Dinner proceeded in an atmosphere that seemed harmonious but was actually undercurrents of tension. The long dining table was set with exquisite dishes, but clearly, everyone's attention wasn't fully on the food.
Suzuki Ayako attentively served food to Kanjuro, mentioning gently: "Mr. Kanjuro, next weekend, Miss Yoko Okino has a concert at Tokyo Dome. I happen to have extra tickets. I wonder if you'd be interested in going together?" Her eyes held sincere anticipation, as if hoping to spend more time with this uniquely charismatic "friend of my sister."
Kanjuro set down his knife and fork, giving Ayako a gentle smile that could be described as indulgent. He clearly knew that this gentle girl before him, like the lively Sonoko beside her, was of his bloodline. "Yoko Okino? I hear her performances are brilliant. If Miss Ayako doesn't find it troublesome, I'd be delighted to accompany you." His agreement was natural and considerate.
"Wonderful!" Ayako's face blossomed into a delighted smile.
Seeing this, Sonoko immediately chimed in, unwilling to be outdone, with a hint of coquettishness in her tone: "Brother Kanjuro! What about next Sunday? Are you free? Ran and I planned to go to Tropical Land, especially that new Roller Coaster—they say it's super thrilling! Come with us!" She blinked her big eyes, full of expectation.
Watching Sonoko's vibrant demeanor, the strange connection stemming from blood ties—which even he might not clearly recognize—made him almost unconditionally indulgent toward these two "daughters." He smiled, his tone permissive: "If the timing doesn't conflict, of course, no problem. I think it would be very fun to go play with you."
His nearly unconditional tolerance and "affection" toward Sonoko and Ayako, observed by Tomoko Suzuki who had just adjusted her mindset and returned to the table, made her fingers gripping the fork tighten slightly. (Why is he so special to them? Does he know something? No... impossible...) She dared not dwell on it, forcing herself to lower her head, mechanically cutting the food on her plate, which tasted like sawdust.
"Everyone... please continue eating, no need to stand on ceremony." Tomoko Suzuki's voice was somewhat dry as she broke the brief silence, not even looking up at anyone. "Mr. Kanjuro, is the food to your taste?" She tried to steer the conversation back to normal hospitality.
"Extremely delicious, thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Suzuki." Kanjuro's reply was impeccable.
Tomoko Suzuki took a deep breath, knowing she couldn't avoid it any longer. She finally looked up, her gaze quickly sweeping over Kanjuro before settling on her own plate, as if speaking to the air, her voice striving to remain steady: "Mr. Kanjuro, after dinner, if it's convenient... could you come to my study? There are some... matters regarding Sonoko and Ayako's studies I'd like to consult you about as a'senior.'" She offered a clumsy but barely plausible excuse.
Kanjuro knew full well this wasn't just about studies. He elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, nodding slightly: "Of course, Mrs. Suzuki."
"Huh—?" Upon hearing this, Sonoko immediately drew out her tone, teasing with a girl's half-serious, half-playful jealousy, intending to lighten her mother's overly serious mood. "Mom~! How can you do that? Right after dinner, you're taking Brother Kanjuro away alone? Is it because Brother Kanjuro is too handsome, and you want to 'monopolize' him to discuss some secret matter?" She finished with a playful wink.
"Sonoko!" Ayako gently tugged at her sister's sleeve, signaling her not to make such inappropriate jokes. She sensed something was off with their mother's mood.
However, Tomoko Suzuki's reaction exceeded everyone's expectations.
"Quiet! Sonoko!"
She abruptly looked up, her voice suddenly rising with an unprecedented severity and... a hint of barely concealed panic? Her face momentarily turned unpleasant, her sharp eyes piercing her younger daughter, the coldness and anger in her gaze freezing Sonoko in place.
"How can you make such thoughtless jokes so casually? Apologize to Mr. Kanjuro immediately!" Tomoko Suzuki's tone was resolute and unquestionable, even carrying a hint of displaced anger. Her overly intense reaction precisely exposed the panic and fragility within her—Sonoko's careless words had struck her deepest fear and most shameful reality.
The atmosphere in the dining room instantly dropped to freezing point.
