Chapter 352: Natsuki Aya's Jealousy
Go.
This breakfast was a very happy one.
At least for Yuuma, it was.
Being praised by her most beloved father, even though her mother showed no reaction, she felt that wasn't her mother's fault—it was because she herself hadn't worked hard enough!
Little did she know, this would bring upon her an undeserved calamity.
Today was Monday, the day Mahiro routinely showed up at school.
As usual, he first ran into Aiba Asagi at the school gate, exchanging greetings and chatting for a bit to acknowledge each other's presence.
At noon, he accompanied Kanon Kanase to feed the kittens at the abandoned monastery behind the school.
As soon as he stepped through the monastery gate, he could hear meowing, and immediately countless little kittens gathered around, affectionately rubbing against his trouser legs.
Little Kanon skillfully pulled a bag of cat food from her pocket, handed half to Mahiro, and then the two squatted on the ground, feeding the abandoned kittens.
Perhaps due to the backlighting, Kanon Kanase was enveloped in a hazy halo, like a Madonna.
It must also be said that Kanon Kanase's kindness truly radiated from her very bones.
She picked up these abandoned cats from around the school, kept them in the abandoned monastery behind the mountain, never causing any trouble for anyone, nor demanding anything from others.
Kind and pure, she truly resembled a saintly nun.
After the lunch break, Mahiro returned to his classroom as usual, intending to take a nap.
But for some reason, just before class started, the classroom suddenly became noisy, with students gathering in twos and threes, whispering among themselves.
At first, this wasn't unusual—perhaps something interesting had happened to spark such discussion—so he didn't pay much attention.
Until he heard a familiar name, and he shot up from his seat.
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, he approached a student who was still discussing the matter, grabbed their shoulder, and asked sternly:
"What did you just say happened to Yuuma Tokoyogi?"
Perhaps because his grip was too strong, or perhaps because his emotions were running high, the student winced in pain and stammered:
"N-nothing much, just... just heard that Yuuma Tokoyagi from the middle school division seems to have gotten into some trouble, dragged out of her classroom and beaten up by a woman."
Hearing this, Mahiro's heart sank. He immediately shoved the classmate aside and rushed out of the classroom.
In the hallway, he didn't even care about the stares around him, using spatial movement right in public to appear in front of the door of Class 2-A in the middle school division.
The scene before him was beyond his imagination, and none of the teachers and students gathered around dared to step forward and intervene.
Right outside the classroom door, Aya, dressed in a black-and-white twelve-layered kimono, coldly tugged at the hair of Yuuma, who looked exactly like her. Tears of pain welled up in Yuuma's eyes.
Her companion, Aiba Asagi, was also terrified and at a loss, but she still stepped forward to try and stop Aya, continuously pleading with her.
Meanwhile, Est and Avrora simply used brute force to separate Aya and Yuuma. Nagisa Akatsuki shielded the sobbing Yuuma behind her, pointing at Aya and saying something.
Though he couldn't hear clearly, it was obvious that she was undoubtedly criticizing Aya.
However, regrettably, Aya remained completely unmoved.
She even gathered magical power, raising her wrist as if preparing to strike.
Mahiro, who had just arrived via spatial teleportation, hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Aya's wrist, asking in confusion:
"Aya, what are you doing? Yuuma is your daughter."
Aya said nothing, only struggling forcefully. Finding she couldn't break free, she turned her head and gave him an indifferent, emotionless glance before turning back and raising her other hand, swiftly swinging it out.
Swish!
A wind blade shot out from thin air.
Est tried to use her power to block it, but the wind blade eerily passed right through her body and even sliced through Yuuma's neck.
Yuuma only felt a chill on the back of her neck as her originally shoulder-length black hair was cleanly severed at the level of her ears, sending strands of black silk dancing into the air.
After doing all this, Aya turned her head once more, glaring fiercely at Mahiro with her crimson eyes before breaking free from his grip. Completely disregarding the onlookers, she wordlessly rushed outside.
