My Mother Is as Wise as Zhuge Liang

However, tensions remained high in the shadows, with sparks flying between their hostility. Jeanne d'Arc was about to fight Artoria when Shirou rushed forward and stood between them, stopping them from engaging in combat.

Komachi looked at her mother in surprise, "Huh? Another girl is coming to stay?"

"Yes, this is Anna, a boarding student from France, France. She's acquainted with your brother, and she's the same age as Artoria and Mashiro," Hachiman's mother replied with a smile.

"Really? Mom? Could this older sister also have feelings for my brother?!" Komachi had a sudden realization and looked at her mother with her eyes, asking.

"Yes... The more girls you can cultivate feelings with by Shirou's side, the better. With more choices, if one doesn't work out, you can always find another!" Hachiman's mother Zhuge Liang. Of course, her husband was out of the question.

Komachi received a look from her mother, gave a thumbs-up, and nodded repeatedly, looking at the head of the family with admiration, saying, "As expected of Mom! Yes! The more girls the better, of course, Dad is absolutely out of the question, although..."

"?" The father of the Higashiya family felt a chill run down his spine, sensing a general malice in this household.

The Higashiya family has six rooms on two floors, plus an attic for storing miscellaneous items, so even if a few more people come, it won't be a problem at all.

Although this homestay system is generally established so that an international student is placed with a family, allowing them to experience the country they are studying in and truly understand the lifestyle of the local residents.

The organization there had earnestly asked her for help, and since they had already taken in two, they weren't worried about taking in more. After all, there was a high boarding fee to receive, and there were extra rooms. As long as Shirou was willing to help with cooking and taking care of the girls, why wouldn't she be happy to do so?

The beautiful woman with long silver hair had a great figure and seemed quite familiar with her brother, so it seemed her only option was to give her a warm welcome.

'Just you wait! Brother, whether it's one, two, or dozens, Komachi will be your wingman!' Komachi clenched her fist and vowed to herself.

"Yes, although she's a noisy and troublesome girl, I'll take good care of her. Don't worry, Shirou's parents," Artoria assured her, as if making a knightly vow.

"Who cares what I say! I'm here to study hard, and I won't do anything I shouldn't do," Jeanne d'Arc said unhappily.

"Haha, I heard the British and French don't get along, just like the Celestial Empire and the Universe Kingdom. So it's true," Hachiman's father a dry laugh.

"Welcome to my home. You must be tired from your journey," Shirou said with a smile to Jeanne d'Arc. He was delighted to see the silver-haired girl. He had said long ago that he wanted to treat her well, and now his wish could finally come true.

Jeanne d'Arc gazed at the boy's friendly, neighborly smile and felt slightly dazed. It seemed that all the misfortunes she had encountered before were insignificant in the face of such a smile.

"Oh..." Jeanne d'Arc grinned, still unable to put on that villainous face towards the boy. She felt particularly pathetic for being healed by Shirou's smile!

"Come in and wash your face first, then we'll have dinner together. The food is ready," Shirou said to the silver-haired girl.

A gurgling sound came from her stomach, responding on behalf of the girl.

"Well... um, let's do it this way." Jeanne d'Arc lowered her head, feeling so shy that she just wanted to disappear into the ground, but she didn't want to lose face, so she bit her lip and awkwardly agreed.

"Yes, this is a clean towel." Shirou led the girl into the washbasin, rinsed the new towel with warm water, wrung it out, and handed it to the girl.

"Thank you, Shirou," Jeanne d'Arc took the warm towel, wiped her face, then stared at the towel for a moment, quickly tucking it behind her back. She awkwardly yelled at the boy, "I can do it myself! Don't stand behind me! Don't look at me!"

"Alright, alright, no one will laugh at you. Take your time. I'll go to the kitchen and make a dessert," Shirou said, amused.

"Ugh..." Jeanne d'Arc simply turned her back to Shirou, placed the towel in the washbasin, and rinsed and rubbed it. She had been traveling all day, wandering through mountains, caves, and thickets. At first, nothing seemed amiss, but as she wiped her face with the white towel, she discovered...

It's covered in dust, it's so shameful! I absolutely don't want Shirou to see it.

Shirou went to the kitchen and took out eggs, cream, and vanilla extract. Knowing that Jeanne d'Arc would come sooner or later, he had prepared the ingredients needed for French desserts when he went to the supermarket beforehand, and so he started making crème brûlée, a type of French pudding.

On the other side, after much effort, Jeanne d'Arc, having finally gotten herself clean and tidy, muttered to herself in front of the mirror, "My dashing entrance..."

