After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

"Thank you, Hatsune... I need to be alone for a while. Hatsune, I'll leave this to you for now."

Making her voice sound as subdued as possible, Toyokawa Yuu turned and stepped onto the stairs leading to the second floor.

The most urgent task is to learn more about the world. If we continue to be completely ignorant, we never know when we will be sunk into Tokyo Bay.

But it's definitely not a good idea to just ask anyone rashly. Right now, we have no idea who our allies are or who are hungry wolves craving power.

Therefore, the best channel for obtaining information is the study.

Since Toyokawa Shoko has become the head of the family, she must have a study where she handles affairs, and some clues should be found there.

Chapter 2 The Funeral Home - Aihua (phonetic)

Without much effort, Toyokawa Yuu found a room on the second floor with bookshelves and a desk, on which was a wedding photo of herself and Toyokawa Shoko.

Looking at the photo of Toyokawa Shoko, who was wearing a wedding dress but still unconsciously frowning, Toyokawa Yuu felt exhausted.

This is truly a complete mess.

Flipping through the files on his desk, Yuu Toyokawa tried to find some clues, but most of them were lists of business dealings, and apart from a bunch of names he didn't recognize, there wasn't much useful information.

Until he pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper from the bottom of the drawer—Toyokawa Shoko's medical examination report.

The date was a month ago, and the conclusion was... perfectly healthy, able to kill a bull with one punch.

On the back of the medical examination form, there appears to be a mark left by an eraser after pencil writing was wiped off.

The moment she touched those words, Toyokawa Yuu felt a wave of dizziness.

When he opened his eyes again, the adult version of Toyokawa Shoko, whom he had just seen in the portrait at the funeral hall, was sitting at his desk, looking at his medical examination report with a serious expression, while he was arguing with her across the desk.

“Youyu, you are the one who needs the most practice. If you don’t want to end up like my father, don’t interfere with my decisions about the band.”

You're already the head of a chaebol family, why do you still need to care about a band?

Seeing the serious expression on Toyokawa Shoko's face, as if she were about to die, Toyokawa Yuu, who was already feeling irritated by her confusion and whose head was throbbing from the dizziness, felt a surge of anger and grabbed her hand that had just picked up the eraser without thinking.

The dizziness stopped abruptly, and Toyokawa Yuu stood in front of the desk again, holding the medical report in her hand.

The only difference is that the marks that looked like they had been erased with an eraser have disappeared, replaced by incredibly clear handwriting.

Ave Mujica's revival plan...

What happened? I didn't let Toyokawa Shoko get the eraser, so these words weren't erased?

But, having become a major conglomerate, it wouldn't be difficult for Toyokawa Shoko to start a band, so why is he so conflicted?

Ambiguous clues intertwined in her mind, but she could never get a reliable answer. This feeling of being completely in the dark made Toyokawa Yuu feel deeply uneasy.

[Crack--]

The sound of the door closing startled Yuu Toyokawa, who was deep in thought. He turned around alertly and found that Mitsuko Misaki, whom he was supposed to have arranged to entertain the band's old friends, had somehow appeared in the study.

"Aren't you entertaining guests?"

Trying to make her voice steady and heavy, Yuu Toyokawa wasn't sure if Misaki Miku was on her side, but the fact that Misaki Miku, with her taboo identity, could become a butler in the Toyokawa family mansion at least proved one thing.

Miku Miku is definitely on Toyokawa Shoko's side.

"Youyu, are you... missing Xiangzi?"

Noticing that Yuu Toyokawa was holding a medical report from a few months ago, Misaki Misaki's eyes also revealed obvious nostalgia.

As the butler of this mansion, and with certain roles that are extremely taboo for the Toyokawa family, Misaki Hatsune's feelings for Toyokawa Shoko can be described as indescribably complex.

Looking at the words "Ave Mujica Resurrection Project" in her hand, and then at the Miku Miku triangle not far away, Toyokawa Yuu hesitated for a moment before deciding to test the waters.

“A few months ago, Xiangzi told me he wanted to revive Ave Mujica, but I never expected…”

The conversation abruptly stopped. Toyokawa Yuu didn't continue. That was all he knew for now, and if he continued to digress, he might give himself away.

Fortunately, the former popular lead singer, now the butler of the Toyokawa Mansion, was more sentimental than he had imagined at this moment.

When Yuu Toyokawa mentioned Ave Mujica, her face quickly turned pale, and she made no attempt to hide the guilt that she felt, a mixture of self-reproach and heartache.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't brought this up, Xiangzi wouldn't have..."

