Was it for Marin? Her gentle cousin wasn't home right now, and as family, did Rin feel obligated to defend Marin's "rights"? Or... was it for herself?
Whenever she saw Chen Tian acting so casually affectionate toward another girl—especially one as noble and flawless in both appearance and bearing as Shinomiya Kaguya—a powerful restlessness welled up inside her, as if someone had trespassed on her territory. And... something sour?
Rin's outburst was so forceful that even Artoria, who had been absorbed in enjoying her cake, stopped and glanced at her in surprise.
The sweet smile on Sakura's face only deepened. Resting her chin on one hand, she narrowed her eyes into crescents and watched with interest as her furious older sister, the embarrassed Shinomiya Kaguya, and the helpless-looking Chen Tian traded places in her gaze, as if she were watching an exceptionally entertaining silent comedy.
She even put on an innocent act and "whispered" to Artoria, though her voice was just loud enough for the people on the other side of the table to hear vaguely. "Saber, look. Your brother-in-law is 'showing affection' to another young lady again..."
Chen Tian's eyelid twitched when he heard Sakura's "whisper," which only added fuel to the fire.
That little devil was still trying to stir things up!
Without a word, he reached out and planted a big hand on Sakura's soft blue head, ruffling it without mercy!
"Eep!" Sakura let out a short cry of surprise.
Her carefully styled hair instantly turned into a bird's nest, with a few strands sticking up playfully.
She lifted her little face. Her big eyes immediately misted over as she gazed at Chen Tian with a pitiful expression, her long lashes fluttering.
Worse still, paired with her innocent face, her figure—already far beyond her peers—made her pitiful expression twice as effective. It could melt even a heart of stone in an instant.
"Chen Tian—!!"
Seeing her little sister looking so pitiful after being "bullied," Rin's last thread of reason snapped!
All thoughts of the Tohsaka Family's elegance and a young lady's poise flew out the window!
Like a bristling kitten whose tail had been stepped on, she shrieked and lunged at Chen Tian!
Rin moved astonishingly fast. Her long, shapely legs sprang up and wound around Chen Tian's waist like nimble vines!
In an instant, she was clinging to him!
The sudden "human accessory" knocked Chen Tian off balance. He hurriedly caught Rin by the thighs, but she had already opened her little mouth, bared her small white teeth, and sunk them into his sturdy shoulder!
"Hss—!" Chen Tian sucked in a sharp breath from the pain.
This little princess had really bitten him!
"Don't bully Sakura, you idiot! You perverted brother-in-law!" Rin shouted through clenched teeth, grinding them into the muscles of Chen Tian's shoulder. Her legs tightened around him, and she clung to him like a koala.
The air in the dining room froze completely.
Artoria set down her fork and stared at the chaotic scene before her, forgetting all about her cake. Her clear eyes held a trace of bewilderment.
The blush on Kaguya's face vanished at once. Seeing another girl clinging to Chen Tian, she raised a hand to cover her mouth, which had fallen open in shock. The lingering embarrassment in her eyes was instantly replaced by something immensely complicated and difficult to describe.
Hayasaka Ai kept her expression blank, but her sharp gaze swept between Rin, Chen Tian, and Sakura. She instinctively moved in front of Kaguya again, her guard raised to the highest level.
With her hair a mess, Sakura blinked her watery eyes. She looked at her sister, who was clinging to her brother-in-law and "avenging" her, then at Chen Tian, who was grimacing in pain. Slowly, very slowly, the corners of her mouth curled into a subtle smile.
"I'm back~ Tian Jun~ Did you take Rin-chan and Sakura to school... yet...?"
Marin's energetic voice burst into the dining room like a ray of sunshine, then abruptly cut off the moment she saw what was happening.
Kitagawa Marin stood in the doorway, her bright smile completely frozen.
Her beautiful eyes widened as she fixed her gaze on the center of the dining room.
There stood her boyfriend, Chen Tian, his hands resting ever so naturally on the shapely thighs of her cousin, Tohsaka Rin, which were clad in black thigh-high stockings.
Rin was clinging to Chen Tian like a koala, her head buried against his neck and her body pressed tightly against him.
From Marin's angle, she couldn't see Rin biting him. All she could see was Rin burying her face against Chen Tian's shoulder and neck in an intimate, suggestive pose.
Time seemed to freeze.
"Th-this is..." Marin's voice was dry.
That faint sound was like a spell breaking.
Rin shuddered and abruptly lifted her head from Chen Tian's shoulder, her face still carrying the ferocity of her bite and the flush from exertion.
