Facts spoke louder than words, especially when there was a VCR to prove them.
Tokyo, Minato Ward, Kaguya Shinomiya Castle...
"Miss, M-miss, something terrible has happened!" Ai Hayasaka rushed into Kaguya Shinomiya's bedroom with an iPad in her hands. "Y-you're on TV, Miss!"
Kaguya Shinomiya had just woken up and looked utterly bewildered. "???"
"Hayasaka, what are you talking about? I've been meaning to ask—what was all that noise downstairs?"
"Oh, just now? N-nothing, hehe..." Remembering how she'd shouted "Mai Sakurajima" a few times like an idiot, Ai Hayasaka answered stiffly. But it wasn't as if she'd been the only one shouting. The butler and the other servants had joined in, too. She'd only gone along with the mood. It had felt awkward not to shout when everyone else was doing it.
"That doesn't matter now, Miss. Y-you need to watch this video..."
"What video?" Kaguya Shinomiya asked, puzzled, taking the iPad from her.
"Footage from Mai Sakurajima's comeback press conference..." Although the little maid Mai Sakurajima had played had once been her idol, when Kaguya Shinomiya's reputation was at stake, Ai Hayasaka knew exactly who mattered more: her idol or her young mistress.
"Mai Sakurajima?" Kaguya Shinomiya still looked confused. "The name does sound familiar. I think I've heard it somewhere before. A comeback? I see. She must be famous in some field, which would explain why the name rings a bell..."
"Wait, Miss, you only recognize the name?" Ai Hayasaka had expected as much, but she couldn't help speaking up. Could it be that the idol who had once brought her light had not only put her young mistress in the public eye without permission but had also lied about it?
"I do recognize the name..."
"I understand, Miss. Watch the video first, and don't do anything rash.