That morning, the Shiba residence received a visitor that no one—not Miyuki, not Minami, and certainly not Tatsuya—could have possibly predicted. Even for this extraordinary household, the shock was visible.
"So... why, exactly, are you here?" Tatsuya asked.
"I ran away from home," Maya replied simply.
"You... ran away?"
While Miyuki and Minami stood by, their mouths hanging open in a state of total mental paralysis, Tatsuya was the first to regain enough composure to address the situation.
"And may I ask why the Head of the Yotsuba has decided to go rogue?"
"Because! Day after day, it's nothing but the same four walls or the back of a car. I have no freedom at all!"
"…I was under the impression that you accepted those conditions long ago—Auntie."
Tatsuya didn't bother hiding his look of utter exasperation as he stared at Maya Yotsuba, who was currently pouting like a teenager.
"It's not fair! I can't see my Tac-kun whenever I want, and they won't even let me make a phone call in peace. Hayama-san is usually lenient, but everyone else scowls the moment I even mention your name. I want my freedom, Tac-kun!"
"The Head of the Yotsuba is not exactly a position known for its 'mobility.' But even so, if you've run away, why come here?"
"Because Tac-kun is here," Maya answered, her expression suggesting that he had just asked the world's most obvious question.
Tatsuya let out a long, weary sigh. "Miyuki, Minami. Please serve our guest some tea."
""Y-Yes! Right away!""
Spurred into action by Tatsuya's voice, the two girls finally snapped back to reality and scrambled toward the kitchen.
"So, how long do you intend to stay?" Tatsuya asked, turning back to his aunt. "Miyuki and I are both quite busy, unfortunately. We won't have the time to act as your tour guides."
"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll be perfectly happy just lounging around in your bedroom, Tac-kun. It'll be very productive."
"…I suspect you will find it incredibly boring."
"I don't get to 'lounge' at the main house, and I've never actually experienced boredom before, so it'll be a refreshing change. Besides," she added, a dreamy look entering her eyes, "I'll be wrapped in Tac-kun's scent all day long. I can't imagine being bored for a single second."
As Maya spoke about moving into Tatsuya's room as if it were a settled legal fact, Miyuki returned with the tea, her expression a mask of barely suppressed irritation.
"Thank you, Miyuki-san. And thank you too, Minami-chan. Good work," Maya said, taking a sip of the tea with a satisfied hum.
"I know Miyuki-san is busy with Student Council work, but what's keeping you so occupied, Tac-kun? Are you developing something new for FLT?"
"No, it's a separate matter. I have to perform maintenance on the P-94 units we acquired after the Parasite incident, and there's an orientation for the new Magic Engineering Course. I have to be at school."
"I see... Well, I'll be a good girl and wait for you in your room."
Tatsuya felt a powerful urge to ask her how old she was supposed to be, but he held his tongue. Since they couldn't exactly tell the Head of the Family to go wait in the hallway, Miyuki and Minami were forced to stand by, their faces twisting into expressions of pure agony whenever Maya wasn't looking.
"Minami, I'm leaving Auntie's care in your hands," Tatsuya said.
"Understood, Master Tatsuya. Lady Miyuki, have a safe trip to school."
In any other setting, Miyuki's name would come first, but within the Shiba residence, Tatsuya's word was law. While Tatsuya himself didn't care about the order of names, Miyuki insisted on his primacy, and Minami had followed suit.
"Minami-chan, you've really fallen for Tac-kun too, haven't you?" Maya asked once the siblings had departed.
"It is as you said, Mistress. It was impossible not to be drawn to him. I was already aware of him before, but living under the same roof... I've fallen completely into the trap."
"It can't be helped. I don't think there's a woman alive who can resist Tac-kun's charm. My data shows a staggering number of girls at that school harbor feelings for him."
"So it seems," Minami replied. "According to Lady Miyuki, he received a record-breaking amount of Valentine's chocolate this year... apparently, some were even from the faculty."
Maya sipped her tea, shaking her head. Minami watched her, worried that the Head might be plotting something truly chaotic. Later, Minami would tearfully confess to Miyuki that she felt far too intimidated to speak up against the Yotsuba Matriarch.
The moment Tatsuya and Miyuki returned from school, they knew something was wrong. Strange, muffled noises were emanating from Tatsuya's bedroom.
"Minami, what is Auntie doing?"
"She... she has been locked in your room the entire day, Master Tatsuya..."
"...…"
Tatsuya had a terrible premonition, but since he couldn't change his clothes without going inside, he steeled himself and opened the door.
"Oh! Welcome back, Tac-kun!"
"…Auntie. I'm fairly certain that shirt belongs to me."
"It does! I just wanted to see what it felt like to be embraced by Tac-kun all day—and this was the next best thing!"
""I'm so jealous!!"" Miyuki and Minami cried out in unison.
"Hey... Miyuki, Minami, that is not the correct reaction."
"Ah! …I mean, yes! It's still enviable!" Miyuki corrected herself, though her eyes remained green with envy.
"...…"
Exasperated by the collective madness of the three women, Tatsuya managed to usher Maya out of the room so he could change. But then he stopped.
"Auntie... did you, by any chance, try on every piece of clothing in my closet?"
"Well, obviously! Your scent fades over time, you know? It's only natural to switch to a fresh shirt every few hours to keep the effect going."
"...…"
Stunned into silence by Maya's logic, Tatsuya gave up on changing and turned toward the basement.
"Brother, please take that shirt off immediately! And then give it to Miyuki!"
"I'll settle for the jacket, Master Tatsuya!"
"Enough! All of you, stop being ridiculous..."
Realizing he had to get Maya back to the Yotsuba estate before the household collapsed into total insanity, Tatsuya pulled out his CAD-phone and called the only person who could possibly handle this.
"Hayama-san. I need you to come pick up my aunt immediately."
『I am afraid that is impossible, Tatsuya-dono. Mistress Maya informed us she was departing on a week-long journey of self-discovery. My hands are tied.』
"…A week? You expect me to deal with her for an entire week?"
『I leave her in your capable hands. It is a rare vacation, after all. I believe the Mistress is simply enjoying being a child again.』
"…You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
『Ho-ho-ho. A mere butler such as I could never presume to know the Mistress's mind. But I suspect you already knew that, Tatsuya-dono.』
Realizing that no reinforcements were coming, and feeling the predatory gazes of three women all eyeing his current shirt, Tatsuya let out the heaviest sigh of his life.
(Author's Note: As for what happened once Maya truly lost all her restraint... I'll leave that to your imagination!)
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