She had been betrayed.
At this moment, as Shinomiya Kaguya stared at Hayasaka Ai, the girl she had once trusted most, this intense conviction burned in her heart.
The Hayasaka Ai she had relied on all this time, the one she believed would never betray her, the one who had grown up alongside her—had now betrayed her.
Stare—
Kaguya's crimson eyes bore into the fidgeting Hayasaka with unrelenting intensity.
This is too much. This is just too much.
But aside from glaring, Kaguya didn't know what else to do.
"Really, can't I take it off?"
Hayasaka, her expression eerily calm, looked up at Kaguya and asked slowly.
"Of course not! What are you thinking?! We're back in the real world now—hurry up and get used to it!"
Kaguya frowned, immediately irritated that Hayasaka had brought this up again.
"This isn't something I can adapt to overnight. I was stuck in dog form for over 72 hours. Just relearning how to walk took me an hour last night. Everything else has to be gradual—forcing it won't work. Shouldn't you understand this too, Shinomiya-sama? Even if your condition was much milder, you must've felt that full-body discomfort, right?"
Hayasaka's tone was cool yet rapid, explaining and defending herself just like in their usual conversations—her face betraying no emotion.
But I saw it clearly earlier—the way this girl melted into Takakai's arms!
Just like me, she doesn't even have a good figure! She usually just pads her chest to fake it, yet the moment she was in a man's embrace, she made that obscene, lustful face and started acting all seductive! Hah! And now she's pretending to be innocent?! The second she saw Takakai-kun, she turned into some excited bitch wagging her tail for her master! To think Hayasaka was actually this kind of woman—how utterly—
"Your expression is way too obvious, Shinomiya-sama. Weren't you the one who pushed me toward him? You knew my mental state was affected after being turned into a dog, that I saw Takakai-sama as my master, yet you were too scared to go see him yourself this morning. So you sent me ahead to scout things out. In other words, this is entirely your doing, isn't it?"
Hayasaka's retort was merciless, cutting straight to the truth.
The fact was, Kaguya and Hayasaka had woken up earlier while Takakai was still asleep. When Hayasaka suggested Kaguya go wake him, Kaguya hesitated—then ordered Hayasaka to check on him first.
And thus, the earlier scene unfolded.
Kaguya, who had been radiating negativity, froze on the spot.
Now that she thought about it… that was exactly what happened.
Even though she knew this maid had betrayed her, when Hayasaka urged her to wake Takakai, Kaguya had instinctively pushed her forward instead.
And now, that push had sent her straight into his arms. If Kaguya hadn't stepped in to stop it, things might've spiraled into… something very bad. (Though she wasn't entirely sure what that "bad" entailed—[O-Knowledge: 4] and all.)
"No—that's not the point here!"
But soon, Kaguya snapped back to reality, realizing Hayasaka was deflecting. Her gaze sharpened again.
"I asked you to help me make Takakai-kun fall for me—to assist me! So how did you end up throwing yourself at him instead?! If I recall correctly, you retained a loop's worth of memories, didn't you? That means you and Takakai-kun must've done something indecent together! I know—only people who've had impure developments with him can keep their memories!"
Kaguya pointed an accusatory finger at Hayasaka, her tone righteous.
"I see. So because I fell for Master, because we did something, that's why things turned out this way? Hmm~ That explains Shijō-sama and Fujiwara-sama's relationship with him too. In that case, Shinomiya-sama, I think you should execute that final plan I mentioned before."
Hayasaka, only now understanding why she retained memories, frowned slightly before looking up at Kaguya with sudden seriousness.
"What final plan?! No—that's not the point! I'm asking if you actually—"
"In short, just do OO and OOO with Master directly."
Before Kaguya could finish, Hayasaka dropped a bombshell that instantly dyed the raven-haired girl's cheeks red.
"W-What OO?! Hayasaka, stop changing the subject! Wait—you called him Master again?! Whose maid are you?!"
Flustered, Kaguya stood up from her chair, stamping her foot in frustration.
"Given how things are progressing, I'll likely end up as Master's sooner or later. So Shinomiya-sama, you'd better act fast—otherwise, the later you join, the lower your standing in Master's heart will be. Don't worry, I'll handle the arrangements. All you'll need to do is lie down."
While Kaguya grew increasingly agitated, Hayasaka remained eerily composed, analyzing the situation as if she were already an outsider.
"I-I would never do that! T-That kind of thing is supposed to happen after marriage—it's the law! And Hayasaka, are you seriously planning to betray me completely? To defect from the Shinomiya household?!"
Kaguya's voice rose steadily.
"The law doesn't matter here. As long as you're willing, that's enough. As for my future… since I can't escape the [Sacrifice Game], growing closer to Master is inevitable. Frankly, Shinomiya-sama, you've known Master for so long—yet while he's already dating two girls, with a third and fourth on the way, you've made zero progress. Why is that?"
Hayasaka's tone remained clinical.
"T-That's… Wait, fourth?! Your earlier report said three!"
