Chapter 4. Choosing Defiance

CHAPTER 4

Choosing Defiance

Minoru Tatsuishi finally caught sight of her by pure chance. Spying on Kiyoka Kudou had become part of his daily routine. That day, he shut himself in his study and observed Kiyoka and the city through the eyes of his paper familiar in hopes of gathering information that would let him seize Miyo for his family.

At first, he thought he’d made a mistake—that couldn’t have been her. She was nothing like he remembered, nor anything like the impression Kaya had given him of Miyo. It was undoubtedly Miyo, yet her manner, expression, and attire were all different from what he was used to. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. When it finally dawned on him that Kiyoka indeed intended to keep her, Minoru wanted to shout in anger. Just thinking about it made him seethe with rage, ready to tear his hair out in frustration. He was incensed beyond the point of rational thought; he knew that Kiyoka was out of his league, but his ire shoved that simple fact into the back of his mind.

He summoned Kaya at once. She’d be his obedient tool. He didn’t care what anyone might think of his ways; Miyo was his treasure, not Kiyoka’s. Minoru needed the Gift in the Usubas’ bloodline to restore his own family’s status.

“What’s the matter? Why did you want to see me?”

Eyeing him questioningly, Kaya promptly sat down in the leather chair opposite him. He smiled at her.

“…I’ve just seen the most unbelievable thing.”

“Huh?”

“I thought it might be of interest to you as well, Kaya. Wouldn’t you like to know what your sister has been up to lately?”

Her mother’s command had become ingrained in her psyche.

“Kaya, you must never become like that.”

Her mother had drilled that into her. Every time they came across her sister in the vast Saimori residence, her mother would point at Miyo and urge Kaya to avoid ending up like her. Miyo wasn’t a Saimori—she was useless.

Kaya’s mother demanded her daughter be superior to her stepdaughter in every way. Kaya had to be a perfect student, because if she made even the most trivial of mistakes, her mother would scold her. Kanoko would reel off all the malicious gossip about Kaya’s blunder, insisting that Kaya was going to end up like Miyo because of it. Thus, the notion that she always had to be better than her half sister took root in her mind. Anything Miyo had, Kaya would need, too. In fact, Kaya had to have even more than her sister. When her soon-to-be father-in-law called her to his study and told her what he’d learned of Miyo, she didn’t believe him.

Lies, lies, lies…!
Her half sister, walking around the city in a stylish kimono, with a servant in attendance? That had to be made up.

She went back to her house, shut herself in her room, and activated her Spirit-Sight as her father had taught her. Then she clumsily constructed a paper familiar. Anyone with Spirit-Sight was capable of learning this supernatural technique. As a woman, however, she hadn’t been expected to battle Grotesqueries herself, so she’d never much cared about mastering paranormal crafts. Despite that, she was still capable of constructing a paper familiar and using Share-Sight to see through its eyes. Opening the sliding door, Kaya released the familiar she’d fashioned out of tiny scraps of paper.

It has to be some kind of mistake.
She clenched the one remaining scrap in her hand.

When she’d been in the city a few weeks ago, she’d been relieved to
find her sister dressed in a shabby old kimono. But what if Kiyoka was actually going to follow through on her marriage offer?

The stunning man she’d seen at her house that day was none other than Kiyoka Kudou. Was her good-for-nothing sister going to end up with a handsome husband and enough riches to keep an army of servants while dressing in the finest of kimonos?
No. No, that can’t happen.

Kaya had an inkling that taking over as the mistress of the Saimori household wasn’t such a desirable prospect. She’d gathered as much from her classmates and social circle. Few names came up when the topic of noteworthy families with the Gift surfaced, but Kudou was always among them. On the other hand, neither the Saimoris nor the Tatsuishis were worthy of mention. People thought they lacked both capability and promise. Though their wealth and status from their past achievements still forced their peers to accept them as nobility, they certainly didn’t command much respect. Since both families were already on the path toward ruin, Kaya couldn’t count on a carefree life of opulence as the wife of a Tatsuishi and the successor to the Saimoris. The mere thought that her sister could marry into the rich Kudou family was absurd.

In truth, Kaya cared neither about Kouji nor about inheriting the Saimori name and legacy. But she did care that Kiyoka Kudou considered Miyo a suitable wife when it obviously should have been her.

It’s so ridiculous. Miyo can’t possibly steal what should be mine… Oh!

Her familiar was winding its way through the crowds on a busy city street. Kaya spotted someone who looked like her sister and nearly had a stroke.

“No way, that can’t be Miyo…”

She was the very picture of a noblewoman, dressed in an exquisite sky-blue kimono with a charming white parasol in hand as she chatted with the servant Kaya had seen Miyo with before.

Miyo looked like a different person. Though she was petite and fragile, she no longer seemed unhealthily thin. Her hair, which used to be dull and frizzy, now shone beautifully in the sunshine. This wasn’t the haggard, unattractive sister she’d known.

“How on earth did she get this way…?”

Shocked and confused, Kaya ordered her familiar to follow the pretty young lady and her servant. When she saw they were getting close to the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit’s base, however, she had the presence of mind to make it wait at a safe distance. The lady who looked like her sister exchanged a few words with the guard and then waited by the gate. And who came out to greet her but the same striking man who’d visited Kaya’s father a few weeks earlier. To her mounting surprise, his expression was nothing like she remembered. The first time she’d seen him, he’d seemed cold and heartless, with murder in his eyes. But the man she now watched through her familiar was beaming affectionately at the lady. In turn, she smiled back at him with lightly flushed cheeks. There was no mistaking it—they were a loving couple enjoying a pleasant conversation.

“Why…?! How?!”

Kaya was so thrown that she lost control of her shabby familiar, the images it had been sending her vanishing from her mind.

This didn’t make sense. It was impossible. Her sister, looking that gorgeous? It was fanciful wrapping on an empty box. She might have been dressed up prettily, but she was still nothing. Kaya tried to convince herself that it didn’t change anything. Miyo had lived a servant’s life. She had no accomplishments and was without the Gift. It was preposterous to even suggest that a man as perfect as Kiyoka Kudou would choose to marry her.

