Chapter 18 – Sleeping Prince ⑦
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When Aoi and the others visited the research facility at 8 p.m., as told by Lilith, they were informed that Yuuta’s responses to sexual intercourse would be examined. Aoi, Yukishiro, and Manami caressed Yuuta’s body. They thoroughly licked the places Lilith indicated. And once they made Yuuta’s cock hard, Aoi inserted it and had sex with him while being careful not to put any burden on Yuuta’s body.
In the middle of that, two unexpected visitors appeared at the research facility. One was a high-ranking royal from Mir called Lyra, and the other was, unbelievably, Layla.
Layla was stopped at the entrance by Tomoe and Ayaka, who had been watching over the three girls.
Then, the next day, they encountered Layla. Meeting her there had only added to their list of worries. They had never expected that Layla would be the caretaker of Lyra, Lilith’s scientist acquaintance.
Lilith said that taking Yuuta to Mir would be the last resort. Moreover, it wasn’t as if Aoi’s group had decided that he’d be brought to Mir, even if they had allowed Yuuta to meet with Suzune. It was unthinkable that they’d enable Yuuta and Layla to meet in a place where they couldn’t see what happened.
Layla-san knew that Yuuta-sama was sleeping at Lilith-san’s research institute, Aoi thought after hearing the details of what Tomoe had discussed with Layla. Moreover, she was trying to become Yuuta-sama’s sex partner during the examination through Lyra-sama, wasn’t she?
For Aoi’s group, Layla’s interest in Yuuta was the biggest shock of all. Moreover, it appeared to be something closer to fondness than interest.
Why was Takuya’s direct affiliate, Layla, curious and fond of Yuuta? Despite having met him only once during last year’s ball.
Something I didn’t even want to imagine has turned into reality. Assuming Layla-san’s target has shifted from Takuya-sama to Yuuta-sama…
If there was any chance for this, she couldn’t allow Yuuta to be taken to Mir. And if he had to be taken there no matter what, she wouldn’t feel any peace of mind unless she arrested Layla and locked her away somewhere. But locking away a royal of Mir, even if only a low-ranking one, would turn into an international issue. It’d be one thing if Mir’s queen permitted it, but it’d be difficult to consult with the queen on a problem like this. In the first place, it’d be a challenge to explain Yuuta’s situation.
“Starting tonight, we have been allowed to stand guard in front of Lilith-san’s research institute every night so that Layla-san won’t enter.”
“Thank you kindly.”
Aoi, Yukishiro, and Manami breathed out in relief after hearing Ayaka’s words. Apparently, Lyra would observe Yuuta’s examinations at night. Aoi had complained to Lilith about her arbitrarily allowing someone, regardless of whether they were high-ranking Mir royalty or Lilith’s research buddy, to be present during Yuuta’s examinations.
But, Lilith responded that it was necessary for Lyra to be present during the examinations and that she had been entrusted with the decision of what examinations would be carried out.
Last night, Aoi’s group had been called over to test Yuuta’s reactions to sexual intercourse, but they weren’t invited tonight. Lyra visiting the research facility at night to watch Yuuta’s examinations meant that Layla would come with her. To prevent Layla from entering the facility, they got permission from Lilith through Ayaka to stand watch to stop Layla in front of the examination room.
“I received a message from Boss that she has mostly finished all the necessary preparations to bring Suzune to the research institute. Given that everything will be ready sometime tomorrow morning, it will be possible to meet Suzune-san in the afternoon.”
It had been decided that Tomoe and Ayaka would be in charge of bringing Suzune over. If Yuuta didn’t wake up during today or tomorrow’s examinations, there would be no other choice but to let him meet with Suzune. And if they were going to make such a move, it was likely best to be quick about it.
“Tomoe-onee-sama, Ayaka-san, may I ask you to meet with Suzune-san tomorrow afternoon? If Yuuta-sama doesn’t wake up tomorrow either…we will shift our plans towards having him meet Suzune-san as soon as possible.”
