The Onjouji Estate.
While Rin Ito was at Shiroyuri's house participating in a material-gathering party with the girls, Karen Onjouji, the young mistress of the esteemed Onjouji family, and Shion were seated at a desk, attending a lesson. Beside her was the 'tutor' her father had hired.
"Next, I will briefly outline the loopholes in the Shinomiya family's corporate management. I hope Miss Karen will take this as a cautionary example." Although it wasn't tedious math, Karen was still somewhat distracted.
Although Karen was still in high school, as the sole daughter of the Onjouji family, the future heir to the Onjouji Group, she had to study business knowledge in addition to her school subjects. Although it was tedious, this was mandatory for her as the sole daughter of the Onjouji family and the future successor to the Onjouji Group. Shion, as Karen's personal attendant, also needed to study this knowledge.
Currently, Karen was only studying theoretical knowledge, but as practical experience, Karen's father had already entrusted her with some peripheral, less important businesses within the Onjouji Group. After Karen graduated from university, she would be sent to gain experience in the group's grassroots for a while, after which she would be entrusted with more important businesses until she gradually took control of the entire Onjouji Group.
The heavy burden on Karen made her feel breathless. While listening to the lecture, she couldn't help but lose focus, her fingertips unconsciously resting on her fair neck. Ugh... I wonder what Master is doing? I really want to put on my collar and go to Master to be a pet who doesn't have to think about anything...
"Miss Karen, please don't drift off."
"Ah... apologies, Aunt Nao."
Karen refocused her attention on the mature woman in front of her. Her blue eyes, under her shoulder-length blonde hair, seemed slightly aloof. Although Karen called her "Aunt," she was extremely well-maintained, and there were few traces of age on her face.
Although she was a tutor, she was not an educator who specialized in teaching students, like a school teacher. To be precise, the woman Karen called Aunt Nao was actually a commercial spy. However, she wasn't a spy cultivated by the Onjouji family, nor was she working solely for the Onjouji family's benefit... she was simply seeking revenge.
Aunt Nao's full name was Nao Hayasaka. Not many people might recognize the surname Hayasaka, but many would certainly know the surname Shinomiya and the Shinomiya Group. The Shinomiya family and the Onjouji family have been commercial rivals for many years. Although the Shinomiya family was generally not as powerful as the Onjouji family, they were still a force to be reckoned with.
The feud between the Hayasaka family and the Shinomiya family dates back nearly seventeen years. At that time, the Hayasaka family, while not as powerful as the Onjouji family or the Shinomiya family, was still an influential dynasty. However, their good fortune didn't last. Not long after Nao Hayasaka got married, and before her daughter was born, the Hayasaka family lost a commercial competition to the Shinomiya family. The Hayasaka Group was subsequently absorbed by the Shinomiya Group, and Nao Hayasaka's husband committed suicide as a result.
However, the Shinomiya family was not monolithic. The third son of the Shinomiya family, Unyo Shinomiya, born to a mistress, sought to counterbalance his two older brothers. He found a way to bring Nao Hayasaka into the Shinomiya family as his personal attendant. In the name of the Hayasaka family's daughter, he carved out a substantial share of assets from the absorbed Hayasaka Group. Although Nao Hayasaka was financially better off than a fallen noblewoman and didn't have to worry about money, she was unwilling to become the attendant of her enemy and a tool for carving up her family's conglomerate. Furthermore, her daughter was being used by Unyo Shinomiya as a tool to monitor his sister, Kaguya Shinomiya, for internal power struggles.
To seek revenge and protect her daughter, she secretly reached an agreement with the Onjouji family to become their spy, gathering intelligence on the Shinomiya family solely to bring them down. After nearly nineteen years of enduring hardship, the Onjouji family used the intelligence she gathered to strike a heavy blow against the Shinomiya family. The decline of the Shinomiya family was inevitable, but no one knew how severe it would be. No one could tell if they would linger on or completely vanish.
As the key figure in this operation, Nao Hayasaka was well aware that the Shinomiya family would never let her go. Therefore, after being exposed, she brought her daughter, Ai Hayasaka, and joined the Onjouji family. Nao Hayasaka temporarily became Karen's tutor, reviewing the successes and failures of the nearly twenty-year campaign against the Shinomiya family to provide Karen with lessons and experience. Nao's daughter, Ai Hayasaka, became one of Karen's maids. Although it was impossible to restore the Hayasaka family's past glory, she had at least achieved revenge and prevented her daughter from becoming a tool in the Shinomiya family's internal strife.
Seeing that Karen looked a bit tired, Nao checked the time. Studying while trying to force herself wouldn't be efficient. There was plenty of time ahead... Although Nao had helped the Onjouji family deliver a severe blow to the Shinomiya family, Nao was very clear that neither she nor her daughter, Ai Hayasaka, would ever be truly trusted. However, living out the rest of their lives peacefully wouldn't be a problem. At least they wouldn't be used as tools for competing interests.
"Miss Karen, let's stop here for today."
