After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 160

He found a pocket watch that had been confirmed to exist ten years ago and was very likely related to his ability to travel back in time; he confirmed that Hachiman Kairin would learn of Toyokawa Hatsune's identity at some point and betray her to allow him to squeeze into a certain circle; and...

He felt that his decision to take in Mutsuki Wakaba and Mortis ten years ago was the right one. Even though they later separated from the small house that was already cramped for just the two of them, and Mortis had to enter the entertainment industry as Minami Mori's daughter, there was no further danger between the two personalities.

At least, after experiencing so many deaths, something has finally happened that I'm happy to accept.

So... why did this guy, who keeps calling me "Lord Yuu" over and over again, choose to come back at that time?

When you killed me, your face was filled with all sorts of pleasure. Now, why can't you even let me die in peace?

The resentment in his heart finally overcame the stinging sensation that was almost embedded in his eyes. Toyokawa Yuu tried to open his eyes, but the scene in front of him made him slightly stunned.

The blonde beauty was sitting on the edge of the bed, calling her softly, her purple eyes filled with worry.

Her once dazzling, even stunning, long golden hair had been cut considerably shorter than when they met in the fire, and now it barely reached her shoulders.

Toyokawa Hatsune had several bandages wrapped around her wrists and a band-aid on her cheek, looking somewhat disheveled. However, compared to her previous appearance in the fire where she seemed ready to die, this battle-worn version of her now appeared more heroic.

She seems to have regained some of the stunning charisma she had when she stood on stage ten years ago.

However, what truly surprised Yuu Toyokawa was not the slight change in Hatsune Toyokawa's appearance, but the place she was in.

This is not a hospital, nor even a comfortable place to rest. It's a small room with a bed, coffee table, and computer desk.

Compared to the Toyokawa family mansion or the Wakaba family villa, this place seemed quite shabby, yet it felt incredibly familiar to Toyokawa Yuu, even evoking a sense of warmth that seemed to come out of nowhere.

He knew this place all too well; it was where he had lived ten years ago.

It seems that, apart from Ave Mujica's office, this place has also been preserved in some way, with even the furnishings and layout remaining unchanged.

But whose credit is this? Is it Hachiman Kairin?

Yuu Toyokawa let her thoughts wander freely, showing little concern for her own physical condition. Instead, she felt more annoyed and helpless towards the loyal golden retriever in front of her.

Because of her, everything I had planned has now completely fallen through.

Even Toyokawa Yuu couldn't be sure whether her death back ten years would lead her back to the time she set fire to the funeral hall or back to the current situation.

This is truly... ruined by Toyokawa Hatsune. They couldn't even maintain the dignity of a supposedly tragic love suicide in a sea of ​​fire.

Before Yuu Toyokawa could show her dissatisfaction on her face, Hatsune Toyokawa had already come over with great joy.

"Lord Yuyu, you've finally woken up."

A fair hand rested on Toyokawa Yuu's shoulder blade, and Toyokawa Hatsune's eyes unconsciously filled with tears. She didn't even dare to put her hand on the man's body with any force.

"The doctor said your burns are very severe, and inhaling too much smoke and dust will make your throat and lungs uncomfortable. He advised you not to force yourself to get out of bed recently, and also said... you need to pay more attention to your mental health, and not to think about things like suicide pacts..."

At this point, Toyokawa Hatsune subconsciously withdrew her hand and gently touched her side.

Unlike Yuu Toyokawa, she didn't stay in the fire when it first started spreading, so neither her burns nor the effects of the smoke were severe.

Although she suffered many burns, and even had her hair cut off because the ends of her hair were singed, the slap that Toyokawa Yuu gave her earlier left a deeper impression on her than any of these.

Seemingly, she had been truly awakened by Toyokawa Yuu's words. Now, the blonde beauty no longer had the fanaticism she had shown in the fire, the kind that she could accept even dying alongside Toyokawa Shoko. Instead, she was conveying the doctor's orders.

