“—Come to think of it, Emera and Furei’s unique looks… could they be the result of genetic… modifications?”

The conversation reached a brief pause, and while I was wondering when exactly Emera, Furei, and I would finally be allowed to put our clothes back on, I asked Maria-san something that had been on my mind.

In response, she gave me a dazzling, picture-perfect smile.

At the same time, I could clearly see a very dark aura behind her.

Ah, yes.

I just stepped on a landmine.

“Fufu… So in other words, you’re saying I look like the kind of inhumane person who would tamper with a child’s genes~?”

“Absolutely not!!”

Knowing she was serious, I immediately denied it. Though, to be honest, she seemed like the type who might actually do something like that.

Especially since this woman and Furei both loved cute things, so it wouldn’t surprise me if she had manipulated their appearances.

“Even I would never do such a thing. The reason those children look special is that my husband and I were born after genetic modification.”

“…”

Maria’s smile was unusually tinged with sadness.

I could tell from instinct that she wasn’t lying.

In other words, Maria-san was indirectly saying that her parents… or, her parent… were the ones who were inhumane.

Also, this woman really did undergo genetic modification…

Her hair color and abnormally beautiful appearance without aging are strange enough, but even more so is the fact that she moves in ways no human possibly could.

She didn’t even flinch when sticking her hand into boiling water earlier.

“My own and Hitomi’s genetic modifications seem to have been successful with no negative effects. But my husband’s failure was discovered halfway through, and he only lived until age 25… Thankfully, those girls were found to be fine during tests, but I won’t repeat that mistake or allow it to happen again. So Eito-kun, if Emera says something foolish, make sure you stop them, okay?”

Saying this, Maria smiled kindly.

She was basically saying that since Emera tends to make mistakes, I should stop her.

Emera.. you really don’t have much of Maria’s trust, do you…

I get it, though.

Or rather… maybe it isn’t all that surprising, given how she treats Hina, but this person really does have a genuinely kind heart too…

“―You seem to be mistaken about something, Eito-sama.”

Immediately afterwards, Shirayuki-san’s mother came up behind me.

Since it would’ve been rude to step back, I braced myself so I’d be ready no matter what she did, and she let out a soft chuckle.

Also, she casually switched from calling me by my surname to my given name.

“You have a good reaction.”

“Please don’t test people… What do you mean by mistake?”

“Maria-sama naturally is a very kind person, you know? She is only strict with you and Emera-sama because it’s necessary. With Hina-sama, who has no obligations placed on her, she treats her very kindly, doesn’t she? That is the true form of Maria-sama.”

Shirayuki-san’s mother gently placed both hands on my shoulders from behind and whispered in my ear.

Although my body trembled from the ticklish sensation, I widened my eyes, unable to believe her words.

I mean, isn’t she the kind of devil who smiles while torturing someone…!?

She literally threw her own daughter into boiling water a moment ago…!

“No need to say anything unnecessary. Hitomi.”

“Fufu, my apologies. Then, one last thing, why is it that you, who came here intending to ruin Emera-sama, ended up acting to protect her instead?”

“That’s because I pitied—”

I stopped mid-sentence as it hit me.

Right, maybe “ruin” is exaggerating it, but I was furious about what they did to Hina, and I really intended to drive Emera into a corner.

And yet, just moments ago, I stepped in to protect her, because seeing Emera being punished so harshly by someone as devilish as Maria-san… I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

And now, I’ve even come to accept the engagement.

If it were me back when I first arrived here, I would’ve held a grudge over what they did to Hina and would never have accepted it. In fact, I probably would’ve used that as an excuse to push back against Maria-san.

…Well, actually, I’m not so sure about that.

Whether I could really oppose someone like her is… honestly questionable.

I mean, she’s absolutely the kind of person you should never go against…

“You still don’t really understand Maria-sama. However… her actions were based on the trust she has in you, and I’ve come to understand your character as well, so I can entrust my daughter to you without worry.”

“…? What is that supposed to—”

“Hitomi, enough idle talk. Let’s begin Emera’s punishment.”

Just as I was about to ask, Maria-san cut in.

Because of that, my eyes widened again.

Emera’s “punishment”… is it going to be like when she was made to strip earlier, or like when she almost got thrown into hot water…!?

Just like me, Emera had clearly thought her punishment was already over, and she looked at our way in surprise.

If anything, she’d even gone pale, as if lightly despairing.

“M-Mother…?”

“Hitomi”

“Yes… poor Emera-sama…”

Ignoring Emera’s trembling voice as she called out to her mother, Maria gave instructions to Shirayuki-san’s mother.

In the next instant, Shirayuki-san’s mother slipped behind Emera, lifted her up, and set her onto the chair she had brought.

Without missing a beat, she pulled Emera’s arms upward and restrained them, exposing both her sides, and then secured her legs so they were stretched out in front of her.

“W-what are you doing…!?”

Not understanding what was about to happen, Emera blushed red as she cried out.

Her face had turned red due to embarrassment from being exposed like that.

Emera, who had been raised as a lady, couldn’t bear such an indecent position. Especially since she was still in her underwear.

Ignoring Emera’s pleas, Shirayuki-san’s mother took out four brushes coated with some kind of liquid.

She handed two of them to Maria-san.

“You know this is your fault, right? You laid a hand on my precious Hina-chan. So we need to punish you properly and make sure you understand what you’ve done.”

Maria smiled while slowly approaching her daughter.

Maybe she was scared of seeing her mother like that, because before I knew it, Furei, who had somehow moved right beside me, was clinging tightly to my arm.

Her gaze was fixed on her sister and mother.

“This was something I made back in the day for when you two wouldn’t listen… but I never thought the day would actually come when I’d have to use it—take this.”

Maria said in a cute voice while tickling Emerald’s soles with both brushes.

Right after that, Shirayuki-san’s mother, who had moved behind Emera, began tickling both of her sides with the brush.

“Ah—ahahahaha! M-Mother!? S-Stop—hahaha!”

Her sides and legs were being tickled at a speed too fast for the eye to follow, and with her restraints preventing her from escaping, Emera writhed helplessly on the chair.

Th-This is brutal…

That was my honest impression.

“Ticklish, isn’t it? I’m using a drug that makes your sensitivity ten times stronger, after all.”

Maria-san continued tickling her daughter with a smile, saying things you’d normally only hear in a doujinshi.

This woman really is a devil…

And with Emera writhing like that, combined with how pretty she is… it honestly looked kind of erotic.

“…Don’t look…”

Then Furei gently covered my eyes with her right hand.

It was probably her way of telling me not to look at her sister’s indecent state…

“Hahaha! M-Mother, pwease forgib me…!”

“Nope. This is punishment, remember? You’ll have to endure it for at least thirty minutes.”

“N-No waaay…!? Kufufu… ahahaha! F-Furei… help me…!”

Emera was tickled just like that, right up until she lost control and wet herself, her dignity completely gone.

Ah, so that’s why they did this in the large bath… I couldn’t help thinking, while once again reaffirming that Maria-san is, without question, a devil.

And of course, Maria-san said, “You’ve seen everything up to this point, so take responsibility.” In the end, it really was a classic match-pump situation.