'Not me, but Mother?'
Miyuki Shiba's brain froze for quite some time, unable to process this turn of events.
'Normally, shouldn't it be the young, unmarried family members who are used for political marriages? Why would it be Mother being asked to marry?'
'Moreover, Brother said that Luo Shu is the same age as me, right?'
'What kind of mindset would Aunt have to arrange for Mother to marry?'
'Could it be that this Mr Luo Shu has some particular... preferences?'
Just as Miyuki Shiba's brain remained frozen, Luo Shu approached the two, saying in a reminding tone:
"My apologies, Miss Maya, but I cannot pretend I didn't hear what you just said."
Hearing Luo Shu speak, Miyuki Shiba was startled and quickly glanced back at him, her face instantly turning red as she realised how embarrassing their discussion had been, and hurriedly lowered her head to avoid looking at him.
Compared to Miyuki Shiba's embarrassment, Maya Yotsuba maintained the same smile as before:
"Eavesdropping on conversations between women isn't something a gentleman should do."
"Then please try to speak more quietly next time, so my sensitive ears won't pick up the conversation."
As he spoke, Luo Shu walked over to sit opposite Maya Yotsuba, addressing the bowed-head Miyuki Shiba:
"May I sit here?"
Miyuki Shiba didn't respond; she only quickly shifted several spaces to the right, making room and expressing her attitude through action.
Seeing this, Luo Shu didn't mind, directly taking a seat and facing Maya Yotsuba directly:
"I never expected that upon our first meeting, I'd witness Miss Maya teasing a child, and using me as material at that. Isn't that going a bit too far?"
"Too far?" Maya Yotsuba's face maintained its smile upon hearing this: "But I heard that you once directly had Tatsuya call you father?"
"Eh eh eh!!" Miyuki Shiba covered her mouth in shock upon hearing this explosive revelation.
'Have Mr Luo Shu and Mother already reached the point where Brother would call him father?'
'When did this happen?'
'Why didn't Brother tell me about this?'
Just as Miyuki Shiba was reeling from the shock, Maya Yotsuba, as if suddenly remembering something, said with a smile:
"Oh my, it seems Tatsuya hasn't told you about this, Miyuki. Really now, that child, keeping such matters from you."
After saying this to Miyuki Shiba, Maya Yotsuba looked at Luo Shu with an amused expression:
"You wouldn't say this was just a joke between friends, would you, Luo Shu?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu didn't answer directly, merely smiling as he said:
"It seems you're in rather good spirits today?"
"But are you sure you want to forcibly tie your sister, Miya, to me like this?"
Hearing Luo Shu's words, Maya Yotsuba simply smiled slightly:
"If you're concerned about my sister's opinion, please rest assured - my sister has already agreed to this matter."
Upon hearing such words, Luo Shu's expression remained unchanged, though his gaze grew considerably colder than when facing Utau Hoshina:
"What if I said I'm actually more interested in Miss Maya?"
Maya Yotsuba tilted her head, seemingly pondering something. Before long, she addressed Luo Shu:
"...If that's the case, then I first need to confirm one thing."
"You wouldn't mind if my sister and I swapped names, would you, Luo Shu?"
Hearing this, Miyuki Shiba froze in surprise, while Luo Shu immediately understood Maya Yotsuba's intention:
"Having your sister take over your social connections, using your twin appearances to exchange identities?"
"It seems you're not very willing to give up your position in the Cabinet, Maya Yotsuba."
Seeing that Luo Shu instantly grasped her meaning, Maya Yotsuba simply smiled:
"That can't be helped. After all, our value to you is only this much, isn't it?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu gave Maya Yotsuba a peculiar look, his tone somewhat subtly said:
"While that's a reasonable assumption, Miss Maya, you and your sister seem to have misunderstood something?"
At this point, Luo Shu glanced at the curious-looking Maya Yotsuba, then shook his head slightly:
"Compared to the value of you two individuals themselves, monitoring the Cabinet isn't really that important."
"Or rather, regarding the Cabinet's internal secrets - whether it's the Chinese consulate or American garrison forces - we're completely aware of everything. Sometimes, it's even the Cabinet leaders themselves who assist us in monitoring the Cabinet."
Hearing this, Maya Yotsuba's expression became slightly uncomfortable.
Although she had long realised that the world after crossing over was very different from her original world.
But the possibility that even the Cabinet Prime Minister could be a traitor still shocked her.
Was the Cabinet of this world's Japan really this passive?
Just as Maya Yotsuba was reeling in astonishment, Luo Shu chuckled softly, as if able to read her mind:
"It seems Miss Maya hasn't done enough homework!"
Hearing Luo Shu say this, Maya Yotsuba sighed: "My apologies."
She no longer spoke to Luo Shu in her previous teasing manner, but genuinely entered a negotiation state, asking him:
"Could you briefly explain what my sister and I's true value to you is?"
Seeing Maya Yotsuba's attitude of using herself as a bargaining chip, Luo Shu frowned slightly, though he didn't find this particularly wrong.
After all, using herself as a chip was Maya Yotsuba's own choice. Luo Shu's frown was only because he felt the Yotsuba family's education was overly twisted.
However, while he considered this education distorted, he had to admit it certainly made things more convenient for him.
At least some negotiations that couldn't be openly discussed could now be blatantly negotiated at the table.
But before negotiating, Luo Shu still needed to determine exactly how much Maya Yotsuba knew.
"Hasn't the Cabinet's Intelligence Department conducted any investigations into the situation around me?"
Hearing Luo Shu's question, Maya Yotsuba pondered for a moment before saying with some confusion:
"Are you perhaps referring to the speculation that the number of women might enhance your power?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu's lips curved slightly as he tested Maya Yotsuba:
"What if I said that speculation is true?"
Upon hearing Luo Shu's words, Maya Yotsuba immediately fell silent.