Shirou took the prepared dessert out of the oven and placed it in a bowl of ice water to cool it. He said it would take another ten minutes, so he invited Jeanne d'Arc to sit down and invited everyone to have dinner together.

The long, square table seated seven people, but because it was wide enough for two people to sit in the wider section, it didn't feel crowded.

The Higashiya family's parents sat on the longer side, while Shirou and Komachi sat on the wider sides. As for Artoria and Jeanne d'Arc, neither was willing to give way, and they were vying for the chair next to Shirou.

"Can you two sit down and eat properly?" Shirou suppressed his anger. As the young man in charge of the kitchen, he seemed to possess an intimidating aura amplified by his location.

"..." Having heard the subtext, Artoria sat down decisively, behaving as obediently as a white lily.

'Shirou is a little scary when he's cooking...' Jeanne d'Arc thought to herself as she sat quietly in her seat.

So Mashiro sat next to him, Artoria sat in the middle, and Jeanne d'Arc sat near Komachi.

"Here." A pair of hands held a porcelain bowl of white rice and handed it to the silver-haired girl.

"Oh, thank you, Shirou." Jeanne d'Arc accepted the rice.

After serving the family their meal, Shirou sat down as well. His mother chatted with Komachi about what had happened that day, trying to please Komachi's father, occasionally chiming in with a comment.

"Speaking of which, Mashiro- chan, did you go to see the manga editor today?" Mom asked.

"Yes, the editor gave me a lot of good advice, and I will continue to study hard," Mashiro nodded and said.

"Really? That's great. If you need any help, just tell Shirou, don't hesitate to ask," Mom said considerately.

"Okay." Mashiro nodded in agreement, keeping her mother's words in mind.

Meanwhile, the girl in silver held a bowl of steaming rice in her hands, the warmth transferring through the bowl to her palms. Plates of dishes emitted fragrant aromas, and a lively group of people ate and chatted together. This feeling wasn't unpleasant at all. And...

"Here, this is a France country-style mushroom, cabbage, and cheese soup. It should suit your taste." The boy handed over another bowl of fragrant soup, a home-style dish he had learned from the chefs at the Paris Branch School.

"Oh, thank you." Jeanne d'Arc took the soup, scooped up some with a spoon, brought it to the side of her mouth, and gently sipped it. The fresh tang of cheese and tomatoes, combined with the sweetness of winter-frost-covered cabbage, was incredibly stimulating to the taste buds, giving her a great appetite.

The silver-haired girl squinted, thinking, 'No... this is too blissful... if this continues, I'll become a cripple...'

"Ugh..." Jeanne d'Arc looked at the soup bowl she had just picked up with a conflicted expression, then put it down.

"What's wrong? Is it not to your liking?" Shirou asked the girl with concern.

"It's so delicious! So don't worry about me! Waaah..." Jeanne d'Arc blushed, picked up her rice bowl, and shoveled large mouthfuls of plump white rice into her mouth. Although it was delicious and she was truly happy, she was also very unwilling to give up.

She felt happy just from Shirou's meal, and content just from Shirou smile. Before she knew it, she had the thought that if she could eat dinner like that every day of her life, everything would be perfect. But was she really such an easily satisfied woman? Was this really a good thing?

Jeanne d'Arc couldn't help but doubt herself. She glanced at the boy beside her, then turned to look at the cold-blooded woman next to her.

At this moment, Artoria had lost all her Hegemon-King aura and regal majesty. She was simply happily munching on the grilled meat, completely unaware that there were grains of rice stuck to her lips.

Jeanne d'Arc looked at the lily-transformed Artoria, then looked down at the food on the table... and swallowed hard.

"It smells so good..." Although she was very unwilling, she couldn't resist her appetite. Jeanne d'Arc squinted her eyes, revealed a happy smile, and began to eat with gusto.

Seeing the silver-haired girl smile, Shirou finally felt relieved. He got up and went into the kitchen, took the chilled crème brûlées out of the ice water, sprinkled them with brown sugar, took out a blowtorch, and set off a flame to caramelize the sugar. The heated syrup flowed and covered the elastic crème brûlée surface, emitting an enticing sweet aroma.

"Come on, Jenny, are you hungry? Come and eat more. You and Ria are both amazing. Even though you're foreigners, you use chopsticks so well," Hachiman's mother praised.

"Ah, it's nothing special. If you want to use it, you'll learn it naturally," Jeanne d'Arc replied honestly.

"No, chopsticks are very convenient tableware. They can be used with one hand, and most importantly, they make eating faster!" Artoria replied, holding a mountain of rice and picking up some meat.

