Time for the 3rd and final relative.


It was about 16 days until the wedding and the custom made waistcoat arrived with her new dress shoes. The waistcoat now sat on the manikin under her over cloak with the glimmering shoes in the glass cabinet with her suit trousers. Within the past couple days, her bridesmaids and Estate staff had decided to turn her office into the wedding headquarters. Various decorations started to appear, flowers were on some of the office cabinets with paper streamers hanging from the ceiling. The leftover case documents morphed to a more unorganised pile with pictures and wedding plans on various pieces of paper. However she was currently in the centre of the room with Rise, donning a hairdressers' cover layer each as they were individually being worked on. Rise as a favour got two stylists from her agency to do a run through of the hair style and make up for the wedding.

Naoto's great mane was finally being shortened to be something similar to what she had towards the end of high school wanting to sport shoulder length hair. Replacing what had seemed to be a look she's had with the past year with her cobalt hair that flowed far down her back. It felt like the start of a new beginning yet nostalgic with the hint of familiarity at the same time. Feeling the scissors cut through the strands of hair felt like a weight being lifted from her.

"So just like the pictures we have; I was thinking the side braids would be perfect with the shoulder length hair, making it easier to frame your face. You can have them tucked behind your ears."

Rise notified.

One of the hair dressers nodded as she continued to work on the heir of the Estate, who had her eyes closed, trying to relax while being the centre attention.

"Shirogane-san, are you sure you are OK with the length of hair you want off?"

She nodded without opening her eyes.

"I'm fine with the agreed amount."

Rise gave a cheeky smile.

"She wants to give her husband to me a blast from the past." Naoto blushed over but said nothing, keeping her head straight to make it easier on one of the hair dressers.

"That is not my only intention, I also feel like it will go with what I'll be wearing." She paused for a second remembering her soon to be husband's words. "Not Souji-kun minds what I go with."

Rise was just about to reply when Naoto's personal phone started to buzz. Naoto eyed the table and gave the smallest expression of anguish before she looked up at the hair artist.

"This call is quite important, can we pause this for a moment?" She nodded, a little taken back from her formality. Taking care to tie up the hair that was currently in mid cut, the artist covered her hair with a head cap and gave a hum when she was finished.

Giving a small thank you she picked up her phone and answered, getting up to head to the side room in her office.

"Hello there, Naoto speaking…"

"I'm glad to hear you are doing well. How's all the preparations coming together?"

Naoto noted how much more cheerful Yuzuha sounded compared to her two uncles. At least the conversation wouldn't turn out like those two she hoped.

"It's getting there, I'm currently having my hair worked on so I shouldn't stay on the call for too long."

She heard her auntie laugh a little down the phone.

"Ah it will be exciting to see how you look, it's at least been a couple years since we've seen you. That was the last family gathering we were all at, it was a shame your boyfriend wasn't with us, I can't wait to meet him."

Her cheerful tone while refreshing compared to others in her family.

"I'm glad to hear that Aunt Yuzuha, I'm sure you will like him once you have a talk with him, he is a very likeable person."

She chuckled,

"Well that's nice to know my niece is well looked after. I've left things to your Grandpa since he seems to have everything under control, I must admit I did want to know more but the wedding is so close I don't think it matters at this point."

She heard Yuzuha hum over the phone. Seemingly satisfied with her statement.

"It's only a matter of time, I know the work he's been doing has been exceptional in some cases. Some of the legal proceedings have had both of your names on the investigation reports."

All Naoto could do was smile.

"Souji-kun has taken everything on board, he's a reliable hand if he's not working on his own career. I'm sure he'll be happy to discuss it with you when he sees you."

"I hope he's not too scared of us. You are really protective over him."

Naoto sighed as she shrugged.

"Us Shiroganes are an interesting type, but Souji-kun has already had the fear of god thrown into him by Grandpa so I don't need that from anyone else. While I love my auntie and my uncles, I want to do my best to avoid that with him. All it would take is one little thing that you guys might not like and you'll be all over him like a hornets on a bee nest."

"I see…"

There was a small pause,

"I didn't consider us to be that bad."

Naoto shook her head, leaning against the door of the side room of her office.

"Without looking at it from a third person perspective, it isn't but of course that aside we can be very difficult to deal with. We are very judgemental and paranoid by nature, and consider our issues with trust. I'd rather not disclose anything like that unless it's something Souji-kun wants to do."

The noise Yuzuha made over the phone sounded inquisitive.

"Interesting, sounds like there is something there that doesn't make him trustworthy."

"No one is perfect," Naoto said pointedly, trying to interrupt her flow of thought.

The instant reply gave Yuzuha pause for a second again.

"That's a fair point. But as you know data collection isn't my forte, I've left that to your uncles and father. If they are happy with it then I don't see why I need to say anything." The cheerful voice she was putting on was now a little forced. "They only come to me if there is something unjust and the legal system needs to be applied…"

Something about the way she worded that left Naoto a bit uncomfortable.

"...But considering how confident you and Father are in him, I highly doubt that will be needed. I'm sure things will be fine."

Naoto pulled away from her handset to look at it for a moment, unsure on how to take in her words.

"...Thanks Aunt Yuzuha,"

"None needed. Anyway I assume things will be busy, I'll speak to you at the wedding."

Naoto nodded, deciding to keep it cordial rather than press her more for what she meant.

"You two, send my love to the family."

"Thanks and good luck."

Naoto's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Good luck?"

Before she got a response the phone on the other side was already dead.

'What the hell was that about?'