Leaving Eri's house, sitting in the car on the way back, Ai sat in the front passenger seat and turned to her mother, asking,
"Mom, is the Shinomiya Conglomerate very busy with work lately?"
Her daughter's question made Nao sigh wearily.
"Much, much more than imagined."
After Kaguya completely suppressed the several heirs of the Shinomiya and sent them into retirement, her workload began to increase daily.
Even Nao, who had been trained as a professional maid since childhood, never expected to be overwhelmed by work one day.
"There are more loopholes in the Shinomiya Conglomerate than imagined, and many corruption issues."
"Since we started taking over the Shinomiya Conglomerate's work, the first thing our family did was deal with the big parasites. After that, we began investigating corruption issues."
"Investigating these issues is also very time-consuming and energy-intensive."
"It is not just me. Masato has not had any rest for quite some time either."
This answer greatly surprised Ai.
"Is it that serious?"
"Yes, it is that serious."
Nao also had a headache over this issue.
"The former young master was headstrong, and with key positions held by the Shinomiya's direct descendants, the corruption issues permeated from top to bottom. Years of accumulation led to significant problems."
"Dealing with these matters is extremely troublesome."
"Otherwise, the Shinomiya Conglomerate would not have given the Shijo Family so many handles and opportunities."
In her initial investigation after taking over, she discovered that the Shinomiya Conglomerate was truly infested with parasites from top to bottom, and these parasites even attempted to completely devour it.
"But things are much better now."
"Kaguya's decisive actions, coupled with her ruthless treatment of Oko and his ilk, stripping them of everything and successfully sending them into retirement, have made our operations very smooth."
"The smooth progress is also due to Sanzenin's help. Some of the Shinomiya direct descendants below have been scared witless, especially under Sanzenin's deterrent power and Kaguya's attitude."
"However, this has put everyone in the Hayasaka family in high-performance mode. Over time, this has left everyone exhausted."
So why not rest?
But Ai realized that not everyone wanted to rest at this time.
If the Hayasaka family, who had always been oppressed, even enslaved, by the Shinomiya, had a chance to turn things around, they would not waste such an opportunity.
Moreover, such an opportunity was directly granted by Kaguya, the current power holder of the Shinomiya.
Naturally, the Hayasaka family would seize the opportunity even if it meant extreme fatigue.
"However, after several months of hard work, the results are good."
Nao's tired eyes held a hint of joy.
"There were many minor issues within the Shinomiya Conglomerate, and these have been improved over the past few months. Without the backing of those young masters above, and with Kaguya's recognition, most of the internal small pests have been dealt with."
"Next, the Shinomiya Conglomerate will gradually get back on track."
With the efforts during this period, the vacant positions within the Shinomiya Conglomerate have also been filled by Hayasaka personnel.
The Hayasaka have regained power.
No longer an appendage or slave of the Shinomiya, but an important component.
Nao was very confident about this.
Of course, the reasons beyond Kaguya were also very clear.
"Ai, how is the new school situation lately?"
"Huh?"
Seeing her mother's expression soften, and being asked about herself, Ai was momentarily taken aback.
A hint of apology flashed across Nao's face.
"Sorry, Ai. Work has been too busy lately, and I have not been paying enough attention to your affairs."
"Not at all."
Ai quickly waved her hand. She had no complaints whatsoever, especially since she knew what her mother had been dealing with lately.
"It is not mom's fault. It is just that mom has more to handle recently."
Listening to her daughter defending her, Nao smiled.
Her mind could not help but think of Ren.
"Ai, how is your relationship with that gentleman lately?"
"Mom, Ren is Kaguya's boyfriend."
Hearing her mother ask this, Ai's face twitched a few times, but she still gave a reminder.
"I know."
Nao naturally knew the relationship between that gentleman and Kaguya.
"But it is not just Kaguya, is it?"
"…"
Ai offered no rebuttal to this point.
Because the truth was, Ren's relationships with other girls were also out in the open.
And at first, Ren and Sonoko were the true couple. Ultimately, Kaguya could only be considered a latecomer.
But some things cannot be separated so clearly.
Especially since she herself was involved, she understood even more clearly that they could never completely distance themselves from Ren.
Moreover, after spending more time with him, Hayasaka had come to know what kind of person Ren was.
Relatively reclusive, not fond of meddling, not good at interacting with the opposite sex, and of course, a little greedy.
However, compared to his power and the blessings he bestowed, that bit of greed was even less than that of an ordinary rich second-generation.
Seeing her daughter offer no reply, Nao smiled faintly.
She knew her daughter was not completely unaffected. If she were, a denial would probably have blurted out directly at that moment.
It was precisely because of her hesitation, because she could not completely deny it, that she could not utter a single word.
Nao was not very worried about her daughter's romantic life.
This child's personality was relatively strong, but if someone could break through the defenses in her heart, they could quickly enter the depths of her inner world.
Moreover, the biggest pressure on her daughter had already entered a nursing home for retirement, and that weak mental wall would probably be broken through before long.
However, Nao also knew that her daughter and Kaguya had a very good relationship, so she wondered if her daughter could overcome this hurdle.
"Ai, sometimes once you have decided, do not give up easily."
"If it is an ordinary boy, you can consider more. But if it is that gentleman, you can consider worldly issues less."
Facing the traffic light, the car slowly stopped.
After stopping the car, Nao gently placed her free hand on her daughter's head.
"As for the specifics, you will have to work hard on your own in the future."
"…Mm."
(To be continued.)