"Are you sure the owner will not mind us being here?" Sayaka asked as the elevator went up.

As an elite in Mountain Ridge, she was not usually concerned about offending most people. However, she did not want to affect Akira's life negatively. It was already a miracle that her daughter was willing to bring her to her new workplace.

Moreover, she could see that the owner of the restaurant was not a simple person.

When they entered the restaurant property located at the edges of Mountain Ridge, she realised that their destination was the rumoured new and mysterious restaurant.

In Mountain Ridge, new businesses often created a buzz because most of the residents of the metropolis were known for their old-fashioned mentality and stubbornness.

Their pattern of opposing new companies and brands could be considered xenophobic.

It always took some time for the people in the city to accept a new brand, unlike Tokyo where newer things were considered better. The Saffron Garden, which was now successful, had also gone through this process of hardship.

Naturally, as a core member of the community, Sayaka had heard about the new restaurant. The accelerated construction took place within four months. It had been a topic of conversation at numerous parties.

However, Sayaka was still shocked when she saw it.

The building was shaped like an ancient pagoda. The seven levels of the pagoda were not imposing in comparison to the skyscrapers in the centre of the city. However, the distinctive design coupled with the vermillion colour stood out.

Moreover, the surrounding property had a raw appeal. The green trees around the entire property made the pagoda look like an undiscovered treasure nestled in an unexplored land.

Akira wondered if she should tell her mother that she owned the restaurant. However, she remembered that their disagreements had originally come up because Sayaka believed that she was a poor ghost.

If she told her that she owned the extravagant property and the business, it would most likely cause more misunderstandings.

She would probably think that she was lying or trying to get a sense of presence by inflating her self-worth. The likelihood of Sayaka believing and trusting her words was almost nil.

Their relationship had only improved in the last hour, so Akira did not want to introduce new problems.

"Don't worry. They won't mind. I am indispensable to the restaurant. You saw how enthusiastically the workers greeted me." She responded with a small smile.

Sayaka nodded. The people around the property had waved at Akira with unusual enthusiasm.

When they reached the highest level, the lift opened.

The revealed scenery made Sayaka gasp with pleasure. The room did not look like a restaurant space. It seemed like a perfect living room.

As an art school graduate, Sayaka had a good eye for aesthetics. And the room was the pinnacle of design.

The large windows used a frameless design that overlooked the surrounding woods and the hills that gave the city its name.

The designer had cleverly used wooden furniture that blended well with the hardwood floor and the succulents in the room.

There was a single dining table at the centre of the room with eight seats. However, the lounges at the edges of the room allowed one to overlook the environment.

However, what caught Akira's eyes were the ink wash paintings on the walls which brought a unique and ancient edge to the room.

Though she was a refined lady, she could not help walking across the room to look closer at the folding screen in the corner that separated the living room from the restroom area. Though there were other pieces, she had a general impression of the folding screen.

"Akira, is this real?" She asked with a bit of a trembling voice.

Akira looked at the Hasegawa style painting on the screen for a moment before recalling its origin.

"Yeah, it's real." She responded.

Sayaka did not know if to believe her. On one hand, she did not think her daughter would recognise a genuine ink wash painting because of her bad background. On the other hand, the owner of the restaurant did not seem like a simple person.

However, regardless of whether the painting on the folding screen was real or not, it was beautiful and had the right spirit.

She moved around the room like a country bumpkin who had never seen good things before. After all, even though she was well-off, she had a weakness for paintings.

"Do you like them that much?" Akira asked as she watched her mother flitting around the room like a butterfly

Sayaka smiled. "Yeah! I love art. I was a fine arts student in my days in the university." She said with a wistful sigh. "I was a pretty good classic painter. I even sold a few pieces."

Akira's dark eyebrows lifted a little in surprise.

"Why did you stop?" She asked.

Sayaka looked at Akira, and a pang of guilt appeared in her eyes.

"I became a mother and a housewife." The tone was a little self-deprecating.

Akira understood, but she did not want to expose Sayaka's thoughts completely.

"You don't have to limit yourself." Her lips turned up in a small mischievous smile. "You are a rich housewife. You can do whatever you want. There is nothing wrong with spending your time painting. In any case, your husband is powerful, and your children are grown and self-reliant."

Sayaka looked at Akira in surprise before laughing. "You are right."

The elevator doors opened, and two people came into the room. Daiki had a curious and eager expression while Seiji's haggard face maintained its cold façade.

Akira felt a little sorry for her impromptu plan after seeing her brother's face. In terms of liking her new family, her second brother was, without a doubt, her favourite.

"Akira, thank you for inviting me." Daiki looked happily at his daughter.

"Brother, are you ok? Do you need to rest?" Akira was focused on Seiji and did not pay attention to her father.

Sayaka looked at Daiki's crestfallen face and laughed until tears flowed from her eyes. When Akira looked at her with a confused face, Sayaka laughed even harder.

"I'm fine. I will rest later. I have tomorrow off anyway." Seiji was pleased as he responded.

His tiredness did not matter if he could have a meal with his cute little sister.