Chapter 1135. Before Sunset / The weather is clear, but I’m very conscious.

「 Oh? It’s not like that’s all, isn’t it? 」

Shou-neechan smiled at Anna-san.

「 It would be embarrassing if you look down on the investigative power of the Kouzuki SS 」

It’s been days since Ruriko gave instructions about Anna-san, and so…

Shou-neechan already had a thorough background check on Anna-san.

「 The reason why Anna-san ran away from home today has nothing to do with the problem with your Grandfather’s inheritance, right? 」

「 Err 」

Anna-san’s at loss for words.

「 You have another discord with your father, don’t you? 」

Anna-san looked at Ruriko.

「 It may be embarrassing but do tell everyone 」

Ruriko told Anna-san with a smile of a senior at school.

「 If you don’t tell them honestly, then it would be hard to ask for cooperation from the people in here. They’re not people who make careless conclusions 」

「 Yeah, if there’s still something kept in secret, then we won’t do anything unless you talk about it 」

I said.

「 If you want to borrow Kouzuki house’s or my power, then tell us everything 」

Momoko-neechan made it clear too.

Anna-san;

「 Haaa, fuuuuu 」

She breathes deeply.

「 Uuu, this story isn’t embarrassing for Erica but for Father, and so I don’t want to talk about it, but… 」

「 Then, do you want me to tell them instead? 」

Shou-neechan smiles.

「 Ueeee…I-It’s okay, I can do it…Auuu. Erica will talk!!! 」

She shouts in panic.

「 Erica already mentioned that Father’s trying to merge his auditing from with another… 」

Yeah, you did.

「 Then, while at it, they came up with the idea of getting Erica engaged with the son of the director of the other auditing firm 」

Engagement. A political marriage.

「 Because it would improve the relationship between the two corporations in the future 」

Anna-san speaks with a gloomy expression.

「 It’s common. Most of the girls in our school have a fiance decided by their relatives 」

Momoko-neechan said sullenly.

Sure, it’s a school for girls with high social status.

Misuzu also had a fiance before.

「 But, in Erica’s case, that guy isn’t even a fiance!!!! 」

Anna-san looked at Momoko-neechan with teary eyes.

「 Who is it? 」

Momoko-neechan asks.

「 That’s… 」

Anna-san finds it hard to speak.

Then.

「 It’s Madohori Tadashi-san 」

Momoko-neechan said flatly.

「 I saw him talking to Anna-san’s father intimately during the party recently. When they noticed me coming their way, he ran away in a hurry 」

Momoko-neechan seems to hate this Madohori guy from the bottom of her heart.

「 Oh, I see. I now remember Madohori-san 」

Mariko said.

「 I see. Anna house is now the head of a CPA firm, but their ancestors held important positions in the Meiji government, and although their lineage isn’t at the level of the nobility, they still have a good and wealthy bloodline. I can see why Madohori-san wants it 」

Momoko-neechan’s assessing.

「 But, Madohori-san will never get in the world of the nobility even if she marries a woman from there…no reasonable noble family would want to deal with that person 」

Momoko-neechan said. Mariko;

「 Nono, if you ask me, even nobility won’t be enough for him if he wants his ambitions to come true. That man’s in the anti-conservative faction after all 」

「 True. To him, the nobility is an existing power he has to take down 」

His ambition is to oppose the nobility?

「 I mean, Anna-san, is Momoko-neechan’s answer the right one? Is it really, what was it? Mado- 」

I asked…

「 It is. It’s Madohori Tadashi-san 」

I asked. Anna-san answered discontentedly.

「 Kou-chan, Madohori-san is a weird man. I hate him, what about Mariko? 」

「 I hate him too 」

Wow, Momoko-neechan and Mariko hates him.

「 What about Misuzu? 」

Momoko-neechan asks.

「 From what I hear, I feel that he’s only bringing bad things 」

「 Uhm, Shou-oneesama’s always on the lookout so he won’t make contact with us. Therefore, I only see him from a distance when in parties 」

Misuzu and Ruriko reply.

「 Yes, Kouzuki SS designates him as a person under surveillance 」

Shou-neechan smiled wryly.

