Chapter 64
He regretted nothing. Absolutely nothing!
If anything killing his parents gave him a kind of joy that Kuran Rido had never experienced before. He was surprised, how good it felt to devour them and seize their power. Although he hardly felt anything towards his mother. The woman's mere existence hardly mattered. Her affection for him was just as fake as her husband's love for her. But she kept up the charade in order to keep her bastard of a husband happy.
With his father though, it was whole other matter. The sight of his life leaving his body and body disintegrating into crystals gave Rido sickening pleasure. In that moment it was great achievement for him.
Despite whatever momentary joy he felt, it was all gone within days. Leaving him with nothing but loneliness. Because in all these he ended up losing the one things that he cared about in the face of earth, and that would be Juuri, his Juuri.
Soon after Haruka and Juuri were married.
From close sources Rido learned they had a small intimate ceremony with presence if very few close friends. But Rido received no invitation nor was he informed beforehand. The news reached him through a servant.
Even though he knew it was coming, but when it actually did, Kuran Rido couldn't handle himself. He not only ambushed the servant, who had the misfortune of delivering such delicate new to him. Later tossed himself into arms of many faceless women.
To him, everything was complete blur for the next few decades or perhaps centuries.
Right when life was about to take some shape another bombshell was dropped over his head—
Juuri was pregnant! His Juuri was pregnant, but not with his child.
What a joke!
Ironically it was she, who personally phoned him to deliver the news.
That day Rido felt pain so excruciating that he thought he would die. Perhaps death would have been the best option but it didn't come. Thus he was left with the prolonged ache in his heart. It was the first time Rido found himself thinking how cruel Juuri was.
Almost three years later came the supposed 'good news'. Juuri gave birth. To a healthy baby boy.
It couldn't be!
This time he received a phone call from Haruka, personally inviting him to see their son.
To his surprise, Rido found himself accepting the invitation.
Deep down a part of him was still in denial.
It refused to believe Juuri became a mother. His Juuri, gave birth to someone else's child! The same part was foolishly holding onto a hope as long as she didn't have a child, maybe… maybe he still had a chance.
But now it was over.
Well... not really. There's always hope.
.
.
.
And with that hope Kuran Rido stepped into the manor.
The sight he was presented with was so beautiful that it took his breath away.
Juuri holding her newborn!
Affectionately cradling the baby the way her mother had cradled her.
No! No! No! Juuri was actually doing a far better than that useless nitwit of a mother.
Soon Haruka joined them. Coming to stand behind his wife he bent down and caressed his son's face.
For a moment Rido started at them blankly.
Suddenly, that's when it came to him. Realization that his Juuri was gone. She was forever gone!
Jealousy and bitterness flowed through him like molten lava, burning everything in it's path.
He knew right away he would have to destroy it.
One of his siblings revealed the child's name.
The boy was named Kaname. After their ancestor, who happened to be slumbering in a coffin, just in the basement beneath them.
"Would you like to hold him, uncle Rido?"
And the idea came to him spontaneously. A new plan was set in formation. Something he would have to execute soon.
To be honest he was taken aback when Juuri invited him to hold her son. He didn't expect such gesture from her considering they knew what he had done to their parents. And yet they— no she, she trusted him enough to let him hold her child.
But that thought flew out of the window sooner than it came.
Rido was at a point where everything would happen according to his whims dictation. And as per it's instruction he marched forward to take the child into his arms.
His little nephew looked at him with wondering eyes. The boy looked exactly like how his mother did right after she was born. His purity, his innocence came close to charming Rido. He came close to reconsidering his plan.
However… it all changed when the scene of his siblings giving each other loving glances entered his line vision.
Whatever civility he was developing, left him immediately. Just like how the soul leaves the body after death.
The leaking of the baby's diaper drew everyone's attention.
"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Gasped Juuri, putting a hand over her parted mouth. A warm blush spreading around her cheeks. "I thought it would still be fine, but…" she trailed of, deeply embarrassed of her inability to change her own baby's diaper.
"It's because you are bad at changing diapers. However, I'm very good at it. As I have experience from the time I took care of my siblings. So don't worry, I will clean him up and change up myself before I bring him back."
With that said Rido left and headed straight to the stairs that leads to the underground mausoleum.
.
.
.
