After calming down, Natsue Hatamoto looked once more at the boy in front of her.
"Sir, what exactly did you mean by what you just said?"
"Ren. Just call me Ren."
Not knowing his name would make things awkward, so Ren gave it without hesitation.
"As for what I said earlier, the meaning is pretty straightforward, just take it literally."
Seeing that he wasn't going to elaborate, Natsue Hatamoto grew more anxious.
"Please, explain in detail."
"Miss Natsue Hatamoto, are you aware of your family's current situation?"
Natsue was a little taken aback by the sudden question but still gave a slight nod.
"I know. Grandpa told me a bit about the Hatamoto family before. Right now, we've hit a dead end. He's been working hard to find a way to turn things around."
"Lately, Grandpa's mood has been pretty good. He told me he found a way to reverse the Hatamoto family's decline."
Ren nodded slightly. It seemed Miss Hatamoto had indeed been told the truth, at least enough to understand the stakes.
"It's true. Your family found a potential breakthrough, through the adopted son of the Takasugi Conglomerate."
Speaking of the Takasugi Conglomerate, Ren had nearly forgotten about that already-fading name, if not for the Hatamoto family surfacing today.
The last time it came up was during the wedding of Ran and Sonoko's elementary school teacher.
"In order to quickly increase liquidity, your family has been aggressively liquidating assets recently."
"Even some items that were once considered important to the family have been sold."
"If your grandfather continues to operate like this, I believe he does have a real chance of turning things around."
"But… only if he's still alive by the time this entire plan is completed."
Natsue's heart clenched. So in the end, this still came down to Grandpa's safety.
Having lost her parents, she couldn't accept the idea of losing another loved one, especially not her grandfather, the one person she still regarded as true family.
"Is someone trying to harm Grandpa because of this?"
Ren waved it off.
"Not exactly. Your grandfather's been good at keeping it secret. Thankfully, the rest of your family isn't too sharp, they haven't picked up on the Hatamoto family's recent situation."
"The problem lies with your engagement."
"My engagement…? Could it be… Takehiko?"
Natsue's expression shifted. She couldn't imagine doing anything to hurt Grandpa, so the only possibility was Takehiko?
Ren didn't answer directly but instead looked to Hayasaka.
Hayasaka Ai gave a slight bow.
"Miss Hatamoto, based on our investigation, your fiancé's father is named Zaiki."
"Zaiki…?"
Hearing the surname, Natsue frowned. It sounded familiar, she felt like Grandpa had mentioned it before, but in what context?
Hayasaka hadn't expected her to remember, it had happened quite a while ago.
"Zaiki was once a company president. Due to mismanagement and crushing debt, he ultimately committed suicide."
"His son's name is Zaiki Takehiko."
"He changed his family registry a few years ago and took the name Nakahara Takeshi."
When she heard the name "Nakahara Takeshi," Natsue froze.
Then slowly, she lowered her head.
"I see…"
She looked like a balloon that had been punctured. After learning the truth, she finally understood why Grandpa had mentioned someone named Zaiki. So that was his way of warning her about why Takehiko had been so persistent.
Grandpa had known Takehiko's true identity all along.
But for her sake, he never explained it outright. He even allowed her to get engaged to Takehiko.
Because he knew, once she found out the truth, she'd definitely reject the engagement.
Grandpa didn't want her to be put in that position, so he kept quiet.
Now, Natsue finally understood why Grandpa's mood had been so unstable ever since the engagement.
It was all because of Takehiko.
"So, it really is Takehiko?"
Natsue's previously fragile demeanor vanished, replaced by a rare firmness, as if she'd made up her mind.
"He's the root of it all, isn't he?"
"…"
She didn't say anything more but of course, it was Takehiko.
"One last question. Why are you telling me this?"
She had been planning to ask how he knew all this, but now it no longer mattered.
"Miss Hatamoto, try picturing your relatives."
Natsue instinctively pictured them in her mind.
"Would they be saddened by the death of the person holding the reins of the Hatamoto Conglomerate?"
Natsue tried very hard to think positively, but it didn't work.
Her aunt and uncle would never be saddened by Grandpa's death. They might even be happy about it.
The very thought made her heart ache.
"I respect the choices and fates of others."
"But Hayasaka reminded me, this is human nature. That's why I have the right to offer others a choice."
"Miss Hatamoto, you have the right to choose."
After taking a deep breath, Natsue looked at him, her gaze filled with doubt.
"But… why are you telling me this?"
"What can I possibly give you in return?"
She couldn't understand what she had to offer in exchange.
Ren simply smiled.
"If you really want to repay me… then believe in me."
That confused her even more.
Believe? In what? Some kind of ideology?
Believe in… a person?
"Miss Hatamoto, you've been here long enough. It's time for you to return."
Hearing Ren's words, Natsue subconsciously nodded.
"If you've made a decision, be sure to stay close to your grandfather."
"And if you ever face something you can't overcome… maybe believing in the power of faith wouldn't be a bad choice either."
The power of faith?
Natsue didn't fully understand what he meant, but she gave a small nod anyway, silently taking his words to heart and locking them away in her memory.
(To be continued.)