Chapter 176: Four-Leaf Late Night: I Quietly Watch You Perform
"I know you despise the Yotsuba, Mahiro, but don't speak nonsense about certain matters. I won't believe it anyway."
Shiba Tatsurou remarried to Furuha Sayuri? Miya found this utterly absurd.
Though she had long known about her husband's illicit relationship with that little secretary.
After all, these two had been a couple even before marrying her, and she had shown appropriate tolerance.
As long as it wasn't brought into the open, she would always turn a blind eye.
But betraying her and rushing to remarry right after her death?
She refused to believe it.
That man who depended on the Yotsuba for survival—who would lend him the audacity to act recklessly?
Didn't he understand? Without the Yotsuba, he was nothing.
"Seeing is believing. Since you don't believe me, why not go see for yourself?"
"Let's make a bet while we're at it. If everything turns out as I said, then Aunt Miya, you become my possession. If not, I'll send you back to the Yotsuba main family. How about that?"
"So this is your real intention?"
"What does it matter what schemes I'm plotting?"
Facing Miya's questioning, Mahiro shrugged indifferently, wearing a thick-skinned expression of someone beyond shame.
Hearing this, Miya's slender eyebrows briefly flickered with disgust.
She never expected Mahiro would set his sights on her!
Tch...
"First, get me some clothes."
"May I take this as your agreement to the terms, Aunt Miya?"
Miya didn't respond verbally, but after a moment gave a slight nod.
"OK, then wear this later."
Mahiro activated alchemy, and a long dress instantly appeared in his hand.
Witnessing this, Miya's expression immediately turned grave.
What kind of magic was this?
Creating something from nothing?
Miya admitted she couldn't comprehend it at all.
And the long dress Mahiro handed her turned out to be the very one she had worn during her Okinawa vacation!
The body-hugging dress in burgundy tones, with sheer fabric covering the shoulders and long sleeves.
"Mahiro, get out!" Miya looked up at him, her eyes filled with authority.
"Why? When I dug you out from your grave, I even saw your skeleton, not to mention your body. What is there left to hide at this point?"
Mahiro tilted his head and smiled incomprehensibly.
He remained completely unmoved by Miya's commanding attitude.
"Besides, this is my territory. What right do you have to order me out? If you can, go out and change yourself before coming back."
"R..."
Miya was instantly enraged, her face cold as frozen frost, with faint mist beginning to form around her.
That was the Demon's Extract taking effect.
But the cold mist quickly receded.
Miya closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
If anyone else dared speak to her like this, she would definitely make them experience sinking in the River of Oblivion.
But facing Mahiro, she knew perfectly well that none of the magic she mastered would have any effect!
What else could she do?
Then, she slowly rose from the bedside, the sheet wrapped around her slipping and falling to the floor. Her jade-like, delicate skin was exposed to the air, shimmering faintly in the sunset glow.
Seeing that Miya had already compromised, Mahiro thoughtfully offered a set of pure black lace lingerie.
Miya immediately shot him a slight glare.
It was unclear whether it was due to his audacious behavior or the daring strappy design of the lingerie.
Nevertheless, Miya took it from his hand—or more accurately, snatched it—and slowly began putting it on in front of him.
Throughout this process, Mahiro leaned back in his chair and watched, as if admiring a work of art.
To be honest, he could have forced himself on Miya or used mental interference magic to alter her consciousness.
But doing so would have been far too dull.
Instead, he preferred the current scene: her feeling a mix of shame, anger, and helplessness, gradually yielding despite her frustration.
This was the essence of conditioning!
Moreover, a wager could leave a deeper impression, and he believed that Shiba Tatsurou would not disappoint him.
"Mahiro-sama… Huh???"
The usually composed Minami let out a small gasp of surprise.
She had just changed her clothes and was about to prepare dinner when she happened to see Mahiro coming out of his room and greeted him proactively.
But then, she saw a woman emerging from Mahiro-sama's room right after!
However, this wasn't particularly shocking… No, to be precise, compared to the woman's appearance, the fact that she had come out of Mahiro-sama's room seemed trivial!
Simply because the woman looked exactly like the Madam!
She carried the same elegance, composure, and dignified demeanor.
But upon closer inspection, subtle differences could be noticed.
For instance, Maya-sama's pupils were navy purple, while this woman's were wine red;
Maya-sama had a beauty mark under her left eye, whereas this woman had one under her right eye, as if mirrored;
Additionally, Maya-sama's hair was fluffy and wavy, while this woman had smooth, straight hair;
Moreover, Maya-sama preferred wearing loose gowns, giving off the aura of a captivating queen, while this woman wore a fitted long dress, exuding the gentle presence of a devoted wife...….
In short, this person was definitely not the Madam!
However, when Miya caught sight of Minami, she too froze deeply in place.
"How about it? They look quite similar, don't they?"
Noticing the faint surprise and shock on Miya's usually calm face, Mahiro couldn't help but laugh.
This was exactly what he wanted to see!
Just like Miyuki, the same stunned surprise rooted to the spot!
"…Who is she?"
Realizing she had lost her composure, Miya collected herself and asked calmly.
