The Heir I Dragged Into My “He’s My Fiancé!” Lie Is Somehow Playing Along!? - Chapter 1.16

Sea bream and cherry blossom rice (also delicious as ochazuke). Edamame spring rolls. Wild vegetable tempura. Hearty miso soup.

After checking the ingredients Kido had brought, Kai decided on the menu and started cooking in the early hours before dusk.

Meanwhile, Alice and Kido ended up lounging on the sofa in the living room, watching a movie displayed on the screen while waiting.

Kai had complained, “Sit further apart!” but Alice was more concerned about the look on Kido’s face, as if he wanted to say something. Adjusting the movie volume so Kai in the kitchen wouldn’t hear, Kido began speaking, and his words were heavier than expected.

“What I brought here today is work that’s difficult to do during regular company hours. Since the investigation is progressing smoothly, I’ll share what we’ve learned so far. Shirotsuki-san was in a rather dangerous situation.”

“Yes.”

Since Kido was pretending to watch the movie straight ahead, Alice did the same and replied in a low voice.

“I don’t think Kai has been completely honest with Shirotsuki-san about his involvement, but he has consistently protected her within the company since she joined. You could even say he joined the company to protect Shirotsuki-san. Alice Shirotsuki has been Kai’s special person for a very long time.”

“Um, thank you.”

Not knowing what else to say, Alice expressed her gratitude. Kido smiled faintly but continued speaking with his usual detached demeanor.

“I assume you’re already aware of the circumstances, but Shirotsuki-san delivered a decisive blow to Yoshino-san, the former head of public relations and wife of the vice president. Kai’s efforts reframed this not as ‘an arrogant new employee overstepping’ but as ‘a step toward company reform.’ However, Shirotsuki-san herself has been under surveillance by some employees and was in a position where others were waiting for her to make mistakes.”

“I do remember that.”

It wasn’t just her conflict with the section chief; as Ishizuka had pointed out, even though she didn’t socialize much at work, the fact that there were “weird rumors about Alice Shirotsuki” meant someone definitely held ill will toward her.

“I assume your relationship with Saito-san was also related to these circumstances. You probably came close to making mistakes at work several times, and each time, Saito-san caught them before the section chief found out, didn’t he?”

“Ah…”

“And around the time you started feeling deeply indebted to him, he said he was in financial trouble, and you lent him money, right? When the amounts kept adding up and you couldn’t back out, he said, ‘Let’s get married,’ and you convinced yourself to go along with it. Thinking, ‘Since we’re getting married, it’s natural to lend him money.’ The causality is messed up, but your judgment was probably a bit clouded.”

The deduction was so spot-on that Alice hugged her knees on the sofa and bowed her head.

(It’s true that when I feel indebted, I get anxious about repaying the favor. It’s scary to be seen through by Kido-san, who until yesterday was a complete stranger in my eyes, but if he’s been observing me for a long time, maybe he could figure it out.)

When someone begged for help, saying they were in trouble, she lent them money. In the end, it was fraud, but she didn’t even know how much of their “trouble” was true or false at the time, so she was already starting to resign herself to the lost money. She told herself it was just money given to someone in need.

It was also a reflection of her desire to have nothing more to do with con artists.

“It seems Saito-san was in close contact with Section Chief Makino. Yesterday, in front of the vice president, Section Chief Makino admitted he was actively involved in this matter and had given instructions. However, the one good thing Section Chief Makino did was warn Saito-san against having a physical relationship with Shirotsuki-san.”

“Why would the section chief…?”

Surprised, Alice turned to look at Kido. Still facing the display, Kido said casually,

“Section Chief Makino apparently had a painful experience when his own affair was discovered and evidence was gathered. Because of that, he thoroughly warned Saito-san to be careful about evidence, saying, ‘It’s not a serious relationship.’ Also, he probably thought that if Saito-san took private photos of Shirotsuki-san and used them for blackmail, ‘Given Shirotsuki-san’s personality, she’d fight back head-on.’ After all, she already brought down Yoshino-san once.”

