Yuu Hoshimiya affectionately flicked Kazuha and Momiji on their foreheads.
"You two stop scaring Sakurako. She's easily spooked. Before the police get here, I'm going to ask Sakurako a few questions. Masumi, help me watch the living room. Don't let anyone barge in!"
With that, Yuu pushed the soft back of the little maid toward a nearby room.
Masumi Sera naturally had no objections. Her emerald eyes scanned the members of the Wakamatsu household, trying to see who looked guilty.
The deaths of Kohei and Ikuro Wakamatsu had ignited Masumi's competitive spirit; she wanted to help find the truth as well.
Soon, Sakurako Yonehara was pushed into a guest room.
The door was promptly shut, a scene identical to the one at the Itou residence.
Sakurako became nervous again, her small hands clenching tight, not daring to look up at Yuu.
Looking at this adorably dim-witted maid, the thought of abducting her back home popped into Yuu's mind again.
With more and more people at home, keeping Narumi and Ran as part-time housekeepers wasn't a permanent solution.
It was time to officially hire someone to handle those things.
Mmm, Sakurako Yonehara was perfect!
Cute, hardworking, with a childlike voice, and very easy on the eyes.
"Sakurako, this Wakamatsu house is the family your mother used to work for, right?"
"But now that both the father and son are dead, leaving only the harsh Serika Wakamatsu, working in this house will be very difficult, won't it? Why not come work for me? I happen to be short a manager for my household. The pay and benefits will definitely be great. How about it?"
Yuu smiled, looking like a big bad wolf coaxing a little lamb—one look and anyone would think he had ulterior motives.
Sakurako thought Yuu was going to ask about the case, but she didn't expect him to say this. She immediately shook her head like a rattle.
She rejected him firmly: "I can't. The Master was very good to me; he even helped pay for my tuition when I was a kid."
"Even though the Master and the young Master are gone, as long as the Madam is here, I must continue working for the Wakamatsu family."
"And... and..."
"And what?" Yuu asked curiously.
"And I feel like Consultant Hoshimiya's invitation for me to work at your house isn't well-intentioned. I'm not going."
A woman's sixth sense is quite sharp, and Sakurako Yonehara was among the best.
Even though her intuition was spot-on, Yuu certainly couldn't admit it.
He immediately put on a hurt expression.
"How could that be? Sakurako, how could you say that about me? I'm so disappointed!"
"Just now, too—calling me a 'massive lecher' the moment we met. I didn't do anything improper to you at the Itou house, did I? I even gave you my autograph!"
Hearing Yuu's indignant accusation, Sakurako panicked, waving her small hands to explain.
"Well, you didn't then, but Naeko told me everything! She said you did something very outrageous to her and didn't even apologize!"
Yuu finally understood. It seemed the "good deeds" he did to Naeko in Yumi's apartment had reached Sakurako's ears.
No wonder she was guarding against him like a thief. He had been careless!
However, he played dumb and asked: "I did? What happened? I don't recall!"
As he spoke, he leaned his body toward the little maid, exerting a powerful sense of pressure.
Sakurako's heart rate accelerated as she kept backing up, finally hitting the wall.
"Sakurako, what was this 'outrageous' thing? Tell me about it."
Recalling what Naeko had told her over the phone, her face turned a deep crimson, and she became tongue-tied.
"It was... it was..."
"It was what? Don't tell me Naeko is slandering me!"
Goaded by him, Sakurako looked up and glared at Yuu, beginning to argue back.
"It was you pinning the door so she couldn't leave, and making her eat... eat... mmm, nnn!"
Before she could finish the sentence, Sakurako's pink lips were blocked by Yuu.
Her pink pupils contracted sharply, then began to tremble with pure disbelief!
Her two small hands froze in mid-air, unsure whether to grab or push!
This seemed to be her first kiss, and it was incredibly bouncy.
Yuu, kissing Sakurako, had a gaze full of wicked amusement. The light flashing in his deep eyes was so mesmerizing that the little maid was momentarily dazed.
Dame!
