By the time Masumi brought clothes for her mother, Toru had already left.
"Don't look, he's already gone."
Mary took the clothes her daughter handed her and began putting them on with a rustling sound.
Masumi stared at her mother in disbelief and exclaimed, "Mom, you were naked in front of him. Weren't you embarrassed at all?"
"Stop making such a fuss. I'm already old, what is there to be embarrassed about?"
"That's different. Look at you now, Mom. You're younger than me, just a little Mary. Even after taking the medicine and returning to your original body, you only look like my older sister."
Masumi spoke in her usual tomboyish tone, "...Mom, you didn't regain your youth and start feeling restless again, taking an interest in Fujiwara, did you?"
"Ah, that won't do. He's only a few years older than me. I don't want to call him Dad. Can't we just stick to our own generations?"
Mary rarely got angry, but Masumi managed to irritate her.
"Enough, get out."
"Masumi, go back to your room and pack your luggage. We can't stay at this hotel anymore. We need to move."
Masumi responded with a hum and obediently went to pack.
Over the past year, they had changed countless hotels across Japan. She was already used to it.
Sitting on the sofa, Mary turned on the TV. The news was reporting on the recent deaths at the Matsuba Society.
The reporter stood outside the Matsuba Society mansion while police officers carried out bodies covered in white sheets.
Although she had refuted her daughter earlier, only she knew the truth.
Perhaps she did not have romantic feelings for Toru, but just as Masumi said, after her body regained its youth, she indeed had the desires of a woman.
As for this matter, she would take it one step at a time.
If Toru could truly achieve her goal, she would not mind building mutual trust with him in another way.
...
After returning home, Toru found Haibara waiting eagerly.
"How are the results?"
"I just got back and you don't even greet me, you ask about the results first?"
Toru teased.
Haibara crossed her arms and remained silent, her expression cold. Toru stopped teasing and took out the data notebook.
"Unfortunately, this time the data is very different from the previous two."
"Mary only lasted eleven hours before reverting to a child's body."
Haibara frowned.
"What is different about Mary compared to me and Kudo Shinichi? Is it because she trains regularly as a spy, her body is stronger, and she expends more energy every day?"
"Because she consumes more energy, the effect of a single antidote lasts for a shorter time? But there are too few repeatable experiments, so no conclusion can be drawn."
Haibara looked troubled.
Developing a drug like APTX4869 was extremely difficult.
The main reason was the need for experiments.
In the past, when she was in the Black Organization, she could conduct experiments freely, even using human subjects.
But now, she no longer had that opportunity.
As a scientist and drug researcher, her desire to explore the unknown eventually overcame the small sense of morality she still held.
"Toru, if... I mean, if you really manage to take over the Organization and let me return to research..."
"I hope you can help me find some... people who have committed capital crimes and are awaiting execution, to serve as my test subjects."
This was Haibara's final moral boundary. She would not use APTX4869 on innocent people, but she could use it on criminals without hesitation.
To continue developing the drug, she needed enough test subjects to observe and study their physical and hormonal changes.
Toru readily agreed.
"No problem. There are plenty of such people. When the time comes, I'll send people to capture a group for you. You can deal with them however you like."
"But all of this depends on me becoming the Boss of the Black Organization first."
He wondered how Vermouth's investigation into the Pacific Ocean beacon was progressing. Once she finished, he would take control of that system.
With the complete age identification system, all of Toru's plans could begin.
As he was thinking, the doorbell rang.
Toru took out his phone and checked the surveillance camera. The person outside was Hayasaka.
She was dressed in a trendy outfit, exposing her slim waist, her hair tied in a single ponytail. She stood nervously at the door.
Haibara leaned closer and looked at the screen, frowning.
"Isn't that the maid from the Shinomiya family? Why is she here?"
She gave Toru a scrutinizing look.
This woman was definitely not here for her.
"I didn't tell you? Right, I really didn't."
Toru explained the situation regarding Hayasaka.
"So you're saying she will become our exclusive maid and possibly live here from now on?"
Haibara's gaze sharpened.
"That's right. Sakiko has to focus on her band and can't keep cooking at home. She needs to pursue her dreams."
"Hayasaka is very capable. She has been trained as a personal maid by the Shinomiya family since childhood, her housekeeping skills are excellent. With her taking care of things, our lives will be easier."
"As for whether she will live here, that depends on her. She also has a house in Tokyo, so she might not want to stay here, especially since she just gained her freedom after leaving the Shinomiya family."
As he spoke, Toru got up and opened the door.
"Young Master Fujiwara!"
Although Hayasaka was not wearing a maid outfit, she performed a standard maid's bow.
Seeing her dressed in a trendy outfit while performing such refined etiquette, Toru found it rather interesting.
"Come in, Hayasaka."
"Yes!"
After entering, Hayasaka saw Haibara sitting on the sofa and greeted her.
"Ms. Haibara, hello."
She would never treat Haibara as a child.
At the aquarium, Toru had carried out a massacre, and Haibara had been even calmer than she was.
They had also spoken a lot there, and she discovered that this girl, who looked like an elementary school student, possessed astonishing knowledge, leaving her, a high school student, speechless.
Perhaps this was what a true genius was like.
"Oko already told me everything about you."
In front of Hayasaka, Toru no longer addressed Oko as "brother."
He knew Hayasaka despised the Shinomiya family, and he would not reveal his true attitude toward Oko.
Even if he did, it would not matter. The Shinomiya family now had to deal with the pressure from the Shijo family and Wall Street.
"This is your work log. Take a look first."
Toru handed her a list of entries.
(To be continued.)