「 Oh, that’s nice. Maybe I should do that too? 」

「 I’ll prepare arrangements for Kaan Momoko-sama 」

「 Then, do as you see fit 」

Momoko-neechan told Shou-neechan

「 Uhm, I get now that everyone hates that guy, but… 」

I…

「 In the end, why is he hated that much? 」

Momoko-neechan;

「 Right, I should explain it in a way Kou-chan can understand. First, his name is weird 」

「 Name? Madohori Tadashi, right? 」

「 YEs, Madohori, Tadashi. His surname is still normal. “Mado,” from the room’s window (窓,) and “Hori,” from the side of a moat (堀)

Yeah. Madohori.

「 But, his given name. It’s written like the Revolution (革命) 」

「 Revolution? 」

「 Err, you know. French Revolution and the likes. He writes it as Revolution(Kakumei – 革命), but reads it as “Tadashi” 」

Mariko teaches me to make up for Momoko-neechan.

Meaning, his name is (窓堀革命) (written: Madohori Kakumei) (read: Madohori Tadashi)

「 Why is Kakumei read as Tadashi? 」

「 His father made it that way 」

Mariko said.

「 He’s a superior CPA, but, he devoted himself to political campaigns. He’s a man who believes that current Japan needs a revolution 」

So, he thinks that causing a revolution is justice?

「 Then, Madohori Tadashi-san inherited his father’s ideology 」

Momoko-neechan tells me with a bitter look.

「 We call him “Mad Hori”…he’s a man who causes trouble to a lot of women, trying to get close to them, even among our friends 」

Mariko said.

「 He tried to talk to me too. That guy’s always giggling. His smile is just disgusting. And then, everything he does is so troublesome, talking with the attitude of “You’re so dumb that you never noticed this until now, have you?” He’s trying to show off that he’s smart, but, it’s just painful to deal with his stupid stories! 」

To think that Mariko goes as far as that.

「 Basically, a condescending attitude. He gives that approach to women, and he looks down on women, and yet, he doesn’t notice that we hate him! Rather, he thinks that he’s popular with women. He keeps on talking to everyone even at parties! 」

「 We will be keeping Torii-sama in our protection in the parties to come too 」

Shou-neechan said.

「 Please! I mean, just ban Mad Hori from the parties! 」

She said.

「 What does he do for a living? 」

I can’t imagine it.

Then, Shou-neechan.

「 He’s still a graduate student, but, he names himself a sociologist, representing an NPO, and he also writes several “social criticism” in magazines. His second book is already publishing 」

「 Those are no criticisms, he’s just writing some student essays! 」

Mariko gets angry again.

「 Seems like the person in question is proud of his views, but what “Mad Hori” writes is just purely his opinion and ideas, and a bunch of random stuff without doing any real research. He’s horrible at it 」

「 Indeed. I read some of it for my investigation, but the base of his criticisms are short, that it made me think that these are only meaningless blanket theories based on the fictional conditions that can only apply to the fictional world inside Madohori-san’s brain 」

Shou-neechan said.

「 How is that guy getting to magazines? 」

「 Kou-chan, that’s because recently, they call over someone representing the young to talk about the problems of the young in current Japan in television and newspapers 」

Huh, Momoko-neechan?

「 That’s right, Kou. He’s good at buttering up the adults. He already has a lot of acquaintances thanks to his father’s connections, but he’s also doing nonprofit organizations, see? That’s why he can make his own events, and have magazine editors-in-chief, college professors, famous lawyers, or politicians from the opposition come over. That’s how he expands his business 」

Mariko said.

「 We only see him as a fool with no redeeming feature, but, for some reason, he’s good at buttering up men in their 50s. I think that’s his talent 」

「 Mariko’s right, for some reason, he’s highly praised by the elderly in the business world. I can’t see what they expect from that person though 」

Momoko-neechan’s also amazed.

「 And that guy might be Anna-san’s fiance? 」

I said. Everyone looked at Anna-san.

「 That’s right 」

Anna-san mutters feebly.

「 Err, he’s a graduate student, so that means 」

「 He’s 23 」

Shou-neechan tells me.

「 Anna-san’s fiance is already 23? 」

「 Well, you know the excuse they say, “it can’t be helped, it’s for the convenience of the parent’s company.” They have a good way of obtaining middle schoolers legally 」

Mariko said.

「 It’s written in his book and on his NPO website, he says that his ultimate goal in life is to become a politician 」

Shou-neechan said.

