With the incident resolved, the next day, Hana’s parents were forced to move to a house in the countryside.
The servants who had been close with her parents had been replaced, so it was a lot easier to breathe in the Ichise house.
Between the move and the preparations, Hana was made to realize how thoroughly everything had been planned in advance.
Hana, having been totally oblivious, felt conflicted. The same could be said of Hazuki.
Because she had been thrown into a wall during her battle with the shade, a large bruise bloomed on Hana’s back. Just when the bruise on her arm courtesy of Yukizasa had finally faded. Talk about bad luck.
Hazuki blamed herself, but in Hana’s book, Saku and Yukizasa were at fault for everything.
Hana had to take a few days off from school, but the day after the whole incident, Suzu called her. Suzu’s voice was full of pep, which put Hana’s mind at ease.
Although Suzu had been kidnapped without knowing a thing, she had been rescued immediately and was informed of the broad strokes of the situation. She had cooperated in order to help Hana, but at first, she hadn’t understood what was going on at all and had been terrified. Or so she explained cheerfully.
Hana felt horribly guilty that she had gotten Suzu involved. She made a big fuss with Saku—this time, she would have her divorce, for sure—but he had offered a lavish full-course French dinner as compensation, and she had taken back her threat right away.
In addition, apparently, Saku had been chewed out by Mio. She had blown up, demanding to know what he’d been thinking, sticking Hana, who was still a student, on a shade that required the expertise of an Obsidian practitioner without any prior information.
Truer words had never been spoken.
Hana had been made to help with Saku’s work several times in the past, but previously, she had always consented, so Mio had stayed quiet. However, Saku had sprung the latest job on Hana.
Mio had been feeling anxious about Hana’s involvement in Obsidian-rank work for some time, and she finally snapped, reaching the limit of her patience.
Plus, Aoi and Miyabi had been complaining as well, pointing out Hana’s unending parade of injuries, which had started since she had gotten married to Saku. Getting divorced as soon as possible would really be for the best.
Saku had been powerless against his mother and had listened to his lecture like a good boy.
Between this and that, the days passed, and right around the time the pain in Hana’s back had gone away at long last, Yanagi came to the Ichinomiya residence to pay a visit to Hana and Hazuki.
The three siblings were alone in the room.
Yanagi spoke up first. “Our parents have been moved away from society and are living under supervision. From now on, you’ll have no more contact with them unless you so choose.”
To Hana, there could be no happier news. However, Hazuki had yet to throw away all her attachments to their parents and was making a complicated expression. Nonetheless, she didn’t protest Yanagi’s decision and merely nodded without a word.
Yanagi added, “We’ve overhauled the staff and cut everyone who had no love for the family in the first place.”
“What about Sae?” Hana blurted out, unable to help herself. Sae was the person she was most concerned about.
“She’ll continue working in the household.”
Relief washed over Hana.
Sae was the reason Hana and Hazuki could be together like this. Had she been turned out into the streets, Hana would never have been able to forgive herself.
Hazuki, too, whispered a quiet “Thank goodness…” It was apparent that Sae was an invaluable presence to her, too.
“Now, to the crux of the matter,” Yanagi said. “Hazuki.” He paused before continuing with some trepidation. “Won’t you come back to the Ichise house?”
“What?” Hazuki said, surprised at Yanagi’s suggestion.
“The parents who tormented you are no longer there. You can live however you like, doing whatever you want. It’s true that here, you can be with Hana, but won’t you live with me?”
Hazuki was silent for a moment. Then she nodded. “Okay. I’ll go back with you.”
“What?!” Hana gasped unintentionally. “You’re going to leave?” Just when she was finally able to be with Hazuki.
A wistful expression crossed over Hazuki’s face, plain for all to see. “I love spending time with you, too, Hana,” she said, “but I’m not a part of the Ichinomiya family. I don’t think I should be here. Think about how it looks to the other branch families.”
Hana was disgruntled. The other branch families could go to hell for all she cared.
Hazuki pressed on. “Besides, I don’t want to leave our brother alone in that house.”
Hazuki’s words blew all of Hana’s protests away. Yanagi’s eyes widened.
“You won’t be lonely with me around, right?” Hazuki said to Yanagi, smiling softly.
Yanagi smiled back, looking as if he might cry. “Yeah. You would give me strength.”
Hana looked at the two of them grinning at each other. She shoved herself forward. “Then I’m going with you, too!”
She was dead serious, but her proclamation made the atmosphere in the room sour.
“You can’t, Hana,” Hazuki said.
“Why not?!”
“Don’t you have any pride as Lord Ichinomiya’s wife?”
The only answer that came to her mind was none at all. Her confession to Saku of her budding feelings was long forgotten.
“Got it. Let me go get divorced real quick,” Hana said glibly, as if she were talking about going to the convenience store to buy ice cream.
She flew out of the room without hesitation—no time like the present, right?—barged into Saku’s room, and demanded a divorce.
However, when it looked like she was about to be jumped, she ran away and returned to the room where her siblings were.
“It didn’t work…,” she said, her shoulders slumping.
Hazuki and Yanagi both looked like they had nothing to say.
“Hana…,” Hazuki said.
“Lord Ichinomiya would never give you up,” Yanagi said.
And thus, it wasn’t long before the day came when Hazuki would return to the Ichise house with Yanagi.
Hana saw her off with a melancholic expression.
Saku put an arm around her shoulder. “You can see each other whenever you want.”
Her face instantly lit up. “Yeah, you’re right. Not to mention, if we get divorced, I can go back to the Ichise house,” she said brightly as if she had put her worries behind her.
The corner of Saku’s mouth convulsed. “Are you still going on about that?” A vein throbbed on his temple.
Without giving Hana any time to respond, he laid a hand on her chin and brought their lips together.
“Mmngh!!”
When they broke apart after the intense kiss, Saku smirked shamelessly. “You’ll be my wife until death do us part. Give up and accept it.”
“Dummy!!! Kiss fiend!” Hana yelled.
“Was that a compliment?”
“Not at all!”
Azuha fluttered leisurely above their heads. Constantly bickering though the two might have been, they were nevertheless thick as thieves.