"doctor?"

Having no time to delve into the psychological changes of Toyokawa Hatsune, Toyokawa Yuu was taken aback when she heard her utter the term, momentarily at a loss for words.

She woke up not in the hospital, nor even at Ruoye's house, but in the small house she had lived in ten years ago, and yet someone had already called a doctor...

After Toyokawa Hatsune led her away from the fire, did she not go to find Wakaba Mutsumi?

In an even more serious scenario, Ruo Yemu might not even know that he is still alive.

On the other hand, I probably didn't fall into the hands of the family members, otherwise I probably wouldn't have had the distress of opening my eyes and finding that I hadn't died.

On the day of Toyokawa Shoko's burial, just as the coffin was about to be moved to the cemetery for interment, a fire broke out in the funeral hall and reduced the entire mansion to ashes.

This can no longer be described as a scandal; for a powerful and influential family like the Toyokawa clan, it is an utter disgrace.

The only way to turn this shame into a beautiful story is to completely confirm the fact that he set fire to the house and died for love. This would leave some room for maneuver in protecting the reputation of the Toyokawa family.

If Hatsune had actually caught him when she led him away from the fire, he would probably have been thrown back into the flames on the spot. That would have saved him from having to be angry with or comfort the concerned Hatsune Toyokawa.

Before today, Yuu Toyokawa never dreamed that she would be temporarily able to share the same goal with the branch family because of Hatsune Toyokawa's meddling.

So, who was it that helped Hatsune Toyokawa take her in?

Yuu Toyokawa absolutely refused to believe that this place was Hatsune Toyokawa's private property. She had been sent to Europe by Shoko Toyokawa for several years and it was impossible for her to have had time to keep this place spotless.

"It was Soyo who found the doctor for us. She said that we can't appear in the public eye right now, so we can only live a simple life."

Seeing the somewhat confused look in Toyokawa Yuu's eyes, Toyokawa Hatsune quickly answered, while also briefly explaining their current situation.

Nagasaki Sase...

Upon hearing this name, Toyokawa Yuu instinctively frowned.

He considered that this place might be the work of Yahata Kairin, who still has her Ave Mujica office, and it's not impossible that she might also keep a copy of her former residence.

As her former deputy, Hachiman Kairin definitely knew this place.

But... Nagasaki Sase?

Toyokawa Yuu could never have imagined that this place had anything to do with Nagasaki Sase, or why she would keep it exactly as it was for ten years.

The confusion in her heart did not last long, and soon the person who brought this matter to the fore appeared in front of Toyokawa Yuu.

Carrying a heavy-looking medical kit, a voluptuous woman with brown hair pushed open the door and entered. When she saw that Toyokawa Yuu was already awake, her azure eyes couldn't help but reveal a hint of surprise.

"Are you awake, Mr. Youyu?"

Placed the seemingly heavy medical kit on the coffee table where Toyokawa Yuu and Wakaba Mutsu once ate together, Nagasaki Sōse walked to the bedside and looked at Toyokawa Yuu, who was covered in bandages and looked like an injured person.

"Why you?"

Why is it you who controls this place?

Looking at Nagasaki Sōse in front of her, Toyokawa Yū's voice was indifferent, showing no gratitude whatsoever for the person who had helped her.

Although my vision has not fully recovered, everything in front of me seems to be covered by a white fog, and my eyes feel sore and uncomfortable if I keep them open for a while.

However, he would never mistake Nagasaki Sose's appearance and physique; he could even tell just by listening with his eyes closed.

He had already heard from Hatsune Miku that Chihaya Aine had reached an agreement with Nagasaki Sosei and Toyokawa Hatsune to "help" him, with Chihaya Aine at the helm.

Even when Yuu Toyokawa saw Hatsune Toyokawa carrying Aine Chihaya's guitar through the sea of ​​fire to her side, she could already roughly guess what Aine Chihaya was thinking.