What is all this nonsense? Don't just say half of what you mean.

Seeing Misaki Miku kneeling on the ground, sobbing with her face covered, Yuu Toyokawa was devastated.

But he was helpless and could only squat down next to Miku Miku and gently pat her shoulder to comfort her, hoping that she would vomit more after her emotions stabilized.

Yuu Toyokawa never expected that Misaki Miku, who had been encouraging him to cheer up in the funeral hall just two minutes ago, would now be the one comforting her.

Did the boomerang come so fast?

"Don't be too sad. Xiangzi still lives in our hearts, doesn't he? Tell me more about Xiangzi and me in the past. People's memories are unreliable. I hope you can help me to keep those times etched in my mind."

A gentle voice echoed in Misaki Misaki's ears. Although Yuu Toyokawa's original intention was to help her calm down as soon as possible and provide him with more information since he was completely clueless.

But in the ears of this taboo butler of the Toyokawa family, it seems to have been misinterpreted as having another meaning.

"Youyu, are you also longing for Xiangzi?"

She turned her back and quietly locked the study door, her tearful expression gradually becoming complicated.

A thought that had never crossed her mind when Toyokawa Shoko was still alive began to surface in her mind.

Like a seed with extremely tenacious vitality, once planted in the heart, it will quickly take root and sprout, and nothing can stop it.

This idea is neither healthy nor moral, and anyone with a conscience would despise it, but it lingers in Misaki's mind at this moment.

Yuu Toyokawa is Shoko Toyokawa's husband, and... the man she uses almost every day.

Xiangzi is gone, but she will protect everything he left behind and will not let anyone take it away.

With a forceful tug, the tightly fastened buttons snapped off in an instant, bouncing softly in the study.

Throwing away her black dress, Miku tore off her tie, revealing nearly half of her white undershirt in this violent act.

Her breathing became increasingly rapid, and her pinkish-purple eyes were filled with an indescribable possessiveness.

Mitsuka Mitsu, the former lead singer of a famous band and now the butler of the Toyokawa Mansion, who is usually confident and composed, is now acting as if she is unable to control herself.

But Yuu Toyokawa always felt that this guy who had suddenly gone mad wasn't looking at her.

"What do you want to do..."

Before Toyokawa Yuu could finish his question, Misaki Miku, whose shirt was already half undone, pounced on him and grabbed his tie.

The medical report in her hand fell to the ground, but Misaki's breathing became increasingly labored, like a vicious dog that had not eaten for a long time.

Is this guy Spider-Man? How come he's so strong?

Yuu Toyokawa tried to struggle, but was suppressed and unable to move for a while.

"Xiao Xiang is gone, but this is... something that once belonged to Xiangzi..."

Releasing her hold on Toyokawa Yuu, Miku knelt before him, her pink-purple eyes filled with a morbid possessiveness.

"Xiao Xiang, Xiao Xiang, Xiao Xiang, Xiao Xiang... Xiao Xiang's things are all mine... all mine!"

The voice, which had been somewhat frantic, suddenly calmed down, carrying a hint of hope and pleading, as if trying to grasp the last trace that Toyokawa Shoko left in the world.

"Youyu, let's... remember Xiangzi together."

Seeing Misaki Miku suddenly transform from a melancholic housekeeper into a golden retriever, Yuu Toyokawa had only two thoughts in her mind.

How could Toyokawa Shoko dare to keep such an extraordinary person by her side?

as well as……

Although this is a family tradition of the Toyokawa family, isn't it a bit too exciting to get involved with the housekeeper right after his deceased wife passed away?

Chapter 3 Unpredictable Fate

The desk, which was originally piled with many documents and tools, has now been cleared out, with papers scattered haphazardly on the floor, soaked by large splatters of ink.

Using her ridiculously large desk as a bed, Toyokawa Yuu breathed heavily, looking somewhat exhausted.

His clothes were soaked with sweat, and the slightly cool and warm sensation clung to his body, causing him to frown slightly due to the mild discomfort.

But there's nothing to complain about now. At this moment, even half of the bookshelves in the study are wet, and the fact that the tie is only slightly damp is already a result of taking care of it.

Misaki Miku's behavior was even more extreme than he had imagined. It felt as if she wanted to take all the traces left by Toyokawa Shoko and devour them completely.

But it must be said that the feeling was still quite enjoyable. At least if given a choice, Toyokawa Yuu would prefer to stay in this already spacious study rather than return to the funeral hall where she didn't know anyone and where a group of people harbored malicious intentions.