"Care to take a guess… Alright, alright, I'll tell you."
Under Miya's murderous gaze, Mahiro helplessly spread his hands and said:
"Her name is Sakurai Minami. From a DNA genetic perspective, she is Sakurai Honami's niece, and also belongs to the second generation of the 'Sakura' series—modified magicians produced by the Fourth Research Institute."
When mentioning modified magicians, Mahiro's tone carried a hint of mockery.
But Miya paid no attention to this, instead softly murmuring the girl's name.
"Minami..."
The resemblance was truly striking.
Not completely identical, but undoubtedly cut from the same cloth.
Not only did her appearance resemble her former guardian Sakurai Honami, but even her hair color and hairstyle were the same—part of her hair tied into a braid falling over her left shoulder, with soft facial features that gave off a quiet, gentle aura.
The only difference lay in their eyes—Honami's were deep purple, while this Minami before them had amber-colored eyes.
Gazing at the girl's familiar face, a trace of melancholy flickered in Miya's eyes.
Although Sakurai Honami had indeed been her guardian, after serving her for so many years, claiming there was no emotional bond would be untrue.
Actually, when it came to Honami, Mahiro also felt regretful.
While Honami had died from exhausting her life force as a modified magician, both he and Tatsuya had possessed the ability to save her at the time.
They hadn't intervened because it was Miss Honami's wish.
As a modified being, as a guardian, as a tool, she never had the right to choose her own life path, but in the end, she hoped to be allowed to choose death according to her own will.
And there was another crucial point—
After Honami's death, that idiot Tatsuya had scattered her ashes into the ocean off Okinawa.
Even if they wanted to retrieve her now, it would be extremely difficult.
But for the moment, seeing Miya's nostalgic expression and Minami's somewhat flustered look, he chose to step forward and introduce the girl:
"Minami, let me introduce you. The person before you is none other than Maya's elder sister, Yotsuba Miya."
"Lady Miya... Ah?!"
Minami bowed reflexively to Miya, but then immediately realized something was wrong.
Lady Maya's elder sister... if she remembered correctly, hadn't she died three years ago?!
It was said that every medical means had been employed, yet they still couldn't save Lady Miya's life.
But now...
She was actually appearing in Master Mahiro's room?!
Minami felt her small brain struggling to process this information.
Could it be...
"Exactly as you're thinking, Minami. So you must keep this secret for me—you can't tell that woman Maya."
Mahiro raised a finger toward Minami, speaking with a playful tone.
"Yes... I-I understand. Master Mahiro, I definitely won't tell Madam..."
The situation was too shocking, and Minami didn't know what expression she should wear or how she should respond properly.
She didn't even know what she was thinking anymore, her mind almost completely blank.
But since things had come to this, she could only agree.
After all, Mahiro was the only master in her heart.
Evening was gradually falling.
...
On the empty road, a black Aston Martin sped swiftly across the pavement.
"After all these years, your twisted sense of humor hasn't changed a bit, Mahiro."
Miya, sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly initiated the conversation.
Even after experiencing his forceful and rude behavior, Miya still maintained the habit of calling him by his first name without the family name.
Her eyes, gazing at the setting sun outside the car window, slowly flickered with a hint of reminiscence.
Back at the Fourth Research Institute, Mahiro had been an unruly little demon lord.
Unlike other modified subjects, Mahiro wasn't subjected to any control—or rather, no one was capable of controlling him.
She remembered how the Mashiba family, one of the Yotsuba branch families, had been responsible for managing the mage prison on Mimikawa Island while also overseeing the operations and management of the Fourth Research Institute.
Once, someone from the Mashiba family had tried to boss Mahiro around, only to be turned into an idiot by him the very next day.
The man had run around Mimikawa Island shouting nonsense before eventually jumping off a cliff and plunging headfirst into the ocean.
If not for the timely rescue, who knows where the ocean currents might have carried him.
Just as Miya was recalling these past events, Mahiro spoke up casually:
"Has it now?"
He steered nonchalantly, speeding along the road.
They were on their way to the FLT company. Since the company was also located deep in the mountains, the traffic grew sparser as they ventured further into the mountainous area.
Eventually, Mahiro completely relaxed and chuckled:
"I think I'm much more mature now than before. Even your sister Maya has praised me for it. And at the very least, if I were to encounter that idiot from the Mashiba family again now, I definitely wouldn't just play around with him like before."
Miya: "..."
Miya gave him a meaningful glance.
Perhaps because he had completely shut down the conversation, leaving Miya unsure how to continue.
Or perhaps because he had mentioned Maya, making Miya unwilling to pursue the topic further.
In any case, the conversation came to an abrupt halt, and Miya instead brought up the changes in her own body.
"I feel like something has changed in my body. Did you do this?"
As she spoke, Miya extended her hand, where a delicate fingertip condensed an ice needle that promptly dissipated under her control.
"Oh, what a clumsy way to change the subject. But you guessed right—it was me. Since I wanted to bring you back to life, I naturally had to employ some unconventional methods."
Mahiro slowly explained:
"I injected you with a physical Enhancement Drug produced from another world. This drug uses a certain virus as a medium to integrate various animal factors into your DNA helix chain, serving as a means to enhance physical recovery."