「 Furthermore, he says that his dream is to form a new political party by himself, win and change the regime, and become the first president of Japan 」

「 See? He’s stupid, isn’t he? He has this cherished opinion of “Japan should be following the presidential system of America, France, Korea, and Uganda” 」

Mariko said.

「 That’s why he’s trying to dig into the financial world, and looking for people who will sponsor his political party. In a sense, Anna and Yamamoto’s auditing has a lot of superior customers, and he wants to reach the staff in our school through Anna-san…I’m sure of it 」

Momoko-neechan reasoned.1

「 So, Anna-san, you don’t like the man you’re engaged to, so you ran away? 」

I asked her.

「 Y-yes, well, that’s how it is…if I marry that man, I’m sure that all of the assets Grandfather left for me will all be used for stupid things 」

Then, Anna-san looked at me with her big eyes.

「 But, I’m telling the truth when I say that I’m interested in sex, rape, and training! And I also don’t want Father to take away the inheritance my Grandfather gave me! So 」

She looks at me with her eyes open wide and an earnest expression.

「 The thought of becoming Kuromori-sama’s slave is a request coming from the bottom of my heart! Erica wants to serve Kuromori-sama!!! 」

No, that’s…

I confirmed one thing…

「 Yeah, I can see the reasons inside Anna-san’s head. 」

This girl’s got an amazing mind that can analyze things, come up with answers, and put them into action at the speed of light.

Therefore, if you look at her from the outside, she’s so uncertain, and hard to understand, but…

There is clear logical reasoning inside Anna-san’s head.

Therefore.

「 I can see that Anna-san’s a smart girl, and you dare to make your decisions real right away, and above all, you’re strict to yourself 」

I choose my words as I talk to her.

「 Kuromori-sama? 」

Anna-san looked at me blankly.

「 Meaning, Anna-san knows that if you ask for something from someone, you have a price to pay. That’s why you do it like that 」

This girl’s got a really high pride. That’s the truth.

「 Anna-san, you want to go against your Father, protecting the inheritance you received from your Grandfather, and so, your only choice is to ask for Kouzuki house’s protection. Isn’t that your conclusion? That it’s the only option you have 」

No matter how smart she is, she’s still a young girl.

She knows that she can’t oppose her father alone.

「 But, that doesn’t mean that the Kouzuki house will protect you without compensation…and so using Anna-san’s logic… 」

What can she present right now? That would be;

「 That’s why, Anna-san decided to become my slave, offering your body and life to me, as compensation for the protection, am I wrong? 」

If Misuzu’s fiance makes her his slave…

Then, the Kouzuki house will protect her.

Anna-san made her resolve to not care if she has to serve me as a slave for the rest of her life.

When this girl saw that there’s no other option, she does it without hesitation.

「 And as for why Anna-san goes through such lengths to oppose her father… 」

I…

「 Well, this is just my guess, but the reason why Anna-san’s Grandfather purposely adopted Anna-san and gave her a separate inheritance from her father… 」

Anna-san’s hand trembles.

I knew it was weird.

Leaving the inheritance to her means;

「 Leaving half of the inheritance to his “Granddaughter, which is now the adopted daughter, Anna-san,” is just a pretext, and the truth is, there’s something in the inheritance that he didn’t want Anna-san’s father to notice, is there? 」

Meaning.

「 Most of the money, stocks, and plots left for Anna-san is just a cover-up for the thing that he really wants to leave for Anna-san, right? 」

Anna-san’s skin trembles.

「 What do you mean, Kou? 」

Momoko-neechan looks at me.

「 Well, it’s just weird to me. Anna-san said that she came here, that she has the resolve to become my slave, also, she mentioned that she’ll give the 300M properties of hers, right? 」

「 Oh, now that you mention it 」

Mariko nods.

「 That’s why the “grandfather inheritance” that Anna-san doesn’t want her father to take away from her is not the 300M worth of bank savings or stocks or the plots. She inherited something else from her Grandfather. That’s why she doesn’t care if she gives us the 300M worth of assets. Furthermore, Anna-san finds it okay to pay that price to have us protect her from here on 」

This girl has something much more important than her life or the 300M worth of assets.

「 I think that marrying that weird troublesome man is the cause. She judged that if we shelter her, then she’s safe, but if she gets married, it’s likely that it will be taken away, right? 」

Therefore, compared to marrying that Mad Hori…

She wants me to make her my slave instead.

