Chapter 362 - Can't Be Helped

"Please tell your master that the Young Master Kazehaya Aoi of the Cedar Palace is here to see him…"

The attendant blinked several times before he snapped back to the present. Normally, he'd never let anyone in until Maki Eito allowed them. However, this was a special circumstance due to the special identities of the guests. Then again, if he let them inside, he didn't know how to inform his master since he was not really familiar with Kazehaya Aoi, although the name Kazehaya indicated that he was related to Kazehaya Gin.

Sensing the attendant's hesitation, Shiro took out a name card from his wallet and handed it to the man. The man took his name card with a slightly trembling hand and read it before looking back at Shiro in shock.

"M-Mr. Arima Shiro," the attendant stuttered as he stared at him with wide-eyes.  "I'm so sorry for being rude. Please come in," he announced without hesitation this time and opened the door very wide to let them in.

He ushered them to the living room where he made them sit comfortably before running off to fetch his master.

"What did you do? Why did he run off like that?" Aka asked his brother with a grin.

"I just showed him my name card, okay? Since the Young Master Aoi doesn't really show himself to the public, it's hard to make him believe we're not posers," Shiro answered and the rest silently agreed.

Due to the immense power that the Homura House wielded, it was not unheard of for some sinister people to use their name to do bad things. Although each and every one of those that dared do it was crushed by the Cedar Palace, there were still one or two idiots who would take a risk and do it.

"And the attendant recognized you because?"Kuro asked.

Just like Aoi, Kuro was mostly in Hakone and didn't care about the external businesses of the Homura House. He was mostly a guardian at the portal so he had no idea what's going on most of the time at the company.    

"Because I'm Homura International's President," Shiro answered.

Among the triplets, it was Shiro was ȧssigned to be with Gin while Kuro was ȧssigned to protect and ȧssist Aoi. Aka, on the other hand, was ȧssigned to the Koutaishidenka, but mostly acted as the go-between between the Cedar Palace and the Kazehaya House in Hakone since Ryuu never needed protection.

"Ha? Isn't that Young Master Gin?" Kuro looked confused.

"No. Gin-nii's the CEO," Kazehaya Aoi answered. 

The Chief Executive Officer was the highest level person at a company. But due to its size, Homura International had both CEO and a president, the latter which acted as the second-in-command. 

"Eh?" Aka turned to Shiro. "So what exactly do you do?"

"What else? Paperwork. It's why my fighting power decreased a lot," Shiro ġrȯȧnėd.

Among the triplets, he might be the smartest one, but he was undeniably the weakest. Since Gin came to the Cedar Palace, he was also forced to attend school and get a business degree and masters courses at the university. They were the requirements needed to be the Homura International's CEO's dignified gopher. Whatever Gin studied, he had to take it up as well.

Before, they didn't know the significance of doing such a thing, but since Kazehaya Gin came out as the Returner to Ancestry Stribog, they finally realized what it was.

Replacement.

Arima Shiro would be replacing Gin at his position in the future, while Aoi who was asked to study business and arts would be replacing the Koutaishidenka. Why?

It's because Returners to Ancestry never stayed long enough to grow old and die amongst the mortals. They would always ascend to the Celestial Plane. Even if they left behind offspring, they might not be old enough to handle the business empire, and so, Shiro and Aoi would act as their temporary replacement until the heirs were ready to take over. But that was another story to be told.

"But isn't it weird that the servant didn't recognize you, Young Master?"Kuro asked Aoi.

"It's fine. I don't really mind,"Aoi answered nonchalantly.

Although he was not recognized by the Makis's attendant, he didn't look offended. In fact, he didn't really care since he was someone who preferred to be hidden from the public. He came here because his brother asked him to take care of the miasma, not to flaunt his face.

Soon, footsteps resounded, and the door to the living room opened and Maki Eito stepped in. He looked like a forbidding old man usually, but since the attendant must have informed him that they were from Homura International, he had on a welcoming smile.

"Young Master Kazehaya, President Arima, gentlemen, good morning," he greeted with the same booming voice they'd heard him use to yell at his wife just before they came inside.

"Chairman Maki…"

All four Fuuma stood up and returned the man's greeting politely. Although they had a semblance of a smile on their faces, their eyes were narrowed at the old man, scrutinizing him.

"What brought you in my humble home?" Eito asked; his shrewd eyes glinted at Shiro.

The Homura International's President's presence in the house had rattled the attendant, but not Maki Eito. Since hearing from Suzuki Diazo that Suzuki Ara was married to the Koutaishidenka of the Homura House, he already half-expected for them to make a move in order to secure Suzuki Aki's freedom.

"I'm very sure that Chairman Maki already know," Shiro countered cheerfully.

Another part of their task was to try and cancel the engagement contract between Yuuka and Aki. The Cedar Palace would pay whatever amount needed in order to do it.

However, Maki Eito appeared as someone who would never give in. The engagement contract between Aki and Yuuka might not hold up in court under normal circumstances, but the millions of money involved would. The Makis had clearly paid the yuino, and canceling the engagement regardless that it was not Aki who received the money, the Suzuki Raiden Group and the Suzuki Family would be ruined. Nothing – not even the Cedar Palace could protect the name of Suzuki Aki and Suzuki Ara from being splashed with mud. He'd make sure of that.

Yuuka, his daughter, would marry Suzuki Aki.

"And I'm sure the President already know what my answer would be," he added with a glint of danger in his old eyes, making the four guests look at him in alarm.

Nevertheless, it wasn't because the four feared the chairman's unveiled contempt, but it was due to the dark, ghostly head that suddenly popped out of Eito's left ear, looking at them with its hollow eyes.

Damn.

Kazehaya Aoi dialed Gin's number which his brother picked up immediately. "Brother, I guess we're too late," he said grimly.

"Yes! Too late! Yuuka will marry Suzuki Aki and not that sŀutty secretary!" Eito suddenly yelled, not caring about who he was talking to anymore. He thought Aoi was talking about the engagement.

"It can't be helped then," Gin answered from the other end. "Capture them first," he added, and Kazehaya Aoi produced wind that knocked everyone in the house unconscious.

"Take all of them,"Aoi ordered the triplets who bowed.

"Yes, Young Master!"