Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon - Volume 1 - Chapter 26

Chapter 26 - Unyielding feelings

When she woke up, Miyo found herself enveloped in a musty, stagnant air.

She seemed to be indoors but it was dark. Though it wasn't so dark to the point she couldn't see anything as her eyes adjusted to see if there was a light source somewhere, it was difficult to tell whether it's day or night.

Miyo's body was carelessly left lying on a dusty wooden floor. Her hands were bound and lost all freedom. She struggled a bit to get up.

(This place is...)

Looking around carefully, she realised that this place was one from her memories-a place with especially abhorrent memories.

A small, virtually empty space, and the air inside was cold and damp.

There was no doubt about it, this was the Saimori warehouse where Miyo had been locked in as a child.

There was no proof that this was the Saimori family's warehouse. But the fact that the inside of the building was exactly the same as it was in the past made Miyo feel strangely certain.

Moreover, although the details for the reason of her kidnapping were still unknown, she couldn't say for sure that her stepmother and Kaya were not capable of kidnapping her and locking her away.

The feelings of contempt, hatred, and hostility they had for Miyo were deep-seated. If there was some kind of trigger, it was highly likely that they would orchestrate something like this.

—No, it's not good for her to just conclude that the two of them were the culprits.

As she felt her mind run cold, Miyo felt a surge of fear and regret for what's to come.

Kiyoka must've probably been informed of her abduction by now.

When the people in the car grabbed Miyo and left immediately, Yurie must've been left behind at the spot. In that case, if nothing else happens she probably informed Kiyoka of the situation immediately.

Kiyoka would definitely try to help her, but just the thought of how much trouble she was causing him when he was at work, she felt so sorry and tears welled up in her eyes.

The pounding of her heart grew louder, reverberating through the depths of her ear canal.

If her stepmother and Kaya were to appear at this very moment, what would happen to her should she have to face those two people in this house again? She couldn't even begin to foresee what would happen to her and that made her all the more afraid.

As much as she felt that she had grown stronger since leaving that household and finding a place she could truly call home, she also realised that her forbearance had grown fragile from being pampered.

If she were to shed tears in front of those two, just how much would they ridicule her?

Miyo hardened her resolve and rammed her body against the door as hard as she could.

She was hopeful that she might be able to open it from inside since she was bigger than when she was a child.

But the door didn't even budge.

(...I guess that is to be expected, huh.)

A bolted door couldn't be opened so easily with her just thrusting her body at it.

However, she wouldn't be able to escape if she couldn't get the door to open. There was a window higher up on the wall, but not only would it be a struggle to climb up to it, given its small size, it was impossible for her to pass through it.

No matter how much she didn't want to give up, she didn't have any other solutions. She had no choice but to sit there feeling like a prisoner waiting for her condemnation. Then, she seemed to hear a noise from outside.

"...!"

Her body tensed up as cold sweat poured out.

Miyo unconsciously held her breath and couldn't take her eyes off the door that was opening slowly with a dull sound.

"Oh my, Onee-sama, you're already awake?"

It was just as she had suspected.

Miyo's shoulders jerked up reflexively.

It was Kaya who got a servant to open the heavy door to the warehouse and slowly walked up to the entrance.

She was the same as always-the glamorous face that she inherited from her mother, her brightly coloured clothes, and her clear, high-pitched voice. However, her eyes seemed to be filled with intense dark emotions.

"And here I thought your heart had finally stopped beating since your didn't seem to wake up for a long time."

Kaya said with a giggle, her expression strangely devoid of that imposing arrogance from before. Somehow, it looked like her mind was elsewhere, like she was in a hurry and didn't have much time to waste.

"...What are you planning to do... to do something like this..."

Miyo found it hard to breathe from all the fear and nervousness that overcame her. Her voice quivered miserably as she asked.

Kaya's smile as she looked at Miyo, who was bound and could only tremble on the dusty floor.

"Hmm, this is how it should be47. Someone like you doesn’t deserve to wear such a beautiful kimono; a soiled one suits you best."

"..."

Miyo didn't know how to respond at that moment as that was what Miyo had been telling herself all along. The reason why she was scared of people buying expensive things for her was because, at the end of the day, there was always this nagging thought at the back of her mind that they didn't suit her.

With her head down, someone suddenly approached her.

Then, a large force struck her across her cheek, causing Miyo to fall as a cry escaped her lips.

"It's all your fault!"

The owner of that screaming voice was her stepmother.

Miyo was more than familiar with this line that reverberated through her head. It was a phrase that had been thrown at Miyo for as long as she could remember as if to place all the blame on her.

"Because of you, my life is becoming a mess again!"

"...tsk, urgh."

Miyo almost blurted out an apology instinctively but she swallowed it back down. Miyo seemed to have done something to knock the fan out of her stepmother's hand, but it all happened in a blur and she couldn't quite remember what happened exactly.

"I can't believe this is how you repay our kindness for raising you all those years-with malevolence-the instant you're set to marry into the Kudou family. You really are a nasty child!"

"That... I..."

She wanted to explain that she did no such thing but was shut down by her stepmother's Hannya-like form.

There was no point in saying anything, that was how it had always been that way, hadn't it?

"Absolutely abominable! You should just quietly live your life as a servant! But instead, you got all insolent just because you're going to the Kudou family!"

Miyo couldn't get up, Kanako dug her foot into Miyo's body that was still lying on the ground.

"N—!"

Kanoko stomped on Miyo hard several times and just when she finally backed away a bit, Miyo was pulled forward as a hand grabbed her dishevelled hair. Then, the exasperated expressions of Kaya and Kanoka lined up in front of her.

"You. Step off from your position as Kudou-sama's fiance."

"...!"

