"A favour?"

  In a private vil on a remote isnd, Mikado Sanzenin was genuinely surprised. His granddaughter, Nagi, who rarely sought assistance, was now asking him for help.

  His surprise quickly gave way to a pleased smile.

  "Go on, it's rare for you to need something from me today."

  Si was unusual for his granddaughter to make a request, Mikado decided to take her seriously and not tease her with his usual jokes.

  "It's like this, I want the Shinomiya family to ge their heir."

  "Huh?"

  "Did the Shinomiya family offend you?"

  Not likely. Mikado didn't think the Shinomiya family had the ce to provoke the Sanzenin family.

  "I met a friend today, and I want to help her."

  "A friend? You mean the daughter of the Shinomiya family?"

  Thinking of the Shinomiya family's daughter, he recalled her immediately, a child with a cold and aloof demeanor.

  But how did Nagi end up befriending someone like her?

  "That's rare. I didn't think you'd i with those types of children who are difficult to approach."

  "Old man… you do it or not?"

  "Just call me 'Grandpa,' and I'll do it."

  "… Grandpa."

  Hearing her soft aant "Grandpa" made Mikado pause for a moment, his heart skipping a beat.

  How many years had it been since he st heard her call him that?

  He couldn't even remember how long it had been.

  "Three days."

  "In three days, the Shinomiya family will have a new heir."

  The weight of those words was terrifying.

  If spoken publicly, they would shake the business and political worlds. But ing from Mikado Sanzenin, it was a simple decration of fact.

  He truly had the power to make it happen.

  Mikado didn't bother asking why his granddaughter wahis done.

  If it was something Nagi desired, then the Shinomiya family would simply have to ply.

  Of course, Mikado wasn't a gentle or diplomati.

  He was infamous for his ruthlessness.

  He wouldn't iate with the Shinomiya family over the matter of succession. Instead, he'd break their limbs, and then step on their heads to say, "Shinomiya, kneel dow's talk about your family's heir."

  After hearing his response, Nagi g Kaguya, who had been listening silently nearby.

  "Old man, don't die on me just yet okay? I still have things I want to do."

  "Hehe~ Don't worry, little Nagi. If nothing else, this old man has a long life ahead of him."

  "Good."

  She chuckled and hung up the phone.

  Kaguya slowly regained her posure after hearing their versation.

  "This difference is… overwhelming."

  Thinking about how she was stantly belittled and suppressed within the Shinomiya family, while Nagi was doted on by her own family. it was a stark and undeniable trast.

  Taking a deep breath, Kaguya pushed down the sour emotions rising in her heart.

  "Three days… As expected of the Sanzenin family."

  She offered her praise without hesitation.

  Now, she fully uood the sheer power of the Sanzenin family.

  Kaguya had no doubts about Nagi's words. In fact, she had already started imagining what the Shinomiya family would endure over the hree days.

  But Nagi didn't seem the least bit proud.

  "That's just the old man's power."

  "He may do some ridiculous things, but his vision has always been spot-on."

  "This is more than just good vision."

  Kaguya didn't think such aplishments could be expined away so simply.

  There were tless intelligent people in the world, but only one Mikado Sanzenin had reached such heights.

  That level of influence couldn't be attributed to luck or fht alone.

  "But does this t as stepping on the Shinomiya family?"

  Her emotions were flicted.

  Yet, deep down, there was a faint and inexplicable sense of satisfa.

  "When the old man finishes his task and you officially bee the heir to the Shinomiya family, it'll be time to act. This test is crucial."

  "Uood."

  Kaguya agreed.

  The test involving that person and the rules of the diary was indeed critical for their future pns.

  "Also, even after you bee the heir, you shouldn't personally mahe Shinomiya family's business. Delegate the work to a few trustworthy people."

  "You're not iing the Shinomiya family just to py their money-making games."

  Kaguya nodded.

  The profitability of the family business was no longer her . Her focus should be on strengthening herself.

  If she became strong enough, wealth would naturally follow.

  "Hayasaka…"

  "Ah, if you're pnning to use your maid's es, you'd better crify some things with her first."

  The sudden warning caught Kaguya off guard, but she quickly uood.

  "Hayasaka… is it my eldest brother or my third brother?"

  At this moment, Hayasaka lowered her head, her expression dark and troubled.

  She had known this day would e eventually, but she hadn't expected it to arrive so soon.

  "It's Oko."

  "Hmph, of course it's my eldest brother. He always likes tet the people around me."

  Kaguya's face turned icy, her anger barely tained.

  It was an ht betrayal, orchestrated by her brother.

  She had always despised betrayal, and now the persorusted most, Hayasaka turned out to be a pawn pced by her brother.

  Her lips trembled slightly as she tried to suppress her emotions.

  If it had been anyone else, she would have immediately expelled them.

  But this was Hayasaka.

  They had grown up together, sharis and trust.

  With red eyes, Kaguya looked at Hayasaka.

  "Hayasaka… do you have nothing to say to me?"

  "… I'm sorry."

  Hayasaka's voice was filled with guilt and remorse. She khat her as amouo betrayal.

  Kaguya ched her fists, wanting to sh out, to scream. Was "I'm sorry" all Hayasaka could say? Couldn't she give her an expnation or an excuse?

  But no matter how furious she was, Kaguya forced herself to remain calm.

  She khat this wasirely Hayasaka's fault, it was her brother's doing.

  Her brother had likely chosen Hayasaka because of her family's status as vassals of the Shinomiya family, and because of Hayasaka's close retionship with her.

  Suppressing her emotions, Kaguya spoke in a measured tone.

  "Hayasaka, we'll talk about this ter."