“Back then, I just fought back without understanding anything. I was fearless. If you asked me if I wouldn’t do it now, that’s not true; if I encountered the same situation, I think I’d act the same way I did then.”

“Yes. That’s the spirit that allowed Shirotsuki-san to take down a department head as a new employee. Makino-san probably thought that if some underhanded problem arose among employees, Shirotsuki-san would fight until the company was scorched earth. Furthermore, it was an open secret among those in the know that Department Head Yumikura was behind Shirotsuki-san. Some of us, including me, believed that if it came down to it, Kai would stand by Shirotsuki-san’s side, even if it meant destroying the company.”

As someone who had noticed nothing, Alice felt so out of place she almost buried her face in her knees again.

But, not wanting Kai—who occasionally glanced over from the kitchen—to find her suspicious, she mustered her willpower, lifted her head, and faced forward.

(So, it was a case of ‘those in the know’ while ‘the one in the dark was me’? In Kai’s case, it was just not knowing about the “Prince,” but in my case, I was unaware of some pretty serious stuff.)

The person she desperately turned to for help in that critical moment just happened to be Kai, who was right there. She only survived by chance.

Though Kai would probably say it wasn’t a coincidence, that he intended to be there then.

“The problem here is that starting Monday, the situation surrounding Shirotsuki-san will change dramatically. Department Head Yumikura’s cover fire for Alice Shirotsuki, which was previously known only to those in the know, has been exposed to the light of day. Now, a question for Shirotsuki-san. In this context, who exactly are the ‘those in the know’?”

Kai came out of the kitchen and glared at Kido.

“Too close, you’re a bit too close. Move apart.”

Without seeming particularly perturbed, Kido continued speaking calmly to Alice.

“Who was Department Head Yumikura talking to late last night?”

“The vice president?”

Overhearing the conversation, Kai interjected, “I’ll tell you about that later.” Even if she’d vaguely sensed the two had been talking about something earlier, she probably didn’t know what it was about.

If she didn’t hear it clearly from Kido, Alice would remain in the dark about the details.

(Actually, Kai-san never said to me, “I protected you.” But, given the circumstances, he’s been covering for me at the company for a very long time, right…?!)

Alice asked Kai, who had joined the conversation, “The vice president and I have some serious history that I just didn’t know about, right?”

Kai sighed.

“Can’t deny that. Though it’s not all bad. Alice, including creating the reason for Yoshino-san’s downfall, you haven’t done anything detrimental to the company. I did look into your work mistakes, but all I found were traces of tampering in documents you created, or phone calls from clients that weren’t passed on, resulting in oversights that were blamed on you. And each time, Saito-san caught them before they could damage the company.”

“I’ve been set up way too much.”

Prompted by Kido, Alice tried to recall those situations, and indeed, such things had happened.

But Kai cut the topic short, saying, “It’s in the past,” and steered the conversation back.

“In that sense, as a company executive and a regular employee, the vice president doesn’t have any special interest in you.”

“That’s a very loaded expression.”

“Yeah. The vice president being the wife of former department head Yoshino, who has history with Alice, and as my kind-hearted aunt, in a way, it’s kind of…”

As Kai hesitated, Kido smoothly took over.

“In other words, ‘He made a unilateral engagement announcement in front of employees without even consulting me? Department Head Yumikura? Meaning, Kai? And he thinks that’s okay? Even in this day and age, if it’s marriage resulting from an office romance, the standard procedure is to inform your superior before announcing it! And of all people, it’s that girl! Bring her here right now!’ That’s what happened. Yesterday, after interrogating Yoshino-san and Makino-san, the fire spread magnificently to Kai. That’s all I wanted to say to Shirotsuki-san.”

With a coolness that seemed to say “thank you for your attention,” Kido brought the conversation to a close.

“That’s true, but did you have to be the one to say all that, Kido?”

“What about my position?” Kai muttered discontentedly at Kido.

