(Perhaps… I misjudged Nanase Nanao.)
She’d seen her as a villainess—a homewrecker who’d swooped in to steal Izumi away.
But now, that rigid image was melting away, like ice under warm sunlight—
“Well, I’ll still win in the end, though~”
“…………”
—Only for that sunlight to ignite into hellfire.
Hakua’s smile darkened as her eye twitched.
“Ugh, hehe~. Nanase-san, you’re quite the joker, aren’t you?”
“Hakua-san. For my wedding with Izumi-kun, I’ll be counting on you to prepare the most delicious wedding cake, alright?”
“You’re beyond shameless! And stop calling me by my first name so casually!”
But of course, she’d probably rally her family’s full resources to prepare the world’s finest cake anyway. That was just the kind of woman she was.
Then, Meina let out a lazy yawn.
“…I woke up early this morning, so I’m a bit tired~. Let’s just sleep for now.”
“Are you seriously planning to live here?”
“Yep. Because I don’t wanna do housework~.”
“At least say you’ll split the chores halfway!”
The fact that the master and servant were dividing household duties was already outrageous, but Hakua still hadn’t realized the truth—that she was the one being tamed. Is this really okay, Hakua? Is this really okay, Shiragiku Confectionery Holdings heir?!
“Besides, with you around, Izumi-kun might end up getting a bad influence.”
“Bad influence?”
“Yes. A shameless girl like you isn’t fit for someone like Izumi-kun.”
“…Ohhh~?”
Meina narrowed her eyes playfully.
“Then, what’s this~?”
“Huh?”
She stood up from the sofa and leisurely made her way toward Hakua’s bedroom.
Hakua’s face instantly paled.
In a rare moment of genuine panic, her voice shot up.
“M-Meina! Stop it!”
“Hehe~. Why so flustered? We’re all sleeping together, right~?”
“You two are in the living room! And seriously, stop—!”
“Oops~, my hand slipped~♪”
Click—the bedroom door swung wide open.
And what lay beyond it was—
A mammoth bed!
A king-sized double bed, to be precise.
Naturally, it was far too large for Hakua to sleep in alone. In fact, only one side showed signs of regular use, while the other bore a faintly lonely aura.
And on that bed—despite living alone—were two heart-shaped pillows, arranged side by side in a painfully lovey-dovey couple’s display.
And let me reiterate: Hakua lived alone.
So, logically, who else could this setup possibly be for—?
Hakua crumpled to the floor and let out a scream loud enough to disturb the entire neighborhood.
“IT’S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!!”
…Or so she claimed.
Nanao and Meina leaned in with grins plastered on their faces.
“Hakua-san. What isn’t what it looks like?”
“Miss. What isn’t what it looks like~?”
Bombarded by their teasing gazes, Hakua shrank even further.
“I-I just have terrible sleeping habits! That’s why I need a big bed!”
“Ehh~? Never heard that before~. When we were kids, you wouldn’t budge an inch once you fell asleep~. Remember when I doodled on you~?”
“What?! What did you do to me?!”
Trembling at the horrifying implication, Hakua shuddered.
“A-Anyway, it has nothing to do with Izumi-kun! Really.”
“Hmm~. Then it’s fine if Nanao-san and I sleep there, right~?”
“N-No! That bed is for Izumi-k—ah!”
Grin.
Grin, grin, grin.
“IT’S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!!”
…Or so she still claimed.
But there was no escape now. Nanao and Meina’s teasing only intensified.
“Alright~. Then let’s brainstorm how to get Izumi-kun into this room.”
“Izumi-sama isn’t the type to take initiative~. We’ll have to be a little forceful~.”
“JUST GO TO SLEEP ALREADY!!”
And so, the girls’ night deepened—
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
About an hour later…
Hakua’s room had finally quieted down.
In the living room, Nanao and Meina were sound asleep on neatly arranged guest futons, skillfully placed between the clutter of luggage.
Hakua, now alone, let out a sigh after finishing the cleanup.
“Honestly, what are those two even thinking…?”
