Ai Hayes.
Born into the main branch of the powerful Sinclair family, she was raised from childhood with elite training, destined to serve the heiress of the family, Kaguya Sinclair.
By the age of seven, Ai Hayasaka already become Kaguya's personal attendant, a perfect maid and bodyguard, skilled in various fields. With her partial Irish heritage, she stood out even more in the world of aristocratic elites.
But beyond that polished image, Ai Hayasaka also Kaguya's closest confidante, more like a sister than a servant.
Right now, it was Ai Hayasaka who was following Zane Cartel, the boy who had recently disrupted the calm world of the Sinclair family.
She wasn't just following him out of curiosity. No—this was a mission.
Recently, Kaguya had developed an interest in Zane. Not romantic. Not yet. It was strategic.
Zane Cartel had done something unthinkable: he had scored higher than Kaguya in the prestigious entrance exams for higher education—a space usually reserved for the best of the elite.
A commoner beating the Sinclair heiress?
It wasn't just a blemish on her record—it was an opportunity.
If such talent could be recruited, it could be controlled. Owned. Used.
That was how the Sinclair family thought.
Kaguya had given Ai Hayasaka a simple order: "Learn everything you can about Zane Cartel. Bring him to our side."
So Ai Hayasaka had been watching him for days.
But now, as she tailed Zane in the shopping district, something happened that hadn't occurred in any previous surveillance.
He noticed her.
"Impossible," Ai Hayasaka thought. Her tailing techniques were honed to near perfection. Taught by professional spies of the Sinclair estate. The boy's profile described him as average—quiet, intelligent, observant, but nothing extreme.
So how did he—
No, there must be more to him.
That was enough reason for her to approach. If she couldn't continue observing him from the shadows, then it was time to switch to direct contact.
Adjusting her posture, Ai Hayasaka changed into her prepped disguise—a sweet, approachable girl in a modern school-style outfit. The kind of girl any teenage boy would feel flattered by.
She approached him with a cheerful expression.
"Excuse me, are you shopping with your sister? Need a hand finding something?" she asked with a tilt of her head. "My name's Smith A. Hasaka. I'm pretty great at fashion."
Cute, kind, and helpful. It was a textbook approach. Almost no one ever saw through it.
Almost.
Zane turned and stared at her for a moment before speaking in a quiet, steady tone.
"You're lying."
Ai's smile twitched. Her disguise had just cracked, even if only for a second.
She tried to recover with another cute chuckle. "Ehh? No way. I really do have good taste in fashion."
Zane shook his head. "I meant your name."
There was silence. Ai Hayasaka paused, then let out a light sigh, admitting defeat—for now.
"You caught me. My real name is Ai Hayasaka. Hehe."
Zane gave a nonchalant "Oh," then turned and continued on his way, offering no further engagement.
Ai blinked.
"Wait! Ai Hayasaka is my real name! I swear!"
He didn't even turn back. "That doesn't really concern me. Thanks, but I don't need help."
And just like that, he walked off, leaving her behind.
Ai Hyasaka 's smile dropped the moment she stepped out of his sight. Her emotions vanished. Everything had been a calculated act.
"He saw through it. And now my name's exposed. Can't continue pushing, or it'll come off as harassment. End of contact—for now."
She sighed to herself. "That kid is seriously strange. Definitely not what his school file suggests."
Still, Ai Hayasaka wasn't discouraged. Quite the opposite.
She was intrigued.
This wasn't over.
If Zane was really someone dangerous or unpredictable, then it was her duty—as Kaguya's right hand—to find out more. She wouldn't let her lady recruit a ticking time bomb.
Back with Zane, he wasn't rattled in the slightest.
He didn't know Ai Hayasaka. He'd never watched Multiverse Anime Crossover episodes with her in them.
But what he did know—thanks to his extraordinary observational ability—was that she didn't act like a normal girl.
Her movements were too refined.
Her posture? Balanced like a martial artist.
Her words? Calculated.
She was clearly trained—possibly by a large private family or corporation.
Zane had no intention of getting involved with that kind of world. Not yet.
He had no power base. No protection.
So he chose to avoid it altogether.
Just then, Ani stepped out from the fitting room. The store clerk's suggested outfit hadn't appealed to her, and she had settled instead on a sleek, athletic ensemble that matched her calm and confident demeanor.
Zane smiled. "That looks perfect on you. If you wore that to school, you'd probably turn heads and rack up admirers."
Ani, always reserved, said nothing.
But Zane didn't mind.
He knew her. If she said something polite now, it'd just be lip service. Silence was more sincere.
They bought three sets of clothes and left the shop.
Ani was now dressed like a real modern teenager, and the difference was striking.
Next up: underwear.
It was a slightly awkward stop. Ani kept her usual stern face the whole time. The moment a clerk approached, they backed off—intimidated by Ani's icy stare.
Zane simply sighed. Trying to joke with Ani in this mood would've backfired and made her angry.
So he played it safe and quiet, and they got what they needed.
Their final stop was at Martin Publishing, the biggest comics and light novel publisher in the city.
Normally, people would never get a chance to speak to the senior editors without an appointment—or a solid reputation.
But Zane?
Zane had natural charisma.
He was handsome. Tall. Confident. Like a character out of a shojo manga.
So when he flirted slightly with the receptionist, he earned a reward: a name and a direction.
She whispered, "That's Ami Furukawa, a lead editor for romance novels and Weekly Shonen Jump."
Zane turned and spotted her just as she descended the office stairs.
But she wasn't alone.
By her side walked a striking young woman—long black hair, dressed in modest, elegant clothes.
Zane narrowed his eyes.
"That's… Miss Kasumi Hill."
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