BEFORE I knew it, the weekend arrived, bringing with it the day of the party. I was clad in Ruki’s gown and en route to Ruri’s celebration. As the limousine glided to a halt, I stepped out to the grand facade of a luxury hotel under the Yukishiro Group’s ownership. I flashed my invitation to the doorman, who then escorted me to the event hall on the top floor, and…wow. There were easily over a hundred guests in attendance. By then, I should have gotten used to how zaibatsu families did things, but really? All this for an award at a piano recital?
This extravagant setup must have been why Ruri was so apprehensive about the party—she probably anticipated the excess. Yeah, it completely made sense now. In fact, I’d wager Ruki did something sneaky in getting her to agree to it. Something elaborate such as getting Ruri to agree to the party by telling her I’d be attending. I didn’t peg Ruki for the kind of guy to disregard his little sister’s wishes, but he was definitely the kind who would resort to chicanery to ensure he wasn’t “technically” disregarding his little sister’s wishes. Yep, can’t be too careful around a guy like him.
Composing myself at the event hall entrance, I took a deep breath and stepped inside. The first thing I noticed was the abundance of family groups. Almost no guests appeared to have come alone, or like me, alone but with a maid (Shannon) in tow. I then realized something else:
“They’re all keeping to themselves…” I muttered.
The families—they all stayed together. That was why I had recognized them as such. They weren’t scattered about, mingling with other guests and blending in as solo attendees, but stayed within their own circles. Curious, I asked Shannon why that was.
She replied, “The star of the party is the Yukishiro heir’s beloved younger sister. Should any son or daughter gain her favor, it could secure the future of their parents’ enterprises. Conversely…”
“If they slighted her in some way, all they had worked for might crumble overnight…”
You know, before, I believed those at the top of the corporate world acted responsibly, almost to an inhuman degree. I imagined them as stoic stewards of the economy, calculating and unfeeling, never letting something as capricious as mood or personal feelings get in the way of a good business deal or decision. However, since becoming a Sakurazaka, my take on the matter has become a shade more nuanced. Yes, these were logical and rational businessmen and women who wouldn’t ruin lives over a hurt feeling or two, but that didn’t mean that interpersonal relations, favors, and things like that didn’t factor in at all when making a decision.
But, of course, this was Ruki we were talking about. Kids will be kids—surely, he would overlook minor, accidental slights against—
Ruri. This is Ruri you’re talking about, I reminded myself. You know what? Never mind. When it came to her, all bets might just be off the table.
Anyway, the point is—it was only natural the parents were being watchful of their children at a party like this. Better safe than sorry, after all. On the other hand…
“Shizuki really is quite bold sending me here, isn’t she?” I muttered.
“A sign of her trust in you, I’m sure,” Shannon replied. “Whatever it is about you that attracts trouble like no other also seems to make you exceptionally likeable.”
“I would love to take that as a compliment, but…” I am the villainess, I thought with a sigh. Even if I did make a blunder, that would just mean I’d be back on the villainess route once more. Classic Shizuki, always coming in clutch with the backup plans.
Just then, a nearby family of attendees noticed and approached me.
“Yukishiro-affiliated folk, if I’m not mistaken?” I whispered to Shannon.
“Indeed, they are,” replied Shannon as she filled me in, and the name immediately rang a bell. Besides my main objective tonight, Shizuki had given me a few additional tasks—people to meet if the opportunity arose, but not at the expense of the main mission. And here was one of them, walking up to me now. Well, this was a welcome way to kick off the function. Drawing on the details I’d memorized, I resolved to share an enjoyable and engaging conversation.
After that, I mingled with gusto, checking off person after person on Shizuki’s good-to-meet list. While I didn’t have the most experience at these kinds of high social functions, it wasn’t exactly my first rodeo, either. Using the information I had memorized about the industries and products my conversational partners were involved in, I managed to create what I thought were meaningful chats. Most of the people I talked to were respectful; if any of them harbored prejudice against me for being adopted, they kept it well hidden. Then again, Shizuki wouldn’t make me talk to anyone who was openly hostile, would she?
It was then, after a few rounds of mingling, that Ruki and Ruri appeared. Seeing me, Ruri yelled, “Mio!” and dashed toward us. This completely took my current conversational partner by surprise, but Ruri quickly stopped and straightened up. “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said, bobbing a small curtsy.
“Lady Ruri, you’re acquainted with Ms. Mio here?” the company president I was talking to asked. His eyes gleamed with warmth, but a probing sharpness lay behind them.
Whether Ruri picked up on this remained to be seen, but Ruki certainly did. “Yes, Mio here once came to my sister’s aid in a way that’s not easily forgotten.”
He…He knew exactly what he was doing, didn’t he? Framing my simple act of retrieving her forgotten scarf in such a way would easily lead someone to believe that something deeper was going on behind the scenes between Yukishiro and Sakurazaka, like a business deal, or something even more insidious. You sly dog, I glared at him.
He only smiled blandly back at me, then turned to the president. “I apologize, but Ruri has been very eager to speak with Mio. May we borrow her for a moment?”
Might as well have grabbed me and ran—no one would have said a word all the same. Ruki, Ruri, and I moved over to a round bar table in the corner of the hall. Swirling my glass of non-alcoholic champagne, I asked Ruki, “What was that all about?”
“Don’t you ever get the desire to start rumors that the Yukishiros and Sakurazakas are fostering deeper ties sometimes?” he replied.
No, I don’t, I retorted internally. While it was true that my efforts to expand connections benefited from Ruki’s public display of favor, I somehow loathed the idea of acknowledging that to him. It felt like a silent acknowledgment of the fact he could see right through me.
As I kept silent and my face taut, Ruri tugged on Ruki’s arm. “Ruki, you promised me you wouldn’t be up to any scheming today!”
“Oh, did I now?” Ruki replied. “Then the unwanted brother who can’t keep his word shall make himself scarce.” With that, he moved to leave, but not before turning to me and giving me a final, “Ruri’s all yours—do look after her for me.”
After he disappeared back into the crowd, Ruri turned to me with a bright smile. “Mio, it’s been so long!”
“Indeed,” I replied. “It’s been what, half a year?”
Ruri blinked in surprise.
“Is something wrong?”
“Nothing, just that… I was wondering if you could talk like you did before…”
“Ah…” Back when we first met, I was a commoner and thought Ruri to be one as well. Of course, then, I had spoken to her more casually, but now…
“Then how about this? A happy middle ground,” I suggested, trying to balance the poise expected of a lady with a touch of approachability.
“Thanks. That’s a lot better.”
“You’re welcome…dear,” I said with a playful smile.
Getting closer to Ruri was a personal wish, one permitted as long as it didn’t interfere with my efforts to save my sister. Shizuki understood this well, and her mission for me tonight was simple: