Where I am ?

Next Day at the Otori Mansion.

Kaede, who was peacefully asleep, was abruptly awakened by the loud sound of the door bursting open.

"Hey! You! What are you doing sleeping at this hour?" roared a familiar voice.

Kaede's usually closed eyes barely opened, and she saw the owner of the voice.

"Huh? Nene-chan, what are you doing here so early in the morning?" she said in her characteristic calm and lazy tone, yawning sleepily.

"You little sloth! Haven't you looked at the time? It's 9 AM, and we need to get there early to replace the night shift!" Nene growled, rummaging through Kaede's expansive wardrobe with a familiarity that clearly showed this wasn't the first time she'd done such a thing.

"Yawn I see…" Kaede replied in her usual laid-back tone.

Nene rolled her eyes at her friend's attitude. She picked her up like a small animal and dragged her to the bathroom.

A few minutes later, a dazzling and fully awake Kaede emerged from the bathroom.

"Jeje, it's always nice to have your help, Nene-chan~," Kaede said with a smile as she sat on the bed and began putting on her uniform.

Sigh

"Goodness, Kaede, what would become of you without me?" Nene said helplessly as she combed her friend's silky dark green hair.

"Oh, come on, don't say such sad things so early in the morning," Kaede pouted.

"In the worst-case scenario, I'll hire you as my personal assistant… Think about it—I can offer you great benefits!" Kaede teased while hugging her friend.

"Bonk You should focus on being more responsible for yourself," Nene said, smiling at her friend.

"That hurts, Nene-chan…" Kaede said in a pitiful tone.

As the duo continued to banter, the sound of a knock at the door caught their attention.

"Kaede-sama, your luggage and car are ready. You may leave at any time," Dante said respectfully, bowing.

"Oh… That's right! We're running late!" Nene exclaimed, suddenly aware of the time.

As the two girls descended the grand staircase, a commanding voice rang out.

"I hope you haven't forgotten what we talked about, Kaede."

When the girls turned around, they saw an older woman.

She was dressed in a white women's business suit with a blue tie. Her short, slightly grayed brown hair framed a mature face that still retained a touch of beauty. Her firm expression and sharp almond-colored eyes bore into them.

Nene was slightly overwhelmed by the woman's imposing aura and couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Kaede, on the other hand, recovered more quickly, though not without showing signs of nervousness. Her usually closed eyes were open, watching the woman cautiously, and her voice wavered slightly.

"O-Oba-sama… y-you're still here…" Kaede said, subtly moving her friend behind her.

This did not escape the older woman's notice, who spoke in an impassive tone.

"What? Am I not allowed to be in my own house?"

"I… I didn't say that," Kaede replied.

The older woman snorted, her piercing eyes fixed on Kaede.

"Remember, child… I want that boy in front of me by the end of this month."

Without another word, she signaled with her hand. Dante handed her a silver briefcase.

After exchanging a few whispered words with Dante, the older woman walked toward the door. Once there, she turned to look at her granddaughter.

"Remember, little one… You are the heir and future head of our great Otori Group. Keep a firm mind and your eyes always on the goal… Don't make a mistake you'll regret for the rest of your life. Don't be like me…"

Her final words were drowned out by the loud whirring of a helicopter hovering in the mansion's courtyard.

The helicopter lowered a retractable ladder, which the woman grabbed onto before disappearing into the distance.

Kaede let out a sigh of relief once her grandmother was gone.

While she deeply loved and respected her grandmother for the great woman she was, Kaede reluctantly admitted she still harbored a bit of fear toward her.

Kaede's thoughts were interrupted by her friend's voice.

"Wow… she's amazing!" Nene said, her eyes sparkling.

Nene admired Kaede's grandmother and dreamed of becoming such a strong woman when she grew up.

Kaede couldn't help but tease her friend's fan-girl expression, prompting Nene to complain. The two of them playfully bantered for a while before remembering the time and rushing to the car waiting for them at the mansion's entrance.

