Yuji Kudo, the manga artist behind Detective Conan.

"So... Sayoko kicked you out?"

After leaving with Segawa Shoichi, they ran into Higashino III at the elevator entrance. Old Kudo glanced at the departing Segawa Director, who turned away, and then looked at Higashino with a meaningful gaze.

"Yeah, Ou-chan, I don't know where you brought that guy back from, but that kid definitely has some ulterior motives toward Sayoko-neechan, so let's kick him out of the house right away."

Higashino immediately expressed his opinion seriously. Although he tried his best to hide his jealousy, it was interpreted by outsiders as the younger brother being jealous that a new relative had taken away his older sister.

Segawa Masakazu didn't say anything, but his raised eyebrows clearly showed that the director was also interested in the Kudo family affairs.

"Alright, why do you always think about so many random things? You should use that time to review your elementary school knowledge properly. You little brat who can't even do addition and subtraction within ten correctly."

Old Kudo put his hands on his hips, looking at this brat who was pretending to be a child so badly that his classmates mistook him for someone with a learning disability. He manually shut him up, and then waited for the elevator doors to open before walking towards the banquet hall with Segawa Shoichi.

To avoid being surrounded by a bunch of people they didn't want to interact with as soon as they entered, Segawa Shoichi led Kudo Shinichi and Higashino III through a side passage to the back of the stage in the hall.

“Mr. Segawa, I noticed some ballet dancers in the backstage dressing room.” Old Kudo immediately asked curiously, “Are you planning to have them perform in that musical, ‘Star of the Sea’?”

"As expected of Detective Kudo, now guess how I knew what kind of stage play 'Star of the Sea' was?"

Because of George's case, even the stage play was shut down. Apart from those who saw the performance in Kyoto, no one knew the true content of "The Star of the Sea". And now, almost a hundred years later, no one should know anymore.

"But the great Prime Minister gave me an old opera script, saying that someone in his family had seen it back then, and that I am now the dignity of the Eastern Capital government, and that I must make good arrangements to show those despicable separatists the nation's determination."

Segawa Shoichi tossed a photocopy into old Kudo's arms: "Mr. Kudo can read it in advance so he won't not understand what they're singing later."

Once upon a time, there was a human king who loved to eat fish, so he ordered his people not to raise livestock and to go out to sea to fish.

The fifth daughter of the Sea King, unable to bear seeing humans indiscriminately hunt fish out of greed, borrowed a secret potion that could transform her into a human and a drop of water capable of poisoning giants from her witch grandmother. She infiltrated the palace intending to assassinate the king, but inadvertently discovered the true king imprisoned there. With the true king's help, she approached the false king, killed him, but was betrayed by the true king and hacked to pieces by summoned guards. At that moment, the drop of water she used to kill the false king leaped from his stomach, transforming into a dazzling gem, which the true king then set into his crown.
"Such a twisted story..." Higashino quipped, "Isn't it a bit unlucky to stage this on the day the cruise ship sets sail?"

Old Kudo nodded, completely baffled as to why those Japanese people had shown George this play a hundred years ago.

[Could this be something Yuuji just wrote to fool him? It seems like it no matter how you look at it...]

"I don't think I see your brother?" Old Kudo looked around the dressing room and found that Segawa Taikei was nowhere to be seen backstage.

"He should be at the front, greeting those who want to do business with our company, or rather, with me. I've always entrusted this task to him."

Segawa Masakazu laughed and said, "The anniversary celebration said that his girlfriend would also be here today, so I plan to have him bring his girlfriend up and say a few words after his performance on stage."

"That's a good thing. There aren't many cases of mutual love in this day and age. Mr. Tai-ching should cherish it."

Old Kudo pulled Higashino along.

"Then the child and I will go back to the front first."

"Please do as you wish, Mr. Kudo. I hope you enjoy your opera performance."

Segawa Masakazu stood with his hands behind his back, watching his secretary open the door he had just entered through, and seeing Kudo and the other man leave the backstage area.

"The stage is ready."

(End of this chapter)