The panicked orders echoed in the halls of the powerful families' estates:

  "Hurry, call back the surveileams! They don't stand a ce!"

  The realization had finally dawned on them. Ryuji's power wasn't something they could trol or intimidate. Attempting to monitor him, hoping to find a weakness, was a foolish endeavor. If he decided tet them, there would be no pce to hide. And after witnessing the brutal fate of the Bck Dog family, these iial families uood they were dealing with someone beyond their reach.

  "Is this what a sorcerer truly is?" one of the mnorant family heads murmured, shaking his head in disbelief. Up until now, he'd assumed wealth was the ultimate power, that their influence was unshakable. But now, they uood that in the face of true strength, they were nothing more than mbs before a lion.

  The world, they realized, was ging.

  ---

  The m, Ryuji noticed that the usual surveilnce presence around his residence had vanished. He'd been aware of their presence from the beginning but had ig, finding it more amusing than bothersome. However, the sudden absence was a clear sign that his message had been received.

  "Tch! See? Sometimes you o remind people of the food ," he muttered to himself with a faint smile. Apparently, his demonstration had left the right impression.

  With a rare stretch of peace ahead of him, Ryuji decided he'd use the time to rest and enjoy himself for the couple of days. The attention he'd drawn at school hadn't faded yet, so he figured it was best to avoid the iable gawking crowds of students for a while longer.

  As he settled in, his ph. Gng at the unknown number, he hesitated only a moment before pig up.

  "Hello, is this Mr. Ryuji?" The voi the other end was clear, feminine, and unmistakably familiar.

  "Speaking," he replied, reizing the voice. "Hayasaka, right? Kaguya's maid?"

  "Yes, Mr. Ryuji," she firmed politely. "I am Hayasaka Ai, Miss Kaguya's personal assistant."

  Ryuji raised an eyebrow, intrigued. He knew Hayasaka as the "perfect maid" type, someone who could blend into any role seamlessly. But right now, she was reag out in an official capacity, and he wondered what the Shinomiya family had in store.

  "Is there something you need?" he asked, his tone casual.

  Hayasaka tinued, "There are two days left until Miss Kaguya's birthday party. The family wanted me to inform you that, should you be otherwise occupied, they are more than willing to postpohe event for your venience."

  Ryuji smirked, amused by the Shinomiya family's eagero please. Despite their untouchable reputation among ordinary people, here they were, bending over backward to aodate him. It was almost fttering—if not somewhat amusing.

  "o ge the date," he replied. "I'm free. I'll be there on time."

  He sensed Hayasaka's relief oher end. "Thank you, Mr. Ryuji. I'll rey the message. And… if you don't mind, I'll be the oo pick you up on the day of the event."

  "Fine by me," Ryuji said, ending the call with a shrug. The Shinomiya family's invitation wasn't something he particurly cared about, but he was curious to see what they had pnned.

  Oher end, Hayasaka ehe call and turo Kaguya, who had been waiting anxiously. Ever sihe phone call began, she'd been h nearby, her eyes filled with anticipation.

  "Well?" Kaguya asked, trying to maintain her usual poise despite her curiosity.

  "Mr. Ryuji firmed he'll be attending, Miss," Hayasaka said with a soft smile. She found Kaguya's eagerness endearing, given how reserved she usually was.

  "Oh… that's good then," Kaguya replied, attempting to hide her relief aement behind a facade of indifference. She cleared her throat, posing herself. "It's not like it would matter if he couldn't e."

  Hayasaka, ever the dutiful maid, fought to keep a straight face, her own amusement hidden behind a ral expression. "Indeed, Miss. On another note, many of the dresses your father had prepared have arrived. Would you like to try them on?"

  "Yes, let's," Kaguya replied, a small smile betraying her posed exterior. She was eager to look her best at the party, though she'd never admit it out loud.

  As Kaguya busied herself trying on dresses, Hayasaka's mind drifted to the task her other employer, Kaguya's half-brother Oko, had given her. He'd made it clear: she was to do whatever was necessary to prevent Kaguya from seg Ryuji's i.

  Her loyalty to Kaguya was genuine, but so was her loyalty to her family. The Hayasaka family had long been uhe Shinomiya family's trol, and she couldn't ignore Oko's orders without risking everything her parents had worked for.

  "Miss, would you like me to drive to pick up Mr. Ryuji in two days?" she asked casually, her toral.

  "Hmm? Sure, that would be fine," Kaguya replied absently, absorbed in examining the fit of her current dress. She trusted Hayasaka pletely and didn't think twice about it.

  Hayasaka ched her fists subtly before releasing them. She felt a pang of guilt at the thought of betraying Kaguya, but her resolve held firm. She had a job to do.

  ---

  Two days ter, Ryuji stepped outside, expeg to find a standard car waiting to take him to the Shinomiya estate. Instead, a sleek, bck, extended limousine arked in front of his residence.

  Hayasaka, dressed in her formal maid attire, stood beside the car. With her golden hair, calm demeanor, and elegant posture, she looked every bit the refined, professional maid.

  "Mr. Ryuji," she greeted him, bowing slightly auring toward the open door. "Please, make yourself fortable."

  Ryuji chuckled to himself. "Quite the wele."

  He stepped inside, noting the spaciousness of the limousine's interior. The back seat was luxurious, with plush seats and enough room to fortably fit a dozen people. The driver's se was separated by a tinted s, giving him and Hayasaka plete privacy.

  Hayasaka entered after him, seating herself gracefully. She gave a signal to the driver, who began to pull away smoothly.

