A little while later, Kaguya and her maid arrived together.
Tonight, there was sothing unsettled about Kaguya.
Beneath her composure, her expression held a trace of frustration and restlessness.
Yuto had no idea what was bothering her. He almost asked, but after a mont's thought, decided against it.
Kaguya and Hayasaka took their seats.
The mont Kaguya saw the sashimi, her expression shifted.
She was a true heiress, one who stood at the top of the social ladder.
Luxury of any kind was sothing she could reach for as easy as breathing, and her experience with fine things was extensive.
She recognized the bluefin tuna at a glance since she had eaten it before.
"Would you like a serving?" Yuto asked, noticing where her eyes had fallen.
His words startled her, her shoulders gave a tiny tremor.
"Then... yes, please, Kamisaka-kun," Kaguya said after recovering, lowering her head as a blush touched her cheeks.
Yuto looked to Hayasaka.
She asked for her usual hamburger. He nodded and turned toward the kitchen.
The mont he left, Kaguya's gaze shifted to Asuna.
It was a direct, unblinking stare—intense enough to make anyone nervous and Asuna grew nervous.
Back at ho, she had invoked the Shinomiya na in front of her father.
Now face-to-face with Kaguya, she felt awkward and uneasy.
On top of that, Kaguya was looking at her with a quiet scrutiny that made her more flustered.
"Miss Shinomiya... is there sothing you wanted to say to ?" Asuna's tone was respectful and cautious.
Her own family might run a company, but compared to the Shinomiya family, the Yuuki household was hardly worth ntioning.
If she angered Kaguya, it felt possible the Yuuki family could disappear overnight.
Kaguya tilted her chin.
Around Yuto, she could be approachable or shy. With other people, there was a layer of cold distance in her attitude.
Ordinarily, she could maintain a polite smile for the daughter of another wealthy family.
Tonight, however, she didn't feel like doing that.
"No. It's nothing." Kaguya turned away and sat in silence.
That response made Asuna feel more unsettled.
Beside Kaguya, Hayasaka watched with a calm expression, though she let out a sigh.
Back at the house earlier, the scene was vivid in her mory.
...
"Hayasaka, why did Kamisaka-kun go to that Asuna girl?"
"Hayasaka, why didn't Kamisaka-kun co to instead?"
"Hayasaka, what kind of relationship does Kamisaka-kun have with that Asuna girl?"
"Hayasaka, how much is the Yuuki Group worth? What do you think about buying it?"
"Hayasaka Hayasaka Hayasaka Hayasaka Hayasaka, say sothing!"
...
After Yuto's request earlier that day, Kaguya had fallen into a strange spiral of imagination.
The direction of her thoughts had gone sowhere odd and fast.
And Hayasaka, forced to endure her mistress acting like a spoiled, unhinged child, had one conclusion: This is exhausting...
Yet now at the restaurant, Kaguya acted calm.
Hayasaka didn't know what to say.
No one understood Kaguya better than she did, they had grown up together. Because she understood her, she knew Kaguya's outward calm was fake.
Inside, her thoughts were in chaos.
'Should I ask her directly what her relationship with Kamisaka-kun is...?'
'No, would that be too abrupt?'
'I shouldn't have stared at her like that just now. She's going to think sothing's wrong.'
'Maybe I should just ask Kamisaka-kun later?'
'No, impossible. I can't imagine myself getting the words out.'
'But I want to know why Kamisaka-kun needed her...'
'Why didn't I just ask him over the phone earlier?! Ahhh! The timing's gone now. If I ask now, it'll be far too awkward!'
'...Should I just acquire the Yuuki Group after all?'
As Hayasaka had suspected, Kaguya's mind was a storm.
Her face remained composed, but the corner of her mouth twitched, revealing she was grinding her teeth.
It was a subtle reaction only Hayasaka noticed.
She sighed inwardly again.
She understood. It was ti for her, the faithful maid—no, not a convenient tool—to step in once more!
Across from them, Asuna grew uneasy.
She could feel that Kaguya's attitude toward her was unfriendly. Maybe she was imagining it, maybe she wasn't—but it didn't feel right.
Asuna was starting to panic.
She ran back through her life, searching for a point where she might have offended Kaguya.
She could think of nothing.
...
Back in the kitchen, Erina and Hisako reacted the mont they noticed Kaguya.
Their expressions shifted.
The only one who remained calm was Yuto.
"Didn't Kaguya say last night not to worry about status?" he asked, noticing their unease.
"Relax."
The two girls managed strained smiles.
Kaguya had said sothing to that effect. Putting it into practice, however, was another matter.
At Yuto's direction, Erina began working on Hayasaka's hamburger, while he focused on preparing Kaguya's sashimi.
He made hers elaborate, adding extra and using the rarest cuts as his way of thanking her for what she had done today.
The result was obvious at a glance.
Compared to the sashimi he had served to Asuna, Utaha, and Saitama, this plate was on another level—refined, luxurious, carefully composed.
When he brought it out, Utaha noticed imdiately.
"Kamisaka-kun, why is Miss Shinomiya's plate so much better?"
There was a note of jealousy in her voice!
