On an afternoon when the signs of the rainy season were creeping in, a black-lacquered carriage came to a stop in front of Yunoya Inn, casting a shadow as if to swallow the building.
The sound of leather shoes striking the cobblestones echoed through the air.
“Pardon me.”
Noticing the gentle voice, Okami-san and Hina stepped out to the entrance—only to find a man standing there with a face so perfectly composed it was almost irritating.
It was Shinomiya.
“It’s been a while, Hina.”
Hina instinctively held her breath and reflexively shielded Keito behind her back.
Why is he here…?
How did he find this place…?
The swirling doubts in her mind made her chest tighten. A cold sweat began to form.
“Okami-san, I’m sorry. It seems this gentleman has business with me… Please, take care of this child for me…”
Her voice trembled slightly as she carefully chose her words.
Perhaps sensing something was amiss, Okami-san nodded deeply before taking Keito’s hand and leading him inside.
Once the two had disappeared from sight, Hina slowly turned back to Shinomiya.
“…What is it you want?”
“Oh, nothing much. I just happened to be in the area and thought I’d drop by to say hello.”
His lips curled into the same smile as always.
But beneath that smile lurked something unsettlingly cold.
“…There’s something I’d very much like you to see.”
Hina couldn’t yet discern the intent hidden beneath his words.
But her instincts told her this was no mere social call.
Steeling herself, Hina guided Shinomiya to the parlor.
The only Western-style room in Yunoya Inn.
Shinomiya settled comfortably into an armchair and pulled a magazine proof from his pocket. A bold headline leaped off the page:
[Scandal at Hot Spring Inn: Eldest Son of Prestigious Saotome Family Hides Lover and Secret Child!?]
Her heart pounded heavily. Her eyes traced every inch of the page.
The glaring text—there, mercilessly clear—listed Hina’s name, the name of Yunoya Inn, and even featured a photograph of Keiichiro.
Instinctively, Hina pressed a hand to her mouth.
The blood drained from her face as if her entire body temperature had plummeted.
“After you rejected me at our arranged meeting, I didn’t care anymore. But… once I saw this, I couldn’t stay silent.”
Shinomiya produced another photograph. The moment she saw it, her breath caught.
It was unmistakably taken from a distance, a hidden shot. There, standing together like a family, were Hina, Keito, and Keiichiro.
“…You went as far as to stalk us?”
Her voice cracked as she spoke. Shinomiya shrugged and laughed.
“Stalking? It’s called press freedom, Hina.”
“…What do you want?”
At her question, Shinomiya leaned back in his chair and snorted.
“Just making you pay for insulting me. ‘This woman behaved inappropriately with another man during our arranged meeting—a woman without morals.’ That’s what I’ll have them write. Your life—well, a commoner like you won’t suffer much damage.”
Shinomiya chuckled darkly in his throat.
“But this inn… and the Saotome family? What will become of them?”
“…!”
His words stabbed deep.
Hina didn’t care about herself. Her reputation could be tarnished, her name dragged through the mud—it didn’t matter.
But she could never allow harm to come to Yunoya Inn, Keiichiro, or Keito.
“If you do this, you’ll—”
Shinomiya cut off her attempted threat with ease.
“I have nothing to lose. In fact, the scandal might even help me gain attention for the next election. A tailwind, if you will.”
Shinomiya was smiling. But in his eyes lurked a cold, calculated madness.
She hadn’t realized he was the kind of man who would go this far.
—What do I do?
How can I fix this?
Just as Hina was desperately searching for a solution, the sliding door burst open with force.
Startled by the noise, she turned—and there stood Keiichiro.
Okami-san must have called him.
The moment Keiichiro stepped forward, the tension in the room thickened.
Shinomiya’s lips curled into a repulsive smirk.
“Well, well. Finally gracing us with your presence, Saotome. Hiding your lover away for a hot spring retreat—or should I say, your mistress?”
His exaggerated shrug was dripping with sarcasm.
“Shut your mouth, Shinomiya.”
Keiichiro’s voice was low and quiet, but those words alone froze the air.
“You, of all people, should know what happens when the head of the Saotome family is exposed for fathering a child with a commoner and abandoning her.”
“…Yeah. I know.”
Keiichiro stepped in front of Hina.
Shielding her. Protecting her.
Seeing his back in that moment, despite her lingering fear, she felt an undeniable sense of reassurance.
“If you want to publish that article, go ahead. But—the consequences will far exceed your expectations.”
“…Is that a threat?”
Shinomiya’s eyes narrowed.
Keiichiro didn’t back down an inch.
“A warning. I won’t bow to a coward like you.”
Shinomiya’s eyes flickered slightly. There was unmistakable resolve and authority in Keiichiro’s words.
After a few seconds of silence, Shinomiya snorted and stood.
“Enjoy your little charade while it lasts. Until this story breaks… make the most of your happy family playacting.”
With a final smirk, Shinomiya strode out of Yunoya Inn, his footsteps deliberately loud and mocking.