Leaving Kaguya's side for now.

Rinji hadn't encountered any fights. The sparring that started as post-meal exercise stopped immediately when their bodies were switched. After arriving at the Shinomiya main estate in Kaguya's body, he'd been surprisingly well-behaved.

Thanks to Kaguya's outfit.

Although Kaguya had a flat chest, which made it impossible for Rinji to mentally identify as female even after switching bodies, that only held true as long as the clothing didn't pose a problem.

Unfortunately, Kaguya was wearing a kimono at the estate.

So there was no helping it.

Since the body swap, Rinji had kept a calm, gentle expression on Kaguya's face.

On the table before him were scissors, and bouquets of roses, carnations, and similar flowers.

Rinji quietly trimmed the stems and arranged the flowers in a vase. The composition was visually pleasing.

He was doing flower arranging.

Hayasaka knelt beside him, watching his elegant and skillful movements. Her mouth opened as if to speak but then shut again.

This is… way too proficient.

She hadn't expected Rinji to know flower arranging.

It's an art—far from just putting flowers into a nice shape. It requires both technique and aesthetic sense.

Judging by Rinji's technique, he was clearly not a beginner.

"...Rinji."

"What is it?" Rinji turned and smiled gently.

Wearing a kimono, he now exuded the vibe of a Yamato Nadeshiko—a gentle, elegant woman. In this mode, Rinji appeared utterly non-aggressive.

"Where did you learn to do flower arranging?"

"I watched some videos online when I had free time," he smiled. "I learned it by just watching."

"...Is this what being a genius looks like?"

Though she wasn't used to this version of Rinji, at least he wasn't doing anything reckless with Kaguya's body.

"Rinji, is the reason your personality changes when you cross-dress because of your grandmother?"

"Not entirely."

Rinji placed the scissors on the table and looked at Hayasaka.

"Actually, it has more to do with my learning ability. I picked up skills quickly as a child. When my grandmother made me wear women's clothing, I didn't think much of it. Sometimes, I'd mimic female characters from movies to match the outfit. Over time..."

His eyes darkened slightly.

"I just couldn't stop."

"Ugh…"

"But it's nothing to worry about."

He picked up the scissors again and resumed trimming the flowers.

"They say 'A leopard can't change its spots.' Even if my personality shifts now and then, my essence never changes."

He looked toward the window.

Outside was the estate's garden—but Rinji knew the current scenery had been fully renovated.

Four years ago, that stone-paved ground had been covered in craters from explosions, blood, and dismembered limbs.

Back then, he had chosen the most brutal path for revenge.

"When I was little, my father wanted me to grow up kind. He even avoided talking about his past jobs to create a nurturing environment." Rinji's smile carried a hint of nostalgia.

Because of his current persona, he had switched from calling him "Dad" to "Father."

"But in the end, I let him down. I could never be a kind person. Eventually, he told me: 'Do whatever you want.' Maybe he realized I'd never become the good kid he hoped for."

"Rinji…"

"Life at Shuchiin with the student council did bring me peace of mind—but only temporarily. My core never changed."

After placing the final peony in the vase, Rinji stood and walked to the door.

"Ai, I can't become the person you're hoping for."

"..."

After hesitating, Hayasaka followed him.

Something in Rinji's earlier words had made her uneasy.

They strolled through the estate's spacious grounds. Passersby glanced at Rinji and then went about their business.

After a few minutes of wandering, Rinji finally arrived at his destination.

There stood Gan'an, leaning on a cane and gazing at the moon.

Rinji stood beside him and looked up at the same moon.

Hayasaka, keeping her distance as per protocol, stood several meters behind.

"Beautiful moon, isn't it?"

"..."

Gan'an said nothing, clearly uninterested in humoring him.

"Even if I haven't said it, you must've heard something about what I've done in Tokyo."

"...You coordinated cross-family raw material distribution. Was it just to catch my attention? Or do you want something?"

Gan'an had caught wind of Tokyo's recent power shifts but assumed it was Kaguya's doing. He didn't realize the woman beside him was not his granddaughter—but his nightmare.

Rinji merely smiled. Though wearing Kaguya's face, his expression was strangely serene.

"The Shinomiya family hasn't had it easy lately, has it? I hear the once-hostile Shijo family has started working with French financial institutions. Their assets have hit the one trillion USD mark. Rinji isn't the only external threat you're facing."

"..."

"Internally, your sons all covet the head-of-house position. You're surrounded by enemies. But as long as you're alive, they'll fight only in the shadows, never openly."

"Kaguya, what are you trying to say?"

"Nothing much. Just came to see you one last time."

Rinji's smile turned eerie in Gan'an's eyes.

"Because every time I see your face… I can't sleep."

"What?"

Gan'an's brow furrowed slightly. For some reason, he felt something strange about the Shinomiya Kaguya before him. If he had been a father who cared for his daughter, he would have already noticed something unusual. But Gan'an had never cared about Kaguya, so naturally he noticed nothing—only that his daughter seemed unusually insolent.

"Just watch the moon, Gan'an, and remember to carve its shape into your mind."

"Wait a minute!"

Gan'an turned his head, intending to stop Rinji, but after taking a single step forward, he sensed something wrong. His pupils slowly widened as blood began to flow from the corner of his mouth. He touched the blood dripping onto his clothes and looked toward Rinji in disbelief.

In front of him, Kaguya's lips curved into a cruel smile, her crimson pupils glowing eerily in the night. A person came to his mind—someone who had brought harm to the Shinomiya family.

"Rinji Tak—"

Thud!

The cane fell to the side, and Gan'an collapsed to the ground.

"I told you before, 'As long as you live, they will only dare to fight in the shadows.'" Rinji's smile held a trace of mockery. "Then let's make the situation even more chaotic."