71. "Retainers and Attendants: The Slippery Slope of Morality"

Arisu Sakayanagi smug little face froze, her lips twitching uncontrollably.

With this shameless childhood friend of hers, he would absolutely do something like that.

After laughing her fill, Yumi Suou quickly stepped in to support Arisu.

She rapped Akira on the head and scolded him:

"Don't bully little Arisu."

"Threatening her just because you can't win the argument? Do you think I don't exist?"

"Sorry, Mom, I know I was wrong."

Akira immediately bowed his head in apology, looking as obedient as ever.

"Akira, judging by your reaction, it seems Arisu hit the nail on the head."

"Do you have anything else to say?"

"What do you mean 'hit the nail on the head'? Have you all forgotten about Dr. Amamiya?"

"Those nine nurses were all hired by Dr. Amamiya herself."

"It's just that, at her request, they're bound to me for life as my nurses."

"Is there really a difference?"

"You're not letting go of maids, secretaries, or nurses, are you?"

"Chisato, I'm only doing this for your safety!"

"If it weren't for you, would I have been exposed like this?"

Akira was so angry he wanted to grab Chisato and give her a good spanking.

But Chisato's reflexes were unmatched, and she dodged him in an instant.

She even had time to stick out her tongue and mock him.

"Neener neener! Sorry, Akira, you can't catch me."

"That's beside the point."

"Don't try to confuse the issue, Akira."

"Do you think you're justified in keeping a secret lover outside?"

"Your use of Chinese idioms is getting better and better," Akira said sarcastically.

"In ancient Japan, Dr. Amamiya would be my retainer."

"And those nine nurses would be my attendants."

"I'm just following Japanese feudal traditions. Is there a problem with that?"

Akira asked with a righteous tone.

At this critical moment, he absolutely couldn't back down.

Otherwise, they'd just press their advantage.

And he'd end up signing a bunch of unequal treaties.

"Erina, isn't Secretary-chan your attendant since childhood?"

"Is it only okay for the officials to set fires, but not the commoners to light lamps?"

"What does that mean?"

"I don't get it!"

Leonora blinked her beautiful eyes, raising her hand curiously.

"It means why can Erina have Hisako as her attendant?"

"But Akira can't have his nurses as attendants?"

Chitanda Eru kindly explained.

"Oh, I see. Erina, Akira has a point."

"You can't be so hypocritical."

Everyone nearly fainted from Leonora's words.

They were just about to join forces to suppress Akira's arrogance.

But Leonora, the clueless aunt, interrupted them.

"And what about my annoying little sister's attendant and maid?"

"Ayano, long time no see."

Akira greeted the quiet Ayano, then said with a frown:

"Why didn't I get this kind of treatment when I was a kid?"

"Whether it's maids or nurses, I had to find them myself."

"Master Akira, it's an honor that you remember me."

Ayano's eyes lit up slightly, her voice hoarse as she curtsied, holding the hem of her maid dress.

"Akira, do you... remember now?"

"Mom, if I said what I remember is that old man who kept going on about family honor..."

"Would you be disappointed?"

Akira asked, half-joking, half-serious.

"I-I... I'm sorry, Akira."

"Mom, it's not your fault."

"Even if I hadn't lost my memory, I wouldn't have gone back to the Suou family."

"Back then, the only peaceful time I had was in the evenings, chatting with Masha."

"I taught her Japanese, and she taught me Russian."

Akira's eyes were nostalgic, his voice gentle.

"Sis, no wonder your Japanese improved so quickly back then."

Elisa looked at her sister, who was both guilty and sweet, and said with a sigh.

"Mean!"

"No matter how much I asked, you never told me."

"Well, Akira was my only childhood friend back then."

"Have you ever seen a childhood friend willing to share?"

Masha argued confidently.

"So now you're willing to share?"

Elisa pouted, pointing at the large group of childhood sweethearts, and asked.

Masha's lips twitched, feeling like her heart had been stabbed.

This little sister of hers was getting less and less cute as she grew up.

"How was I supposed to know Akira would change so much?"

"Back then, Akira wasn't a playboy at all."

"He only played with me."

Masha pouted as she explained.

The girls all looked at her with disbelief.

"It feels like you're telling a fairy tale."

Was Akira really that pure as a child?

Could it only be explained by a drastic change in personality after losing his memory?

"The rest of the time was just studying."

"If I had stayed in the Suou family, I would never have become who I am today."

"No one in this world can control my life."

"No one!"

At this moment, Akira's tone became unprecedentedly cold and arrogant.

The determination in his eyes moved everyone deeply.

"Unfortunately, that old man is the epitome of a controlling, traditional Japanese male."

"That's the biggest difference between us."

"Even if I hadn't been in that accident and lost my memory, I would have left the Suou family one day."

"He's a mediocrity himself."

"Even a genius would turn into a fool under his guidance."

"Though I'm arrogant, my arrogance is hidden deep inside. I can admit my mistakes."

"But him? His stubbornness and arrogance have long since worn out my patience."

"Among the family heads and other big shots I've met, few can admit their mistakes."

"Even if they know they're wrong, they won't admit it to save face."

"Cultivate oneself, regulate the family, govern the state, bring peace to the world."

"That's the Confucian ideal of a gentleman from neighboring China."