Baby Kaname, Juuri and Haruka's firstborn, their little bundle of joy was mercilessly torn apart. His flesh and blood fed to his namesake, the slumbering ancestor.
Rido knew it was unforgivable. He knew Juuri would never forgive him for this. Nothing in this world can come close to the pain of a mother losing her child. And out of everyone he was implementing that pain on Juuri.
But he didn't care!
Nor had he felt any kind of remorse while taking the life of newborn baby. In addition, he felt joy, great joy, one that surpasses what he felt during devouring his parents.
Bottomline, whatever it is to come, every bit of it would be worth it.
But alas! The situation did not go according to the way Rido had planned. He remained unsuccessful in devouring the ancestor. In spite of being in such vulnerable state the monster overcame him.
.
.
.
When Rido opened his eyes next he found himself at an awfully familiar place.
A crooked smile made it to his lips upon recognizing where he was.
Once again Haruka proved himself to be an idiot. When instead of killing him like he should have, that weak fool chose to have him imprisoned by the Council.
The Council, his home. The Councilmen his servants.
On days when his mind was calm Rido wondered what was Haruka thinking? Why did he not kill him when the chance was presented on golden platter? Haruka should have known what his older brother is capable off. That he would never give up on destroying his family as long as he lived, so the logical thing for Haruka would have been to kill him.
It was times like these that he felt his anger get diverted towards Juuri. If only she would have chosen him then maybe all three of them would have been spared from such cruel fate.
.
.
.
About a year after came the formal announcement, declaring the birth of the new Kuran prince.
At first Rido wondered how the heck was that even possible? Later he understood, the ancestor had transformed himself into a child and is currently posing as his siblings firstborn.
Rido found that hilarious.
Few times he thought of finishing off the ancestor when he was still in this pathetic state. But later on came to realize having a powerful slave like him could always come handy.
Therefore Rido decided to let the ancestor grow into his full potential.
.
.
.
Once again time flew at its own pace.
Over the years Rido focused his energy on trying to bend his fiancée Shizuka. Surprisingly the puny little child grew up to be quite the headstrong woman. She absolutely refused to submit to him. Even dared take a lover. A human lover at that!
The same could not be said about the other ladies Rido was keeping on the sides. Those side dishes… his whores… were always easy to handle. They were like liquid, quick to take the shape of whatever shaped jar he poured them into.
One in particular, the daughter of the Shiki family even sired him a child, a son.
While it was seen as an occasion for celebration the Shiki clan, Rido on the other hand didn't care. He didn't even give the child his surname. He probably has many bastards like this, so why should this one matter?! No children of his would ever matter to him, unless they are born from Juuri.
Little did he know then, it was all about to change.
.
.
.
Rido knew of the Hanadagi clan's reputation. They were famous for borrowing money with the intention to never repay. Because of them many noble families have found themselves on the verge of bankruptcy.
However, such posed no problem for the eldest Kuran. For him it was a win-win situation. By giving the Hanadagis' loan he could pull a leverage over them for the rest of their lives.
So when they asked, Rido eagerly lent them the money and waited to see what dirty tricks they attempt during the time of repayment.
And frankly he was ready for the worst and expected some form of attack or physical harm. But the Hanadagi brothers did nothing of that sort. Instead, they came to him clean. Admitted they would prefer to pay back with something else and soon a young beautiful thing was thrown at his feet.
The Kuran pureblood assumed they would propose a marriage between the two families. He was ready to turn them down and cause ruckus. He had no intention of legally binding himself to any other.
But no! They made no marriage proposal, simply gave him the girl in exchange for money. Just like that!
Now, that took Rido by surprise. Even his malicious mind wasn't prepared for this.
It wasn't everyday that you see pureblood females getting sold off like slaves. In fact it was probably the first time in their history or at least for Kuran Rido to be witnessing one. Plus wasn't this child the only daughter that have been born into the Hanadagi clan centuries after the first one was killed? Shouldn't she be treasured? Rido knew he would never be able to sell off Juuri like that. He'd rather die than do something so humiliating to her.
Then again who cares what they do! It was their sister, their choice. Who was he to judge. Besides the girl was very attractive so why should he deny himself the fun.
It was the last thought to cross Rido's mind before he picked up the girl turning deaf to her screams.
.
.
.
