Michi and I go up back to the mansion.
Misuzu and the girls just got off their car.
Ah, the car dropped off the pa.s.senger and will wait outside the mansion.
Speaking of which, Rei-chan was in the pa.s.senger seat.
She let the subordinate drive to remain vigilant.
Earlier, Kudou-papa interfered which helped her, but.
Usually, Rei-chan will get out of the car and smash down the enemies along with the other escorts from their vehicles.
The plan is to use that as a chance and let only Misuzu’s car enter the mansion.
「 Father’s judgment was right, I think 」
Michi mutters.
「 Such vulgar people are not worthy opponents for a top elite, Reika-oneesama 」
「 No, but, she has to protect Misuzu and the girls 」
I said. Michi:
「 Of course, it’s natural that Misuzu-oneesama and Ruriruri are under protection. However, Kouzuki SS is a professional security agency for the high-cla.s.s families in this country. If the other party is just an underling of Yakuza, even if they beat them overwhelmingly, it will only hurt their reputation 」
Overwhelming power.
「 There is no need for Reika-oneesama to get off the car just for merely three cars making an attack. Subcontractors just like Father, who are outside the Kouzuki SS’ organization can repel them away with a joke of an appearance. Thus, they keep the honor of Kouzuki SS 」
Kudou-papa is not a regular employee of Kouzuki SS. He showed up wearing a weird cosplay.
Kudou-papa alone took down the attacking Yakuza.
Back then, n.o.body from Kouzukii SS went down, not a single bodyguard.
In short, Kouzuki SS left the matter to Kudou-papa to deal with and ignored the Yakuza.
「 This is also declaring the intent of ignoring Yamaoka and my mother 」
Both of them were regular employees of Kouzuki SS, Yamaoka-san was even in a senior position.
Usually, Kouzuki SS should be upset by their appearance as the two knows the internal structure.
However, they ignored them.
They let Kudou-papa deal with it, and Rei-chan didn’t even talk to Yamaoka-san and Michi’s mother.
「 With that, Yamaoka-san and Mother won’t have any more voice in Yakuza. From now on, n.o.body would listen to whatever they say 」
「 Why? 」
「 The two of them weren’t able to shake up Kouzuki SS. It’s been four months since those two were dismissed. Shou-oneesama is the one leading the in-house, and all of the rules in Yamaoka-san’s era were destroyed 」
There was enough time to shift the system.
「 With this, Yamaoka-san and my mother might be able to use the former employees who are longing for them as a trump card, however, 」
n.o.body came down from the cars.
n.o.body tried to talk to Yamaoka-san and Michi’s mother.
「 Yakuza isn’t that foolish. They were just trying out Yamaoka-san this time. Once they confirm the rejection they faced, they should know that the information of the internal structure of Kouzuki SS extracted from the two are useless 」
I see. The two think that they can ask their colleagues and subordinates about our movement.
However, Kouzuki SS now has no bodyguards that’ll leak information to Yamaoka-san.
「 Even Father asked Mother to sign the divorce papers in front of the Yakuza observers 」
Kudou-papa’s att.i.tude to Michi’s mother was dry all the time.
There’s no possibility of him responding to any dealings.
「 In that case, the only thing that the Yakuza obtained from the two were information from four months ago 」
Back when the two were regular employees of Kouzuki SS.
「 But, those don’t know any of the true nature 」
Huh?
「 If Kouzuki-sama plans to make Takakura-sama a prost.i.tute then she’ll be sent over to Kuromori. With all the information they know, they should only know to that extent 」
Both of them don’t know our connection to Misuzu and Ruriko.
During the battle at the hotel in Odaiba, it was announced that I’m Misuzu’s partner to Jii-chan’s students.
However, back then, Yamaoka-san and Michi’s mother was busy preparing for Cesario Viola’s a.s.sault.
Chief Yazawa was holding down the surveillance system.
In short, the two cannot eavesdrop.