The words that came out of her stepmother's mouth were enough to freeze Miyo in place.

"That's right, Onee-sama. The role of Kudou-sama's wife is too heavy for you, Onee-sama, won't you let me take your place?"

Kaya too, followed suit and said something similar.

Somehow, in the calm part of her head, Miyo felt that she was beginning to understand what they were saying.

It must've been that they didn't like the fact that Miyo, whom they had looked down on and despised, seemed to be getting along with Kiyoka. They were certain that the engagement definitely wouldn't go well, but when things went against their expectations, they started to get anxious.

Moreover, just from the things Kanoko said, she might be at some disadvantage because of it.

Perhaps, the reason they seemed to be in such a rush had something to do with the situation.

"If only you just dropped dead somewhere. Why don't you understand your place?"

"...Urgh"

Miyo's scalp hurt from the way they were tugging on her hair. And her cheek that was slapped just now was also beginning to burn and throb. There seemed to be a cut on the corner of her lips as well... There was a faint taste of blood.

"Alright? You'll go and decline the marriage offer from Kudou-sama. Since you can get him to buy such an expensive outfit for you, asking him to pretend the marriage proposal didn't happen would be nothing, wouldn't it?"

"Don't worry, Onee-sama, after I'm engaged to Kudou-sama, I'll leave Kouji-san for you."

"..."

Miyo knew it was easy to just give it all up right here and now.

Just as she always had, not uttering even a single word of complaint as they took from her. She would just pray that the storm would go away as quickly as possible. It was easier that way. After all, for Miyo, clinging onto something only prolonged her pain and worsened her suffering.

Even now, she could just give up quickly-promise to give up her position as Kiyoka's fiance- and she would be released.

Then, she'll go back to being a servant, seal up her heart, and do everything by herself.

It was easier to live in a lowly position-wasn't that how she used to think?

And yet...

"...N-"

"Hmm? What did you say?"

"N...o..."

She felt that she couldn't back down.

She couldn't let them go-that house and that person.

Even when her mother's mementos were taken from her, she soon gave up after a while. But Miyo wanted to be next to that person; she didn't want to give that away to anyone.

"I can't... agree to that request."

Miyo held back her pain and looked straight at them. Her eyes no longer wavered, nor did she turn her head away.

Her stepmother's expression contorted even more at her attitude. She tightened her grip on Miyo's hair and dragged her forward, slapping her onto the ground again.

"Do not talk back to me!"

When Miyo fell down, she crashed onto her shoulder and a sharp pain shot through her, but she gritted his teeth and held on.

"Know your place! You are a failure. Unlike Kaya, you don't have Paranormal Vision or any merits to you for that matter. I must've been out of my mind from the very beginning to have you, a disgrace to our family, become Kudou-sama's wife!"

"What's wrong with you, Onee-sama? Isn't it good? You can get both the Saimori house and Kouji-san, isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"I..."

No matter what they said, she won't bend her will anymore.

She swallowed all her fear and trepidation and hid it in the depths of her heart. Miyo stared squarely at her stepmother and half-sister.

"I am the fiance of Danna-sama, of Kudou Kiyoka. I absolutely won't give that up!"

Kanako's face flushed red in anger at Miyo's yell and raised her hand once more.

But at that moment-

The ground quaked with a thunderous roar that seemed to split the air.

★ ★ ★

When Miyo was still unconscious in the warehouse of the Saimori mansion

Kiyoka hurriedly ran out of the military base and drove his car straight for the residence of the Saimori family.

"Bocchan, Miyo-sama is...!"

It was only a while ago when a panicked Yurie came in saying that.

Yurie was usually calm, but on this occasion, she had lost any semblance of composure and couldn't even get her words out properly.

Miyo had been kidnapped.

Although Kiyoka had anticipated for something like that to happen, he didn't think it was likely. Never would he have thought that they would be this stupid.

"Before Miyo was kidnapped, did you see anyone else? Like people from the Saimori family or Tatsuishi family?"

"No, we didn't. We were planning on going straight home."

"Where's the amulet? I thought she had it with her?"

"The truth is..."

—We realised we didn't have it after Bocchan left.

Both Yurie's voice and hands were trembling terribly. She chastised herself for her carelessness, this wouldn't have happened if she had properly checked their belongings beforehand.

Kiyoka let out a sigh, as if to release the rage that was ballooning to the brink of explosion.

That amulet had the effect of making one invisible to another's shikigami.

It wasn't something that could protect her from the human eye or the use of physical force, so it was really just for a peace of mind. However, it was still useful against those who employed the use of shikigami rather than actual people to tail someone.

"...Tch."

An unintentional click of the tongue slipped out from the frustration of things going out of his control. He immediately put his strength into several sheets of blank paper the size of his hand and created simple shikigamis. He released it around town to search for Miyo's whereabouts, but this method was too time-consuming and there were too many uncertainties.

Even without doing this, he could more or less guess the culprit. However, with insufficient evidence, there was no way he could make a move at this point.

While it was very much possible for Kiyoka to strut into the enemy's territory alone and quell them, if he did so without any proof, he would be the one to lose his footing.

If only there was one more decisive factor.

He really wanted to go and get Miyo back right now, but being caught in a situation where he can't do that was frustrating.

"Taichou~? You have a visitor again."

Then, a drawn-out voice sounded in the room which, for a moment, was enveloped in a heavy silence.

"Who is it?"

Despite Kiyoka's cold, unfeeling tone, Godou remained unfazed as he leisurely walked into the room while pointing behind him with a "Look".

The person standing there was one Kiyoka never expected to see.

And that person clenched his fists tightly as if to endure the pain.

"I know... it's inappropriate for me to ask this of you, but please, I can't save Miyo alone..."