The next morning, Ichiro Takayanagi woke up in his own room, while Reika Tohsaka was still sleeping in hers.
"Good morning, big brother Ichiro," Kaoru Tohsaka greeted him. There were dark circles under her eyes, but when she saw him, she still called out cheerfully—only to quickly lower her blushing face.
"If you're tired from last night, get some rest. You don't have anything to do today," Ichiro said with concern.
"Okay." Kaoru's face was still red as she ran off.
After washing up, Ichiro saw that Reika had already prepared breakfast. Unlike the previous day, she looked radiant and full of energy this morning.
"Ichiro, come eat. In a bit, the other family members will gather to witness you becoming head of the Takayanagi family." Now, her focus was entirely on her daughter and Ichiro. With Musashi Takayanagi, the pervert, dead, she had no qualms about last night's encounter in the mourning hall.
"Alright, let's make it official today," Ichiro replied. He didn't care about the details of Musashi's funeral—he had returned to inherit the family head position, nothing more.
"Ichiro, have you seen Kaoru?" Reika asked once they sat down.
"I saw her when I woke up. She had dark circles under her eyes, so I told her to rest."
Hearing this, Reika sighed in relief. "Then while you're talking with the clan members later, I'll check on her."
Ichiro nodded—Reika had no place in the internal affairs of the family, so he didn't stop her.
…
After breakfast, Ichiro went to meet the clan members, while Reika went to Kaoru's room.
Through the crack in the door, she saw Kaoru lying in bed under the covers. Still, Reika decided to go in and check her condition, sliding the door open.
The sound made the figure under the blanket tremble slightly, as if caught doing something she shouldn't.
"Kaoru, are you alright?" Reika sat on the edge of the bed.
Reluctantly, Kaoru pulled her head out from under the blanket. Her face was flushed, and a sheen of sweat covered her skin. Concerned, Reika reached out and touched her forehead—there was a faint heat. "What's going on? Ichiro only mentioned dark circles, but you feel like you've got a fever."
"Mom, I'm not sick. Just go do your own thing," Kaoru insisted, trying to make her leave.
"You silly girl, even if you have a fever, it's nothing serious, you—"
Reika stopped mid-sentence. From where she sat and the feel of her hand on Kaoru's forehead, she noticed a faint vibration—one that clearly wasn't natural.
The human body didn't have such a function, which meant… a device.
Her expression changed slightly. She reached into the blanket for a moment, then said coldly, "Turn it off."
Kaoru ducked her head back under the blanket, fumbling for the switch. After a while, she emerged again.
"Where did you get this?"
"From that basement you didn't let me enter before. Yesterday I went with big brother Ichiro to look for something, and I just happened to take it," Kaoru replied breathlessly, her back turned to her mother.
"You brought it back and started using it?"
"No. I only read the instructions. I didn't dare use it."
"Then what's with the dark circles yesterday, and what's going on now?" Reika was starting to piece it together.
"I was scared to use it, so I thought maybe you could guide me since you're an adult. That's why I went looking for you," Kaoru admitted.
Reika's face stiffened. Last night in her own room, she hadn't heard Kaoru come by—meaning her daughter had gone looking earlier. Could it be…
"You saw?" Reika's voice trembled.
"…" Kaoru stayed silent.
Her silence was the clearest answer. Reika hadn't expected last night's events to have been seen by her daughter.
The silence grew heavy, until Kaoru finally turned to face her and said, "Mom, I don't blame you and big brother Ichiro."
(End of Chapter)
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