Tatsuya returned home from training at the temple and proceeded with his day as normal. He, Miyuki and Lina ate breakfast together and he left to get changed afterwards. Tatsuya was headed for the laboratory in the lower floors of the building and Miyuki saw him off at the door. Tatsuya gave Miyuki a quick kiss on the cheek before he left.

"I'll be off. I'll see you later, Miyuki" Tatsuya smiled gently after kissing Miyuki on the cheek.

"Take care, Tatsuya-sama" Miyuki replied with her cheeks tinged pink.

Lina teased Miyuki and Miyuki only blushed harder.

Miyuki still felt giddy at Tatsuya showing any sign of physical affection towards her. These little moments of intimacy were solid proof to her that their relationship had changed and was progressing.

Tatsuya and Miyuki were were still adjusting to their new relationship. It had barely been a week since Tatsuya confessed to Miyuki that he loved her as a woman but the changes in their relationship was palpable.

Miyuki was especially delighted by Tatsuya's growing openness towards showering her with physical affection. Though these were small acts like little pecks on the lips or a kiss on the cheek, these little gestures meant the world to Miyuki. These only reinforced to her that Tatsuya now saw her as a woman. She was also especially delighted that Tatsuya showed these little acts of affection even in front of other people.

Tatsuya's kisses, his warm embrace, him taking her out on dates, treating her to cakes and tea, all these little things made Miyuki extremely happy. This had all happened within the span of a few days and this could still be considered the "early stages" of their relationship, while Miyuki was more than content at their current pace and thought it greedy to ask more of Tatsuya, Miyuki was excited to see how their relationship would evolve. She was giddy with excitement thinking about their life as husband and wife. Miyuki held the cheek that Tatusya had just kissed and giggled as she walked away from the door with an evident spring in her step.


Tatsuya arrived down to the laboratory. Though the building they currently lived in was the Yotsuba's Tokyo head quarters, Tatsuya was given a private laboratory for his own personal use. There were many researchers and scientists who worked for the Yotsuba but the laboratory Tatsuya was using was strictly off limits to everyone but himself and only Tatsuya could authorize those who wanted to enter and exit. Tatsuya walked towards the videophone and dialed the direct line to the main house. Tatsuya was greeted by the Yotsuba head butler Hayama.

"Good morning, Tatsuya-sama. What may I do for you today?" Hayama politely bowed.

"Good morning, Hayama-san. I just have something I would like to report." Tatsuya politely returned Hayama's bow.

Hayama did not react but patiently waited for Tatsuya to continue. Hayama was a man of incredible patience with a poker face that could rival even Tatsuya's.

"It seems that I am under survellience." Tatsuya said plainly.

"Are the covert operatives causing you any trouble Tatsuya-sama?" Hayama inquired.

Truthfully, the Yotsuba were well aware that Tatsuya had been put under surveillance. They had been ignoring the issue since this surveillance was not causing them any problems and moreover it seems like the issue had been slowly dying down with only a handful of agents still watching him. The surveillance had also become less intent and only consisted of routine checks on his whereabouts once every few days. Tatsuya had never complained about the surveillance before so it was perplexing that he would be bringing this up when the issue seemed to be subsiding.

"Not at the moment. There are only a handful of them left and they are no longer monitoring me very closely. But there seems to be a specific group that has continued to closely observe me. I was informed by my master that they have also been collecting information about my personal life."

"This sounds most troubling Tatsuya-sama"

"The group is the SDF's Counter Intelligence Division Three. Though, I have yet to ascertain what their specific intent is, I just wanted to inform Haha-ue of the Saegusa's movements. It seems like they still have a particular interest in me."

"Of course, Tatsuya-sama. I will inform Madam immediately. Thank you for the information and we will also try to find out what we can on our end as well."

"Thank you for the hard work Hayama-san" Tatsuya bowed and the screen turned black.

Tatsuya sat down at his desk to start on his work. He had many things to catch up on. He turned on his terminal and inspected his calendar.

On today's agenda was a video conference with researchers from FLT. They have still made no substantial progress on the replication of the relic and Tatsuya had yet to visit FLT to inspect the relic himself. Tatsuya opened the reports sent to him via email. He needed to prepare for the meeting.