Sothing in Kaguya's eyes shifted. The beautiful girl tried to remain composed, but a quiet delight rose in her expression.
"Because Miss Kaguya helped a great deal today," Yuto said with a smile.
Utaha blinked, puzzled.
When she tried to ask further, Yuto answered with, "Himitsu-desu."
Utaha was annoyed.
He teased her, then set the sashimi plate in front of Kaguya.
As he bent down, he spoke two quiet words near her ear.
"Thank you."
Just two words.
That was enough to send Kaguya's face blazing red.
He was too close!
She could feel the warmth of his breath. The tangled thoughts troubling her vanished.
Her mind went blank, and for a second she forgot how to respond.
Yuto didn't mind the silence.
Beside her, Hayasaka let out another sigh.
Under the counter, she nudged Kaguya's foot. Kaguya snapped back to herself.
The light returned to her eyes, though she looked flustered.
"I-it's... it's nothing." She tried to sound calm, but her voice trembled.
Hayasaka looked at her mistress and felt powerless.
Shifting her gaze, she looked toward Yuto. "By the way, Boss, what did you need from Miss Yuuki earlier?"
Kaguya, having just regained composure, tensed again.
Yuto smiled. "It wasn't anything serious."
He explained how Ainz and the others wanted to try VR gas.
Once Kaguya heard the story, the knot in her chest began to co undone.
'Oh... so it was just a favor for his friends.' The relief washing over her felt embarrassing!
Hayasaka stole a glance at Kaguya, then turned to Yuto. "Will you be trying it too, Boss?"
"I will," he said. "I haven't played many gas before, so I'd like to give it a shot."
Hayasaka smiled. "That VR ga sounds interesting to as well."
With her baby-faced looks and curious tone, she sounded like an ordinary girl intrigued by sothing new.
Yuto looked surprised. "Hayasaka, you're interested in gas too?"
Hayasaka's smile didn't waver as she nodded.
"In that case, you can discuss it with Asuna." Since both were here, there was no reason for him to stay in the middle.
Hayasaka nodded and turned to Asuna.
"Miss Yuuki, would that be possible?" Her tone was calm and polite.
Asuna nodded. "Of course. Please don't worry—I'll prepare a VR unit for you."
Hayasaka's smile deepened. "If possible, I'd like two. Miss Kaguya is also interested in this new VR technology."
Kaguya froze
'...What? Since when was i interested in VR? i still hadn't figured out my phone yet.'
The warning pressure from Hayasaka's foot made her keep quiet.
She decided it was safest to trust Hayasaka.
"Really? That's wonderful. Then please rest assured, Miss Shinomiya—I'll bring you the best VR unit we have tomorrow." Asuna's face brightened.
For her, this was an opportunity—for herself, and for her family's company.
Kaguya maintained her dignity and gave a composed nod.
"Mm."
Even though she was confused, she could not lose her dignity here.
She glanced sideways at Hayasaka.
At that mont, she made up her mind. Later, she would make Hayasaka explain what she had been thinking.
Noticing Yuto's surprise, Hayasaka added, "Miss Kaguya has been looking into cutting-edge technologies, so she's interested in VR."
That explanation made sense to Yuto.
It raised Kaguya higher in his estimation. 'As expected of a young lady from a great family,' he thought. 'She is exceptional.'
Seeing that change in his expression, Hayasaka relaxed. 'As expected of . The plan worked.'
By using the ga as an excuse, she created another point of contact between Kaguya and Yuto, while establishing Kaguya in his mind as soone knowledgeable and forward-thinking.
Two birds with one stone. A perfect move.
The only problem was... Hayasaka glanced at her mistress.
Kaguya was sitting there in composed confusion, oblivious to the strategy that had played out around her.
Hayasaka felt that life was not easy!
Before long, Asuna left, excited, planning how she would explain tonight's events to her father.
If she handled things well, her life might beco easier.
"I should go too." Utaha stood up.
She had spent the entire day with Yuto, and had hoped to stay at the restaurant late into the night, since it was the last evening before her parents returned.
Unfortunately, her parents were arriving earlier than expected.
She found that frustrating.
For a mont, she wished their flight would be delayed. Still, she had to leave early.
"If your parents are coming back, you'd better head ho sooner rather than later," Yuto said, apologetic.
Utaha sighed. "I have a feeling the amount of ti I can spend at the restaurant is going to drop a lot from now on."
"It's fine," Yuto said with a smile. "I'm not going anywhere. Just co by whenever you can." He chuckled.
In the end, Utaha left in a gloomy mood.
Watching her dejected back, Yuto smiled.
There had been a ti when he had felt the sa way, irritated with his parents and desperate to keep his distance.
Only now, there was no going back.
"Right, there's sothing I wanted to ask. What happened to that manager in the end?" Yuto rembered the ssage Hanako left behind.
He was curious about how that manager had been dealt with.
"He was sent to Africa to work in the mines," Hayasaka said.
Kaguya remained calm as she sipped her tea.
Yuto nodded.
That ending was sothing he could accept. He could understand Hanako's decision to forgive that manager, but he could not accept it.
A simple apology was supposed to be enough? Hanako had gone soft with him!
---------
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