But alas, no.

Although his acting duel with Metis had given him a temporary respite, his status as Toyokawa Shoko's husband did not allow him to leave the mourning hall for too long.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be long before even this last identity he could rely on would become invalid, and he would die silently in the brutal internal struggles of the Toyokawa family, becoming just another nameless cement pile under Tokyo Bay.

The Toyokawa family is a large conglomerate with countless wealth and resources, all of which would theoretically be left to Toyokawa Shoko's husband as an inheritance.

It's impossible to say that Yuu Toyokawa wasn't tempted at all.

Moreover, even if he wanted to run away, there was nothing he could do; his identity as a live-in son-in-law and widower had firmly bound him to his fate.

Win and you get champagne; lose and you sink to the bottom of the sea.

After all, Toyokawa Yuu had taken to heart all the undisguised hostile glances she had received in the mourning hall, and her original intention of searching for clues about the past in the study had yielded little result.

However, Toyokawa Yuu didn't feel sorry for him. At least "remembering Xiangzi" in his study had earned him a fairly reliable ally.

Once he gets past the funeral, he can gradually extract information from Misaki Miku about what happened in the past.

Straddling the desk, Miku Miku was panting heavily, her hands resting on either side of Yuu Toyokawa's cheeks.

A strand of golden hair was in her mouth, her chest swayed, but her eyes held an indescribable smile.

The rain-soaked banana leaves made her feel extremely tired, but she couldn't suppress the waves of satisfaction rising within her.

What Xiangzi used to use, I'm using now...

From the person, to the chair, to the bed, and finally the ashes, everything...

Xiangzi, I miss you so much...

Seemingly seeing her longing, which she had suppressed for ten years, being gradually fulfilled, Miku Miku couldn't help but chuckle softly, the sound lingering in the study.

Hearing Misaki Miku's gentle laughter, Yuu Toyokawa patted the back of her hand lightly, signaling her to get down first.

He'd been away from the funeral hall for too long; now he needed to find a new set of clothes and go back to continue playing the role of a heartbroken widower.

While Misaki Misaki was somewhat dissatisfied with Toyokawa Yuu's practice of immediately separating wet and dry areas after the rain, she did not intend to obstruct it.

After all, she really doesn't look suitable to appear in public in her current state.

Leaving aside the sweat and blush that she couldn't suppress, her elegant black dress had already had a button torn off, and she needed a new outfit.

Moreover, she didn't really care about this man to begin with, and her dissatisfaction stemmed solely from the fact that his remembrance of Xiangzi wasn't genuine, and that he was even thinking about the guests gathered in the mourning hall.

Not a single one of those guys was genuinely saddened by Xiangzi's passing; they were only after the legacy he left behind.

Even Toyokawa Yuu was one of those scoundrels who married into the family for personal gain.

However, although she doesn't care much about Yuu Toyokawa as a person, Misaki Miku still wants to express her gratitude to him.

Miku Miku stepped back slightly, moving her hands and feet in parallel. She released her hands from Yuu Toyokawa's side, but remained seated on the desk with him.

“Yuyu, thank you. Thank you for standing by Xiangzi’s side when she suggested taking me back to the Toyokawa family.”

Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have the chance to use Xiangzi's belongings to get closer to her now.

Recalling what happened a few years ago, Misaki Misaki couldn't help but murmur softly, her eyes filled with nostalgia and a touch of regret.

“When Xiangzi officially gave me the surname Fengchuan, I was really happy and wanted to dedicate the rest of my life to her... everything to her.”

It's a real pity that Xiangzi's insistence on going against the majority was merely an act of responsibility; she completely ignored his own hints.

Only now, after suppressing my desires for ten years, has it been fulfilled in this unconventional way.

Although Hatsune Miku's words were merely a nostalgic reflection, the amount of information contained within them startled Toyokawa Yuu.

Huh? This Hatsune Miku's surname is already Toyokawa?

No wonder she was able to stand confidently in the front row of the mourning hall in a formal dress, and was even addressed as "Lady Hatsuka" by the other members of the Toyokawa family.

Fortunately, I didn't call her by her surname before, otherwise I would have been exposed in an instant.

"Me too. The moment I saw Xiangzi, I felt like I had seen the sun, and my dark life was redeemed."

Nodding in agreement with Toyokawa Hatsune's words, after experiencing the group activity of "remembering Toyokawa Shoko together," he probably also grasped the user manual for this loyal golden retriever.