Kido showed no sign of caring and answered breezily,

“If Kai, overwhelmed by the emotion of his long-held feelings finally being realized, keeps Shirotsuki-san confined to bed until Monday morning without proper conversation, it’ll be a hassle later. I came to drive in a warning beforehand. I’ll leave after eating.”

“That’s…”

Kido stood up from the sofa, passed by the speechless Kai, and headed to the kitchen, but turned back as if remembering something.

“Shirotsuki-san probably dislikes forceful personnel changes, but a transfer is essential for various reasons. I think the best option is for the secretarial department to take you in, so Kai and I are pulling out all the stops.”

“The secretarial department!? Me!? Becoming colleagues with Kido-san… That’s great!”

After hearing everything so far, Alice wasn’t so naive as to say, “But I have unfinished work, a transfer now?!” Having Kido within sight if she transferred to the secretarial department was very reassuring.

(I don’t know what the work entails, but I think I can handle it. Um, what Kido-san has been doing as a secretary so far… corporate detective work, bodyguard for the department head, and…)

Huh? Maybe it’s tough? As Alice’s imagination ran wild, only Kai looked displeased.

“The secretarial department has various roles… Personally, many end up assigned to specific executives. In Alice’s case, if you come to the secretarial department, you won’t become my exclusive assistant over Kido.”

“That’s fine! I’ll work hard at the job! I won’t mix personal and professional!”

“Even if Alice intends that, the executives will probably mix them thoroughly. It’s almost certain the vice president will designate Alice Shirotsuki as her exclusive assistant.”

“…That’s so cruel…”

Glancing at Kido, who was arranging drinks in the kitchen, their eyes met. He nodded as if it were nothing.

“I think that’s what will happen. I’ll support you as much as I can, so do your best.”

After the three of them gathered around the dining table, Kido promptly left.

Alice cleaned up with Kai, then sat down beside him on the sofa.

“Kido-san is really such a considerate person, isn’t he?”

“Yeah! I guess… I don’t even feel like saying, ‘Alice, you mustn’t mention another man’s name when it’s just the two of us.’ Today’s Kido was perfect. Being a secretary is a terrifying job. He even included daily necessities beyond food in the ingredients. Even though we’re prepared. Don’t try to manage my every move.”

“Beyond food?”

“Never mind.”

Kai, who seemed to have had a perfectly executed job done on him, also sank into the sofa with an exhausted expression.

“Um… I’m really glad Kido-san came. Thinking about going to the company on Monday without any preparation is terrifying. If I get called to the secretarial department, I’ll do my absolute best.”

“As the vice president’s secretary.”

“If we get along, do you think she might show me cute photos of Kai-kun from when he was little?”

“You should say that to me. I’ll look for them at my parents’ house. Want to go together? Oh yeah, I want to go to Alice’s parents’ house too. I want to see cute Alice photos. I want to see lots of them. You must have been absolutely adorable.”

Groaning, Kai covered his face with his hands.

Alice had brought it up first, but having him express such a desperate desire to see them was a little scary.

“If we go to each other’s parents’ houses, our families will become aware of our existence, right? I’ve never had a boyfriend before. Um, if we don’t count the recent con artist, I’ve never had a boyfriend, so I’ve never brought a man to my parents’ house. If I bring Kai-san home, what a huge commotion it would cause.”

“I’ll go in an outfit worth making a fuss over. Which do you think your family would prefer, a suit or something flashy?”

“Hard. Very hard… Personally, I’d choose the private version and want to see a lot more of it, but my mom would probably prefer the suit. My dad and brother are another matter.”

After answering while imagining introducing Kai to her family, she suddenly thought of the reverse scenario.

Alice leaned back against the sofa backrest with a thud.

“My family is fine, but what about Kai-san’s parents’ house? Do a bunch of company-related people show up? That’s basically an interview, isn’t it?”

“Can’t deny that.”

“Could I get rejected…?”

“I’ll oppose that personnel decision, so it’s fine. If they still oppose it no matter what, I’ll leave both home and company, so don’t worry about anything.”

