「 Sit appropriately 」
I entered the emergency broadcast reserve room.
Nei, Megu, Edie, and I vs Ishigami siblings and Kurose Anju-san
「 P-Please, Norio-sama, Mizuki-sama
Kurose-san prepares the pipe chair for the Ishigami siblings.
And since she’s a bodyguard, she remains standing.
On the other hand, Edie sits down.
「 You’re a bodyguard, yet why are you taking a seat? 」
Ishigami Mizuki scolds Edie.
「 I’m officially not a bodyguard. Besides, Darling isn’t from the nobility so the rules about bodyguards don’t matter 」
Edie laughs.
「 Besides, I can do my job just fine even when sitting. If it’s just your group 」
The door to the reserve broadcast room is heavy.
I also locked the door as soon as I closed it.
We’re now in a locked room.
「 Mizuki-sama, please don’t speak excessively 」
Kurose-san said.
「 I’m here to keep Mizuki-sama safe but I don’t think I can beat her 」
She knows Edie’s true strength.
「 Anju, are you accepting loss even before the fight? 」
Ishigami Mizuki speaks to her subordinate in displeasure.
「 I-I’m very sorry, but… 」
「 That’s not it! Get yourself together!! 」
Then.
「 You’re the one who should get yourself together 」
Edie speaks in a low tone.
Then, Ishigami Norio.
「 This is courtesy so I’ll tolerate that you have a weapon in you. But you can’t show your weapon in front of me even as a joke, because if you do, I’ll have to take you down 」
「 Y-You’re rude! I’m a member of the Ishigami house! 」
Ishigami Norio reacts excessively.
Oh, he has something in him.
「 Right, you have your name. That’s why you’re not accustomed to your weapon, right? You can’t even use a taser 」
「!!! 」
Ishigami Norio trembles.
「 Don’t use a holster on your armpit, the suit’s line gives it away. Also, that size shows that it’s not a real gun, but just a taser that shoots a wire needle. 」
Edie said.
「 Norio-sama, please control yourself. In case of emergencies, I’ll be busy keeping Mizuki-sama safe 」
Kurose-san told Ishigami Norio.
She’s the bodyguard of the little sister, Ishigami Mizuki.
So, her priority is the little sister.
「 Don’t be ridiculous, you’re a subordinate of the Ishigami house, you’re going to keep Mizuki and me safe even if you put your life in the line 」
「 I will indeed put my life in the line. However 」
「 Doing something about that is your job! 」
Oh, these siblings are no good.
They can’t see the situation.
「 Don’t worry, I won’t kill you 」
Edie laughs.
「 But if you make a move to pull out the taser, I’ll break your shoulder and arm. I’ll give you the warning in advance 」
「 That’s no threat. Edie’s going to do that for real 」
Nei says from behind.
「 Please control yourself, Norio-sama 」
Kurose-san told the elder once again.
She sure has it rough.
「 So, what’s the topic? 」
I feel sorry for her so I get to the main topic.
「 You two have something you want to tell me, and that’s why you came all the way here, didn’t you? 」
Ishigami Norio.
「 Indeed. We have something to tell you 」
「 It’s about Kuromiya house’s Motoko-san! 」
Ishigami siblings glared at me.
I thought so.
「 Let me get this straight! Return Motoko-san to the Kuromiya house right away! 」
I…
「 Why? 」
I speak in a low tone.
「 W-Why?! You! Motoko-san is the daughter of the Kuromiya house!! 」
「 Isn’t it natural that she returns to the Kuromiya house!! 」
Hmm.
「 Nono, that’s not what I’m asking. 」
I ask once again.
「 What privilege do you have to come and tell me that? 」
Ishigami house thinks that they’re relatives with the Kuromiya house, but…
Still, it’s weird that they’re meddling with the matters of the Kuromiya house.
「 Privilege? Do you not know that the Ishigami house is controlling the audits of the noble families 」
「 Yes! You should know that Ishigami house does that 」
Nope, I don’t know.
I never heard of them from Misuzu or Ruriko either.
I never read about them from reports of Kouzuki SS either.
「 Our duty is to maintain the order of the noble families 」
「 It’s a serious matter that the Kuromiya house disowned Motoko-san! Motoko-san must immediately apologize to the Kuromiya house, to their family head, and ask them to revert their disinheritance! 」
「 That’s right! We will accompany Motoko-san to Kuromiya-sama and apologize! We’re the auditors of the noble families after all! 」
The Ishigami siblings insist on their claims, but…
Hmmm.
Kurose Anju-san’s making a troubled face behind them.
Meaning, they were lying.
「 Even if you talk about the world of nobility, it only troubles me. Why don’t you go to Misuzu instead? 」
I reject them.
「 D-D-D-Don’t be ridiculous! T-Talking to Kouzuki Misuzu-sama is… 」
Huh?
「 That’s right! We can’t talk directly to Kouzuki-sama!! 」
Ishigami Mizuki said.
「 So, you…you’re the one to talk to Kouzuki Misuzu-sama and return Motoko-san to the Kuromiya house! 」
「 You’re the one who should do that! You don’t get it?! 」
What the hell?