"Alright." Karen smiled. Only after Nao left did Karen let out a long breath. Leaning on the desk, Karen complained to Shion, who had been attending the lesson with her. "Ugh... Shion, I haven't had time to see Master recently. I've had to pump out my full breasts."
"My sow-Mistress, if you're feeling pent-up, I have vibrators here." Shion smiled.
"I'm not pent-up! It's just... when I put on my collar and become Master's pet, I can just let go and release everything without having to worry about anything. I have a night without any pressure, but recently, there's just been so much going on..."
"Miss Karen, please treat this time as a form of deprivation play. The longer you suppress it, the more satisfying the release will be."
"That's all I can do... Uwaah~" Karen stretched vigorously, trying to lift her spirits. "There's a dinner party tonight. Shion, help me put on some makeup later."
"Yes, Miss Karen..."
Shion had just finished speaking when her gaze fell on the study door. Karen immediately dropped her lazy posture, sat up straight, and put on an elegant, shallow smile, adopting a completely different demeanor from her usual arrogance at school. Then, Shion stepped forward and opened the study door.
A girl wearing a black and white maid outfit, with shoulder-length blonde hair styled into a side ponytail, and a face that bore an 80% resemblance to Nao's, appeared at the study entrance. Ai Hayasaka, who had originally been a tool used by the Shinomiya family's third son to monitor his sister Kaguya, became Karen's maid after coming to the Onjouji family with her mother.
"Miss Hayasaka, is something the matter?" Karen looked at Ai Hayasaka with curiosity. Ai Hayasaka had only recently arrived and was currently performing the duties of a regular maid at Karen's estate. Karen had barely spoken to her. In Karen's impression, Ai Hayasaka was just a girl who was usually expressionless, looking cool, or perhaps somewhat aloof. Karen hadn't paid her much attention... after all, Karen had many maids; one more or one less didn't matter.
"I..." A look of hesitation was evident in her eyes, the same blue as her mother's. Her hands were tightly clutching the skirt of her maid uniform. The effort turning her knuckles white showed her inner struggle. Karen didn't rush her, just smiling and watching. After a long moment, Ai Hayasaka finally spoke.
"Miss Karen, I have a request."
"If Miss Hayasaka needs anything, feel free to tell me or Shion anytime." Although Ai Hayasaka was a maid, her mother had helped the Onjouji family deliver a major blow to their biggest competitor. She was afforded some privileges, such as buying anything, as long as the cost wasn't outrageous.
"It's about the Shinomiya family, about the Shinomiya family's young mistress, Kaguya Shinomiya."
"Oh?" Karen raised an eyebrow and looked at Ai Hayasaka playfully. "Although the Shinomiya family is currently being cornered by the Onjouji family, I'm afraid I can't help with something concerning the Shinomiya family's young mistress."
Seeing the disappointed look on Ai Hayasaka's face, Karen changed her tone. "However... can you tell me what it's about?"
"Miss Kaguya... she is the daughter of a concubine. Her mother was from Gion." Gion, to put it plainly, is a pleasure quarter. The daughter of a mother from a pleasure quarter was still acknowledged? It must have been true love.
"The Shinomiya family treats women purely as tools. Miss Kaguya has no right of inheritance and can only rely on her three older brothers. Now that the Shinomiya family is in decline, Miss Kaguya will be used by the Shinomiya family as a tool for a political marriage."
"And so?" Karen gently tapped the desk with her finger. "What do you intend for me to do?"
"Please... please rescue Miss Kaguya from the Shinomiya family." Ai Hayasaka bowed deeply to Karen.
"I see... I recall Aunt Nao saying that Kaguya Shinomiya was just an object for you to monitor, right? Her being used for a political marriage shouldn't concern you."
"I..."
"No need to explain. I understand. Although she was the target of your surveillance, you developed feelings for her, like she was a true sister, didn't you?" Karen glanced at Shion and smiled. Growing up together, even if they weren't blood relatives, they were closer than sisters. However, regarding Kaguya's situation, Karen could only express her inability to help. Although this was also a problem that could be solved with money, even if Kaguya Shinomiya's mother was a geisha, she was still the Shinomiya family's young mistress. The Onjouji family could arrange for her to leave the Shinomiya family, but even for Kaguya, who was unimportant to the Shinomiya family and treated as a tool, the cost for the Onjouji family to intervene would be immense. Not even selling the Hayasaka mother and daughter would cover the cost.
"She will be used as a tool for a political marriage, but I am a woman." Hearing Karen's words, Ai Hayasaka understood her meaning. Karen was unable to help. After stammering for a while, Ai Hayasaka reluctantly spoke.
"I... I understand."
As Ai Hayasaka looked disappointed, a cunning glint flashed in Karen's eyes. Hidden beneath the rich girl's exterior was a mischievous personality, and beneath that mischievous personality was a masochistic one. Karen had deliberately spoken this way just to tease Ai Hayasaka. Ai Hayasaka's look of disappointment gave Karen immense malicious satisfaction. Then, she changed her tone again.
"Although the cost is immense, I can still help you."