"Just to cook a single meal?"
"Yes. Kaguya-sama has been craving the Boss's cooking."
"Then why not just come to the restaurant?"
"Because Kaguya-sama has been quite busy lately, so she didn't have the time."
Yuto had a nagging feeling that Hayasaka wasn't telling the whole truth.
It was just a gut instinct.
Even though her expression remained calm and her eyes were as still as a tranquil well as she spoke, Yuto couldn't shake his suspicion.
At the wheel, Hayasaka's gaze was unreadable, making it impossible to guess what the maid was truly thinking.
One thing was certain however: everything she did was for her master, Kaguya.
The car left Shinjuku and headed toward Minato Ward.
Yuto rested his chin on his hand, gazing out the window at the towering skyscrapers.
Tokyo was teeming with wealthy people.
If one were to map out the residential areas of the rich, Minato Ward would have the highest concentration in all of Tokyo.
Roughly half of Tokyo's wealthiest individuals resided here.
Most of the affluent families in this area were relatively new money. While their histories were shorter compared to the long-established old families in Chiyoda Ward, they often commanded far greater wealth.
This was because these new families had been quicker to seize the opportunities presented by technological advancements, allowing them to leapfrog their way to prominence and transform their fortunes.
Perhaps time had made the old families' thinking somewhat rigid.
Their initial disdain for the new era's opportunities had put them at a disadvantage.
A subtle rivalry existed between the old and new families.
Much like the competition between established corporations and emerging startups, each vied for dominance, each aspiring to become the industry leader.
These struggles among the upper echelons often became the stuff of legend among the common people.
It was a form of entertainment for the lower classes, and Yuto had heard a few such stories himself.
The most prominent family representing Minato Ward was the Shinomiya Family.
As one of the nation's four top zaibatsu, the Shinomiya Family had brought a large number of emerging families into its fold, seemingly betting on their future potential.
However, this strategy had made them unpopular with the other old-money clans.
Due to the Shinomiya Family's sheer size and influence, the weaker old families had no choice but to play along.
Yet, behind closed doors, they secretly mocked the Shinomiya.
Yuto had picked up all this information on Ichinosuke Street.
When bored, people loved to gossip about the powerful, much like others followed celebrity scandals. It seemed to be human nature to enjoy a bit of drama.
As for how much of it was true and how much was false... well, that probably depended on whether the storyteller had been drinking.
If they were drunk, it was ninety percent false. If sober, maybe eighty-five percent.
'Still, there's something pathetic about this kind of gossip,' Yuto mused.
'Our own lives are hard enough, yet we're obsessed with these people high above us... How absurd.'
...
This was Yuto's first time in Minato Ward.
'So this is Tokyo's most international district...'
Along the way, Yuto spotted countless restaurants and hotels with names from different countries.
Through the car window, he saw a diverse crowd: people of all races, some wearing headscarves, others in black veils.
According to a 2024 demographic survey, foreign nationals make up about 10% of Minato Ward's total population, adding to the district's international atmosphere.
Various cultures coexisted here in a harmonious blend. Yuto couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
He glanced at Hayasaka in the rearview mirror.
Her expression remained unchanged, suggesting she was long accustomed to such sights.
Suddenly, Yuto realized he still didn't know which family Kaguya belonged to.
She had never revealed her surname.
'As a business owner, it's bad form to pry into a client's personal details,' he reminded himself.
All he knew was that she seemed incredibly influential.
The thought of "Lady" Kaguya inevitably brought Erina to mind.
Comparing the two, he felt Kaguya possessed an even greater air of nobility than Erina.
The luxury car entered a special district where houses were sparse and burly men in black suits were everywhere.
Yuto noticed the bulges at their waists and immediately thought of guns.
'Maybe Ainz's idea of buying a gun could actually work here.'
Yuto's thoughts were lighthearted and even a bit humorous.
He wasn't nervous in the slightest.
After dealing with so many bizarre customers, a scene like this barely registered as surprising or nerve-wracking.
After all, he'd met not only Alexander the Great but also a goddess.
Compared to that, this was nothing.
"We're almost there, Boss," Hayasaka said.
"Understood."
The car continued straight for a while longer before pulling up to a magnificent, opulent villa.
Yuto couldn't help but marvel silently.
'This is a truly wealthy family.'
Another car was parked in front of the villa.
As soon as Hayasaka saw it, her eyes darkened with a flash of deep resentment.
