「 What do you think of him? 」

Jii-chan asks. Torii-san looked at me.

「 I-I hate him! 」

Torii-san replies with a slightly tense face.

「 Hmm. Why is that? 」

「 W-Why? T-That’s.. 」

Torii-san looks confused.

「 Everything has a reason. Am I wrong? 」

Jii-chan shows a calm smile.

「 I-I don’t know 」

Torii-san’s looking for the right words.

「 Why do you not know? 」

That’s...

Torii-san mumbles.

「 You don’t understand him? Or do you not understand yourself? 」

Torii-san herself?

「 I think it’s both 」

Torii-san replies honestly.

「 I see 」

Jii-chan then turned to the young group’s table.

「 Oh, you two are as well. Eri-kun and Rie-kun, was it? Can I ask you something?

The young girls, Agnes and Luna are looking after the twins and accepted them.

The twins don’t seem to be asserting themselves either.

「 Uhm, what is it? 」

「 What do you need? 」

Anyway, they know that Jii-chan’s the owner of this huge mansion.

Eri and Rie also reply nervously.

「 It’s nothing much. I’m just asking how you feel. That’s what I want to know 」

「 Our... 」

「 Feelings? 」

「 Right. I know from Fujimiya-kun’s reports about the details of how you have come here. You don’t have to explain those. However, what I want to know is how you feel that you suddenly lost your relatives, and became his woman without knowing how, then suddenly, you’re going to start living with some strangers 」

We didn’t even know each other until last night.

Despite that, I raped the twins last night. They lost their virginity.

Then, I violated them again this morning. Even have them experience group sex.

They’re brought to an unfamiliar mansion and told “from now on, these people will be your family”

Thinking about it, it’s messed up

「 Err, Rie-chan 」

「 Right, Eri-chan 」

The twins looked at each other.

「 You can start, Eri-chan 」

「 Then, I’ll start 」

Eri looked at Jii-chan.

「 To be honest, we’re still a bit scared. I wonder what will happen to us from now on. But... 」

「 We’re also excited to see what’s ahead. We’re thrilled 」

Rie said.

「 Somehow, I have a hunch that it’s going to be fun 」

「 Yes. Me too. At least, it won’t be bad. That’s how we think right now 」

The twins smiled.

「 Hmm. I see. Then why do you think that way? We might all be accomplices trying to deceive you. Have you ever thought that we might sell you off to some slave dealer in a foreign country by tomorrow? 」

Jii-chan asks. Eri...

「 What’s a slave dealer? 」

Err.

「 Oh, you don’t know. It’s a kidnapper. Those guys wearing red mantle... 」

「 Red mantle? 」

All the girls on the young group make a “???” face, not just Rie.

「 Edie-chan, what is the red mantle? 」

Agnes asks Edie.

「 The red mantle is an urban legend common during the early Showa era. They say “An old man wearing a red mantle kidnaps and kills children.” It was just a rumor, none of it was true 」

「 What’s the early days of Showa? 」

「 It’s the time when Ojii-san was a child. The red mantle is about 75 years old now 」

I see.

「 Thanks, Edie-chan. Rie-chan, Eri-chan, as you can see, Edie-chan knows a lot, and so if you don’t know anything, just ask her! She’ll teach you anything! 」

Agnes told the twins.

「 Hmm. That’s amazing. 」 Even though she couldn’t speak Japanese back in the days 」

Mao-chan is impressed.

Actually, Edie’s genius knows a lot.

「 It seems so. Grandfather, please make it easy to understand for the Heisei children 」

Misuzu said with a smile.

「 Indeed. I apologize, that was just a rumor from 75 years ago... 」

No, there’s no need to be that comfortable.

「 Let’s get straight to the point, do you truly trust us from the bottom of your heart? 」

Jii-chan asks the twins once again.

「 Even if you ask us that... 」

「 We have no choice but to follow and trust in Onii-san 」

The twins looked at me.

「 Do you trust him that much? As you can see, he’s just a young boy 」

Jii-chan’s right.

I’m just an ordinary high schoolboy.

