Inugawa Ichika had been summoned by her master, Hirata Takane. Hirata Takane—
The Chairman of the massive Hirata Group conglomerate, he wielded tremendous influence over Japan’s political and economic landscape. Ichika was currently in the reception room.
It was a Japanese-style room of staggering dimensions. Seated in order of precedence were Takane himself and his granddaughter, Ruka (PN: Rulia).
“Inugawa. You seem to hold Okaya in high regard.” ”…………!” Takane opened with those words.
Ichika had been on the verge of reporting exactly that matter.
“G-Grandpa… d-does it really mean what you think?”
The granddaughter, Rulia, had her rabbit-like red eyes wide open.
Her gaze shifted back and forth between her grandfather and Ichika standing before her. “Hmm.”
On the other hand, Takane remained perfectly composed.
There was no agitation in his eyes; he merely nodded with grave solemnity.
“Mr. Hirata, Miss Ruka, I apologize for my actions.” Ichika bowed her head in earnest.
“Enough, there is no need to bow your head in such a manner, surely.”
“O-Old master… but…” Rushia flustered.
She had clearly been shaken by the sudden confession.
To suddenly learn that a woman so beautiful was in love with her favorite man—shock was only natural. Kogeno nodded.
“Calm down, Rushia. You’re not officially dating him yet, are you? Then there’s no need to panic.” “Mmm… but still…”
Kogeno seemed to find it endearing to watch his granddaughter struggling with love.
Having expected a scolding, she felt relieved… and yet…
There was a feeling of apology toward Rushia. But…
“Master Kogeno, may I have a word?” “You may. Speak.”
“How did you… hear that I like Ogani-kun? From whom?” “From Saburo.” ”…I see.”
Later, she would thrash Saburo for this. Ichika clenched her fist tightly, making up her mind.
“What are your thoughts on the matter, Master Kogeno?”
“Do as you please. One cannot force or dominate another person’s feelings.”
It appears that Takahara is viewing the fact that Ichika loves the same man as her granddaughter with a favorable light.
“Rather, the fact that he holds the affections of multiple women suggests that Okaya must be quite the charming man. I almost feel compelled to praise him for capturing the heart of my own granddaughter.”
“B-But Grandpa. I don’t think we have time for such leisurely remarks right now.”
Rushia asked with a look of unease.
“At this rate, won’t Inugawa snatch Okaya away from me?”
“Then shouldn’t you refine yourself as a woman and make your move on Okaya before he’s taken? Hmm? Or is that not the case?”
“T-That would be~… ugh~…” Ichika suddenly realized.
It seemed Takahara was exploiting Ichika’s affection. In other words…
“Ryuko, why don’t you invite Okaya out somewhere? A vacation home in Karuizawa seems just right.”
The Kanda family owned numerous villas in various locations. The one in Karuizawa was just one of them.
“G-Grandpa… that means staying overnight, doesn’t it?” “Indeed, it does.” “B-But…”
“Ryuko, love is a struggle for possession. If you keep waiting on the sidelines like this, Inugawa will steal away the man who matters to you.” “Ugh~…”
In other words, Takahara is using Inagawa as a catalyst to stoke a sense of crisis and push Ruria and Okaya’s relationship forward.
“Hey now, what will you do? Mm? If you just ask your jii-ji nicely, I can set everything up perfectly for you, can’t I? Mm?”
…Moreover, it seems Takahara is doing this to support the romance while actually just wanting his granddaughter to call him “jii-ji.”
“Mmm, um~…”
Ruria seemed to have made up her mind.
“Jii-ji. Please… could you help me move my relationship with Okaya forward?”
“Very well! Leave it to me!”
Takara tightly embraced Ruria, hugging her close.
“Leave it to me, Rukako! If needed, we can even change the laws of Japan!”
“E-excuse us… you want to change the laws?”
“I mean, making bigamy legal. Then both Inagawa and Rukako—and everyone else—would be able to find happiness, don’t you think?”
“Th-that’s a bit much even for you…”
Rushia and Ichika were equally aghast.
“In that case, you may call me ‘Grandpa’ from now on.”
“N-no! Please don’t! Hie! Let’s go!” “Wh—wha? Yes, sir!”
Rushia stomp her feet in anger as she walks away from Takahara. “Hie,” Takahara calls out to stop Ichika.
“I prioritize Rukuro’s well-being above all else. But… I consider you and your brother like family.” Takahara smiled with the warmth of a kind old man.
“Your clan has served my household for generations. I regard you just as much as a daughter. So, please do not worry too much about this.”
She had fallen in love with the same man as the granddaughter of the master of the house she served.
Originally, she thought it was no wonder her head would be rolled off for such a crime.
Ichika marveled at Takahara’s magnanimity.
“Well, to put it plainly, whether Okaya ends up with you or Rukuro, my house will still gain a capable heir-in-law.”
“I see… so everything was under Lord Takahara’s control from the start.”
“And that talk of bigamy was just a joke. If she plans to beg Grandpa for permission, tell Rukuro to get on it sooner rather than later.”
“That’s something you should tell the young lady directly. Now then.”
Ichika bowed her head and left the room. ★ After leaving the Highland… In Lusia’s private quarters.
“Saburouuuuuuuu! Yoooouuuuuuuu!”
“It hurts, sis! Stopppppppppppp!”
