CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Goodbyes
"Yumi, you know I will never judge you." Sachiko was tired and awfully lightheaded from the seemingly endless ride, but she forced herself to stay awake and contain her motion sickness just to keep the brunette company. They were sitting inside a black SUV for hours with a core guard at the passenger seat and another in one of the two SUVs tailing them. She was kind of relieved when their vehicle had stopped once again for a series of checkpoints in a place she wasn't familiar with.
Yumi smiled weakly, adoring the warmth in Sachiko's eyes. After a while, she sighed and nodded. "I know you won't. I'm just not comfortable talking about the past, specifically my not-so virtuous activities." Sadness crossed her face as she said that. "I was miserable. I didn't have a life and mind of my own. Everything I did was to please my grandfather, for our name. All my years, I was trained to be this cruel, soulless monster." She uttered it with such abhorrence that it made Sachiko cringe at how awful and sad it sounded. "I had no real friends. No one knew exactly who I was, not until three years ago when I was sent to the royal palace in my grandfather's behalf."
Sachiko already knew this, but had decided to keep her silence. She was attentively listening to what had been said and even noting the look on her fiancée's face.
"I never knew what love is till I found it myself." A small, loving smile reached Yumi's eyes, wiping away the pain in it. "You completely changed my life, turning me upside down, inside out."
Sachiko's lips upturned into a wide smile. "Is being a smoothie also a part of your training, Yumi?"
Yumi shook her head; her expression changed a great deal. "It's inborn, my love."
"Oh?" Sachiko giggled, flashing her pearly white teeth. "I'm not so sure about that." They were mirroring each other's smile when a deep, authoritarian voice broke off their stares.
"Yumi Ojou-sama," Hayashi's rough voice came over the intercom. "We're almost there." Then, they were in a move again.
Sachiko involuntarily stiffened on her seat at hearing his announcement; her breathing was a bit tense with a distracted look on her face. Yumi noticed this, apparently. She immediate gave her fiancée a tender smile and a comforting squeeze on her hand. "It's fine. It's my home." She whispered as she leaned in closer. "No one's going to hurt you."
Sachiko only nodded, forcing up a small smile. She didn't quite trust her voice at the moment. How could she not feel extremely safe when two core guards and ten more securities were guarding them and, on top of that, Yumi was there sitting beside her? Nevertheless, she was still feeling pretty apprehensive meeting Yumi's grandfather, the world's most powerful man, for the first time. She couldn't calm down even after reassuring herself a number of times that it's going to be okay. The insensate Head was in a state of coma and was very much close to being dead. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath when, all of a sudden, she heard Megumi's obnoxious laughter at the back of her head. Her eyes snapped open; her heartbeat was racing alarmingly.
"Are you alright, my love?" Yumi asked her; her tone was thick of concern. She did not fail to notice the fear in her fiancée's eyes. "What's wrong?"
Sachiko swallowed hard. "Is Megumi there?" She blurted out her worry.
Yumi's brows furrowed in confusion, but did not further probe. "Etsuo, is Megumi in the mansion?" She questioned the core guard in the passenger seat without breaking her gaze at Sachiko.
"Hai. She is, Yumi Ojou-sama." Etsuo responded courtly.
"Did she leave the mansion two weeks ago, on February 14th?" Sachiko asked him promptly. "Did she?" She repeated, irritation was obvious in her voice, when she was only answered with silence.
"Answer her." Yumi demanded sternly. She felt insulted by his lack of respect for Sachiko. Though she knew the reason, she couldn't let anyone disrespect the person she valued the most.
"Hai. Yes, she was." Etsuo answered succinctly. He didn't want to divulge any more information to the enemy. If she wasn't his Ojou-sama's special guest, he would have probably did something to her the moment he knew who she was.
"What was her assignment a week prior to February 14th?" Sachiko took this opportunity to investigate while Yumi's with her. She wouldn't let this pass without getting answers.
The core guard clenched his teeth in anger. How could she, an enemy, treat him like her servant and expect him to tell her everything. Clearly, the enemy was investigating something. He would rather die than to sell out his comrades. His face squinched in defeat at hearing the adamant voice of his Ojou-sama calling his name. He was being warned. He was about to declare his imminent punishment, which was death, for choosing to disregard Yumi's orders when he heard Hayashi's voice on the intercom announcing their arrival.