Saying something that only made her worry more, Kai closed the distance between them on the sofa.

He lightly touched Alice’s hair with his fingers and smiled.

“For today, let’s go to bed soon. Before it gets too late.”

“Wait, Kai-san. Don’t you have anything else to tell me before Monday? If we don’t talk tomorrow, I’ll just be tossed into the next storm.”

“Dammit, work is getting in the way…!”

Seeing Kai’s shoulders slump dramatically, Alice became convinced of Kido’s correctness.

(Kai-san is probably only thinking about us spending time together…! I have to be strong!)

Picturing the back she should aspire to—the perfect secretary, Kido—Alice rallied herself.

“Preparation prevents poor performance! Let me prepare too! Come on! What should we start with?”

“Let’s do it tomorrow. Tomorrow will be plenty of time.”

“But… if Kai-san turns into a beast, that might not hold true, right? What if tomorrow my legs give out, and I become a permanent resident of the bed?”

“What’s your image of me in your head…? If that’s what you want, I’ll do my best.”

They had been arguing back and forth in the heat of the moment, but with Kai’s one remark, silence fell abruptly.

Finally understanding what she had said, Alice turned bright red and scooted backward on the sofa.

“But, Kai-san, it seems like you wouldn’t hold back in that area, would you?”

“I meant to be gentle but I can’t help it when it comes to this. If Alice is too cute, I might not be able to stop. I don’t know if this happens in real life—’not letting you sleep until morning’—but sorry. I might say it.”

“Beast…!”

“I haven’t said it yet!”

The moment they opened their mouths, they started arguing again.

Seeing that they were getting nowhere, Alice stood up and, almost simultaneously, closed in on Kai’s chest.

“Be gentle! I want to go to work energetically on Monday!”

“When you say that, it makes me fired up, wondering if you’re expecting something from me. I’ve told you, haven’t I? That I’m the type who wants to live up to expectations.”

Before Alice could retort, Kai swiftly scooped her up in his arms.

“Well then, let’s go. We’ll continue the rest of our conversation in bed.”

Without any further discussion, she was carried into Kai’s room.

In the dimly lit room with only a downlight, she was gently placed on the bed. Still feeling like she hadn’t said enough, Alice looked up at Kai, searching for the right words.

Over the past three days, she had grown unexpectedly close to Kai Kurahashi. With anyone else, she might never have had such conversations in her entire life. And yet, it still felt far from enough.

“I want to know more about you, Kai-san.”

“Yeah. I want you to know.”

Kai, who had sat down beside her, took Alice’s hand, pressed his lips to her fingers, and then smiled faintly.

“Even if Alice didn’t know me, to me, Alice has always been someone important.”

“Ah.”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

She was beginning to sense that this might be something she shouldn’t say, but since Kai looked puzzled, Alice ended up answering.

“I just heard that from Kido-san. ‘Shirotsuki-san has been someone important to Kai for a very long time,’ she said…”

“What is that guy thinking? I’m never forgiving him. As a person, there are things you should and shouldn’t say.”

“But he’s an excellent person, isn’t he? Retaliatory personnel decisions out of momentary anger are the beginning of corruption, you know? Besides, if I really end up in the secretarial department, I’d be in trouble without Kido-san. Absolutely.”

“Not me, huh. You don’t need me…”

“Kai-san, I do need you! I need you, I want you…!”

Her voice trembled with frustration, and as she mustered all her strength to say it, she was promptly pushed down onto the bed.

“Then, I’ll live up to your expectations. Get to know me—a lot. I want you to teach me about Alice, too. I’ve always wanted to talk to you like this, at this distance.”

Whispering in the sweetest voice, Kai leaned in for a gentle kiss.

Closing her eyes to receive it, Alice stretched out her arms and embraced Kai.

(For now, let’s set aside everything from Monday onward. When I wake up tomorrow morning, I’ll start by properly greeting Kai-san.)

Just like when they first met.

“Good morning!” she’d say.