The meeting took long and it was now lunch time. According to the reports and those who were attending the meeting, they have only been able to ascertain some of the base minerals that composed the relic but not how or why the relic is able to store magic sequences. There were also many gaps in their research regarding the relic's composition. Among the base minerals they have identified, some were only speculations as these minerals looked like a match on the surface but there was something off about its structure. Tatsuya pinched the bridge of his nose as he examined the reports again.

"I need to make time to analyze the relic myself." Tatsuya thought to himself. He skimmed through his calendar looking for a free date to visit FLT, the next earliest available time would be in about three weeks. Tatsuya's schedule was already full. He would be spending three days at the main house, plus there was wedding planning and he had already cleared his first week of class to focus on Magic University. Though truthfully, Tatsuya did not need to clear his schedule to focus on university; Tatsuya could keep up with the lessons easily and he was even assured by Momoyama-sensei that his attendance in class would not be necessary since his recommendation letter also suggested that Tatsuya be given more leeway in these things.

Magic University had always given leeway to students who had part time jobs or worked in a family business, which was the case with most members of the Ten Master Clans and Tatsuya was no exception. Tatsuya had already informed the school of his future needs and that he might be be absent for weeks at a time due to his newly formed Stellar Reactor business and the administration took no issue with his request. Tatsuya had assured them that he would do all the work assigned to him and that he would not fall behind. Even if Tatsuya had not made such assurances the school administration would have still approved of his requests. This was not because he was a Yotsuba nor was it because of his status as the most powerful magician in the world, the school agreed to his requests because simply having Tatsuya as a student at the University was good publicity.

Tatsuya had already been exposed as the magic engineering software genius behind Taurus Silver. He had developed the loop casting system before he even reached high school and his engineering prowess during the Nine School Competitions was also no small feat. He was also credited with solving one of the Three Great Puzzles of Weight-Type Systematic Magic which had made flight magic a reality. Tatsuya's achievements as a researcher and magic engineer were numerous and with addition of his latest business venture, simply having Tatsuya as a student at the University heightened the University's status and credibility.

The university administration even implored Tatsuya to take as much time off as he wanted, since the administration saw Tatsuya doing independent research was more valuable than having him attend classes that were quite frankly below his skill level. Having Tatsuya attend freshmen courses was redundant and would only hinder his research time. Tatsuya's future research would be published under the University and would greatly improve their ranking as a top magic university internationally. The University had no qualms giving Tatsuya this special treatment.

Tatsuya already knew of the University's attitude towards him missing school and yet he still decided to clear his schedule for the first week of university, this was because of Miyuki. Though Miyuki was by no means anti-social and she was very intelligent, Tatsuya was still worried that Miyuki would find adjusting to university life difficult. The environment was completely different and the campus population was easily over five thousand students and that did not include graduate students or the faculty. This change would be overwhelming for anyone and Tatsuya wanted to make sure Miyuki would not be so burdened by this change in environment and he wanted to be there for her should she need him.

Though Tatsuya knew Lina would be there to accompany Miyuki, the fact of the matter was that Tatsuya enjoyed being with Miyuki, perhaps even more than Miyuki enjoyed being with Tatsuya. Tatsuya wanted to be near Miyuki and simply used the "growing pains" of university life as a justification for clearing his schedule.

Tatsuya turned off his terminal to proceed upstairs for lunch. He scheduled his visit to FLT to three weeks in the future.


Miyuki was waiting at the door to greet Tatsuya when he came home for lunch. Miyuki bowed gracefully and Tatsuya was once again enchanted by her beauty. Miyuki was a peerless beauty. She was simply divine, like an angel that had descended to the realm of mortals. Whoever said that once exposed to a beauty daily, you get used to it clearly never met Miyuki. Miyuki's beauty left one breathless every time. Tatsuya smiled warmly at his fiancée as he entered their apartment.

Miyuki had prepared lunch and it was delicious as always. After lunch, Miyuki cleared the table and let the HAR handle washing the dishes. Tatsuya and Miyuki walked towards the videophone and dialed the number given to them by Hayama.

This afternoon was also filled with meetings. The couple was to interview wedding planner candidates. Since time was of the essence, Miyuki and Tatsuya found it more efficient to have these done via videoconference than meeting face to face. They had also wanted to have Hayama present in the meetings since he will be the one handling most of the collaborations. Hayama rarely left the main house and it would have been difficult to justify tearing him away from his head butler duties to attend a few meetings. Having this done via videoconference was the most efficient way to conduct these interviews.

The couple bowed and greeted the first candidate politely and then turned a polite greeting towards Hayama as well. After an exchange of pleasantries the interview began.