「 That’s true, but, Rie-chan 」

「 True, Eri-chan 」

「 Onii-san is strangely dignified 」

「 He’s got the aura that says “Just leave this to me, don’t worry” 」

Huh?

「 I mean, look, everyone in here are all beauties and cuties, and they all listen to what Onii-san tells them 」

「 And even those who aren’t here today, like Nei-oneesan, or even Tsukiko-oneesan, they love Onii-san 」

「 Agnes also loves Papa! 」

「 Mao-chan too! 」

No, Agnes, Mao-chan, I’m thankful for that but not now.

「 I don’t sense any evil from Onii-san 」

「 Also, Onii-san listens to what the Onee-san tells him 」

「 Above all, those who touch Onii-san’s aura lose the evil they had, I think? 」

「 I don’t know much about that one but at least, we know that Onii-san isn’t trying to deceive us 」

「 Yes, it’s easy to understand Onii-san. You know that he’s not lying 」

「 And then, those who make contact with Onii-san all respect Onii-san’s ideas and they won’t betray Onii-san, I think 」

「 Therefore, the people in here do welcome us for real 」

Eri. Rie.

「 That’s obvious. Those who Papa chose are family! 」

Agnes said.

「 Eri-chan and Rie-chan can’t be bad girls. But, I’m sure that you had a lot of loneliness! Papa doesn’t pick girls unless they’re like that 」

「 Ai-chan was like that too! 」

Mao-chan laughs.

「 It was true for us too 」

Luna.

「 Ruriko and me too 」

Misuzu.

「 Mana too! I mean, everyone is 」

Mana speaks for the other girls who aren’t speaking.

「 Uhm, does that mean that Ojii-san is also the same? 」

Eri.

「 Right... 」 Did Onii-san save Ojii-san and added you to the family because you were lonely? 」

Rie said.

「 Ojii-san, when you entered this room, you had a scary look on your face. You don’t smile, not in your mouth, not in your eyes. It was the same eyes our father and his bosses had 」

「 Then, when you come closer to Onii-san, it changed. Now, there’s a smile on your lips and your eyes 」

「 Right, I thought so too. It’s Onii-san’s mysterious aura 」

「 He can ease up people’s emotions 」

The twins said.

「 Well, that’s how it is 」

Jii-chan?

「 There are two types of people in this world. Those who lack something in their heart, and those who are overflowing with emotion. I believe myself to be someone with lacking. And that missing part is filled with this family 」

Then, he looked at me.

「 However, you have some good eyes. There are a lot of people with that lacking sensation, but you never bring in fools with you. You pick those who have discernment, perseverance, and clever girls. Furthermore, they’re all lovely 」

Jii-chan gives the twins a gentle look from a grandfather.

「 Thank you. Not only for answering my question but for making me reflect on myself. Either way, I thank you two 」

「 There’s no need 」

「 That’s right. We’re already family 」

Eri and Rie smiled.

「 You’re right. Hmm. You may continue eating. Also, I apologize for interrupting 」

「 Yes, let’s eat! We have more if you want a refill 」

The young girls resumed eating while having a friendly talk.

「 Torii-kun. The answer you wanted to know was in that conversation 」

Jii-chan smiled at Torii-san.

「 Yes, I understand. I think that I hate Kuromori-sama because Kuromori-sama didn’t choose me 」

Huh, what? What?

I don’t get what Torii-san’s trying to say.

「 I guess it’s because I’m a fool? They told me the same thing on the building earlier 」

Oh, Nei did.

「 No, you’re smart. I know that you’re sharp. I checked all of your achievements in managing stocks. I also think that you have good performance in school 」

「 Kouzuki-sama, you looked at me? 」

Torii-san’s surprised.

「 You’re Kanou’s granddaughter...thus, I treat you as my granddaughter too 」

Torii-san’s mother is from Kanou house, one of the big three.

Those who stand above the nobility, Jii-chan, and the head of Kaan and Kanou house have been close since they were young.

