As soon as he returned to the estate, the old butler informed Ren that his father requested his presence. Ren took a moment to freshen up in the washroom before following the elderly servant, who had been patiently waiting for him.
"Ren-sama, the Master is inside." The butler pushed the heavy oak door open and respectfully stepped aside.
"Yes, thank you."
Ren walked straight into the study.
Roberta, who had accompanied him, did not follow. She remained outside, standing sentinel opposite the butler. They stood like two silent guardians flanking the entrance.
Unlike the other household staff, Roberta was Ren's personal maid—a position of trust equal to that of the old butler who shadowed Retsu.
Retsu looked up at his son.
Ren's long hair fell to his waist, stark against his white robe, which featured a black dragon embroidered on the shoulders.
Retsu gestured to the Shogi board already set up on the desk, a faint smile on his face. "Ren. Care for a match?"
Ren nodded, accepting without asking the reason for the summons.
Clack.
The sharp sound of a wooden piece striking the board echoed in the quiet room. Retsu knew exactly how terrifying his son's skill was in Shogi, so there was no room for false courtesy.
Usually, a father allowing his child to make the first move is a sign of affection—a handicap granted by the stronger player.
But that rule didn't apply here. Every time Retsu had politely let Ren take the initiative, the game had ended with Retsu's King being utterly cornered.
Whenever Retsu was on the verge of losing his temper during a match, Ren would look at him with innocent eyes and say, "Father, please don't go easy on me."
It always left Retsu speechless and frustrated.
"Ren, it's been a long time since we've played."
As the pieces advanced across the grid, clashing in the center, Retsu couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia.
"Father, you've used that nostalgia tactic many times before."
Ren was unmoved by the sentiment. With calm precision, he advanced a piece that effectively cut off Retsu's King from its last escape route.
Checkmate. Retsu had been completely dismantled.
"Ren, can't you just let your old man win for once?"
"Father, was there something you needed to see me about?" Ren ignored the comment, shifting his gaze from the board to his childishly pouting father.
Ever since suffering repeated defeats, Retsu rarely played Shogi with him anymore. The reason was simple: his pride couldn't take being outmaneuvered by his own child.
Asking for a match today was a clear signal. Retsu had something important to discuss but was too hesitant to broach the subject directly.
"Ren, have you decided which high school you want to attend?"
Seeing that Ren had cut to the chase, Retsu decided to probe gently. If Ren already had a school in mind, there would be no need to mention Advanced Nurturing High School.
"High school? I don't really care." Not knowing the reason behind the question, Ren decided to be honest.
To him, it didn't matter. He could skip school altogether.
To put it bluntly, even if Ren learned nothing at all, the Katsuragi Group possessed enough elite advisors to manage the conglomerate and ensure its continued prosperity for generations.
Attending school, in his view, was merely about experiencing "student life."
"Then... how about Advanced Nurturing High School?"
Seeing his opening, Retsu got straight to the point.
So that's why he called me here.
"Advanced Nurturing High School?" Ren rubbed his smooth chin. "What's so special about this place that you'd recommend it so strongly?"
"Well, it's rumored to be a school with a 100% employment and college placement rate for its graduates."
Retsu recited the pitch, trying to spark his son's interest with the claims from the brochure.
Ren rolled his eyes, utterly unimpressed.
"Father, let's leave aside whether that promise is even real. Even if it is, what use is an employment rate to me?"
"If you try to tell me I'm not allowed to leave the house unless I go to this specific school, I'll call Grandpa and Mom right away."
"I'll tell them you're trying to micromanage my life."
Ren's position in the family was vastly different from his father's. Retsu had fought tooth and nail for his title as Head of the Family, seizing every opportunity to crush his rivals.
Ren, however, was the prodigy. His incredible talent had made him the darling of the family since childhood.
The affection from the older generation bordered on obsession. If Ren had asked for the stars in the sky, the elders would have launched a space program to fetch them.
Because of this overwhelming favor, Retsu could only persuade his son, never force him.
"Alright, alright. The truth is, Koenji called. He said their heir is going to Advanced Nurturing High School."
"Since you didn't have a preference, I thought you might want to check out your future rival."
Retsu raised his hands in surrender, spilling the real story. Although he knew Ren was joking about tattling to the elders, he wasn't about to risk it.
"Rokusuke Koenji? That arrogant lion from the Koenji Group?" Ren smirked. "Interesting. I'll go."
Ren was well aware of the rivalry between their families.
The moment he heard Rokusuke would be there, he understood everything. His father wanted to use this "little lion" as a stepping stone.
Knowing his father's intentions, Ren naturally wouldn't refuse.
Not that he needed a stepping stone, of course.
"Good! Then I'll handle the registration immediately. You can start tomorrow."
Retsu was a man of action. Now that Ren had agreed, he wasted no time.
"Tomorrow? Fine. See you later, Father."
"Yes. See you later."
...
Back at his own residence, Ren stepped into the entrance hall, clapped his hands, and called out.
"Koharu. Mochi."
"Meow~"
Hearing her master's call, a pure white Ragdoll cat with light blue eyes abandoned her usual elegant steps. She trotted over and leaped into Ren's arms, rubbing her small head affectionately against his chest.
Behind Ren, the large white tigress that had returned with him lay quietly on the floor.
She silently crept toward the young man. Once close enough, she lunged.
Just as the tigress was about to tackle him, Ren—who had already sensed her approach—quickly set the kitten down and opened his arms wide to catch the larger beast.
"Koharu, you've gotten much heavier."
Ren hugged the front half of the tigress, burying his face in her warm fur, feeling her weight with a sense of helpless affection.
Roar~
Koharu didn't care about his complaints. She rested her massive head on Ren's shoulder and nuzzled him, mimicking the kitten.
This made Mochi jealous. The little cat opened her mouth and tugged insistently at Ren's trouser leg.
Koharu was a white Bengal tigress, her snow-white fur marked with greyish-black stripes. Her eyes were the same striking light blue as the kitten's.
As a cub, she had been abandoned by her mother and nearly froze to death. Ren, who happened to be camping nearby, found her just in time.
He had just cooked some meat porridge. Seeing the starving creature, he fed her everything he had and took her home, naming her Koharu.
Holding the tigress now, Ren felt a momentary sense of wonder.
Time had passed so quickly. The cub that was once the size of Mochi had grown so big he could barely hold her.
"Alright, alright, Koharu, that's enough."
Ren pushed away the affectionate apex predator and picked up the jealous kitten, placing her gently on top of the tigress's head.
After calming down the two cats—one big, one small—Ren turned to Roberta, who was waiting by the door.
"Roberta, I'll be away for a while. I'm leaving everything here in your care."
"Yes, Ren-sama."
Roberta accepted the key to his private quarters with a bow.
"Roberta, is there anything you want?" Ren asked suddenly.
He had "found" Roberta, and she had served as his exclusive maid ever since. Throughout her service, she worked diligently without complaint and never asked for a single thing.
Whenever Ren gave her a gift, she accepted it with a polite smile, never revealing her true preferences.
"Something I want?"
Roberta tilted her head, genuinely puzzled. She couldn't think of anything she desired.
Looking at the young man who had taken her in, she opened her arms on impulse.
"Ren-sama, may I have a hug?"
He stepped forward and hugged her.
After they separated, Ren smiled warmly. "That doesn't count as a gift, Roberta."
"I hope that by the time I return, you will have found what you truly want."
Ren turned and entered his room.
It was time to rest.