After the interviews Tatsuya, Miyuki and Hayama discussed who the best candidate was. The discussion took quite a bit of time but the decision was unanimous. They had chosen the third candidate, Usui Chizuru.

Usui Chizuru was a woman in her mid forties. She had been a veteran in the industry, working as a wedding and event planner for over twenty years, and had accumulated a large number of contacts and experience. She has also planned quite a few high end weddings and events with demanding clients and everyone had only high praise for her worth ethic and resourcefulness. She was also the most comfortable with working with a tight deadline. It seemed like she enjoyed a challenge.

Miyuki also noted that Chizuru was close friends with a wedding dress designer she was a fan of and Chizuru assured her that if she was hired, she could get Miyuki an appointment and expedite the making of her gown. All three of them thought that she would be the perfect fit to plan the wedding. Though truthfully, while Chizuru would be officially hired as a wedding planner she would be most likely be acting as an assistant to Hayama and would be under working under his strict supervision.

It was now around four o'clock pm and Tatsuya was in his room getting ready for his meeting with Kouichi. The commute to the Saegusa estate would take a little over an hour so he had ample time to prepare.

Tatsuya was in his room straightening his tie when Miyuki knocked on the door.

"It's Miyuki may I come in?"

Tatsuya walked towards the door and opened it to find a worried look on Miyuki's face. Tatsuya shifted to the side and gestured for Miyuki to come in. Miyuki walked in hesitantly, her eyes fluttering about in every which direction as if taking in the scenery of Tatsuya's room.

Truthfully, Tatsuya's room was quite bare. He had minimal furniture and didn't have many decorative pieces in his room. His bed was off to one side and there was desk with a terminal attached to it on the other side. There was a large bookshelf filled to the brim with textbooks and journal articles that Miyuki knew she wouldn't be able to understand. Tatsuya also had some CAD maintenance equipment and some shelves displaying CAD prototypes he had either worked on in the past or were currently working on at present. Tatsuya's room was neat and organized and if one were pressed to describe in it one word it would be efficient.

The layout of Tatsuya's room maximized the use of space and everything was easily accessible. It was almost militaristic in its efficiency. There was a place for everything and everything was in its place. Perhaps if Tatsuya needed to move to a different home it would take him less than two hours to pack everything up. Miyuki darted her eyes every which way as she entered, refusing to meet Tatsuya's gaze.

Tatsuya watched Miyuki closely as she entered the room. She had a worried expression and she hasn't said a word since entering; she even refused to look him in the eye.

"Miyuki..." Tatsuya called out Miyuki's name softly.

Miyuki gently raised her face to see Tatsuya's eyes full of concern. Tatsuya cradled Miyuki's face in his hand.

"What's wrong?" Tatsuya asked gently.

"Tatsuya-sama...I...I have a bad feeling...I think Saegusa-dono will try something." Miyuki answered hesitantly.

Tatsuya continued cupping Miyuki's face in his hand, gently caressing her cheek with his thumb.

"Don't worry. I will be fine. Perhaps, Saegusa-dono wants to invest in the Stellar Furnace business." Tatsuya quipped but upon seeing Miyuki's worried expression unmoved by his jape, Tatsuya took on a more serious demeanor.

"There is no one who can truly hurt me, Miyuki. I will be alright." Tatsuya reassured her.

"That's exactly why I am worried, Tatsuya-sama. The whole world now knows of your power. There will be many people who will try to bring you to their side and use you for their own selfish means and Saegusa-dono..." Miyuki trailed off. She couldn't exactly explain in words what she thought Kouchi was planning to do. Miyuki already knew that Kouichi wanted Tatsuya to marry Mayumi but to invite Tatsuya to their home for a second attempt at a marriage proposal seemed excessive and futile. Miyuki felt like Kouichi was planning something much more complex but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Tatsuya could sense the hesitation and worry in Miyuki's tone of voice. He wanted to reassure her that everything will turn out fine and that he would return to her no matter what.

"I'll be careful, Miyuki." Tatsuya smiled gently as he slid the hand that was caressing Miyuki's cheek underneath her chin. He tilted her face slightly upwards and Tatsuya leaned in to give her a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Knowing that Miyuki awaits my return, I will always come back to her." Miyuki blushed at Tatsuya. She seemed to have been enamored by Tatsuya's affection and was frozen. Tatsuya called out to her again.

