Oka's lover, Maido Rushia, managed to borrow an eroge game from her servant, Nishikawa Saburo... a week later.

Nishikawa Ichika had been summoned before her master, Haidou Kogen.

"Is something troubling you, Master Kogen?" "Hmm..."

Kogen sat in the back of the Japanese-style room, his expression dark.

Realizing this was no ordinary matter, Ichika leaned in to listen with a tense look on her face.

"It's about Rushia. She has been confined to her room without emerging for the past week."

"...Indeed, you're right. Thinking back now, that does seem to be the case."

Ichika was not a live-in maid.

She had no idea what Rushia was up to outside of her working hours.

But since Kogen, her grandfather, brought it up in this manner, it likely meant Rushia had been isolated even during the times Ichika wasn't watching.

"Isn't she perhaps working on a manuscript?"

"She already submitted her recent manuscript to Oka for verification. She should currently have her hands free."

It didn't seem like Rusia was busy with her manuscript.

If that was the case, Ichika started to worry as well.

"Ichika, would you mind going to Rusia's room for a moment and checking on how she's doing?"

"Of course. But, won't Master Takahara go instead?"

"It would be easier for her to open up to you than to me."

If Rusia was holed up in there brooding over something, Takahara judged that it would be best to ask Ichika, with whom she shared a close bond, rather than the parent figure.

"Understood. I'm going now." "Yes, please take care."

With a sense of purpose in her heart, Ichika headed toward Rusia's room.

To Ichika, Rusia was a special existence like a true little sister.

If she was troubled, I want to help her somehow. She truly meant it with all her heart.

After a short while, Ichika arrived in front of Rusia's door. "Rusia, it's Ichika." She called out from outside the room.

But there was no answer from within. No way... is she collapsed?! "Rusia!"

Ichika kicked the door, shattering it in the process.

The door hadn't been blown away. A hole had appeared in it.

The spot she had kicked was deeply gouged out.

"Miss! Are you alright, Miss—!"

"Mmnnh! I'm going to... gonna throw up... I really am!"

Zuuusha-rrr-eeee!

Ichika slid across the floor.

"I-Ichika!? Are you okay?!"

Ruthia, worried, scooped Ichika up into her arms.

"Yes... um, Miss. What on earth were you trying to do...?"

Ichika looked at the wall in front of her, shocked.

On the large 4K screen of the TV......

An anime-style girl, dressed in the nude, was projected on the screen. "W-What!?"

What the hell is this!? Ichika’s mind came to a crashing halt.

"M-Master... wh-what exactly is this...?" "Ah yes! An eroge!"

Rushia wore an innocent smile. "E-Eroge..."

"It is adult content intended for men aged eighteen and over. Think of it as a game played on a computer."

"I-I know that much, but..." The point wasn't that.

Why was Rushia, the very embodiment of pure innocence, playing eroge?

And moreover, she'd been locked away in there for a whole week... At that moment—

"Master~! The pizza has arrived~!"

Yunigawa Saburo, the large man wearing sunglasses, walked over with a carefree grin on his face.

"And I snagged some rare eroge from an online shop~!" ...Ichika realized everything.

Rising up with a swaying motion, Ichika’s face twisted into a demonic scowl.

“K, s, a, maaaaaah!?”

“Ge-e! Big Sisuuuuh?!?”

Ichika lunged at her little brother and locked in a camel clutch. (Note: A pro wrestling move where you sit on the opponent's back to hyperextend their spine.)

“What do you think you’re doing, you asshole?!”

“But Ojou-sama was interested in eroges because of—!”

“You’re the one who convinced her in the first place, you know that?!?”

“Why did I say that? Gyaah! Stop it! It’s breaking! My spine is breaking! Ughaaaaaaah! Kachink!”

“It snappedaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” ★

Saburo, Ichika, and Rushia had gathered in Kogen's room.

It was revealed that Rushia had been locked in her room for a week “studying” eroges. “I see, studying, is it?” “Yes, Grandfather.”

Rushia said with an utterly serious face.

“I had lacked sufficient understanding of men. That was why Saburo, out of kindness, lent them to me so I could correct that deficiency.”

"That's exactly it! I knew you'd get it, Sister!" Saburo was buzzing with excitement.

Of course, her spine wasn't broken. The bones in the joint had just popped out a little. It fixed itself right away.

"Even so, aren't there plenty of other games? Like galge."

It was then that Ichika let out a sigh of "Oh for God's sake."

"Don't be silly, Sis. Ero is the purest thing in existence! Sex and love are two sides of the same coin! That's why I recommended an eroge to you, not a galge. There is as much sex as there is love, and as much love as there is sex!"