Kaya was more attractive. She excelled in everything. She deserved better than just remaining a Saimori.

“Kaya, you must never become like that.”
And she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t let Miyo outdo her.

I should marry into the Kudou family!

She ran out of her room and rushed straight to her father’s study. Her parents had always doted on her. They’d change her fianc
é
if she asked, she thought. But she was to be severely disappointed.

“No. Don’t waste time on this foolishness. You should be learning how to be a good wife to Kouji Tatsuishi.”

“Why?!”

Her father frowned, exasperated. Kaya didn’t understand why he wouldn’t listen to her and grew even more irritated.

“This is pointless. Forget about Miyo already.”

“It’s not about Miyo—it’s about me! I’m more suitable to marry into the Kudou family!”

“Kaya, don’t you have anything better to do? Why don’t you go and spend some time with Kouji?”

“But, Father!”

No matter how she pleaded with him, he wouldn’t listen to her. This had never happened before. Even when he started off staring at her sternly, he’d eventually relent and give her what she wanted. Why hadn’t he this time?

“Kaya?”

She ran into Kouji in the corridor outside her father’s study. He must have just come over for a visit.

“Kouji…”

Kaya hesitated. Kouji was Miyo’s friend. If she told him she wanted to do something to thwart her sister’s newfound happiness, he would definitely be against it. But on second thought… She knew he loved Miyo. Swapping brides would be in his interest as well.

“Kouji, I’ve been thinking…,” Kaya began before asking him if he’d prefer marrying Miyo.

“What?”

His brow furrowed in confusion.

“Wouldn’t you be happier marrying her instead of me?”

“I don’t understand why you’re asking me this.”

“I would clearly make a better bride to Kiyoka Kudou, so I’ve been thinking of swapping places with my sister. It would be for the best. You’ll help me, right?”

“Don’t be silly,” he snapped. Kaya caught a glimpse of resignation in his eyes, and this irritated her.

“Why don’t we just do it? You like Miyo better than me.”

“It doesn’t matter who I like. Did your father even give you permission?”

“…”

“You can’t do anything without his blessing.”

“…Oh, I see. So you’re going to be cruel to me, too.”

Finding sympathy from neither her father nor fianc
é
, Kaya felt bitter disappointment.
But wait—Kouji’s father will surely side with me!

Not only did he always listen to her, but he’d also told her about Miyo in the first place. He would help. That reassured Kaya—she would always have people she could count on. She was convinced of her superiority to Miyo and certain any man would choose her over her half sister.

Sometime earlier…

“Miss Miyo, are you ready?”

“Yes, I’m coming!”

Miyo stepped out of the house into the sunshine. It was only morning, but the sun was already beating down. Kiyoka hadn’t come home the night before—he’d had so much work that he’d stayed in his office. Assuming he must be exhausted, Miyo was keen to do something nice for him, so she decided to bring him a home-cooked meal. She’d heard from both Yurie and Godou that Kiyoka would skip meals when he was swamped with work. If they set off now, they’d make it to his office in time for lunch.

“Young Master will be delighted.”

“I hope so…”

Clutching the cloth-wrapped lunch box, Miyo took one last look at her outfit to make sure she was presentable.

She’d only just received the pink kimono a few days earlier when more packages had started arriving from Suzushima’s, containing thin, unlined kimonos perfect for this time of year; matching undershirts; sashes; and accessories. Miyo was awestruck at the sight of so many parcels stacked up high in their small house. She was too scared to even think of how much it all must have cost Kiyoka, but it would have been a waste to just store the clothes away, so she started to wear them sparingly. Since she was going out that day, she’d donned a sky-blue
kimono with a gorgeous wisteria pattern that she’d paired with a yellow sash.

“Take this with you as well, Miss Miyo.”

“Gosh, it’s so cute…”

“The sun’s so strong this time of year. Young Master told me to give it to you.”

Yurie handed her an adorable white lace parasol. Well crafted and probably very expensive, it could complement both Western- and Japanese-style outfits. Miyo would feel like a refined lady of high birth by walking around with it…but she had some reservations about accepting it.

“…I hope Mr. Kudou hasn’t been spending too much money on me…”

A high-ranking officer from a family as affluent as his probably didn’t need to even look at prices, but he seemed to have been spending so lavishly on gifts for her that she couldn’t help being concerned. In addition to buying her new kimonos, which was plenty already, he kept finding excuses to provide her with all sorts of everyday goods, on top of the food and lodging she was already receiving. While this was something most girls from wealthy families felt entitled to, Miyo had never experienced anything close to that level of generosity, so it seemed like too much for her. In fact, she felt downright guilty that Kiyoka was squandering his personal wealth on her.

“Well, I don’t know the specifics of Young Master’s personal finances, of course, but I can tell you he’s been living such a modest, frugal life that his recent spending is certainly of no consequence. Shall we get going?”

“Y-yes, let’s go.”

Yurie gave her a gentle push, and they started walking. When they entered the city boundaries, Miyo, despite herself, thought back to her unpleasant encounter with Kaya. She desperately hoped not to run into her half sister again. Her life had become peaceful, but the memories of her past weren’t so easily swept under the rug. If her sister confronted her again, she would freeze up in terror just like last time.

At least now she had people she could rely on, people she could turn to for help. Knowing that lessened her ever-present anxiety.

“Hello.”

Miyo greeted the guard outside Kiyoka’s base, who asked her to identify herself and state her business. She haltingly explained that she was Kiyoka’s fianc
é
e and that she’d come along with their maid, Yurie, to deliver him some food.

“Commander Kudou’s fianc
é
e…? Please wait here while I check it with him.”

The guard seemed thrown by that, as if he didn’t quite believe her. She and Yurie patiently waited as ordered, and soon enough, Kiyoka emerged from one of the buildings, slightly flustered. He was usually so cool and composed that it was strange to see him like that.

“Miyo, Yurie, what are you two doing all the way out here?”