Their vehicle had finally came to a halt. He stepped out and opened the door at the backseat and ushered his Ojou-sama and the enemy inside the mansion. He seethed at the thought, barely containing his fury. Before he could do something unforgivable, he caught sight of Hayashi squinting his eyes, shaking his head at him. He knew what his commander was silently telling him: be patient.
Yumi was too focused on Sachiko to mind her surroundings, particularly, at the two core guards secretly exchanging looks. Sachiko was utterly astounded at the size and the exquisiteness of the structure that she forgot about her frustrations earlier. She thought the magnificent edifice was a hundred times larger and grander than the Ogasawara Mansion. It impressively reminded her of the royal palace of Caserta that she visited in Italy a year ago. The main foyer alone was as huge as the entire Lillian High auditorium and gymnasium put together. No, even bigger, she assessed the imposing hall thoughtfully.
"Now you know where I actually live." Yumi said with a teasing tone.
Sachiko smiled, remembering the line she said to the girl.
"Come, I'm going to show you around the house." Yumi said. She chuckled when Sachiko mouthed the word "house" with an eyebrow raised.
Servants, which Sachiko could not count, welcomed them warmly at the foyer. Yumi led her the way, still holding her hand. Her grip on Yumi's tightened after descrying a familiar tall, slender figure at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes narrowed vehemently.
Megumi leisurely strutted toward them with a sly smile; her conceited dark blue eyes locked the other pair of blue eyes for a brief second. She stopped in her tracks and bowed down at her Ojou-sama, who smiled at her in return. "Welcome back, Yumi Ojou-sama." She then looked and nodded at Sachiko with an enigmatic smile. "Welcome, Ogasawara-san."
Sachiko had her cold mask on. "Oh Megumi, I'm so glad to see you." She cheered in a very sarcastic tone. Yumi had to glance at her with a frown on her face then back at the female core guard. "I have to tell you that my fiancé and I absolutely loved your presentation. It was spectacular." She said with a wry smile.
Yumi looked at her quizzically, thinking she was the fiancé Sachiko was referring about. "What presentation?"
Megumi's eyes twitched menacingly at the Ogasawara heiress when she thought no one was looking at her.
Glancing at the woman in front, Sachiko said in mock surprise, "You didn't bother telling your Ojou-sama, Megumi?" Her gaze shifted to Yumi, who looked as puzzled as ever. "It was her sweet gift to me on Valentine's day. Didn't you know? It was all over the news."
Yumi brows knitted together after some thought. She sighed when she realized something. "I don't watch TV." She sighed again. "Will you tell me what this all about?"
"Megumi will tell you soon. I'm sure." Sachiko smiled sweetly at Yumi before giving her a lingering kiss on the lips, making sure everyone especially Megumi could see it. "Just be patient, my love. If she won't tell you, I will." She whispered huskily against the brunette's lips.
Everyone who saw it was thoroughly stunned. Yumi, who knew Sachiko better, was quite disturbed and mostly hurt by it. Her kiss felt so wrong. There was no warmth in her smile, no spark in her touch. It was empty as her eyes.
"What are we waiting for? Aren't you going to show me around?" Sachiko said coquettishly, pulling slightly away from the brunette.
"Of course." Yumi said, managing a small smile.
It took them two hours to explore half of the estate. All throughout the tour, Yumi was eyeing her fiancée furtively, trying to interpret the wary expression on her face. She made a mental note to open this matter with Sachiko later on. She wouldn't let this one slip her mind. She had a feeling that this had nothing to do with her jealousy toward the core guard.
During dinner, Sachiko was eerily silent. Yumi was munching her food with her eyes glued on the raven-haired heiress all the time. When she couldn't take the silence any longer, she put her fork and knife down softly on the table before clearing her throat. "Onee-sama," She said gingerly. Sachiko looked up at her, but did not say anything. She was just giving Yumi a blank stare. "Is something the matter?"
Sachiko averted Yumi's concerned gaze, looking back at her food. "Is there? I wonder."
Yumi blinked twice, taken aback not by her words but her tone. What's the matter, my love?
Sachiko felt so terrible. She wasn't aware of what she did until she was left alone in Yumi's enormous room. She sighed wearily, trudging toward the most beautiful canopy bed she had ever seen, and flopped into it in a very ungraceful manner. She didn't care anymore. She was already in a verge of collapsing and Yumi's bed looked so appealingly calming. After what seemed like forever, Sachiko finally closed her eyes and turned to her side. She groaned in frustration as gun shots, bloods, and screams had crawled back into the surface of her brain. "This is her fault." She muttered furiously.