Kaguya's eyes sharpened as she caught the critical detail.
"The fourth is me, Shinomiya-sama. Isn't that obvious?"
Hayasaka's reply instantly hardened Kaguya's fists.
"Hayasaka, you—"
"Now, now, Shinomiya-sama, you're not an idiot. After observing Master for so long, I've figured him out—if you take even one step forward, he'll meet you halfway. That man has zero restraint when it comes to romance. You know he wouldn't have risked his life at Shirasawa Elementary to save me if not for you. If you were just a stranger, he'd never go that far."
Before Kaguya could explode, Hayasaka sighed, casually undoing a button on her constricting maid uniform as she continued.
Hayasaka was certain—even after kissing Takakai, even after leaving such a deep impression that she retained loop memories—her place in his heart was far below Shijō Maki and Fujiwara Chika's, maybe even Yotsuya Miko's. Their time together was simply too short.
Takakai hadn't come to Shirasawa Elementary for her—he'd done it for Shinomiya Kaguya. That was just the kind of man he was: indifferent to strangers, but willing to walk through hell for those he cared about.
How wonderful.
The more Hayasaka understood him, the more a giddy warmth spread through her chest. She wanted to rush to his side, nuzzle against him, lick his hand, have him pat her head, maybe even take her out for a walk—
No. Stop. I'm not a dog. I'm human.
"In short, Shinomiya-sama, you're the one not cherishing this bond. Even if you want to maintain some maidenly pride, after he stood by you against the Shinomiya elders, after he braved Shirasawa Elementary with you—isn't it your turn to take initiative? He's already proven his feelings through actions. Isn't that enough?"
Hayasaka stood, discarding the uncomfortably tight maid uniform, and stepped toward Kaguya with resolve.
"H-Hayasaka, you…"
Kaguya instinctively retreated from her maid's sudden intensity.
"I'll arrange it. Tomorrow afternoon, you're going on a date with Master at the amusement park."
Hayasaka closed the distance, leaving no room for argument.
"N-No, wait, this is—"
Caught off guard by Hayasaka's decisiveness, Kaguya's earlier fury evaporated into panic.
"No more delays. I overheard his plans via the living room bug—tomorrow morning, he's meeting someone named Kogawa Ki, and his afternoon is free. This is your only window. If you hesitate, Shijō-sama and Fujiwara-sama will snatch him up first."
Hayasaka backed Kaguya against the wall, her voice unyielding.
"B-But… what if he rejects me? Takakai-kun might say no… If that happens, I—I can't…"
Just like every past attempt to nudge her forward, Kaguya crumbled at the same hurdle—fear of rejection.
…Really, Shinomiya-sama.
Hayasaka sighed deeply.
She'd expected this. For all Kaguya's intelligence, when it came to love, she was hopeless—always overthinking, always terrified of the answer, resorting to absurd roundabout schemes just to avoid confessing.
This kind of personality… isn't cute at all.
Before, when death wasn't looming over them monthly, indulging Kaguya's antics was fine. But now? With the [Sacrifice Game] forcing life-or-death stakes? Hayasaka refused to let her mistress keep stumbling over petty romance.
This time, I'll force you to move.
Her face blank, Hayasaka's fingers flew behind her back, typing a message to Takakai on her phone.
[Master, it's me. Shinomiya-sama likes you—but she's too cowardly to admit it. Could you send a voice message saying you like her too and want to take her on a date tomorrow afternoon? Of course, this is just a request. If it's too much, please ignore this. If so, I apologize for my presumption—I just want to pull her out of this rut.]
The message was sent in seconds.
"Hayasaka, what are you—?"
But Kaguya, her senses sharpened by blessings, immediately noticed. She lunged, using her enhanced physique to corner Hayasaka and snatch the phone.
"This… this…!"
Hayasaka's smartphone, locked with a gesture password, left tech-illiterate Kaguya helpless.
[Ding~]
A cheerful chime rang out.
"Ah, a reply. Shall we listen, Shinomiya-sama?"
Hayasaka's lips curled into a sly smile as she tapped the screen.
"W-What did you send?! Who replied?! Is it Takakai-kun?! What did you tell him?! Did you send him me yelling like a shrew?! Is he going to scold me now?!"
Kaguya's mind instantly conjured worst-case scenarios.
But Hayasaka gave her no time to spiral. She reclaimed the phone, turned up the volume, and hit play.
[Hey, Kaguya, how about we go on a date tomorrow afternoon? There's a nice amusement park downtown—let's try some commoner fun, just the two of us. I've been wanting to take the beautiful, adorable Shinomiya-sama out for a while now.]
Takakai's voice filled the room.
Kaguya, who'd been reaching for the phone, froze mid-motion—as if someone had pressed pause on her very existence.
…There. That should do it.
Now, Shinomiya-sama couldn't accuse her of betrayal anymore. And Hayasaka could, with a clear conscience… visit Master in secret.
Mission accomplished, Hayasaka pocketed her phone, her expression neutral—though her breathing had grown slightly uneven.