“You’ve just been working so hard, Mr. Kudou,” said Miyo. “I didn’t want to disturb you while you’re at work, but I thought I should bring you something to eat in case you haven’t had the time to go out for a meal.”

She smiled self-consciously and handed him the wrapped parcel.

“O-oh, I see. That’s…that’s very thoughtful.”

He mumbled his thanks and accepted the bundle with a frown. Someone who didn’t know him very well might have mistakenly thought Kiyoka was upset, but Miyo understood that he was simply shy. Kiyoka’s demeanor and expressions often invited misunderstanding.

“You’ve walked a long way. Do you want to come in and rest awhile?”

“I’m all right. How are you feeling, Yurie?”

“Oh, no, I’m just fine.”

Yurie smiled and patted her chest as if to show she still had plenty of energy left. She had a strong constitution from working as a servant her whole life.

“We wouldn’t want to tear you away from your work, so we’ll head back now.”

For a moment, she thought he seemed disappointed, but that couldn’t have been the case. He was very busy and wouldn’t have had the time for her. They were about to leave when Kiyoka turned serious and asked:

“Miyo, do you have that amulet I gave you?”

“Huh? Ah yes… I have it in here.”

He nodded when she pointed to the small drawstring bag hanging from her wrist. Then someone called his name from one of the office buildings, and he shouted back a reply. Within an instant, his expression had hardened into that of a commander with important responsibilities.

“I’ll be there in a minute!” Kiyoka yelled before speaking to Miyo again. “I’m glad you brought it with you. I wish I could walk you part of the way, but duty calls.”

“Please don’t worry. We’ve taken enough of your time. Good luck with work.”

“Thank you. Take care on the way back.”

“We will.”

He smiled at her and patted her head before going back inside.

“Heh-heh, Young Master was acting so bashful, wasn’t he?”

“I suppose so…”

As they headed back, it occurred to Miyo to check her bag. She looked inside with consternation.

“Is something the matter?” Yurie asked.

“Um, well…”

She moved some things around in it, but what she was looking for wasn’t there. Could it have fallen out? No, on second thought…

“I told Mr. Kudou I had the amulet, but it seems I left it at home.”

“Goodness!”

Miyo had chosen a different bag to match her kimono and had forgotten to move the amulet from the old one. It hadn’t crossed her mind that she could be so careless, which had resulted in her inadvertently lying to Kiyoka. It happened only because she was so unused to going out, but that, of course, was no excuse.

I really am hopeless…

Not only did she become more anxious, knowing that she didn’t have the amulet with her made her somehow feel less under Kiyoka’s protection. She was also riddled with guilt for having broken her promise to him.

“In that case, we should hurry back home,” Yurie suggested.

“Yes, of course.”

Miyo nodded and hastened her pace. She didn’t know if the amulet had any power, but since Kiyoka had insisted she carry it on her every time she went out, it must have been important. The amulet preyed on her mind so much that she couldn’t enjoy her stroll.

Yurie and Miyo continued on without talking much until they’d almost made it out of the city. Now all that remained was taking a quiet countryside road back home. The moment they relaxed, however, they heard the loud noise of an engine before a car stopped abruptly right next to them. Miyo’s first thought was that it was Kiyoka, but she was mistaken.

“Miss Miyo!” Yurie shrieked.

The unexpected turn of events so confounded Miyo that she froze for a moment.

“Huh? Yurie— Aah!”

Before she even had the time to turn around, someone had grabbed her arm so hard that it hurt and pulled her away. Her assailant’s grip was too powerful to resist.

“What are you—?”

Who would do this? Before Miyo could even manage a glimpse of the assailant, they swiftly gagged her and threw a sack over her head. She couldn’t see, couldn’t speak, couldn’t fight back.

Mr. Kudou…! I’m so scared…!

They heaved her up and violently tossed her into the car. Panicking and struggling to breathe, she fell unconscious.

Kiyoka’s fountain pen moved swiftly as he attacked his pile of paperwork. He was just about to reach for his stamp when his subordinate called from behind the door to his office.

“Commander…”

He picked up a hint of unease in the soldier’s voice. Kiyoka hadn’t scheduled any meetings that day. Perhaps it was an emergency? Frowning, he rushed out of his office and into the waiting room by the base entrance. He saw a familiar face as soon as he entered.

“…Yurie?”

She’d left with Miyo only a short while ago. The old woman nearly fell over as she leaped to her feet and ran to him.

“Young Master, it’s Miss Miyo…!”

“What happened?”

“Sh-she’s been… She’s been…”

“Yurie, pull yourself together.”

“We must hurry! We have to go at once!”

The normally placid Yurie was so agitated that she was incoherent.

“Calm down, Yurie. Take your time and explain what happened.”

“Miss Miyo, she…”

“She what?”

“She’s been abducted…!”

Kiyoka moaned.
No—it can’t be…!
He’d taken kidnapping into consideration but thought the chances were very low. How could he have been such a fool?

After getting the frenzied Yurie to sit down, he started questioning her.

“Did you run into anyone before she was taken? Someone from the Saimori family or a Tatsuishi perhaps?”

“N-no, we didn’t see anyone. We were heading straight home.”

“But Miyo had the amulet on her.”

“…Well, you see…”

Yurie explained that after they’d left him, Miyo had noticed she’d forgotten the amulet. Both Yurie’s hands and voice were shaking. She blamed herself for not having checked if Miyo had had everything with her before they’d left the house.

Kiyoka exhaled slowly in an attempt to calm himself before the raging emotions in his chest made him explode. The amulet he’d given Miyo concealed her from familiars. While it couldn’t hide her from ill-intentioned humans or protect her from physical assault, it was effective against Gift-users trying to locate her that way.

“…Tsk!”

Kiyoka’s powerlessness incensed him. Hastily taking out a few scraps of paper from his pocket, he channeled his power into them to create familiars and sent them out to look for Miyo in the city. Since
the capital was so vast, however, this method was both time-consuming and unreliable.

