The next day, early morning.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting dappled patterns on the carpet, as if the dramatic "family drama" of the previous night had never happened.
The incompetent daughter finally woke up.
Sera Masumi sat up groggily from the carpet, like a groundhog that had just crawled out of its burrow. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and subconsciously wiped away the suspicious, glistening liquid from the corner of her mouth.
Who am I? Where am I? What happened last night?
All she remembered was that terrifying guy, Yuzuru Nanagi, saying he was going to mock them before the deal, and then... and then she felt really sleepy and just fell asleep?
She looked around and found the room quiet; her mother was gone, and so was that dangerous Yuzuru Nan.
As expected of her own daughter, Mary Akai just watched her silly little girl sleep on the floor all night without moving her to the bed—perhaps because it wasn't easy for her to move herself.
"Mom?!"
Sera Masumi jolted awake, sprang to her feet, assumed a Jeet Kune Do starting stance, and warily scanned the empty room.
Where are they? Could it be...?
Mom was arrested?! Or did they all die together?!
Just then, the bathroom door clicked open.
Amidst the rising steam, a tall, slender, and curvaceous figure emerged, carrying the fresh scent of shower gel.
Sera Masumi's eyes widened instantly, and her mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg.
What did she see?!
Mom?!
You're not dead?
And it wasn't that blonde, blue-eyed little girl, but the woman she remembered—her original mother, with her stunning figure, cool demeanor, and mature feminine charm! Akai Mary!
"Mom?! You...you've recovered?!" Sera Masumi stammered, pointing at her, utterly shocked.
Mary Akai, wrapped in a bathrobe, her wet blonde hair cascading over her shoulders and exuding a fresh post-shower fragrance, completely ignored her daughter's naive and unsuspecting look. She walked expressionlessly to the computer and prepared to sit down.
However, the moment her buttocks touched the hardwood chair surface—
"hiss......"
She gasped almost imperceptibly, her delicate eyebrows furrowing instantly, and her movements visibly stiffening for a moment.
Immediately afterward, under Sera Masumi's questioning gaze, she reached out and took a soft pillow from the bed without changing her expression, awkwardly placed it on the chair, and then carefully sat down again.
Even the most elite agents cannot escape discomfort and pain after their first experience due to certain physiological structures.
This has nothing to do with willpower; it's purely a matter of physical laws.
Sera Masumi stared blankly at her mother's series of actions, her brain's CPU working frantically, trying to comprehend this unimaginable scene before her.
It took her a while to realize what was happening. She rushed to the desk and bombarded the desk with questions:
"Mom! You've really recovered? Is it permanent? What about Yuzuru? Why would he be so kind as to let us go and give us the antidote? What kind of shady deal did you two make? Did he threaten you? Did you suffer any losses? Do you need me to help you get revenge?!"
The last sentence sounded a bit hesitant.
Mary Akai paused slightly as she dried her hair, a subtle, complex emotion flashing deep in her eyes, but she quickly regained her usual composure.
She neither wanted to, nor would she ever describe in detail the specific process and cost of last night's "deal" to her daughter.
"It's only temporary; the effect will only last for half a day."
Her voice was flat, revealing no emotion.
He then looked at his daughter, his tone serious and leaving no room for argument: "From now on, show Hanyu Nan... the necessary respect. He is your... cousin-in-law."
Mary Akai paused almost imperceptibly before uttering the words "brother-in-law."
In fact, after last night, she herself felt incredibly troubled and confused by this messy relationship, and even had a moment of wanting to pull out a gun and clear her head.
My daughter's joking remark, "My classmate has become my dad," came to mind.
Is this really going to be a self-fulfilling prophecy?
Seeing her mother's obviously reluctant yet strange demeanor, Sera Masumi's detective intuition told her that something very important must have happened last night!
Moreover, it cannot be simply summarized by the word "transaction"!
But it seems we won't be able to get any more information out of Mom.
but......
What is the most important thing for a detective?
That is an indomitable curiosity, keen observation, and a spirit of recklessness... ah no, I mean, a spirit of exploration!
Sera Masumi outwardly pretended to accept her mother's words and obediently nodded, but her bright eyes were secretly scanning the room like a scanner, moving around when her mother couldn't see them.
The messy bed, the changed sheets, the faint scent in the air that didn't belong to either my mother or me, and the way my mother had clearly been uncomfortable when she sat down, needing a pillow...
Clues were rapidly piecing together in her mind.
Last night...something really happened that went beyond a normal "transaction"—something that needs no explanation! And it likely involved violence and...something inappropriate for children!
As a future famous detective, she, Sera Masumi, vows to uncover the truth hidden beneath the surface—
Truth! (Dad!)
.........
Meanwhile, at Yuzuru's residence.
The morning sunlight streamed through the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling windows.
Yuzuru was leisurely enjoying his breakfast, surrounded by three women of different styles—the gentle and considerate maid Akemi was carefully peeling a boiled egg for him, and the aloof and elegant tea-haired loli Ai was sipping her milk.
Meanwhile, the shrine maiden Kimie, who had just finished her morning prayers and exuded a pure and serene aura, sat quietly to the side, like a classical beauty who had stepped out of a painting of court ladies.
"Last night I visited your aunt, Ms. Mary Akai, who just arrived in Beika," Hanyu Nan said casually as he took the peeled egg from Akemi.
Akemi and Ai immediately turned their attention to her, and even Junhui, who was quietly drinking her porridge, tilted her head slightly to listen.
"The process... was fairly pleasant."
Yuzuru took a bite of the egg white, his tone tinged with a hint of lingering satisfaction.
"Although my aunt was initially a little surprised and put a small test on our relationship."
"But after in-depth communication and a full exchange of opinions, she also expressed her understanding and blessings. She also cared about you two sisters and asked about your recent situation. Knowing that you are doing well and happy now, she was very gratified and finally felt at ease."
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