She met Marin's stunned gaze in horror.
"M-Marin?!" Rin's voice went shrill, filled with a panic she had never felt before. "W-why are you back so soon?!"
"Rin-chan..." Marin's gaze shifted between Chen Tian's hands on Rin's thighs and Rin's flushed cheeks. "When... did you and Tian Jun...?"
Rin tried to explain. "Marin! No! He started it—" But Marin didn't give her the chance.
"Enough!" Marin suddenly swept out a hand. Her usually sweet face turned stern and chilly, and even took on an air of authority she had never shown before.
She took a deep breath. Her voice was steady, but edged with ice. "Right now! Family meeting!"
Her gaze swept over everyone in the dining room, each wearing a different expression, and she quickly issued her orders.
"Artoria," she said, turning to her in a tone of absolute command. "Could you take Sakura to school? Make sure she gets there on time."
Artoria swallowed her last bite of cake and cast a wistful glance at the empty plate. Then she nodded solemnly without the slightest hesitation. "Understood. Leave it to me."
She stood up and glanced at Chen Tian and Rin with a profound, unreadable look, as if to say, Master, you're on your own.
"As for Miss Shinomiya," Marin said, her sharp gaze suddenly pinning Kaguya in place. It was so piercing that Kaguya instinctively straightened her back. "I'm terribly sorry you had to witness such a... chaotic scene today."
Marin's tone was cool and distant, carrying the hostess's politeness—and the unmistakable intent to send her away. "That idiot and I"—she pointed at Chen Tian, then at herself—"probably won't be able to fulfill our duties as students today. Could you let the school know we'll be absent?"
Shinomiya Kaguya parted her lips. A storm of complicated emotions welled up in her eyes—shock at Rin's actions, irritation at Marin's forceful attitude, an inexplicable concern for Chen Tian's situation, and a trace of hurt.
She wanted to say something, but when she met Marin's seemingly calm eyes, which held a storm beneath the surface, the words caught in her throat.
In the end, she merely lowered her head slightly, perfectly concealing the turmoil in her eyes, and gave an impeccable bow.
"Of course, Kitagawa-san." Her voice remained cool, but the tension beneath it was unmistakable. "I'll... pass it along."
She didn't look at Chen Tian again. Turning away, she swept her skirt in an elegant but slightly stiff arc.
"Hayasaka, let's go." Kaguya's voice had returned to its usual haughty coolness.
"Yes, Kaguya-sama." Hayasaka Ai followed at once. As she passed Chen Tian, her calm blue eyes lingered on him, their gaze carrying a warning, an appraisal, and a trace of concern for her young miss's feelings.
Sakura had already obediently gone to stand beside Artoria. With her blue hair still mussed from Chen Tian's ruffling, she flashed the three people left behind—especially Chen Tian and Rin—an utterly radiant smile brimming with glee.
She silently mouthed an "Ooh~" and gave them a look that seemed to say, You're so done~ Then she skipped after Artoria, leaving the scene of trouble behind.
In the blink of an eye, the noisy dining room was empty, leaving behind suffocating silence.
Marin shot a cold glance at Chen Tian, still frozen in place, then at Rin, who had slipped off him like a startled rabbit and now stood there at a loss. She jerked her chin toward the living room. "Living room. Now."
The atmosphere was as oppressive as the dead calm before a storm.
Chen Tian had lost his usual easygoing composure. He sank into an armchair, rubbing the shoulder Rin had bitten.
Tohsaka Rin sat stiffly in another armchair, her legs pressed tightly together as she twisted her skirt in her hands. Her knuckles had gone white from the strain.
Her chin, usually held high, was lowered now. Her gaze darted nervously over the carpet. She didn't dare look at Marin, much less Chen Tian.
The flush had long since faded from her cheeks, leaving only the pallor of someone overwhelmed by nerves. Everything about her said, I'm sorry and What do I do?
Meanwhile, Marin settled onto the sofa in the middle, facing them, with an air of authority she had never displayed before.
She crossed her legs elegantly and rested her hands together on her knee, her back ramrod straight.
Sunlight streamed in through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the dust drifting through the air. Marin's lovely face looked different from usual, as if a queen were gazing down at her unruly subjects.
She parted her lips and deliberately imitated the lazy, condescending tone Chen Tian used when dealing with sycophantic business partners. "Go on. I'm listening."
She had overheard him speaking that way a few times by accident, and now she imitated him to perfection.