He didn't spend much time with the Hanadagi girl. There was no solid relationship between them. No connection. He took her only when in the mood to torture some poor little animal. Forced himself on her from time to time. Enjoyed the sound of her cries, pleas for help, yelling and screaming for somebody to save her.
Eventually with time that changed. She became used to him, his terrifying presence and accepted her fate.
Then, several years later one rainy evening during one of his visits Rido found her in a corner of the bedroom, seated on a chair beside the bed. With a maid standing at her side for assistance while she was… feeding a baby!
The sight of Juuri holding her newborn flashed before him. And instantly, a dull ache clenched his heart from deep within.
Rido didn't expect this scene to bring back memories. Opened old wounds. But it did.
Upon noticing his presence barge in like that, the Hanadagi girl and her maid both gasped. Fear shining at both their faces. The young Hanadagi female felt her heartbeat slowing down as she recognized the rage that shined in his maddening mis-matched eyes. But Kuran Rido didn't give a damn about how she felt.
"You," he barked pointing a finger towards the maid. "…take that thing and out!"
Therefore, in a quick motion the Hanadagi girl pulled her breast free from the baby's mouth and handed the baby over to the maid. Only to have the infant give out a loud ear piercing cry at the top of her lungs!
"I think she is still hungry my lady." The maid made the bold move to point.
"Take her back to her room and feed her with the bottle."
"But-"
"Do as I say!"
Just as the maid was about to walk past Rido a strange sensation evoked inside him.
"Wait…" without even realizing he commanded the maid to stop. And the words that left his mouth next surprised everyone, including himself.
"Finish the feeding."
The child was once again placed back into its mother's arms but the mother kept staring at him instead of doing what she was supposed to do.
"Did you not hear me…? Finish the feeding. Hurry up! I don't want her cry interrupting my fuck!"
With the feeding resuming the sound of crying once again came to a stop.
Rido sat down on the couch placed closest to the window. Unable to take his eyes off the small bundle. Weirdly it felt as if the child was calling him. He didn't even realize when he had gotten up and was walking towards the child.
"What is her name?" the Handagi girl looked at him with fearful eyes. Wondering when he came close or how long he had been watching the child for.
Of course it irritated Rido.
"I expect an answer to my question, girl!" this time his tone came in form of a warning.
"Um…I-I…she has no name." she stammered like a foolish little girl making him darkly chuckle. However it was the truth though, she really did not name the child. Actually she didn't have the courage to do so.
"Why not?" His lips curled up to a twisted smirk as he shook off his jacket and cast it aside while roughly undoing the buttons of his silk black shirt.
She had no answer to give him.
"You're quite a useless mother! If it was Juuri she would have had a name ready by now, maybe few nicknames too..." he mocked undressing himself. And all this time his eyes still remained on the child who was fast asleep in the comfort of it's mother's arms.
.
.
.
He was about to take the stairs down when a unique sound reached his ear. He could tell it was coming from one of the rooms. Who knew what came over his mind at that time that he decided change his course to look for its source.
Opening the door he entered the room and soon came to the conclusion that it was the baby's nursery. Sadly though, looked nothing like an ordinary nursery. No decorated colorful walls, no pretty posters, toys or dolls. It was just an empty, dark, hollow room with a small wooden crib placed near the window.
An uninteresting place like this wouldn't hold onto his attention for long. Therefore shaking his head Rido turned, all set to leave. As he was about to step out of the door a sudden whimper from the child drew his attention back.
And in the blink of an eye Kuran Rido found himself bent over the crib, face to face with his own daughter.
It was from that moment everything began to change. As if the story was rewriting itself without the aid of an author.
Without realizing he gave into the temptation and pulled the child out of the crib and cradled her in his arms protectively.
The first thing he did after was examine her. And to say he was impressed, would be a massively understatement. Although this child wasn't conceived by Juuri, even then, he couldn't help but think she was beautiful. Actually this girl was beyond what his mind could have imagined.
This child had head full of thick black hair, no doubt inherited from her mother. Her milky skin contrasted beautifully with the darkness of her hair. Then there were those adorable pouty lips and that small buttoned nose. They were perfectly placed and then those eyes… she did not get her mother's violet eyes, nor did she get his mismatched one. She was blessed with the most beautiful shade of blue eyes that he had ever seen in his long years of life. So vibrant and so full of life, it was probably the most expressive eyes he had ever seen.