"My heart swells knowing I'm always on your mind."
Sachiko immediately got off the bed. She didn't have to search for the owner of the voice since she was already standing confidently at the balcony doors. Her heart hammered so fast when their eyes locked. Her body literally froze, feeling the chill running down her spine. She cursed herself for letting Megumi have these effects on her. She's Ogasawara Sachiko, no one should intimidate her like this.
"Oh, don't worry, Ogasawara-san. I won't kill you right here." Megumi said as she ambled toward her.
Her impulse made Sachiko move backwards until Megumi stopped at the foot of the bed. "What are you doing here?" She said shakily. She bit her own lip after hearing how pathetic she sounded. "Leave or I will—"
"Or you will what?" Megumi interrupted her, a foreboding smirk plastered on her face. "This is not your turf, Ogasawara-san. Everyone here considers you an outsider, a pest." She said as she walked over and sat on the bed with her hands behind her back, propping herself up. She arched her back, waving her head gently and teasingly, making her silky dark hair dance. She was facing Sachiko as if she was seducing her with her pose. She moaned, fondling the sheets in a sexual way. "I love how soft Yumi-sama's bed is; it drives me crazy, thinking how good she is in bed." She closed her eyes and moaned even loader. "I love the way her eyes looking at me fiercely when she makes love to me. Her lips kissing me hungrily; her hands toying my breasts. The feeling of her cool tongue licking my wet folds as her fingers made its way inside—"
"STOP IT!" Sachiko shouted angrily, making the other girl stop and look at her with a glint of amusement in her eyes. "So, this is really about Yumi. I thought so." She scoffed. "You sick, jealous, vindictive bitch. You couldn't fight me head-on so you decided to kill my fiance's men. You think you finally saw the chance to get back at me? You're so wrong."
"No, not really." Megumi said coolly as she straightened and crossed her arms over her chest. "I wasn't thinking about that when I killed them. You want to know what really happened, Ogasawara-san?" She smiled maliciously. "I like you. And if I like someone, I study them. But finding out what you were up to was only a bonus. It wasn't my intent; fate was making a way for me to know you better. Oops," She covered her mouth as if she had said something wrong. "Sorry for the grammatical error. What I was trying to say was now I know what I needed to know . . . the real you . . . who and what you really are, Ogasawara-san. Don't you worry, you know how selfish I am. I like that I am the only one who knows it. I won't even tell my beloved Ojou-sama about it." She ended her sentence with a wink.
Sachiko laughed humorlessly. "Oh, I pity you. You're so pathetic!" She spat. "Whatever you say will never change the fact that you're a loser. You may kill everyone on the planet, but you'll never have Yumi. Do what you want, say what you want, but she'll never leave me especially for someone like you."
Megumi's smile widened, looking so amused. "I know." She stood and stepped a bit closer to Sachiko, who didn't move an inch. "That's why I want you to leave her for me. It'll be so much easier that way. You leaving her and her going back to me."
"You really are insane!" Sachiko reacted straightaway. "Don't be stupid. What made you think I'll do that?"
Megumi shook her head; her smile was irritatingly mocking in Sachiko's point of view. "I don't think you understand me, Ogasawara-san. I was not asking you; I was telling you, ordering you." Her eyes narrowed threateningly. "This is my last warning. You leave my Yumi."
Before Sachiko could retort, the door behind her creaked open. She turned around instantly and was glad to see Yumi got inside the room.
Yumi smiled at seeing her. She walked toward her fiancée and gave her a hug. "What kept you busy while I was away? Not thinking too much of me, I hope." She said, letting go of the older girl.
Sachiko smiled genuinely that she even forgot her interaction with the core guard seconds ago. "Guilty as charged."
"I'm not going to punish you; that's for sure." said Yumi playfully, giving her a peck on the cheek.
The light touch on her skin made her remember Megumi. Her body swiveled on its own and was more than relieved and, at the same time, disappointed when the core guard was not there, nowhere to be seen. She scanned through the enormous room, but there was no sign of Megumi being there.
"My love?" Yumi called; worry and confusion could be heard in her voice. "Is something wrong?"
Sachiko shook her head softly and looked at the brunette. "Nothing."
Yumi sighed. "Please, tell me what's bothering you. You can tell me anything."