Her expression returned to its usual calm, but Yuto had already caught the fleeting change in the rearview mirror.
He didn't ask.
From what he knew, families like this were often complicated. It was their business, not his.
"We've arrived, Boss."
Hayasaka stopped the car, got out, and stood silently by the rear passenger door.
When Yuto stepped out, she gave him a slight, respectful nod.
"Please follow me, Boss." Hayasaka spoke calmly before turning and walking into the villa.
Before following, Yuto glanced at the nameplate beside the villa's entrance.
Two characters were carved on it—Shinomiya.
Yuto felt a flicker of surprise.
He didn't expect Kaguya to be a member of the Shinomiya family.
Connecting the dots, he recalled that the Shinomiya family had three sons and one daughter.
Kaguya must be the daughter.
'No wonder I felt Kaguya had a more noble air than Erina,' he thought. 'She's a true young lady.'
"Boss, I'll show you to another room to rest for a moment," Hayasaka said, turning her head to apologize.
"We have a guest, and I need to attend to them briefly. I'll be back shortly. My apologies."
Yuto didn't mind. "It's no problem."
"Mm."
He followed Hayasaka toward a room on the other side of the hall.
Just as she pushed the door open, a flippant voice drifted out from within.
"Tsk, what a coincidence, Hayasaka."
Hayasaka's expression turned cold, her eyes betraying a hint of surprise.
Standing in the inner room was a man who appeared to be approaching thirty.
His small eyes held a sinister glint, and the corners of his mouth were curled into a malicious smirk.
He wore a beige suit.
"Un'yo-sama." Hayasaka bowed respectfully to the man before her.
Shinomiya Un'yo, the third son of the Shinomiya family.
Beside him stood a bespectacled man—his attendant, Amano Yakumo.
"Who is this?" Un'yo asked calmly, his gaze falling on Yuto.
Though his tone held a hint of curiosity, it was dismissive.
This wasn't mere contempt or arrogance; it was the posture of someone looking down from an unassailable height.
Like a human observing an ant on the ground.
To Shinomiya Un'yo, the third son of the Shinomiya family, commoners were indeed as insignificant as ants.
"He is my guest," Hayasaka replied, her voice neither servile nor defiant.
A slight curve tugged at Un'yo's lips—a look of extreme mockery. "Since when does the Shinomiya family entertain commoners as guests?"
Un'yo's words almost made Yuto laugh.
He had finally encountered a scion of a great family who perfectly matched his preconceived notions.
Arrogant, disdainful of commoners, his every action reeking of eccentricity and wild conceit.
His words were so self-important they were laughable.
'Yes,' Yuto thought, 'this persona perfectly fits the stereotypical image of a scion from a great family. If his behavior were a little more vile and his daily life a little more decadent, he'd be the perfect archetype.'
The thought brought an involuntary smile to Yuto's face.
This caused Un'yo's expression to shift slightly.
It was the fleeting annoyance and embarrassment of someone whose posturing had been interrupted, but he managed to keep his composure.
The change wasn't too obvious.
Noticing the subtle shift in Un'yo's expression, Yuto felt a renewed sense of confirmation.
'This makes him fit the imagined persona of a great family 'young master' even better.'
"What's so funny?" Un'yo asked coldly.
"I was just thinking of something pleasant," Yuto replied, his smile vanishing as he met Un'yo's gaze with unwavering calm.
He stared directly into the other man's eyes without a trace of fear.
Un'yo frowned and averted his gaze.
A flicker of doubt about Yuto arose in his mind.
During their brief eye contact, he had felt an inexplicable sense of unease. This prompted Un'yo to scrutinize Yuto seriously for the first time.
He had only given Yuto a cursory glance before, but now, scrutinizing him seriously, he felt a jolt of alarm.
The aura emanating from Yuto made him feel inferior.
It was a sensation difficult to put into words, yet it stirred a deep unease within him, making him suspicious of Yuto's hidden identity.
Un'yo felt this way because Yuto had already undergone multiple enhancements and received Hestia's Blessing.
Fundamentally, Yuto had surpassed ordinary humans.
It was no wonder Un'yo felt a sense of inferiority, it was an effect of the God's Blessing.
Gods, by their very nature, are beings transcendent of humanity.
Their Blessings passively imbue the recipient with a trace of that same transcendence.
Even if the effect isn't strong, it is still present.