"Really? I was worried at first that you might not be used to the food here," Mom said with a relieved smile.

"No! Shirou's cooking is delicious no matter what it is x2" Artoria and Jeanne d'Arc agreed in unison.

"Really? Really?" Mom smiled even more broadly, looking at the beautiful foreign girls across from her: Mashiro quietly enjoying her food like a little squirrel, Artoria eating meat with great gusto yet maintaining elegance, and Jeanne d'Arc Artoria, who, because of the food, had let down her guard and revealed a pure and happy smile...

He glanced one last time at his son as he came out of the kitchen, giving him a satisfied look.

Komachi, standing to the side, clenched her little fists, silently cheering, "Yes, yes! Brother, use your cooking skills to win over the ladies' stomachs! Get them pregnant! Make them never want to leave you!"

"Desserts are ready too." Shirou returned from the kitchen carrying cups of crème brûlée. He didn't understand the looks Komachi and his mother were giving him, but seeing that everyone was enjoying their dinner and the atmosphere was great, he smiled contentedly. After all, a harmonious relationship was the best thing.

Chapter 213 My Mother is as Wise as Kongming

After dinner, everyone rested in the living room for a while, chatting. With Komachi's help, Shirou washed the dishes and put them on the rack to dry.

After that, the two parents showed Jeanne d'Arc around their home, arranged her a room, and explained the basic rules of living there, as well as the requirements for garbage sorting.

Although there are no strict access restrictions, we hope that the girls will inform us when they go out.

You can use the kitchen and other appliances freely, but since there's a professional there, you can just ask him for help.

As for taking a shower, everyone takes turns. The two adults used the shower room in the master bedroom to save time since they had to go to work the next day.

The outer bathroom was set aside for the girls to use freely, while Shirou, having no say in the matter, was relegated to the end.

"Alright, Jenny, your room is on the first floor next to the stairs. Is this room okay?" Hachiman's mother asked as she arranged a room for the new family member.

"Okay," Jeanne d'Arc readily agreed, not caring about the room or anything like that.

The room assigned to the silver-haired girl was a single room, which used to be used as a study. Although it was called a study, it was really just two bookshelves placed against the wall, because the adults were all working professionals and it wasn't used much.

Although the room is smaller than the other bedrooms, it is equipped with air conditioning and is used for afternoon naps in the summer. The bed is a ready-made oriental-style wooden bed with a mattress.

"As for the blankets and bed, Shirou, could you please help me set them up? I'm exhausted after a long day at work," the mother said, her hands clasped together, looking at her son and raising her voice slightly.

"Hmm? Sure." Shirou readily agreed without much thought. But lately, his parents have been coming home earlier than usual, and she doesn't seem that tired. Could it be that her work is very difficult? It seems he should prepare some blood-activating and brain-boosting dishes for her in the next few days.

"Artoria- chan, Mashiro- chan, we arranged double rooms according to your requests, but if you'd like a single room, just let us know anytime," the mother said, looking at the other two girls.

"Thank you for your kindness, but it's not necessary. Mashiro and I were roommates in Britain, and it's my responsibility to take care of Mashiro," Artoria replied.

"I'm fine with being with Ria," Mashiro nodded in agreement.

Hearing the two girls' words, the mother nodded and said, "Is that so? Then I'm glad you're comfortable here. My husband and I will go and rest now. If you need anything, just go to Shirou. I'm sure he can handle it well."

Goodnight, Ria- chan, Mashiro- chan, and Jenny-chan. Make sure you get plenty of rest now that you've arrived in Wa-koku.

"Yes, goodnight," the girls replied.

"Goodnight, Mom and Dad," Komachi said with a smile, waving her hands.

Jeanne d'Arc, with the air of a victor, looked triumphantly at Artoria.

However, this time Artoria didn't show anything. After drinking a cup of tea, she said goodnight and went back to her room upstairs.

"Speaking of which... is our son really that kind of person? Yet, one foreign young lady after another is coming to fight over him." The man, now dressed in pajamas, sat on the edge of the bed, somewhat dazed, and said.

"Well... don't you know how outstanding your own son is?" A woman who had also changed into pajamas was flipping through a book under the lamp and chimed in.

"But it's really not good for him to be so close to three girls at once, especially since they live together. Being a womanizer is no good. Once the trust in a family collapses, it's very difficult to rebuild. As a parent, I need to have a serious talk with him," the man said thoughtfully.

"Honey, you're worrying too much. Shirou isn't dating anyone right now, so there's nothing wrong with that. After all, letting girls know that Shirou is popular is a reminder to those outstanding girls that they're not the only option, and I believe they'll become more considerate and sensible," the woman said.

