Yoshimura personally brewed a cup of coffee for each member of the Mado family.
Ukina helped bring them over.
"Investigator Mado, Mrs. Mado—I've already heard about you from my daughter. I'm truly sorry for what happened back then."
Ukina apologized to Kureo Mado and Kasuka Mado.
"Ah... so you must be Eto-san's mother?"
Though it was their first meeting, Kasuka Mado could tell from Ukina's words who she was.
"Yes. My name is Ukina."
Ukina nodded.
"After all this time, why bring up those old matters? I stopped holding it against anyone long ago."
Kasuka Mado said in a friendly tone.
...
Afterward, Yoshimura and Ukina sat down to chat with the Mado couple.
Akira Mado went to sit with Amaha Byakuya and Eto Yoshimura.
"Investigator Mado mentioned before that he wanted to talk face-to-face with Manager Yoshimura. Today they actually got to meet."
Amaha Byakuya remarked.
"At most, the grudge was between me and the Mado family. It had nothing to do with my parents."
Eto Yoshimura said.
"Let's not bring that up. Let's just pretend it never happened."
Akira Mado smiled.
"Mm-hmm, I won't mention that matter anymore. Hahaha—"
Eto Yoshimura laughed.
"Come to think of it, all the family members we had lost have returned. If this were a novel, it would be called a perfect happy ending."
After saying this, Eto Yoshimura leaned close to Akira Mado's ear and whispered, "In that case, Little Akira, shouldn't you offer yourself to him~?"
"..."
Akira Mado was silent for a moment. "I'm already in a relationship with Byakuya. That's not much different from 'offering myself.'"
Unlike Eto Yoshimura, she spoke quite openly and directly.
"That's different. 'Offering yourself' obviously means this~"
As she spoke, Eto Yoshimura made an indescribable gesture.
"Cough cough..."
Akira Mado cleared her throat lightly. "We haven't progressed to that point yet."
"Be bolder, Little Akira! Isn't that kind of thing just a matter of acting on impulse?"
Eto Yoshimura teased.
"I'm saying... don't treat me like I'm invisible, okay...?"
At that point, Amaha Byakuya spoke up to interrupt Eto Yoshimura and Akira Mado.
The way Eto and Akira were discussing such topics, it was like he wasn't even there.
"Alright, alright, no more joking around."
Eto Yoshimura giggled. "Let's talk about something serious now..."
"Akira-san..."
Eto Yoshimura suddenly changed how she addressed her, as if her attitude had become more serious. "Don't forget—we're rivals in love. If you don't make your move soon, I might just get there first~"
"..."
Akira Mado was momentarily speechless.
Amaha Byakuya was even more exasperated.
Wasn't this just treating him like air again...?
"Eto-san can do whatever she wants. That's her freedom."
Akira Mado said with a calm expression.
Though she spoke as if it didn't matter, inside she had started to care.
She could increasingly see that Eto's feelings for Byakuya were genuine.
If she didn't act quickly, Eto really might get there first...
If it were some other girl, that would be one thing. But against Eto Yoshimura... the former One-Eyed Owl...
Akira Mado felt an inexplicably strong competitive drive. She simply didn't want to lose to Eto Yoshimura.