Akashi skillfully pulled the pink candy up and let it bounce back.
This toy is so much fun!
Across from him, Vermouth watched the little Shota playing with her chest, his focus entirely absorbed.
Yet—
She couldn't ignore the half-smiling expression on his face.
Or the way his fingers twitched, eager to move.
A wave of unease washed over her.
She knew what would happen if she refused.
Any other time, she would have rejected him outright.
But right now—
She couldn't.
Vermouth truly feared she might die on this cruise ship from pleasure alone.
Not that it would be a bad way to go…
Just a ridiculous one.
How shameless!
To use such despicable methods!
For now, she had no choice but to appease this devilish little menace.
Even so—
She was determined to find another chance.
I still have to kill Sherry.
Only by eliminating her can I erase this threat for good.
Resolving herself, Vermouth spoke calmly:
"Fine. As long as you protect me, I won't lay a hand on them."
The moment those words left her lips—
The contract was sealed!
She didn't even notice it happening—
But gradually…
The murderous intent in her heart began to fade.
Akashi's lips curved into a bright, triumphant smile.
It didn't matter what Vermouth truly thought.
A woman's heart is as unpredictable as the ocean depths.
As long as the contract was in place—
She would never harm Sherry again.
That was all that mattered.
It had taken a lot of effort to mark Vermouth with the Succubus Seal and bind her to the『 Succubus Pact』.
When he got back—
Akemi and Sherry would be rewarded.
Individually.
Chuckling, Akashi teased:
"See? Isn't this much better?"
"Relax, what you're worried about won't happen."
"With me here, I won't let that happen."
Vermouth's expression shifted to shock.
He knows?!
Impossible!
I never told him anything!
Yet, looking at his serious expression…
Somehow, she believed him.
But in the next second, she sneered:
"Worry about yourself first."
"You're just a kid—you can't even protect yourself."
Akashi immediately raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? You're underestimating my 'childish' body?"
"Seems like you've recovered just fine."
His grin widened.
"Come on, let's have another match!"
Vermouth panicked.
"D-Don't mess around! Stop it!"
Laughter echoed through the rest room—
Evil, teasing laughter.
Vermouth's face turned pale.
Meanwhile, Akashi finally put away his yo-yo and helped her finish washing up.
Who knows how much time passed?
Boom!
A deep, resonant thud echoed through the ship—
The sound of the anchor dropping into the harbor.
After drifting at sea for three or four hours, the cruise ship had finally docked.
Naturally, it was time to disembark.
After freshening up, the two got dressed.
Vermouth put on a disguise mask—taking on the appearance of Yukiko.
A pair of figures—one large, one small—stepped out of the rest room, making their way toward the exit.
They had just reached the deck, about to descend the stairs, when—
Four figures suddenly appeared before them.
The Earth Ladies Team.
From left to right,
Kusano Kaoru.
Hoshino Terumi.
Yoko Okino and Takeno Yuki.
Each unique.
Each radiating beauty.
Standing together—
They were like a breathtaking scene straight out of a dream.
The Earth Ladies Team had actually disbanded long ago, with each member going their separate ways.
Yet—
The Suzuki Foundation's influence was strong enough to bring them back together, convincing the four of them to reunite for a special performance.
Among them, Kaoru Kusano, sporting her signature short hair, spotted the two figures approaching.
Her eyes lit up instantly.
"Yukiko-senpai! I can't believe it—what luck to see you here today!"
She rushed forward excitedly.
"I'm a huge fan! I've read all your works!"
"Even after all these years, you haven't changed a bit. You still look so young!"
"Can we take a photo together?"
It was clear—
Kaoru idolized Yukiko.
No wonder she hadn't disembarked yet.
She had waited at the stairs just for this moment—to meet her idol and take a picture with her!
Vermouth froze for a brief second, then quickly regained her composure.
Adjusting her disguise, she perfectly mimicked Yukiko's cheerful voice:
"Of course, of course!"
Kaoru eagerly pulled out a point-and-shoot camera and posed beside her, snapping several photos.
Meanwhile, Yoko Okino turned to the others and introduced the young boy standing next to her.
"This is Akashi-kun, the one I told you about."
Her voice was filled with gratitude.
"If it weren't for his help in that last case, we wouldn't have solved it so smoothly."
"Thanks to him, I was able to successfully sign a contract with the Suzuki Firm!"
Hearing this, Yuki Takeno and Terumi Hoshino immediately approached.
The two idol group members, each with their own distinct charm, had been wanting to meet this handsome little boy.
One by one, they leaned in, reaching out to ruffle his hair.
"Akashi!"
Just then, a voice called out.
Ran, lifting the hem of her skirt, hurried over.
She reached for Akashi, who was now surrounded by the girl group members, and scooped him up.
"Where have you been? I was so worried about you!"
"I thought I lost you!"
She turned to Vermouth, still disguised as Yukiko, and frowned.
"Aunt Yukiko, where did you take Akashi?"
Vermouth—still playing the part—chuckled softly.
"Oh, nowhere special. Just wandering around the ship."
"Maybe we just missed each other."
Ran's gaze sharpened.
"Really?"
She studied Yukiko's face, sensing something wasn't quite right.
At that moment, Kaoru Kusano pulled out a pen and waved the freshly taken photo in front of Yukiko.
"Senpai, could you sign this for me?"
Vermouth, eager to steer the conversation away from suspicion, nodded and signed.
But the next second—
A strange feeling crept over her.
Kaoru Kusano stared at the signature, brows furrowing.
"Yukiko-senpai… I don't mean to be rude, but… this signature looks a little different from before."
The moment the words left her mouth—
Conan's ears perked up.
He rushed forward.
Jumping up, he snatched the signed photo and examined it closely.
His eyes widened.
This isn't my mother's handwriting!
In an instant—
He bolted down the stairs.
But by the time he reached the bottom—
Yukiko was gone.
Or rather—
Whoever was pretending to be Yukiko had vanished.
Conan gritted his teeth.
Who was that imposter?
Was it… Kid?
No—
A chilling thought crept into his mind.
Could there be more than one Kaito Kid?
His heart pounded.
Did Kid come back to steal the Black Star?
Without wasting a second, Conan whirled around and sprinted up the stairs.
I need to confirm this with Mrs. Suzuki!
The small detective dashed past everyone, a determined glint in his eyes.
The rest of the group could only watch in shock.
Sonoko, arms crossed, let out an exasperated sigh.
"That kid seriously never runs out of energy."