All the Heroines are my Ex-girlfriends

"Oh right, who's the person you plan to bring along?"

Sayuri turned her gaze toward the gate of the Yukima residence.

She was trying to spot the mysterious guest Azuma had left behind.

"They're not here. I arranged to meet them at a café,"

Yukima Azuma said casually.

Hearing that, Sayuri nodded thoughtfully.

Not staying at the brat's house?

Sayuri knew all too well that the brat blatantly stuffed every harem candidate into his house.

And yet this time, the person Yukima Azuma especially wanted to bring along wasn't living at the Yukima residence.

Was it because he hadn't succeeded in courting her yet? Or was there another reason?

Speaking of the Yukima household—

Even Sayuri couldn't help feeling curious.

How on earth had that brat managed to keep his home so peaceful?

Surprisingly, it hadn't turned into a bloody battlefield like a Harem War.

( ❀◞•̀д•́)◞◟(•̀д•́◟✿ )

Back when she was with Spencer, there was nothing peaceful about it.

Forget bringing them home.

Even just being at school, the harem members were ready to pull knives on each other at any moment.

(❀ˆᴗˆ)っ▬ι═ﺤ(ó﹏ò｡✿)

Sensing Sayuri's meaningful look,

The corner of Yukima Azuma's mouth twitched.

This beautiful woman was truly the complete opposite of her daughter.

How could a cunning woman like Sayuri have given birth to a simple-minded tsundere like Eriri?

Truly an unsolved mystery.

...

After giving the driver the address—

The car started to move.

Laplace Corporation owned a hotel, a restaurant, and a café in Tokyo.

None of them were bought for profit.

They were used as venues for negotiations.

This particular meeting was at the Laplace café.

Once there, Yukima Azuma got out of the car first.

He walked over to Sayuri's door, opened it politely, and even extended a hand to assist her.

As Sayuri stepped out and saw Yukima Azuma shielding her head with his hand, she suddenly understood something.

"No wonder your harem hasn't killed each other yet."

Even for a senior like her, Yukima Azuma went to such lengths.

So in daily life, with the girls who were actually his lovers, this brat must be even more considerate.

Add to that Yukima Azuma's handsome face—

Sayuri felt that, if in her youth, the man she'd met had been Yukima Azuma—

She might have secretly allowed him to open a harem too.

( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)~

As long as one could feel enough love, then to a certain extent, the issue of possessiveness could be overlooked.

Yukima Azuma really wanted to throw out a sarcastic remark.

Now he somewhat regretted sticking his face in close back then to declare he was going to start a harem to Sayuri.

Now this senior of his was honestly starting to lose the dignity of old age.

...

The two of them stepped into the café.

Yukima Azuma took out a special membership card.

The staff immediately led them to a private room inside.

He gently knocked twice on the door to the private room.

When he pushed it open, he saw Hayasaka Nao already seated inside, waiting.

She was sipping coffee at the moment.

Seeing Yukima Azuma arrive, she simply gave a small nod as a greeting.

But when she saw Sayuri entering with him, she was slightly taken aback.

Likewise, Sayuri was also stunned upon seeing Hayasaka Nao.

Neither had expected to see each other here.

As members of the upper class—

Sayuri was the head of the Sawamura family, and Hayasaka Nao a senior official of the Shinomiya household.

They had encountered each other a few times at evening parties.

They both knew the other had ties to Yukima Azuma.

However, Sayuri didn't know why Yukima Azuma was bringing Hayasaka Nao to meet those old men.

And Hayasaka Nao didn't understand why, if Yukima Azuma had told her to stay in Japan for some thing she don't know, he was bringing Sayuri along.

Yukima Azuma pulled out a chair beside him and gestured for Sayuri to sit.

Then he also took his seat next to her.

Waiting until both women's expressions returned to normal—

He finally opened his mouth to speak:

"You two probably already know each other, so I don't need to introduce you."

"The reason I asked both of you here today is mainly to discuss something."

"It's about the upcoming election for members of Japan's National Diet this spring."

Upon hearing that, Sayuri immediately understood.

So this was what it was about.

Laplace Corporation was preparing to step into Japan's political arena.

Honestly, it was only a matter of time.

In Japan, the basic unspoken rule lies with the prestigious families.

