“But Nanao-chan finally started coming to club! If this keeps up, he’ll have even less time to spend with Amane~!”
It was pure misplaced frustration.
Notably, two lunch boxes sat beside Amane. She’d diligently made bento for Izumi again today, only for him to vanish before she could invite him to eat. Incidentally, this was also the reason she’d gained two kilograms.
Hakua sighed sadly at her ally’s pitiful state. Even with her imperial bloodline, she couldn’t help but pity her.
“Sigh. Fine, then…”
Slowly raising her right hand, she muttered, “Well, well…”
“I had hoped to observe longer, but…”
With that, she snapped her fingers.
The student council door opened.
Standing there was—Akeboshi Meina.
“……!?”
The unexpected arrival left Amane and Haru breathless.
Meanwhile, Meina—
—stepped into the room with a fearless grin, saying nothing.
“W-Wait! Why is Meina-chan here!?”
“Y-Yeah! Outsiders aren’t allowed in!”
At their flustered protests, Meina tilted her head.
“But you two aren’t student council members either, right~?”
“Huh…?”
Amane and Haru exchanged blank looks.
Everyone had nearly forgotten—they were outsiders.
And then Meina—
—silently positioned herself behind Hakua, standing with perfect posture.
The sight plunged Amane and the others into utter confusion. What an impeccably poised stance! …No, that wasn’t the issue here.
This made it seem like Meina was—
“Allow me to formally introduce Meina to Amane-san and Haru-san.”
Hakua coolly revealed the shocking truth.
“This is Akeboshi Meina. The daughter of the Akeboshi Chief Secretary, who serves under my father—Shiragiku Group’s chairman.”
Amane and Haru’s eyes widened.
“Wha!? Hakua-san, does that mean!?”
“I-Is she on Shiragiku Senpai’s side!?”
Delighted by their reactions, Hakua smirked.
“The Akeboshi family has supported Shiragiku Confectionery since its founding, both publicly and privately. She’s been receiving elite education abroad to one day work under me.”
She continued, almost boasting.
“Meina here is the most brilliant mind in Akeboshi family history. Even her own father, the Chief Secretary, fears her enough to refer to her by a title.”
With a triumphant look, she declared:
“—[The All-Knowing Brain].”
Amane gulped.
“Uh, [The All-Knowing Brain]…?”
“That… sounds impressive…”
Though overwhelmed by the grand title, Amane and Haru desperately protested.
“But why did she come back from overseas now!?”
“And why is she making moves on Senpai!?”
Hakua smirked coldly.
Her chilling smile embodied her moniker—[Ice Princess].
This was a spy.
But why deploy her?
What kind of ruthless scheme awaited them? Amane and Haru trembled at the horror.
“Meina mastered advanced psychology at a foreign university. Using that power—”
Hakua’s eyes flashed!
“—she’ll seize control of Izumi-kun’s heart and make him dependent on the Shiragiku family! Ultimately, he’ll become mine!!”
Outsourcing her love life!?
What a woman.
Even now, she chose an absurdly roundabout plan. She intended to have her future subordinate seduce Izumi, then use her authority to claim him!
A heartless, god-defying betrayal.
Faced with such demonic manipulation,
even Amane and Haru were stunned.
“H-Hakua-san, that’s cheating!”
“Using family power is unfair!”
“Your ancestors would weep!”
“W-What if it actually works!?”
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…Wait, no.
Given Meina’s recent actions, they were panicking because it might actually succeed. Their protests were just self-preservation.
Hakua reveled in their reactions.
“Fufu. Say what you will. The Shiragiku family motto is: [Pride won’t feed your employees]!”
“A model employer!?”
Though her logic was flimsy, her ruthless efficiency was undeniable.
And it was working. Meina’s psychological warfare was alarmingly effective. Based on reports from her informants and Amane’s panic, Izumi’s fall was inevitable.
(Fufu. Nanase Nanao, you were a worthy opponent. Against anyone else, you’d have won. But this time… you picked the wrong enemy.)
In Hakua’s past—no, likely even her future—no one would ever corner her like this.
In a way, she respected Nanao.
But Nanao was just an ordinary high school girl.
Hakua, born into a cutthroat world, operated on a different level.
Certain of victory, she smirked.
(All that matters is winning in the end!)
After all, love was war.
No matter how you prettied it up, only winners and losers remained. Who cared about fairness?
Securing victory without risk—
that was Hakua’s virtue.
As heir to a global empire, she bore unimaginable responsibility. Failure was not an option.
Smiling sweetly, she addressed her loyal servant:
“So, Meina. Do your best for me, okay~♪”
And then her faithful subordinate—
“Huh? No thanks~?”
“……………………What?”
———Silence. The room froze.
Hakua wasn’t the only one questioning her ears. Amane and Haru were equally stunned.
Only Meina remained, beaming as usual.
“…What did you say?”
“I said I won’t hand Izumi-sama over to you, miss~♪”
Meina pressed her hands to her cheeks, swaying playfully.
“Because~ I’ve liked him since forever~? ♡”
“Wha—? H-Hold on, Meina…?”
“Actually, I’d given up since Izumi-sama was the young mistress’s fiancée~♪ But while I was away in America, the engagement got called off, didn’t it~? And the Sumie family already decided that Izumi-sama little sister would be the heir, so there’s no family obligations holding back now, right~? I figured this was my absolute chance, so I’m gonna go for it~♡”
“W-w-w-wait a second!!”
Hakua panicked.
Right now, she realized something had derailed from the future she’d envisioned.
But it was too late!
Hakua’s perfect, flawless blueprint for the future—from the very start, she’d boarded the wrong train!
What should’ve been a slow ride to heaven turned out to be an express train barreling straight to hell. No stops, no transfers, a fully automated AI-controlled train with no conductor. And once you’re on—there’s no getting off.
A cold sweat erupted down Hakua’s face.
With a creeping, bone-chilling premonition, she turned to the servant who was supposed to be perfectly obedient and asked:
“Hold on… Meina. You… didn’t come back to support me?”
“Nope~! I rushed back the moment I heard Izumi-sama was single~!”
Hakua calmly tried to see through her true intentions.
Meina, the girl from the Akeboshi family.
Ever since their parents introduced them as children, they’d always been together. She adored Hakua, studied hard to one day become her right hand. On a certain starry, beautiful night, they’d sworn to face the destiny laid upon the Shiragiku family—together.
With all those years of overwhelming shared experience, Hakua tried to decipher Meina’s feelings—
And it was 100% real.
“…I always thought she was a little hard to pin down.”
She was a good girl, sure, but her sense of responsibility always felt… floaty, often leaving the serious Hakua bewildered. Still, in the end, she always had Hakua’s best interests at heart. She really was a good kid… probably. Like that time after swearing their fates under the stars, Meina left Hakua alone on that hill because she ‘had a show to watch.’
After that, Meina skipped grades and studied abroad at a foreign university—an incredible feat. Hakua had been looking forward to seeing what kind of high schooler she’d become, but…
“Young mistress~! Please cheer for me, okay~? ♡”
She hadn’t changed as much as hoped!
…Let me repeat.
This is not a heroine’s love story.
Nor is it some strange, reality-bending dream where the impossible happens.
No—this is!
The tale of one girl’s counterattack!
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