"Miyuki, will you please help me put on my coat and tie?"

"Yes, of course, Tatsuya-sama!" Miyuki eagerly replied, the worry on her face dissipating.

Miyuki helped Tatsuya finish getting dressed. She fixed Tatsuya's tie and straightened the contours of his jacket after she helped ease Tatsuya into its sleeves. After finishing, Miyuki stepped back to admire her work.

"You look very handsome, Tatsuya-sama" Miyuki beamed a bright smile. Though Tatsuya felt like he was being treated a bit like a dress up doll since Miyuki had changed the tie and coat, among others, Miyuki had essentially changed the entire outfit except for his pants, still, Tatsuya was glad that Miyuki was in seemingly high spirits.

"Thank you, Miyuki. I will be off then."

Miyuki saw Tatsuya off at the door. Miyuki smiled while burying her apprehension. She had put her faith in Tatsuya and Tatsuya had assured her he would always come back to her, Miyuki's worries lessened though she still could not shake off the remaining doubt. Miyuki deeply exhaled as Tatsuya walked out the door. Tonight, Miyuki would be dining with Lina and she hurried off to the kitchen to prepare their dinner.


Hyougo drove Tatsuya to the Saegusa estate and Tatsuya instructed him to pick him up afterwards. Tatsuya entered through the gates of this expansive property. From the outside, the facade was impressive and was obviously built to impress guests as they entered. The Saegusa was the most politically influential among the Ten Master Clans and everything from their home to their demeanor indicated that they took politics and consequently appearances seriously. As one famous politician of centuries past one said, "Perception is real but the truth is not" and Kouichi lived by this adage. Kouichi bought stakes in multiple media companies, and true to his nature as a magician he bent the truth to create a perception of reality that suited his own needs but media was far from his only weapon. Kouichi was also not above playing dirty and using less than legal means to get his way. This was the man Tatsuya would be sharing a meal with tonight.

Tatsuya arrived at the door and Mayumi greeted him. Mayumi wore a beautiful white off shoulder dress that stopped mid calf. It suited her quite well. It hugged her curves in all the right places, her ample bosom peaking out to reveal a bit of cleavage, and the dress hugging her waist, accentuating her womanly figure. Though the dress was too formal to be considered to be house wear, it was also not quite formal enough to be called formal wear. It sat somewhere in between which gave it an air of relaxedness that would put those who saw the wearer at ease. Mayumi bowed gracefully and as she moved her sweet smelling floral perfume wafted through the air. Her every movement exuded the grace and elegance one would expect from a daughter of a high ranking family. There were no cracks in her facade; Mayumi was playing the role of an ojou-sama to perfection tonight. An ordinary man would have fallen in love with her on the spot but Tatsuya was not a man who could be easily swayed by the wiles of a beautiful woman.

"Good evening, Shiba Tatsuya-dono. Father is waiting for you in the dining room." Mayumi smiled. Mayumi was greeting Tatsuya as a daughter of the Saegusa and a member of the Ten Master Clans. Tatsuya mentally frowned in suspicion. Though Mayumi had always taken the role of being member of the Ten Master Clans seriously, she had never been this formal with him before. Something happened to change Mayumi's demeanor with him so drastically.

Mayumi had been preparing herself for greeting Tatsuya since early afternoon. Her father had told her to dress appropriately and be on her very best behavior. Truthfully, Mayumi was not against marrying Tatsuya but she also was not eager to marry him either. She was still unsure how she felt about him. While Mayumi could now at least admit to herself that she did harbor some feelings for Tatsuya, she was also unsure what these feelings were. Mayumi's mind was filled with hesitation.

Mayumi didn't think she could compete with Miyuki. She knew that much. From the time she had spent with the then so-called "Shiba siblings", she knew that Miyuki was Tatsuya's main priority. She knew that they shared a close relationship that she could never hope to break into. Mayumi was not aiming to be Tatsuya's number one priority. Mayumi's goal for the night was to show that she could be a suitable wife for Tatsuya. While this was partly due to her own feelings and wanting to have the opportunity to sort them out with Tatsuya, it was also due to her father's instructions.

