While Kaguya was already being suspected by Kei, Rinji was doing a far better job playing the role of Kaguya—at least from his own perspective.
After finishing dinner, he saw Yoshiko out of the mansion and promised that everything would be resolved. He then began thinking about what kind of person Kaguya usually was.
Rinji didn't know her very well, but from her circumstances, he could make a rough judgment.
First of all, Kaguya was a highly marginalized member of the Shinomiya family. Her mother was of low birth, and behind her back, others in the family called her "the mistress's daughter." After her mother, Nayotake Shinomiya, passed away, her position became even more peripheral.
Moreover, her three older brothers all had rights to inherit, each with their own businesses and influence. As the eldest daughter, Kaguya could only rely on whichever brother ended up inheriting the family estate, becoming a tool or bargaining chip.
However, Rinji saw a certain pride in Kaguya.
So he arrived at a conclusion:
"What Kaguya wants now is to rely on no one and take control of the entire Shinomiya family."
He was completely wrong.
At this stage, Kaguya had no such grand plans. All she wanted was a simple romance with Shirogane. Ideally, she hoped to escape the control of the Shinomiya family.
But it wasn't really Rinji's fault. He could only analyze her based on his own perspective.
Like, "If I were in her situation, what would I do?"
To him, this was actually a great opportunity. Using Kaguya's identity to stir up trouble for the Shinomiya family seemed unexpectedly fun.
"Miss, going out this late?"
"Yeah."
Wearing a trench coat and sunglasses, Rinji—still in Kaguya's body—was preparing to head out. To others, she appeared to be a cool, stylish young lady.
The one who spoke to Rinji was the bodyguard from earlier.
"You're off duty tomorrow. Spend some time with your mother these next few days."
"Got it. Thank you."
"By the way, there's something I wanted to ask."
"What is it?"
"Do you know where the missing butler and that old guard went?"
"Hmm... I'm not sure."
The bodyguard looked around, and after confirming there was no one nearby, he whispered into Rinji's ear.
"But there's speculation it might be that guy from four years ago."
"That guy from four years ago?"
"Yeah, someone named Takamine Rinji. I've always been stationed on the outskirts, so I only heard bits and pieces. Supposedly, he attacked the main family estate four years ago. A lot of people died."
"Oh... does the main family know about the disappearances?"
"They probably do." The bodyguard hesitated for a moment. "Even though you said to keep it quiet... some people might've still reported it to them."
"So there is a mole... Alright, I got it. Don't tell anyone about what we talked about today."
"Yes, ma'am."
Once the bodyguard returned to the mansion, Rinji walked away from the gate.
He hailed a taxi downtown and headed toward Shinjuku, not far from the harbor district.
After getting off, he used a public payphone on the roadside to make a call, then walked alone down a quiet alley.
At the end of the alley was a rundown bar.
The interior was just as filthy—empty bottles and cigarette butts littered the floor. Rough men sat around swearing, and scantily clad women mingled throughout.
It was hard to believe this kind of place existed in central Tokyo.
Because Rinji was in Kaguya's body, he looked like a model high school girl who should never set foot in a place like this. Naturally, the moment he entered, everyone's attention briefly shifted to him.
But Rinji seemed quite familiar with the place. He walked straight up to a round table.
At the table sat a scruffy middle-aged man, swirling the ice in his glass.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Shinomiya heiress. What's someone like you doing in a trash heap like this?"
"I came to buy intel."
"Oh? You're buying information from me?"
"What else? You think I came here for 'potatoes' and 'baguettes'?"
"..."
Rinji's comment made the man's expression turn serious.
"Potatoes" and "baguettes" were black-market code for grenades and assault rifles.
That wasn't something a normal person should know.
"Just curious—how did you find out about this place?"
"Chaos. Want to know more?"
"...Mr. Takamine, huh? Now that's... terrifying."
Rinji personally knew this man. He occasionally bought intelligence from him, and the man also sold weapons to yakuza groups in Japan.
But all his stock came from Rinji.
In other words, Rinji was his supplier.
"If you're a referral from Mr. Takamine, then of course I'll cooperate fully."
The man took a sip of his drink, then continued.
"What do you want to buy?"
"All the information on the staff in my mansion. I want complete profiles and recent activity, preferably including communication logs," Rinji said. "There are rats in the house, and they need to be dealt with."
"I see…"
He was a bit surprised.
He did have intel on the Shinomiya family. As the eldest daughter, Kaguya was in the files too. Although he had never met her before, he had a rough impression based on the data.
But upon meeting her now, she was completely different from the reports.
She was supposed to be a stereotypical high-class lady, but now she radiated a boss-like aura.
"As for the price—two hundred thousand. US dollars."
"...I'll need three days."
"Fine. Send it to the designated email. I'll transfer the advance to your account tomorrow morning," Rinji said. "Make sure no one else hears about this."
"Understood. You can trust me."
"I do trust you. But the most important thing—don't let anyone pass information to the main family. If I find out…"
Rinji pointed to her neck and made a slicing motion.
"Get someone to make their exit look clean. I'll pay extra for that."
"...Yes, ma'am."
After Rinji left the bar, the man exhaled deeply.
"Phew… terrifying. Facing her felt just like facing Mr. Takamine. Guess it's time to update the intel."