"I know, but I'm fine." Sachiko flashed a sweet smile and kissed Yumi on the lips. "How's your grandfather?" She asked after breaking off the kiss. "I'm sorry if I didn't go with you, Yumi. I am still—"
"It's fine. You don't have to explain twice." Yumi cut her off gently. "My grandfather is in a horrible state. I had never thought I could see him this weak and vulnerable. He's supposed to be the paragon of power and strength. Now, he's just a man—a sick, helpless man." Her voice cracked as tears had finally escaped her eyes. "Hayashi told me what happened. They were on their way to a very important meeting when he suddenly asked to call the meeting off and head back to the mansion. Minutes later, he convulsed in the car. What pained me was he had still managed to utter my name in that condition. He was looking for me." She bit her lip; her face scrunched as though she was in pain. "I feel so bad I wasn't there for him. I even had second thoughts of coming here to see him. What's wrong with me? I'm so damn awful!"
"There is nothing wrong with you; you are not awful, Yumi." Sachiko said sternly yet with love and tenderness. She gave the brunette a warm embrace, kissing the side of her head. "He will be okay. Be strong for him."
"Thank you." Yumi said in a low voice, almost in a whisper.
"For what?" Sachiko asked with a small smile.
"For being here with me. I know you don't want to, but you're still here because I asked you to."
"You know I'll do everything for you." Sachiko responded at once.
Yumi pulled away slightly, looking at her in the eye. "Everything?"
Sachiko eyed her carefully; her eyes quirked in a mysterious, daunting way. "What do you have in mind?" She shivered. "I hope it's not what I'm thinking."
Yumi's lips spread into a huge grin. "Well . . ." She chuckled. "Onee-sama," She was teasing her again. "I love you and you love me and you just said you'll do everything for me. So, um, do you think, er, we, you know . . ." She chuckled again, not knowing how to express her thoughts. "We have a lovely bed that I haven't used for ages and maybe we can spend the night, you know. . ."
Sachiko sighed. "Yumi. No." She said seriously.
Yumi's face fell. "Oh." She pouted, rather charmingly. "Okay."
Sachiko was the one laughing now. "Stop being so cute. We can't spend the night, Yumi. I haven't told anyone where I am. Mother will be worried." She smiled softly, caressing Yumi's face. "You should know how much I love being here and doing things with you, but we can't do it now. I want my first to be special, you know, after the wedding." She blushed, biting her lip adoringly.
Yumi smiled at how adorable her fiancée was. "I was only teasing you." Her expression became serious yet there was a smile in her eyes. "I will never force you into doing things. I also want my first to be special. But it's really hard to tell what's special and what's not since every moment with you is beautiful." She paused, organizing her thoughts. "I am always looking forward to that day that you and I will be one. Just you and I." She repeated; her voice was soft and gentle. "I love you so much, Ogasawara Sachiko, so, so much."
Sachiko's blush darkened. She was speechless. She was happy; no, she was overjoyed.
Yumi kissed her hands and looked at her in the eye like there's no tomorrow. "I hope you know how much you mean to me. If ever one day you'll change your mind, you'll have second thoughts of leaving me, knowing that I will die if that happens."
The way Yumi said it made Sachiko's heart pound so fast. Her face creased into a sad frown. "That day will never come. I will never leave you, Yumi." She promised unhesitatingly.
That I wish and pray, my love. Yumi said to herself. Forcing up a convincing smile, she held Sachiko's hand and led her to the canopy bed. They sat and, slowly, Yumi leaned in closer until their lips met. Sachiko responded without delay, cupping Yumi's cheeks eagerly. The kiss was passionate as though they were waiting for the kiss to happen in a very long time. They were completely engrossed in the moment that they didn't notice a tall woman standing at the balcony, staring at them with disgust and spite.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she whispered bitterly, "You're all going to regret this."
"How are you, Sachiko?"
Sachiko perked up at hearing her Onee-sama's voice. "Onee-sama!" She stood quickly, looking at the opened door with a huge smile on her face. Sachiko was noticeably delighted to see Youko.
Youko smiled at her, happy and contented, seeing her younger sister looking so cheerful. There was no doubt in her mind what, or rather, who made Sachiko change. "I was looking for you." She stepped forward and sat on the seat across her petite seour. "I missed you."
