(Chastity Reversed) The Legitimate Wife War: How I, a Harem-Hater, Ended Up Creating an Ultra-Eccentric Harem with a Villainess, a Sadistic Beauty Teacher, a Scheming Classmate... etc. - Chapter 117: A Meeting Beyond Expectations

Time passed in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, the day of the meeting with the important person had arrived.

The location specified this time was a high-class traditional restaurant in the city.

I’d completely expected it to be done in some government building or something, so I was genuinely surprised.

When I asked Sayaka-san, she said traditional restaurants were often used for these kinds of business meals.

…I thought that only happened in dramas.

“So this is it…”

It was clearly a shop with an intimidatingly high-class atmosphere.

White noren curtains hung at the shop’s entrance, with the store name written beside them.

“Wow, th-this is definitely intimidating.”

Mizuri-san peeked her head out from behind me and said this while grabbing the hem of my clothes.

Yeah, I understood what Mizuri-san was saying, I really understood.

This place had such a high threshold. I wanted to turn around and go home right now.

“It’s just the appearance—the inside isn’t actually that incredible, you know? It’s normal.”

Sayaka-san, who showed no signs of tension beside me, told us this matter-of-factly.

No, when you say “normal,” isn’t that the Hosho family’s standard of normal? Are you sure?

Is that really commoner-level normal?

“That’s right, Takeda-kun. This kind of thing is just about getting used to it, so it’s fine.”

Rio-san was also accustomed to it, as expected of a young lady from a distinguished family.

By the way, since we were outside now, Rio-san was in teacher mode, camouflaged.

Actually, if it’s about “getting used to it,” doesn’t that mean you’re intimidated at first…

“This is aristocratic conversation~ It’s a feeling I don’t understand as a commoner~”

Still, Mizuri-san’s anxiety didn’t seem to fade.

Incidentally, I wasn’t showing it on my face, but I was still scared too.

“Tachibana-sama, the food at traditional restaurants like this is apparently quite delicious.”

Kazari-san gave Mizuri-san some mysterious encouragement.

No, no, Kazari-san, there’s no way that would dispel Mizuri-san’s anxiety—

“—We shouldn’t keep people waiting! Come on, let’s go, Kyo-kun, everyone!”

“Wait, Tachibana-san?!”

…It was remarkably effective. Mizuri-san went inside and Sayaka-san chased after her.

Kazari-san showed me a slightly smug face that only I could see… well, it was only for an instant before she returned to her normal expression.

Such unnecessarily refined skill…

“…It would have been nice if Ayaka could have come too.”

While I was sighing at Kazari-san’s unnecessarily high skill level, I heard Rio-san’s voice from behind.

Looking back, she immediately covered her mouth with her hand, so her inner thoughts had probably leaked out.

As Rio-san said, Ayaka-san ended up not attending today’s meeting.

Since it was questionable to bring out an injured person whose wounds hadn’t fully healed, the important person apparently understood. Well, since declining was originally an option, they probably factored in that someone might not be able to come.

That’s why, due to the injury’s effects, we still hadn’t been able to hold the three-way meeting with Shiraishi-san either.

…Though it was a mystery whether Shiraishi-san, who was from the NAZ organization, even had parents.

“We can come together another time.”

“Right, Mast… Takeda-kun.”

Rio-san smiled.

…Didn’t she almost say “Master” just now?

I was about to say something to Rio-san but stopped when I made eye contact with Kazari-san.

Her face looked slightly reproachful.

I understood what she wanted to say.

[Hurry up and go inside].

“…Well, whatever. Let’s go then.”

Rio-san and I also went inside, following the other two.

Passing through the white noren, there was a familiar person waiting there.

“We have been waiting for you all. Thank you very much for taking the trouble to come today.”

The short-haired woman in a perfectly fitted black pantsuit bowed.

Our assigned female staff member.

“Thank you for going to the trouble, Shiina-san.”

“No, we’re the ones who called you here, so of course I’d come too. Now, please go inside.”

We proceeded inside following Shiina-san’s guidance.

She led us with a smile, but her face was subtly tense.

Well, that made sense.

Important people were here. Of course she’d be nervous.

Still…

“They reserved a traditional restaurant like this for our meeting.”

“Usually it would be somewhere a bit lower grade. This is partly an apology, and besides, we’ve been much indebted to Takeda-sama.”

Shiina-san told me this in a low voice…

Indebted…? I understood the apology part, but had I done something worthy of such gratitude?

“Wow, this is amazing! What is this?”

At Mizuri-san’s voice, I looked to the side to see a magnificent Japanese garden lit up through the corridor windows.

It was incredibly beautiful.

Not as much as Mizuri-san, but the other two were also looking at the garden admiringly.

It was soothing, or rather—it was scenery you could watch forever.

“You can see it even more beautifully from the room.”

Shiina-san started walking again.

…Still, I’d casually said “we can come together another time” earlier, but how much would it normally cost to come here?

No, I should stop thinking about it. It was probably—no, definitely expensive.

“…They’re in the room at the end.”

Before I knew it, we’d arrived near the room.

“Yes.”

So it was finally time.

Meeting important people was nerve-wracking.

Even though we’d been told beforehand [It’s just a casual chat, so it’s completely informal].

Also, I’d read somewhere that even when they say “informal,” you shouldn’t take those words too literally.

Japanese is difficult, isn’t it?

“…The people inside are quite important, so please try not to be too surprised.”

Starting with those ominous words, Shiina-san knocked on the room’s sliding door three times.

The sliding door slowly opened from inside.

“Excuse us.”

First, Shiina-san took the lead, followed by me, Sayaka-san, Rio-san, and Mizuri-san in that order.

Kazari-san the maid was apparently waiting outside in case something happened.

…I wanted her to come inside too, but I couldn’t say such things now.

“Eh…”

The first to speak up was Rio-san.

Sayaka-san didn’t voice it, but she had an astonished expression.

Mizuri-san, like me, looked like she didn’t understand what was happening.

Good, I wasn’t the only one.

“Let’s sit down for now.”

There were two women in front of us.

We sat facing each other.

I sat in the middle with Sayaka-san and Rio-san flanking me, and Mizuri-san sat at the end.

“Thank you for taking the time today. We’re grateful you could come.”

The woman in front of me broke the ice.

She was dressed in a dark red suit, with black hair that didn’t reach her shoulders and bangs parted in the middle.

Her well-defined features were striking, especially her sharp eyes.

Perhaps due to her makeup, I couldn’t read her age. She was a woman of mysterious years.

“Then let me introduce myself first.”

Still, this feeling—I felt like I’d heard it somewhere before…

But there was no way I’d know any secretary-officials or administrative vice-ministers.

But that mystery was quickly solved.

“I am Yoshiko Yurisaki, Chairman of the Japan Low Birthrate Countermeasure Polygamy Law Promotion Committee.”

…Eh?

NAZ organization… Chairman?

“Allow me to continue with introductions~ I’m Vice-Chairman Azami Yamakawa.”

The woman with a relaxed and gentle atmosphere was apparently the vice-chairman.

She had permed hair. Her bangs were styled up with hair product, and her neatly arranged double-lidded eyes and thick lips reminded me more of an overseas celebrity than a Japanese person.

Adding to the foreign impression was the white knee-length dress with a yellow jacket she wore over it.

She had a somewhat relaxed figure.

My head responding to this was completely blank.

This was completely different from what I’d expected.

I mean, they said important people, right? They said that, but still.

…Isn’t it weird for the chairman and vice-chairman to suddenly show up together?!

Yamakawa-san smiled, while Yurisaki-san pressed her lips together and bowed politely.

All we could do was force strained smiles.