Then, they were dismissed during Viola’s raid.
Ruriko became my woman after the hotel fight.
They cannot know that.
Yamaoka-san and Michi’s mother only see Kuromori as a high-cla.s.s brothel with a connection to Jii-chan.
「 With such little knowledge, Yamaoka-san and Mother tried to climb this mansion. They were watching and trying to find a gap to get inside 」
「 But, weren’t they chasing after Misuzu’s car? 」
Starting from Misuzu’s school
And while they follow the cars, they stopped here by chance.
「 No. Mother and the others were observing around here. After all, Mother doesn’t know that Ruriruri lives in this mansion 」
Ah.
If they don’t know that Ruriko’s living here, then,
They won’t monitor Ruriko and the girls from the school.
It would be another story if they were trying to kidnap Ruriko as a trump card but, they don’t have any subordinates so they won’t think of going through such danger.
I mean, if they kidnap Ruriko, it would be an all-out-war with Kouzuki house.
The employers of Michi’s mother will not allow them to step that far.
「 Therefore, they misunderstood that it would be the Takakura’s lady in the convoy of the car as there were six vehicles and Reika-oneesama is the bodyguard 」
Now that you mentioned it, the car Misuzu and the girls were riding is a car remodeled for full security by Kouzuki SS.
The large bulletproof gla.s.s has tinted gla.s.s, you can’t see the face inside the car from the outside.
「 That is why they tried to stop Misuzu-oneesama’s car by crashing theirs to the gate of the mansion 」
So that’s why!
Right, Misuzu said it when she called.
“We’re the decoy.”
They made them misidentify Misuzu’s car as Takakura lady’s car.
「 Perhaps, mother’s judgment was to send a report that they found Takakura-sama to the Yakuza 」
「 Then, that’s bad for us, isn’t it? That means that they’re gathering around here quickly, right? 」
If that information spreads out.
「 No, it’s a false alarm 」
Michi said.
「 Father told Mother in the end, Takakura-sama isn’t here yet 」
Sure, he did say that.
「 But, what if Michi’s mother doesn’t believe it 」
Michi.
「 Even if she doesn’t, it’s already well known as a false alarm now 」
Huh?
「 The Yakuza didn’t hire just mother this time. Naturally, they’ll also hire people familiar with the Tokyo’s underground society 」
Y-Yeah.
「 Those people naturally know that Ruriruri’s been living in this mansion since May. It’s basic information on Kouzuki house 」
Ever since Ruriko’s father’s unnatural death,
Perhaps, Ruriko’s father did something insulting to Jii-chan or Kouzuki group, and he died as a result, that’s what the people behind the scenes know.
And now, Jii-chan entrusted Ruriko to Kuromori MInaho.
Kuromori’s business is in suspension.
n.o.body thinks that Ruriko will become a prost.i.tute just like Takakura-san this time.
Well, the daughter of Kouzuki house can’t fall to a situation where she sells her body for money.
Thinking about it, Takakura-san who decided to become a prost.i.tute is the special case.
「 And as for Reika-oneesama. Reika-oneesama’s been Misuzu-oneesama and Ruriruri’s bodyguard full-time except when she has to fight Kyouko-san and the others 」
Having Rei-chan in the pa.s.senger seat means that they’ll doubt Yamaoka-san and Michi’s information on Takakura-san.
They’ll think that Ruriko’s picked back up home if they use the information from the underground society which looks at Kouzuki house for the past four months.
「 Of course, there would be enthusiasts in the underground society who’ll check the behavior of the children of high-cla.s.s families, so those people will testify that they came from our school and is escorted with Kouzuki SS 」
The information from those enthusiasts should follow Misuzu and the girls from the school.
Well, there should be one.
After all, it’s j.a.pan’s super-high-cla.s.s-lady school.
「 Even if they can’t see who’s in the backseat, Reika-oneesama who’s in the pa.s.senger seat is famous 」
They’ll know that she’s the one fighting Anya on TV.