「 Look, I’m not interested in the nobility, and I let Misuzu take care of things so I don’t get what you’re talking about 」
Just how much do these people know?
About our relationship with Motoko.
They seem to know that the Kuromiya house has disowned Motoko.
Well, they’re a relative so it’s not weird for them to know.
Also, about the fact that Motoko’s at our place.
However.
They shouldn’t know that Motoko and Kurumi had become my woman.
「 What, you don’t know? 」
「 You do know that among the nobility, Kaan house, Kouzuki house, and the Kanou house are the three leading families, right? 」
「 Well, I know that much 」
The three young ladies of the Kozuki house and Sakurako of the Kanou house are living in our house after all.
「 Motoko-san’s Kuromiya house and our Ishigami house are only second to the three big families. Our statuses are quite high among the nobility 」
「 We’re not like the Kurama and Mizushima house that Kouzukis-sama recently disposed of! 」
Err.
Kurama house’s Arisu and Mizushima house’s Karen is also in our home.
「 Do you get it? Kuromiya and Ishigami house respect the wishes of the Kanou and Kouzuki house, but they don’t just follow whatever they say. We’re families with the power independent of the three great families! 」
「 That’s why it’s a problem. Motoko-san’s living in the Kouzuki house when she was disowned 」
「 That’ll make the Kuromiya house have a huge debt on the Kouzuki house! 」
Oh, I get it.
They’re different from the Kurama and Mizushima house and have low status.
Kuromiya house has their honor.
So, to have the disowned Motoko sheltered by the Kouzuki house makes it uncomfortable for other families.
「 That means, that we have to settle the disowning of Motoko-san right away 」
「 Motoko-san should apologize to the head of the family and return to the Kuromiya house 」
The Ishigami siblings continue their convenient claims.
「 But, Motoko got her permission to live in the Kouzuki house from Jii-chan, from the head of the Kouzuki house 」
I lead them to that conclusion.
They believe that Motoko’s not living in our mansion but in the main mansion of the Kouzuki house.
「 We already know that. That’s why! 」
「 And that’s why someone has to talk to Kouzuki-sama and send Motoko-san back to the Kuromiya house! 」
「 Then, that role 」
「 Is yours to fulfill!! 」
Me?
「 We’re not allowed to express our opinions to Misuzu-sama and Kouzuki Kakka! 」
「 That’s right, so you have to do it! That’s an order! Ishigami Mizuki orders you! 」
「 Ishigami Norio orders you! Do something to let Motoko-san return to the Kuromiya house! Do it as soon as possible. 」
「 As soon as possible! 」
「 Do you get it? 」
Nope, I won’t.
But.
For now, I know the extent of the sibling’s knowledge.
These people think that the Kuromiya house disowned Motoko and Kurumi because she appeared on Yukino’s show.
And that she’s under Kouzuki house’s care.
They don’t know that Motoko and Kurumi have become my woman already.
They can’t imagine that.
Meaning, they only know the front page information that was released to the noble families.
If that’s the case.
Another question appears.
Why did they come here?
Kuromori Kou, Kouzuki Misuzu’s partner, is Yoshida Yoshinobu and is a student in this school.
That’s a secret.
「 What’s wrong, answer me?! 」
「 You’re to follow our orders! You hear?! 」
I…
「 Anyway, I refuse 」
I flat out said.
「 Motoko wanted to continue her Kuromiya style spear fighting so she came to Misuzu, asking for assistance from the Kouzuki house. Jii-chan and Misuzu respects Motoko’s will, so I have nothing to say about that 」
We’re going to leave it at that.
「 W-What are you talking about?! We’re ordering you! 」
「 You’re just a commoner! Do you think that you can refuse the orders of the eldest son of the Ishigami house 」
Hmmm.
The nobility sure has a variety of people.
I guess it can’t be helped that they have people who are so aware that they’re a privileged class.
「 It’s not about obeying or disobeying. I’m not even your subordinate nor lackey in the first place! 」
I said.
「 W-What rudeness! 」
「 What an insolent man! Anju, punish this man! 」
As soon as the Ishigami siblings say that.
「 Hawoo!!! 」
Edie releases her Qi in this small room.
「 Ngu! 」
「 W-What? 」
The Ishigami siblings got flustered from the release of the strong Qi.
Oh, Kurose-san managed to hold it.
「 Calm down a bit. You two are too noisy 」
Edie laughs.
I…
「 Err, what’s the name of the guy again. The noisy guy, the one you knocked out in the corridor 」
「 Err, I think it was Koda Shakin-san 」
Megu said.
「 I think it was Koda Chamin? 」
Edie said.
「 It’s Prince Shokin! 」
Nei laughs.
「 Well, who cares. In the end, you two seem to like that guy’s technique 」
I speak to Ishigami Norio.
「 The way you pressure people into doing what you want by just talking in a pompous, high-handed, and forceful manner. Even if the reason is wrong, you keep the attitude of “I didn’t do anything wrong. You just don’t know it” to make the other party feel insecure 」
Yeah, Ishigami Norio’s attitude in this room.
Was just like Koda’s.
