A few days later, in the morning.

Knock, knock—

Someone rapped on the door to Alessia’s office.

After getting permission, the visitor came in with a small paper bag, bowed to the Sovereign behind the desk, then set the item down.

“We’ve tracked down Kanata Himemiya. She’s currently working at a hostess club called Stone Bridge in Kabukicho. Her job seems to be something like a staff member. My subordinates disguised themselves as customers and observed her for several days. They found no signs that she’s had any physical relations with anyone.”

The one delivering the report was one of Alessia’s subordinates. She felt a little speechless about the whole matter, but she couldn’t exactly argue with a task personally assigned by the Sovereign.

If anything, using this chance to visit a hostess club, drink, and unwind had actually felt pretty great.

Alessia had no idea what her subordinate was thinking. She only cared about how that ignorant little bitch had been getting by these past few days without her charity.

“So? She’s been bullied senseless, right?”

She let out a cold snort, hoping her guess would be confirmed.

That person absolutely couldn’t survive without her. Working at a hostess club? That damned pride of hers would never allow her to lower herself and cater to those frivolous customers.

But—

“She didn’t get along too well with the girls there at first. The madam didn’t arrange any clients for her. Right now, she’s cooking for the customers in the kitchen. She’s been very well received. Quite a few customers tip her every day, and she’s gradually started smiling too.”

The subordinate showed Alessia the secretly taken photos.

In the back kitchen, Kanata wore an apron and cooked for people. The bitter, resentful look she always had when facing Alessia was gone. On her face was only a faint, but genuine, sense of satisfaction.

How strange.

She had abandoned a well-paying job and gone to a trashy place like that just to cook for people, yet she actually felt satisfied?

“How laughable... Teacher probably never imagined his daughter would fall this low, did he? He spent his whole life being strict with himself, never letting the people around him be tainted. And in the end, she still went there, all just to avoid me...”

For a moment, mixed emotions churned in her chest.

Things weren’t supposed to be like this. Kanata should have been grateful for everything she had. Alessia was the one who gave it all to her. But the truth was, not only was she not grateful in the slightest, she opposed her at every turn and obeyed only on the surface.

“Lady Alessia... are you alright?”

The subordinate sensed that something was wrong.

The Sovereign, who had looked as calm and still as dead water, had suddenly changed expression after hearing the report. She was even muttering a whole string of very bad-sounding things to herself.

If her guess was right, that little girl named Kanata was done for. If the Sovereign got any angrier, that hostess club would be done for too.

“Get out... From now on, there’s no need to keep watching her at the club.”

Alessia swept all the photos off the desk and fully lived up to the role of a desktop-clearing master. Documents and books went with them, and the floor was a mess once again.

The antiques and furniture she had smashed before still hadn’t been remade, and now another batch was about to be destroyed.

The subordinate’s scalp had long since gone numb. She had wanted to be thrown out as soon as possible so she wouldn’t have to suffer here any longer. Now that she had been granted the “mercy” of being told to get out, she scampered off at once.

As for what would happen after that, it would depend on Kanata Himemiya’s luck.

If she could coax the Sovereign into obedience and climb into the Sovereign’s bed, then everything could still be discussed.

Otherwise... GG.

Kanata had no idea that what awaited her would be Alessia’s anger, doubled.