"What's wrong?" Mom asked, "Not hungry?"

I totally screwed up. This is super, super, SUPER bad...!

"Nel, helloo~?"

I gotta fix this. Looking back at the situation, I was so desperate to get one over him that I totally said something unreasonable! I-If I just talk to him and tell him it was a joke or something...

"Hey!" Mom snapped her fingers in front of my face.

"Ah, sorry! What's up?" I quickly grabbed my utensils to start eating.

"Got something on your mind?" Othelia chuckled.

"Boy troubles, I can understand." Auntie Eleanor teased.

"Like hell you can." I shot back angrily, "Before Issei you were just as lonely and friendless as I was, auntie."

"I was just trying to make a joke, didn't have to go for the heart like that..." She sulked.

Gods, that was close though. If it was Othelia or mama who asked that, I would've been done for. Thankfully I could play it off with auntie Eleanor though, but for how long is that gonna work?

"Sis and Lem got into a fight..." Cene pouted, "They we'lre yelling in hew woom..."

"Ah, so I was right!" Auntie smugly perked back up, "So, what could it be about then, hm? Spill it, Nelly!"

"It's nothing you're imagining, you witch." I scowled, "He just woke me up and I was a bit cranky after that."

"To be honest, even we heard your shouting from all the way downstairs." Othelia muttered.

"H-Huh? You did...?"

"Well duh, but I couldn't make out what it was about, obviously."

"Phew..."

I can't take this anymore. The stress is too much, and it's still only breakfast! According to mama, the boys already ate earlier, so right now they're outside working on the house. If I were to just pull Lem aside and calmly call off the bet, then...

"Heh, so now you're going back on your word?" The imaginary Lem in my head mocked, "I knew it, so you're scared I'm actually a monster down there and you bit off more than you can chew! A-Ah, don't chew though."

"Grrr...! I'm not chewing anything!" I shouted before noticing everyone around the dining table staring.

"It's soup, though?" Mom tilted her head, "I don't think you're supposed to be chewing it anyways?"

"Ah, maybe she's talking about the clumps of pepper that formed after you overspiced it?" Othelia teased.

"I'm adding the right amount!" Mom hissed, "Without spices, soup is just warm water! You wanna live off warm water!?"

"Ah, Cily...?" Auntie froze, "You... Did you put anything else in the soup? Like carrots or meat or...?"

"...What?"

Okay, how am I getting away with this? It's one thing to just space out in the morning, but to blurt something out at top volume? It's like they're actively trying to ignore what my dumbass keeps giving away. That's it, gotta clear my conscience ASAP!

"Nel, don't eat that fast." Mom warned, "You'll choke!"

"On what, exactly? It's just water." Othelia chuckled.

"Good breakfast, mama! Thanks for this!" I gave her a thumbs up before running off, "Gotta go though!"

"Where to?"

"Gotta check something!"

Nice! Managed to finish up breakfast quickly, that might be a new PB! The boys are just next to our house, after all, we're neighbors in this little made up half cul-de-sac we're in. That means Lem should be nearby. A-Ah, my clothes! I'm still in my PJs! Curse my bad habits!

"There he is." I went to holler, "Le-!"

Huh? Why'd he turn around so quickly? Dammit, he's making me self-conscious with all that staring! Ah, is it because of my sleepwear? Is he perhaps thinking about tonight? Ugh, pervert! Gods, maybe I shouldn't be talking with him about this in this attire, after all...

"Nel!" Grandpa Sigmund scared the living daylights out of me, "What the hell, you haven't come to visit us in so long! Is the princess ashamed of her folks all of a sudden?"

"Grandpa!" I fwipped around to meet his gaze, "H-How are you doing? It's been a while! How're grandma and auntie Anna doing?"

"Come over and see for yourself, little lady." He patted me on the head, "You're not on the other side of the world now, after all."

Ah, so that's why Lem was staring. He probably saw grandpa Sigmund approaching me from behind and went to warn me, not knowing who he was and all. But this is actually perfect timing. I'll just sit down a bit with the Saints while I think of a better way to resolve the issue with Lem. It's not procrastinating, it's a tactical retreat!

"Who is this princess!" Auntie Anna greeted us at the door, looking just as busty as usual, mind you.

"Hi, auntie-mnf!" I couldn't speak from her suffocating bosom hug, "C-Can't... breathe..."

"Why didn't you come visit?" She asked, "We were waiting you know? Cily came over, your father and, heheh, Ed came over..."

"Uncle lives with you though, obviously he would?" I tilted my head.

"Don't mind those lust-filled lovers, dear." Grandpa simply said, "Even sound insulation is just barely enough to mask those two whenever they're in the same room together..."

"Oh come on, father! We're young, aren't we?" Auntie retorted, "Besides, there's only one way to try for a baby, you know~?"

"Didn't wanna know." I blushed.

"Ah, but you should. You're at that age, you know." She urged, "Lest that boyfriend of yours gets beaten up for NOT using a condom this time."

Augh, I forgot they were there when dad was beating Lem up! Gods, with each passing day I have to wonder why I didn't fight for Lem not to come with us more. Dammit, I thought I was leaving one embarrassing environment, but turns out I just went to another one instead!

"For the last time, he's not my-!"

"Who cares about that." Auntie ushered us inside, "Now come on, let's sit down first. Father, are you gonna be alright to move, or should I help you?"