Wait, what's going on here?
Mahiro had no time to ponder why Aya had suddenly gone berserk and quickly crouched down to examine Yuuma's body.
After all, Tokoyogi Aya had a history of harming Yuuma.
But this time, Yuuma bore no injuries whatsoever—only her hair had been cut.
Looking at the long hair scattered on the ground, Mahiro seemed to realize something.
"Fa... Father, Yuuma is fine. Don't worry about Yuuma. Go after Mother quickly. I... I feel like Mother might be hurt."
Yuuma clutched her hair, tearfully pleading with Mahiro.
Recalling Aya's expression just now—anger concealing traces of sorrow, tears glistening in her eyes—Mahiro couldn't help but sigh softly.
At this point, if he still didn't understand, he would have truly wasted his life.
Who would have thought there was a mother jealous of her own daughter?
"Nagisa, and Asagi, you two help take care of Yuuma. I need to step out for a moment."
"Mm, leave it to me, Mahiro-nii! You must teach that woman who bullied Yuuma a good lesson!"
Nagisa Akatsuki cheered him on, clearly not minding stirring up trouble.
"Although I don't understand the full story, it seems that woman didn't intend to harm Yuuma," Asagi Aiba, who had witnessed everything, offered a brief explanation.
Mahiro said nothing, only nodding before heading toward the stairwell.
But before he had gone far, he noticed two little tails following behind him.
Seeing him suddenly stop, Est, one of the two little tails, calmly spoke up:
"Do you need my help?"
Avrora chimed in as well:
"I-I can help too!... Anyone who bullies my dear friend, I will never forgive them easily!"
The delicate, golden-haired, blue-eyed little loli looked up, her eyes flickering as she met his gaze—this was the first time Avrora had mustered the courage to look him directly in the eyes.
Seeing the two little ones eager to help, a helpless smile spread across Mahiro's face as he gently said:
"It's fine, I can handle it myself. You two should head back to class first."
He patted the heads of the two little ones, persuading them to go back, while he himself eventually disappeared into the stairwell under Avrora's lingering gaze, as she turned back every few steps.
Thanks to the bracelet's tracking function, Mahiro knew exactly where Aya was hiding at this moment—
the school library.
As the library administrator, whenever he showed up at the school, this was where Aya most frequently appeared, passing the time immersed among the books.
And when Mahiro arrived at the library, sure enough, he found Tokoyogi Aya deep inside.
But now, she was no longer the angry figure from before. As if nothing had happened, she sat gracefully by the window, flipping through a book. Her slender fingertips gently turned the aged pages, while the bright midday sunlight fell upon her, casting a small shadow beneath her long eyelashes.
Set against the backdrop of cherry blossom trees swaying in the sea breeze outside the window, Aya at this moment was as beautiful as an exquisite painting.
Mahiro captured this scene with his eyes, then slowly walked forward, intending to approach.
"Why have you come here? I hurt Yuuma. Shouldn't you be comforting your dear daughter right now?"
Her cherry lips parted slightly, the calm on Aya's face unchanged, yet anyone could hear the anger concealed in her tone.
"Are you jealous?"
"What am I to you? What right do I have to be jealous?"
Hearing this, Mahiro smiled faintly. "What do you want to be to me?"
"I don't know, and I don't understand!"
Aya's demeanor suddenly shifted. With a thud, she closed the book in her hands and placed it on the windowsill.
If compared to the sea, the earlier moment was the tranquility of low tide, while now it was the turbulence of a raging storm!
"I truly don't understand—what exactly is Yuuma to you?!"
"Of course, she's my daughter."
"Just a daughter? I don't believe it!"
Of course, she didn't believe it.
Ever since escaping the prison, she had seen it all—Yuuma's dependence on Mahiro and Mahiro's excessive doting on Yuuma.
