After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 149

However, this slight mood was not due to Toyokawa Yuu's lack of confidence in her abilities; she was simply a little unhappy.

No matter how many choices are presented to this man, he will always choose the most troublesome and difficult path. Can't he just let himself off the hook once and find a more acceptable solution to make do with whatever comes his way?

Whether it's her current insatiable greed, wanting to hold onto everything Toyokawa Shoko left behind, or her decision to take in herself and Wakaba Mutsu back then, openly going against Mori Minami, it's all the same.

Mortis simply couldn't understand that kind of behavior—it was as if he was deliberately making things difficult for himself in pursuit of something.

However, perhaps that's why I...

Bathed in Yuu Toyokawa's comforting gaze, Mortis slowly nodded, but did not leave the bedroom immediately.

Without shoes on, with only a thin layer of white stockings covering his feet, Mortis brazenly stepped onto the spotless bedroom floor.

The upper half of the box was disassembled, and all of Toyokawa Kiyoko's belongings were placed on the other side, revealing the layer containing Toyokawa Shoko's belongings.

"Let's choose some burial items for Xiangzi first. She's being buried tomorrow, and as her husband and current head of the household, you should put some things in there to be buried with her."

Mortis's reminder made Toyokawa Yuu realize that there was indeed such a thing.

Toyokawa Yuu didn't really care much about choosing burial items.

As he had previously told Mutsuka Wakaba and Mortis, he never felt that Shoko Toyokawa had left him.

Given Hachiman Kairin's past history of betrayal and Wakaba Mutsumi's current incompetence, it's only a matter of time before he dies again.

Then I will have a chance to start over. Before that, I need to gather as much intelligence as possible.

Hachiman Kairin's account may not be reliable, Toyokawa Kiyotaka's notes are too one-sided, and Wakaba Mutsumi and Mortis...

To be frank, when Mortis advised himself not to have too much contact with Hachiman Kairin, his purpose became a little too obvious, almost as if he was deliberately trying to isolate himself from the outside world.

For this reason, Toyokawa Yuu would also ask her to help him contact Nagasaki Sase.

One should not lose access to information, nor should one blindly believe only one source of information.

Of course, it's not impossible to find someone you can absolutely trust in this city these days.

But still... don't drag her into this.

If they're capable of turning people into mincemeat with dump trucks, Toyokawa Yuu can't imagine how many more heinous things those people could do.

But... Xiangzi is already about to be buried.

Upon suddenly realizing this, Toyokawa Yuu's feelings were somewhat complicated.

With a somewhat heavy gaze, Toyokawa Yuu turned her eyes to the box that Mortis had placed in front of her. Even though she wasn't particularly interested in choosing burial items, she still scanned the items in the box one by one.

Frankly speaking, compared to what Toyokawa Kiyoko left behind, Toyokawa Shoko left behind very few things, most of which were items that Toyokawa Yuu remembered, and some were even related to him.

For example, the suit in the box was old and worn out, and the fit was completely unsuitable.

Yuu Toyokawa could tell at a glance that it was the same dress she had worn ten years ago.

Besides that, there were other things, such as several magazines featuring photos of Ave Mujica.

But like that suit, it wasn't anything particularly significant.

If there's nothing suitable, how about putting in the doll left behind by Mizuho Toyokawa...

As Yuu Toyokawa rummaged through the box, the thought had just crossed her mind when she touched a cold piece of metal.

After taking the item out of the box, Toyokawa Yuu looked at the object in her hand and was slightly taken aback.

This is a small and exquisite pocket watch. The brass case looks somewhat dull over time, and the surface is simply matte with no other decorations, making it look even a bit rudimentary.

Yuu Toyokawa didn't recognize the item, but if it belonged to Shoko Toyokawa, it would seem rather shabby for someone from a prominent family like her.

Compared to Toyokawa Shoko, Toyokawa Yuu felt that this was more like...her own?

On the contrary, Mortis, who had been carrying the box the whole time, had a slight tremor in his golden eyes when he saw the pocket watch.

Unaware of Mortis's subtle change in expression, Toyokawa Yuu silently opened the pocket watch case.

Just like its unadorned and overly simple exterior, the dial of this pocket watch is also extremely simple.

There are no decorative patterns or small seconds subdial; there are only twelve markers arranged in a circle around the dial, and not even any further subdivisions.