Mayumi was loathed to follow her father's instructions. She did not enjoy being treated as a pawn in her father's games at best and a prized breeding mare available to the highest bidder at worst. Mayumi felt that she was nothing more than a tool to her father at times and it irritated her that for once her and her father's objectives aligned. Mayumi knew her father's motivations for proposing the marriage. She understood the delicate nature the situation. Mayumi knew that the very existence of the Ten Master Clans System hung in the balance and the burden to save it weighed heavily on her shoulders. Tatsuya needed to be separated from the Yotsuba and Mayumi was the bait. Mayumi needed to look like enticing bait. Mayumi swallowed her pride and allowed herself to be a pawn in her father's bid for power.

Tatsuya eyed Mayumi suspiciously as they walked along the corridor. Mayumi stopped at the end and gestured towards a door.

"Father is waiting for you inside." Mayumi still used polite language.

"Is senpai not joining us?" Tatsuya teasingly inquired while also indicating that he was speaking to Mayumi as her kouhai. Tatsuya hoped that this would put Mayumi at ease and lower her guard so he could press her for information.

Mayumi seemingly relaxed and a mischievous smile crossed her face.

"If Tatsuya-kun wants me to join him for dinner, I would not refuse." Mayumi said teasingly and winked. "But I'm afraid father would not allow me to join you two tonight." she said in exaggerated exasperation.

"Senpai, was does your father wish to speak with me about?" Tatsuya said plainly careful to keep the relaxed air of the conversation afloat.

"I'm not sure, Tatsuya-kun" Mayumi frowned but her cheeks faintly tinged pink. Mayumi was lying. Mayumi knew the topic of conversation but what she did not know was to what extent her father was willing to go to have Tatsuya among their ranks.

"But you will see father in just a moment, so I'm sure your curiosity will be sated soon." Mayumi gave an apologetic smile.

Mayumi opened the door to the dining room and politely bowed to her father as she announced Tatsuya's arrival.

Kouchi stood to greet his guest and gestured for him to sit down.

"Welcome, Shiba-dono. Please take a seat."

Tatsuya nodded and sat down opposite of Kouichi. Kouichi also sat back down.

"I hope you do not mind me calling you Shiba-dono. It can be a bit confusing if I were to call you Yotsuba-dono as well." Kouichi casually remarked. Kouichi took the initiative and drew a clear line between Tatsuya and the Yotsuba. He was trying to subtly get Tatsuya to mentally distinguish himself from the Yotsuba.

"Seeing as my mother is not present, I do not see how calling me that could cause any confusion now. Yotsuba-dono is preferred." Tatsuya had seen through Kouichi's attempt to manipulate him and countered by staunchly expressing his allegiance to the Yotsuba.

"My apologies Yotsuba-dono." Kouichi smiled. The meeting had just started there was plenty of opportunities to gain the upper hand. Kouichi was not fazed.

"Shall we eat first?" Kouichi clapped his hands and servants came flooding in with trays of food. Multiple dishes were laid out before Tatsuya. It seems that everything from the appetizer to the deserts had been laid out before him. This would be the first and last time the servants were to enter the dining room. Apparently, Kouichi wanted to speak to Tatsuya alone.

Tatsuya and Kouichi enjoyed their meal and Kouichi engaged Tatsuya in pleasant conversation. He asked about the Stellar Furnace Reactor business and his long term plans for the project. Kouichi was deliberately acting friendly and familiar with Tatsuya. He also made sure to "accidentally" say "Shiba-dono" instead of "Yotsuba-dono" a few times in the conversation as well. Tatsuya finished his meal and thanked Kouichi for his hospitality.

"It is I who should be thanking you for accepting my invitation Shiba-dono, I know you are a very busy person" Kouichi never seized control of the conversation. "Hence, I will not waste your time and get straight to the point." Kouichi's friendly tone had disappeared and his eyes, both real and glass, held a cold and calculating gaze.

"I propose that you marry my daughter, Mayumi." Kouichi suggested plainly.

Tatsuya had up until now been quietly playing along. He wanted to know what Kouichi was up to. A marriage proposal to Mayumi while not what quite he was expecting was also not surprising. Tatsuya narrowed his eyes and was about to speak when Kouichi beat him to the punch and spoke first.

"Before you answer me Shiba-dono, let me finish my proposal first." A mischievous smiled floated across Kouichi's face.

"Mayumi is a beautiful and bright girl. I'm sure she could make you very happy and I am sure she will take care of all of your needs. She will make an excellent wife." Kouichi paused for a moment. "But if that is not enough to sway you, I should let you know that I am prepared to make you the heir and next head of the Saegusa clan should you marry Mayumi."