He was almost certain he knew the identity of the perpetrator, but without proof, he couldn’t act. Things would be okay if his familiars managed to locate her, but he knew the chances of that were slim. And though Kiyoka was powerful enough to barge into the suspect’s house and overwhelm them, this could backfire if he couldn’t back up his accusations. He needed decisive evidence. It was maddening. As much as he wanted to rescue Miyo this instant, his hands were tied.

“Commander, you’ve got another visitor.”

The laid-back voice of one of Kiyoka’s subordinates broke the heavy silence.

“Who is it?”

Kiyoka kept his emotions at bay when he replied. But Godou didn’t answer—instead, he let the guest into the room. It was the last person Kiyoka had expected. The man spoke with great reluctance, clenching his fists as if struggling to control himself.

“It’s absurd that I should be asking you for help… But I can’t save Miyo alone.”

Kaya’s fianc
é
, Kouji Tatsuishi, stood there on the verge of tears.

Kouji had sworn to protect Miyo. That was why he’d agreed to wed Kaya and inherit the Saimori name. And yet, there he was, sitting in Kiyoka’s car as they drove at top speed, biting his lips till they were bloody. The regrettable circumstances of this incident, which he’d laid out to Kiyoka at the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit’s base, kept replaying in his memory.

Kaya was acting strange. She announced out of the blue that she wanted to swap husbands with Miyo. When he told her that was impossible, she went to speak with his father instead. That made him suspicious, so he followed her. What he overheard next made him doubt his sanity.

“What if Miyo agreed to it?” said Kaya.

“Yes,” replied Minoru, “in that case Kudou would have to honor her wishes and call off the engagement. You can break Miyo with ease and make her say what you want.”

“And I’m sure my mother will help out, too! Can you bring Miyo to us?”

“Easily.”

Satisfied with the plan, Kaya clapped her hands in delight.

“I don’t believe it! What on earth has gotten into you?!”

Kouji stormed into the room, and the pair bored into him with frigid glares.

“What are you complaining about?” said Kaya. “I told you earlier—I’m going to end Miyo’s engagement and take her place. You said it wouldn’t work without my father’s permission, so I’m here asking yours for advice.”

“You can’t be serious.”

Overcome by shock, he looked questioningly at his father.

“This is what must be done to get Miyo back.”

“But, Father, you spent all these years telling me not to interfere in other families’ business!”

In the past, Kouji’s father had stopped him every time he’d tried to help Miyo and had urged him not to meddle. But what he was doing now contradicted his own advice. Minoru Tatsuishi sighed at this accusation.

“That was because it wasn’t in our interest for the Saimoris to realize Miyo’s value. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have given her away so easily.”

“What…?”

Kouji didn’t understand.

“They’d have clung to her if they knew her true worth. If her family alienated her, we’d have better odds of marrying her into ours.”

“…”

His father had turned a blind eye to the abuse Miyo had suffered at the hands of her family just so that he could acquire her as a bride for his son down the road? Now that he’d realized how cruel and calculating his father’s intentions for Miyo had been, Kouji’s fury reached a boiling point. Blood rushed to his head, and he saw red.

Kouji despised his father. There was no way Minoru hadn’t realized the extent of Miyo’s suffering, how much misery she’d endured, how she’d been rendered unable to smile. Standing back and allowing that to happen was inhumane. The fact that Kouji had followed the orders of someone so wicked for so long infuriated him. Rage surged within him, and the windows in the room cracked with a shrill noise. With his emotions out of control, his powers now bent to the whims of the untamed fury that had overtaken him.

“…I won’t let you get away with this.”

“There’s nothing you can do, Kouji.”

“You can’t tell me what to do anymore!”

The furniture in the room—chairs, tables, bookcases—all started shaking.

“Kaya, you go home.”

“But, sir…”

“I’ll come see you as soon as I’m finished taking care of this.”

“Understood. Rest assured I’ll be able to change my sister’s mind.”

Kaya glanced at Kouji but left the room obediently, as if she’d lost interest. The very moment she shut the door, everything in the room shot up into the air, defying gravity.

“I won’t let you use Miyo as you see fit…!”

As he yelled, the floating objects in the room flew at Minoru with terrifying momentum. Telekinesis, the ability to move objects through sheer force of will, was one of the basic Gifts. Kouji had thought making a chair levitate was the best he could manage, but he was finding that he possessed far more power than he’d ever imagined. Maybe enough to rend a human body asunder and send the pieces flying. Yet, his father refused to budge, undaunted.

“What a surprise to see you can muster this much power. The extent of one’s might can vary depending on their state of mind, as you’re illustrating right now.”

Minoru lifted his hand, and all the items Kouji had launched at him stopped moving before slowly drifting down to the floor.

“Why…? Move! Move as I will you to!”

“Don’t be foolish. You’ve never trained to cultivate your powers. You’re no match for me.”

Like a cyclone passing over him, Kouji’s ability had already faded away and become undetectable. Though his anger hadn’t subsided, he couldn’t replicate the energy he’d tapped into just a moment earlier.

“Dammit… Why won’t it work?!”

Why was he so powerless? Kouji had confidently promised to protect Miyo, yet he lacked the strength to act when push came to shove. He felt like an arrogant kid who talked big but couldn’t actually do anything. Without an outlet for his frustration, he felt as if he was losing his mind. Tears streamed down his face. His father restrained him, tied him up, and imprisoned him in the room, binding him with a supernatural technique so that he couldn’t escape.

Kouji was left to wonder if his father had already captured Miyo, if he’d taken her to the Saimoris’ house. Miyo was in danger, but he hadn’t even been able to stand up to his own father and thwart his evil plan. And he had only himself to blame for fence-sitting for so long. His behavior hadn’t been rooted in kindness. Quite the opposite—he was indecisive, cowardly, spineless. He’d let the situation get this bad by refusing to act sooner.

“I’m such an idiot…”

If he’d genuinely wanted to protect Miyo, he would have made an effort to do so earlier. Now it was too late. He’d never developed his supernatural abilities, so if he tried to fight the Saimoris, he’d only wind up humiliated…

The sound of the door opening interrupted his self-reproach.