"That old man can't even cultivate himself or regulate his family."

"Let alone govern the state or bring peace to the world!"

Though Leonora didn't quite understand the terms "cultivate oneself" and "regulate the family," she could grasp "govern the state."

"Akira, are you planning to run for Prime Minister in the future?"

"Leonora, my dream is world peace."

"That's also Koko's ideal."

"Stop speaking in riddles!"

"Can't you stop this habit of only saying half of what you mean?"

"Is it fun to tease us?"

Arisu hated riddles the most.

"Agreed!"

Ryoko and Sakurako were also annoyed by such riddles.

Especially that Kaitou Kid.

"Have you all watched Ultraman Tiga?"

Seeing the confused looks on everyone's faces, Akira understood.

He sighed sympathetically:

"Tsk, it seems you all had no childhood."

"Why should our childhoods be tied to a boys' show like Ultraman?"

The girls all looked annoyed.

"Onii-chan, isn't that something only little boys watch?"

Hearing the word "Ultraman," the youngest among them, Fujiwara Moeka, couldn't help but ask.

"Even middle schoolers don't watch Ultraman anymore?"

"I guess I'm really out of touch."

"College students in China are still watching Ultraman Tiga."

"Want to know my dream?"

"My life's pursuit is hidden in Ultraman Tiga."

"If you want to know, go find it yourself."

"It's the goal I'll strive for my entire life."

Akira smiled mysteriously, teasing them.

"Stop playing around with One Piece references."

Miyuki sighed, exasperated.

"Even a shrine maiden like you watches One Piece?"

Miyuki's beautiful face flushed slightly.

Oops, she'd let something slip again.

Angrily, she decided to stop talking to Akira for now.

To avoid being teased by this annoying childhood friend.

"Mom, now you know why I left with my biological father."

"Even after the accident and losing my memory, I've never regretted it."

"That old man thinks I've abandoned the Suou family's honor..."

"But I'll never let a mediocrity like him control my life."

"Be his puppet."

"He's not worthy."

"The truth is, my achievements have already surpassed what he calls the Suou family's honor."

"Anything I want in this world, I'll take with my own hands."

"I have no interest in the Suou family."

After hearing her son's heartfelt words, Yumi felt both proud and sad.

But she knew her son had truly grown up.

He was no longer the little boy who would cling to her leg and beg for rewards.

She had missed too much of his life.

She hadn't been able to watch her precious son grow up.

"Of course, Ayano is an exception."

"If that old man is willing to give Ayano to me, I'll take her."

Ayano, who was being shamelessly teased by Akira, remained expressionless and silent.

She had realized that the best way to deal with Akira's teasing was to stay silent.

Only her ears, red as blood jade, betrayed her inner turmoil.

"Go die, you jerk!"

"Ayano is my lifelong best friend."

"I won't let you ruin her."

"Ayano's purity will be protected by Yuki!"

Yuki, who had quietly snuck up behind Akira, felt a pang of jealousy upon hearing this.

She started running, then launched a flying kick, aiming to give her playboy brother a taste of sisterly love.

"With your amateur skills!"

"Do you really think I didn't notice someone approaching?"

"Haven't you heard the saying, 'The cicada senses the autumn wind before it blows'?"

Akira could grab Yuki's foot with his eyes closed.

He sidestepped slightly, his right hand moving like lightning.

He caught Yuki's ankle, lifting her upside down.

"Knew it. Wearing safety shorts? Disappointing."

"Then next time, Yuki won't wear safety shorts and will let Onii-chan take a peek."

As soon as she said this, not only Akira's childhood sweethearts but even Yumi couldn't hold back.

What kind of demon daughter had she given birth to?

"Don't you all feel like Akira's sense of morality is getting lower and lower?"

"It's not just low."

"It's plummeting into the abyss."

"I feel like ever since Akira and Yuki reunited..."

"Some kind of strange chemical reaction has been happening."

"Both their senses of morality have been dropping like crazy."

Elisa and Masha, who went to school with Yuki, said confidently.

"Same feeling!"

"Agreed!"

"Hard to disagree."

"Like Tenku-nee, she never wears safety shorts."

"She sees them as the root of all evil, the most wicked invention in the world."

"Akira, can you stop bringing me up every time?"

"I've been trying to stay in the corner as much as possible."

Tenku, on the verge of tears, felt like she was turning into a lowly paramecium.

Ever since Akira exposed her dark past, the others had been looking at her strangely.

A mix of curiosity, sympathy, concern, and a hint of disdain.

As if she were some rare specimen.

"Because Tenku-nee, your hobbies are unique!"

"You're one of a kind among us."

"No matter what happens, you're always the first one I think of."

The girls all nodded emphatically, finding it hard to disagree.

"Then what does Tenku-nee wear?"

"Could it be a chastity belt?"

Sena, glancing at this sister who loved dirty jokes, instinctively asked.

"Sena, not bad!"

"You're keeping up with my references."

Akira gave Sena a thumbs-up, praising her.

"But your level of otaku-ness is a bit beyond my expectations."

"To me, Tenku-nee and Eri are beyond saving."

"Their brains are filled with all kinds of dirty thoughts."

"And they love to fantasize and imagine things."

Everyone: ...

Does Eri know you're talking about her like this?