Kyoto, the Ōoka family mansion.
After receiving Toru's reply agreeing to go to Hokkaido with her, Momiji was so excited that she nearly jumped for joy.
She held her phone tightly in both hands, bouncing twice on her bare feet, her face flushed with excitement.
The personal maid beside her pretended not to see it and simply lowered her eyes slightly.
After a while, once the excitement had passed, Momiji finally calmed down and began pacing in place again.
"Toru-kun agreed to go to Hokkaido with me, which means he agreed to my date."
"What does this mean? Yoshiko, tell me quickly, what does this mean?"
The maid named Yoshiko naturally knew what her young lady wanted to hear. She said respectfully, "Lady Momiji, this means Young Master Fujiwara has a good impression of you. Otherwise, he would not have agreed to your date."
Momiji nodded repeatedly.
Of course, she believed Toru had a good impression of her, because the two of them had already had that kind of relationship.
Of course, outsiders did not know about this. Not only did the maid not know, even her grandfather and father did not know.
"Yoshiko, immediately collect information on Hokkaido and gather all the tourist attractions there."
"At the same time, notify the butler to prepare a helicopter for me in Hokkaido. The most luxurious one. I want to fly across Hokkaido in a helicopter and take Toru-kun around all of northern Japan!"
The maid clasped her hands in front of her and respectfully said, "But Lady Momiji, you cannot pilot a helicopter."
Momiji said angrily, "It's a figure of speech. Don't you understand figures of speech? I'm not actually going to pilot the helicopter!"
"Yes, I understand."
The maid muttered inwardly that her young lady's preparations seemed more like a man pursuing a girl.
First researching tourist spots, then preparing a helicopter for romance. These were methods men usually used when confessing to women.
She subtly glanced at Momiji, who was currently cupping her face in her hands with excitement written all over it, and felt even more emotional.
Momiji was not only a great beauty, but also came from such a privileged family background. She was an only child, and her grandfather was even about to become Prime Minister of Japan.
A woman like this should be pursued by countless outstanding men.
But Momiji already had her heart set on someone, and was even pursuing that man herself.
If it were a normal man, he would absolutely be unable to refuse such an excellent Momiji and would directly fall under her spell.
But when Yoshiko thought that the person Momiji was pursuing was named Toru Fujiwara, the maid felt worried again.
If Momiji was a woman no man could refuse, then the other party was a man no woman in Japan could refuse.
That Young Master Fujiwara was no less impressive than Momiji on the surface.
And in terms of personal ability, he was far superior to Momiji. Comparing the two gave Yoshiko the absurd feeling that even Momiji pursuing him would be very difficult.
Why did two such brilliant people have to be born in the same era?
The maid inexplicably thought of this sentence, although the comparison felt a little strange.
Just as the maid was about to go and make preparations, Momiji called out to her again.
"I'm in a good mood now and don't want to eat at home. Get the car ready. I want to eat out."
"Understood. Which restaurant would you like to go to?"
"The one I usually go to."
Before long, a luxury sedan carrying the young lady of the Ōoka family drove out of the mansion and headed to an old restaurant in Kyoto. It was very famous locally and had a hundred years of history.
The Ōoka family mansion was not located in Kyoto's urban area, which was full of tall buildings, but in a relatively remote area.
This restaurant was also built in the mountains. Sitting by the window, one could enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery.
Momiji came to her usual seat and sat down, while the maid stood to the side, serving her during the meal.
Because they were not dining in a private room, the sight of a young lady accompanied by a maid attracted frequent glances from the other diners.
While Momiji sat there waiting for the dishes to be served, Yoshiko had already taken out her phone, knelt beside her, and begun searching for scenic spots in Hokkaido.
She whispered, "Lady Momiji, since you aren't familiar with Hokkaido, why did you choose that location?"
Momiji showed a gentle smile and said, "You don't understand. Hokkaido is the northernmost part of Japan, very far from Tokyo and Kyoto."
"I want to take Toru-kun away from the bustle of the city. Only there can we calm down together, experience the beauty of life, and appreciate the tranquility of the world."
The maid admired how her young lady even had such an artistic view of life. It could be said that she truly deserved to be the new generation Karuta Queen, beautiful like a poem.
Just then, Momiji frowned, sensing that someone was staring at her.
At first, she thought it was just some tactless boys, but when Momiji looked over with a cold gaze, she saw a beautiful woman no less stunning than herself, with long princess-cut hair.
"That's... Kaguya? Why is she here?"
Momiji's wonderful mood immediately plummeted when she saw Toru's former fiancée.
