The next day, sunlight streamed through the window, filling the room with warmth.
Rurichiyo Kasumiōji rubbed her sleepy eyes and stretched, letting out a big yawn.
"Ahhh… so sleepy."
She squinted, adjusting to the bright light. After a moment, she shook off the lingering drowsiness, blinking her dry eyes as she tried to fully wake up. She patted her cheeks lightly, hoping to shake off the sleepiness.
"Time to go. The sisters of the family must be getting impatient…" she murmured to herself.
As she stretched and moved her limbs to loosen up, she slipped into a beautifully patterned kimono. Once dressed, she carefully adjusted her attire before gently pushing open the door and stepping outside.
Not far from the entrance, Kenryū and Enryū were already waiting. The moment they saw Rurichiyo step out, they bowed respectfully.
"My lady!"
Rurichiyo smiled and nodded.
"Let's go home."
Her mood was particularly good, as if she had just accomplished something significant. With a lighthearted step, she led Kenryū and Enryū away from the grand estate.
...
Meanwhile, Masatsuki Aozaki also emerged from his bedroom.
Hisana had been waiting outside for quite some time, though it was unclear exactly how long. The moment she saw Masatsuki, her expression brightened like a blooming flower. But she quickly realized she shouldn't display such emotions so openly in front of others. Hastily regaining her composure, she coughed lightly and returned to a dignified stance.
Kenryū and Enryū, who had just stepped out, gave her a peculiar glance before hurrying after Rurichiyo.
Masatsuki-sama likes this kind of eccentric girl? No wonder he's drawn to the young lady!
"Good morning, Masatsuki-sama."
Hisana folded her hands neatly in front of her and bowed with proper etiquette. At first glance, she truly had the air of an ideal wife.
Well, she was Masatsuki Aozaki's wife, after all.
"Breakfast is ready. Please follow me," Hisana said with a gentle smile.
Masatsuki followed her to the dining area, where he shared breakfast with Rukia and the other girls who were still staying at the Aozaki residence. This hospitality, however, extended only to Rukia and her group.
The noble ladies who had come to visit weren't granted the same treatment.
Masatsuki Aozaki didn't believe in rigid social hierarchies, but treating everyone equally was unrealistic. Still, he wasn't cruel—he didn't take pleasure in making people suffer.
Those noble young ladies might have been helpless when it came to taking care of themselves, but they had brought their maids along. It wasn't as if they couldn't survive without Masatsuki.
What did baffle him, though, was how those maids—capable of handling all sorts of household chores—could never seem to learn how to fix a simple water pipe.
Masatsuki found it exasperating.
"Aura is waiting for me?" Masatsuki asked.
"Yes. She told me to remind you to find her in the lab after breakfast," Hisana replied seriously.
To be fair, Masatsuki trusted her deeply...
He even confided in her about Aura's underground research.
But Hisana's life was oddly monotonous. She spent every day at home and showed no interest in the outside world.
Masatsuki had never had any reason to doubt her.
...
The Aozaki family basement was brightly lit, with a faint electronic scent lingering in the air.
This was the Aozaki family's secret base, where all kinds of scientific experiments and research were conducted.
At this moment, a cluster of photons converged within the underground laboratory.
Masatsuki Aozaki passed through layers of barriers and finally reached the core area.
As soon as he entered, his gaze was immediately drawn to the center of the room.
There, Aura Michibane was fully focused on her work. Bathed in the glowing light, her figure stood out even more.
Beside her, Bambietta stood quietly, clad in a specially designed white military uniform. She was assisting Aura.
Surprisingly, Candice was also involved in the experiment.
From Masatsuki's observations, it seemed she wasn't conducting research—she was the one being studied.
Or rather, she was having her blood drawn.
The collected samples were to be sent to Mayuri Kurotsuchi for further analysis and research.
"Masatsuki, you're here?"
The sound of the laboratory doors opening pulled Masatsuki Aozaki from his thoughts as Aura Michibane spoke.
She turned to glance at him, a faint smile appearing on her face.
"I originally wanted to talk to you last night, but you never showed up."
"It's been two days in a row… You should at least care about that child's health."
"Huh? What are you talking about? Do I seem like that kind of person?"
"There's no need for me to say it out loud. But whatever—more importantly, I have something urgent to discuss today."
Aura's smile subtly turned cold as her gaze shifted toward Bambietta, who was pressing herself against Masatsuki.
Then, with a slight huff, she turned away and shot Masatsuki a defiant look.
"The Hōgyoku experiment has hit a snag."
For once, she seemed... normal.
That made Masatsuki Aozaki genuinely smile.
This was exactly the outcome he had carefully shaped.
"These things take time. Rushing won't help—careful work yields better results," Masatsuki said reassuringly, hoping to ease Aura's frustration.
"What's the issue? If there's anything I can do to help, just tell me."
He gently took hold of Aura's small, soft hand, his gaze filled with concern.
"We're running low on experimental materials."
Aura furrowed her brows, looking a bit troubled.
"Are we out of Soul King fragments?"
"The fragments are still sufficient for now, but we don't have enough souls."
Aura shook her head, a hint of helplessness in her tone.
"That is… problematic."
Masatsuki fell into thought, unable to come up with an immediate solution.
After a brief silence, his eyes suddenly lit up as if he had thought of something.
"I've got a plan. Trust me, you don't have to worry about this."
"Give me a few days—I'll bring you what you need."
Aura looked at him in surprise but said nothing more.
This man always kept his word.
If he said he had a solution, then he definitely had one.
All she needed to do was wait.
Hearing Masatsuki's assurance, Aura's confidence returned.
"With enough materials, I should be able to get you results within six months at the latest!"
"Oh… pretty confident, aren't you?"
Since Aura was so sure of herself, Masatsuki didn't want to dampen her enthusiasm.
Seeing her dive back into her work, he turned away and walked toward Candice.
"Mayuri Kurotsuchi wants a different blood sample this time," Masatsuki said.
With that, he tossed a syringe in front of Candice, giving her a look that clearly said, "You know what to do."
Candice, who had been standing idly by, bored and clueless about the experiment, suddenly perked up.
She had been here for so long, subjected to endless blood draws day after day, to the point where she had become completely numb to it.
But this time…
Finally, it was her turn to draw someone else's blood.
And her target?
Naturally, it had to be Bambietta, who had been taking advantage of her special status to bully her daily.
"But… my body belongs to Masatsuki-sama!" Bambietta whined, putting on a pitiful expression.
"Shut up and do as you're told, Bambietta," Masatsuki ordered coldly.
Hearing his words, Bambietta instinctively shrank back, fear flickering in her eyes.
"Yes, Master."
Candice narrowed her eyes, casting a look of disdain at Bambietta.
To be so easily tamed by a man, reduced to nothing more than a pet… what a pathetic creature.
"Candice, what are you waiting for?"
Masatsuki turned toward her, placing a firm hand on her head and ruffling her hair.
Candice glared at him in frustration but ultimately gave in, picking up the syringe and getting to work.