To his surprise the child did not fuss in his arms. As a matter of fact she watched him, watched him in wonder. A feeling that matched his own in that given moment.
"That pathetic whore didn't think of naming you..." he wondered, still mesmerized by his daughter's beauty. "Anyway I will give you a name..."
The little one flashed him a toothless grin. As if she understood what he just said and agreed with him.
"Huh...What could be a suitable name for you?"
Her smile became wider and a cooing sound left her lips, as if she was giving him some sort of response.
It was that moment when Kuran Rido's stone cold heart started to warm up. He felt as if he was in heaven. It brought back a beautiful memory— his first time holding Juuri after her birth. She too smiled at him the same way. Just like that time, this time too his heart melted away.
He watched her as she tried to reach for one of the button of his shirt. To make it easier for her, he brought her closer. Soon as she had her grip on the desired object a soft happy sound left her lips. The sound that made Rido feel strangely week in the knees.
He was not sure whether the child recognized him but that no longer matters because from now on she would know who he is.
In that blissful moment Rido made the decision to make this child a part of his life and gave her the name: Aiyora.
He first read this name in a Hebrew novel and instantly fell in love with it. When Juuri was born Aiyora was what he wanted to call her but his parents thought the name was a bit too bizarre for a Kuran princess. Then, one night Juuri expressed her desire to name her own daughter Aiyora if she ever had any. But in the end she chose some other name for her child.
To Rido it no longer mattered if this child was from Juuri or anyone else. What mattered is the fact that she is a part of him. She belongs to him.
Therefore it was that moment when the little one was born once again. This time with a new identity...
...Kuran Aiyora, daughter of Kuran Rido!
Aiyora shook herself free of all the thoughts consuming her mind. Then rubbing her eyes the young pureblood refocused on the screen of her laptop only to have them turn wide with shock.
For a moment there she froze. Still processing what just happened. Once the shock subsided, she reread the title of her email.
It's the official invitation letter from the university.
Her application has been accepted.
Aiyora could hardly contain her excitement. She wanted to scream. She wanted to sing, jump up and down and dance around the whole manor in joy and share the good new with everyone. However, she also knew the outcome it would bring— tomorrow evening she will wake up with clean slate head with no recollection of today's event. Which is why not a soul in the manor can find out about it until the time is right.
If all goes well she would be out of this place in a month or two at most. Till then, she could only hope and pray that Kaname's wouldn't cause a chaos once he learns off it.
"What are you doing?" Asked a voice, too close to her ear.
It took the lost in bliss Aiyora a second to realize there was someone invading her personal space. Instinctively, she slammed her laptop shut. Making it a priority to not let the intruder get a glimpse of her emails. After that, her head snapped to the left quickly, where she found a perplexed Yuuki awkwardly standing behind the couch.
"Oh Yuuki-nee! You scared me." Aiyora exclaimed. Looking every bit like the person that's trying to hide something.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you like that. I was having difficulty sleeping, and sensed you awake so I thought..." Yuuki trailed off, like a child who ran out of excuse half way through.
Figuring, Yuuki didn't read her email and also in order to not appear so suspicious, Aiyora quickly changed her tactic.
"Although I don't appreciate the fact that you simply walked into my room without knocking—"
"I'm so sorry Aiyora-chan, I didn't mean to!"
"—but I'll let that pass for now. Since you're already here, why not join me for a chat." She pat the empty spot beside her, gesturing Yuuki to sit.
Instantly Yuuki accepted the invitation. Relieved to know that Aiyora didn't misunderstand her. In her defence, Yuuki didn't mean to come into her room uninvited and creep up on her. It's just that... ever since getting here she hasn't had much interaction with her cousin, so she doesn't know how to act around her.
From what Yuuki can remember, as children they used to be very close. Sadly, fate had different plans. They grew up living different lifestyle. She was turned human whilst Aiyora remained a pureblood. As a result now there's hardly anything common between them that could perhaps help them reconnect.
But Yuuki wanted to, she truly wanted to reconnect with Aiyora in order to build newer and better memories as adults.