「 You couldn’t have come up with it, so you copied Koda’s methods, right? I don’t know how it happened, but you met Koda somewhere and fell for his techniques, right? Pushing your opponent to the end, and pressing forward-thinking that everything goes your way. Just like Koda’s methods 」
「!!! 」
Ishigami Norio fell silent.
「 Well, I get that for a son of noble like you, a man with overflowing vitality like Koda seems attractive. That’s why you wanted to keep Koda at your side and become a man who can hold people down from above like Koda. But… 」
I laughed.
「 People like Koda aren’t that rare to me. You can find noisy yet empty idiots anywhere. Their hobby is to lie with impunity and threaten people in front of them to bring them to their knees 」
「 Yeah, we can find men like them anywhere! 」
Nei said with a smile.
「 The talk about Ishigami house being the auditor of the nobility is a lie, or am I wrong? If that actually existed, then Misuzu would’ve told me about it 」
I said.
「 You two sure want to return Motoko to the Kuromiya house at all costs, was never about the order of the noble families, but it was on something else 」
「 Uuuu 」
「 Norio-oniisama 」
The Ishigami siblings look at each other’s faces.
「 You don’t have to tell me. I can figure it out if I look it up. You know about the Kouzuki SS, the organization Kouzuki house owns, right? I’ll report your arrival here to Jii-chan and Misuzu. They will definitely do an investigation about that. We’ll figure out the truth soon enough 」
Then.
「 I-I understand! We’ll tell you the truth! 」
「 Hey, Mizuki! 」
「 We have no choice. Norio-oniisama, we’ve lost here 」
Ishigami Mizuki admits defeat.
「 We were lying about Ishigami house being the auditor of the noble families. Ishigami house is much older than the Kuromiya house, but we don’t have much in the assets at the moment. But, as mentioned before, Kuromiya house is second to the three great families 」
So the Kuromiya house is much more wealthy compared to the Ishigami house despite being related?
「 And Norio-oniisama is Motoko-san’s fiance candidate 」
Motoko’s fiance candidate.
「 Ishigami house hopes to use Motoko-san’s marriage with Norio-oniisama as an opportunity to strengthen ties with the Kuromiya house. That’s why we’re in trouble 」
Ishigami Mizuki looked at me.
「 The Kuromiya house disowned Motoko-sama and she’s leaving the house 」
If Motoko’s disowned by the family, she has no worth in marriage.
I mean, the families can’t decide on the engagement in the first place.
「 S-So please, do something! Return Motoko-san to her home! 」
Ishigami Norio still doesn’t break his high-handed attitude.
「 I refuse. Either way, I feel sorry to have Motoko marry someone like you 」
I said.
「 Y-You! Are you mocking me! 」
Ishigami Norio gets excited, but…
「 Wait a second! That’s not the topic! 」
I stare hard at Norio.
「 I get the gist of it. But, I have doubts. Something very important 」
If I don’t take measures right away, it will become trouble soon.
「 You want to bring Motoko back from the Kouzuki house to the Kuromiya house. But, the Ishigami house, which isn’t as powerful as them, can’t directly talk to the Kouzuki house, worse, for children like you two. Am I right? 」
Talking to Jii-chan, the head of the family aside.
Ishigami Norio and Mizuki will get rejected.
「 Yes, that’s indeed the case 」
Ishigami Mizuki admits.
「 We can’t appeal about this incident to Kouzuki Kakka, nor Misuzu-sama 」
「 Though we’re relatives, Ishigami house is still a different clan from the Kuromiya house. Furthermore, I’m no longer engaged to Motoko-san 」
They have no right to talk about Motoko.
「 And so, since Kouzuki Kakka has recognized you as Misuzu-sama’s partner… 」
「 Right, you’re to talk to Kakka, and return Motoko-san to the Kuromiya house! 」
I get that.
I’m not from the nobility, but I’m close to Jii-chan and Misuzu.
It’s a good method, using me to return Motoko from being disowned.
However.
「 So, who brought that plan of using me to you? 」
I asked.
「 I’m sure that you two haven’t come up with this plan, right? 」
the Ishigami siblings can’t come up with this plan.
「 Koda-san 」
It wasn’t the siblings but Kurose Anju-san who replied.
「 Koda-san made the suggestion to Norio-sama and Mizuki-sama 」
I see.
「 Then that means, it was his plan to go to our school too? 」
「 Yes, Koda-san said that he investigated this 」
Kurose-san replies.
「 Yo-chan 」
「 Darling 」
Nei and Edie looked at me at the same time.
「 I get why Kudou-papa came 」
「 This is definitely bad, these two are just a bait 」
「 Yeah, using someone like Koda to bring these two here 」
We still have enemies out there.
Also, quite the big one.
「 What do you mean? 」
「 What do you mean by bait? 」
The Ishigami siblings asked me.
「 It means that you were screwed over. By Koda, and the people behind Koda 」
I look at Kurose-san.
「 Do you remember anything, someone strange that’s getting involved with Koda? 」
「 No, I don’t remember anything in particular. Ah, but… 」
Kurose-san remembers something
「 Koda-san said that he got the information about Kuormori-sama’s school from an acquaintance in Shanghai 」
Shanghai?
