Guided by Luna-san, I stepped into the house and walked a short distance down the hallway until we reached what looked like the living room.
"Welcome back, Ru-chan. Oh? Well, well... Miyama-san?"
"Hello, Noah-san. Sorry for the sudden intrusion."
Noah-san was already in the living room, and she wore a slightly surprised expression when she saw me.
"Yes, hello. You are very welcome. However... please forgive me, I must excuse myself for a moment."
"Eh? Oh, yes."
"Mother?"
After returning my greeting with an elegant smile, Noah-san scurried out of the room for some reason. It wasn't just me who found it odd; Luna-san tilted her head, looking equally puzzled.
"...I wonder what's wrong? Well, anyway, let's not worry about it for now. Please, Miyama-sama, have a seat."
"Uhm, yes... Then, if you'll excuse me."
While still wearing a dubious expression at her mother's behavior, Luna-san headed toward the kitchen to fulfill the purpose of my visit. Since the kitchen was visible from the living room, I could see her working with practiced, brisk efficiency from my seat.
How should I put it... seeing her like this, I realized Luna-san really was a great beauty. The waste-free movements she had surely cultivated as a maid were being fully utilized in her housework, giving the impression of a mature, capable woman who could handle domestic chores perfectly.
Well, that impression was usually ruined the moment she started talking...
"Thank you for waiting. It’s a bit hot, so please be careful."
"Thank you. I'll help myself."
A short while later, Luna-san placed a wooden mug of hot milk and several sweets in front of me. Perhaps because we were in private, she didn't remain standing on standby as she did at the mansion; instead, she sat in the seat across from me.
After thanking her, I took a sip. A pleasant, sweet flavor spread through my mouth—she’d probably added a little sugar.
"Did you make this yourself, Luna-san? It’s delicious. The sweetness is perfect without being cloying."
"I am honored to hear you say that."
She gave a satisfied smile at my feedback and began drinking the hot milk she had prepared for herself. For a while after that, we engaged in idle chatter. Being in a private setting seemed to make her more relaxed than usual, and the conversation flowed quite naturally.
Just as I felt we were both smiling more often, the living room door opened and Noah-san returned.
"Thank you for waiting. My apologies, Miyama-san, for leaving so abruptly without a proper greeting."
"Ah, no, please don't worry about—wait, huh?"
"Mother?! What are you doing?! Actually, what did you just go and do?!"
Noah-san was no longer wearing her casual sundress. She was now clad in an elegant gown. Luna-san stood up from her chair in a panic and confronted her.
Noah-san spoke while placing her hands against her slightly reddened cheeks.
"But, you see, Ru-chan suddenly brought Miyama-san over... Mother was only in her houseclothes, I hadn’t done my makeup properly, and my lingerie wasn’t a particularly nice design... I decided I simply wasn't in a state to meet Miyama-sama, so I went to prepare myself just a little bit."
"Why are you in full Battle Readiness?! Wait, your hair... you even took a bath, didn't you? And on top of that, perfume?!"
"A mother is still a woman, after all... When meeting a wonderful man, I want to be mindful of my grooming."
"Your advances are getting more and more blatant! Please, give it a rest! At this rate, I’m going to end up with a Stomach Pain just like Lili every single time!"
Facing her mother, who was now radiating feminine allure, Luna-san shouted with a look of pure desperation. Yeah... I probably shouldn't point out that Lilia-san’s name had naturally become a synonym for stomach ulcers. Considering the primary cause...
"Oh? I-I see. So that’s how it is. Forgive me, Ru-chan. Mother wasn't thinking clearly."
"...D-Do you finally understand?"
"Ru-chan, you’ve gone and gotten jealous, haven't you? That’s right. Even though you finally worked up the courage to invite Miyama-san to our home, you’re too embarrassed to make your move while Mother is around."
"Not at all! You don't understand a single thing!"
Luna-san was being completely played—or rather, she was being led around by the nose. As expected of Noah-san.
After shouting as if she were holding her head in her hands, Luna-san shot a quick glance toward me.
"Miyama-sama, please go upstairs to the room at the end of the hall... to my room. I’ll be there once I’ve settled things with my mother. Please, I’m begging you, just go. If you stay here, Miyama-sama, my mental state is going to be a disaster."
"...U-Understood."
"Ru-chan... I-Is that so... You finally intend to climb the Steps to Adulthood..."
"I told you! Stop going in that direction already!"
A mother-daughter spat? Well, it was a situation that could be called that in a sense. I quietly slipped away and headed to the second floor as instructed. Then, I reached the room at the end of the hall... Luna's Private Room. I slowly opened the door and stepped inside.
The sight that met my eyes was... well, it was a room with incredibly high Feminine Power.
There was a bed with plushies lined up at the headboard, lovely floral curtains, and shelves filled with jars of colorful marshmallows. Her desk was neatly organized, but decorated here and there with cute accessories... It was a quintessential girl's room, and I found myself standing there in a daze.
Dear Mother, Father——Come to think of it, Luna-san has a stylish hairstyle, her domestic skills are outstanding, she’s talented enough to serve as the personal maid for the Head of the House, and she loves cute things and sweets. I have a feeling her——Feminine Power is quite high.
Serious-senpai: "...Serious scenes, soon, soon."
???: "You never learn, do you?"