After all, he hadn't really hidden his dislike for Nagasaki Sase ten years ago. Although he hadn't expressed it very openly, he had at least made his stance clear.

Chihaya Aine's actions, seemingly seeking help, are actually forcing her to choose between Hachiman Kairin, Wakaba Mutsumi, and Mortis.

But what Chihaya Aine didn't expect was that Toyokawa Yuu had never intended to choose her from the beginning.

What Yuu Toyokawa didn't expect was that Hatsune Toyokawa was so fanatical that she didn't even care about her own life, so she had to abandon her original suicide plan and let her leave.

Having tried to die but failed, and now finding himself in an extremely awkward situation, with no guarantee what would happen next time he could rewind, Toyokawa Yuu's expression as she faced Nagasaki Sase was incredibly unpleasant.

Of course, even without these things, he wouldn't have given Nagasaki Sase a friendly look.

Unlike before her last death, this time she had already expressed her disgust for Nagasaki Sase ten years ago, so the feeling of not having to pretend with her anymore actually made Toyokawa Yuu feel a little more relaxed.

In a sense, Nagasaki Sase can be considered one of the people who can understand some of the true feelings of Toyokawa Yuu.

“Aiyin has finally come back, and she asked me for help, so of course I’ll do my best.”

Looking at Toyokawa Yuu lying on the bed, who probably wouldn't be able to get up anytime soon, Nagasaki Sase revealed the kind of smile that Toyokawa Yuu found most disgusting.

Even when everything in front of him was a blur of white and he couldn't see clearly, he could still automatically fill in the blanks in his mind.

That smile was probably just as hypocritical and pretentious as when he sincerely asked her for help, only to be poisoned to death by her the next moment.

Toyokawa Yuu couldn't believe how selfless a person could be to help someone who had clearly expressed their dislike for her ten years ago just because of a single sentence from another person.

In particular, the person who did this was still only thinking about Nagasaki Sase.

Unaware of what Toyokawa Yuu was thinking, Nagasaki Sosei simply used his usual, conversational voice to try and ease the tension, so as not to be completely ruined by the man's attitude.

"However, Mr. Yu is so badly injured right now that he probably won't be able to see Aine on his own initiative. I will bring Aine over quietly later. Mr. Yu, please rest and recuperate in peace, okay?"

The cloying tone made Toyokawa Yuu instinctively feel uneasy, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was strange about it.

He couldn't quite tell whether his discomfort stemmed from instinctive vigilance or from his loathing for Nagasaki Sase.

In the end, he made the exact same choice he had made in the past when he was at a loss—to find out what was going on.

"Do the Toyokawa family know I'm not dead?"

Suppressing her almost instinctive resistance, Toyokawa Yuu calmed her voice, speaking like a questioning machine.

"...I know, Hatsune brought you out through the side door, and I happened to be waiting there."

Unexpectedly, Toyokawa Yuu would ask such a question first. According to Nagasaki Sase's original plan, since Sase made almost no attempt to hide his dislike for him, he should have rejected him first.

She hesitated for a long time at the door, and only came in after she had mentally prepared herself.

After a moment of silence, Nagasaki Sase slowly spoke.

"Although the main attendees of the funeral were all at the main entrance, there were so many people involved that it was impossible to keep it a secret from everyone. When I brought you and Hatsune here, there was actually a car following me."

"They know but they don't come... They probably aren't kind enough to let me go."

"Because the Toyokawa family is now in chaos, the head of the family has nominally died for love, and Mutsumi has been greatly affected by this. She was taken home by Ms. Minami and has not been seen since. Now there is no leader..."

Unlike Hatsune Toyokawa, who had been driven out of Tokyo for many years and had almost no roots or intelligence sources in the city, Sosei Nagasaki clearly knew more.

"That's probably why no one followed us when I took you away earlier—they've already accepted your suicide pact, Mr. Youyu, and that's what they've announced to the public. In society, you're already dead, and they can't make too much noise to avoid outsiders discovering that you're still alive... It won't be long before they come up with a new temporary leader and make your death a fait accompli."