“I understand.”
Tomoe and Ayaka would meet Suzune. And as for Yukishiro…
“Is it really okay? We can have the plans with Saori-sama changed so that you don’t have to force yourself.”
“No…it is better for me also to have this discussion as quickly as possible. So that I can be present when you have Suzune-san meet with Yuuta-sama.”
Nanase had arrived at the hotel, where the girls were staying, on short notice. Just as they were trying to adjust the meeting with Saori after working out the details of the joint venture with the Minatos, Saori had contacted Nanase directly. Her message contained the wish of the high family heads who served the Minatos to speak with Yukishiro. They wanted to hold that meeting tomorrow at the Minato estate. And Saori had also requested a private talk with Yukishiro. Accordingly, Yukishiro would spend tonight in her room in the Minato residence in preparation for tomorrow’s meetings.
Letting Yukishiro return to the Minato estate by herself was dangerous. Thus, Nanase attempted to provide bodyguards from the Yoshiwaras, but Yukishiro declined the offer. After all, it might rub the high family heads the wrong way if she were to show up at the meeting with Yoshiwara’s bodyguards. Besides, it was agreed that Nanase would meet Yukishiro at the Minato residence after tomorrow’s discussions.
“Mother isn’t foolish enough to readily break an agreement between fellow Eternal family heads.”
Lilika was also present at the Minato estate, and thus it was decided for Yukishiro to return by herself.
“Forgive me for being unable to protect Yuuta-sama together with you tonight.”
“We will properly watch over Yuuta-sama. Please do your best during the talks with the people of Minato, Yukishiro-san.”
Yukishiro and Aoi hugged each other tightly. Usually, this would be a situation where Aoi would be insistent on a fierce skinship, but with Yuuta currently being asleep, she lacked her usual fervor. Even though it was a questionable trait for a lady, it felt somewhat sad.
“I will assist her tonight as well. Please do not worry.”
“Thanks. I leave Yuuta-sama in your hands.”
Manami also hugged Yukishiro, encouraging each other. Ever since Yuuta had collapsed, they had always supported one another. As such, her bonds with Manami had grown as strong as those with Aoi.
“Aoi-san, make sure to protect Yuuta-sama properly.”
“Yes!”
That encouragement from Nanase got Aoi and Manami all fired up. Tomoe and Ayaka would be available as guards for Yuuta tonight. They had been tasked by Aoi with bringing Suzune to the research facility. And by no means was it said that Suzune would readily agree to meet with Yuuta during tomorrow’s meeting. On the other hand, they didn’t want to make Suzune meet with Yuuta by using her status as a criminal to force her. If possible, they wanted to talk it out with Suzune and have her visit of her own volition.
They had information that Suzune had been quietly spending her days at the Kanagawa Penitentiary, atoning for her crime. Hence, it’d be best if she were to meet with Yuuta as part of her repentance.
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Yukishiro got into Nanase’s car and returned together with her to the Yoshiwara estate for the time being. Because she had stayed at Yuuta’s side all the time since he collapsed, she wanted to dress up appropriately for the meetings.
Inside the car, Nanase informed Yukishiro of a particular matter.
“Yukishiro-san.”
“Yes?”
“Actually, there is something that has been on my mind ever since I heard about it from you.”
“What might that be?”
“Saori-sama had mentioned every year that she was attending the Holy Night Festival, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Nanase paused for a moment, then continued in a calm voice, “Saori-sama hasn’t been attending any of the Holy Night Festivals.”
“Huh?”
“I have never seen her during the festivals. And whenever I couldn’t attend myself, Mizuki-san would go in my stead, but she said she never saw Saori-sama on those occasions either.”
“B-But…”
“The attendance of the Holy Night Festival is handled by the state. I had the records checked through an acquaintance of mine. And as expected, Saori-sama didn’t attend any of the Holy Night Festivals.”