Aiyora would be lying if she said she didn't see Yuuki's efforts. The attempt and struggles were swimming all over her face. They were so obvious that it caused her to take pity on her cousin. And Aiyora maybe Kuran Rido's daughter, but that doesn't mean she's cruel. At least not yet. Therefore she decided it was time to break the wall and take charge of the situation. Since it's clearly way out of the other's capability. Plus Yuuki was a guest in her room; which means it is her (Aiyora) duty and responsibility to help her (Yuuki) feel welcome.
"So… how are you enjoying life, as a vampire?" Aiyora asked, initiating a conversation.
Yuuki said nothing initially. Her big brown eyes skimmed Aiyora up and down, secretly envying how easy it was for the latter to be a pureblood vampire. The fashion in which she sat— with erect posture and spine not bending the slightest. The way she spoke, always in posh accent. Even the way she look at someone, is so captivating.
Truth be told, the more she observed Aiyora the more she wished her mother didn't turn her into a human. Sometimes it really made her feel angry at her mother.
"Actually... it's quite different than what I had in mind." She decided to be honest with Aiyora. Not caring whether it sounded like she was complaining than sharing. All Yuuki knew was that she needed to get the pent up frustration off of her chest.
"I'm having to study a lot more than what I had ever done back at the Academy. On top of that, Aidou-senpai can be pretty intense, which makes it harder to focus."
While keeping her polite exterior on the outside, Aiyora was massively rolling her eyes on the inside. Her chest was literally bursting to say—
You were warned. Now face the consequences of not listening.
But instead what she actually said was—
"It's not right to blame Aidou-kun for doing his job."
"Oh no I didn't mean it in that sense!" Yuuki was quick to defend herself. But Aiyora only disregarded her statement.
"I do agree with you in point— he does take his job of tutoring a pureblood very seriously. But I guess it alsodepends on what kind of student he is dealing with—"
"You see what I mean." Yuuki cut in.
But Aiyora still didn't care for her opinion. She continued like she wasn't even interrupted.
"I was also his student once. Both him and Ruka were assigned as my mentor after Kaname abruptly took me to the academy. In my case though I didn't have a hard time with Aidou-kun. Ruka on the other hand used to overwhelm me quite a bit. But that also changed over time once we got to know each other better."
With Aiyora's explanation ending situation between the cousins somewhat eased and from there conversation picked up naturally. Soon the two girls were chatting like two best friends united after a long time.
Understanding their chat would go on for a long time, Aiyora decided to relax. Amid conversation she attempted to get rid of the mess off of her lap. Yuuki too jumped in to help. She took the glass from Aiyora's hand as the latter proceeded to put away her laptop. And just when she was retracting her hand, Yuuki caught a glimpse of her tattoo.
The not so noticeable tattoo, that Aiyora had on her left palm beneath the ring finger.
Is that... a tattoo of Kaname onii-sama's name!
Yuuki's mind froze. She tried to warp her mind around the little discovery to make more sense of it. One just doesn't make a tattoo of another on themselves for nothing!
So what could this mean?
"As I was saying..."
Aiyora resumed from where she had paused . Surprisingly oblivious to the change of expression on Yuuki's face. Or she didn't quite care.
The frown on Yuuki's face turned deep, at the possibility of where her thought was leading. She could hardly focus on what the other way saying, as her mind kept going back to a particularly terrifying thought...
Could it be that Aiyora-chan likes Kaname onii-sama as well…?
Few days later...
Yuuki quietly walked through the corridor.
She peeked through one of the windows on her way. It was still bright outside. The early hours of the afternoon were such a peaceful time here. The entire manor was silent. The whole household was in deep sleep, except for the guards in duty. With the newest addition of herself. It was ironic, how the only people awake during such hours aside from the on duty guards were those, whose mind was in the deepest of turmoil and the soul, least peaceful.
Still not completely used to her vampire life, Yuuki often woke up at odd hours. Normally, the brunette would force herself to go back to sleep. But today she couldn't bring herself to. She tried though, tried really hard, still, nothing worked. Ultimately she abandoned the comfort of the bed and left her room take a tour around.
Truth be told, the tour was just an excuse she gave herself to leave her room. In reality she was heading somewhere specific.
Shortly after, the brunette found herself outside Kaname's door. Her hand already grabbing onto the handle, mind debating if she should just walk in or knock and then go in with proper invitation.