“So are you going to just give up?”

Now his older brother was taunting him. The elder Tatsuishi’s mocking confidence and flashy man-about-town looks annoyed Kouji to no end.

“Of course not. I’m going to save Miyo!”

His brother laughed at this spirited reply as if he’d heard a good joke…before undoing the binding their father had conjured around Kouji with unexpected facility.

“Why are you helping me…?”

“Shouldn’t you be going after him instead of worrying about that?”

Kouji nodded briefly and dashed out of the room to the tune of his brother’s irritating laughter.

“We’ll get there soon. Acting so impatient won’t help any, Mr. Tatsuishi,” Kiyoka calmly admonished Kouji, who was sitting in the passenger seat next to him.

“You don’t seem fazed at all, even though something awful could be happening to your fianc
é
e right now,” came Kouji’s surly reply.

Kiyoka was almost frighteningly calm. His expression was practically statuesque, as if he wasn’t the least bit anxious about his kidnapped fianc
é
e.

He was so perfect. Kouji couldn’t name one thing this man was lacking. It was only too obvious that Kouji couldn’t hold a candle to him, as a Gift-user or as a man, and no amount of effort on his part would ever change that.

But would Miyo be in safe hands with him? What did he know about her? Was he aware of her sorrows, her loneliness, the wounds in her heart? Maybe Kiyoka was only making a show of going to rescue her, but did he really care?
What if he abandons her, too?
If it came to that, Kouji would have to kill Miyo and then himself. He’d been considering that eventuality for some time. It would be the best way to ensure she wouldn’t suffer anymore. Although he did realize that it wasn’t quite right for him to decide that for her, he couldn’t think of a better plan.

But Kouji would soon discover that his readiness to die was entirely senseless.

Miyo awoke to the smell of musty air. The room she was in was dark, but as her eyes adjusted, she could make out some shapes, so there must have been a light source. However, she couldn’t see outside, so she didn’t know whether it was still day or night. She was lying on a dusty wooden
floor—they must have thrown her down there like a sack of potatoes. Her hands were bound with rope, so she sat up with difficulty.

Where am I?

As she scanned the room for any telltale clues, she realized she knew this place. Her most horrible memory flashed back in her mind. The narrow, empty room, cold and damp. There was no doubt about it—this was the Saimori storehouse where she’d been locked up as a child.

Most storehouses had the same layout, and there was nothing to indicate beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was the Saimoris’, but everything about it was exactly as she remembered. That was enough to convince her it was the one.

That meant either Kaya or her stepmother had abducted her. While she didn’t understand why they’d do that, she wouldn’t have put it past them. Their contempt for her ran deep. Given a chance to torment her again, they would have pounced on it.

Having established this much about her situation, Miyo started thinking about what might happen to her, which made her very afraid. At the same time, she felt guilty for troubling Kiyoka and Yurie. Kiyoka had probably been told about the abduction by now. Would he try to rescue her? Tears of shame welled up in her eyes for being such a burden.

Miyo’s pulse thumped loudly in her ears. Her stepmother or Kaya might come in at any moment. She couldn’t imagine what they would do to her, which frightened her even more. She’d been so relieved to leave her family home and find a place where she felt safe. She thought she’d gotten a little stronger, but it was actually the opposite—she’d become less resilient. If she broke into tears in front of her abusers, they would only mock her with satisfaction.

Determined, Miyo stood up and slammed her body against the door, desperately hoping she would have enough strength to smash it open now that she was a grown woman. But just like back then, the door didn’t budge.

So much for hoping…

The door was barred, not latched. She couldn’t possibly break free.

There was no other way out. The sole window was too high to reach
and likely too small to squeeze through anyway. As much as she didn’t want to give up, there was clearly nothing she could do, so she sat down on the floor like a prisoner awaiting execution. Then she heard something outside.

“…”

She stiffened, breaking into a cold sweat. With bated breath, she stared at the door, listening to the dull sound of the wooden bar being removed.

“Oh, so you’re awake?”

It was her sister, just as she’d suspected. Miyo squared her shoulders reflexively. Kaya had a servant unlock the door for her. She slowly walked up to the storehouse and stopped just outside, the late-afternoon sun at her back.

Kaya seemed flawless as usual, what with her beautiful face resembling her mother’s, the kimono she wore in trendy bright colors, and her clear, high-pitched voice. Yet, her dark eyes were clouded with hate.

“You were passed out cold for so long that I started to wonder if maybe you were dead.”

She giggled strangely, without her usual leisurely confidence. Kaya seemed distracted, or perhaps giddy with anticipation.

“Why are you…? Why are you doing this?”

Miyo was so scared and anxious that she couldn’t breathe normally. Her voice cracked pitifully. Kaya’s sneer grew wider as she watched her sister tremble on the filthy floor of the storehouse.

“That’s better. A pretty kimono like that doesn’t become you. But now that it’s dirty, it suits you more.”

“…”

Miyo couldn’t think of a retort. The truth was that, deep down, she agreed with Kaya. Kiyoka’s gifts of expensive clothing had made her nervous because she didn’t think she deserved them. Hunched over and staring down at the ground, Miyo didn’t notice another person coming in until she heard footsteps next to her. All of a sudden, sharp pain seized her cheek, and she fell over with a short gasp.

“It’s all your fault!”

The voice belonged to her stepmother. She’d struck Miyo with her
folding fan. Those words were a staple of Miyo’s childhood memories. Since her stepmother had blamed her for everything and anything, Miyo had heard them countless times.

“You’re ruining my life again!”

“Ugh…”

She instinctively opened her mouth to apologize before stopping herself.

“Is this how you pay me back for raising you? You rotten wench, getting brazen just because you were sent away!”

“…”

Miyo wanted to stand up for herself for a change, but she couldn’t summon the courage to mount a comeback against her stepmother, who was raging like a demon from hell. She wouldn’t listen anyway. Nothing Miyo could say would make any difference—not in the past, and not now.

“You disgust me. Don’t you know your place is with the servants? Don’t think you’re someone just because we offered you to the Kudous!”