Every year, Yukishiro watched her mother leave to attend the festival. She couldn’t see her off last year, but she had done so in the years before.
“How often have you met with your father, Yukishiro-san?”
“With my father…as far as I can remember…I have never seen my father. Though I did hear that I met him a few times back when I was a baby.”
“Your father is living in a summer villa instead of the Minato residence, isn’t he?”
“Yes. So I heard.”
This was nothing unusual in this world. Yukishiro’s father had taken Saori as his first wife, but it didn’t mean that he didn’t have any other wives. He might also have lovers.
Even his not meeting his child once wasn’t so strange a story that it was entirely impossible. Rather, you could say that fathers, who took part in child-raising like Takashi, were rare.
“Did you hear something about your father from Saori-sama?”
“Yes. She said I can’t meet him, but he’s a gentle man who’s very delighted about my growth.”
“Have you heard something about his relationship with Saori-sama?”
“His relationship with Mother… I didn’t hear anything about that from Mother personally. Ena-san told me that it was a normal relationship. She said neither is it good nor bad.”
“I see… Didn’t Ena-san mention anything about the Holy Night Festival?”
“Before falling ill, Ena-san went to the Holy Night Festival together with Mother. But, I wasn’t told anything particularly special.”
Nanase had never spotted Saori during the festival, but neither had she seen Ena. Given that Nanase knew what Ena looked like, there was no doubt about this.
What does that mean?
Yukishiro couldn’t help but be confused.
As she lay in her sickbed, Ena had told Yukishiro that Saori’s mind had been broken. The reason for this was the previous family head, Saori’s mother.
I wasn’t told anything about Father by Ena-san.
A father she couldn’t meet; as this was normal in this world, Yukishiro hadn’t paid much attention to it either.
She hasn’t attended the Holy Night Festival. It’d have been necessary for her to be together with Father to participate in the festival. But, even if I assume that Father refused to go to the festival, she could have simply stayed away from the festival altogether.
But Saori and her husband were a love story fabricated by the previous family head, meant to become a married couple based on a romance so great that Nanase and Takashi wouldn’t outshine it. Of course, no one believed that, though.
So, she went to the Holy Night Festival because she couldn’t afford to allow that official backstory to fall apart? No, that would be weird too. After all, she hasn’t actually attended the festival. Why did she go out of her way to leave and tell me that she’d attend the festival then?
Seeing how Ena had left together with her, she should have been aware of the truth. Was there something she couldn’t tell Yukishiro?
…Did she want to keep that official backstory for my sake? Did Mother want Iori and me to believe that she was attending the festival with Father? Maybe Lilika-onee-chan knows something about this…
During their time at elementary school and junior high, Yukishiro and Iori didn’t really catch wind of the gossip circulating in adult society. Even now that they had become high school students, this part hadn’t changed.
“I couldn’t move Saori-sama’s heart during the previous meeting. When you came to rely on me, I thought I could touch her heart somehow, given our past. But I was wrong. I wasn’t able to do it. I…we have been making a fundamental mistake about something.”
“A fundamental mistake…”
Without either reaching an answer, the car arrived at the Yoshiwara residence. Yukishiro immediately started to prepare herself. After taking a bath, she had a servant apply makeup. And once she clad her body in a kimono, her transformation into Yukishiro, the next family head of the Eternal Minato, was complete.
Once again, she got into a car with Nanase, and they headed over to the Minato estate. When they got there and left the vehicle, Nanase clasped Yukishiro’s hand and said, “The one able to touch Saori-sama’s heart has to be you, her daughter.”
“I…”
“Make sure to strongly wish for your relationship with Yuuta-sama and think strongly of your ties with your mother, Saori-sama. You’re mother and daughter after all. That’s no bond that can easily be severed. No matter what happens.”
“…Okay! I…I’m Mother’s daughter!”
Leaving the car behind, Yukishiro and Nanase passed through the gate of the Minato estate.
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