「 Kaan and I have lived long but that Kanou, he went ahead first. Therefore, I thought of looking after you for him 」

「 B-But, yesterday?!?!?? 」

Yesterday, Jii-chan was harsh on Torii-san during the party.

「 I had to do it in public. It’s natural. I’m the head of the Kouzuki house, and you’re the daughter of Torii house right now. Not Kanou house 」

Torii house isn’t nobility. Their family lineage only counts a few decades.

「 You may be the daughter of the Kanou house but you represent the Torii house, which isn’t from nobility, and so I cannot show favor when in front of the other daughters of the nobility. You should think of your father for a bit 」

「 My father? 」

「 No matter how much harsh treatment you receive, everyone knows that you carry the blood of Kanou house. Therefore, you suffer, everything you do and everything you get involved in. They will laugh, backstab, and even gossip around him, your father isn’t from the nobility after all 」

Torii-san’s putting shame to her father more than she thinks.

I see.

「 Then, what do I do? 」

Torii-san asks Jii-chan with an earnest look, but...

「 So, what do you think? 」

Jii-chan turns to me.

「 I think that Torii-san should stop trying to compete with the daughters of nobility 」

「 I’m competing? 」

Torii-san looked at me.

「 Yeah. Bringing a bodyguard to the school is only allowed for a handful of young ladies among the whole school, right? 」

Only about thirty super-young-ladies who came to the party yesterday.

No matter how wealthy the other students are, if they have no noble lineage, then they’re not allowed to bring in bodyguards.

「 Torii-san, you forcibly had Haiji as your bodyguard using your lineage. But in truth, Torii house isn’t that great of a house 」

「 But, I... 」

Torii-san has insecurities towards the daughters of nobility...

「 Torii-san, don’t long for those “something that you might obtain.” Those you can’t obtain aren’t yours 」

I said.

historical

「 Torii-san, you’re not a person of nobility. Your Grandfather may be the head of Kanou house but you’re born in Torii house. You say that you will be married into someone from nobility but, Torii-san, is your fiance already decided? 」

「 Not yet. But there were several conversations about the topic 」

Of course.

「 Then it’s not decided yet. They are waiting for Torii-san to become an adult and they’ll decide depending on the current management state of Torii electronics. 」

Torii house doesn’t have a lineage. What they have are assets.

They can decide on her fiance right now but it would be a problem if Torii house collapses before the marriage.

「 Torii-san’s father probably want to pick on the last minute 」

On the other hand, if Torii electronics remain stable, Torii-san will get married to a better lineage.

Torii-san’s still 16. There’s no need to rush for her.

「 I mean, it’s not even decided whether Torii-san is to be married into someone from nobility or not 」

「 What are you talking about?! It’s already decided. Ever since I was born! 」

Torii-san said.

「 They only have decided the plan, but it’s not true until it happens. You don’t know how your fate change 」

I said. Misuzu.

「 Danna-sama’s right. I rejected the fiance Grandfather chose for me after all 」

She smiled.

「 Oh, Shiba’s son said that he can’t stay in Japan anymore and so he enrolled in a foreign research institution instead... 」

Jii-chan said.

Oh. Is that so?

Right. He’s kicked out of his place as Misuzu’s fiance.

All his plans of taking control of the Kouzuki group and his whole life as Misuzu’s husband is gone in the wind.

「 However, he was carrying a gravure photo from Japan in his bag by accident and the country said that it’s child pornography and so the police arrested him as he entered the country 」

HUh?

「 It seems that the other countries see the young women in Japan as children, even though they’re adults. You can appeal that the girl in the photo is 18 years old but the country will answer that she looks like a child, and so this is subject to punishment 」

That’s troublesome.

「 After some negotiations, he managed to come back to Japan, however, his record of owning child pornography will not go away. Poor boy 」

「 It’s true, you don’t know your fate 」

Ruriko speaks heartily.

「 There is no “this is certain. This is absolute,” in this world. That’s what I learned thanks to Onii-sama 」

Ruriko said.

「 That’s right. Torii-san has the blood of nobility, but you’re not one. The talk about marrying into a man of nobility in the future is there but it might not even happen, and so Torii-san is not a daughter of nobility 」

「 But I... 」

Torii-san looked down.