Tatsuya's eyes widened. This was not something he had thought Kouichi would offer.

Kouichi saw the shock on Tatsuya's face as an indication to continue. He had fully gained the upper hand in this conversation.

"Of course, I will also heavily invest in your business venture and any future business ventures you would like to set up. This also goes without saying but we will also provide you with your own personal lab, built to your specifications. Should you wish it, I am also prepared to hand control of the Seventh Laboratory to you. Anything you desire will be yours." Kouichi revealed a venomous smile as if he had won the negotiation.

"But, you will have to change your last name to Saegusa once you marry Mayumi." Kouichi smirked "I will not interfere in your business and you will have our full support in whatever endeavor you choose to pursue and once I inevitably step down as head of the Saegusa, you will become head and be free to do as you please." Kouichi finished.

Kouichi had been observing Tatsuya for quite some time. Tatsuya had initially caught his attention when he beat Masaki in the Nine School Competition all those years ago but now Tatsuya was more valuable than ever. He had become Kouichi's own personal white whale.

Through months of surveillance by the SDF's Counter Intelligence Division Three, Kouichi was able to get an understanding of Tatsuya's behavior and personality. Tatsuya was a creature of habit and rarely went out. Kouichi also observed from video footage that Tatsuya seemed to have a small habit of expressing deference. Though Tatsuya did not do this often, Kouichi was still able to catch it a few times and it seemed like a reflex he had learned in childhood. Kouichi was also able to observe Tatsuya's reserved nature and the way in which he spent his days. In the way Tatsuya carried himself, Kouichi could tell that Tatsuya was not raised as someone from the upper echelons of magic society. Though Tatsuya had the manners and etiquette that could rival any upper class man, there was something about Tatsuya's demeanor in which a certain submissiveness could be evident that did not belong to the son of a clan head. By all expectations, Tatsuya should exude the confidence, and perhaps to a certain extent, arrogance, of someone like the Ichijou heir but Tatsuya's personality heavily contrasted that of the Ichijou heir. Kouichi could tell there was something odd in the way Tatsuya had been raised.

Kouichi had also recalled seeing Tatsuya interact with Maya when the Clan Conference was attacked. There seemed to be a distance between Tatsuya and Maya and coldness to their relationship. Though Kouichi could hardly be called father of the year, Kouichi still sensed something was amiss between this "so-called" mother and son. He knew there was something odd about their relationship. Though he could not exactly pinpoint what it was, he knew there was a distance he could exploit.

Kouichi knew little about how the Yotsuba operates but he knew more than the average magician. He was once betrothed to Yotsuba Maya so he had some limited information on how the Yotsuba operated but this information could well be outdated since the Yotsuba went rogue and into hiding. Kouichi had Tatsuya and the Yotsuba thoroughly investigated but little information could be found. All Kouichi found were unverified rumours of the strict training regimen magicians of the Yotsuba underwent and the extreme loyalty and submission they showed to their head. Though the Saegusa operated differently, relying on numbers and political influence, loyalty to the clan and the clan head was not an unusual requirement but something about Tatsuya's submissiveness was peculiar. Though Kouichi could not be sure, something in Tatsuya's movements indicated that he was accustomed to having less. Kouichi thought he could entice Tatsuya into moving into an expansive gilded cage custom built just for him, one where it limits could not easily be reached but a cage nonetheless.

Silence had filled the room since Kouichi last spoke. Immediately after speaking Kouichi took his glass and drank water. This was not only to quench his thirst but to exert pressure. It was not good manners to speak while someone was drinking and Kouichi aimed to control the atmosphere in this way.

While Tatsuya was waiting for Kouichi to put his glass down, he was also deep in thought. Tatsuya had never thought Kouichi would offer him the position of head of the clan. This was simply unheard of since the inception of the Ten Master Clans. Tatsuya also could not believe what else Kouichi was offering. He had essentially offered Tatsuya freedom. Freedom to do whatever he wanted and unwavering support in whatever he chose to do. This was too good to be true. It felt like a trap. A gift laden with poison. Tatsuya smiled wryly.

"While I am flattered by such a generous offer Saegusa-dono, I must refuse. I am quite happy with being Miyuki's fiancé." Tatsuya said in a tone as cold as his gaze.

"There is no need to make such a rash decision now, Shiba-dono. I will give you more time to think about it. You need not make these kinds of decisions in haste." Kouichi smiled, his right eye cold and calculating.

