After Mrs Yukinoshita, dressed in her noble lady's attire, left with complicated emotions written across her face,
Haruno Yukinoshita immediately leaned over and took the opportunity to plant a kiss on Luo Shu's cheek:
"Well done, Luo Shu-kun~"
"Now, mother won't dare to stand in my way anymore!!"
Hearing this, Luo Shu turned his head and shot a glare at Haruno Yukinoshita beside him, saying with exasperation:
"So you called me over just to provoke your mother?"
"You deliberately arranged for me and your mother to arrive at different times just to mess with her, didn't you?"
"Did I?" Haruno widened her eyes, putting on an expression of disbelief: "No way? How could anyone team up with an outsider to bully their own mother? Such people couldn't possibly exist in this world, right?"
"What do you think?"
Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, Luo Shu said irritably to Haruno:
"The moment I stepped through the door, I became the main target. Wasn't that you deliberately provoking your mother?"
"But..." Haruno blinked, deliberately acting cute as she stuck out her tongue: "If we didn't do this, someone with mother's personality would never compromise."
"Surely you don't want my future to be decided by my mother, do you, Luo Shu?"
"Didn't we agree that a Familia belongs to their Chief God for life?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu gave a hollow smile and raised his hand to pinch Haruno's cheek:
"Do you really think you're my person right now?"
"I could be," Haruno said with feigned nonchalance.
This instead made Luo Shu pause, looking at her with a subtle expression:
"What do you mean by that?"
"What could I possibly mean..."
Haruno slightly turned her body and reached into her trouser pocket. She was wearing light blue jeans today, which made it slightly inconvenient to reach in, so it took her a few extra seconds to pull a black magnetic card from her pocket and slap it on the table.
Staring at the card, Luo Shu fell silent for a moment before asking:
"What kind of card is this?"
"The apartment I bought for Yukino when she came to Tokyo. Though it seems she barely used it before moving into the garrison."
Haruno said while linking arms with Luo Shu, a smile playing on her lips:
"Though it feels a bit inappropriate to do this in Yukino's apartment, considering Luo Shu's terrible remarks earlier... perhaps this would be more interesting for you?"
"Wait, are you actually serious..."
Luo Shu said with genuine disbelief:
"You're sure you want to do this? Provoke your mother, and now provoke Yukino too?"
"Provoking Yukino a bit would be good too."
Haruno said this with a clear desire to complain: "That child has been completely absorbed in her work at the Hidden Management Department recently. Before going to sleep at night, she lies in bed looking at her hands, saying things like 'I'm changing the world!'"
"Really, it's exactly like she's returned to her second year of middle school!"
Haruno's face was now full of smiles, like a weasel that had tasted honey:
"I'm starting to think if we don't stimulate her a bit, she'll completely forget what her actual job is!"
"She's a female secretary, yet she doesn't pay attention to her superior, only focusing on her work. She really has no idea about her proper position..."
Seeing Haruno's beaming expression, Luo Shu thought that Haruno was just as ridiculous.
Wasn't it normal for a secretary to do work? Did they expect the Director to do it instead?
Faced with this version of Haruno, Luo Shu naturally understood he had no reason to refuse.
"I have a lunch appointment with Kaguya Shinomiya at noon."
"Eh... Are you asking me to attend?" Haruno Yukinoshita said with a look of regret. Was she being gently rejected? Honestly, didn't La Folia say Luo Shu was the predatory type?
At that moment, Luo Shu calmly stated:
"No, what I mean is... You should make it more obvious when walking together later, preferably enough for Kaguya Shinomiya to guess the situation."
Hearing this, Haruno Yukinoshita widened her eyes, then punched Luo Shu's chest in mock annoyance:
"Then shouldn't you call Yukino over to observe the situation too?"
To this, Luo Shu calmly agreed:
"If you don't mind, that could work too."
The next second, Luo Shu's shoulder was subjected to a rapid flurry of pink-fisted attacks.
Under this assault, Luo Shu quietly reached out, pocketed the black magnetic card on the table, and silently notified Ai Hayasaka to postpone the lunch appointment.
As for Kaguya Shinomiya's opinion - sorry, at this point, that wasn't important.
...
Shinomiya residence.
"Pardon me."
With these words, Ai Hayasaka slid open the door and entered Kaguya Shinomiya's room.
Inside, three maids were already preparing the clothes needed for later, while a fashionable makeup artist knelt on one knee before the dressing table, applying Kaguya's makeup.
When Hayasaka entered, Kaguya raised her hand to signal the makeup artist to pause, then asked Hayasaka:
"Hayasaka, is it almost time for the appointment?"
Earlier, Kaguya had instructed Hayasaka to remind her two hours before the scheduled time to avoid exceeding the makeup duration. Seeing Hayasaka now, she naturally thought of this.
Hearing this, Hayasaka walked over calmly, waving for the makeup artist to step aside as she explained:
"No, not that matter. Lord Luo Shu has sent a message requesting to postpone the scheduled time by two hours."
"Postpone?" Kaguya couldn't help showing surprise at this: "Why?"
"The reason wasn't provided."
Hayasaka delivered this line expressionlessly, but mischievously added:
"Perhaps he's expressing dissatisfaction with Miss Kaguya's recent slow reactions."
Hearing this, Kaguya's face stiffened, her expression becoming somewhat unnatural as she said:
"I shouldn't be considered that slow, should I? It's just that I've been busy handling the transfer of Shinomiya family assets recently... and I've been working hard to cooperate with the SDS's arrangements..."
'Even though my work involves practically giving away most assets except for a few core businesses, even signing away some government bonds, to the point where the Shinomiya elders scornfully call me the cheap woman, I'd like to think I've been working properly, right?'
Just as Kaguya was mentally defending herself, Hayasaka stated expressionlessly:
"No, I wasn't referring to that kind of slowness... though it's somewhat related..."
At this, Hayasaka sighed, seemingly having given up on her young mistress's denseness, and directly instructed the makeup artist and stylist:
"Redo the makeup. Choose the 'girl secretly in love' style for the cosmetic theme."
"Yes, Miss Hayasaka." x4
After Ai Hayasaka finished giving instructions, Kaguya Shinomiya looked completely bewildered:
"Wait, Hayasaka, what exactly are you arranging?"
"I'm arranging your future, young mistress."
Ai Hayasaka said expressionlessly, adding as an aside:
"By the way, you'd better take this opportunity to select a small gift to give to the Director later."
"If you wish, I wouldn't mind preparing a proposal ring for you."
"So I'm asking - what exactly are you arranging?!"
"Making efforts to preserve the Shinomiya family's business."
"Please believe me, in matters like this, neither Mr Gan'an nor the clan elders would have any objections."
"Hayasaka-!!"
The young woman's flustered cries continued echoing throughout the room...