Chapter 321

She held Hayasaka Ai's hand, but turned her head away when Hayasaka Ai stopped and turned around.

The sense of guilt was obvious.

"I think we should still have enough trust in our partners. Only in this way can we show the magnanimity that a member of the Shinomiya Family should have. Yes, that's it."

The attempt to cover up the truth was crystal clear.

Just as Hayasaka Ai was feeling a bit amused but couldn't laugh too openly, and just as Shinomiya Kaguya felt the atmosphere becoming somewhat awkward due to the lack of response.

"--"

The doorbell rang.

It seems to be outside, inside the birdcage where Miss Shinomiya resides, outside this enormous Mansion.

Uninvited guests arrived, not part of the pre-arranged itinerary.

The monitor that was tracking the activity at the door lit up. Although she didn't know how to use electronic devices, at least looking at a screen wasn't a problem for Shinomiya Kaguya.

So, the two of them turned their heads together.

I looked at the screen that lit up along with the doorbell.

A familiar yet unfamiliar face appeared on the screen. The man they had just been discussing, named Asakusa Toru, was the subject of their conversation.

"I think I heard someone calling me, so I came."

He flashed a bright, sunny smile and raised his hand towards the camera.

"Although you can come in directly, I think it's better to ring the doorbell first."

"However, now that the doorbell has been rung and I've said hello, I should come in."

Before Shinomiya Kaguya could react, or before Hayasaka Ai could open the door for him, the words were spoken.

With a ding, Asakusa Toru's figure disappeared from the frame, as if the door had opened and he was approaching.

"Hey, eh, eh, eh, eh--"

After a brief moment of shock, Shinomiya Kaguya and Hayasaka Ai quickly found themselves in a state of frantic chaos.

"Um, uh, um, I need it first--"

"--First, get dressed and tidy yourself up Kaguya Shinomiya -sama!"

Hayasaka Ai quickly helped Shinomiya Kaguya turn around and sit down in front of the dressing table, while tidying up her messy clothes and grabbing a coat from the side to put on her.

There wasn't time to carefully choose an outfit, so a coat could cover up most of the problems.

With practiced ease, she tied up Shinomiya Kaguya's hair.

Although it might seem like a surprise response to a lover suddenly showing up, it's actually not like that at all; it's just the proper etiquette to show to a distinguished guest.

They were clearly not familiar enough with Asakusa Toru to meet and spend time together in their unkempt, casual at-home appearance, let alone this being what seemed to be their first formal meeting.

Even if it's just for the sake of ritual, Shinomiya Kaguya has to take it a little more seriously.

Calculating the time it would take a normal man to arrive, Hayasaka Ai didn't intend to include those men in her calculations, even though the Mansion was certainly secure. After all, those guys couldn't possibly stop her. Methodically Hayasaka Ai organized and prioritized the tasks that needed to be completed at the moment.

But just as she tied up Shinomiya Kaguya's hair, before she even had a chance to tidy herself up,

"Squeak--"

The door opened.

Wow, so fast!

Although I don't know why Kaguya Shinomiya's room door was making that strange noise, and it will definitely need to be checked and fixed later, this sound was really a big help!

Without hesitation, she lifted the chair along with Shinomiya Kaguya, turning it twice to face the door. Hayasaka Ai quickly straightened her back, her face tense.

"Long time no see, Asakusa... classmate."

After hesitating for a moment, she finally chose the term "classmate," which was neither too close nor too distant.

Calling him by his first name would be too disrespectful, but addressing him as "sir" would be too distant, and their relationship wasn't close enough to warrant any special nicknames.

Therefore, classmates are the best choice.

However, the moment the words left her lips Hayasaka Ai knew that she had made a mistake in her haste. She shouldn't have preemptively given Kaguya Shinomiya the greeting before she could speak, even if it was just to remind her of the distance between them, or to mention the cooperative relationship they had agreed to. She shouldn't have done this before her mistress.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Shinomiya, and it's been a long time, Hayasaka."

Fortunately, Asakusa Toru's response finally put Hayasaka Ai at ease.

He greeted Shinomiya Kaguya first, and then responded to his own words.

It's important to clearly distinguish between primary and secondary priorities.

Although this back-and-forth tug-of-war might highlight the distance between him and me and the distance between him and Kaguya Shinomiya- sama, it doesn't matter!

"Yes, nice to meet you, Asakusa."

With one hand supporting her cheek, Shinomiya Kaguya greeted Asakusa Toru with an air of utter calm.

But all three people present knew that her heart was not at peace at that moment.

Why did it suddenly come?! I wasn't prepared at all! Why did it have to wait until now, making me so anxious, when we could have come at the agreed time?

Was it intentional? It absolutely was intentional, right? If it wasn't intentional, why would the timing be so perfect?!

And what does "I think I heard someone calling me" mean? Have you been spying on me? If having a diary means I'll be spied on, does that mean I'll never get married? This feature wasn't mentioned in previous content, right? But isn't this a new version? What exactly is it?

Shinomiya Kaguya's mind was a mess.

But as long as there's your own hand on your cheek, as long as you feel that warmth, it's like feeling your mother stroking your cheek when you were a child.

At least on the surface, she will remain calm.

Hayasaka Ai- kai has this habit.

Asakusa Toru... naturally knew that Shinomiya Kaguya had such a character setting.

Therefore, when faced with Shinomiya Kaguya, who seemed capable of calm conversation, he didn't speak too directly, but instead gave her some time to calm down.

It's a pity.

This seems to have the opposite effect.

