The arrival of Ai brought a wave of confusion and unease among the elite fathers.

Her presence alone was enough to send ripples of tension through the air, especially since even from her subtle gestures, it was unmistakably clear whose side she was on — Al's.

Santo, the head of police, stepped forward to greet her and demand an explanation for this sudden appearance.

"Miss Aiza, good afternoon," he said politely, opening with formal courtesy.

Yet Ai barely acknowledged him. Her gaze briefly brushed over Santo, then drifted toward the others — cold, unreadable, calm in a way that only intensified the weight of her silence.

She merely nodded lightly, her expression opaque, as if silently commanding them to explain this absurd mess first before she even bothered to ask.

Santo felt a sting of discomfort at her arrogance — but even more so at his own restraint.

The fact that a man of his age, rank, and authority had to bow to a girl who technically had just reached eighteen was, frankly, humiliating.

But in the end, he couldn't protest.

Status often overshadows the rigidity of culture, he muttered inwardly.

He exhaled slowly, glancing at the restless fathers who looked both nervous and awkward.

Huff... The reality that no one in this room actually stands on equal footing with Miss Aiza... it's honestly irritating.

Sir Lefon and Sir Darius technically held names that once stood equal to hers, but their current standings were far from stable. As for Senior Kugo? He was utterly unreliable in a situation like this.

That thought came naturally — for the Norvalien and Tamarvich families were nothing more than hollow titles now, their influence little more than echoes of former prestige.

Darius was in the middle of a corporate crisis, struggling against fierce competition from a Nipponian conglomerate.

Lefon, on the other hand, still hadn't recovered from the case three years ago that bound him to Alasia Group — or rather, turned him into a pawn within Aiza Hiruzen's business game.

To make a titan like the Tamarvich family a mere pawn, and have the Norvaliens begging at her door — perhaps that alone was enough to explain why this young woman's name, Aiza Hiruzen, had become something terrifying in the elite business world of this nation.

In the end... Santo sighed inwardly,

...only Virellano Group can still stand as an equal to Alasia Group in this territory.

Gathering himself, Santo spoke again, trying to probe Ai's intentions and perhaps find a small loophole to keep her from meddling further.

"Miss Aiza, pardon my forwardness. May I ask what brings you here in the middle of our ongoing investigation?" he asked with polite caution.

"This… technically goes against protocol. But considering your status... hmph... I hope you'll be willing to clarify," he added carefully.

"Ah, that." Ai's voice was calm, her words deliberate. "This case involves a minor. And coincidentally, I happen to be his guardian. Isn't it natural for me to be here accompanying him?"

Al slightly turned toward her, taken aback that Ai actually called herself his guardian. Though, technically, that really was the most effective reason for her to use right now.

Both Al and Sebastian, along with Reina — and even several of Ai's bodyguards — nearly burst out laughing at that line. But they held themselves together well, maintaining their composure flawlessly.

"But... isn't the boy's guardian this man?" Santo asked, pointing at Sebastian.

Sebastian crossed his arms lightly.

"I'm merely his teacher. You should already know that much," he answered curtly.

"Yup," Ai replied nonchalantly.

"Mr. Sebastian has done his part well, assisting his student throughout this ordeal. Now, it's my turn as his guardian to take over."

"Hmph… I'm rather confused," Santo admitted, his tone growing uneasy.

"How exactly are you his guardian? Shouldn't his legal guardian be from the orphanage? The boy's from an orphanage, isn't he?!"

He pressed the question, still searching for an angle to keep Ai from entrenching herself deeper — especially not as the guardian, which would give her full legal authority in this case.

If Ai's role here was merely that of a sponsor or benefactor, she would have no standing to intervene. But as the guardian — she could legally control and oversee everything.

"I suppose you've been lacking some detailed information," Ai said coolly. With a slight gesture, she instructed Reina.

Reina nodded and stepped forward, handing a document folder to Santo. Ai continued speaking as he flipped through the papers.

"Unlike our status with HIHS, where Alasia only serves as a foundation donor while ownership belongs to the Tamarvich family," she explained evenly,

"Alasia Group directly owns and manages three orphanages across Indorosia. One of them — Malika Makazhar Orphanage — happens to be this boy's home. So, legally speaking, my role as his guardian is perfectly valid."

Santo scanned the document carefully — and found everything to be legitimate.

An acquisition paper, sealed, authenticated, and far beyond the scope of forgery. After all, a corporation as colossal as Alasia Group wouldn't risk fabricating such a thing.

"Ah... I see. You're right," he admitted, returning the file to Reina with a faint sigh. "Seems I wasn't fully updated on this matter."

"But still," he added carefully, "for someone of your stature to personally take over a student's case like this... wouldn't it be rather troublesome for you? Wouldn't it be better to send the head of the orphanage instead?"

At the mention of 'head of the orphanage,' both Al and Ai froze slightly.

The eccentric image of Mother Corla instantly flashed in their minds — her outrageous mannerisms and sharp tongue painting an absurd mental scene that made their skin crawl.

Just the thought of her showing up here was enough to make them both shiver. They quickly shook their heads in unison, brushing off that ridiculous mental image.

Ai then spoke again, her tone calm yet carrying an undeniable firmness beneath its softness.

"Technically, there's no problem with that," she said.

"But this is simply my way of doing things. As long as I'm here and capable of acting, I won't allow my people to be thrown into trouble — much less be toyed with by others."