She sat on the sofa and took a sip of her tea.
(…But for some reason, I don’t feel too bad about it.)
Raised to be strong since childhood,
Hakua had always been cherished by those around her—yet she’d never had much interaction with peers her age.
(No. I mustn’t. I am Hakua of the Shiragiku family. I can’t show weakness to anyone.)
One day, she would inherit a global corporation.
To sacrifice herself, to live coldly and rationally—that was how she would ensure the happiness of the masses.
Friends? Letting herself be bound by such ties would only risk losing what truly mattered.
Five Years Ago…
Back then, Hakua and her father had clashed constantly.
Whenever possible, she’d argue that his methods were wrong. It wasn’t that her father was actually flawed—she just wanted to prove her own competence by rejecting the foundations he’d built.
In short, she’d been a brat.
Her father, wary of her eventually leading the company, had been exceptionally strict with her.
Their strained relationship reached its peak during negotiations with the Sumie Group—Izumi’s family.
When Hakua heard that Sumie executives were visiting Shiragiku Confectionery, she stormed into her father’s office.
[Father! What could you possibly be thinking, allying with that company?!]
Her anger wasn’t unfounded.
The Sumie Group
The group has a terrible reputation at the time.
Their aggressive expansion had sparked backlash everywhere, and rumors had reached even Hakua’s ears.
Meanwhile, Shiragiku Confectionery was struggling. Their overseas ventures were underperforming, and they’d just posted some of their worst earnings in history.
An alliance under these circumstances?
To Hakua, it looked like the Shiragiku family was bowing its head.
[We don’t need their help! We can manage on our own!]
[This partnership was decided long ago.]
[Have you no pride, Father? How can you face our ancestors like this?!]
[…]
Her father’s demeanor shifted.
[Hakua.]
His voice was quiet—but carried a chilling weight.
Only then did Hakua realize she’d crossed a line.
[You’re still a child. Stop pretending to understand business and focus on your studies.]
[…!]
Hakua fled.
The words struck too close to home. It was the first—and only—time her father had ever truly scolded her.
As she slumped on the company stairs, an unfamiliar boy—Izumi—spoke to her.
[Hello. I’m a bit lost… Could you help me?]
a loving smile.
His friendly smile and polite demeanor radiated both refinement and innate intelligence.
(…Who is this boy?)
He wore a middle school uniform.
Shiragiku Confectionery often hosted educational tours, and though she hadn’t heard of any that day, she assumed he was part of one.
[By the way, why were you crying earlier?]
[Huh?!]
Caught in a vulnerable moment, Hakua turned bright red.
[…Just a family argument.]
[I see. I’m envious.]
Feeling mocked, she snapped.
[Don’t patronize me! I—]
[N-No, I didn’t mean it like that…]
Izumi quickly backtracked.
[In my family… we can’t argue like that.]
Hakua froze.
(…Did something happen to his parents?)
It was a misunderstanding—
Izumi’s parents (and even his great-grandfather) were alive and well. But in that moment, her assumption softened her.
[Father still treats me like a child. I’ve studied hard—I can handle things. This deal…]
[…]
Izumi listened quietly as she vented her frustrations.
Despite being younger, his mature demeanor made her feel oddly embarrassed about complaining.
[S-Sorry. There’s no point telling you this.]
[…No.]
Suddenly, Izumi took her hand.
[If you ever feel like no one understands you… from now on, I’ll always be your ally.]
The near-confession from this composed, handsome boy left Hakua’s face burning.
A few days later…
Hakua learned of her engagement—alongside the alliance with the Sumie family.
And when her father introduced her to her fiancé—It was that boy.
[I look forward to your kindness, Lady Shiragiku.]
[…]
From that day on, Hakua’s life changed completely.
Visit the request page If there’s a Japanese Light Novel (LN) or Web Novel (WN) you’d like me to translate
When the donation goal progress bar above hit 100% one novel will be chosen for translation
| Table of Contents | Next* |
Support the Author by Buying the Original Books!