Behind them, the head butler, Dante, looked toward the direction Kaede's grandmother had departed, his eyes filled with nostalgia.

"The Great Lady hasn't changed a bit, no matter how many years have passed," he said softly.

In his mind, he couldn't help but picture the vision of a beauty with long brown hair and lifeless fish-like eyes on an expressionless face.

He also remembered the words of his former master:

"Look, Dante… This will be my wife! Isn't she beautiful? From today onward, your duty will be to protect her, even with your life if necessary. She will be the light guiding our cause. From now on, the Shūei Clan will no longer exist—only Otori will! From today onward, we all serve her cause, for the sake of my beloved wife, Otori Ushio."

Dante couldn't help but recall how dashing his master looked at that moment, nor could he forget the tremendous beating the Great Lady Ushio gave him afterward.

He remembered her blushing face as she ferociously kicked her grinning husband.

Just remembering the scene made Dante let out a small chuckle, which he quickly suppressed.

Looking up at the sky, he wondered to himself,

"Master Issei, I wonder what your reaction would be if you saw the current Great Lady…"

In the Helicopter…

"ACHOO! Dammit, can't you be faster with the ladder? Do you want the old lady to freeze to death up here? Are you planning a rebellion?" Ushio complained.

"Our deepest apologies, Madam President! It's just that we didn't have time to gather enough personnel, so it's just me and the pilots," JB apologized, rubbing her sore arms. Despite her appearance, she was strong enough to lift the ladder on her own within minutes.

"Hmph! So now you're blaming the old lady for calling you on short notice? Is that it?" Ushio grumbled.

JB was speechless at her president's response.

Wasn't it Ushio herself who had called them without any explanation?

JB had juggled tasks at the agency, barely managing to bring the helicopter without disrupting other operations.

And let's not forget, it was her day off! Her precious day off!

With no further arguments, JB simply sat in her seat and buckled her seatbelt.

Shortly after, a notification on her phone caught her attention. It was her bank, informing her of a transfer made to her account.

Seeing the number of zeros in the amount, JB's bitterness instantly vanished. She looked at her president with dreamy eyes.

On the other hand, Ushio awkwardly averted her gaze.

Ushio silently cursed her daughter.

She always tried to maintain a tough and ruthless image in front of her granddaughter.

Unfortunately, this was impossible when it came to her daughter.

That girl could always bring out an embarrassing side of her, which was why Ushio rarely appeared in front of Kaede when Yume was nearby.

Just as she was getting ready, she had received word from her informant that her daughter was about to return to the mansion, confirming it with Dante.

In a rush, she contacted JB, and the rest was history.

One might wonder why she didn't just use the cars at the residence.

To which Ushio would reply:

"Of course, you can leave—it's not a crime.

The bigger crime is not looking fabulous while doing it if you have the chance."

If Kaede knew this side of her grandmother, her expression would surely be priceless.

Author's Note:

"Alright, here's another chapter. Okay, folks, it's your author here. This might be a little long, so I apologize for that. I also want to apologize for the long absence. Initially, I just planned to take a couple of days off. Then things happened, and now your author has to take medication for a few more days to fully recover.

This author admits to being a bit careless about their health and tends to stop taking medicine before fully recovering from a cold. This kind of behavior, combined with a nasty hangover, took its toll, leaving me in a semi-zombie state for almost two weeks, with my mind in shambles. It got so bad that I had to reread the last 15 chapters just to remember the plot before I could start writing again.

Writing little by little, I managed to bring you these two chapters as compensation. I'll also try to bring out another chapter soon to get back on track, aiming for roughly one chapter a week.

This author is open to ideas from readers, as long as they don't conflict with the story so far.

Having said all this, I want to apologize to all the readers who follow my work for the delay in updating. I genuinely appreciate everyone who reads and enjoys what I write, and I hope to count on your continued support in this new year.

With that said, as always, remember to drink plenty of water, and I love you all.

Sincerely, your favorite depressed author."