She knew everything about Nagasaki Sase, and could easily analyze what the Toyokawa family was thinking, given her inside knowledge.

Yuu Toyokawa is safe for now, but this safety will not last long, not even until those people have finished dividing up the Toyokawa family's interests.

As long as someone with a little prestige steps forward to take the lead... such as Minami Mori, Yuu Toyokawa will soon be in a precarious situation again.

"It seems I'm in real danger right now... Soyo, don't you want to give it a try?"

Upon being informed that the situation remained dire, Toyokawa Yuu showed no signs of worry or dejection; instead, she displayed a carefree smile.

If it weren't for Toyokawa Hatsune suddenly interfering, he would have died long ago, and there wouldn't be this mess now.

"Try? What?"

Nagasaki Sase tilted his head, somewhat puzzled.

With some effort, she raised her arm, tapped her forehead with her fingertips, and casually uttered the words that caused Toyokawa Hatsune's expression to change drastically.

"My life should be worth a lot now, right? Why don't you betray me like Hailin betrayed Hatsune back then? If you're willing to make a deal with those people from the branch family, you can probably easily get a reward many times more than Hailin did back then."

His overly blunt words, which almost openly revealed his distrust of Nagasaki Sase, caused the atmosphere in the cabin to freeze instantly.

That's right, Toyokawa Yuu was testing, even to the point of bewitching Nagasaki Sase... bewitching her to betray and kill him.

He still couldn't simply categorize his discomfort as disgust for Nagasaki Sase, so he preferred to use this method to remove the smiling mask from her face.

Whether the answer he received was Nagasaki Sosei's original thought or a malicious thought that arose after being bewitched by Toyokawa Yuu, it didn't matter to him at all.

As long as he could confirm that Nagasaki Sase did not have any good intentions towards him, he could continue to feel at ease and maintain his dislike for the woman in front of him.

Toyokawa Hatsune nervously watched Nagasaki Souse, who was standing by the window with her head slightly lowered as if deep in thought, and secretly tightened her grip on the fruit knife she had hidden under the bed.

Sase Nagasaki is one of their few remaining hopes, if she also defectes...

"...Heh, Mr. Youyu's words are still so persuasive. I was indeed tempted just now. If my mother saw that I could build such a big business, she would be very happy."

After a brief silence, Nagasaki Sase raised her head, her face still bearing that gentle and bright smile, only her voice had become increasingly sweet, making Toyokawa Yuu even more resistant, but a slight curve quietly appeared at the corner of her mouth.

As expected, Nagasaki Sasuke is the kind of person who would do anything for...

"However, I refuse your seduction."

Nagasaki Sosei's voice was no longer hushed, and his expression and attitude turned cold, which actually made Toyokawa Yuu much more agreeable. However, Toyokawa Hatsune, who was standing next to him, was on tenterhooks because of this change in attitude.

“I will not hand you over to the Toyokawa family... You are of greater use to me.”

Approaching Toyokawa Yuu's bedside, Nagasaki Sase's fingertips gently brushed against the man's cheek, not as a tender comfort, but rather as if he were sizing up some very important bargaining chip.

"Aine left without saying goodbye back then, never mentioning leaving the band, so MyGO!!!!! isn't over yet, it's just that we haven't reunited for ten years... I originally wanted to do you a favor by getting Aine to listen to me, but now..."

Nagasaki Sase didn't continue speaking, but turned and walked towards the door.

“Mr. Yuyu, please get some rest. It won’t be long before I make a deal with Hailing, and she will come to pick you up soon… Once you leave Tokyo, you should be safe.”

"Hatsune, you should know what to do, right? Don't forget the deal I made with you on the way I brought you and Mr. Yuu here."

As the door slammed shut, Toyokawa Yuu's expression turned completely cold.

Turning to look at Toyokawa Hatsune beside her, Toyokawa Yuu's voice was serious, clearly giving a command.