Snapping back to reality, Sakurako resisted silently in her heart, her small hands weakly thumping Yuu's arm.
However, what little sanity she had just recovered was quickly demolished by Yuu's kissing skills.
The little maid's eyes began to glaze over with ripples of pleasure.
Before long, Sakurako Yonehara was dizzy, stars swirling in her eyes.
After a deep kiss lasting five minutes, Yuu finally released the little maid.
Sakurako, having experienced her first kiss, was now beet-red and panting for air.
Yuu grinned wickedly and asked: "The thing Naeko told you... was it like that?"
The dazed Sakurako shook her head: "No!"
Yuu gave her flushed cheek a light peck: "Was it like this then?"
"No, not that either!"
Yuu wore a look of distress: "That's tragic. I really can't remember. How about you help me demonstrate it, Sakurako?"
The silly, slow Sakurako was about to nod, but she quickly caught herself. Her face turned even redder, and steam practically rose from her head.
Her soft, cute loli voice came out with a hint of a sob.
"Consultant Hoshimiya, you're too mean! You're a bully!"
As she said this, Sakurako tried to break free from the hot hands on her body to escape.
But how could this weak, helpless girl easily escape Yuu's grasp?
Before she could take more than a few steps, she was scooped up from behind in a back-hug.
Her long, straight legs kicked out repeatedly, and her small hands flailed about, looking just like a captured kitten—incredibly cute!
Yuu carried the little maid Sakurako back to a chair with a smile on his face, a look that suggested the joy of a bountiful harvest.
He sat on the chair first and placed her on his lap.
The ashamed and annoyed Sakurako naturally wouldn't sit still.
After Yuu gave her buttocks a few firm slaps, she finally behaved.
The girl's pink eyes were misty with tears as she looked at Yuu piteously, a picture of a bullied and aggrieved soul.
Yuu pretended not to notice, his large hand encircling her slender waist as he spoke shamelessly: "Don't you dare leave. I haven't even asked my questions yet. Why are you running? I'm not going to eat you!"
You clearly are!
"Don't you want to help find the person who murdered the Wakamatsu father and son?"
Sakurako glared at Yuu with disbelief, looking fiercely cute.
I don't believe you! You're a big lecher, and you're very wicked!
"Back to business. What exactly was the 'disappearing bloodstain' you saw at the Karuizawa villa?"
Hearing that he was actually asking about the case, Sakurako's expression softened slightly. She replied immediately: "It was an English letter, an 'S'. But the rest of it was covered by the Master's hand, so I didn't see it."
Just as she answered a serious question, Sakurako's eyebrows jumped again. She sensed a pair of wicked, hot hands!
Boing! Boing!
The elasticity was truly impressive.
Looking at Sakurako's indignant eyes, Yuu began to laugh, his white teeth gleaming.
"It's fine. You talk your talk, and I'll grab my grab!"
Sakurako couldn't help but yell, "Consultant Hoshimiya!"
She had been trying to keep her volume down so those outside wouldn't hear.
But now she really couldn't take it anymore; her voice grew louder.
Yuu leaned down again and captured her pink lips in another deep kiss.
His skin was becoming thicker and thicker; he could truly be called a rogue now.
But it had to be said, with his ultimate looks, this method was incredibly effective.
Especially against innocent girls who knew nothing of the world, it yielded twice the result with half the effort.
After the deep kiss ended, a dazed Sakurako slumped against Yuu's chest, panting softly.
Her emotions were a mess—aggrieved, angry, shy, yet somehow enjoying it.
Smelling the masculine scent on Yuu, she felt a bit infatuated and gradually lost the will to resist.
Yuu's hands continued their gentle exploration as the topic returned to the case.
"Sakurako, the bathroom tiles at the Karuizawa villa were diamond-shaped. The ones in Osaka were also diamond-shaped, though we can't see those two villas anymore."
"Is the bathroom in the Tokyo villa also tiled with diamonds?"
The blushing Sakurako couldn't help but look up: "Eh? How did you know? All three villas were tiled by the Master himself. Only the colors are different, but the tile shape is the same."
