A Maybach?
Haru's gaze toward the black luxury sedan carried a hint of surprise. A car of this price showing up here was rare enough. Thinking that, he turned abruptly toward the girl beside him.
Judging from the look of things, this was hardly a coincidence.
"…"
Togawa Sakiko, whose face had just been shining with a sweet smile, suddenly furrowed her brows. Her eyes, filled with unusual seriousness, fixed on the car. The hand that had been tightly interlocked with Haru's trembled faintly, like a startled butterfly fluttering in his palm.
Of course she could not mistake it.
As the eldest daughter of the Togawa family, and the only designated heir of the clan head, she had seen this sedan more than once in her memory. No matter how much she wished to bury it in the past, it could never be erased.
This car was unmistakably her family's.
"Why… at this time?"
Her rosy lips paled as her teeth bit down lightly. Her voice carried a stifled weight that words could not quite hold.
Since the day she stormed out of the Togawa household in anger, Sakiko had devoted herself entirely to her work. After that, she met Haru. Once she fell in love with him, she cast aside all thoughts of her family.
After their feelings for each other blossomed and they became inseparable lovers, she had felt a happiness she had never known. The titles of "heiress" and "daughter of a distinguished family" had grown hollow, so flimsy they were not even worth mentioning.
All that Sakiko wanted now was to stand at his side.
"…But why now?"
She bit down again, an ominous premonition stirring inside her.
The daughter of a great family, fleeing her home and drifting outside, only to meet an ordinary boy and fall in love. Then, discovered by her family, dragged back, and cruelly forced apart from her beloved.
Wasn't this the kind of story TV dramas always told?
Until now, the Togawa family had let her do as she pleased because she meant little to them, allowing her tantrums to play out in peace. But if they had discovered she had given her heart to someone else, did they now intend to drag her home by force?
"No way, not something like that!!"
His girlfriend beside him, as if she had just imagined some Shakespearean tragedy, suddenly shouted something strange and incoherent. Haru, who had been calm and collected a moment ago, blinked in confusion. Still, from her trembling fingers, he could feel the panic coursing through her.
"Don't worry, I'm here."
Haru gripped her hand firmly. His voice, light as a feather, carried the weight of conviction.
The warmth of ten interlocked fingers pulsed deep into the heart. Sakiko's eyes shimmered with a soft glow. She clutched his hand tightly in return, and the nervousness in her gaze gave way to a growing tide of determination.
Yes, there was nothing for her to fear.
Sakiko only set aside her pride before the one she loved most. If her family truly meant to force her to leave Haru, then she would commit the truest rebellion.
"…"
As their steps grew steadier, the black luxury car by the roadside slowly lowered its window.
Inside sat an old man in a black suit patterned with golden lines.
His silver-white hair was combed neatly into place. A malachite brooch gleamed coldly on his lapel. His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, cut like a surgeon's scalpel, grazing first over their clasped hands before settling on Haru's face.
That piercing gaze bore a faint resemblance to Sakiko's own.
Her lips trembled as she whispered unconsciously,
"Grandfather…"
The dignified elder within the car was none other than Togawa Sadaharu, the true patriarch of the Togawa family, and Sakiko's maternal grandfather, bound to her by blood.
"Get in. We should talk."
Arms folded, Togawa Sadaharu's calm gaze lingered on them. His eyes passed briefly over Sakiko, then fixed firmly on Haru.
At this distance, the two men locked eyes for a long moment.
Sensing something, Sakiko tightened her hold on Haru's hand, her slender fingers tense with force. The elder's wrinkled eyes twitched ever so slightly, his expression tinged with something complicated.
His familiar, commanding presence made Sakiko knit her brows, but before she could protest, Haru gave her fingers a light squeeze. Meeting the patriarch's gaze without flinching, Haru replied, calm and composed,
"Then, if you'll have us."
…
In the blink of an eye, the black sedan had carried them into a sprawling estate.
The Togawa residence was even more extravagant than the Wakaba family mansion Haru had once visited. Even within the grounds, the car drove for some time before finally arriving at the grand house. The sheer scale of the garden alone was staggering.
Though she was returning to her own home, Sakiko remained taut with nerves.
Her left hand clutched Haru's right hand with iron resolve, as though prepared to never let go, even in death. From time to time, she cast wary glances at her grandfather. Her stern vigilance only eased Haru's mood instead of tightening it.
"Welcome home, my lady."
A maid reached out, attempting to take the blue octopus plush from Sakiko. She gently refused with a furrowed brow. Togawa Sadaharu made no remark, simply leading them to the grandest reception hall.
Warm light spilled across the girl's sky-blue hair, scattering in glittering flecks of gold. Sitting on the sofa, Sakiko lifted a cup of tea in one hand as though cradling a forgotten dream.
"That's Sakiko's favorite tea. Try it."
Togawa Sadaharu gestured lightly toward Haru. His tone was nothing like the forceful attitude one might expect, and Haru, maintaining his calm, sensed something beneath the surface. His eyes flickered faintly.
"Thank you very much."
He raised the ornate, carved teacup and took a sip. The soft sweetness flowed into his throat, followed by a faint bitterness, like the hardships and setbacks one encountered on life's journey, only to be enveloped in rich, mellow flavor.
Haru's eyes widened slightly. It was indeed exceptional.