Why did he suddenly stop talking? Did I greet him wrong? Is he looking at me now? Is it because I didn't have enough time, or is there something wrong with my behavior? Is it my clothes? My hair? Or did it look strange that I suddenly put my hand on my cheek? But if I don't put it on my cheek, I can't project a calm image...

This only made Shinomiya Kaguya's mind wander even more.

Even after thinking for a long time, looking at Asakusa Toru's face.

Without any warning, a sentence suddenly popped out of her mouth.

"... Have you completely forgotten about me?"

A voice filled with deep sorrow and resentment, a mixture of grief, grief, and a myriad of emotions that had been building up over this period, was uttered by Shinomiya Kaguya.

Even the habit of resting one's hand on one's left cheek cannot conceal it, and even placebos used to calm the emotions cannot completely soothe the mind.

Suddenly, she ended the silent eye contact with those words.

"... No."

Asakusa Toru shifted his gaze and briefly glanced around Shinomiya Kaguya's room.

But Shinomiya Kaguya immediately interpreted this action of looking away as 'guilty conscience'.

Guilty conscience, guilty conscience, guilty conscience!

I felt guilty just now, and that's what I did. Hayasaka felt guilty just now, and that's what she did too. You, Asakusa, must have felt guilty, so that's why you did it!

"--Liar." With a slightly cold tone, Shinomiya Kaguya uttered, "Liar."

Silently, the form of Ice Kaguya Princess seemed to begin to appear. The relaxed aura she had exuded at home quickly contracted and transformed as her mind became filled with a multitude of thoughts. The girl stood up and met the gaze of Asakusa Toru.

"A complete liar."

A look of disdain for others seemed to linger on Shinomiya Kaguya's expression.

Disdainful, contemptuous, utterly disgusted.

The air froze once again.

Shinomiya Kaguya's mind, frozen solid, began to... churn once more.

At this moment, something called the "Inner Court" silently unfolded in Shinomiya Kaguya's mind.

"Verdict! Kaguya Shinomiya, death penalty!"

Wearing a small-sized uniform but with a body so small it was the same size as her current chest—flat-chested as ever— Kaguya Shinomiya slammed her gavel down in the head referee's seat and loudly announced.

"Death penalty! Death penalty! Death penalty!"

The various Kaguya Shinomiya around them responded in a cacophony of noise.

Forced to stand in the center of the judgment, Ice Kaguya Princess still rested her hand on her cheek.

"I'm telling you..." she said coldly, her tone extremely impatient, "Aren't you all a little too concerned about him?"

"In the end, he's just a student, right? He's still at the age of a student, isn't he? Students your age are basically minors."

"Even with his extraordinary deterrent power, how much time has passed? How powerful could he have become in such a short period of time when he was just an ordinary student?"

Anyone with a brain can figure out this logic, right?

Ice Kaguya Princess paused for a moment, then continued with her arguments. As she spoke, the other noises in the courtroom of her mind instantly quieted down.

Ultimately, the so-called "inner court" is simply the voice of her own heart. When one voice is expressing an opinion, the other voices naturally become much quieter.

"Yes, that's right. The danger to life, the danger of the supernatural world, the threat of cursed spirits—these are all objective facts," she said. "But instead of placing all your hopes on this man you've only met today, focus on improving yourself."

"Don't they exist? What so-called sorcerers and magicians? With the power of the Shinomiya Family, they can always obtain power from those who cannot resist modern armed forces or financial attacks. There is no need to be so subservient to him!"

"In the end, he's just a liar who can't even keep his promises. What trust does he have left?"

With a cold snort, Ice Kaguya Princess raised her snow-white neck and turned her head away as if declaring victory to herself.

The brief silence was like a period of reflection, or a moment of respite.

Gently, the other girls in the mental court finally opened their mouths.

... Well, the first one to open her mouth was Infant Kaguya Shinomiya, who couldn't open her mouth at all. Like an infant, she had a pacifier in her mouth and a toy in her hand. Dressed in baby clothes, Kaguya was Kaguya Shinomiya and shaking the toy in her hand.

Following her, Kaguya Shinomiya spoke softly:

"You know that's never what you care about."

Repeated, consistent, from different ages, different levels, and different voices, yet undeniably all of them were Shinomiya Kaguya's voice, echoing in the courtroom of his mind.

Shinomiya Kaguya, so innocently naive, was speaking; Kaguya Shinomiya, slightly chubby and plump, was speaking; Shinomiya Kaguya, so melancholy and gloomy, was speaking.

So, what is it that I care about?

I watched as Ice Kaguya Princess was judged, as she refuted her arguments, only to be questioned once more.

Shinomiya Kaguya fell into thought.

The answer we arrive at at this moment.

Ahh.

What she cares about.

It is the 'agreement' itself.

It is the 'commitment' itself.

It is 'trust' itself.

Trust is inherently a very difficult thing to establish; at least for Shinomiya Kaguya, she grew up in an environment where she didn't easily trust anyone.

Suspicion upon suspicion, lies upon lies, deception upon deception.

Establishing trust itself is a very rare thing.

So to this day, the only 'friends' she can trust are Hayasaka Ai, her maid who has served her since childhood, and Chika Fujiwara, her best friend.

The former is due to long-term interaction, which makes them seem to know each other inside and out; the latter is due to equal status and unpredictable, changeable, yet highly individualistic personalities.

Originally, Asakusa Toru's name would have been included on this list of trusted individuals.

If she hadn't truly chosen to trust, how could she have so easily made such an agreement in advance, believing that something extraordinary could actually happen?

Complementing each other, she chose to trust, and this, in turn, gave her trust in Asakusa Toru, creating a harmonious union.