"I'm not that old, dammit!" He shot back, "Looks like that damned son of mine's cheekiness is rubbing off on this daughter-in-law... And to think you were so kind to us before."

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Back then you weren't as annoying, though." She smiled, "Now get in before you collapse of heatstroke."

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"My beautiful granddaughter~!" Grandma Camilla lunged at me the moment she saw us enter the room, "Oh, look how much you've grown! A spiffing young lady, I'll say! Here, want some candy? I knitted some socks for you, wanna try them out?"

"Grandma, it's summer..."

"Here, quickly, while no one's looking." She sneakily handed me a two thousand shil bill, "Get yourself something nice."

"Grandma, please I-"

"Camilla." Grandpa sighed.

"Looks like she really got used to the grandparent role from Cene." Auntie smirked.

This house is missing its head, but even without uncle they're still this loud and lively. How do three people sound just as loud as eight? It's even more chaotic than the dorms in Simpleton...

"So, what finally brings you to us?" Auntie asked as she quickly brewed everyone a cup of tea.

"You didn't have to add that 'finally'..." I grunted, "But to answer the question, grandpa kidnapped me and took me here."

"So you didn't come here of your own volition..." Grandma sulked.

"Oi, I didn't kidnap you. I just stopped my granddaughter from making a fool of herself publicly." He pointed to my clothes, "I get that it's summer, but a proper girl definitely shouldn't be caught outside in just her sleepwear and flip flops."

"I'm honestly surprised I even thought to slip into those before I ran out of the house..." I chuckled bashfully.

Hearing this, the three kind of gave each other a look before barraging me with questions, one after another. Answering them all was pretty tiring, but at least it shows they care.

"Your studies are doing fine, right?" Auntie asked, "Grades are important, but be sure to take good care of your health too."

"Don't worry, I'm just like this now that I'm on vacation." I brushed her worries off, "Gotta let loose every once in a while, right?"

"Are you having trouble with the older kids there?" Grandma fretted, "I heard even the professors in Simpleton really despise the younger generations."

"There were a few in the beginning, but thankfully I had Meil to show me the ropes and stave them off." I explained.

"Right, that Meil..." Grandpa asked, "I've heard a ton about him from your parents and Edward, but I've never met the guy for myself. Is he doing his tasks properly?"

"Of course, way too good of a job!" I proudly announced.

"You're not being too much of a burden on him?" Auntie coughed, "Y'know, you're not trying anything now that you two live together...?"

"Not at all, Meil's...!" I stopped when the memory of the kiss happened to pop into my head, "M-Meil is... well, he feels bad for it, so it's alright."

"Hey, don't word it in such a scary way." Auntie frowned.

This is fun. I forgot how laid back everyone is in this household. Unlike the absolute interrogations I have to go through wherein each word has to be carefully handpicked so as not to get me in trouble, here I can almost say whatever I want, and they'll just shrug it off. I guess it's cause I'm not their daughter, so they probably don't have that parental anxiety mom and dad have. Man, it's almost making me forget all about...

"Lem, I think your parents called him." Auntie asked, "The boy that came with you for the summer. You two are...?"

"Just friends!" I hastily replied, "Ugh, but all because of mom's stupid misunderstanding, now everyone thinks we're a couple. It's making life here absolute hell."

Well, it's the truth, so no harm in saying this much. Yeah, I've been thinking about it recently, but had it not been for mom giving me the condom, we would've probably just enjoyed summer vacation without any of this unneeded tension. Plus, I would have never told him about the thing we'll be doing tonight... I-I mean, the thing we WON'T be doing! I just gotta tell him not to come to my room tonight and we can pretend none of this ever happened!

"Is that how you both feel?" Grandma asked, "Boys, they tend to not be straightforward with girls if they start off as friends."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Just saying, both Siggy and Ed were pretending to be anything but lovers when they first met their loves." She teased her husband and son just like that, "Anna told me all about it—When they first met, it was just bickering and shouting at each other, but at the end of the day, he was the only one still sending in daily letters after he left."

"Yeah, and now they can't even breathe the same air together without PDA." Grandpa crossed his arms.

"You were young once too, Siggy." Grandma chuckled, "But that topic isn't appropriate right now. Point is, both Ed and you started off standoffish, but if you truly couldn't stand us girls, you would have left and never turned back, right?"

That's... certainly true. I often actually ask myself just that—"If you hate me so much, why are you still talking to me!?", but I always just assumed it was cause he had no one else around his age to talk to in Simpleton. Besides, he's kind of an ass to everyone, so if he really has feelings for me, then he harbors those very same feelings for everyone else in the university.

"So Nelly, what do you think?" Auntie asked once more, "If you're sure both of you just want to be friends, then we won't say anything more. But please don't just push his feelings aside selfishly before even consulting him. A simple question will resolve everything, and if it turns out he does have feelings for you, well, then you can rest easy in not feeling like you're leading him on."

"Was I?" I tilted my head.

"Humu, only if he likes you." She giggled.

"That fucking Lemmy!" Uncle Ed burst through the door shouting obscenities, "I'm gonna kill him!"

"Ed, Ed, calm down, bud!" Issei ran closely behind him.

Dammit, just when I thought I had found a breakthrough! Why is uncle so mad? Gasp, did he find out about what I told Lem?!