"There's no need to go to such lengths," the man said, wondering who he was really worried about.

"No, it's competition that leads to comparison. If they can understand their own problems, and I can offer them some help, they'll be able to handle their mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships better in the future," the woman said calmly, turning a page of her book.

"Hey, aren't these all good girls? You're thinking too far ahead," the man said, looking at his shrewd wife with surprise.

"No, while Artoria is very polite, she's actually quite arrogant and has a rare leadership quality. So, if Shirou marries her, I'm sure she'll have to make a lot of decisions, inside and out. If that's the case, and her decisions conflict with my thoughts, which side do you think Shirou will take?" Mom asked, her eyes flashing with a fierce light.

"Of course I'm on your side, wife, but is that really the case?" Although the man wasn't entirely sure, he still gave the Akechi answer.

"As for Mashiro -chan, although she is very cute and innocent, she has a very strong sense of professionalism when it comes to what she loves. Otherwise, she wouldn't have given up her reputation in the art world just to come to Japan to draw manga."

"Manga artists are very busy, you know. If I were to marry her, it seems I'd have to take care of all the housework and support her in her work as a manga Shirou..." Mom said, her eyes sparkling with wisdom.

"Hmm, I can understand that. Everyone has dreams, but if you really want to pursue them, you can't achieve them without going to a certain level."

Not only myself, but also many times, without the encouragement and support of family and friends, and the understanding and assistance of colleagues, things would not be possible to accomplish.

"But it doesn't really matter, does it? Shirou likes taking care of people anyway." The man nodded. He didn't dislike people who strive to pursue their dreams; after all, he was also working hard for a dream called 'home'.

"Hmm, if we hand over all the savings accounts here, it's not something we can't consider. Bestselling comic book artists still make a lot of money," Mom said thoughtfully, resting her chin on her hand.

"So, Jenny, who came today, although she has a bit of a temper, is straightforward and honest. She's essentially a proud French girl, and she's also very frank and has no bad intentions."

If it were her, she'd probably complain a bit, but then wholeheartedly follow Shirou wherever he goes.

"Perhaps she's the best candidate, and it would be the easiest way for me to... no, to teach her." Realizing she'd misspoke, the mother quickly corrected herself.

"Uh... I think as parents, we shouldn't interfere too much in our children's marriages." The man was speechless, feeling that it was so much better that the other person was his wife, not his mother. He would secretly tell Shirou after he graduated from high school that he should find a way to be independent.

"That won't do. These days, kids are always getting married and divorced in a flash. I can't help but worry about them. But all I can do for Shirou is help him see which girls are good and which are bad. If he can't get through to this, then there's nothing I can do." The worried mother sighed and said, "Son, even if your mother is as wise as Zhuge Liang, this is all I can do for you."

"Eh... Adou..." the man said hesitantly, "Wouldn't that make him the Imperial Uncle?"

"But come to this, why! Our son's wedding is like he's marrying off himself!" Before her husband could speak, the mother, clutching her head, couldn't help but complain to her son. "Where did my parenting go wrong? Come to think of it, how much have I actually taught Shirou since he was little?"

"Haha, what a capable son, he's really giving me a headache," the man said with a laugh.

"However, there's still a problem with the current arrangement. Tomorrow, we should have Shirou move downstairs and let the silver-haired girl move upstairs. It's still a bit worrying to have a boy living on the same floor as two girls from out of town."

The man sitting on the edge of the bed discussed it with his wife.

"You know your son well enough, he would never do anything to hurt a girl. Go to sleep peacefully, you have to go to work tomorrow, turn off the lights." The mother said, seemingly without any concern.

"That's true," the father chuckled, reassured that his son's character was absolutely reliable. He then turned off the light, cuddled his wife, and went to sleep.

The room suddenly darkened, and the two, now at ease, cuddled briefly before drifting off to sleep, knowing they still had to work hard for their family the next day.

However, as the saying goes, even the wisest person can make a mistake. No matter how shrewd Mom was, she still miscalculated.

It's true that her son would never go into a girl's room to do anything to hurt them, but that doesn't mean the girls wouldn't go into her son's room.

Artoria never intended to give up from the start; in fact, she would find it more satisfying to defeat the Assault Girl head-on. After the two adults from the Higashiya family returned to their rooms, Artoria went upstairs alone. She walked to a room door, opened it with light steps, and went inside.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Mashiro chatted with Komachi, who loves reading manga, about their favorite comics.

On the other side, the boy was drinking tea with the silver-haired girl.