Sonoko was frightened by her mother's unprecedented scolding, her eyes slightly reddening, pouting in grievance as she lowered her head, mumbling softly: "S-sorry, Mom... Brother Kanjuro, sorry, I shouldn't have joked like that..." She didn't understand why an innocent joke had provoked such anger.
Kanjuro took it all in, smoothing things over gently: "It's alright, Sonoko, I know you didn't mean it." He looked at Tomoko Suzuki, whose face remained unpleasant, his tone calm: "Mrs. Suzuki, there's no need to be angry. Then, after dinner, I'll come to your study."
Tomoko Suzuki didn't look at anyone again, just nodded stiffly, lowering her head once more to focus on the plate of barely touched food as if it were a problem requiring full concentration. Dinner continued in an even more eerie and oppressive atmosphere, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Dinner ended in an almost stagnant silence. Throughout, Kanjuro's polite yet distant "Mrs. Suzuki" pierced Tomoko Suzuki's heart like fine needles. Each time she heard that address, her fingers gripping the utensils tightened imperceptibly, and her breath hitched subtly for a moment.
(Mrs. Suzuki...)
(He calls me Mrs. Suzuki...)
This title she had used in front of outsiders for eighteen years, now spoken from his lips, carried an indescribable irony and distance, stirring a strong sense of loss within her. Over the years, she thought she had buried that past deep, even successfully deceiving herself. But when Kanjuro truly appeared, she realized in horror that the demonic youth's figure had never truly left her heart; it had only been forcibly suppressed, now surging back with greater force.
After dinner, Tomoko Suzuki almost immediately stood up. She dared not look Kanjuro in the eye, just turned her head slightly, speaking in a tone as steady as possible yet betraying a hint of urgency: "Mr. Kanjuro, please follow me to the study." With that, she turned and walked briskly toward the second floor, as if something were chasing her.
Kanjuro nodded politely to Sonoko and Ayako, then followed calmly.
Watching their mother and Kanjuro disappear one after another around the staircase corner, Sonoko pouted, complaining softly to Ayako: "Mom is really strange today... And, sis," she suddenly adopted a half-joking, half-wary expression, poking Ayako's arm, "you better not set your sights on Brother Kanjuro! I found him first!"
Ayako was amused by her sister's childish words, patting her head gently: "Silly, what are you thinking? Don't forget, my engagement to the Tomizawa Family was settled long ago." When mentioning the engagement, her tone was calm, showing little emotion, as if stating something unrelated to herself.
Sonoko suddenly realized, slapping her forehead: "Oh right! I forgot you're engaged! Hehe, then it's fine!" She immediately cheered up again, as if having one less "rival" was cause for celebration.
However, they didn't know that the charming "Brother Kanjuro" they were discussing was now heading toward their mother's study—a room symbolizing power and secrets—where the upcoming conversation could overturn everything they knew.
The study door closed softly behind Kanjuro, isolating everything outside. Tomoko Suzuki stood with her back to him before the large floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the dark night outside, her slender shoulders slightly heaving, revealing her extreme inner turmoil. In the room, only a dim desk lamp was on, its light and shadow outlining her still graceful yet visibly tense profile.
Kanjuro didn't speak, just stood there quietly, as if admiring a painting titled "Unease." The air was filled with the scent of expensive perfume, old books, and a complex aroma of fear and desire silently fermenting.
The gears of fate, within the confined space of the study, emitted a heavy turning sound once more. The study door isolated the outside world, leaving only the almost suffocatingly heavy silence between the two. Tomoko Suzuki stood with her back to Kanjuro, gazing at the deep night outside for a long time before, as if mustering all her strength, her voice trembling slightly, she broke the silence:
"It's been... a long time."
She didn't turn around, as if speaking to the air.
Kanjuro remained where he stood, at ease, as if merely on a casual social visit. Hearing her words, he showed a hint of appropriate confusion, his tone calm and distant: "Mrs. Suzuki, I'm not quite sure what you mean. We... only met for the first time today, didn't we?"
He deliberately repeated the address "Mrs. Suzuki," as if reminding her of her current identity, or perhaps enjoying every bit of torment it caused her.