But immediately after, she remembered that the Fujiwara family had already dissolved the marriage agreement with the Shinomiya family, and her mood brightened again.
After thinking for a moment, Momiji stood up and elegantly walked toward Kaguya, smiling slightly.
"Ms. Shinomiya, may I sit here and have dinner with you?"
Kaguya, who had come to dine alone, furrowed her beautiful brows.
Of course, she knew Momiji. The main branch of the Shinomiya family was originally part of the Kyoto faction, so it was impossible for her not to know the currently prominent Ōoka family.
Seeing Momiji come uninvited, she remained calm and said with Ice Kaguya's manner, "Please sit, Ms. Ōoka."
Momiji sat down elegantly. As if competing, both of them displayed perfect etiquette and graceful postures, their noble bearing making the restaurant feel as if it had returned to an older era, with aristocrats dining in silence.
So much so that even the people dining nearby subconsciously lowered their voices and sat up straight.
Momiji was not a narrow-minded or aggressive person.
But facing Toru's former fiancée, even though their engagement had already been dissolved, she still considered Kaguya a formidable rival.
Since she was a formidable rival, she had to be defeated and made to surrender.
This was the ancestral teaching of the Ōoka family.
A love rival was also an enemy. The field of love was a battlefield, and on the battlefield, there could be no mercy. Otherwise, the one who failed would be yourself.
Momiji immediately became sharp-tongued. With a piercing gaze, she said, "The Shinomiya family is currently facing a huge crisis, even the possibility of its empire collapsing."
"As the young lady of the Shinomiya family, you are in Kyoto instead of Tokyo dealing with the Shinomiya family's problems. Avoidance is not a good choice."
Facing Momiji's accusation, Kaguya did not back down.
"It is not my turn to manage the Shinomiya family's affairs. If it were my turn to manage them, it would mean the Shinomiya family truly had no one left."
"Furthermore, my father is seriously ill and is currently recuperating in Kyoto. As his daughter, I should be accompanying my seriously ill father. Neglecting one's parents is the height of disrespect."
"Could it be that Ms. Ōoka is an unfilial daughter?"
Momiji would not get angry over just a few words. She said lightly, "That brother of yours, Ms. Shinomiya, is criticized by many people. In his hands, the Shinomiya family probably won't last long."
Kaguya subconsciously tightened her grip on the cup in front of her.
Because Momiji was right. Oko was indeed useless.
Comparing him to an incompetent heir would be an insult even to incompetent heirs.
She said coldly, "No matter what happens to the Shinomiya family, it is not for an outsider like Ms. Ōoka to comment on. Is this the etiquette the Ōoka family taught you?"
Momiji was somewhat stunned. In her memory, Kaguya should have been a woman who was not good at physical activities and even lacked common sense.
She should have become completely angry after a few words, even arguing loudly with her.
But Momiji had not expected Kaguya to remain calm and even counterattack with words.
Since leaving Hayasaka and experiencing that fireworks festival, Kaguya had been working hard to grow.
In the past, she had always been kept at home by her brother, not even allowed to leave the house. This was why Kaguya lacked common sense.
Now that she had come to Kyoto, without her brother's control, Kaguya had finally gained freedom.
Just like going out to eat alone, something like this had been almost impossible in Kaguya's past.
And now, she had the ability to live independently.
Everyone was growing, and Kaguya was no exception.
Seeing that Kaguya seemed different from the past, Momiji no longer had the idea of continuing to contend with her.
After all, saying more would only make her seem petty, lacking in grace, and without proper noble etiquette.
She changed the subject and said something that almost made Kaguya break down.
"Oh, right, I'm going to Hokkaido in a couple of days."
Kaguya was wondering why she was saying this, only to hear Momiji continue.
"I'm going with Toru-kun. Ms. Shinomiya, what do you think I should wear?"
After speaking, she immediately shut her mouth, not daring to say more.
She was afraid Kaguya would fight her, although with Kaguya's physique, she definitely would not be able to beat her.
Calm down. Be calm, Kaguya. You must be calm. Now is not the time to counterattack. You must first resolve the Shinomiya family's matters before proving yourself.
You are not trying to prove how great you are. You are telling others that what you lost, you will take back with your own hands.
Under this self-persuasion, Kaguya's angry expression gradually disappeared.
Seeing this scene, Momiji only felt that this woman seemed a little scary.
Kaguya was already very different from the past.
The two sat at the same table without speaking, simply enjoying the food quietly.
Although the atmosphere was strange, both of them forcefully endured it, afraid of losing to the other.
(To be continued.)