Chapter 252 Hayasaka Ai: Is There Something Wrong With Your Head?
After returning home in the afternoon, Shinomiya Kaguya immediately started working on the tasks she had at hand.
Yes, work.
Although she is still a student, she is also the Young Lady of the Shinomiya Group. Even though she is a daughter who cannot inherit and has been forced into the succession struggle between her older brothers, Shinomiya Kaguya now has her own plans.
She has zero interest in succession rights and is prepared to work hard on her own in the future without relying on the Shinomiya Family.
After all, she is currently waiting for Shirogane Miyuki to confess, and if that fails, she will confess herself. Given Shirogane Miyuki's pride, he would likely not want to marry into the family, so Shinomiya Kaguya also wants to leave the Shinomiya Family.
For this reason, Shinomiya Kaguya had to prepare early.
Towards the end of the summer vacation, Shinomiya Kaguya had an open and honest talk with her older brothers, deliberately avoiding her maid, Hayasaka Ai.
The details of that conversation were unknown even to Hayasaka Ai, who later learned about the meeting, but since that day, several maids, chefs, and stewards gradually left Shinomiya Kaguya's residence, leaving only her personal staff.
After arriving home and changing clothes, Shinomiya Kaguya opened the computer in her bedroom and began reviewing a series of documents and emails.
Some of these tasks were things she had promised to help her eldest brother handle, offering him advice and strategies, while the rest were her own profitable projects.
Halfway through her work, Hayasaka Ai walked in, carrying a freshly brewed cup of tea.
"Young Lady Kaguya, please have some tea first."
Hearing Hayasaka Ai's voice, Shinomiya Kaguya finally pulled her attention away from the computer, took the cup Hayasaka Ai offered, took a sip, and said, "Thank you, Hayasaka."
Looking at the documents on the screen, Hayasaka Ai said, "Young Lady, you don't need to push yourself this hard right now. You can take your time."
"I can't. There isn't enough time."
Shaking her head, Shinomiya Kaguya said, "These achievements I have now were only secured after negotiations with my eldest brother, and Father does not know about them yet. However, it's only a matter of time before he finds out. I need to be fully prepared before then. I'm tired of the succession struggle in the family; I might as well end it sooner."
Shinomiya Kaguya had seen through it: her father knew perfectly well about the infighting among her older brothers but never stopped it, treating the situation like a competition to breed the strongest successor.
As for the method used by many families—having the daughter inherit and then bringing in a reliable son-in-law to help manage things—Shinomiya Kaguya wasn't keen on that either, as it would only worsen her already strained relationships with her brothers.
Compared to her father, Shinomiya Kaguya preferred talking to these brothers; at least they didn't treat her coldly.
Setting the teacup down, Shinomiya Kaguya rubbed her temples and said, "Within five years, if my expectations aren't wrong and my brothers aren't incompetent, I won't have to be tied down by the Shinomiya Family anymore."
"But if that's the case, Miss Kaguya, you will be very tired these next few years."
Hayasaka Ai frowned slightly, looking at Shinomiya Kaguya, who had grown up with her and was like a younger sister.
"It's alright, Hayasaka." A smile appeared on Shinomiya Kaguya's face. "I grew up receiving extremely strict education from a young age. These tasks aren't complicated for a genius like me. On the contrary, figuring out how to interact with the President is far more difficult!"
"..."
Hayasaka Ai was speechless. In a sense, that was true.
"So, Young Lady Kaguya, when will President Shirogane finally confess to you? The election is over, and things are back to the way the Student Council used to be. Shouldn't you be making a move?"
"Uh..."
Shinomiya Kaguya felt slightly embarrassed and tried to avoid the topic of the lack of progress these past few days, so she quickly said, "Um, Hayasaka, did you know? I confirmed something today, and that is that boys have a testicle replacement period!"
"..."
Looking at Shinomiya Kaguya, whose eyes were wide and who wore an expression that screamed, "I've learned new knowledge, praise me quickly," Hayasaka Ai nearly choked on her breath.
After several seconds, she slowly said, "Young Lady Kaguya, are... are you alright? Should I contact someone so we can go to the hospital for a check-up?"
She was genuinely worried that her Young Lady had worked herself into idiocy.
"Hayasaka!!!! What are you saying?"
It wasn't until a few minutes later, after listening to Hayasaka Ai's explanation and looking at a series of online posts and comments she gathered, that Shinomiya Kaguya finally realized she had been tricked!
Taking a deep breath, Shinomiya Kaguya finally understood why Eriri's expression had been so strange during lunch.
That's right, the other party definitely understood these things. After all, she had a boyfriend and lived with him.
The mystery was solved. Everything made sense now.
Thinking back carefully, Shinomiya Kaguya realized the culprit behind all this was not Eriri, but Fujiwara Chika, who had been sitting next to her at the time.
And then there was Ishigami Yuu, whom she had asked that day, and who had dishonestly tricked her!
"Fujiwara-san probably won't listen no matter how many times I tell her, but at least Ishigami needs a good talking-to. How dare he lie to his senior?"
As her little fist slowly clenched, Hayasaka Ai, standing nearby, silently prayed for Ishigami Yuu for exactly one second.
Hmm, praying for too long wouldn't be good, as she was Shinomiya Kaguya's maid and wasn't very close to Ishigami Yuu.
But honestly, the whole thing was quite amusing. Her Young Lady was truly innocent, actually believing it.
Seeing the look in Hayasaka Ai's eyes, Shinomiya Kaguya's face instantly flushed red, and she lunged forward, saying, "Don't you dare laugh!!!!"
...The fate of Fujiwara Chika and Ishigami Yuu was sealed. Even if Kaede and Eriri didn't ask, they knew the two of them were in for a bit of bad luck.
After spending Saturday with one of them out playing all day and the other working all day, the two finally stayed home on Sunday to draw. Kaede, after finishing the storyboards for a chapter, opened his novel document for the first time in a while and began writing the content for the new volume.
Seeing Kaede start typing, Eriri asked curiously, "Kaede-kun, are you releasing a new volume this year?"
"I should release another volume by the end of the year, but it might be postponed until January next year."
Typing away, Kaede said, "It depends on the Bunko's schedule, but I'm not rushing. I've already released several volumes this year."
Eriri nodded and scooted her chair closer.
"Hehe, tell me what this volume is about! Why haven't Kazuma and Megumin gotten together yet!"
Due to Eriri's nagging, Kaede had no choice but to tell her the outline of the new volume's story.