"Onee-sama," Sachiko's voice faltered. Her chest felt so heavy the moment she locked gaze with Youko. She was unaware she was crying until her Onee-sama stood and wiped her tears away. With a sad smile, she stood and walked over to Youko and gave her a tight embrace. Instead of telling her Onee-sama how much she missed her, she sobbed quietly on her shoulder.
Youko was trying to soothe her by tenderly rubbing the back of her head. She giggled when she heard Sachiko snort.
Sachiko pulled away with a pout. "Onee-sama, are you here to make fun of me?"
Youko stopped laughing. "Of course not." She smiled. "I want to see you before the ceremony begins." She paused, looking at her petite soeur wistfully. "I am so proud of you, Sachiko. Always remember that you are my sister and I will always be here for you."
Sachiko nodded with a smile. "I will always remember, Onee-sama."
Yumi was heading toward the auditorium when someone grabbed her wrist and yanked her from behind. She yelped in surprise and had almost swung her free hand backwards—that would have probably knocked the dunderhead out—when she caught a glimpse of blonde locks swaying in the air and, with all her power, had stopped herself in the nick of time.
"My Yumi-chan!"
Yumi groaned inwardly with a scowl on her face. "Sei-sama!" She turned around, pouting. "Do you always have to do that, attacking people from behind?"
Sei chuckled. "I love doing it from behind."
Yumi thought for a moment whether to react violently, laugh, or just shrug it off.
Sei was laughing so hard at the look on Yumi's face. "Oh, Yumi-chan, I was just kidding. I always prefer to do it sideways." She laughed again.
Yumi was making this weird, disgusted look on her face. "I'm not sure we're on the same page, Sei-sama."
Sei's laughter had died down. "C'mon, Yumi-chan! Can't you handle a little joke?"
Yumi groaned loudly this time. "Are you done with your little joke, because I really have to go?" She didn't wait for Sei's reply. She turned back around grumpily and was about to continue walking when Sei stopped her by embracing her from behind with her hands encircling the brunette's waist.
"I will surely miss you, Yumi-chan." Sei whispered in her ear. "Please, look after Shimako for me."
Yumi had to face her. Their faces were inches apart, but neither moved away. "You're saying as though you're leaving us . . . for good." Yumi found herself feeling sad at the thought. "Are you going leave us, Sei-sama?"
"Will you give me a kiss if I'll say yes?" Sei said, a faint smile on her lips.
Yumi was genuinely saddened. Without saying her answer, she leaned in to plant a kiss on Sei's cheek, however, Sei moved her face slightly to catch Yumi's lips. And so she did.
Yumi stepped back, her mouth fell to the ground. "What was that for? I was aiming on your cheek!"
"Now, now, Yumi-chan, I didn't even feel your lips. You're acting like you were sexually violated." Sei said matter-of-factly.
Yumi looked at her incredulously. "I felt your lips! It was cool and soft and even tasted like strawberries!" She paused, blushing intensely after hearing the words coming out of her mouth. "I mean . . ." She grumbled, clearly frustrated and, above all, highly embarrassed.
"That's alright, Yumi-chan." Sei snickered, playfully comforting her. "So, how was it? Like to do it again?"
The ceremony started and ended harmoniously. It wasn't as bad as Sachiko had thought. She even hugged her Onee-sama and cried her heart out in front of everybody. She was not ashamed nor did she care. She had finally told Youko everything after the ceremony. She meant everything including her relationship with Yumi and her engagement with Suguru, but she deliberately left the Megumi part out. She badly wanted to tell her Onee-sama about it, but how on Earth could she explain it without exposing Yumi's true identity? Youko was a smart, cunning woman, one slip and she would question her right away.
Youko was not entirely surprised by the revelation. She had somehow knew what was going on between her two sisters and she was happy to know that she was right all along. Frankly, she had never thought that this day would come. But she was just glad that Sachiko had finally came out to her. What was surprising to hear was when Sachiko told her that Yumi was the best thing that happened in her life and that she would marry her and not Suguru. The scrupulously uptight, rich heiress chose to be with a girl—an average, unsophisticated girl—than a wealthy, well-bred, gentleman who could provide her everything. Sachiko had, in deed, changed a lot. She was absolutely in love, Youko concluded with an inward smile.
The two sisters were waiting for Yumi at the ancient gate. They were standing there long enough to make Sachiko's face grimace in disapproval. After another long wait, they decided to look for her. They roamed around the Lilian grounds, searching for the brunette, even going as far as the outskirts of the school premises. But Yumi was nowhere to be found. They asked several people if they had seen the Rosa Chinensis en Bouton petite soeur, but what they got was only a shake of the head.