Generally speaking, once money reaches a certain level, political manipulation inevitably follows.

Within the main bloodlines of the Four Great Conglomerates, there are all kinds of ministers and Diet members.

Take the Yukinoshita family, for example—Mrs. Yukinoshita herself is a representative of Chiba Prefecture.

Back when she was young, Sayuri had also done similar work.

It's really only families like the Hinatsurus, who don't participate in politics.

Across all of Japan, that's as rare as a phoenix feather or a unicorn's horn.

However, Sayuri was a bit curious—why did Yukima Azuma choose Hayasaka Nao?

As for Hayasaka Nao, her feelings at the moment were even more complicated.

She knew a bit more about the inside story than Sayuri did.

After all, Sayuri had retired and lived in seclusion for many years now.

Her information channels were a bit outdated.

Even though Hayasaka Nao had been exiled to Wall Street, she was hardly better off—

But she was still a senior figure in the Shinomiya family.

As for the news that the Shinomiya family's eldest son, Shinomiya Oko, would be running for a seat in the National Diet this year—

She had heard at least some whispers.

And she instantly understood Yukima Azuma's intent.

If the topic was already election—

Then indeed, there was no need for her to return to Wall Street.

More precisely, there was no need to return to the Shinomiya household at all.

Even so, after thinking for a bit, Hayasaka Nao chose to remain silent.

In this matter, no matter how she looked at it, following Yukima Azuma's arrangements was the best option.

Besides, she already had a personal grudge against Shinomiya Oko.

Yukima Azuma nodded and continued:

"This year, Laplace Corporation intends to push someone into the National Diet."

"The candidate I'm prioritizing is Hayasaka Nao here—after all, Nao-nee's capabilities have already been proven."

"As for campaign funding, Laplace Corporation still has some reserves."

"The biggest rival in this election will most likely be Shinomiya Oko of the Shinomiya family."

Hearing that, Sayuri raised her eyebrows.

So this was what it was about.

A maid stabbing her master in the back.

Even though Hayasaka Nao wasn't Shinomiya Oko's personal servant—

No matter how you looked at it, this was an entertaining twist.

"The Sawamura family can lend a hand."

Sayuri immediately stated her stance: "As it happens, I have an appointment tonight with some old men from the noble families."

"If you're running for office, it's a good chance to negotiate some benefits."

"I think the results could be quite promising."

This time, those who had sought to meet Yukima Azuma through Sayuri—

Were merely greedy for the revenue of Laplace Corporation.

Wanting to see if they could grab a piece of the pie.

People like that were the easiest to lure with promises of profit—perfect sources of campaign funds.

Especially since this time, it wasn't Yukima Azuma who had approached them—

But rather, they were the ones coming to curry favor with Yukima Azuma.

The tables had turned, negotiations were now far more favorable, and a great deal of effort could be saved.

"I don't have a problem staying in Japan either."

Hayasaka Nao spoke up at that moment, but she asked with a hint of doubt:

"But if I leave Wall Street, then who's going to take over at Laplace headquarters?"

If Hayasaka Nao didn't return to Wall Street—

The supervisory and control functions at Laplace HQ would be severely weakened.

Unless Yukima Azuma could find someone with equal capabilities and, more importantly, someone trustworthy.

But someone on Hayasaka Nao's level was extremely hard to come by.

Otherwise, Yukima Azuma wouldn't have her take on the pressure of stabbing Shinomiya Oko in the back in the first place.

As for the Diet seat, Laplace Corporation could push up just about anyone.

But if they pushed up a useless puppet—or pushed up Hayasaka Nao—

The results would be worlds apart.

Yukima Azuma, hearing her concern, simply shook his head slightly.

"There's no need for anyone to take over."

Upon hearing that, Hayasaka Nao furrowed her brows.

Over at headquarters, there was so much money it gave people headaches.

Without someone in charge, in less than half a year, something was bound to go wrong.

But before she could even ask, Yukima Azuma continued:

"Very soon, headquarters over there will be nothing more than an empty shell. Meanwhile, things over here are about to start burning money."

At that, Hayasaka Nao froze slightly.

She honestly couldn't imagine—just what on earth was Yukima Azuma planning to do, that it would require burning through money at that level.