"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Shin noticed Kaguya Shinomiya's intense stare and raised an eyebrow in amusement.
While it was surprising that Kaguya had Stand potential—especially since Hayasaka had already awakened one, making them a rare master-servant pair with such compatibility—he wasn't about to awaken her Stand right now.
Kaguya might have been presented as a "gift" by the Shinomiya family, but she was still a person, not some mindless puppet.
They barely knew each other. Awakening her Stand immediately would be reckless—he'd at least wait until they'd spent more time together.
As for why he didn't just force the issue like he had with Hayasaka, using「Blackbird: Lover」to control her…
Well, Shin wasn't in the same desperate position as before, when he needed to mass-produce Stand users.
Now, he found more enjoyment in observing people's reactions—like how he deliberately teased Fujiwara, luring her into making mistakes.
And right now, Kaguya was clearly frustrated.
The mention of Stands had piqued her interest, only for Shin to yank the possibility away at the last second.
This kind of edging left her visibly agitated, but since they weren't close, she couldn't bring herself to outright ask.
"Such a sadistic streak, Master."
Hayasaka, sitting beside Shin, couldn't help but mutter under her breath.
Though her loyalty now lay with him, her care for Kaguya was genuine. Seeing her former mistress so conflicted, she couldn't resist calling him out.
Not that she was actually scolding him—just pointing out his mischievous tendencies.
"Pot calling the kettle black, aren't you?"
Shin shot her a sidelong glance, lips quirking.
If anyone was just as devious, it was Hayasaka. She was the one who'd initially led Fujiwara astray.
He hadn't even planned to involve Fujiwara, but Hayasaka's meddling had thrown her into an existential crisis over "stealing Kaguya's fiancé."
In a way, they were a perfect match—not just physically, but in temperament too.
Hayasaka rolled her eyes but didn't argue further.
She knew herself well enough to admit he wasn't wrong.
SMaybe I really am better suited to being his maid…
---
After much internal struggle, Kaguya stil couldn't bring herself to ask Shin to awaken her Stand.
For one, she wasn't sure he'd agree even if she did.
More importantly, she'd spent so long isolated from normal social interactions that she barely knew how to make such a request.
Her daily conversations were limited to Fujiwara and the other student council members, or servants like Hayasaka.
She'd never spoken casually with a boy her age—let alone someone like Shin.
And as the Shinomiya heiress, she'd never needed to ask for anything. Everything had always been handed to her.
So in the end, all she could do was steal occasional glances at Shin, silently willing him to act first.
Unfortunately, her stares were either ignored—or noticed but deliberately disregarded.
By the time the banquet neared its end, Kaguya still hadn't voiced her request.
Thankfully, Fujiwara—completely oblivious to Kaguya's inner turmoil—blurted out the question for her:
"Shin, why won't you awaken Kaguya's Stand?"
She was just genuinely curious. Even if she couldn't become a Stand user, if Kaguya did, she could at least live vicariously through her.
Besides, Shin didn't attend Shuchi'in—it wasn't like Fujiwara could pester him for details later.
Hearing Fujiwara voice the question she couldn't, Kaguya shot her a look of silent gratitude.
(Not that Fujiwara noticed.)
"Probably because Lady Kaguya doesn't yet have the power to break free from the Shinomiya family."
Before Shin could respond, Hayasaka smoothly cut in with an explanation—one she'd clearly fabricated on the spot.
As his maid, part of her job was damage control.
"Lady Kaguya has no real authority within the Shinomiya household, which is why she's been overlooked so far. But if she did awaken a Stand…?"
She trailed off, letting Kaguya's own imagination fill in the gaps.
If she gained power that could threaten others, Oko would never let her off easy.
The only reason she'd been left alone so far was precisely because she posed no danger to him.
So… Shin was actually protecting her by holding back?
As this realization sank in, a faint flush of shame colored Kaguya's cheeks.
Her gaze when she looked at Shin now carried a hint of apology—as if regretting her earlier impatience.
Shin glanced at Hayasaka, who maintained a perfectly neutral expression, as if her entire spiel had been completely earnest.
She knew his real reasons. That explanation was pure improvisation—yet somehow, it made enough sense that both Kaguya and Fujiwara bought it.
And now, Kaguya's attitude toward him had noticeably softened.
If before she'd resented him as part of the Shinomiya family's schemes, now she at least saw him as… a friend.
Which might have been the first time she'd ever considered a boy as such.
To be continued…
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