「 Therefore, they’ll immediately confirm that the convoy earlier was Ruriruri’s pickup car. In short, mother gave a piece of incorrect information 」
I see.
「 Knowing that there are two cars from Yazkuasa, it was on purpose? 」
「 Yes, perhaps that was Shou-oneesama’s plan 」
Shou-neechan knows how Yamaoka-san and Michi’s mother thinks.
「 I see, then about this time 」
「 Yes, Yamaoka and Mother should be reprimanded 」
They did cause a lot of trouble with false information.
「 As a lead-in, Shou-oneesama has entered Master’s school 」
「 Yeah 」
「 When we were coming to Master’s school, there were some Yakuza following us 」
「 Yeah, I saw them waiting for us in front of the school 」
「 That was also information from Mother. She knows that the children in Kuromori house go to that school, it’s an old file in Kouzuki SS 」
Old file?
「 Nei-oneesama and Margo-oneesama specifically 」
「 Oh, I see. Margo-san was a student there until last year 」
Nei and Margo’s data until April should be in the file of Kouzuki SS.
Margo-san especially, she’s friends with chief Yazawa.
「 Huh, what about Megu and me? 」
「 Those two shouldn’t be too familiar with Master and Megumi-oneesama. There were no details about you two when they left Kouzuki SS 」
Oh, they know the faces, but they don’t know who we are.
「 I mean, they shouldn’t think of you as someone important 」
Well, that’s true.
I’m just an ordinary high school student.
They only think of me as Minaho-neesan’s relative or something.
「 Master, do you remember the two factions? 」
「 Yeah, the one who wants to take over Takakura shrine and those who oppose them, the ones who don’t want to make the lady a prost.i.tute, right? 」
「 Yes, the latter group was the one waiting for us when we returned 」
Yeah, that Andou guy was saying “Takakura-ojousama.”
I see his sentiments for the lady.
「 The one who sent information that Rakakura-sama will come to this mansion is perhaps mother 」
「 But, Michi’s mother is in the other group, right? 」
「 Yes. Therefore, they leaked that information to their enemy and tried to shake Kuromori 」
「 Instead of doing it themselves, they tried to use the enemy faction 」
「 Or should I say that Mother doesn’t have that much military force in the first place. Though she’s hired by the Yakuza, they don’t trust her that much. They only sent over three vehicles, and furthermore, they’re only present to monitor Mother 」
Yeah, the last one of the three cars didn’t have anyone come down.
Ah, one is Michi’s mother and Yamaoka-san’s car.
And the other one is just an observer.
「 Thinking about it now, perhaps, it was Mother’s car that followed us from Master’s school 」
Oh, they all look similar, so I can’t tell which car is which.
That might be the case.
「 And as soon as we arrived, they checked the reaction of Kuromori from the Yakuza making a fuss in front of the gate 」
Well, the faction that doesn’t want to make the lady a prost.i.tute came with a huge number of cars.
Compared to Michi’s mother’s 3, their desperation shows.
They really don’t want to make the lady of Takakura house become a prost.i.tute.
But, those guys took Michi’s Shingetsu.
Andou, who somehow endured heard that the lady of Takakura house is in Kouzuki house, so he left in a hurry.
「 So that information is from where? 」
「 I don’t know. It might be another information Mother has conveyed or Shou-oneesama’s diversion plan 」
Michi said.
「 Either way that made mother misunderstand as I showed up 」
「 What does that mean? 」
「 I’m still wearing my school uniform 」
「 Hmm? 」
「 I think they a.s.sumed that Misuzu-oneesama and Ruriruri were also inside that car 」
Why?
Misuzu and Ruriko inside the van Katsuko-nee and I use for our bakery business?
「 Mother thinks that I won’t leave Misuzu-oneesama’s side 」
I see.
「 I left the school early and hid in Master’s school before the fuss became bigger 」
Then, she hid inside the van when we were heading to the mansion.
