After getting into the car with her daughter, Tsurumi Rumi subtly glanced at Mrs. Yukinoshita, whom Rumii called 'Grandmother' but who, thanks to the pure gold earrings on her earlobes, still looked only in her early thirties… a look of disgust flashing in her eyes, 'Someone that old, still doing that... Ugh! Disgusting!'
Noticing the flash of disgust in her mother's eyes when she looked at her grandmother, Rumii felt confused inside.
She had seen this countless times since she could remember. She didn't understand why her mother disliked her grandmother so much. Whenever she tried to ask about it, her usually gentle mother would change her expression and coldly say, "Don't ask things you shouldn't," before sulking alone in her room.
After that, Rumii never asked about it again.
After the hover car stopped, at the entrance of the manor behind Totsuki Academy, rows of maids stood in unison, bowing together.
"Welcome back, Madam, Young Miss."
…
The Yukinoshita and Yuigahama Families arrived together at the Totsuki Manor where Lott resided. The reason was simple: to celebrate the eighth birthday of Lott's eldest son, Trunks.
Although Bulma had personally sent her son to Earth a year ago to be raised more freely, her love for him wasn't diminished by it.
And besides, he was still the 'Crown Prince'. Such a big event as a birthday still needed to be properly celebrated.
"Mrs. Yoshida, long time no see."
"Ah~ Mrs. Yukinoshita, you look even younger than before. That Pure Gold... could you spare me a little?"
After entering the banquet hall, Mrs. Yukinoshita skillfully entered the circle of upper-class socialites, chatting with the various wealthy ladies.
This was not only to expand her social network but also to maintain some distance from Lott to avoid arousing suspicion.
Mrs. Yukinoshita was a very smart woman. She knew there was a limit to what she could ask for. If she became greedy and overreached, she might lose what she already had!
"Dad! Let me tell you, recently on Earth, Marron-nee and Erasa-nee have small fights every couple of days and big fights every five days. It's so fun to watch." The birthday boy Trunks, wearing a party hat with cake cream still at the corner of his mouth, said schadenfreudely, "I just love watching women fight!"
Lott picked up a napkin and roughly wiped the cream from his son's mouth. It took him a moment to remember who Erasa was.
'Right, right, it's that blonde girl who chased after Son Gohan in the original work. While she's not a top-tier beauty, she's still a 'beauty'. And she was the type who threw herself at him, so Son Gohan probably found it hard to resist. But with Marron also in the picture, it was hard to say.'
"Chi-Chi is also troubled. She's told me more than once she doesn't want to be in-laws with Mrs. Maron, but Goku prefers to strengthen ties with his good buddy," Bulma joined the conversation.
Although Erasa wasn't exactly Chi-Chi's ideal daughter-in-law type either, compared to Mrs. Maron's daughter, Chi-Chi felt Erasa was acceptable.
What Chi-Chi found even more outrageous was that she accidentally overheard Krillin's wife wanting to pair her daughter with Lott.
After all, Lott's influence was much greater than Goku's. But Lott directly refused, forcing her to switch targets to Gohan. Good grief, treating her precious son as a backup plan!? Chi-Chi swore she absolutely did not want to be in-laws with that kind of woman.
As the father, Goku felt either was fine, but if he had to choose, he leaned more towards Marron for his son.
After all, having his son... well, you know... his good buddy's daughter... was every man's dream. Goku was no exception.
By the way, because the mother and daughter shared the same name, everyone referred to Krillin's wife as 'Mrs. Maron' and his daughter simply as 'Marron'. It was similar to the situation with Tsurumi Rumi and Rumii. Now others also called Tsurumi Rumi 'Mrs. Rumi'. (T/N: I'm using double letters in the daughters' names to make it easier who's who. While in the RAW, it's written as the same.)
It's just that when Lott himself called Tsurumi Rumi 'Rumi' during their nighttime card games, he couldn't help but picture his daughter's face... Cough, cough, let's stop there.
"Tch! Like I said, just take both, isn't that fine?" Trunks repeated what he had said on Earth.
"Don't you learn that from your father!" Bulma transformed into a fury and pinched Trunks's ear.
"Ouch ouch ouch! Mom, let go!" Trunks cried out in pain, begging for mercy.
"Uncle Lott!" The energetic Yuigahama Hinata came flying over and headbutted her way into Lott's embrace like a cannonball.
"This child has lacked a father's love since she was little. Please don't mind her, Mrs. Briefs," Mrs. Yuigahama said apologetically.
"It's fine, it's fine," Bulma waved her hand, indicating it was no problem.
But watching Yuigahama Hinata climbing onto Lott's head and causing a ruckus, she felt something was off.
Unlike her older sister Yuigahama Yui, whose cheerfulness was somewhat forced, Yuigahama Hinata was genuinely lively. Energetic, cheerful, and not bratty, her jokes were perfectly timed.
Except for psychologically twisted perverts, probably no one would dislike a little angel with such a personality.
But seeing her able to lie on Lott's head and even play with his hair still stunned the important figures present.
Yuigahama Hinata had no father, but ever since she could remember, her mother, Mrs. Yuigahama, would often hold her and open the Universe Chat Group to watch videos related to Lott, the mother and daughter watching together. And Mrs. Yuigahama would often point at Lott on the light screen and tell her younger daughter, "Look, that's Uncle Lott. He's a hero who saved the universe."
Back then, when Yuigahama Hinata could barely speak, her eyes reflected Lott's image as she watched over and over, the curiosity in her eyes gradually turning into worship.
"Papa!" At this time, Rumii, who carried a cool aura not typical of a child, also walked over, raising both her small hands high. The meaning was clear.
"Oh~" Lott lifted her with one hand and placed her on his other shoulder.
"Hehe~" Yuigahama Hinata grinned at Rumii 'next door'.
To be honest, if it weren't for Yuigahama Hinata's exceptionally good nature, Rumii would absolutely hate this classmate of the same age.
As the youngest daughter in the family, she should have received all of her father's doting. But for some reason, whenever her father prepared a gift for her, he would prepare an identical one for Hinata.
When she asked why, Lott would say, "Your birthdays are on the same day anyway. What's wrong with giving Hinata one too?", leaving Rumii at a loss for words.
Once, on her birthday, Rumii deliberately didn't bring Yuigahama Hinata along. When Lott saw this, he specifically used Instant Transmission to bring her over, and the three of them celebrated the birthday together.
That day was probably the angriest day of Rumii's life since birth.
However, Yuigahama Hinata was like the bane of her existence. Whenever she got so angry she wanted to hit her, Hinata would use various methods, using softness to overcome hardness, precisely hitting the softest spot in her heart. In the end, the punch, delivered with little strength left, felt as powerless as hitting cotton.
Standing together in the distance were Mrs. Yukinoshita and Mrs. Yuigahama, Yukino Yukinoshita and Yuigahama Yui.
Watching Rumii and Yuigahama Hinata perched on Lott's shoulders, left and right, their expressions were all very complex.