"But the Madam didn't want you all to know about that and told me not to mention it."
Yuu chuckled: "Then why did you leak it to me?"
Sakurako glared at him and then turned her head away petulantly.
"Hmph. You forced me! I didn't want to say it. Are you going to let go now?"
Yuu ignored the last question and continued his interrogation.
"Then your Master, Kohei Wakamatsu—what was his relationship with everyone present today?"
"Who held a grudge against him, and who held him in high esteem?"
Sakurako thought seriously about the question, her eyebrows furrowing into a small "川" shape.
She truly wanted to help find the person who murdered the Master; after all, he had been very good to her and her mother.
Even though they were just servants of the Wakamatsu family, Kohei Wakamatsu never treated them like underlings and even supported Sakurako through high school.
To call them servants was an understatement; she was more like an adopted daughter.
Otherwise, Sakurako wouldn't have returned to the Wakamatsu house to be the housekeeper after her mother passed away.
Right! I'm doing this to repay the Master's kindness! I'm finding the true culprit, so I'll just let Consultant Hoshimiya bully me a bit!
After hypnotizing herself this way, Sakurako felt much better, and staying in Yuu's arms felt increasingly natural.
"Master was actually a very good person, just a bit too focused on his work, which led him to neglect his family."
"Even after two divorces, his family relationships weren't great."
"Ikuro was actually the son of Master's second wife. He and Master were at odds because of the remarriage; they often had shouting matches at home."
"And because of Ikuro, Master and the current Madam also argued frequently. On the other hand, people at the company respected Master very much."
"Manager Shiina goes without saying; I heard he was Master's best friend from university. They started the business together after graduation and have supported each other for decades."
"Though I did hear them arguing half a month ago."
"So I feel the best relationships were with Mr. Fujinami and Secretary Satake. They both worshipped Master."
"Mr. Fujinami is the chief designer, but he had been fired from many companies because of his temper. Master took him in during his lowest point."
"He might be a bit rude verbally, but he was the one crying the hardest at the funeral."
"Secretary Satake even more so. She worked in the same office as Master, and I even heard they went out for dinner together in private!"
The girl's watery eyes sparkled with the light of gossip.
Recounting her Master's "old cow eating tender grass" story was quite stimulating!
Yuu chuckled: "Sakurako, you're quite the know-it-all. You know everything so clearly."
"I like you more and more. A maid this smart is rare. Why not come work for me?"
Sakurako's face turned beet-red again, and her voice became stuttered and frantic.
"I-I'm not going! You'd definitely bully me."
"The only reason I know so much is because my mom was the housekeeper here for over ten years. She'd tell me everything when she got home.
And now that I'm the housekeeper, I naturally understand things even better.
I'm not s-smart at all! Stop with your i-intentions!"
Yuu looked into Sakurako's eyes with a wicked grin.
Those eyes, rippling with moisture, didn't dare meet his gaze—she was clearly lying.
Yuu's magnetic voice rang out.
"But I've set my sights on you. I want you. What should I do?"
His warm breath hit Sakurako's cheek, seemingly striking her heart and making it skip a beat.
The soft, cute girl immediately underwent a change!
Her body trembled, her eyes narrowed, and her pursed lips suddenly opened as she bit down on Yuu's pectoral muscle.
Her small hands couldn't resist scratching at Yuu's arm.
Unable to handle the teasing, Sakurako instinctively acted this way as a form of avoidance.
Women are naturally gifted in these tactics—biting and scratching like a little puppy.
Unfortunately, it didn't even break Yuu's skin.
The room fell into a sudden silence!
Yuu didn't speak, appearing to wait for something.
A long time later, the "fiercely cute" Sakurako, with tear-tracks on her face, glared at Yuu again.
But deep within her blustering eyes were shyness, insecurity, and confusion.
"Yuu-kun, why are you doing this? Why are you provoking me?"
"You already have Officer Yumi, and you provoked Naeko too. Why are you doing this to me now?"