  "Not in a rush, are we?" Ryuji asked, notig the car's slow, leisurely pace.

  Hayasaka nodded, her expression polite and calm. "I thought you might appreciate a more fortable journey."

  Ryuji arched an eyebrow. "Thoughtful. Very thoughtful."

  She offered a slight smile. "Would you care for a drink, Mr. Ryuji? We have a sele here."

  Ryuji g the drink options, choosing a bottle of water. As he took a sip, he studied her with a raised brow. There was something about her demeanor, the way she leaned just a little closer, the subtle ghat suggested she was… well, being rather forward.

  Hayasaka noticed his gaze but maintained her posure, her face giving away nothing but professionalism. "Since we have some time, I thought I could provide you with a list of the uests attending the party. I imagine many of the financial groups and high-profile families will be present."

  She handed him a ly prepared list. Ryuji accepted it, though he couldn't help but wonder where she'd been keeping it, givetire. He g the names and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

  The list read like a who's who of the anime world's elite families—the Suzuki family, the Nakiri family from Totsuki Academy, the Fujiwara family, and the Shijo family, distaives of the Shinomiya family. Even the Yukinoshita family was included, likely due to Yukino's ret involvement in the sorcerer world.

  He chuckled softly. "Quite the lineup. Seems the Shinomiya family went all out for this."

  Hayasaka nodded. "The head of the family spared no expeo make this event memorable, especially si's in honor of Miss Kaguya."

  As he skimmed the list, Ryuji noticed that Hayasaka had quietly shifted closer. When he looked down, he found her kneeling in front of him, her gaze steady as she met his eyes.

  "What are you doing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in genuine surprise.

  Without a hint of fluster, Hayasaka looked up at him calmly, her tone professional even as a slight blush colored her cheeks. "I simply thought, Mr. Ryuji, that the journey might be more… enjoyable if I helped you pass the time."

  There was a faint cra her mask, the blush on her cheeks betraying her nerves, but she held his gaze, unwavering.

  Ryuji chuckled, lifting her with a finger. "Did someo you up to this?"

  Hayasaka didn't firm or deny it. Instead, she offered a soft smile. "Does Mr. Ryuji ck fiden his own charm?"

  Ryuji ughed, genuinely amused. "You're an iing one, Hayasaka."

  She didn't break her gaze, her poise unshaken. "Then, shall we tinue?" she asked, her voice as calm as ever, though the faint blush on her cheeks hi a cra her otherwise fwless posure.

  Ryuji leaned back, a faint smirk on his face. "Go ahead," he said, deg to py along. He was curious to see just how far she was willing to go and what her true iions were.

  Hayasaka moved with practiced grace, every a precise and calcuted. Despite her posed demeanor, Ryuji could sehe slight tension in her movements, the way she kept herself perfectly poised but not pletely at ease. For all her professionalism, this was clearly not something she did often.

  As she settled into her position, she looked up at him, her expression unreadable but her eyes sharp, calg. For a brief moment, Ryuji wondered if this was all a performance, a fa?ade meant to draw him in or test him somehow. Was she simply following orders, or was there something deeper here?

  "So, tell me, Hayasaka," he began, his tone casual but his gaze intense. "Do you do this for every guest, or am I just that special?"

  Hayasaka's lips curved into a subtle smile, a glint of amusement in her eyes. "You're very special, Mr. Ryuji," she replied smoothly, without missing a beat. "It's rare that we have someone of your… caliber attending one of our events."

  Her voice was calm, almost detached, as if she were simply stating facts.

  Ryuji chuckled, reizing the game she ying. "Well, I'll be sure to make it worth your while," he replied, leaning forward slightly. "But tell me, what does your master think of this approach?"

  Hayasaka's expression remained perfectly posed, though her gaze grew slightly sharper. "My master doesn't o know every detail," she said quietly, her tone almost spiratorial. "Besides, I believe it's my job to ehat you enjoy the experien every ossible."

  Ryuji raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. Hayasaka was clearly more than just a maid; her loyalty and dedicatio beyond simple servitude. But at the same time, there was an air of independence about her, a sehat she was ag of her own accord, perhaps even defying her master's expectations.

  He decided to push a bit further. "And what about Kaguya? How does she feel about her maid getting so… personal with her guests?"

  For a moment, Hayasaka's mask slipped, and a flicker of genuiion crossed her face—surprise, perhaps even a hint of frustration. But she recovered quickly, her expression smoothing bato calm professionalism.

  "Miss Kaguya trusts me pletely," she said quietly, a hint of defensiveness ione. "She knows that I'll do whatever is necessary to serve her best is."

  Ryuji studied her carefully, his eyes narrowing. He could sehe underlying tension in her words, the weight of a flict she hadn't fully resolved. Hayasaka was a master at hiding her emotions, but in that brief moment, he'd glimpsed the cracks in her armor.

  "You're an iing one, Hayasaka," he said, his tone softening slightly. "Loyal to a fault, but there's moing on here, isn't there?"

  Hayasaka met his gaze, her calm exterior wavering just slightly. For a moment, it seemed as though she might say something, reveal something beyond her practiced professionalism. But then, with a slight smile, she regained her posure, tilting her head in aowledgment.

  "Perhaps," she murmured. "But some secrets are best left unsaid, don't you think?"

  Ryuji chuckled, leaning ba his seat, a glint of admiration in his eyes. "Fair enough. Just remember, I don't mind a little mystery, keeps things iing."

  AnnouChey new books:

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  Junkdog