Mounted on Saburou’s collapsed back, Ichika applied a camel clutch (a technique where one grabs the jaw and folds the opponent backward into an inverted bridge).
“I told you not to talk, didn’t Iiiiiaaaaaaaa!”
“Ghhhhhhh it’s breakingggggggggggg!”
With a devilish scowl, Ichika pressed the hold on Saburou.
Witnessing that gruesome scene, Lusia fell silent. Crack.
“I broke iiiiiiiiiiii! Pop.”
Moving off from the motionless Saburou, Ichika let out a huff of breath.
Meanwhile, Lusia’s face turned deathly pale as she said.
「E、Enegawa… d-did he die?」
「No, Miss. My foolish brother is merely pretending to be dead」
「It’s not just a flinch! I’m going to crush you!」 「Escape from Hia!」
The large man rolled like a log and exited Lusian’s room.
Ichika let out a stunned sigh, while Lucie’s eyes narrowed to points.
「Miss, may I take a moment of your time?」 「Ah, yes…」
Lucie sat up straight on the bed in a seiza position.
Ichika briefly recounted the history between herself and Okaya.
She narrated their time at university about ten years ago and the period until their reunion, stripping her words of as much emotion as possible. 「That is how it went」
「I see… you have been thinking of Okaya for over a decade…」
Lucie listened earnestly to Ichika’s words.
Without anger, and without turning sour.
Still, she nodded as if in full agreement.
“I’ve come to understand Ichika’s feelings for Niewake…”
Far from the tremor of agitation she’d shown when first confiding her heart, Lucia accepted the reality with striking composure.
“What a lovely romance. It makes me envious.”
There was no shadow on Lucia’s face.
It was easy to tell that she meant it sincerely.
Yet Ichika couldn’t help feeling a sense of apology. “You’re not angry?”
“Angry at what? Both you and I just ended up liking the same man. Isn’t that all there is to it?”
Ichika was impressed by Lucia’s attitude.
In terms of status, Lucia was the employer’s daughter and thus superior to her.
For a woman of lower station to butt in from the side and claim she liked the same man could easily be branded an act of disrespect.
She could have simply asked her grandfather to fire Ichika.
And yet, Lucia’s demeanor was remarkably mature.
“Ichika. To me, you are like a true elder sister who has looked after me since I was young.” “Miss…”
“When our parents passed away, it was you who encouraged me. I am wishing for your happiness as well,” Lucia said.
“And I have absolutely no intention of giving up on Okaya either.”
Lucia looked straight at Ichika.
There was no jealousy or hostility in her gaze, only a direct, unwavering focus on her.
“In matters of love, we are equal comrades-in-arms. You don’t need to worry about my status. Feel free to make your moves however you like. Just know that I won’t lose.”
Though ten years younger, the girl possessed a maturity beyond her years as she acknowledged the feelings of her rival, Ichika.
An eighteen-year-old girl. The other was the young mistress of a major corporation and the partner who fights alongside Okaya in the publishing industry.
In terms of youth, age, and status, Ichika was losing on every front.
That’s right. She was at an overwhelming disadvantage.
If she held back out of consideration, she would lose.
If your opponent wants a fair fight, there’s no reason to hold back—just go all out.
“Understood. But… I’m not going to lose either.” “Oh? Same here.”
Lushia reached out her hand, and Ichika took it, their clasping hands locked together.
…From behind the sliding paper door, a large man watched over them.
“Sis, Lady, rivals in love who respect each other. This is intense.” ”…Hey, come out of there you idiot brother.”
“Not exactly the height of taste to peek, Sanro.”
Sanro popped his head out from behind the door.
“Uh, hehe. Sorry, sorry about that.”
“And speaking of Sanro, I told you not to tell anyone, and yet you spread rumors about Lord Takayama and me? I’m still not forgivng you for that.”
Click-click… Ichika cracked her knuckles. “Eeek! Lady, help me—”
With a sudden dash, the Terminator-like giant cowered behind the girl like a child.
“Come now, Ichika, cut him some slack. He surely didn’t mean any harm.”
“Well, fine. But you… I hope you don’t actually think me an idiot, but you haven’t told anyone else, aside from the President and his daughter, have you?” Ichika asked, just to be safe. “Uh?” ”…Hey.”
Ichika said it in a deep, ominous voice. “You wouldn’t actually…”
Feeling eyes on her, Ichika threw the sliding door wide open.
With a thundering rush, a massive horde of men in black suits poured in.
“You guys! What are you doing?!”
”…It seems these goons might need some re-education.”
Ichika’s colleagues—the men in black—had apparently been watching Roshia’s conversation.
They exchanged awkward glances with one another, but then, smiling broadly, they began to applaud.
“Yoshibe-sis! Congratulations!!!”
…It seemed her colleagues had found out the whole story about her love life. The culprit? That would certainly have been…
“Saburooooooo!”
“No, I mean! It’s a happy occasion, and I thought everyone should celebrate together!”
She lunged at her little brother with a face full of demonic fury, immediately locking him in a Pro Special (note: professional wrestling move).
“You’re definitely laughing at this, aren’t youuuu?!?”
“It hurts it hurts I’m dying I’m dying aaaaaaaah!” Crack!
“My arm’s been ripped off aaaaaah!”
…That said, thanks to Saburo’s unnecessary meddling, the fact remained that she hadn’t had to deal with feeling out of place at work.
Ichika decided to forgive her brother for it.