Chapter 991.: 991.
「 You don’t have to force yourself to become the young lady of Kouzuki house . Yoshiko is Yoshiko 」
Jii-chan tells his beloved granddaughter .
Right .
Yoshiko-san lived her life as Ruriko’s attendant until half a year ago .
Then, she suddenly discovered that she’s Jii-chan’s late eldest son’s daughter .
She now stands equal to Ruriko, her former Master .
「 But I… 」
Yoshiko-san looked at Ruriko .
「 If I can’t fulfill my duty as the daughter of Kouzuki house, Ruriko-sama can’t live freely 」
The duty of the daughter of Kouzuki house .
Does she mean getting married to a man of nobility to leave behind a blood relative of Kouzuki house?
「 There’s no duty . Yoshiko, you don’t need to push yourself 」
Jii-chan said .
「 Oda Nobunaga already handed over the leadership to his son during the Honnoji incident . He was Oda Nobutada . When Mitsuhide Akechi attacked Honnoji, his heir son was in the vicinity of the temple and was attacked by Mitsuhide’s army and then committed suicide . However, there are theories that Nobutada isn’t Nobunaga’s eldest son 」
「 Oda Nobumasa, isn’t it? 」
Edie said .
「 Oda Nobunaga’s illegitimate child, meaning, a child not from his legal wife, is actually the heir son but he didn’t inherit the family, nobody knows whether it’s true or not, however . The latter half of the Edo period didn’t appear, and so there’s no person in the records according to Nobunaga’s life history 」
I see .
Huh, but, why are we talking about Oda Nobunaga’s son again?
「 I’m also an illegitimate daughter, and so I shouldn’t think of anything unnecessary as I am not the daughter of the legal wife? 」
Yoshiko-san looks at Jii-chan .
Yeah, Yoshiko-san is Jii-chan’s eldest son’s illegitimate child .
No, she’s an illegitimate child, and so she survived .
Cesario Viola murdered Jii-chan’s eldest son, his wife, and his children .
「 Yes, that’s right . Yoshiko, you don’t have to think about your path with the Kouzuki house . Naturally, you’re my granddaughter, and so you’ll receive enough fortune . However, you’re not going to carry the Kouzuki clan, Yoshiko 」
「 Is it because my blood is filthy? 」
「 Wrong . That’s not what I mean 」
Jii-chan?
「 However, it’s the truth the illegitimate child cannot have this position . The society is cold to illegitimate children . Currently, Yoshiko is always with me when showing up on public, and thus, they cannot speak harshly of you where it’ll reach your ears . However, there should be people who are already deprecating Yoshiko’s blood . There will always be people as such and so you have to give up on them 」
No matter what Jii-chan and we think…
There will be people who’ll deprecate Yoshiko-san because she’s an illegitimate child .
「 However, if you strike back because of the insults, that’s a different story . There are times when the legal wife couldn’t produce an heir, and so the illegitimate yet talented child inherits the head of the family . There are many cases of this if you look at the history of nobility . It’s nothing rare . Especially in cases where the illegitimate child has excellent vitality compared to the legal child . However, Yoshiko, you’re not that type of girl, are you? 」
Yoshiko-san trembles .
「 You don’t have thick nerves . You’re no good unless someone keeps you safe . You’re not the type that stands on the stage and faces the world for the clan, the type that fights 」
I think so too .
Yoshiko-san is much more quiet, introverted .
「 Misuzu back then was delicate, but nowadays, she’s quite bold thanks to him 」
Jii-chan looked at me .
「 Ruriko has been a courageous girl from before . 」
「 Am I? Grandfather? 」
Ruriko’s surprised .
「 Yes, you have been a bold child since before . Or should I say that I was worried you were too bold? But, Ruriko now has a brake, which is this guy, and so I don’t worry anymore . 」
I’m putting on brakes for Ruriko?
「 If it was back then when Ruriko was living in a world where it’s just her and Yoshiko if she became the head of the clan like that, I think that she will be okay with any absurdity she does . But now, she thinks of this guy and the family first . I don’t think that she’ll make such decisions anymore 」
「 That might be true 」
Ruriko blushed .
「 Right . If it was Ruriko before meeting Onii-sama, then I think that I would thoughtlessly involve myself with various things 」
She replies .
「 In the end, people aren’t about what they have to become . One has to look at their talent, abilities, and interests, and place the right person at the right time . If it’s not the right person at the right time, the organization will have to change . Of course, there will be training to become the right person for the job . You have to be flexible 」
Jii-chan said .
「 Especially for the head of the Kouzuki clan, one must experience and understand the karma of controlling people and must understand it from childhood . We must face the horrible reality that we can change other people’s lives at our command . However, it must not reach that point . To protect the human collective called “family . ” You can’t cut people down and turn someone into a sacrifice 」
It’s to keep the lives of various people .
