"I must say, thanks to you, Rinji, this is the first time I've stepped out of the main house for New Year's."

"Slurp, slurp~"

"I don't know what you did, but I have to thank you for the outcome."

"Slurp, slurp~"

"…Are you even listening to me?"

"Of course."

Rinji finished his ramen, then wiped his mouth with a napkin.

That afternoon, Kaguya had invited Rinji out alone. He picked a small ramen shop nearby that was usually quiet—perfect for lunch.

"So, did something happen back at the main house, Shinomiya?"

"Something big."

In casual clothes, a baseball cap, and sunglasses, Kaguya sat across from him, holding her head in her hands.

From the moment she woke that morning, the atmosphere in the estate had felt strange.

Though her father had just been hospitalized the day before, the others at the main house treated her no differently. They ignored what they always ignored and restricted what they always restricted.

But that morning, simply walking through the garden, she was greeted respectfully by several servants.

That alone wasn't too unusual. As Shinomiya head's daughter, even if she had no standing, at least appearances had to be maintained.

What followed, however, was abnormal.

First, several visiting cadres stiffened nervously at the sight of her, stepping aside immediately to clear a path.

And that wasn't all.

Kaguya was idly staying in her room when several high-ranking members under Oko knocked and entered.

The moment they saw her, they kneeled down.

They cried out things like, "The decisions we made back then weren't intentional, please at least spare our families, Miss."

Kaguya was completely bewildered.

She thought this was already strange enough until she met her eldest brother Oko.

The man who had never treated her as a sister and was always cold-hearted actually approached her on his own. After saying "Happy birthday," he placed a document on her desk for her to sign.

She assumed it was something dangerous, but when she checked, it was actually a contract transferring company ownership.

She was almost certain now, this had to be Rinji using her identity yesterday to stir up some new mess again.

"You came to see me so early just to ask what I did yesterday using your identity?"

"Yes."

"Didn't Ai tell you?"

"No… Hayasaka told me something else." Kaguya shook her head. "She… told me why she had appeared by my side."

"…She confessed?"

"Yes."

What Hayasaka revealed to Kaguya was that she had once been planted at her side as a spy by Oko.

Kaguya's personality could never forgive a traitor or an informant. Hayasaka had already resigned last semester but never told Kaguya out of fear that Kaguya would hate her.

After living together for ten years like sisters, Hayasaka had always been afraid that once the truth was revealed, Kaguya would look at her with disgust.

Yesterday, after Rinji rescued Hayasaka from Oko, she finally made the decision to confess everything.

"So, Shinomiya, after hearing this from Ai, what do you plan to do?"

"I can only let it go. Even if her initial purpose was false, the ten years we spent together can't be faked. Besides… Hayasaka must be suffering too."

"As long as you can understand, that's good enough."

"Although we're no longer mistress and servant, Hayasaka has always been my dear sister." Kaguya smiled.

Then she suddenly remembered something and quickly asked, "This isn't the time for that. When you were playing my role, did you mess things up?"

"No."

"You were at the main house only two days, and the entire family was turned upside down! And you say you didn't mess around?" Kaguya raised her voice. "Didn't you say your acting was flawless?"

"Of course, no one thought I was Rinji."

"But no one thought you were Shinomiya Kaguya either."

"Hmm… I was always acting according to your's image."

"…And what image do you think I have in your eyes?"

"The image of 'a daughter of a great house, unwilling to remain on the margins, hiding as a weak girl for ten years only to now show her fangs to seize the power that should be hers.'"

"…Should I be grateful you think so highly of me?" Kaguya covered her face.

She had never thought of "reclaiming power." She had none in the first place.

"Now almost everyone in the family thinks I'm aiming for the head seat… I feel sick to my stomach."

"What do you have to feel sick about?" Rinji narrowed his eyes.

"I haven't even asked what you did under my name yet."

"Huh?"

"This morning, over twenty women from the Kure clan came to me, saying I agreed to develop relationships with them." Rinji's eyebrow twitched. "I don't recall agreeing to anything like that. Thinking about it, the only one who could have caused this is you."

Not only that, when Rinji woke up this morning, he also met Fusui.

Fusui's first words were, "Oh my, yesterday really surprised me. I never thought you could say something so romantic, Rinji. I always thought you were just a clueless virgin, but it seems you know how to talk after all~"

Her impression was right—Rinji's emotional intelligence was still not very high. He was also puzzled about what exactly he had said.

"This isn't my fault. Every time I switch into your body at the Kure clan, I always get swarmed by women. I only came up with a way to send them off for some peace." Kaguya retorted.

"And how did you do that?"

"I made empty promises, then sent them away." Kaguya said. "I used lines from the shoujo manga Fujiwara brought me."

"…That doesn't fit my image at all."

"I was always acting based on your image, Rinji."

"In your eyes, what kind of image do I have?"

"The image of 'a scumbag who isn't satisfied with one girlfriend and goes looking for a second.'" Kaguya said.

"…Surprisingly, I can't refute that."