「……What was that?」


  「She said to strip」


  Nazuna answered in a composed tone.

  If it were one of his brides, he would have absolutely no problem with it, but this was the mother of said bride――in other words, the existence known as a mother-in-law.

  It was wrong in many ways for someone like them to look at him naked.

  「What are you saying?」


  Taiyou repeated himself with a different implication.

  「Strip. If you will not be so kind as to do it…」


  「……If I will not?」


  He gulped.

  Unexpectedly, Nazuna with her usual faraway vibe had been emitting a difficult-to-define pressure.

  She spoke out cooly.

  「Mio-san will strip instead」


  「……Eh?」


  「That’s fine, right Mio-san?」


  「……What on earth are you saying?」


  Taiyou still couldn’t say anything else.

  That was just how unclear Nazuna’s words were.

  「If you will still not strip」


  「……If I won’t strip?」


  「Then I will strip in front of Taiyou-kun」


  「Uhh no wait――」


  The moment he tried to interject, he heard a bang from the entryway.

  When he turned around, Akiha in the school uniform was standing there.

  「Huh? Why are you――」


  Taiyou was surprised that she was here instead of school.

  Which was why he was too late to grasp the current situation.

  「……」


  Akiha had an angry look on her face, walking over determinedly to Taiyou from the entryway.

  She swiftly lifted her right hand――and then swung it down.

  Smack!

  A dry, piquant sound rang throughout the living terrace.

  Akiha had slapped Taiyou’s cheek.

  Ironically enough, that helped him catch up to what was going on.

  Akiha had only heard Nazuna’s last comment.

  I will strip in front of you.

  She didn’t say it in an erotic manner, but the action mentioned was bad enough in and of itself.

  「You’re despicable」


  「No, I mean she’s my――」


  「Nazuna-san is your mother-in-law, right. Harems are fine and all, but can you at least have some decency in your choices?」


  「N-No, like I was saying」


  「Someone like you doesn’t deserve Aoba!」


  Akiha said, not listening to any of Taiyou’s explanations. She then twisted around and walked briskly out of Taiyou Castle and away.

  The door was slammed shut.

  That left Taiyou and the two mothers in law.

  「……So what were you planning to do?」


  「Nothing at all」


  「So now you decide to be serious!」


  「More importantly, would it not be good for Taiyou-sama to do something about that?」


  「If anything, I have no need to do anything」


  「Oh?」


  Nazuna tilted her head in puzzlement.

  「There isn’t anything that can be done about that. In a situation like this, the worst that could happen would be Akiha dashing over to Aoba and tell her we were doing strange things, but would Aoba actually believe that?」


  「You have some self-confidence there」


  「Not at all. Not in myself, but in her」


  Taiyou pointed at himself and the two mother-in-laws in turn.

  「Would Aoba believe that you guys would have anything to do with another man?」


  「……」


  「……」


  「Anyhow, quickly discard your clothing」


  「That’s mean! Veering the conversation off-course like that」


  Mio in her maid outfit took out various belongings.

  Bandages, then things like antiseptic solution and crude medicine.

  They were all evidently things to treat outer wounds.

  「What’s with all this?」


  「Aoba has contacted us, saying that Natsuno-sama has been greatly wounded and that she only gave you light treatment」


  「Aoba said that?」


  「Which was why we came. Because Mio-san is skilled at treatment of wounds」


  「It is something I have honed for the sake of “everyone”」


  「Everyone」


  Taiyou parroted her words.

  There was no need to ask what this「everyone」was referring to.

  Just like her, Taiyou had his own「everyone」.

  「So strip. I’ll treat Taiyou-kun」


  「……So you remembered that」


  Taiyou spoke not to Nazuna, but to Mio.

  「Yes」


  「Is it a difficult thing?」


  「Each and every one is a special case」


  Mio said straightforwardly only to Taiyou with a cold expression.

  「I memorized various things to deal with a wide range of situations, so it took some time」


  「Could you teach it to someone?」


  「What do you mean?」


  「He means that it would be handy to have someone like that in his family」


  「No, actually」


  Taiyou denied what Nazuna had said as he smiled bitterly.

  「That isn’t it. I’m not asking just because it would be convenient」


  「Then, what do you mean?」


  「Aoba contacted you, and Nazuna-san brought along Mio-san, and you came here. Right?」


  「Yes」


  「Aoba trusts in Mio-san. So rather than a doctor, she said Mio-san would be better」


  「Yes」


  「And Nazuna-san wouldn’t rely on someone like me, but rather on Mio whenever someone in the family gets hurt」


  「What are you getting at?」


  「Trust」


  Taiyou said with clear intonation, directing those words to his mother-in-laws.

  「At times like this, just rely on this person and you should be fine. I see that sort of trust between you all……I’d also like to have that in my place. So as soon as possible, I’d like to steal that idea」


  「……」


  「……」


  Nazuna and Mio looked at each other.

  Nazuna had the slightest confusion, while Mio made a complicated face.

  「Is that so?」


  「Yes, please」


  He put his hands on both knees, bowing deeply.

  「I don’t want the fish themselves, but rather the method of how to catch them. And that method happens to be the trusting relationship in the family」


  「……Perhaps we should let Natsuno-sama know?」


  「That is also fine, but there are ones more suitable. I’m talking about the Hayakawa sisters: Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane」


  「Well, you sure don’t waste time」


  「I refer to the three of you as『Ogibo-san (mother-in-law)』. If you want me to restrain myself, I will do so」


  「……」


  Mio made a further mixed expression at Taiyou’s words.

  「Thought we’d just help out and be out, but this is an interesting turn of events」


  「Nazuna-sama……」


  「What shall we do, Mio-san?」


  After Nazuna asked her, Mio heavily nodded bitterly.