「 a.s.suming that Misuzu-oneesama has already entered the mansion, then 」
The next convoy with a line of Kouzuki SS cars cannot have Misuzu and Ruriko inside.
「 In short, they think that it was Takakura-san’s escort 」
「 That’s it 」
That’s why they were in a hurry, crashing the car to the gate to not let Misuzu’s car get inside.
They were making trouble while trying to call for support.
But, their expectations were crushed down by Kudou-papa.
「 As Father said earlier, it will be safe for a while. Both the mansion and Master’s school 」
Michi said.
「 Mother and Yamaoka-san’s information were all misses 」
Yeah.
「 If that false information was not conveyed and the Yakuza groups popularized the gate with vehicles, they’ll be arrested by the police, which is also a success 」
「 Huh? 」
「 The police are keeping the mansion at the watch. They only want to arrest Kyouko-oneesama or Miss Cordelia or kick them out of the country. Last night, Nikita-san stayed here, so they feel a bit irritated 」
Anya is Miss Cordelia’s subordinate.
Her appearing in j.a.pan means that she’s preparing for the next action.
「 In fact, they’re not interested in the internal Yakuza organization. However, Father shouted too loud like that 」
Kudou-papa was shouting “Omawari-san!”
「 The police had no choice but to arrest the Yakuza father defeated. However, Yamaoka-san and my mother and the Yakuza groups don’t know that the police are monitoring Kyouko-san’s case 」
「 Then that means, Kouzuki house aimed at cleaning up the Yakuza groups gathering in the mansion with the cooperation of the police? 」
「 I think so 」
It’s getting impossible to get close to the mansion.
「 I see. Then it really is safe now 」
「 Yes 」
Michi nods.
「 In that case, Michi 」
「 Yes, Master? 」
I kiss Michi.
「 What’s wrong? 」
「 No, Michi just taught me a lot. You’re brilliant. Also cute. I love you 」
「 I-I-I-I-I also love Master 」
I know why Michi’s being talkative right now.
Michi’s shocked.
My parents signed divorce papers right in front of her.
「 Michi’s father is a good man 」
I said.
「 What? 」
Michi’s surprised.
「 After all, Michi’s mother was missing for four months without even contact, right? 」
「 Mother lost her way, I think 」
Michi looks at the “Kudou” stamp in her hand.
「 I think that she’s made her decision on how she would live from now on. She took so much time being lax 」
She went here and there together with Yamaoka-san, not returning home.
「 However, it can’t stay undecided. She took too much time that she’s out of it now 」
I said.
「 Master? 」
「 Four months is too long. She left her family for such a long period that Michi’s father pushed Michi’s mother’s back 」
「 Father? 」
「 Yeah, she can’t come back anymore. She’s out of time. Therefore, she has to look forward and move on. Pushing her stamp on the divorce doc.u.ments helps her feel refreshed 」
It’s the mother who ran away from the house with a man, and yet.
Kudou-papa was the one who keeps his frank expression all the time.
「 He must have a lot of things in his mind, but he didn’t say anything, did he? 」
Not even grudges, or complaints.
「 Father was crying on his back 」
Michi who can sense Qi said.
「 Father was crying 」
I knew it.
「 I also want to become like Michi’s father 」
I said. Michi;
「 As long as Master doesn’t copy Father’s fashion sense 」
Err.
「 No, that’s impossible for me. It’s too high-level 」
「 Indeed 」
We kiss each other again and head back to the mansion while holding hands.
◇ ◇ ◇
「 Haaaaaaaa 」
Everyone’s gathered in the dining room.
Misuzu, Ruriko, Yoshiko-san, Rei-chan, Mana and Katsuko-nee.
They’re all drinking tea.
「 Hafuuuuuuu 」
Err.
「 Why is Misuzu sighing out so much? 」
I asked. Ruriko smiled.
「 Misuzu-chan’s been like that since yesterday 」
Yesterday?
In short, since she met Takakura-san in Kyoto.