Miyo lay on the floor with her hands fettered, unable to get up. Kanoko dug her foot into her stomach.

“It hurts…!”

Her stepmother sent a flurry of kicks to her shoulders and abdomen. She stopped only to grab Miyo by her hair next and painfully pull her up. Opening her eyes, Miyo saw Kanoko and Kaya standing next to each other and glaring daggers at her.

“You will break the engagement.”

“…!”

Miyo froze at her stepmother’s words.

“Yes, that’s exactly what you’ll do!” Kaya agreed, leaning in. “Being Kudou’s wife is too much for you, dear sister. So let’s trade.”

A part of Miyo’s brain still remained calm and rational, so she understood how she’d incurred her sister’s and stepmother’s wrath. They couldn’t stand that Kiyoka Kudou had accepted someone they’d so despised. In their minds, this marriage was never supposed to happen. But now that it seemed likely, it drove them mad with rage.

“You should’ve died in a gutter like you were meant to,” Kanoko spat.

“Ngh!”

Miyo’s stepmother kept yanking her by the hair. The cheek she’d struck burned as it pulsated with pain. Miyo tasted blood. Her lip must have been cut.

“Now listen to what I’m about to say. You will tell Mr. Kudou that you don’t want to marry him. If you had the boldness to ask him to buy you pretty clothes like this, you can ask him to send you home.”

“Don’t worry, Miyo. After I marry Mr. Kudou, you can have Kouji back.”

“…”

It would have been easy to do as they ordered. Whenever they had stolen from her, she had refused to fight back, just so their abuse would end sooner. That was how she’d managed to survive. This was the path of least resistance. Clinging to what had been important to her and trying to hold out against them would only prolong her pain and suffering, which was worse. If she agreed to their demands, they would probably let her go at once. She would return to servitude, build thick walls around her heart, and be alone once again. If she kept her head low, she’d be less likely to become a target for violence. She’d believed that for so long.

“—do it.”

“What was that?”

“I… I won’t do it.”

She wouldn’t give in. She wouldn’t give up Kiyoka and the life she could have with him. The one time Miyo had opposed her stepmother, it had ended with her surrendering the mementos of her mother. But she wouldn’t let them steal her future with Kiyoka. She wouldn’t let anyone take that from her.

“I…won’t do what you want.”

Despite the pain, she raised her eyes to meet their gazes. She wouldn’t look away, and neither would she bow her head again. This resistance amplified her stepmother’s fury. She tightened her grip on Miyo’s hair, pulled her closer, and struck her down with her fan again.

“Don’t you dare talk back!”

After she fell to the floor, her stepmother hit her shoulders. Miyo clenched her teeth and endured the stinging pain.

“Don’t forget your place! You’re worthless! Unlike Kaya, you don’t have Spirit-Sight, so you don’t have any value! It was a preposterous idea to offer you, the family embarrassment, as a bride for Mr. Kudou!”

“What’s wrong, Miyo? You’ll get this house
and
Kouji. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“I…”

She wouldn’t bend, no matter what they said. Miyo sealed her fear away deep in her heart and glared back at her stepmother and sister with defiance.

“I’m Kiyoka Kudou’s fianc
é
e, and I’m not going to give him up!”

Face turning red from rage, Kanoko raised her hand at Miyo again.

“We’re here.”

Lost in reverie, Kouji hadn’t noticed when Kiyoka pulled up by the main gate to the Saimori residence. He quickly got out of the car and followed. It was semidark already, and the overcast sky blocked the fading light of the setting sun. The heavy old gate, firmly shut, stood imposingly before them.

“What do we do? They might refuse to let us in…”

“That won’t be a problem.”

There was not a trace of hesitation in Kiyoka’s voice. He raised his hand, and Kouji was momentarily blinded by a flash of bright light and deafened by thunder.

“Guh…”

It was as if lightning had struck right beside them…until Kouji realized that was exactly what had happened. He smelled burnt wood. Soon after, he regained his sight. Sure enough, the gate was charred and in pieces. The ability Kiyoka had used was tremendously powerful. Kouji
had heard something about a Gift enabling control over lightning, but he never imagined it could be this destructive.

“Let’s go.”

“Huh? Ah, yes…”

Though Kouji was still in shock and frightened by what he’d witnessed, he pulled himself together and followed Kiyoka. He caught a glimpse of the other man’s eyes then—and the wrath within. It was so intense that Kiyoka’s pale-blue eyes seemed to be lit from within by flames of fury.

He’s…enraged?

Kouji had taken Kiyoka’s lack of expression as a sign that he hadn’t cared about Miyo. His emotionless voice as coming from a cold heart. A question began to form on Kouji’s lips as he hurried behind Kiyoka, but he didn’t speak it. It would be pointless to ask it now. He was unlikely to get a reply, and he would soon find out the answer anyway. Keeping his mouth shut, he hastened his pace so as not to fall behind.

The din and tremors from the lightning strike that had destroyed the gate sent panic through the Saimori estate. The servants, and even Shinichi Saimori himself, came out to investigate. When they discovered the gate had been burned down, they ran around the grounds in confusion. No one dared to stop Kiyoka and Kouji as they strode confidently toward the main house.

Shinichi was the first to regain his senses.

“Mr. Kudou! What is the meaning of this?!” he called out in bewilderment.

“Where is Miyo?” Kiyoka demanded.

“!”

Shinichi gasped, and all blood drained from his face. He looked as if he was about to faint. Drops of perspiration appeared on his forehead.

“M-Miyo? She—”

“You won’t be getting Miyo back,” Minoru interjected, walking up from behind Shinichi.

“Father! Have you no shame?!”

Kouji took a step toward Minoru, ready to lash out, but Kiyoka held him back.

“I’ve asked where you’re keeping my fianc
é
e.”

“No point in asking. She’s told me she never wants to see you again.”

“I’d rather hear that from her. If you’re not going to tell me where she is, then get out of my way.”