Jii-chan removed the cause of the problems inside the family . Ruriko’s father, his own son .
He judged that if he can’t preserve the family unless he does so .
「 Misuzu and Ruriko have the nerve to withstand that . That’s because I raised them myself, and they have trained themselves after meeting him . However, Yoshiko doesn’t have that strength 」
Jii-chan said .
「 Yoshiko, can you endure it? Everyone knows that you’re an illegitimate daughter of my eldest son . Let’s not talk about now as you’re still under my umbrella . No strange people will come after Yoshiko while I’m watching . However, I’m already old . I can’t be by your side all the time 」
「 Grandfather, what are you talking about?! 」
Misuzu said, but…
「 No, it’s the truth . I’m already past 80 . It’s an age where you won’t find it odd if I pass away anytime 」
Jii-chan smiles .
「 However, I don’t worry about Misuzu and Ruriko . These girls have him . They’re his woman . Minaho-kun, Katsuko-kun, and Nagisa-kun are all stubborn . They also have Kyouko-kun from underground society backing them . I already had the family lawyer join with Minaho-kun to take measures for when I pass away . I talked to Misuzu’s father too . I made sure that after my death, the branch families cannot seize the fortunes of Kouzuki house from Misuzu and Ruriko, no matter how much fuss they make . Kouzuki house will stay . Through Misuzu and Ruriko . I’ve taken measures to make sure that it is certain and done every possible assumption as well 」
Jii-chan’s going that far .
「 But the bottom-feeding people will raise a vindictive voice if things don’t go their way . The big shots will be jealous and resent Misuzu and Ruriko from inheriting the Kouzuki clan from me . However, I think that the two of you will be alright . Misuzu and Ruriko are gifted with the nerves to repel any jealousy or grudge 」
Yeah . I think so too .
「 But what about you Yoshiko? Can you do that once I’m gone? Currently, I’m watching them, and so nobody’s going to call you a mistress’ daughter . However, once my protection is gone, you will have to face all the people who will throw insults at you 」
「 I… 」
Yoshiko-san looked down .
「 So, instead of trying to be equal to Misuzu or Ruriko, I think that you should stay under Misuzu’s protection instead . That’s what I think 」
Jii-chan said .
「 I’m merely making a suggestion . You should stop waiting for Misuzu or Ruriko, or even him to talk to you . These people don’t add people who can’t make a choice for their family . Even I asked to join in . I said, “Let me join in this family” 」
Right, Jii-chan asked to join this family himself .
We didn’t ask him .
Jii-chan made that decision .
「 You don’t need to answer right now . Give it some time . Think about it 」
「 Y-Yes, Grandfather 」
Jii-chan’s talk with Yoshiko-san is over .
「 Now then . Torii-kun, as for why do we have this conversation when you’re here… 」
Jii-chan looked at Torii-san .
「 I wanted you to know how much trouble it is to belong in nobility . Torii house is wealthy, but, you can leave only your assets to your children and grandchildren, am I wrong? In my case, I have to pass on the long history of Kouzuki house, all the responsibilities, and all the ties to these girls 」
Jii-chan smiles wryly .
「 Recently, I read an interview on an American businessman, it was interesting . There were various people in the business world who succeeded but the interviewer is the same person . Therefore, the interviewer asks a few similar questions to all of them 」
A successful American interview .
「 One of the questions piqued my interest, the interview is conducted not on their company office but in the businessman’s mansion, and yet, the interviewer asks, “do you feel uneasy with your current fortunes?” 」
Uneasy with the current fortunes .
「 Then, several of the businessmen answers “I’m in this mansion right now, but I’m haunted by the thought that an armed group suddenly attacks and kills my whole family . ” It wasn’t just one person . Several people answered the same thing . Saying “Sometimes, I feel like someone with a gun might suddenly come to our house and attack us” 」
Jii-chan smiles .
「 What do you think? That’s quite American, isn’t it? They sense the reality that it’s possible 」
「 I-Indeed, in Japan, you hardly think of those 」
Torii-san replies, but…
「 No . I often think of it too . To tell you the truth . I’m blessed right now but I have times where I fear that this happiness will suddenly end up horrible 」
Jii-chan .
「 I was still in middle school when the war was lost . Currently, the Kouzuki mansion still stands . The Meiji mansion on the other side is also standing . It only stands to this age because my father, the previous head of Kouzuki house fought with time 」
Torii-san listens to Jii-chan’s story earnestly . 「 」
「 My father noticed that Japan would lose at an early stage . Therefore, during the war, he moved all the precious ancestral culture into this mansion . I’m also evacuated along with the treasures . Father left me to his most trusted subordinates . Not to protect me but to make sure that we won’t lose anything we inherited from our ancestors 」
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