Tsukiyuki Kyoichi’s grip on the family was slipping more and more by the day. First, Uzuki had still not given a reply after he proposed she become the next Family Head. Next, the Former Prime Minister he intended to meet had been assassinated in the street. Now, even the various industries under the Tsukiyuki Zaibatsu were grinding to a halt. A portion of middle management had resigned, which was one thing, but numerous accounting errors had also surfaced.
The family he once commanded and dispatched at will now seemed to be wrested from his control by an invisible hand.
“Tsukiyuki Rio…”
Whenever Kyoichi thought of his granddaughter, he felt a prickling unease, as if sitting on pins and needles. Behind that beautiful and seemingly delicate exterior lurked a Devil. He attended the Former Prime Minister’s funeral, his heart overwhelmed by bleak desolation.
He wasn’t mourning this former pawn, but rather himself. He was certain the assassination was connected to Tsukiyuki Rio. Was it a warning, or had she already begun to move?
Would he be the next person to lie in a coffin from a bullet wound?
“Father, you are exhausted. Let’s go home early.” After Senju supported Tsukiyuki Kyoichi in offering condolences to the bereaved family, she pushed aside the curtain of black and white vertical stripes and left the temple.
The sandō path from the main gate to the main hall was lined with countless offerings of Japanese pincushion flowers and other tributes. Mourners finished offering incense and exited through a side door. The stone steps were covered with a layer of white cloth.
Amidst the overall solemn and dignified atmosphere, the body in the coffin had been restored to its living appearance by a mortician.
“If I die, my funeral must be grander than this one,” Kyoichi said slowly, gazing at the endless stream of visitors.
“How can you say such a thing, Father? Do you intend to abandon us, and the family you built with your own hands?”
“I am well aware of my physical condition. In terms of lifespan alone, I am no match for Rio. In order to pass the position of Patriarch to Uzuki, I must suppress Rio next, ensuring she can never rise again…”
Kyoichi had witnessed the terror of the Prophesied Girl at the closest proximity. She could predict the timing of major world events down to the hour. Facing such an opponent, attending the Former Prime Minister’s funeral felt as absurd as attending his own.
After being escorted back to the old residence, Senju brewed a cup of tea for her aging father. Butler Kurosawa stood nearby.
When Senju was in her twenties, this dutiful butler had already begun caring for her father’s daily life. Now, his hair was completely white and his face lined with wrinkles.
“Kurosawa, it’s been over twenty years since you joined the family, hasn’t it?”
Kurosawa squinted his kindly eyes and nodded.
“Time truly flies.”
Senju couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.
The butler had now witnessed most of the Tsukiyuki Family’s history, and Senju was extremely satisfied with him. Most of the time, he was expressionless and silent. His eyes beneath his gray brows were always cautiously gauging the other party’s intentions, never answering rashly until he was certain. If he weren’t the Tsukiyuki Family’s butler, he might have made an excellent politician.
“We should convene a family meeting soon,” Tsukiyuki Kyoichi suddenly said. “Waiting idly for death is absolutely unacceptable.”
“Father, shall I host it on your behalf?”
“No need, Senju. I am physically fine.” Gazing at Senju’s face, her beautiful features so similar to his Deceased Wife’s, her understanding eyes brimming with tender warmth, Kyoichi felt a nihilistic sense that things had changed and people were gone. “The family meeting will be tentatively set for next Saturday.”
“Understood, Father. I will promptly notify the Family Members to prepare in advance.”
Senju left the old residence and returned to her husband’s car.
“Shall we go home now?” her husband, Tsukiyuki Kazo, asked, his tone obsequious and anxious.
“Next, we’re going to see our daughter Rio,” Senju looked at her husband. Regarding her husband’s lack of assertiveness, Senju couldn’t harbor too much dissatisfaction. After all, as an uxorilocal husband, he had largely been molded into this by her.
Moreover, Kazo was careful in all things, pure-hearted, and kind. No matter how busy he was, he never forgot Senju’s birthday or wedding anniversary and always prepared gifts in advance. Thus, even after so many years of marriage, she still harbored a deep love for her husband.
They drove straight to the apartment in Bunkyo Ward.
Their daughter had sent a message last night, demanding she arrive on time. The lines were filled with a commanding tone. In fact, Senju also deeply couldn’t understand why Kyoichi would pass the role of Patriarch to someone else instead of Tsukiyuki Rio.
“Mother, and Father, good day.”
After the car stopped, Tsukiyuki Rio stood in a black kimono, her Hime-cut hairstyle swaying in the breeze. She was traditional and elegant. Her dark crimson eyes resembled a Devil that devoured people without spitting out bones, and she wore an inscrutable smile.
Senju repeated in her heart—she is your daughter, no need to be overly nervous.
Yet, thinking of the Former Prime Minister’s death, she had no choice but to make herself as cautious as possible. Her heartbeat involuntarily quickened. Senju, known within the family for her iron will, felt when facing her daughter as if everything hidden within her was seen through by Rio. Like a subject meeting an emperor, she felt deeply apprehensive.
“Good day, Rio.”
She and her husband got out of the car and walked toward the apartment.
Most of the time, Tsukiyuki Rio played the role of an obedient daughter. However, she rarely used words like “good day.” Such politeness was like a transparent wall, invisibly isolating the relationships between family members.
Along the way, Maids accompanied them until they reached a certain room. Tsukiyuki Rio signaled with her eyes for the Maids to open the door and entered first.
Senju and her husband Kazo exchanged a glance and followed closely behind.
Today, Tsukiyuki Rio’s attitude was somewhat cold, as if they were not her parents, but strangers.
“Please sit, Mother, and Father.”
Tsukiyuki Rio sat on the sofa, calm yet carrying a hint of authority.
Senju and Kazo sat down, tensely watching their daughter, yet couldn’t help feeling how unreachably distant she was.
“Rio, just why did you call Mother and Father here?” Senju appeared calm on the surface, but inside, she was restless and anxious.
“I simply missed you,” Tsukiyuki Rio replied, her face blooming with a radiant smile. “And by the way, I wanted to ask you: Do you, Senju and Kazo, pledge loyalty to Grandfather? Or are you loyal to me?”
Their daughter’s sudden unveiling of her true intent made Senju’s heart pound violently. What kind of person was Tsukiyuki Rio?
Ultimately, the identity of a kinslayer was undeniably true. She had once executed her own uncle, who had caused immense losses to the family through greed. Tsukiyuki Rio was never an obedient girl; she was a tyrant who rewarded subservience and destroyed opposition. Judging from the slightly menacing look in her eyes at this moment, even parents were no exception.
She was incapable of forgiving betrayal.
