Book 8 Epilogue, (3)

Book 8 Epilogue, (3)

[Part 3/6]

Aoi expressed her gratitude to her grandmothers who had come to welcome her. Immediately, Kochou noticed something unusual.

"...Where is he?"

"He disappeared early in the morning. That woman said she sent him ahead, but... do you know anything?"

Kochou immediately guessed who that woman referred to. At the same time, she felt doubtful.

"Sumire-san, huh... We may need to ask her later. And also, that child."

Kochou's murmurs were small and cold. She hadn't been informed beforehand. Moreover, probably no one else was... Did that couple decide something secretly? And did they send him ahead to this mansion alone? Where is he now?

"We'll have a council meeting in a while. We'll talk about the details afterward... Shirowakamaru-san, please return to your room. Your goal doesn't seem attainable for now."

"Shiro, you should also return to my room." Witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled through Ñôv€l--B1n.

Kochou and Aoi each gave orders to their pieces.

"But...!"

"Yes, Princess... Excuse me."

As if interrupting Shirowakamaru's reluctantly given words, the white fox girl responded. Her voice sounded weak, lifeless, and even cold. Shirowakamaru, who was standing right next to her, gave her a puzzled look. But she ignored it and politely bowed before quickly leaving the place.

"...Shirowakamaru-san, I understand how you feel, but for now, please follow my orders, okay?"

"...Excuse me."

Glancing at the retreating white fox, Kochou once again requested her disciple. Shirowakamaru reluctantly nodded and headed in her master room's direction...

"Hey, what happened to that fox girl?"

"There are some complicated circumstances. Well, it's not just that..."

Her granddaughter's response to her inquiry about the white fox's atmosphere was not clear. It seemed like she didn't want to talk about it, or rather, the circumstances were complex. Perhaps, it was also related to him...

"I see... Well, let's go for now."

Conceding to Aoi's attitude, Kochou urged her to move toward the council. Aoi also silently nodded and followed.

* * *

Whispers and murmurs filled the room. Everyone speculated about the purpose of the man's entrance.

"Yun-shoku!? What are you doing here!!? You can't just enter a place like this on your own...!"

Shizu, who was the superior, shouted angrily at the intruder. But immediately, a hand was held up in front of her to stop her. It was the head of the servant group, Onitsuki Shisui.

"Sh-Shisui-sama...? What's going on...!?"

"Calm down, Assistant. Didn't the Head give the order? To let him in."

"What? But... no way!?"

Ignoring the astonished Shizu, the man in black with the hannya mask entered the room. He seemed completely unaware of the unfriendly and sometimes hostile gazes from dozens of people in the room.

When he reached the middle of the room, the servant dropped to his knees on the tatami floor and deeply bowed his head. It was as if a condemned criminal was presenting his head for decapitation...

Aoi unconsciously glanced at her grandmother through the gap in her fan, silently appealing to her. Her grandmother seemed equally perplexed. It was proof that this situation had been completely unexpected. Even Kochou, with her wide network within the Onitsuki family, had not noticed until just now. And judging from the reactions of those around...

(As I suspected, he acted on his own.)

Having recovered from the confusion early on since her return, Aoi began to speculate on the situation. She used her sharp intellect to predict what her father was planning and what he was trying to do now. She prepared arguments to defend his beloved, no matter what charges he might face.

"Servant's Yun-shoku, I need to confirm. You were trapped in 'Mayoiga' during this mission. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's correct."

In the heavy and tense atmosphere of the interrogation-like question, the servant answered concisely. "Trapped in 'Mayoiga'..." Some attendees sighed with a groan at his words. Their reactions seemed more like genuine surprise than mistrust. Even among those present, few could confidently claim they could escape from the powerful 'Mayoiga.' It was quite an achievement for a mere servant to return alive... It appeared to be an attitude of disbelief.

"After that, despite having escaped once, you ignored the warnings from your surroundings and invaded 'Mayoiga' again, isn't that right?"

"Wait! That's..."

"I ordered him to do so."

As the Head pursued the question further, Tamaki tried to defend, but Aoi firmly interrupted her with a resounding voice. And she continued.

"I knew there were survivors inside, so I ordered him. It would be a shame for the Onitsuki family to abandon the young lady of our care while doing nothing to help. I made a reasonable decision."

Aoi answered smoothly, as if singing a song. Although she never looked at him, the young girl, who was the subject of her assistance, turned pale from guilt.

"Didn't you think it was a reckless decision?"