Chen Tian jerked his head up. He stared at Marin, her little face stern as she mimicked him. First he froze, then—
He couldn't help laughing out loud.
Rin was also taken aback and looked at Marin in confusion. That tone... hadn't she heard Chen Tian use it too?
Marin's forced air of authority fell apart at once!
Chen Tian's laughter shattered the icy mask she had been trying so hard to maintain. Her little face flushed red in an instant, all the way to her ears.
She stamped her foot in embarrassment and frustration, forgetting all about her "queen's judgment"!
She sprang up from the sofa and, copying Rin's earlier lunge, threw herself into Chen Tian's arms!
As Rin stared in shock, Marin opened her mouth and bit down on Chen Tian's other sturdy shoulder—
"Ow, that hurts~" Chen Tian let out an exaggerated cry of pain, doing his best to cooperate even as he struggled to hold back a laugh.
Marin released him and looked at the faint tooth marks on his shoulder. She scrunched up her pert nose at him and huffed.
Then she turned to Rin, who was sitting frozen at the other end of the sofa.
Rin's mouth hung open and her eyes were wide. Her expression was a mixture of shock, disbelief, and confusion. Marin... isn't angry? She bit Tian Jun too?
When Marin's clear gaze turned toward her, Rin snapped back to her senses and hurriedly closed her mouth. Her cheeks began to warm again, and she mumbled, "M-Marin... you're not angry?"
Seeing Rin's nervous, guilty little expression, Marin sighed softly.
She walked over, took Rin's hand, chilled slightly with nerves, and led her to sit beside her on the spacious sofa.
"Rin," Marin said, her voice back to its usual gentle tone, touched with helplessness. "I'm not angry. Or rather, I'm not upset that you bit him."
Rin lifted her head sharply and stared at Marin, confused.
Marin patted the back of her hand. Her tone was so calm that you'd never guess she was talking about another girl hanging all over her boyfriend. "I know how charming Tian Jun can be. Especially for girls who've seen him perform live at his concert. How many of them could resist being drawn to his brilliance in that moment? Getting swept up in it and unable to pull yourself away is perfectly normal."
She paused, as if stating an undisputed fact.
Rin opened her mouth, instinctively ready to protest, I didn't! But the words caught in her throat.
That unexpected concert...
The figure at center stage, radiant with light...
Those three songs that struck straight at her soul...
Her heart began to race uncontrollably at the memory.
Yes... maybe... it was then... that something... changed without a sound...
Seeing Rin suddenly fall silent, her ears turning red, Marin understood perfectly.
She didn't call her out. Instead, she changed the subject, her tone turning serious. "Rin, I don't think there's anything wrong with you having feelings for Tian Jun."
At her words, Rin's lashes trembled, and she lowered her head even further, nearly burying it in her chest.
Marin leaned closer to Rin and lowered her voice, though every word was clear. "It's just... too soon right now... too rushed... it could easily... lead to an accident. Some things can wait until after your birthday in two months. Think it over, then we can talk, okay?"
Her gaze meaningfully flicked toward Chen Tian, who was still clutching his shoulder with an expression that said, I'm in so much pain. "Before the free trial ends, you need to read the 'product' manual and understand all the safety precautions."
Rin's mind exploded!
Marin... what is she talking about?! What accident? What product manual?!
Is she... actually worried about that?!
Rin's cheeks turned crimson in an instant, as if blood could drip from them. She was practically steaming with embarrassment and wished she could crawl into a crack in the floor!
"Marin! Wh-what are you saying?! I didn't... I... I'm going to school!" Rin shrieked incoherently. She sprang off the sofa and rushed out of the living room without looking back, stumbling all the way. Her panicked footsteps faded, followed by a thunderous slam of the door.
Meanwhile, Chen Tian sat clutching his shoulder. "Dumbfounded" didn't even begin to describe him.
He slowly, stiffly turned his head to look at Marin, who seemed perfectly calm, as if she'd just given a lecture on safety.
He opened his mouth, but not a sound came out.
Chen Tian: ????????
He felt as if his CPU had burned out completely.
A harem? Did Marin mean she was helping him build one?
Even Tohsaka Rin, who was haughty enough to pick fights with the heavens, the earth, and the air, and had pride in her very bones... Marin thought that was okay too?
The important thing was... safety?
He looked at Marin, his eyes filled with cosmic levels of confusion and disbelief.
Marin met his vacant stare and blinked, looking completely innocent. "What's wrong? Was I wrong? Being careful is important."
Chen Tian: "..."
Before you continue