Early the next morning, the rain cleared up and the sky brightened.
Sunlight filtered through the glass, landing on a certain little loli’s face.
The little loli’s feet poked out from under the blanket.
Her toes twitched, and she sat up without any warning.
She touched her hair; it was completely dry.
Groggily checking her condition, she realized she seemed to have been washed.
Her clothes, including her underwear, had all been changed.
The room’s layout was simple but fully equipped.
There was a wardrobe and a dressing table, potted plants arranged by the window, and even a fluffy stuffed animal resting on the bed.
The little loli hesitated for a moment before slipping into the tiny, pink slippers on the floor.
She carefully opened the bedroom door and walked out.
She found herself in a two-story villa.
The place was quite spacious, and it took her a bit of time to locate the stairs.
Coming down the stairs, she saw a man enjoying his breakfast.
Miyano Shiho’s hairs stood on end.
The aura of the Organization made it hard for her to breathe.
“You’re awake?
Then come down and eat breakfast,” Shouichi said naturally.
Calming herself down, she followed the man’s orders, hopping onto a chair and sitting across from Shouichi.
“I…”
“I changed all your clothes, I gave you a bath, and I personally fed you your medicine.
But there’s no need to thank me,” Shouichi said.
Miyano Shiho’s expression stiffened.
*Doesn’t that mean this guy saw my entire body?*
*Not just saw, but touched…*
“Here is your breakfast.
Please enjoy,” the maid said, placing the food on the table in front of Miyano Shiho.
The breakfast consisted of meat porridge and a sandwich, but Miyano Shiho had absolutely no intention of eating.
Seeing the little girl not eating, the maid tilted her head and said with a smile, “You really scared me with that high fever yesterday.
Thankfully, after I gave you a bath and you took the medicine the doctor prescribed, you slowly recovered.”
“Thank you,” Miyano Shiho breathed a sigh of relief.
Under the watchful eyes of Shouichi and the maid, Ai slowly began to eat.
Once she finished, Shouichi suddenly asked, “By the way, I haven’t asked your name yet.”
“Miya…
Hai…
Haibara Ai,” Ai stammered.
Shouichi nodded.
“A sorrow that makes the world wail in agony?
That’s a pretty good name.”
Ai was left completely speechless.
Meanwhile, the maid just smiled warmly.
Ai didn’t bother explaining.
She had no intention of making the world wail, but he could interpret it however he wanted.
*As expected of someone from the Organization.
Even his thought process revolves around making the world wail in agony.*
Right now, Ai was deeply worried.
If he were a normal person, based on her behavior and the evidence from last night, he should have already deduced that she was Miyano Shiho.
Furthermore, that white lab coat should currently be in that man’s possession.
“Mr.
Shouichi, it’s time for your medicine,” the maid said, walking over to Shouichi with a few bottles of pills.
“I’m not sick.”
The maid put on a troubled expression.
“Your mental state is very unstable.
Your father gave strict instructions to supervise you taking your medication.”
Ai sneaked a glance at the pill bottles.
She recognized that medication; it was primarily used to help treat psychiatric disorders.
Under the maid’s gentle persuasion, Shouichi reluctantly finished his medicine.
Ai sat in her chair and waited.
Once the maid left with the pill bottles and water glass, she turned to Shouichi and said, “Actually, I…”
“Sign this first,” Shouichi interrupted.
Ai took the piece of paper Shouichi handed her.
The contents made her pupils shrink slightly.
She lowered her head and glanced at her little pink shoes.
The paper was an IOU.
Including cleaning fees, medical expenses, clothing costs, and various miscellaneous charges, she owed a total of 2.37 million yen.
In just one night, she had supposedly spent over two million yen.
When she was in the Organization, she wouldn’t have batted an eye at two million yen.
But now, she had taken the drug developed by the Organization, her body had shrunk into a child’s, and she had fled all alone with nothing but a fruit knife—which this guy had confiscated.
Two million yen was an incredibly heavy burden for a penniless little loli.
Bracing herself, she signed the IOU.
After all, this man had saved her.
Debts had to be paid, and it didn’t matter how much he was overcharging her; she would just consider it repayment for saving her life.
“By the way, the monthly interest rate is ten percent,” Shouichi added.
Ai almost snapped the pen in her hand.
*What a profiteer!
This is shameless loan sharking!*
Due to the economic downturn, current interest rates had dropped to around 2.8 percent.
This profiteer’s ten percent was even higher than the rates from several years ago.
*As expected of a despicable Organization member.
He’s completely ruthless.*
Ai looked at the name “Haibara Ai” written on the paper.
*Haibara Ai is the one who owes the money.
What does that have to do with me, Miyano Shiho?*
Handing the IOU back to Shouichi, Ai said, “I…”
“Right, since you’ve come to seek refuge with me, I’ll go ahead and arrange a school for you,” Shouichi said.
“I’m actually…”
“Are you planning to go to elementary school or middle school?
Or maybe straight to high school?” Shouichi didn’t give Ai a chance to speak at all.
“Um…”
“University might be a bit difficult.
After all, it’s not enrollment season, so getting you in wouldn’t be very convenient,” Shouichi continued.
“I want to go home!” Ai finally blurted out what she had been trying to say all along.
“Go home?”
Shouichi looked Ai up and down, lazily crossing his legs as he said, “Aren’t you undocumented?
Where is your home?
I already investigated you last night.
There’s no record of your existence or past in Japan.
You smuggled yourself in, didn’t you?”
Alarm bells blared in Ai’s mind.
*Danger!!!*
Shouichi tossed out a photograph.
On it was a man and a woman whom Ai didn’t recognize.
“These are your parents, right?
Haibara Shimei and Haibara Kiyotani.
Japanese-Mexicans who smuggled themselves back into Japan.
Last night, they drove their car off a bridge.
The car was destroyed, and they were killed.
You don’t have any family left.”
Shouichi patted Ai’s fluffy hair.
Ai was completely bewildered.
*Huh?*
*I just made up a random identity, and he actually managed to find relatives for it?*
*Is it really that much of a coincidence?*
“Don’t be too sad.
Since you ran into me last night, it must be fate.
From now on, you’ll live with me,” Shouichi said.
To avoid exposing her true identity, Ai squeezed some tears from her eyes and began to cry sorrowfully.
But as she cried, the tears wouldn’t stop.
Shouichi stroked Ai’s head, and the maid brought over some tissues, gently comforting the poor little girl.
Ai felt incredibly embarrassed.
*Why am I bawling my eyes out in front of an Organization member?*
Taking the tissues the maid handed her, Ai continued to cry.
*Sob…*
*The one crying is Haibara Ai.
It has nothing to do with Miyano Shiho.*