At nine o’clock in the evening, Uzuki finally wrapped up her work for the entire day.
“Clan Leader, those media people have gone way too far. They’re practically slandering you!” Tsukiyuki Sora, a sophomore in the Faculty of Science at the University of Tokyo, said loudly.
His father had once been a trusted confidant of Tsukiyuki Uzuki’s faction. Tragically, a sudden assassination had made him lose his beloved father forever.
“I’m fine, Sora. Whatever others say about me, I don’t take it to heart. Because I know I’m not the person the media portrays me to be. That’s enough for me.”
A young high school girl also walked into Uzuki’s office, her expression crestfallen.
“It really breaks my heart to see you like this, Uzuki…”
“Compared to me, my heart aches more for you, Akiko. The days ahead will definitely be very hard.”
Just like Tsukiyuki Sora, her parents had also perished in the previous incident. After that, the younger generation of the Tsukiyuki family would come to the conglomerate to help Uzuki after their classes ended.
“Let me brew a cup of tea for you, Uzuki.”
“I appreciate it.”
Uzuki kept a gentle smile the entire time. She accepted the tea Akiko prepared and, together with Sora, discussed the family’s future with enthusiasm.
Their eyes were so pure that Uzuki couldn’t understand why even they would betray her. If Teacher Gu hadn’t told her, she would have remained completely in the dark.
It was they who had secretly relayed much intelligence to Tsukiyuki Rio, causing Uzuki to face obstacles at every turn in her family initiatives. It was not until Teacher Gu told her that profit can change a person—even a blood feud can become worthless before the promise of gain—that she finally understood.
Though she was the current Family Head, she was like a ship that could sink at any moment. They had already begun choosing a steadier vessel for themselves, one that could carry their lives smoothly into the distance.
Behind their seemingly attentive demeanor, they already viewed Uzuki as nothing more than a bargaining chip. That was their truth.
Uzuki was no fool, but she didn’t expose their true faces either. She simply drank her barley tea with a composed expression.
“Alright, today’s work is finished. I’ll be heading back now. As for the media situation, let it be for the time being.”
Online, there was no shortage of people cursing Uzuki to die a horrible death, but to her, these curses were meaningless.
Compared to her past experiences, verbal malice almost felt like a form of gentleness.
She had no family left to turn to.
Perhaps, only by being with Sijin could she truly feel warmth. She missed the way he wore a gentle, smiling face and stroked her hair with his thick, warm palm.
“Goodnight, Sijin.”
After going downstairs, Uzuki walked along the street on foot.
“Meow~”
A black cat lounged lazily on the stone steps, dozing with its narrow golden pupils glinting.
The final operation was about to begin.
After returning to her apartment, Uzuki went to the bathroom to take a shower. The icy water droplets fell onto her body, stimulating her nerves.
She felt a slight urge to cry, but suddenly discovered that her tears seemed to have long since dried up.
After coming out of the bath, Uzuki saw a female student dressed in Kaijo High School’s girls’ JK uniform next to the toilet. She looked at Uzuki with a face full of concern.
“Long time no see, Shiori…” Uzuki bit her lip lightly, thought for a moment, then added, “Or maybe I should call you Hanako.”
“Whatever you call me is fine. I was once purified by your kindness, but recently I’ve been awakened by a surge of malice. So many people are cursing you, and a voice from another world is calling to you. You must be extra careful lately. I really don’t want the person who sincerely mourned for me to die, too,” Hikita Shiori said seriously.
“Dying doesn’t really matter, as long as I can save Sijin.” Uzuki’s face bloomed with a bright smile. “Thank you for telling me all this. By the way, are they doing well?”
“Who are ‘they’?” Hikita Shiori tilted her head, looking puzzled.
“Never mind, it’s nothing. In any case, I’ll be careful.”
“If you need my strength to kill someone, I will definitely help you.”
“It won’t be necessary, Shiori. It truly was wonderful to see you again.”
Leaving the bathroom, she bid farewell to Shiori.
Uzuki changed into a bathrobe and sat alone on the sofa, her phone held in her hand.
She could no longer continue to run away now.
After steeling her resolve, Uzuki dialed a number. The other end picked up very quickly.
However, for over thirty seconds after the call connected, neither of them spoke first. They maintained a subtle silence.
In the end, it was the person on the other end who broke the quiet first.
“I didn’t think you’d have the nerve to contact me.”
The ice-cold voice made Uzuki’s heart tremble slightly.
Even possessing supernatural power, she still couldn’t help instinctively fearing Tsukiyuki Rio.
“Good evening, Cousin Rio. I’m very sorry about informing the media regarding your matters previously. But kidnapping Sijin was indeed the wrong thing to do. If you would grant Sijin his freedom, I believe he would surely come to truly love you, Cousin Rio.”
“So? Now that your plan has failed, what new scheme have you come up with?”
Even though they were communicating by phone, Uzuki faintly felt as if a pair of murderous, dark red pupils were staring at her from right in front of her eyes.
“I don’t have any scheme. I simply think that we can’t continue fighting like this. I want to invite Cousin Rio to have a proper talk. Perhaps this way, our misunderstandings can be resolved. When that happens, I can return the position of Family Head to you, Cousin Rio, fully and intact.”
Uzuki clenched her small hand tightly, her heart incredibly uneasy.
She had to get Cousin Rio to leave the palace. Only then would Sister Yu and Eiko have an opportunity.
“Do you think I can’t seize the position of Family Head with my own strength?”
“That’s not it. Cousin Rio is far more outstanding than I am. If Cousin Rio got serious, I absolutely wouldn’t stand a chance. However, that way, the family would more or less suffer losses from internal strife. I think we should resolve this matter peacefully, just like how Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the Shogun of the Edo Shogunate, once carried out the Return of Political Power.”
“At this point, do you still think you have a chance to Return Political Power, Uzuki?” Tsukiyuki Rio sneered. “You betrayed me, so you must pay the price. When I want to seize the position of Family Head, I will naturally seize it. Don’t pretend to be so considerate now.”
“Cousin Rio, are you unwilling to come and see me?”
“Why should I see you?”
“If Cousin refuses to see me, I will use my authority as the Family Head to strip you of your surname and expel you from the family.” The moment Uzuki said this, her heart pounded as if it were about to leap out of her chest, her nervousness reaching an unbearable extreme. “If Cousin Rio is willing to meet me, I will give you my life in return for the kindness you once showed me.”
The other end of the call fell silent once more.
“Beyond that, I can also tell Cousin Rio many secrets that only I know. For example, the truth about Cousin Rio’s constant rebirths. For example, the supernatural entities hidden beneath the surface world. Cousin certainly knows many rules, but those are all superficial rules. The eyes with which you seek the truth have always been blinded by a pair of hands you cannot see.”