「 Anna-san thinks that if she becomes my slave, then I will be overlooking what else she has. Not the money, the stocks, the land, but something more personal that is of value to her 」

Misuzu or I won’t be complaining about Anna-san’s personal properties, so…

「 But, that personal property is too significant, that it would be a problem if Anna-san’s father or Mad Hori notices it. Therefore, Anna-san’s Grandfather went all the way to slip it in the inheritance he’s giving to Anna-san 」

Anna-san looks at me with her forehead sweating.

「 What is it Anna-san? Tell us! 」

Kaan Momoko-neechan orders Anna-san, but…

「 Momoko-neechan, you shouldn’t ask her that now 」

I said.

「 But, Kou 」

「 There’s no need to rush. Let’s wait until Anna-san wants to talk about it. Anna-san doesn’t trust us that much yet 」

Anna-san stares at me.

「 But, don’t you want to know what the secret inheritance is? 」

Momoko-neechan is a mass of curiosity.

「 I’m sure the hint is that detached building in Anna-san’s home, the secret library her Grandfather left her 」

As soon as I say that…

「 H-How?! 」

Anna-san mutters.

「 Why do you think so? 」

I…

「 Anna-san, your Grandfather died when you were four, right? It’s hard to hide some big secret in the will. Anna-san’s still small, and so you might’ve told your Father about it in that case 」

So…

「 So, I think that Anna-san’s grandfather used the secret library in the detached building to leave his will to Anna-san. And, that detached building is one of the inheritance Anna-san have, and that only you can enter 」

Anna-san looked at me in shock.

「 Then, it’s a little earlier than the Grandfather imagined, but when Anna-san grew up, you arrived at the secret library, and you read the collection 」

The old western books in the bookshelves, in sequence.

「 Maybe one of your Grandfather’s messages was hidden among the collection of books? That’s when Anna-san found out what he actually wants to give her, the meaning of that object, and the way to use it, all in detail 」

「 Why do you think so, Kou? 」

Instead of the completely petrified Anna-san;

Momoko-neechan asks me.

「 Smart people add a sprinkle of truth when they have something to hide. That way, they can deceive others. And besides, with a girl like Anna-san, she just talks whatever is in her head. 」

I said.

「 This girl’s been thinking about her Grandfather’s real inheritance. Therefore, she was absurdly focused on wanting to become my slave. She found her Grandfather’s message, and then the secret library came to her mind, and so she went on a flashback unconsciously. That’s why Anna-san’s thoughts directly linked into the library and she talked about it 」

Then, Anna-san.

「 How? How do you know so much about Erica?! 」

She asks me, trembling.

「 Have you not figured it out? 」

Ruriko smiles gently.

「 Onii-sama’s been taking all his time since earlier to look at nobody but Anna-san, and think about Anna-san 」

「 About Erica? 」

「 Yes, he’s doing his best to comprehend Anna-san even now 」

Then…

「 The tea’s getting cold so I’ll prepare a new batch. Please give me a moment 」

Ruriko said, and she goes back to heat up the tea.

Oh, I see.

I’m on Ruriko’s palm right now.

Everything went as Ruriko planned so far.

「 Right, let’s take a break. I also want to analyze the situation calmly 」

Kaan Momoko-neechan said.

「 Indeed. Oh, Ruriko-sama, if you’re preparing tea then I’ll help you 」

Mariko stands up.

Then.

「 Hey, you clumsy sis! 」

Eri calls Anna-san who’s dumbfounded.

「 C-Clumsy? Erica? 」

「 That’s right, now I only see you as a clumsy girl 」

Rie speaks to Anna-san with a cold look.

「 If you actually want to be Onii-san’s slave, then… 」

「 Shouldn’t you be helping out in preparing tea at least? 」

The twins stand up and go to Ruriko.

「 Ah, yes 」

Anna-san tries to stand up, but…

「 No need. We don’t need that many people, sit down, Anna-san 」

Ruriko tells her.

「 Besides, it’s not a slave if you don’t move unless someone tells you to 」

「 Yeah, you’re no slave, you’re just a clumsy girl 」

The twins mutter while preparing teacups and plates.

Then…

Bii!!

Another alarm.

「 Oh, it seems that they’re back 」

Ruriko’s right. The monitor shows Katsuko-nee’s van.

Katsuko-nee, Nei, Mana, Ai, Edie, and Kinuka have returned from school.

1. It says Shou-neechan, but the speech sounds like Momoko