Not only that, but even the hands on the dial are a meager single one, which is currently pointing precisely at the [VI] mark, which symbolizes the sixth mark.

Yuu Toyokawa looked up at the wall clock in the bedroom; it was just past noon.

Did it spoil from being left out for too long?

Turning the pocket watch over, Toyokawa Yuu discovered that there was no knob on the back to adjust the scale.

Moreover, this pocket watch appears to be a single, seamless piece, with no visible seams between the pieces.

"Huh? Why is the pointer [VI] now? It was [V] last time."

Mortis's somewhat confused voice reached Yuu Toyokawa's ears. It sounded like, in her memory, that the pocket watch had long been broken, and the hands wouldn't even turn.

"Mortis, what do you mean by 'the pointers are incorrect'?"

Looking up at Mortis, Toyokawa Yuu's question was quite direct this time; he had a feeling that something was off about the pocket watch.

"It means exactly what it says. This was the gift you gave to Xiangzi at the wedding. I remember the pointer was pointing to [V] at the time. Xiangzi later complained that it couldn't be repaired when it broke... You wouldn't forget something so important, would you?"

Mortis's tone was somewhat strange. At that wedding, everyone was surprised that Toyokawa Yuu would give Shoko a broken pocket watch, but given their relationship, everyone felt there must be a deeper meaning behind it.

Judging from the current situation, it seems that even Yuu Toyokawa himself doesn't quite understand what this pocket watch looks like.

Ignoring Mortis's somewhat suspicious gaze, Toyokawa Yuu's fingers rubbed against the pocket watch's case, feeling its slightly rough texture.

He was certain that his past self, ten years ago, did not possess this thing, up until he returned to this era.

However, he and Mortis shared one thought: there was definitely a deeper meaning behind his giving this to Toyokawa Shoko.

At the very least, this pocket watch must have some other meaning, which is why he gave it to Toyokawa Shoko on such an important occasion as her wedding.

"Let's take this one. It's very important."

Following her intuition, Toyokawa Yuu chose the pocket watch and took it out of the box.

"Choose this one... Okay then, actually I quite like this thing."

Upon hearing that Toyokawa Yuu intended to use the pocket watch as a burial item for Toyokawa Shoko, Mortis quietly pursed his lips, looking somewhat reluctant.

She also valued this pocket watch highly, after all, it was a gift from Toyokawa Yuu to Toyokawa Shoko on such an important occasion as their wedding.

Such an important thing is just sitting in the basement collecting dust, Xiangzi really is something else...

"Now that I've made my choice, I'll pack up these things and get ready to go find Soyo."

"No, let's not go find Nagasaki Sasuke now. I have other ideas."

Raising her hand to interrupt Mortis's packing, Toyokawa Yuu put the pocket watch into her own pocket and changed her tone.

"Mortis, where is Ms. Mori Minami now? I need to talk to her."

Although the information she received was somewhat disorganized, Toyokawa Yuu's mind remained relatively clear.

This wasn't his own possession, yet he gave it to Xiangzi. So, this pocket watch must have been something he acquired by chance before the wedding, or it was a gift from someone else.

She doesn't have many friends. Apart from work, her social circle consists only of the band Ave Mujica and Chihaya Aine.

However, if it was a gift from Chihaya Aine, she would never give it to Toyokawa Shoko.

Therefore, this pocket watch most likely came from an elder, as only in this way could it bear the important significance of being a wedding gift.

But now, Toyokawa Kiyoshi and Toyokawa Sadaharu have long since passed away, and the only elder who might know the origin of this pocket watch is... Mori Minami.

Moreover, having retired for many years after being defeated by Mortis, Minami has not been involved in these complicated matters for a long time.

In some ways, her words may even be more credible than Mortis's.

Clutching the pocket watch in her bosom, Toyokawa Yuu had a vague premonition that the change of the watch's hands from [V] to [VI] must have some special significance.

But why 5 and 6?

I've only died four times so far.

"Looking for Minami..."

Upon hearing that Yuu Toyokawa was going to find her birth mother, Mortis frowned without any attempt to hide his displeasure.

She genuinely didn't want Yuu Toyokawa to continue having any connection with her birth mother, who was the enemy who had caused everyone so much trouble back then.