"By the way, aside from the virus, it also includes two types of Super Danger Beasts—Tyrant and Demon's Extract."
"I know you probably don't understand what those are, but you don't need to. Just know that your ice manipulation ability comes from the Demon's Extract."
After this lengthy explanation, Miya didn't understand most of it, only catching the part about "another world."
"You've been to another world?"
"Oh ho, this reaction without the slightest surprise is exactly like Maya's. Should I say indeed worthy of being sisters?"
This was only natural. This world had the concept of parallel worlds—for instance, parasites were things pulled through black hole experiments from other dimensions.
"But you're right, I have been there, and I've already made two trips, bringing back quite a few people and items. When I have time, I can take you to see—it's on Misaki Island."
"Oh, by the way, just mentioning, your sister Maya also received the same injection as you, but without the Demon's Extract genes. See, I've been quite good to you, haven't I, Auntie Miya?"
After his rambling, Miya simply ignored him, turning her head to continue gazing at the scenery outside the car window.
What an aloof woman...
Soon, his vehicle followed the road into the remote, impoverished mountainous countryside. At the road's end, a flat-topped building about ten stories high gradually came into view.
Above it hung a sign bearing the name Yotsuba Technology.
This wasn't Yotsuba Technology's office location but an independent research and development department.
It was said that Tatsurou and his mistress Sayuri were scheduled to inspect the R&D department today.
"Wait."
"What are you doing now?"
No sooner had Mahiro parked the car than Miya opened the door to get out, but he promptly stopped this foolish woman.
"Auntie, you're not planning to just go in like this, are you?"
"What else should I do?"
"Sigh."
Mahiro sighed and said, "Leaving aside the issue of you having been dead for many years and how many people would be terrified by your sudden appearance, do you think just going down to confront Tatsurou will yield the results you want?"
"And if you rush over to question him like this, it's Yotsuba that will lose face."
"Since you want to see the relationship between him and Sayuri, you definitely need to spy to get the real picture."
"So foolish."
Hearing this, Miya slowly retracted the leg she had already stepped out of the car with.
She understood—she had been too impatient.
But the restlessness in her heart made it impossible to maintain her usual composure. After taking a few deep breaths, she barely managed to suppress her emotions.
"...What should we do?"
Miya had no desire for unnecessary talk and cut straight to the point.
"Simple, just leave it to me."
Mahiro snapped his fingers—snap!—an invisible psion wave enveloped the two of them.
From the outside, their figures gradually faded into concealment.
This was a magic he derived from inspiration from the Kudou Family's "Parade," modified to function like optical camouflage, allowing them to hide their forms.
Except for thermal imaging devices, no surveillance equipment could capture their presence.
Then, he quietly led Miya into the FLT building.
Everything around felt familiar to Miya, especially Chief Ushiyama of the R&D department—a highly talented researcher.
But unfortunately, she wasn't here for nostalgia today; she was here to catch a cheater!
Guided by Mahiro, they arrived at an office where she indeed saw the man she hadn't laid eyes on in so long—
Shiba Tatsurou!
And indeed, there was a woman accompanying him—Furuha Sayuri!
But they seemed to be in the middle of work.
"Tatsurou, Tatsuya is truly a genius. Using those relics he obtained from who-knows-where to rewrite the magic sequences, combined with the prosthetic-type CAD, he has perfectly resolved the latency issue in neural signals."
"Moreover, it possesses remarkable defensive capabilities!"
"Orders from USNA and the Great Asian Alliance have already been booked through next year! Our profit this quarter has exceeded the previous period by sixty percent!" Sayuri exclaimed excitedly.
"What about Europe?" Tatsurou asked.
"For Europe, the order volume isn't large, accounting for only ten percent of the total orders, but it's still a substantial income."
Sayuri flipped through her portable device, checking the order numbers.
Yet the joy on her face never faded.
"I'm telling you, Tatsurou, since Tatsuya is so outstanding, why insist on him attending high school? Wouldn't it be better to have him drop out and come help at the main company's research lab?"
"That's impossible, Sayuri."
Tatsurou set down the report in his hands, gently massaging the bridge of his nose as he replied helplessly, "You know perfectly well that Tatsuya is Miyuki's guardian."
"The Yotsuba family has so many magicians—can't they assign another guardian to that little girl? I remember even that kid Mahiro was assigned a guardian. The Yotsuba family shouldn't be short on people in that regard."
"Alas, that's also impossible."
Tatsurou shook his head resignedly. "Sayuri, neither Miyuki nor the Yotsuba main family would agree to it."
"Whether they agree or not is their business! At the very least, our company can't afford to let an outstanding employee like Tatsuya idle away his time!"
Tatsurou's unyielding attitude made Sayuri's expression twist with frustration and indignation.
But what could Tatsurou do?
Forcefully oppose Maya and defy the Yotsuba main family's decision?
How would that be any different from seeking death?
After all, that woman was nothing like the accommodating Miya from the old days.
And Miya, who had appeared in the office at some unknown time and was silently watching the two of them, gradually let her gaze turn icy cold...