those four onee-sans, are there two with pointy ears, one with blue hair who looks very aloof, and one who's very gentle and good at taking care of children?"
"Eh? Umm—..." Sota scooped a spoonful of pudding into his mouth and thought back over Hori's words. "Yeah, sis, you really are a witch! You've been at home the whole time, yet you even know what happened at Dio-oniichan's house!"
So it really is Miss Elga and the others!!!
Hori Kyoko tightly clutched the hem of her clothes, feeling an inexplicable unease and panic.
Somehow... it feels really scary...
Umm, tomorrow... should I go visit?
...
The next day...
On her way to visit the shut-in's house, Hori Kyoko encountered Sui and Diego, who were coming to visit the Hori household.
"Ah..."
"Ah..."
The two stared at each other.
"What a coincidence, Hori. We were just about to go to your place..."
Only Diego, as if he hadn't grasped the situation at all, walked straight over and greeted her.
Hori had a bad premonition.
"Miss Elga..."
Before Diego could finish answering, Sui elbowed him flying with one punch.
"Ora!!"
"Bugha——!!"
Thud!
Diego couldn't get up again.
"Alright—Dio, you're free. This has nothing to do with you. Let me do the talking."
After finishing everything, Sui clapped her hands.
Sensing Hori's uneasy mood, she shifted her gaze to meet Hori's, slowly extended her left hand, and playfully winked: "Hello, Miss Hori. Jolyne and Sota mentioned you when they came over as guests yesterday. You took good care of Dio when he first arrived here."
"Originally, Alicia and the others also wanted to come visit, but Dio stopped them. He said too many people might put pressure on you, so after considering everything, I came instead."
"Thank you."
Hori Kyoko's attention was instantly drawn to Sui mentioning Jolyne and Sota. She asked curiously, "Them? What did they say?"
"Jolyne said..." Sui recalled the scene at the time, feeling awkward about repeating it, and reluctantly imitated, "'Hori-nee... she's a woman who could become Dio-oniichan's mother!'"
"..."
Hori slowly covered her face.
What on earth is Jolyne saying?!!
"Oh, right, right. Almost forgot. Dio said you like this." A crack appeared beside Sui. She reached in and took out a box of eggs, slowly explaining, "These are discounted ones from the supermarket. I specifically went to grab them."
"Grabbed them? Miss Elga, on your first visit here, you managed to snatch sale eggs from those old ladies?!" Hori accepted them.
As a long-time rival who constantly struggled against old ladies, Hori Kyoko's eyes were filled with indescribable admiration and surprise.
Sui recalled the scene at the time, rolled up her sleeve, and flexed one arm: "Indeed, they are formidable and respectable opponents, but when it comes to speed, I won't lose!"
With the eggs providing divine assistance, the relationship between the two quickly grew closer, with none of the earlier awkwardness remaining.
Hori let out a sigh of relief. Gazing at the ring on her finger, she muttered softly, "Miss Elga being a considerate elf is really great. I was still thinking it might..."
"A ring, huh..." The smile in Sui's eyes quickly faded. She displayed her own ring and said seriously, "This is a beastman forced marriage ring."
"???"
Sui paused for a moment, then almost gnashed her teeth: "Once that guy Dio enters his estrus period, he'll start handing them out everywhere for no reason, forcibly putting them on other people's fingers—even males aren't spared!"
"Come to think of it, Jolyne mentioned before that Dio gave her a ring to protect her..."
Sui's eyes widened as she stared at Diego in disbelief: "You even gave one to a child—"
"Why does your mouth turn so venomous the second you bring me up?" Diego emerged from behind Sui, pressed down her excited hand to stop her words, and put on a completely innocent face.
"Shoo, shoo, shoo!" Sui swatted Diego away like swatting flies and pointed sharply. "This is clearly your fault, making Miss Hori so uneasy!"
"No, it should be that this damn place's laws and cultural environment have problems, still continuing such a backward system as monogamy." Diego maintained his stance of never admitting fault—if there was any blame, it was the world's.
He curled his lip in disgust: "Even the good-for-nothings from the Zenin clan can have three wives and four concubines."
Hori Kyoko heard a new term and tilted her head, murmuring curiously: "Zenin clan?"
"It's Dio's former family. Let me tell you, when Dio was little..."
Before Sui could finish, Diego covered her mouth. Hori could even see a hint of panic on his face.
"Wait, why do you know stuff about my childhood?"
"Mmmph—!!"
Sui, cheeks puffed with anger, drove an elbow into Diego's stomach.
Caught up in the moment, Hori Kyoko blurted out without thinking: "Dio, let go!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Diego obediently released his hand.
Yet the stunned expression on his face proved that even he didn't understand why he had let go.
Sui gained her freedom, but she didn't continue speaking.
She froze for a moment, then asked in disbelief: "Dio... he actually listens to you?"
This was something even Alicia hadn't been able to fully achieve...
"Umm, now that you mention it, Dio... really hasn't refused any of my requests..." Hori's gaze gradually froze as she drew in a sharp breath.
The two exchanged a glance. Diego felt an inexplicable chill. He tightly hugged his chest with both arms, like a Stark about to be humiliated, and hurriedly protested:
"It shouldn't be like this! Why?!! This is terrifying! Why did you two suddenly start discussing how to control my body, brainwash my mind, and then do whatever you want to me!!"
"How do you do it? To what extent can you do it?" Sui completely ignored Diego and pressed on eagerly.
"The principle isn't very clear." Hori Kyoko's cheeks flushed red in waves. She raised one finger, brimming with excitement: "But I remember the last time I made him wear girls' clothes, he didn't refuse either!"
"Ooh ooh!!!"
Smack!
Sui shook hands with Hori once more.
"Please be sure to control Dio! A woman who can become Dio's mother—seeing it now, she truly lives up to her reputation!"
"Yamero, wryyyyyyy!!!"
The only response to the two of them was Diego's wretched screams.