"Yotsuba Mahiro, I want you to know, there is only one Tokoyogi Aya in this world. Tokoyogi Yuuma is merely my copy! Why do you pay her so much attention? Why are you so good to her?
Don't brush me off with words like 'daughter.' Even though I am a Witch, I am also a woman!"
Aya's emotions were intense—perhaps even more so than when she had been imprisoned in the Prison Barrier by Natsuki Minamiya.
The interaction between Mahiro and Yuuma at the breakfast table this morning was merely a trigger, igniting the dissatisfaction she had long suppressed in her heart.
But in the depths of her eyes, Mahiro saw something else.
"You're afraid, aren't you?"
At Mahiro's words, Aya's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
"Why would I be afraid!"
To Mahiro, Aya's anger seemed like a disguise. He remained calm and composed, speaking bluntly:
"You're afraid that Yuuma will replace you, aren't you?"
"How could that be! I am the Witch of the Notaria, Tokoyogi Aya!"
Exposed by the blunt words, Aya, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, immediately bristled, her elegant demeanor vanishing entirely as she became flustered.
Was she afraid?
Of course she was.
It was precisely because of that fear in her heart—the fear of being replaced—that she had cut Yuuma's long hair.
Though somewhat foolish and reckless, her purpose was simple: to make Mahiro aware of the distinction between Yuuma and herself.
She could tolerate Avrora.
She could also tolerate little girls like Nagisa Akatsuki and Kanon Kanase.
She could even tolerate the existence of Natsuki Minamiya!
But she absolutely could not tolerate Yuuma.
Because she was truly afraid, terrified that this replica she had created would one day replace her.
Yet these words, she would never speak to Mahiro, nor would she ever admit them!
"I simply do not wish to see... Mmm!"
Before she could finish speaking, Mahiro pulled her into his embrace and sealed her lips with a kiss.
Feeling the warmth and intense presence of his chest, Aya's body softened, her legs growing unsteady.
Her steps faltered.
Staggering, her back collided with the bookshelf behind her, scattering countless books.
Even she, who usually cherished books above all else, had no time to care for them now.
After a moment of disorientation, she instinctively rose on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Mahiro's neck, and responded with even fiercer passion!
What exactly were her feelings toward this man, Yotsuba Mahiro?
She herself wasn't entirely sure.
At first, it was merely curiosity.
Then, admiration born from their interactions.
Later, gratitude for being rescued from prison, bewilderment at his saving Yuuma, interest piqued during the struggle for the Twelfth Progenitor Avrora, and even when he displayed spatial teleportation magic, that interest grew even stronger.
Beyond that, she wasn't clear.
Because of Yuuma's presence, every time Yotsuba Mahiro interacted with Yuuma, every time Yuuma entered the bath to scrub his back, and every time Yotsuba Mahiro unconditionally doted on Yuuma.
A sour feeling would sprout in her heart, an indescribable anger.
This emotion had always been suppressed deep within her, yet it continued to fester and accumulate.
Just as she had said herself, though she was a Witch, she was also a woman, and she understood all too well what that anger and bitterness represented.
Only, she didn't know how to express it.
After a long while, their lips parted.
Neither spoke, only breathing quietly.
Yotsuba Mahiro's scorching breath brushed against her snow-white neck, making her delicate face flush with a rare blush, and she turned her head away, unable to meet his gaze.
Afraid that the shimmering tears welling in her eyes would be discovered.
Then, Aya felt the tightness around her waist suddenly loosen, and a chill swept over her front.
The sash fell to the floor, and the twelve layers of her kimono parted like a series of doors, fully opening.
Between the layers, her jade-like, fair, and smooth skin seeped through, glowing under the sunlight, the coolness causing Aya to tremble slightly.
"No... not here... someone might..."
"That's what makes it exciting, isn't it?"
Mahiro whispered into Aya's ear.
Even so, he had still laid soundproof and spatial barriers throughout the entire library.