Her heart told her to knock cause it is considered bad manners to simply walk into someone else's room. But her brain argued if others could go in for the smallest of reasons then why couldn't she? It further reminded, Kaname is not just her brother, he is also her fiancé. Therefore its not like she's trespassing into a strangers territory.
...Furthermore, when does someone need permission to visit their fiancé? Never!
The debate finally met its conclusion with Yuuki picking the former option.
Twisting the handle she opened the door and cautiously stepped in. Yuuki's slipper clad feet clacked against the floor as she strode in.
The ambiance of the room was exactly what she had expected. Grand, majestic with luxurious decor but at the same time there was a touch of simplicity adding to the tastefulness.
The brunette blew out a soft sigh and surveyed the room before taking another step. She roamed in there like a lost child trying to find her path through a maze.
Smiling, she walked over to the desk that was placed adjacent to the window. No longer able to deny the pull she felt whenever she was close to Kaname. Just one look from him had left her with fluttering heart and tingles all over her body. It was insane how without even doing anything he could do so much to her.
Be that as it may, they were yet to have a proper conversation. It was mostly due to the fact that lately Kaname has been extremely busy and hardly around. He would go on long business trips and return after weeks only to stay for a day or two before he'd be gone again.
Yuuki understood. She understood, he had other priorities. With the Council demolished, the responsibility of the whole vampire race is now sitting on Kaname's shoulder. He is solely carrying hundreds of peoples burden on him. Naturally he wouldn't have idle time to sit around and chat with her.
Then again—
"Did you need something, Yuuki?" Came the calm voice cutting short her chain of thought.
Turning, she found the man himself standing by the door that led into his bedroom, leaning against the door-frame, staring down at her. A soft smile playing across his lips. He was dressed in dark clothing— shirt perfectly tucked in but first few buttons undone, giving a peek of his chest.
"Kaname senpai!" Yuuki spoke. Fingers fidgeting with the long sleeves of her pastel nightgown. "No-no I don't need anything. I heard you came back early from your trip. So I thought I would come and see you."
"Yes, I returned earlier than planned." Kaname walked over to her. "Aiyora phoned and told me she was not feeling good, so I rushed back."
"What happened to Aiyora-chan?!" The petite brunette exclaimed. Shocked, as to howcome she has not heard anything regarding it.
"Nothing you need to worry about. She is fine now." He reassured, petting her head.
Right away, a warm blush spread over Yuuki's face making her heartbeat accelerate simultaneously. Despite the cold hand, his touch was warm. Yuuki couldn't help but wonder how that was possible.
Once that hand retracted, all she was left with was emptiness.
"Anyway, I shall be leaving soon." Kaname informed, returning to his desk and picking up the tan overcoat that was neatly hanging over his desk chair.
Yuuki quickly followed and assisted him to slip into the coat. He mumbled a soft 'thank you' as he turned.
"Why are you leaving so quickly? Stay for few days. Spend some time with me— us!" Blushing at her face own boldness Yuuki quickly proceeded to correct herself.
"I wish I could, but I must return as soon as possible." Kaname told her, smiling nonchalantly. "I came putting many important tasks on hold. Now that Aiyora is feeling better, I might as well go and finish them up."
Even before his statement finished Kaname was already striding towards the door, with Yuuki mirroring his actions as she tried keep up with his pace.
Opening his door Kaname made motion with his hand, politely gesturing Yuuki to step out first. Casting him one last hopeful glance Yuuki stepped out of his bedroom and waited on the side for Kaname to come out and close the door.
After that, together they headed for Aiyora's room.
Although Kaname wasn't planning on having Yuuki accompany him when he paid Aiyora a visit. But took no measures to prevent it either. He simply left it as her choice.
To Yuuki's surprise Kaname entered Aiyora's room without knocking. In his defence— there was no need for such formality, when he already knew she'd be sleeping.
Wordlessly he walked around her bed and sat down behind the sleeping Aiyora. While Yuuki remained at the door, quietly watching.
Bending down he whispered something into the sleeping pureblood's ear, making her groan and stir in her sleep. Smiling at the reaction he got, Kaname placed couple of kisses on her cheek and temple. As he was about to press the fourth kiss, a barely awake Aiyora slaped his face away. Exactly how people slap away bugs off of their body.