Kiyoka and Minoru glared at each other, neither intending to back down. Despite Kouji now being on hostile terms with his father, he was nevertheless impressed that Minoru wasn’t intimidated by Kiyoka. The man’s furious aura seemed to make the air around him shimmer. But it also clearly illustrated how deeply Kouji’s father desired Miyo’s bloodline.

“I will not let you pass,” said Minoru. “Try to force your way through, and I will do whatever it takes to hold you back. I will also report you for trespassing.”

“Do what you like, but you cannot stop me.”

Kouji was expecting Kiyoka to turn violent, but he didn’t. Neither did he draw his sword nor use his powers. He simply kept walking slowly, his rage palpable. Minoru and Shinichi lost their composure first and conjured a barrier in a panic. But it failed to impede Kiyoka’s progress. The best Gift-user of his generation continued marching forward without making any movements or gestures that indicated the use of a special ability. Both Shinichi and Minoru had combat experience, yet Kiyoka ripped through their magical barriers as if they were mere tissue paper. This did far more than just unsettle his opponents. Realizing how much more powerful Kiyoka was compared with them, Minoru and Shinichi succumbed to pure terror. Even Kouji was pale as a ghost as he quietly followed Kiyoka.

“So the Kudous’ reputation wasn’t just a fable…”

Kiyoka had reached the two older men and had driven them against a wall. With their Gifts useless, they changed their approach. Minoru tried to punch Kiyoka, who swiftly grabbed his arm and threw him into the air. Then Kiyoka fixed his burning gaze on Shinichi, who took half a step back before his legs buckled under him and he limply crumpled to the ground. Shinichi wasn’t even going to try brawling. Compared with Kiyoka, he was as weak as a child—no, an infant—so resistance would be futile.

Such a vast difference between Gift-users in the service of the emperor was unfathomable. Kouji was no longer envious. Kiyoka didn’t seem human to him anymore but rather a cold-blooded demon that destroyed anything in its wake. He merely felt grateful that this man was his ally.

Kouji furtively glanced at his father and Shinichi lying on the ground but couldn’t bear looking at them, so he hurried on toward the Saimoris’ house. This was a sprawling residence, a wooden building that was a maze of rooms and corridors. Since it had been designed so that every walkway offered a garden view, the house was composed of many small courtyards and a larger rear garden. In days past, this kind of elaborate architecture immediately identified the wealthiest of families to onlookers.

“Tatsuishi, do you know where they’d keep Miyo?” Kiyoka asked without turning to look at him. Caught off guard, Kouji quickly tried to think of the most likely places.

“Her old room in the servants’ quarters… No, hold on.”

If Kaya and Kanoko were with her, it couldn’t have been that room. They wouldn’t be caught dead in the servants’ quarters. Maybe Miyo’s original room, then? No, that one was next to her mother’s, so Kanoko hated being near it. It was an old house, and old houses with their thin walls didn’t offer much privacy. There wasn’t really anywhere secluded where you could hold a captive… Or was there?

“There’s this storehouse in the garden out back…”

“Yes?”

“It’s really old and not used for much… I think they may be keeping her there.”

The storehouse could be barred from the outside. The more Kouji thought about it, the more convinced he became that it was the right place. Kiyoka nodded in agreement.

“Show me the way,” he said.

“Follow me.”

“Wait—behind you!”

Kouji turned in surprise to see a fast-advancing vortex of flames—one of his father’s Gift abilities. Minoru followed behind it in fierce
pursuit. Kouji couldn’t will himself to move as the mass of fire approached him. He didn’t know how to react, nor could he do anything to shield himself.

“The hotheaded fool just won’t give up,” Kiyoka spat with loathing.

No sooner had he spoken than an invisible wall he’d conjured separated Kouji from the vortex.

“A barrier…”

But his relief was short-lived. When the flame vortex crashed into the impenetrable magical barrier, it expanded left and right. The building walls caught fire immediately, and the conflagration quickly spread to engulf the inner courtyards, burning down trees, scorching grass.

“This is terrible…”

Kouji wished he could cover his eyes so as not to see the destruction. The infernal flames born from his father’s tenacity were swallowing up everything in their path. Even a child could imagine what would happen if fire blazed uncontrollably inside a residence built from wood and paper. As Kouji stood there horrified, he heard a zapping sound and saw his father suddenly collapse. He couldn’t say what he felt at that moment. Should he have felt sorry for his father, who would have burned him to death if Kiyoka hadn’t intervened?

“I only gave him a small shock to paralyze him. We need to hurry before the fire spreads.”

They were there to rescue Miyo, not to duel with Minoru or put out fires. As for Kouji, he never wanted anything to do with his father again. That day, he finally decided to walk his own path and wash his hands of his father’s schemes.

Suddenly, there was thunder and the shaking of the earth. They sensed it even in the storehouse at the back of the residence.

“What was that…?”

Kaya and Kanoko looked at each other in surprise. Kanoko relaxed her grip on Miyo’s hair, and the girl fell to her knees.

“Check what’s going on,” Miyo’s stepmother ordered her servant.

Her voice sounded far away to Miyo, who was growing dazed. Her shoulders had been struck so violently that her arms had gone numb. Getting slapped across the face had made her feel increasingly foggy.

“Was it you? Did you do something?”

Miyo barely registered the harsh tone of her stepmother’s accusations. It didn’t affect her in the slightest.

“M-me…?”

What was her stepmother even implying? What could Miyo have done as a prisoner, bound and helpless?

“Mother, you have to get her to say it.”

“I will. Miyo, say that you’re breaking the engagement with Kudou, now!”

Her voice was so distant.

“No… I won’t say that.”

Miyo couldn’t focus, could barely think, but she wouldn’t give in. She wouldn’t let them have their way. There was only a single wish in her heart, and from this wish she derived the strength to keep resisting her oppressors.

“Shameless wench! You have no right to disagree!”

Red-faced from anger, Kanoko grabbed Miyo by the neck. Miyo saw the word
death
spelled in her mind’s eye. The letters faded quickly. But she didn’t despair, although she had a hunch that if she simply gave up now, death would promptly arrive. She remembered how she’d made peace with her demise earlier, when her sorrowful, painful life hadn’t seemed worth living anymore. When she hadn’t belonged anywhere. But Miyo had been wrong—there was a place for her in this world at Kiyoka’s side.

