About fifteen minutes earlier, in the group chat.
The fact that both Shin and the Great Witch had "coincidentally" gone offline and come back online at exactly the same time had sent the chat — already in an uproar over the revenge discussion — into a brand new wave of frenzied speculation.
Though if we're being honest, the one flooding the chat and setting the tone was, as ever, a certain NEET princess who apparently had nothing to do all day.
[Unread messages: 99+]
[System Message: [Aspiring to Be the Perfect Human Being] and [Spreading Witch Factors]'s status has changed from [Away] to [Online].]
[Moon Princess]: See? They really did come back online together!
[Moon Princess]: Told you it wasn't a coincidence. The moment [Aspiring] returned from Lady Marika's world with that sleep-inducing supernatural item, the two of them went offline together.
[Moon Princess]: With my accumulated wisdom of several hundred thou— ahem — anyway, I could figure out what happened with my toes alone!
[Queen of Britain]: Could it be...?
Shin wasn't sure if it was just him, but Morgan had lately started playing the straight-man role for Kaguya an awful lot. If you're out of material, your majesty, you can always go bite a lighter.
[Moon Princess]: Indeed! Based on my extensive reference catalog, the Great Witch and [Aspiring] must have entered into an unspeakable relationship!
[Moon Princess]: In fact, I suspect the real reason Great Witch has been so desperate to marry off her Shaya all along is so she could get the child out of the house and live happily ever after with [Aspiring] herself!
[Aspiring to Be the Perfect Human Being]: ?
[Aspiring to Be the Perfect Human Being]: Princess, are you quite lucid? Is it possible that the Great Witch was already pressuring her child into marriage long before I ever said a word in this chat?
Shin felt he had to say something.
[Moon Princess]: Hmph, little sister, argue all you like — don't think I haven't noticed!
Shin: ??
What exactly have you noticed?
[Moon Princess]: The Great Witch was originally just floating the idea of matchmaking in the chat — then you came along and insulted her child, she came knocking with a [Boundary-Break Talisman], and suddenly the pressure to marry intensified —
[Moon Princess]: That's what they call love blooming from an argument! You clearly met for the first time right then, one look was all it took, and you fell for each other on the spot, didn't you?
[Moon Princess]: So the reason you went to get St. Trina's nectar in the first place was also for… hmph-hmm, anyway, this chat has no prejudice against any member's personal preferences~ No need to hide anything~
What is she on about? Who's hiding anything?
But before Shin could get a word in to defend himself, the Great Witch — who was sitting right beside him — posted:
[Spreading Witch Factors]: My, the Moon Princess's instincts are frighteningly sharp~
[Spreading Witch Factors]: Since I've been found out, I may as well drop the act.
[Spreading Witch Factors]: Things are exactly as everyone has imagined. [Aspiring to Be the Perfect Human Being] and I have indeed established an inseparable and intimate bond.
[Moon Princess]: Wait, it's actually true?!
[Moon Princess]: Oh no no no, I was only joking, please don't actually tell me group members have that kind of relationship! Not that!
[Moon Princess]: [Women, the smell of them.jpg]
Shin: ?
Sitting on the edge of the Great Witch's sofa — currently being punished for having concealed his identity by giving her a foot massage — Shin couldn't tell if this was intentional on her part or not.
"Mother, do you want me to just come out directly to the group members and…"
Shin was about to go ahead and reveal his identity outright. The main reason he'd kept the account secret had been because of the Great Witch — now that the knot between them was untangled, there was no point in maintaining the cover.
"No no no, not yet, Shaya~"
"Where's the fun in giving it away so fast? Listen to Mother — hold off a little longer, I have a plan~"
She had been about to say he was actually the Great Witch's child — but the Great Witch stuck out one white-stockinged foot and gave him a little nudge. The silk bodysuit hadn't been changed in several days, but there was, she would be pleased to know, virtually no trace of any smell.
"A plan? What plan?"
Shin looked at the Great Witch with mild suspicion, his fingertips still tracing over the delicate surface of her foot.
"What else? Shaya, have you forgotten how smoothly you were playing both sides before?"
"…You actually believe that was out of necessity?"
"Of course I do — but that's a separate matter. So Shaya, you'll cooperate with me going forward, yes~?"
"And think about it — you were running two identities and stringing more than just me along. If you blow your cover this suddenly and some of the group members take issue, what then?"
The Great Witch gave him another light nudge, her white-stockinged foot narrowly avoiding landing squarely in the boy's slightly-agape mouth in his moment of stunned surprise.
Not that there would have been anything to smell.
[Aspiring to Be the Perfect Human Being]: Great Witch, I don't think this sort of thing is appropriate to discuss in the group chat.
[Aspiring to Be the Perfect Human Being]: After all, our relationship is still so new…
The follow-up was scripted by the Great Witch and delivered by Shin — though Shin himself had no idea what kind of relationship they had just supposedly established.
[Spreading Witch Factors]: Ha — what's inappropriate about it?
[Spreading Witch Factors]: Little one, that's not what you were saying in the dream brought on by the nectar~ That look you had — so utterly resolved to protect me — is burned into my heart~
[Spreading Witch Factors]: So we are the most important people in each other's lives, and don't you dare go sowing your seeds elsewhere. Understood?
[Moon Princess]: My goodness, you've already gotten that far? It's barely been a day!
[Moon Princess]: Great Witch, won't your Shaya be jealous about this? I've heard that children are their parents' lovers from a past life — do you think he might…
Shin: …
Kaguya, where did you even hear that?
But based on what the Great Witch was having him post, versus what she was saying aloud herself, Shin had a fairly good idea of what was going through that merrily smiling woman's mind.
To be continued…