Chuckling at her response Kaname place a hand over her head and put Aiyora back to deep sleep.
From her spot watching the scene unfold, Yuuki couldn't help but smile to herself. Kaname had, yet again, proven just how much of a kind hearted person he is. He didn't mind doting on their cousin, whose father tried to destroy their family till his last breath. And to do something like that one needs a big heart.
Right there Yuuki found more reasons to love and respect Kaname.
Only then, a concerning thought crossed her mind.
Could it be that Kaname onii-sama's kindness is giving Aiyora-chan the wrong impression?
Meanwhile at the studio:
Shiki and Rima were sitting in the makeup room in silence, listening to the chatty hairstylist working on Rima's hair, who wouldn't stop going on and on about how much she and everyone else at the agency misses Aiyora.
"Touya-san lift up your head a little for me." The same hair stylist instructed, picking a teasing comb and then went back to continuing about Aiyora from where she left off.
"...Yamaha-san was asking if either of you have any idea on Aiyora-chan's whereabouts."
The models nodded their head 'no' simultaneously.
"That's too bad. I was hoping you two know something. I tried calling her couple of times but she didn't answer her phone. Yoshida-san mentioned the other day that the director of the agency tried contacting her brother Kuran Kaname. Sadly he wasn't much of a help. I hope Aiyora-chan is alright though. I really worry about her. Often young people can't handle fame-success and end up in depression, then drugs and ultimately suicide. I truly hope Aiyora-chan doesn't follow this path."
Rima tensed at the hairdresser's insensitive comment. She peeked from the corner of her eyes to check how Senri handled that. To her surprise he didn't seem bothered at all. He continued to surf through the magazine as if nothing was said.
"Actually Miyu-san, I wouldn't worry about Ai-chan." Said Senri in response to her comment, still flipping through the pages of the magazine.
"How could you be so certain Shiki-kun?!"
"Because I have seen her go through worse. I saw her fall and rise. So even if she isn't alright now, she will be soon."
The hairstylist quieted down. Slightly baffled by Senri's confidence in the previously female. Also it was the first time the hairstylist Miyu had heard the maroon haired model utter such a long sentence.
Due to being a compulsive talker the hairstylist couldn't keep her mouth shut for long. Soon her mouth parted again, only this time to talk about the photographer who recently purchased their their agency from the previous owner. But got interrupted by the wardrobe stylist who barged into the makeup room to seek her assistance.
Quickly putting the finishing touch on Rima's hair the two ladies exited the makeup room in a haste; leaving the models in each other's company.
It was after the sound of their footsteps completely faded away Rima glanced at Senri again. To check if he showed any different emotion now that Miyu was gone. But no, still nothing! He was just as unfazed as he was before.
So finally she decided to ask, "Hey Senri?"
"Hmmm…"
"Do you… often think about her?" Although no name was mentioned, it was pretty obvious whom Rima was referring to.
Senri closed the magazine, put it back on the makeup counter and leaned back on his chair. Then closing those blue eyes he released a heavy sigh.
"Quite often." But he answered so casually that it seemed like she had just asked him for the weather update.
Rima found herself in deep thought, unsure how to interpret. Because his words and tone contradicted against each other.
"But why do you ask?" He suddenly inquired. His voice pulled her out of her train of thought.
"… No reason."
Even though he was looking at Rima, she didn't meet his gaze. Instead she was staring down at the open makeup kit and the cosmetics that were spread across the counter.
Uninvited, a silence fell between them. And this wasn't the type of silence they were used to. This silence was thick... heavy... full of tension that was weighing down her shoulders.
Not finding a suitable topic to fight the silence, Rima grabbed the box of Poky and offered it to Senri.
"Do you want some, or else I'll finish it."
"Go ahead, finish it. I don't have appetite." With that said he got up from his chair and walked over to the sofa and laid down.
Senri never turns down Poky. It was the very first time he did.
Frowning, Rima looked down at her lap. Quietly questioning herself if she said something wrong? Or was it because of what the hairstylist said. Otherwise why would the casual moment between them turn so awkward out of no where?
Or, could it be...
Rima was no longer sure if going forward she should mention Aiyora.
.
.
.
After watching the ceiling quietly for a relatively long time, Senri finally glanced over to Rima. She didn't actually eat the poky like she said she would. Instead they were left on the counter, untouched.
