Immediately, the famous star spat out the contents in her mouth and couldn't help but complain:
"You little rascal, why are you so considerate?"
"Did you plan all this just to make me stop talking about it? Do you even know who I am?"
"You saved us all this time. Just tell me what you want. I promise to keep your secret."
With just one sentence, the contract was sealed instantly.
An invisible force enveloped Yukiko, preventing her from revealing anything about what had happened that day.
There was no way she could disclose the shocking truth—that young Shota Akashi was a succubus!
Akashi immediately felt a wave of relief. He could trust Yukiko. But deep down, he also feared she might accidentally let something slip.
After all, Yūsaku was one of the sharpest minds in the world, and Yukiko, with her carefree and bubbly personality, could easily blurt things out without meaning to.
Akashi muttered nervously, "You know I can't help it. If my identity as a succubus gets exposed, who knows? A bad woman or some scheming aunt might kidnap me and bully me every day. I'd be stuck living a life of misery in darkness."
Yukiko listened to his complaint and couldn't help but feel both pity and amusement.
Just moments ago, this little devil had been nothing short of a tyrant, even making her kneel before him. She thought he was a true villain.
Now, here he was, claiming to be afraid of bad women and overbearing aunts!
Yukiko couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry at his antics.
However, after this ordeal, she realized just how extraordinary this little succubus Shota truly was.
To be honest, a part of her even toyed with the idea of abducting this adorable Shota and keeping him as her own secret treasure.
Her eyes flickered over to Eri, peacefully sleeping on the bed.
"So, is Eri the 'bad woman' who adopted you, kept you locked up at home, and bullied you every day?" Yukiko teased, her words laced with a subtle hint of jealousy.
Akashi shook his head. "No, not at all. Aunt Eri has always been kind to me and never bullied me."
Yukiko's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Really? Not even once?"
Akashi shook his head again. "Not once."
Hearing this, Yukiko's lips curled into a triumphant smile.
This little Shota, whom Eri had nurtured so diligently, was now playing right into her hands!
"Eri, Eri," Yukiko thought smugly. "This round goes to me!"
Suddenly, she felt her earlier 'failure' at Kisaki Law Firm wash away in the tide of victory.
Scooping up the boy in her arms, Yukiko stepped onto the soft carpet and made her way to the bathroom.
"So, it turns out little Akashi is such a good boy. If you'd told me earlier, you could've spared your sister a heart attack," she said in a playful tone. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. Big Sister will help you take a bath!"
Akashi froze.
Huh? Huh?!
What on earth was this gentle, coaxing tone?
Wasn't she calling me "Daddy" just a moment ago?
Now I'm her son?
This woman's attitude flips faster than a page in a book!
While Yukiko was locked in playful banter with young Akashi.
But downstairs, the atmosphere was completely different.
The staged kidnapping was finally winding down, Yūsaku and Dr. Agasa revealed their true identity to Conan.
Conan, however, had reached his limit. Frustrated and teased one too many times, he lay sprawled on the sofa, sulking with his head buried in his hands.
Despite Yūsaku and Dr. Agasa's attempts to console him with kind words, Conan refused to acknowledge them, radiating silent fury.
"Where's Mom? Where is she?" Conan asked, fuming with frustration.
"She must be the mastermind behind such a ridiculous prank. Where did she disappear to?"
Yūsaku scratched his head awkwardly. "I have no idea where she went. As soon as she got off the plane, she said she was going to meet an old friend. Then, poof—gone."
"We had originally agreed she'd join us at the abandoned building in the afternoon, but she didn't show up."
"And just now, I couldn't get through to her. Maybe she got so caught up chatting with her old friend that she forgot all about us."
Conan was left speechless.
But, thinking it over, he realized it was entirely in line with his mother's eccentric personality.
It was absurd, though! He had been drugged and turned into a child and yet had the audacity to use the opportunity to stage a prank.
Planning a fake kidnapping and calling it a joke? She really didn't know how to take things seriously!
Now, she was off somewhere, completely unreachable. Did she just think of it all as a game?
Conan sighed, utterly exasperated.
Meanwhile, Yūsaku dialed Yukiko's number again.
Upstairs, Yukiko heard the ringtone and remembered Yūsaku and Shinichi.
But she had been so caught up with little Shota Akashi that she forgot her husband and son.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Yukiko panicked, realizing her oversight.
She hastily ended her bath session with the young Shota, rinsing him quickly before running out of the bathroom in a flurry.
Akashi, unfazed, leaned back and let out a relaxed sigh. He had been fully clothed during the bath anyway, so soaking in the hot water was more about calming his nerves than anything else.
Afterward, as Akashi returned to the room, he froze upon seeing the scene before him.
——
Downstairs in room 301, Yukiko, now dressed in a dark suit, knocked and entered.
The suit, clearly borrowed, was unmistakably Eri's.
In her rush, Yukiko had grabbed her best friend's clothes and bolted. Now, she stood before Yūsaku and Shinichi, trying to maintain her composure.
"Sorry, Shinichi, I'm late!" she began, looking at her son with an exaggerated expression of shock. "What Dr. Agasa said was true. I can't believe you've actually turned into a child!"
She quickly shifted her focus to Yūsaku, her voice filled with feigned indignation.
"Yūsaku, how could you even think of playing tricks on Shinichi when he's in such a state?"
Despite her guilt, Yukiko's Grand Slam-winning acting skills ensured that no one could see through her facade. She skillfully placed the blame squarely on her husband.
Caught off guard, Yūsaku waved his hands defensively, trying to explain.
But Conan cut in with a deadpan expression: "Mom, don't think I don't know. This prank has 'your ' fingerprints all over it!"
Realizing she'd been exposed, Yukiko dropped the act, smiling sheepishly as she confessed.
Turning to Yūsaku and Dr. Agasa, she added with a playful pout: "Honestly, couldn't you two have waited until I arrived before starting everything?"
"I've been looking forward to Shinichi's reaction all the way from the U.S., and you didn't even give me the chance to see it!"
Her words left both men sweating nervously.
Originally, Yukiko's tardiness was the issue. But somehow, she had flipped the narrative, making it seem like their impatience was the real problem.
Neither Yūsaku nor Dr. Agasa knew how to respond to her shifting blame.
Sensing the rising tension, Yūsaku quickly changed the subject.
"Alright, alright. Let's not dwell on that," he said, attempting to redirect the conversation. "This was just a puzzle game to test Shinichi's sharpness."
"But now that Shinichi has turned into a child, it's no longer safe for him to stay here. Come with us to the U.S. We'll find a reliable doctor there to help you recover. I know some people who might be able to help."
Hearing this, Conan hesitated, his mind flashing to Ran's face.
Then, like a haunting vision, he imagined Akashi nestled in Ran's arms, his presence lingering like a bad dream.
"No!" Conan yelled, startling everyone in the room.
Under no circumstances could he allow Ran to spend time with that Akashi!
Ultimately, Conan decided to remain in Tokyo to continue his investigation.
Yūsaku supported his son's choice, while Yukiko simply nodded in agreement, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.
Her mind drifted back to Akashi and the lingering chaos she had left upstairs.