Mm-hmm. With a face radiating pure joy, Torsia nodded vigorously.

"Thanks to Saburo, I've learned it. That the world contains countless forms of love. And that the world I inhabited was incredibly narrow. Thank you, Saburo. This is all thanks to you."

"Ehehe~ ♡ No, no, don't mention it."

"Haaah," Ichika sighed, looking utterly exasperated.

"Lord Takahara, Princess, I apologize most sincerely. I intend to give this fool a stern punishment. He had no ill intent, I assure you. Perhaps he was just trying to cheer you up, my Lady. So please, be lenient with him."

Ichika also knew that while her brother might be a fool, he certainly didn't have any malicious intent.

So, hoping for a lighter sentence, she bowed her head as well.

Takayama paid it no mind, letting out a hearty "ha ha."

"Good. Ichika. I am not angry. On the contrary, I share the same sentiments as Nagisa: I am grateful."

With a faint smile on his lips, Takayama addressed Saburo.

"Saburo, thank you for doing so much for this child."

"It's only natural, Lord Takayama! Besides, I love the young lady and Lord Takayama more than anything!" Saburo laughed boisterously.

Like him, Saburo had been taken in by this household as a child, and he had been looking after Roshia ever since she was small.

To him, whether or not they shared blood, both Takayama and Roshia were family.

"Heh-ho! What do you think, Sis Mita? Both Lord Takayama and the young lady have hearts as vast as the sea, don't they~?"

"Don't get cocky on me. Honestly..."

Ichika cracked her knuckles and smacked Saburo on the head with a thwack.

Thump! Saburo's body slammed against the tatami mat.

"Nagisa, while your diligence in studies is commendable, don't strain yourself too much. Both Takayama and I were extremely worried."

"I'm sorry, Grandfather..."

Gently, Takahara stroked the head of his granddaughter as she bowed her head in apology.

"Mm, you're a good girl. What's done is done; there's no need to dwell on it. Just be more careful next time. We are human, and we all make mistakes."

As for this matter, Takahara had no intention of blaming anyone.

"Now then, Nagare. How are your studies coming along?"

"Grandfather, well... I feel like I'm on the verge of grasping something."

"Oh? Then you'll need to put in even more effort into your studies. Well... Saburo, come here." "Y-yes sir!"

Takahara reached into his pocket and pulled out a wallet, from which he produced a single black card.

"I-is this the legendary Black Card? The one with no spending limit!"

"Use this to buy as many 'ero games' as your heart desires."

"W-w-wh-what?! R-really, seriously?!?" Saburo was in a state of absolute shock.

"Master Takahara... isn't that a little too generous..."

「Ruko has finally found something outside of light novels to pour her heart into. I believe it’s a parent’s role to support them when a child discovers something they can truly become engrossed in」

Sanzo was dancing with joy, clutching the Black Card in his hand.

「This! That! And that too! New releases and limited editions! I’m allowed to buy absolutely everything?」「Certainly.」

「Eeeeeeee! Thank you so much, Takahara-san!」

For Sanzo, this was a stroke of pure luck. 「Grandfather, thank you」

「Don't mention it. This is also for the 【Future】」 Future? Ichika tilted her head in confusion.

「Miss! Let's go to an eroge shop! I'll take you there!」「Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I'm counting on you」

Lushia and Sanzo left the room together.

Ichika sighed, thinking, I guess that’s how it is.

「Is this truly acceptable, Takahara-sama? You should have been stricter with Sanzo. That said, he is your retainer」

「It's nothing. To Lushia, Sanzo is like a brother. He is one of the few things I cannot give to her myself. Please treat him as family, transcending the master-servant dynamic. And you as well」

「……Understood. Thank you for your lenient handling of the situation」

I’d been secretly on edge, worried that my brother might have gotten his employer in trouble and end up destitute.

Ichika let out a breath of relief.

"Ichika. I’m going to meet with someone for a bit. Send the car." "Yes, sir."

Takayama left the room together with Ichika.

"Where are you headed?" "Nagatacho." "Nagatacho...?"

Did he actually have any business heading there today?

"Nah, I just figured it was about time I arranged the chair I’m sitting in right now." "I see..."

"I don’t know what choice that boy will make, but by the time something happens, it’ll be too late. We need to prepare. Quietly, bit by bit... hehe, this is getting fun."

It was a happy thing for Ichika to see Takayama in such good spirits, but...

...there was no denying the bad premonition stirring inside her.

...And that bad premonition would indeed come true, but that’s another story.