「 To be honest, I don’t want Danna-sama to meet Takakura-sama 」
Misuzu said.
「 Why? 」
「 Once Danna-sama sees Takakura-sama, Danna-sama will know that we’re not really high-cla.s.s ladies 」
……？？？！！!
Misuzu’s a lady of Kouzuki group, the representative of j.a.pan.
If Misuzu’s not a real one, then this world is flipped upside down.
「 You’re overthinking, Misuzu-chan. Onii-sama won’t think that way 」
「 But 」
Seeing Misuzu look uneasy, Yoshiko-san speaks up.
「 Indeed, she was a very charismatic person 」
Charisma?
「 What’s charisma? 」
Everyone’s turned over by my question.
「 Onii-chan, do you not know what it means? 」
Mana’s dumbfounded.
「 It means people that are rich in charm and has a confident presence 」
Rei-chan tells me.
「 Someone who attracts people? A funny person? Someone who brightens up everyone’s day 」
「 No, Onii-chan, it’s much more amazing than that 」
Mana said.
「 Amazing? 」
「 Right, politicians and religious leaders, people who are charming enough to be supported by the ma.s.ses are charismatic 」
Katsuko-nee says that while bringing tea to Michi and me.
「 Before, it means supernatural qualities, such as prophets, shaman, heroes, or something like that 」
Ruriko said.
「 Then, espers? 」
「 I won’t say that far but, it was a word when geniuses are thriving. Starting from the end of the 19th century until the 20th century, the world is led by intellectuals. Those geniuses have the charm to attract the public, that’s what charisma is 」
「 I see. So that’s how Takakura-san feels like? 」
「 She’s a shrine maiden after all 」
Yoshiko-san speaks in a low voice.
「 She’s the priestess of Takakura shrine after all 」
「 Priestess? 」
「 A female priest, a servant of G.o.d 」
Ruriko said.
「 So we’ll make that kind of person a prost.i.tute? 」
If she’s a shrine priestess then is it bad if she’s no longer a virgin?
「 We have no choice, that’s what the person said herself 」
「 But, Ruriko, isn’t it strange? 」
She’s coerced to marry a politician to have the shrine taken over.
She doesn’t want that, therefore
she wanted to become a prost.i.tute.
「 It must be a desperate time for her 」
Katsuko-nee looks at me.
「 You should make judgments when you see her in person 」
「 Sorry. You’re right, I haven’t met her and yet I’m making this image of her inside my head 」
Anyway, Misuzu, a lady of Kouzuki house has been sighing this much, she must be a big deal.
I can’t tell unless I meet her.
「 Huh, where’s everyone else by the way? 」
I change the topic.
「 Mao-chan and Agnes-chan are playing with Yukino-san 」
Mana replied.
「 Oh, she’s popular with the kids since then 」
「 Not only that, but she’s also changed a lot, hasn’t she? 」
Ruriko?
「 She’s become someone who can feel other people’s sensitivity better than before 」
Sensitivity?
「 Well, of course, she’s living in a dorm in Kouzuki SS with her living under the camera. She doesn’t have a housekeeper who does everything for her like before. She even does both cleaning and washing by herself, doesn’t she?
Katsuko-nee asks Rei-chan.
「 Shou-oneesama is strict when it comes to that 」
Yukino said it herself.
「 When Onee-sama was in Europe for study, she was living in a student dorm. She wants Yukino-san to learn how to be self-reliant 」
「 But she really has changed. I guess it’s because the people she’s working within the dorm and television are teaching her 」
Katsuko-nee said.
「 She’s a woman who can make a change once she sets her mind on something 」
I think.
「 Her father’s already gone, she’s expelled from Shirasaka house. Knowing that there is no other power to protect her other than herself, she’s made her resolve 」
「 Well, back then, she’s too noisy and won’t do anything 」
Mana?
「 Well, that’s good for her 」
I want Yukino and Mana to reconcile.
If possible, Megu as well.