"Where is Yumi?" Sachiko could no longer pretend she didn't care. Her expression and the tone of her voice showed how anxious she was at this moment.
Youko was even worried after seeing Sachiko's usual cold, fearless demeanor melted into something she hadn't seen before. This brunette didn't only change her hard-hearted monster of a sister, she had also successfully transformed her into an affectionate human being.
"Why are you looking for Yumi-chan, Sachiko? Isn't she with you?" Sei said, appearing from nowhere.
The two sisters looked at her. Sachiko shook her head. "I only saw her before the ceremony began. We agreed to meet at the gate after the ceremony, which was an hour ago. Have you seen her, Sei-sama?" Sachiko's tone was hopeful, which made the two seniors uneasy.
"Yes, but that was also before the ceremony. After that, I hadn't seen her." Sei said, contemplating. "Wait, maybe she's with Shimako."
Sachiko's perfect eyebrow raised dangerously. "Why would Yumi be with her?"
Youko smiled at Sachiko's petty jealousy.
Sei ignored her with a smirk. She fished her phone out of her pocket and dialed a number. She smiled when Shimako answered the call immediately. "Shimako, is Yumi-chan with you?" After a long pause, Sei frowned. "Okay, thanks, Shimako. I'll talk to you later. Bye." She ended the call with a sigh. "Yumi-chan's not with her. The last time Shimako saw her was before the ceremony started. She said a tall woman approached Yumi-chan and they went out the hall together."
"A tall woman?" Sachiko repeated to herself. "Did Shimako tell you why they left?" She asked Sei.
Sei shook her head. "Nope. But she heard something like 'he's looking for you. And Yumi-chan instantly got to her feet and left.'"
Sachiko pondered it seriously. After some thought, she turned sideways to look at Youko. "Onee-sama, I think I know where Yumi is. She is not here."
"What do you mean 'she's not here', Sachiko?" Youko queried.
"I'll explain it to you later." Sachiko responded with an apologetic smile. She turned to Sei and said, "Can you drive us to where, I think, Yumi is?"
Sei deliberated it for a moment. After weighing the circumstances, she shrugged with a soft sigh. "You know I can't say no to you."
The three were heading to the house—as what Yumi liked to call it—for over an hour. Sei was grumbling the entire ride, muttering something the two sisters could only understand as 'Sisters'. When they arrived, they were stopped for a series of checkpoints, which made Youko and Sei wonder. When Sachiko told them they were at Yumi's place and saw how huge and impressive the entire estate was, they were beyond shocked. Along the way to the house, the two bombarded Sachiko with endless questions. Sachiko simply told them, "You will be answered very soon."
When they reached the palace, Youko and Sei were stunned, totally overwhelmed with amazement. They got off the car and scanned the place. "Tell me, Sachiko . . ." Youko spoke without averting her gaze from the breathtaking view. "Is Yumi-chan what we think she is?"
"Yes, Onee-sama," Sachiko replied with a small smile. "She is."
Youko and Sei instantly looked at her in disbelief. "How could that be?" Youko was the first one to react.
"Why did Yumi-chan hide this from us?" Sei reacted immediately after Youko.
"It's a long story." Sachiko responded thoughtlessly. "I'll answer all your questions later. I need to see Yumi first."
"I'm afraid that won't be necessary." A familiar, rough, authoritarian voice barged into their conversation. The three looked up at him, unconvinced. "Yumi Ojou-sama can't see you at the moment." The chief of security answered the question in their faces. "But she has a message for you." His sharp gaze fixed intently on the Ogasawara heiress. "My grandfather is dead."
(to be continued . . .)
Hi, guys! :D haha I know I promised to update weekly, I still remember. ;) But you know I have a month-long training going on right now. Sigh. Too busy to even comb my hair. So this is the update I promised over a month ago. Actually, this was half done when I updated chapter 24. But when I read it again, I decided to change some of the scenes. I truly apologize for the delay and the grammatical errors, spellings, and whatnot. So sleepy writing this so I didn't go over or take another look at it. :(
Thank you for following, commenting, reviewing, and making this story your favorite. It means a lot to me. Really.
Yukio-hime, you are so funny! You made me laugh so hard. Thanks. :D
Hope you still enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing it. Till next time, you guys!