Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon - Volume 2 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Something worrying

Hazuki was invited into the house and Miyo served her some tea.

The servants that came with Hazuki left the room after putting in the luggage she brought with her. Seeing their actions, Yurie followed suit and left as well, leaving only three people— Miyo, Kiyoka, and Hazuki—in the living room.

"Well then, let's get down to business right away. Miyo-chan wants to study, yes?"

"Yes."

Miyo bobbed her head strongly at Hazuki's question.

"Well, I suppose I should be able to teach you the basics given the education I've been through from a young age and I am a graduate from girls' school, but... are you sure you don't hate it?"

Hazuki's eyes were downcast; she felt a little uneasy.

She glanced over at Kiyoka who silently watched on from a distance. He probably wouldn't step in to say anything since he was reluctant to let Miyo attend lessons to learn to be a lady in the first place.

Miyo stared straight at Hazuki.

"I-I don't hate it...Urn, may I ask why you ask that question?"

"Because I'm someone who has gone through a failed marriage. Moreover, isn't annoying to have to interact with the sister-in-law or something."

Although it was probably a little late by this point, Miyo finally realised one thing—as someone crowned a rKudouj ; a lady of the Kudou family; Kiyoka's elder sister, it was quite impossible for her to remain single up till this age.

Which was to say that she was once married out but has since returned8. As for her mentioning of a sister-in-law, it likely came from her own experiences.

Miyo felt really bad; she wondered if she had asked an insensitive question.

"I'm not... concerned about such things."

"Really? You don't mind it?"

"Yes."

"That's great!"

Hazuki, who broke into a big smile, enveloped Miyo in a bear hug in her joy. Miyo caught a whiff of a slightly sweet smell right at her nose and was terribly flustered by the sudden event.

"U-U-U-U-Um!"

"Awh, what a nice girl! Kiyoka, can I take this child home with me?"

"No."

Kiyoka stated with a firm expression, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"How petty. If I bring Miyo home and help her study hard, she might become really amazing."

"...No."

"Hmm, I get it... if I take Miyo-chan away, you'll be lonely.    

As the younger brother, there was nothing Kiyoka could do against his sister's onslaughts of teasing.

Despite the wrinkle in his brows as if he regretted inviting his sister, Miyo couldn't help but smile at the rare sight of Kiyoka being so "powerless".

(But I wonder why...)

Miyo subconsciously placed a hand on her chest.

In the depths of her heart, she felt a cold wind blowing. Kiyoka was the same as always and Hazuki who she had met for the first time today was also very kind to her... so why, why did she feel that way?

"What's wrong, Miyo?"

When she broke out of her daze, Miyo noticed that Kiyoka was staring at her. Even Hazuki was looking at Miyo, all confused with her head cocked to the side, panicking slightly.

"I-It's nothing."

"Are you sure? If you're not feeling well—"

"No, I'm fine, really."

"Miyo-chan, don't force yourself alright?"

Recently, Kiyoka often worries about Miyo's health. Perhaps he had already noticed something.

Miyo had no time to pause, she just wanted to push through despite the inconveniences.

Seeing her insist that she was fine, Kiyoka said nothing more while Hazuki carried a relieved smile on her face as she redirected the conversation back onto Miyo's education.

"And so, I was thinking that we need to set a goal."

"A goal?"

Hazuki took out some textbooks from the luggage she brought with her and spread them out.

"That's right. If you have a goal in mind, you'll have more motivation to work towards it, yes? Ah, but it won't work out if you aim for a faraway ideal."

She might have a point. It’s better for one to work towards a goal that they know they can achieve so that they can feel that they're improving.

"Just nice, there happens to be a party coming up in two months. Both Kiyoka and I have been invited, so how about we attend it together for a start?"

"Eh?"

Miyo was startled by Hazuki's sudden words.

She had never attended a party before; it's hard to believe that for someone like her who wasn't even familiar with the basic etiquette would be able to attend a party in just two months.

However, Hazuki simply smiled and continued as if she could read Miyo's mind.

"It's alright, the organiser and I have known each other for a long time, so given our relationship, there's no need to worry too much. Besides, the party itself is more like a casual social gathering."

"But..."

When Miyo's mind was still in a mess, finding the situation hard to swallow, Kiyoka interjected.

"Why don't you give it a try?"

"D-Danna-sama... but..."

"No matter how much or hard you study, it's meaningless if you can't actually put what you've learnt to practice."

As harsh as it might sound, he was right. If Miyo couldn't muster the courage to do it, it's just all for nothing.

"I understand... Please allow me to attend the party."

Miyo was aware that her current expression must be quite tense. After all, just the mere mention of the word rpartyj sent her heart racing like a madman.

"Don't worry. I won't abruptly make you put on a dress and ask you to dance. Let's do our best!"

"Yes."

Hazuki was a gentle person. Although the way she spoke was opposite to Kiyoka's stern tone, their kindness was very much the same.

From the bottom of her heart, Miyo was immensely grateful to Kiyoka for inviting Hazuki to be her teacher.

After a rough discussion of their future plans, Hazuki left Miyo with a mountain of study materials which she had brought with her before returning to the Kudou family's main mansion.

Miyo looked at the books happily. The books seemed to be Hazuki's personal textbooks from when she was a student at the girls' school. Although they were a little discoloured, likely from exposure to the sun, the books were virtually undamaged, to the point Miyo wondered whether they had ever been used.

Kiyoka gazed at his fiance, whose eyes held a rare sparkle in them, with mixed feelings.

To be honest, he did not want to put too much pressure on Miyo right now.

—That night, Kiyoka awoke to the feeling of something yet again.

In the darkness, a feeling that Kiyoka was familiar with—like traces of ink flowing in clearwater—a sign he could not ignore was here again.

Kiyoka slipped out of his futon, careful not to make a sound, he walked with light steps and stood in front of the room he had assigned to his fiance.

Come to think of it, those signs had been there all along, ever since Miyo arrived at the house. However, in the beginning, it was too faint to be sensed, even by Kiyoka.

—It was the sign of a special ability being used.

Like the smell of gunpowder after firing a handgun, traces of an ability being used could be detected drifting in the air right here.

And ever so softly, he could hear her moans of agony which he had grown accustomed to coming from the other side of the sliding door.

(Miyo...)

Kiyoka opened the sliding door and entered the room.

The signs of an ability being used grew even stronger. He felt a prickling sensation on his skin while the suffocating feeling almost made him choke.

He walked over to the futon in the middle of the room and sat down next to it.

"No... S...top..."

Beads of perspiration drenched Miyo's forehead as she whimpered weakly—no matter how many times he saw it, it would always leave Kiyoka feeling like a knife was stabbed into his heart.

”It's okay... It's alright now."

It was a hot summer's night but her hands were cold; Kiyoka enveloped her icy hands in his and gently brushed aside her bangs with his other hand.

And just like that, Kiyoka stayed there until he finally heard Miyo's steady breaths as she eventually fell into restful sleep.