He continued to watch Rima. His mind wondering what prompted her to ask him such a stupid question.
Of course he thinks about Aiyora! While its true never once he mentioned Aiyora since they have parted ways, but that doesn't mean he doesn't think about her! He thinks about her all the time. They may not talk, they may not be in touch that doesn't mean he does not keep tabs on her. He is aware of everything that has been going on in her life.
Most importantly, whether he speaks to his Ai-chan or not, it doesn't matter. For she lives inside his mind... in his memories... and every waking moment of his life.
And that is how it will be till the end of his life.
She was hesitating. Deeply hesitating. Unsure whether it would be a good idea to ask, but at the same time holding back was becoming impossible. It felt like small warms were eating her flesh from the inside. Perhaps the only way for her to reach some form of sustenance would be to ask.
So she did!
"Hey Aidou-senpai may I ask you something…?"
Even though the question wasn't out yet, it still felt as if a heavy load has been lifted off of her shoulder.
"Is it regarding your studies?" Asked the blue eyed blonde aristocrat, sitting opposite to her, surfing through her text books.
"No, it isn't." Yuuki admitted after a moment of thought and nervously bit the back of her pen.
"Then you may not!" He cut her off blatantly.
"But it's not going to take that long—" Yuuki tried to protest. Only to have her mentor cut her off again, this time... sternly.
"We don't have time to waste Yuuki-sama! You're falling behind! Like really behind!" Aidou cast her a glance, just so that he could glare before returning his focus back to the book.
Completely ignoring his scolding Yuuki decided to go ahead and question him anyway.
"Does Aiyora-chan like Kaname onii-sama?"
Aidou, who was in the midst of turning a page of the book, froze midway. Then snapped his head up to glare at the brunette again.
"Of course she does! So what? She's a kind hearted person who loves all her friends and relatives." Aidou answered, trying to keep his voice steady. So that it doesn't show what he was feeling inside, but the anger in his tone was undeniable.
Yuuki swallowed nervously. A moment later clearing her throat she opened her mouth to say something, but closed it off upon not finding the accurate words and resumed writing her paper. Ignoring the nagging feeling in her stomach for now.
A.N. Okay, I'm back after a big pause. Thank you all for reading hope you enjoyed. Not sure if you guys noticed, serious confusion is on its way to formation. Also, if you notice any type if mistake, feel free to point out I'll have it corrected.
Reply to guestwithreviews: Yes, you kind a guessed it right. Haruka sort of went behind Rido's back and stole Juuri's heart. But if you look at it the other way— he simply didn't have the courage to admit to Rido. After all Juuri was meant for Rido and I'm sure he knew how crazy Rido was for Juuri.
I always planned a little different route for Aiyora. It's more like a small detour before coming back to the manga timeline. Besides, most members of the Kuran family are homeschooled and Yuuki is outright illiterate. After cross academy her education was barely touched upon. She probably had a year of learning the basic before everything fell apart. So education might make Aiyora different from her. Plus I'm curious to see how things would turn between Aiyora and Yuuki once Aiyora returns (first let's hope she can go. Given Kaname's nature, chances are higher he would try to persuade her otherwise.)
And I chose Maria because despite Aiyora's current positive equation with Rima and Ruka, there would always be an invisible barrier between them as both ladies are interested in the men that pines for Aiyora. So most likely neither would understand her as much as Maria would. And Maria on the other hand went through the same experiences as Aiyora which is why she understands Aiyora simply as a girl.
As for Aiyora vs Other purebloods— you definitely got one point right, she is young and has a lot of energy to focus elsewhere. Plus meeting her father gave her different purpose because deep down she doesn't want to turn into Rido 2.0. And after whatever she's seeing from her father's memories, she'd definitely want to not follow on his path and love someone so passionately. Rather channel that passion elsewhere.
So it is to be seen how she copes in the long run.
Reply to Belle:I'm glad to hear you're enjoying and was able to make you feel sympathetic towards Rido.
Reply to guest: The problem is all throughout canon Haruka and Juuri are portrayed as kind people who cares so much for human. However hardly any achievements were shown on what they did to fulfill that dream other than dream for a school which was later built by Kaname (who had other agenda) and kaien cross.
