1040 points.
Takumi Yuuya once again opened a Silver Treasure Chest.
"Congratulations, Host, you have acquired a manor."
"All documents are complete. You may claim it at any time."
Silver Chests remaining: 3.
He stared at the floating screen, curious about how large the manor would be.
The next second, a live map projection appeared. The system highlighted a massive area.
Yuuya's eyes widened.
The estate wasn't just a manor—it came with several mountains and its own stretch of beach.
The mountains and the coastline were all listed as part of the property.
Compared to the high-end Tokyo apartment he had acquired earlier, this place was easily worth even more.
But what really delighted him was—
The manor was located right in the Chiba countryside!
He had been thinking about going to the beach over summer break.
Now, he had both a private manor and a beach to himself.
He glanced at the architectural design.
The construction alone must have cost a fortune.
At the moment, the estate was unoccupied and unmanaged.
It had only been completed six months ago.
The project was handled by the Yukinoshita Construction Company.
Seeing this information, Yuuya immediately called Yukinoshita Haruno.
She picked up quickly.
"Yuuya-kun, are you done with your date?"
"It's over. It went pretty well today."
"That my little Yukino would actually go on a date with you… I find that a little hard to believe. Just what kind of trick did you use, Yuuya-kun?"
"I simply thought that Yukino needed her mother's approval. When I sold her the shares, I added a condition—weekly dates."
"…I see."
"Anyway, that's not what I called about. I just acquired a manor—apparently one built by the Yukinoshita Construction Company. Right now, it needs someone to manage it. Do you happen to know any professional maids?"
"…A manor? Where?"
"In the Chiba countryside."
After his answer, Haruno went silent.
She knew this project well. She had even visited the site.
After all, the land—the mountains and the beach—had originally been sold by the Yukinoshita family.
The property alone had cost five billion yen.
Construction had required fifteen billion yen.
Altogether, the manor was worth over twenty billion yen.
But it had only been completed half a year ago. No way anyone could buy it for that price yet.
Yuuya had sold his Tokyo apartment and gotten twenty billion yen from it.
Could it be that he spent all of that here?
With that thought, Haruno asked,
"Yuuya-kun, how much did you pay for this manor?"
"Thirty billion yen," Yuuya replied, quoting the system's listed transaction value.
Haruno didn't say anything at first.
That was… a very tempting price.
But if Yuuya had thrown thirty billion into this, then didn't that mean he had no liquid cash left?
The thought made her smile faintly.
"Yuuya-kun, if you're having financial difficulties…"
"Yukinoshita-senpai, my finances are fine. I'm not planning to sell this manor. I only wanted to ask if you knew where I could find a professional maid."
"Most professional maids are trained from childhood. Finding one isn't exactly easy."
"I see. Then I'll look into it myself."
Yuuya ended the call, only to notice Nishimiya Shouko standing quietly before him.
If he remembered correctly…
Shouko's mother worked as a nurse, didn't she?
Would she be interested in working as a maid?
Shouko sat silently beside him.
Yuuya mimed a phone call and then pointed at her cell phone.
She understood, pulled it out, and handed it to him.
He accepted it, browsed the contacts, and made a call.
A few seconds later, the line connected.
"Hello? May I ask who's calling?"
"Miss Nishimiya, I have a job offer for you."
Yuuya squeezed Shouko's hand gently as he explained his purpose.
Nishimiya Yaeko went silent for a few seconds.
"…What kind of job?"
"As a maid, managing a villa. What's your current annual salary?"
"Six million yen."
"I'll offer ten million. And I can pay you up to ten years' worth in advance."
"Please don't joke about things like that."
"I'm standing outside the entrance of Chiba School for the Deaf, using Shouko's phone to contact you."
His calm voice carried a weight that made Yaeko pause.
"…I'll be right there."
——
Yaeko arrived quickly, driving an old used car and parking in front of the school.
Yuuya was sitting on a bench.
Shouko had already gone upstairs.
Yaeko stepped out of the car and glanced up at the building.
"Shouko just went inside. Please, have a seat," Yuuya said politely.
"…You're still a student, aren't you?" Her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Yuuya pulled out his phone and handed it over.
She saw the bank balance—and her pupils shrank.
"I can transfer one hundred million yen to you right now, as advance payment for the next ten years." He pocketed the phone again.
"Why me? I'm not a professional maid."
"I can't find a professional one. And besides—I'm Shouko's boyfriend, so naturally, I thought of you."
"…What did you just say?" Yaeko stared at him in disbelief.
Her daughter's boyfriend? Impossible.
"That day, I was waiting for my girlfriend here. I saw Shouko outside the school gate. Her smile felt so warm, I decided right then I wanted her to be my girlfriend." Yuuya explained without hesitation.
"Hold on. You already had a girlfriend, and then you decided to make Shouko your girlfriend too?" Yaeko was utterly stunned.
"I pay her ten thousand yen an hour. I haven't harmed her."
"Ten… ten thousand yen an hour?!"
Yaeko's jaw nearly dropped.
Was this what the world of the rich was like?
"If you don't agree, I won't approach Shouko again. Consider this job offer withdrawn. I can at least give you one hundred thousand yen right now as compensation for your time." Yuuya pulled out his wallet.
"…We don't exactly have a choice." Yaeko sat down heavily beside him.
"It was her smile that moved me. I want to protect that smile." Yuuya looked up toward the building.
"…I'll need the full ten years' salary. And if you really care about Shouko, I expect you to take responsibility. At the very least, provide material security for her." Yaeko's voice grew serious.
On her current salary, raising two daughters had already stretched her to the breaking point.
This was an opportunity she couldn't let slip.
With one hundred million yen—
Shouko's regular hospital fees, Yuzuru's education expenses—
She could handle everything. She could finally give them a better life.
The only uncertainty was whether Yuuya's feelings for Shouko were real… or something else.
But given Shouko's circumstances, meeting Yuuya might already be the best arrangement fate could give her.
As Yaeko mulled this over, footsteps echoed nearby.
Shouko walked toward them, rapidly signing to her mother.
Clearly—
She had misunderstood, thinking her mother was scolding Yuuya for their relationship.
Yuuya only smiled faintly.
Yaeko shook her head and responded in sign.
Shouko's eyes widened in shock as she turned to look at Yuuya.