Although Mortis did owe his ability to live in Toyokawa Yuu's house ten years ago in a way to Minami Mori, he did not feel that this was a reason for him to forgive and thank her.

However, under Yuu Toyokawa's earnest gaze, Mortis ultimately couldn't bring himself to refuse. He could only mutter a sullen "I understand," and sullenly packed his things in the box before leaving the bedroom.

The sound of the door panel fitting into the frame rang out again, but soon fell silent again.

Toyokawa Yuu sat on the edge of the bed and took out the pocket watch again.

Although there was only one stationary hour hand on the dial, Toyokawa Yuu could almost feel another hand inside the clock constantly beating... the rhythm subtly matching her own heartbeat.

Looking up at the ceiling above her head, Toyokawa Yuu had a vague feeling that she was not far from the moment she could truly break through the impasse.

......................................................

Walking through the corridors of the Toyokawa family mansion, Mortis carried a box of packed items in his arms, his expression sullen.

Whether it was Toyokawa Yuu refusing to let her take him away from Tokyo, or asking Inomori Minami to meet again after several years, both made her feel extremely irritated.

This kind of thing should never have happened.

If you want to be safe, these are choices you shouldn't make at all.

However, she couldn't bear to refuse Toyokawa Yuu's request no matter what.

Just as Toyokawa Yuu always tried her best to accommodate and satisfy his wishes ten years ago, Mortis now wants to do the same for Toyokawa Yuu.

However, even with such a determination in her heart, there are still some things that make her feel unhappy, and there are far more things that make her feel bad than just these.

"Mortis, why did you lie?"

Ye Mu's cold questioning voice suddenly came from the golden-eyed beauty's mouth, adding a few sounds to the quiet corridor.

"Of all the lies I've told, which one are you referring to?"

However, Mortis didn't even think of refuting Wakaba Mutsu's accusations. He not only readily admitted them but also seemed completely unconcerned.

“Xiang was never a traitor, and she never really reconciled with Hailing. You clearly know why she contacted Hailing later.”

"I thought you were going to say that I exaggerated Hailing's feelings, but in the end you were still only thinking about Xiangzi."

Mortis retorted mercilessly to his other self, showing no shame whatsoever at being accused of lying.

"If I don't erase Xiangzi's impression on Youyu, how will I have a chance? And you actually think so too, right, Xiaomu?"

"I don't......"

"Then why didn't you interrupt and correct me when I was saying those things?"

Mortis dismissed the defense of his other self with disdain, easily silencing him with his questions.

Mortis knew perfectly well what feelings his other self had for Toyokawa Yuu.

However, since Toyokawa Shoko had always been there, she had always kept those feelings hidden.

But now that Toyokawa Shoko is dead, the last obstacle that allowed Wakaba Mutsumi to suppress her feelings is gone.

"If you want to succeed, listen to me. You are half of Xiangzi, and our chances of winning are very high... really high."

Chapter 136 Don't I know you well enough?

It was nighttime, four days after Toyokawa Shoko's death.

A black sedan stopped in front of the Ruoye family's gate. A moment later, a woman with long light green hair got out of the car. Her golden eyes narrowed slightly as she cast a displeased gaze at the somewhat desolate villa in front of her.

Although it is somewhat desolate, it is not really dilapidated. However, compared to the previous homes that looked spacious but still somewhat vibrant from the outside, this place now looks more like a dwelling simply made of building materials.

It's only just nightfall, but it's already pitch black here, with only a faint light on in one of the rooms on the second floor, which looks like just a table lamp.

However, Mortis had no intention of immersing himself in the atmosphere of this desolate yet tranquil villa. Instead, he coldly inserted the key into the lock.

If given a choice, Mortis really wouldn't want to go back to this place; he'd rather stay at the Toyokawa family home.

Even just sitting there fiddling with Toyokawa Shoko's belongings, or tidying up the altar piled with white flowers, and listening to the malicious rumors circulating in the mourning hall, would be much better than returning to this place.

Even Wakaba Mutsu thought so; at this moment, she had already retreated back into her own consciousness and handed over the task of controlling her body to Mortis.

Some pushed open their front doors roughly, some with such force that the doors slammed against the walls, the echoes particularly jarring in the silent darkness.

Mortis turned around and gestured with his chin toward the black sedan parked by the roadside, indicating that Yuu Toyokawa could get out of the car.

"Mortis, don't open the door so roughly."