「 You see, you should switch your way of thinking. Don’t think that you have to become a daughter of nobility. Torii-san is Torii-san. Even when you’re not a daughter of nobility, you have enough charms on your own. 」 If you abandon your fixation towards nobility, it will be easier for you, I think that it’ll set your mind free 」

I said. Torii-san.

「 W-What do you know?!!! 」

「 I do know. I abandoned Yoshida Yoshinobu after all 」

I smiled.

「 What? 」

「 You see, my name when I was born was Yoshida Yoshinobu. I mean, that was my name until half a year ago. My parents abandoned me and I had no place to go, I was a stupid brat who is in the bottom of his life 」

That’s when I raped Yukino without remorse.

I didn’t see what was ahead of me.

「 But, after I abandoned the name Yoshida, releasing the parents who abandoned me, I felt lighter. Currently, I’m surrounded by people that love me and people I love. There’s nothing happier than this. After all, “what I have to do,” and “what I want to do,” have become similar things now. 」

I look at the young group who eats their meals happily.

「 I have to do my best for their sake 」

Torii-san looks at me dumbfoundedly.

「 Right. I think that Mariko-san should become a student respected by others instead of forcing to join the daughters of nobility 」

Misuzu who goes to the same school as Torii-san’s senior told her.

「 Ruriko and I are born as the daughters of nobility but to be honest, it’s nothing but pain. Especially because we’re from the Kouzuki house, we must be always courteous, kind to whoever to prevent any jealousy, any grudge, and so, we can’t be friends with anyone. If we get along with someone, that someone will receive the jealousy 」

Misuzu said.

「 That’s how I always thought my life will be but Danna-sama taught me that it can’t be like that 」

Huh?

「 I shouldn’t be worried about who we make contact with. It’s just foolish to be worried about each and everything. It’s better to be friendly and confident with anyone, just like Danna-sama. Edie, what do you call someone who is like Danna-sama again? 」

Someone like me?

「 A natural airhead 」

Edie smiles.

「 Yes, that. Natural airhead. Most of the time, Danna-sama’s pretending to have a screw loose on his head to face anyone with a relaxed attitude. Even though he understands, he would pretend to not know, and ask the other party “Why?” People hate those who pretend to be smart. You must face the other party with a serious face, where you don’t know anything, just like Danna-sama 」

No, Misuzu.

That’s...

「 Then, the other party will talk to you with their earnest emotions. Furthermore, speaking in words means that you logically verbalize your thoughts, right? If you go through that process, the other party will also take a look at it objectively 」

「 Yes, our conversations with Onii-sama is something we reflect on 」

Even Ruriko says that.

「 No, you girls are giving me too much credit. I’m just an idiot. Therefore, I had to listen with my all. I don’t really know anything 」

「 It’s because you look earnest when talking, everyone becomes serious too 」

Edie said.

「 After all, Darling’s approach of facing people without laughing, without fear, is amazing 」

「 Yes, I’m impressed all the time 」

Misuzu smiled.

「 What’s important is that you have an earnest attitude when facing whoever. That’s how Doraga is written 」

Jii-chan said.

「 Doraga? 」

I asked.

「 It’s a transforming robot anime from the 70s 」

Edie laughed.

Oh. I see.

「 That was a joke 」

That was a joke?!

「 Well, enough of that. Yoshiko... 」

Jii-chan looks at Yoshiko-san who’s listening to our conversation in silence.

「 Y-Yes? 」

「 You’re the same, Yoshiko 」

Jii-chan speaks gently.

「 You’re my granddaughter. I acknowledged that. However, that doesn’t mean that Yoshiko have to be the same daughter of nobility like Misuzu and Ruriko 」

「 I... 」

「 Listen. Yoshiko, you’re under the impression that you have to become a suitable daughter of Kouzuki house no matter what, and that’s why you’re suffering. You’re not free. You’re bound by the thought of what you should be. Just like Torii-kun. You’re tying yourself up. 」

He looks at his granddaughter gently.