"I do not need time to think about this. I love Miyuki and will never leave her. As generous as your offer is, I must refuse it." Tatsuya got up from his seat and bowed to Kouichi.

"If that is how you feel, then I cannot convince you otherwise. But my offer still stands should you change your mind, Shiba-dono" Kouichi smiled politely as he pressed a button underneath his side of the table.

Mayumi opened the door and bowed.

"Mayumi will see you out. Thank you for coming, Shiba-dono."

"This way, Tatsuya-kun." Mayumi gestured towards the long corridor.

Mayumi and Tatsuya walked in silence as they existed the estate. Tatsuya got into his car and Hyougu drove him home.

Kouichi was now in his study. He smiled to himself. Though he was aware that Tatsuya was attached to Miyuki from his daughters' stories, he didn't expect him to be this stubborn. He at least thought Tatsuya would hesitate a bit before rejecting his offer. But there were always other avenues to get what he wanted. He looked at his terminal and dialed the number to the Ichijou household. Ichijou Gouki appeared before his screen.


It was late when Tatsuya arrived home. He had arrived a little past ten o'clock pm but Miyuki still greeted him at the door. Miyuki was wearing a light pink silk negligee with a matching robe. She had left the front untied. Miyuki bowed when Tatsuya entered their apartment.

"Welcome home, Tatsuya-sama" Miyuki bowed. Tatsuya could see her cleavage and instinctively averted his eyes. Though Tatsuya now saw Miyuki as a woman, he was still a gentleman and found it improper to ogle his fiancee.

"Thank you, Miyuki. I'm home." Tatsuya smiled warmly at Miyuki. "But what are you doing still up? Shouldn't you be asleep right now?" Tatsuya feigned a stern tone.

"I'm not a child, Tatsuya-sama. And it's not that late, did you dislike Miyuki greeting you when you arrived?" Miyuki picking up on Tatsuya's teasing feigned indignation. The couple looked at each other and laughed. Tatsuya pulled Miyuki close to him by the waist and put his lips close to her ear.

"If Miyuki doesn't think it's too late, then perhaps we should find something to occupy our time." Tatsuya whispered. Miyuki blushed.

"We can do whatever Tatsuya-sama suggests." Miyuki said flushed, her voice slightly trembling. Tatsuya smiled wryly.

"Alright, Miyuki could you help me pack for tomorrow? I haven't had the chance to start packing for our visit to the main house." Tatsuya revealed a mischievous smile. Tatsuya had always enjoyed teasing Miyuki and watching her varied facial expressions.

Miyuki's face went from slight embarrassment to blinking in confusion and finally to a slow realization of what had just happened. Her face beamed bright red in embarrassment and shame for her lewd thoughts. Miyuki quickly covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. Tatsuya openly chuckled and quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry for teasing you Miyuki." Tatsuya said gently as he put his hand on Miyuki's head and stroked her hair.

"Tatsuya-sama is such a meanie." Miyuki took her hands of her face and feigned indignation as she blushed profusely. The truth of the matter was that Tatsuya was flirting and she enjoyed this side to their relationship as well. Tatsuya openly flirting with her was another indicator that their relationship had changed and she relished the fact that Tatsuya initiated flirting with her.

"Your reactions are just too cute, I couldn't help myself." Tatsuya then held Miyuki's chin with his hand and tilted her face upwards to meet his and gave her a gentle kiss. Miyuki blushed.

"It's getting late, we should definitely go to sleep now though, Miyuki." Tatsuya smiled cupping Miyuki's face in his hand. Miyuki nodded.

Tatsuya escorted Miyuki to her room and greeted her good night. Tatsuya then proceeded to his room. The couple hadn't slept together since the night of their first date. Miyuki had not initiated since it was unladylike to request to sleep in the same room as a person of the opposite sex, even if he was her fiance. She also did it out of respect for Tatsuya's boundaries since she did not want to exert anymore pressure on him. He was already slowly getting used to showing physical affection, Miyuki wanted Tatsuya to go at his own pace so as not to overwhelm him.

Tatsuya had not slept with Miyuki out of respect for Miyuki as a lady. He also did it as a precaution for himself. He did not want to lose control again. All logic went out the window and emotions ruled him whenever it came to things concerning Miyuki, especially regarding his romantic feelings for her. He needed to get more used to his feelings and control them better before he could share a bed with Miyuki. Tatsuya laid out his clothes before going to the bath to change.