“I…won’t…say…it.”

Kaya grimaced in exasperation, and Kanoko squeezed Miyo’s throat tighter.

Mr. Kudou, I didn’t give up. I didn’t apologize this time, either. I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want to die just yet…

“Mr. Kudou…”

“Miyo!”

Everything had gone dark in front of her, but she heard her name being called. She’d been waiting to hear this voice. His voice.

“Mr. Kudou…?”

Aghast, Kanoko released Miyo. She crumpled to the floor again.

“Miyo!”

Kiyoka rushed to her side without paying attention to anyone else. He undid her fetters and lifted her beaten body into an embrace. He really had come all this way for her.

She coughed, gasping for air with tears in her eyes as an overwhelming relief washed over her. She’d never doubted him. She knew that this kindhearted man wouldn’t have abandoned her. It was just the way he was.

“Mr. Ku…dou…”

“Everything’s going to be just fine.”

He looked pained, on the verge of tears. Was it because he felt so sorry for her, battered and abused? If so, she wanted to apologize for saddening him. But she didn’t feel ashamed—the wounds were her badge of honor. For the first time in her life, Miyo hadn’t yielded to her tormentors. Despite the pressure from her family, she hadn’t allowed them to bend her will.

Kiyoka carefully cradled his fianc
é
e in his arms after she fell unconscious. She weighed so little, even dressed in the elaborate kimono, which was by no means light. There was a welt on her cheek—she must have been struck with a blunt object—that he reached for in disbelief, stopping his fingers before they touched her skin to avoid hurting her. The two women who’d done this to her were standing close by.

“…What did you do to make her like this?”

“…”

They twitched at his quiet question, surprised. Did they think they’d get away with this? As he examined their faces, he felt a surge of anger. He was amazed at their audacity.

“How could you beat a helpless girl? What did you want from her?”

“Well…”

Kanoko kept her mouth shut sullenly, but Kaya was unfazed.

“I’ve done nothing wrong.” She raised her chin haughtily and stared down at Miyo, who was cradled in Kiyoka’s arms. “I was merely trying to correct a mistake.”

“What mistake?”

“Miyo being offered to you as a bride, obviously. My family must have done it in error. The girl’s useless, you know. She doesn’t have Spirit-Sight, plus she’s stupid and ugly. She didn’t even make a good servant. Someone like her was going to marry above me? Ludicrous. The arrangement was a huge mistake, plain and simple.”

“…”

“My parents agree that I’m better than her. I’m the superior daughter.
I
deserve to be your wife. Even Kouji’s father agrees.”

Kaya was incensed, fully convinced that she was in the right. As far as she was concerned, her hatred for Miyo wasn’t an unreasonable personal grudge but a natural reaction to having her rights ignored. Kiyoka imagined that she’d grown to be so twisted because her parents had ingrained this entitlement in her. He could even feel sorry for her. But she’d incurred his wrath, so he would not forgive her just because she’d been raised to be deluded.

“You’ll undoubtedly be more satisfied with me than her, Mr. Kudou. I’m better than her in every way, so you should—”

“Shut up.”

“!”

His piercing gaze frightened her into silence. Kiyoka couldn’t stand listening to her nonsense. She wasn’t even trying to justify her wrongdoing—she truly believed in her innocence, which made his stomach turn.

“Don’t waste my time with such drivel.”

“What…? Why won’t you understand?! You’re so cruel!”

She was one to talk, but it was pointless to argue with someone so misguided. Besides, the fire laying waste to the main estate would soon spread here.

“Mrs. Saimori! Lady Kaya! There’s a fire! It isn’t safe here!”

The servant Kayoko had sent to check on things had just come sprinting back. Kouji, who’d been silently standing by until then, went over to Kaya.

“Kaya, you can’t stay here. The same goes for you, Mrs. Saimori. We need to leave.”

“My house is…is burning?”

Kanoko was horrified. She stumbled out of the storehouse to see the black smoke spewing from the main residence.

“No! Nooo…!” she screamed. “Not my house!”

Kiyoka didn’t concern himself with anyone other than Miyo. As he lifted her off the ground to carry her out of the storehouse, Kaya grabbed his sleeve.

“Don’t go! Please, Mr. Kudou—!”

Exasperated, Kiyoka shook himself free of her and glared at her with unmasked animosity.

“I’ve had enough of your arrogance. I don’t care about pretty faces or the Gift. The sky would have to fall for me to choose an egotistical woman like you for a wife! Get out of my way.”

She flinched and took a step back. Kiyoka didn’t spare her a second look as he left the storehouse with Miyo in his arms.

Kouji stopped his fianc
é
e from trying to reach for Kiyoka again as he was leaving.

“We need to get out of here now.”

“No… Why? Why is this happening to me?!”

“We need to go, Kaya.”

“Get your hands off me!” She flew into a rage when he tried to lead her out by the arm. “I don’t understand! I’ve done nothing wrong!”

“Kaya…”

Outside, Kanoko was shrieking about how this was all Miyo’s fault. Kouji lost his patience. He sighed and proceeded to drag Kaya out despite her protests. Once they were outside, he grabbed the raging Kanoko as well, forcing her to walk with them.

“Let me go! Unhand me at once!”

“Enough already!” Kouji yelled.

“What’s gotten into you? It’s Miyo you like, right? Just leave me and run to save your skin!”

Blood rushed to his head again. He didn’t even understand why he felt compelled to save these women. But he had to.

“You’re right! Miyo
is
most important to me. Of course she is. But she’d be sad if you died, and I won’t let you and your family cause her any more pain!”

He’d do whatever was in his power to prevent these vile people from making Miyo cry again. If it was to spare Miyo suffering, he’d even save those whom he hated.

Hearing her mild-mannered fianc
é
direct such harsh, angry words at her, Kaya fell silent and looked down sulkily. She didn’t speak again as they fled the burning residence.