"I don't want to play games with you smart people. I'm just an ordinary little maid. I'm not smart, and I can't afford to play games. Don't be like this!"
As she spoke, the emotional Sakurako began to cry again.
Only then did Yuu loosen his grip, gently stroking Sakurako's soft back.
He then leaned down and kissed away the tears falling from her eyes.
Mmm, a bit salty.
He then looked at Sakurako with absolute seriousness, his eyes full of sincerity.
"This isn't some strange game, and I have no intention of teasing you."
"From the very first moment I saw Sakurako, I inexplicably liked this hardworking, cute girl who acts like a little money-grubber."
"I thought that if I could see you in my home every day, I would always be in a good mood."
"That's why I was so desperate to get close to you. Those aggressive moves I made... I just couldn't help myself. It wasn't something I could control."
Hearing these words that sounded like a confession, the negative emotions in Sakurako's heart gradually faded, replaced by a sense of excitement.
A smug smile actually appeared on her lips; she seemed quite pleased with her own charm.
"But I didn't know Sakurako was this sensitive..."
"I barely even touched anything and you were already done for!"
At these words, Sakurako's hand immediately covered Yuu's mouth. She barked with a blushing face, "Don't you dare say it!"
Yuu licked Sakurako's palm, and the little maid yanked her hand back instantly.
How could a "chick" be a match for a veteran driver?
"Fine, I won't say it. But Sakurako, about what I mentioned earlier—are you really not going to consider it?"
"If you work for me, your salary doubles. I'll provide a house and a car, and the work is light. If you don't feel like doing something, you can just hand the task to the other maids. It's full of benefits, don't you think?"
Sakurako burst out laughing. Handing tasks to other maids? Then what would she be there for—to be the mistress of the house?!
She had no idea Yuu was telling the truth.
If Sakurako wanted to "lie flat," he wouldn't mind supporting one more soft and cute beauty at home.
The job offer was merely an excuse for his conquest. If he really wanted maids, he had plenty of beauties he had "lock-chained" who were clamoring for the position.
"Hmph. Not going. I'm not someone who can be bought with money."
She then explained quickly: "The Master was as kind to me as a father. I can't just leave like this."
"Besides, now that the Master and the young Master are dead, the Madam is all alone. If I leave now, I'm afraid she won't be able to cope."
Hearing this, Yuu couldn't help but sigh at Sakurako's innocence and kindness.
Looking at Serika Wakamatsu earlier, her expression was clearly one of secret joy.
Her husband—with whom she didn't get along—was dead. Her stepson—to whom she had no connection—was dead. And she had inherited the entire design company.
That woman who looked like an old pickle was probably ecstatic. She'd likely be looking for gigolos tomorrow; she didn't need Sakurako's company!
The little maid had sharp observation skills and intuition, but she was quite clumsy when it came to understanding the ways of the world.
But that was fine. Based on his deduction, this old woman would be receiving her "bento" soon anyway; she wouldn't be an obstacle to his abduction of the maid.
Sakurako, seeing Yuu silent, thought he was disappointed and added quickly:
"But... if you can help find the Master's killer and solve the case, I might consider it!"
Yuu raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
The blushing Sakurako nodded.
Yuu laughed heartily, unable to resist giving her another kiss, and spoke with confidence.
"Then just you wait for me to solve the case, and then come home with me like a good girl!"
Even though he had no memory of this specific event, with his current senses and "Conan-logic" defying magic, completing the deduction and solving the case would be effortless.
Simply put, if even a kid like Conan could do it, it was child's play for Yuu Hoshimiya.
Sakurako lowered her head in shame once more.
Without her noticing, her body was pressed tight against Yuu's; she no longer struggled or wanted to leave.
However, she was still wearing a plastic apron, so he couldn't feel much, which was a bit of a pity.
But Yuu knew Sakurako was quite well-endowed and knew how to hide it—at least a C+ cup under that apron!
Just then, the sound of many footsteps came from outside. It was likely Inspector Megure arriving with his team.