CHAPTER 16 – THE (ALMOST) PERFECT PLAN

Enduring the mere presence of Sho requires every fiber of my self-control. Everything in him exudes arrogance: his negligent posture, his debauched expression, his bored speech, and the disrespectful manner in which he addresses me, as if he owed me no respect for being in my territory. It's like he has not matured in the last six years and was still the fourteen-year-old kid I should have killed when I got the chance.

"It's her?"

The direct question did not surprise me, considering the fact that I could check in at a glance how rude he is and how impolite he intends to be in his brief stay. Sho manages to reunite everything that the aristocracy has of worse and every second that I waste near him makes me feel more disgusted. Yeah, no doubt I'll take a bath when I'm done here. The prospect of convincing Kyoko to join me makes my idea even more attractive.

Thinking about her helps me stay focused. After all, it's because of her that I'm doing this.

"Good evening, Sho. You and your entourage are welcome at my Manor for the reasonable time of your business with me. Your accommodations are already set up. If you need anything, just talk to Nick. That being said, what business brought you here?"

It's not because he disrespects the protocol that I'm going to lower myself to his level and do the same. Besides, watching him squirm in anger at my indifference makes it more fun to treat him like the brat he is.

"Kyoko" Oh, how I hate the casual way he pronounces her name! "Your new bi... I mean, procreative. It's her?"

He was a few letters to have his head crushed against the wall. I need to calm down; I cannot put everything to waste now. I must remember that this is not the first time that I do something execrable for a greater good.

"Yes, it is her"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Why else would she be here?"

Luckily, I managed to make my anger over his insolence sound like contempt for my situation. Contempt for Kyoko. As I intended, he lowered his guard and laughed at the implications of what I just said.

"Yeah, yeah. She's not exactly a beauty, is she? Is it true she's looking like a boy? "

As I predicted, Kimiko and Ruriko spread malicious rumors. Everything is going as planned. That two have no idea that they are pieces in a complex plot.

"A lot of time copying one, I suppose" I'm glad I did not eat. I cannot throw up with an empty stomach.

Sho laughs a little more, until he seems to remember something and stops.

"I should have known that my stupid old man would have no balls to kill his precious toy…"

"Oh no, he tried to kill her, rest assured. Just was not successful" Correction: he just did not expect that an Exiled would help her, least of all that she is tougher than she looks.

"Tsk, that worthless old man! He cannot even kill a girl..."

Sho is predictable in his hatred for his father. After all, his motives are known: first, it must be hard for someone as arrogant as he is to know that if the Council had given Master Fuwa the choice, Julie would be his wife and Reino would be his first heir. Second, Sho's covetousness makes him wish for himself the position that he will achieve only when his father dies, since the Master has already made it clear on more than one occasion that he does not intend to retire. Third, I doubt that Sho has overcome the displeasure of being replaced by his father in line for Shoko.

These are the reasons I know, but there are likely to be many more. After all, a man who commits atrocities against a girl and who can be so hated by Kuu is not exactly the loved- by-all type. Yes, no doubt Master Fuwa has many more skeletons hidden in his closet.

However, I'm rambling. The root of Sho's hatred is not important; important is that his hatred leaves him vulnerable and manipulable.

"Well, what do you intend to do with her? You certainly know that she represents as much of a risk to you as to the Fuwas"

Back to business, then.

"Indeed. If she decides to tell who she is, everyone will know that I have not done my duty properly and killed an innocent man. I mean, as innocent as a filthy bum can be, but still, someone who did not commit the crimes for which he was punished. This would put all my hard work under suspicion and I would face Council investigations for months on end. The Nobles could even defy my position as Clan Master if the whole thing were to surface"

I can almost see the gears working on Sho's head: the envy he feels about my position is such that he even cogitates to reveal Kyoko's identity just to see my demise. On the other hand, he knows that my downfall would be his downfall, too.

"Tsk. And if she talks about what happened the night she disappeared, she'll compromise my old man"

Now he's pretending it's his father that he cares about.

"Would she only compromise your father? From what I've heard, there's enough in her account to compromise you, too"

'Corner Sho for him to speak', that is the strategy.

"What? What lies has she been telling? She offered herself to me! Always following me where I went, always smiling at me and seeking me with her eyes! Sighing all the time and doing everything to please me! I was just an inexperienced boy of fourteen, I could not protect myself from her seduction! It's not my fault she repented later!"

I just realize that I'm crushing the arms of my chair when I felt the wood sinking under my hands. However, my face is a mask of indifference, while I imagine the wood is Sho's neck.

"Seduced or not, Sho, the law is clear. She was only fourteen. If you had waited another two years, you could do whatever you wanted with her and we would not be in this damn situation"

Once again, I disguise a feeling with another: the hatred for him that I fail to contain is disguised as irritation by the situation in which I find myself.

"Tsk, now you're talking like my fucking old man!"

He starts pacing uneasily, so I take the opportunity to breathe and regain some of my self-control. Kyoko, wait for me. I'm coming back to you.