Her words were steady, casual on the surface, yet filled with quiet dominance. And that was precisely what made everyone else in the room fall silent.

The explanation itself left Santo at a loss for words, unsure how to even begin responding. Thankfully, Lefon stepped forward.

"Miss Aiza, my apologies, but this is just a minor matter. For someone of your standing to personally intervene... isn't that a bit excessive?" he reasoned carefully.

That remark seemed to bring a faint sense of clarity to the other elite fathers, to Santo, and even to the principal—until Ai's words swiftly struck that fragile clarity down.

"How strange, hearing you say that, Mr. Lefon. Unless you're admitting that your current level is on par with that of an orphanage child." Ai's voice was calm, but the sting behind her words was unmistakable.

"Two patriarchs from the most prominent families in Indorosia, the headmaster of the top school in East Indorosia, and even the chief of the Makazhar Police Department—personally involved in a case like this, only to claim it's a minor matter?" she continued, her tone sharp yet effortless.

She shook her head slowly.

"That sounds rather absurd to me."

Her statement was irrefutable, leaving both the elite fathers and the officials at a complete loss for words. Every point she made was valid—uncomfortably valid.

Lefon could only exhale lightly, forcing a bitter smile as he tried to defend himself.

"That's not what I meant, Miss Aiza, I only—"

But Ai cut him off before he could finish.

"Mr. Lefon. Whatever you're trying to say, the fact remains—I am his legal guardian, and I have every right to be involved in this case. Unless... you know someone who has more authority over him than I do." Her tone was steady, but her words landed like a judge's decree.

"Even Miss Aurielle, who employs this boy as her assistant, doesn't have that kind of authority, does she? The only one who could possibly have more right than I do... would be his biological parent."

That statement silenced the entire room. It was a decisive point—none of them knew who Al's real parents were. The irony was that they also had no idea that Aurielle was actually Al's sister, or in legal terms, one of his rightful guardians.

Had they thought to contact Aurielle, perhaps Ai's role could be replaced, and the situation might shift in a different direction. Yet, even then, there was no guarantee that the involvement of the Virellano family would save Al from this predicament.

Al turned his head slightly toward Ai, surprised to hear her suddenly bring up his biological parents. But soon enough, he realized she was probably doing it on purpose—to tease him a little, or perhaps just to make things less boring for him.

He let out a quiet sigh inwardly.

I wonder what would've happened if my parents, or even Sis Aurielle, were the ones who came here instead.

Hmph... I guess it's a good thing my name hasn't been made public yet, he thought to himself.

If they knew about this, David or even Sis Sarah would probably use it as another excuse to frame me again.

Huff... lucky me.

Lefon and Santo exchanged helpless glances, resigned to the situation.

"V-Very well, Miss," Lefon finally said, his voice low. The others were visibly restless, yet none dared to speak further.

Darius, who had been mostly silent from the start, looked like he was about to explode. Every attempt to gain control had been met with an obstacle, and now the barrier before him was far taller than any mountain.

Kugo, too, was at his wit's end. Even after asking his junior, Santo, to make things easier for them, the situation had only grown increasingly complicated.

The two men whose sons had been involved in the incident could only watch in frustration as the entire matter slipped further from their grasp.

Ai gave a simple nod, acknowledging Lefon's surrender. Then, with a composed voice meant to end the pointless back-and-forth, she said,

"Good. Since everything is now clear and valid, let's move on. No need to waste more time."

Everyone nodded in reluctant agreement.

"Excellent," Ai continued. "Now, please explain the details of this case to me—the accusations, and how far the investigation has progressed."

Reina immediately stood and approached one of the officers present, requesting the case file. The officer hesitated, uncertain whether he had the authority to hand it over, and glanced at Santo for direction.

Santo simply nodded, signaling him to comply.

The officer exhaled softly, then handed the file to Reina while providing a brief verbal summary. It wasn't a full report, but it covered all the essential points clearly and concisely.

The elite fathers, the principal, and even Santo sat back down, attempting to calm their nerves while quietly strategizing on how to make the case appear neutral—yet still somehow lean in their favor.

Meanwhile, Ai and Reina, along with a few of Ai's bodyguards who had been listening in silence, began to sense something unsettling within themselves.

Their expressions darkened—Ai's once calm demeanor hardened into a cold, menacing stillness. Her gaze sharpened, focusing on the men before her—especially Darius and Kugo.

A chilling aura crept into the air.

For a fleeting moment, an invisible wave of energy rippled from their direction. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, yet it sent an instinctive shiver through the room.

Santo and Kugo, both perceptive enough to feel it, glanced around warily—but found nothing out of place.

Even attempting to sense the energy signatures of Ai's bodyguards yielded nothing. As for Ai and Reina themselves—they were unreadable.

Al and Sebastian exchanged faint glances.

Al didn't seem too affected, dismissing the whole thing as nothing more than a childish game.

Sebastian, on the other hand, understood their unease all too well. They were tense because their master — the one standing at the center of this farce — was the very person these people were trying to mess with.

But in the end, they all understood—this was the price they had to pay as DIARs, and part of their mission to reintegrate into the human world.

Even so, mistakes were still mistakes, and justice had to be served.

Ai's eyes narrowed, her gaze cutting through the tension like a blade.

Whatever came next, it was clear—the political and legal war that was about to unfold... would be nothing short of fascinating.

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