Tomoko Suzuki abruptly turned around, the composure she had forced onto her face finally cracking. Looking at Kanjuro's face, unchanged from eighteen years ago, complex emotions surged in her eyes—fear, humiliation, and perhaps a trace of... twisted attachment brewed by time? She took a deep breath, almost blurting out:
"You... do you blame me? For... marrying Shiro Suzuki back then?"
Asking this question, she seemed to shed a heavy burden, yet was immediately engulfed by deeper dread. She stared intently at Kanjuro, trying to detect any flicker of emotion on his face.
Upon hearing this, Kanjuro merely smiled lightly, a smile tinged with worldly insight, even a hint of contemptuous "tolerance." He stepped forward, drawing closer, his gaze calmly fixed on Tomoko Suzuki:
"Blame you? Why would I blame you?" His voice remained gentle, yet it felt like a cold blade. "Worshiping money, chasing power, and seeking a life of luxury—this is just human nature. It's something every woman... or rather, what most people desire deep within their hearts. You made a choice that aligned with your interests; I can fully understand that."
His words seemed reasonable on the surface, but in reality, he was reducing all of Tomoko Suzuki's actions to naked self-interest, completely negating any other factors—including the complex emotions she was currently trying to express.
Tomoko Suzuki's heart felt as if it had been violently wrenched. Kanjuro's "understanding" made her feel more humiliated and pained than direct condemnation. Looking at his calm, expressionless face so close to her own, a mixture of resentment and a reckless impulse surged in her heart. She took a step forward, closing the already dangerous distance between them, tilted her head back, and whispered in a pleading, deliberately softened tone:
..."No... it wasn't like that! I... in my heart... I've always had a place for you..."
She spoke these words with great difficulty, her cheeks flushing an unnatural crimson from shame and agitation. She tried to use her remaining charm and her so-called "sincerity" to move him, or perhaps, to win a bit of breathing room for herself.
However, the smile on Kanjuro's face deepened, though the mirth didn't reach his eyes. Instead, it held a cruel sense of amusement. He leaned in slightly, close to her ear, and spoke in a volume only they could hear—like a lover's murmur, yet uttering the coldest words:
"A place for me in your heart?" He gave a soft laugh, his breath brushing against her ear and sending a shiver through her. "If I were in your heart, you wouldn't have married someone else, Tomoko."
He called her by name again, no longer using the distant "Mrs. Suzuki," but this intimate address felt like a slap in the face at this moment.
Tomoko Suzuki trembled violently as if all her strength had been drained. She stumbled back half a step, leaning against the cold mahogany desk. She knew that all her pretenses were meaningless before this man. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, only a desperate, all-or-nothing honesty remained.
"Yes... I did marry him..." Her voice carried a broken sob. "But that's just the surface! It's only a marriage in name!"
Kanjuro raised an eyebrow, seemingly showing a hint of interest: "In name?"
"At that time... I was already pregnant! With your children!" Tomoko Suzuki almost screamed it out, tears finally sliding down uncontrollably. "It's Sonoko and Ayako! And Shiro Suzuki... back then, due to family pressure, he desperately needed a wife and a 'legitimate' heir to maintain appearances! He... he is a man who respects me. There is no affection between us, and we have never... had a real husband-and-wife relationship!"
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her agitated emotions as she continued to explain: "Shiro... he has a severe mental aversion to impurity; he simply couldn't accept a woman carrying another man's child... but he needed the social recognition and stable image that the title of 'Mrs. Suzuki' brought. And I, I needed to give the children a legitimate identity, and I needed the protection and resources of the Suzuki Family! So we reached an agreement. It was just a cooperation where each got what they needed, a marriage of convenience through and through!"
At this point, her tone calmed slightly, even carrying a hint of genuine sentiment: "However, in all fairness, Shiro... although he is indifferent toward us as a mother and daughters, he has indeed been very good to Sonoko and Ayako. He fulfilled the superficial responsibilities of a 'father' and never mistreated them in terms of material wealth or status."
After saying all this, she seemed to have exhausted all her energy. She leaned weakly against the desk, looking at Kanjuro through tear-filled eyes, waiting for his judgment. She had laid out her most unseemly, realistic cards, not knowing how this demonic young man would deal with her—a woman who "had him in her heart" yet betrayed the past (in her view) for reality—and their daughters.
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