"What's the plan, then? Because you must have one!"

"Yes, I have something like that"

You have no idea, you bastard. Nor how fucked up will you be in it.

Shit. I only realized I'm smiling when I saw Sho's surprised face.

"Are you going to kill her?"

Oh, so that's what he figured out. OK then. "Well, I do not rule out the possibility of some accident happening. It's a dangerous world, after all, and many hate me. A moment of carelessness, and some enemy of mine may end up hitting her in an attempt to kill me. But no, that's not what I planned in the short term. In the short term, I'm making her trust me. I believe she's starting to get fond of me"

"Pffft, that stupid woman still believes that someone will love her!"

Watch out, Sho. Do not make me end your life ahead of time. There's a bigger fish I need to catch before that!

"I still have little more than a year with her as my procreator. Until my time is up, I think I'll have enough time to convince her not to open her mouth. As you know, she's naive-"

"Yes, naive to the point of stupidity. Well, I already understand what your plan is, but it only guarantees us a short period of tranquility. What if she resents the fact that you did not marry her? Unless, of course, you want to marry her..."

It's so obvious that Sho is trying to make me take a bait, that is almost laughable.

"No way. She is not meant to be the wife of Master Tsuruga"

I will be doomed to a miserable existence if I do not marry her, but this is something no Fuwa can know.

"Yes it's true. Nobody's wife, I would say! However, she may become pregnant..."

Oh, that is a dream that is worth living for and which I will be extremely happy to try to achieve. I do not avoid the smile that the thought brings to my face because now I know I can easily mislead Sho. His greatest weakness is his tendency to think that everyone is as vile and selfish as he is.

"So much the better. After all, it is always good to have an heir when you are a Master. Not to mention that childbirths are complicated situations. Not always the mothers survive..."

This conversation needs to end soon. It's getting more unbearable to stay away from Kyoko with every passing second and every odious phrase I hear and say.

"I see. Well, just by guarantee, I want to be next in line for her"

Such information should not affect me, since Lory stressed that this could happen. Even so, it is extremely unpleasant to think about this. No, it will not happen. Not over my dead body. Now, more than ever, the plan needs to work.

"Oh? I'm surprised. I did not think she was your type"

"She's not, but... well, what can I say? Perhaps you can understand, after all, you have already tasted her. There is simply something... appetizing in her that I would like to taste again"

The expression he is doing... yes, it will be that expression that I will remember when I finally punish him for what he did to her.

"If that's all, now I need to get back to my business. Nick is in the hallway waiting to accompany you to your chambers"

Quickly. I need to close this audience quickly. My self-control is by a thread.

He gives me an arrogant smile as he says good-bye and leaves my office. I thought his absence would take away the overwhelming feeling I have felt since the meeting began, but no, it is still present, making my breathing difficult and my limbs heavy. I rise from my abused chair, now an everlasting remembrance of the difficult interlocution that has just taken place, and drift along corridors, rooms, and patios. Until I finally regain control of my breathing.

I cannot return to Kyoko if I am not in a position to calm her down. I don't want to worry her any longer.

I lost track of how long I wandered, lost in thought, until finally reaching the hallway of my chambers. It was when I realized that something was wrong: Yashiro was not guarding the door, where I instructed him to be until second order. I hurry to the room already anticipating the worst possible scenarios and I am relieved to see no trace of blood, only Yashiro lying on the floor, fortunately already regaining his senses. No blood on the scene, Kyoko is unharmed. If she is unharmed, she has been taken away. If she was taken, I can track her easily.

My eyes scan the room frantically, looking for signs of what has happened, but all the information that I identify fail to form a coherent whole. I know where and when I've seen that kind of mess before, with things thrown in all directions, but it does not make sense that she...

"Yashiro, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

"Ngh... Ren... she..."

"Where is she? What happened?"

"We did not… know. We did not… anticipate..."

"Yashiro, you're not making sense!"

I know I should not shake him, but he's making me more nervous by the second.

"Her ability... the shadows... thousands of them... Ren, I think she..."

"What, Yashiro? Who took her? What shadows? What do you mean, thousands?"

"No! No one! Herself! Ren, we did not consider-"

"What, dammit?"

"We did not consider her abilities! Ren, she... she heard! I do not know how, but... somehow, she heard everything!"

I feel the cold claws of panic run through my body when the enormity of what Yashiro is saying strikes me. She heard everything. She heard everything. She heard everything.

Oh, no... Kyoko... oh, no... I need to explain... I need...

I only waste another second checking her belongings before stepping out in her pursuit.

Her digger's coverall disappeared.

A / N - Okay, you're hating me now, I know. I can feel 'mini readers' trying to strangle me and asking me "Why? Whyyyyyy? Everything was going so well!"

How can I explain? I love a bit of drama, that's why! XD

Other than that, I gave the hint that something terrible would happen in Kyoko's foreboding of the previous chapter, so… don't hate me, please! XD