Although Aya continued to resist, the murmurs she uttered held little persuasive power, sounding more like coquettish complaints.
Her cool, delicate face had melted, tinged with a beautiful crimson blush. The crimson pupils no longer held that bone-chilling coldness, leaving only bashful shyness.
Her exquisite, beautiful face, with black hair scattered over jade-like shoulders, displayed the unique softness of a girl.
This was a rare moment of shyness from Tokoyogi Aya.
Her peach-blossom-like appearance seemed instead like a silent invitation to Mahiro.
And Mahiro accepted this invitation.
"Ah...!"
Aya instinctively tightened her arms.
"Don't be afraid, I'll always be here."
Outside the window, cherry blossoms quietly scattered, and the shallow barrier between her and Yotsuba Mahiro was completely broken.
"Father... will comfort Mother properly, right?"
In the classroom, Yuuma gazed wistfully out the window at the scattered cherry blossoms on the street, letting the breeze gently sway her newly cut short hair. A single fallen petal quietly landed on the pure white paper on her desk.
Meanwhile, Natsuki Minamiya, who was also admiring the beautiful cherry blossom scenery outside the window, now set down her teacup, her brows slightly furrowed, her expression restless and gloomy.
For some reason, she felt inexplicably irritable at this moment.
Even her usually favorite black tea tasted as bland as water.
Not long after, in the now-empty library, a quiet girl with braided hair and glasses quietly arrived on the second floor.
That was Shizuka Koyomi.
At this moment, she held a book in her hands, exuding a serene, scholarly aura.
"Gone," the girl murmured softly.
Just two hours earlier, the Shikigami she had placed in the school had been triggered, detecting that someone had set up a spatial barrier at the library's location.
So she hurried over during the break between classes.
Only to find she had no ability to break through the barrier and could only remain isolated outside.
After finally waiting for the barrier to be lifted and entering the library, she discovered it was already empty.
Only that the air now carried a somewhat obscure, hard-to-understand scent.
Her calm eyes glanced around and immediately noticed something unusual on the floor... a small, murky, pale red stain left on the library's wooden floorboards.
She slowly crouched down, lightly dipped a finger into it, brought it to her nose, and gave a gentle sniff.
Her calm expression instantly flushed with a touch of crimson.
She didn't know what this was, as she had never encountered it before. It just smelled somewhat pungent, reminiscent of photinia flowers mixed with a faint scent of blood.
"Hinado, what are you crouching in the library for?" A girl patted her shoulder from behind, leaning her head over with a giggling question.
Hinado was her name at this school.
Just as she used the name Shizuka Koyomi in the Lion King Organization, this was also not her real name.
"You came just in time. Could you help me smell what this scent is?" She extended her finger to the girl's nose, asking with a calm expression.
The girl sniffed, her pretty face wearing a teasing, half-smiling expression as she whispered mischievously in her ear:
"Could it be... Hinado, you secretly had someone in the library..."
The usually calm and composed Shizuka Koyomi, upon hearing her friend's words, immediately understood. The blush that hadn't yet faded from her cheeks deepened even more, and she hurriedly wiped her fingers with a handkerchief.
Even so,
She also felt a pang of regret.
Why hadn't she guessed it was just something like this?
And she had been foolish enough to ask her classmates about it—how utterly embarrassing.
No wonder they were hiding behind a barrier, afraid of being seen!
However, this wasn't exactly good news for her, or rather, for the Lion King Organization.
Because the relationship between Tokoyogi Aya and Yotsuba Mahiro had grown closer, perhaps this meant the Witch of the Notaria would fully align herself with Yotsuba Mahiro's faction.
If even the Witch of the Notaria had fallen, how far behind could the Witch of the Void be?
Forcing down the panic rising in her heart, she hastily fled the library, intending to return to the Lion King Organization to discuss the matter with the others.
"Ah, the shy Hinado is so adorable. By the way, just which couple would do such a thing in a library? How bold."