Sakiko, cradling her teacup, could no longer keep her patience. She slowly set the untouched tea back on the table and sat upright, her amber eyes lifting with solemnity.
"Grandfather, what do you want to talk to us about?"
"I only wish to speak about your future."
The sternness in Togawa Sadaharu's expression softened at last. Under Haru's steady gaze, he finally spoke. "I already know about your situation, your relationship with Sakiko, and also about the Wakaba family."
Haru was not surprised.
As the true authority within the Togawa family, Sadaharu would never have met him without first conducting a thorough investigation. Everything Mori Minami had once uncovered, Sadaharu could as well, and anything she could not, he would still find out.
That surely included the fact that Wakaba Mutsumi's fiancé was Haru, and that the painter "Yuuka" was none other than Haru himself. All of this could be learned from asking Minami. For Togawa Sadaharu, it was the work of an instant.
Haru lowered his eyes in thought for a moment before speaking with quiet meaning.
"Are you intending to bring Sakiko back into the Togawa family?"
The girl beside him widened her eyes in alarm. Her emotions nearly burst out, but Haru pressed her hand gently, steadying her. With effort, she drew back, hiding herself against him obediently.
Sadaharu saw it all. He closed his eyes calmly and said, "Yes, that is my intent. Sakiko is without question the Togawa family's sole heir. Sooner or later, she must return to the family."
"In that, I agree."
Haru nodded lightly. He did not deny it.
With his strength, he could easily persuade the old man, freeing Sakiko from all ties. But that would only be necessary if the family meant to truly imprison her. From his perspective, that was not the case.
After all, Sakiko was the family's only heir.
If Sadaharu were truly the kind of tyrant who ignored her wishes, he would never have allowed her to play at being the "heiress in a band," nor permitted her to run away from home in the first place.
"Then your meaning is… you wish to speak about my relationship with Sakiko? Or are you intending to demand that I leave her?"
Haru's careful probe at last made Sakiko unable to restrain herself. She furrowed her delicate brows, her face set with solemn resolve. "If that's really what you mean, I will never accept it!"
"You misunderstand me."
Sadaharu's reply was calm and low. He fixed his gaze on Sakiko, staring for several seconds before continuing.
"I have no intention of stopping you two from being together."
"Your ability exceeds what I expected. You are worthy to be Sakiko's husband in the future."
Hearing this, Sakiko finally let out a breath. Her greatest fear had been just that. If her grandfather had opposed their relationship with all his power, she would have had no choice but to resist him in the most extreme way.
Haru was not surprised. He knew it would not be that simple.
Sadaharu had blocked their path and personally brought them here. There was no way it would end so easily.
"So you mean to have me marry into the Togawa family?"
Haru's thoughtful words instantly made Sakiko tense again. She looked nervously at her rigid, domineering grandfather. Yet, to her surprise, his face remained calm.
"If I spoke only as the head of the Togawa family, then yes, I would wish for you to join us. But I know you would never accept that. So I abandoned the idea."
"As long as you understand."
A strange glimmer passed through Haru's eyes as he looked at the elder with deeper thought.
So, Sadaharu was not speaking purely as the Togawa patriarch, but as Sakiko's grandfather.
"I already said, I approve of your marriage and your future. Just as the Wakaba family once agreed with you, I will not interfere with Sakiko's daily life."
Then Sadaharu lifted his head, his sharp gaze belying his age as it locked with Haru's.
"However, I have a few conditions."
Conditions?
On the sofa, Sakiko's heart jumped again. The constant back-and-forth had her reeling, but she knew she could not be the burden that dragged Haru down. She steadied herself, watching firmly ahead.
Sadaharu opened his clouded yet commanding eyes and locked them on Haru's. The two men stared for five long seconds, longer than even a Stand power like "The World" could last, before the elder finally spoke.
He had investigated this boy thoroughly.
By any measure, Haru was capable, courageous, and loved Sakiko with all his heart. He bore a responsibility few others could. It was no wonder the Wakaba family had agreed to what once seemed a reckless proposal.
Because the truth was, he was worthy.
"My conditions will seem simple to you, and will not trouble you."
"First, Sakiko is the sole heir of the Togawa family. In the future, she must stand as the head of the Togawa clan. So, though she marries you, she cannot change the Togawa name. Of course, what you call each other in private is of no consequence."
"That is my first condition."
At this, Haru nodded slightly. He did not mind. Placing himself in the old man's position, he could easily understand. If the Togawa clan leader bore an outside surname, it would indeed be… delicate.
"No problem."
Haru's firm reply drew a nod from Sadaharu. Then the old man raised a second finger. "The second condition is that you cannot have only one child."
"Grandfather?!"
Sakiko, who had been listening with full attention, instantly flushed crimson. The solemn atmosphere flipped in a heartbeat, leaving her embarrassed and speechless.
Sadaharu only cast her a puzzled glance before explaining slowly.
"The Togawa family must have a successor. Among your children, at least one must bear the Togawa name. Beyond that, I will not interfere in how you raise them. That will be up to you as husband and wife."
"H-husband and wife?!"
Just this morning, they had been only "lovers." By afternoon, she was being spoken of as his "wife." For the pure-hearted Sakiko, it was far too much. Her face burned like an iron furnace.
Haru could not help but laugh at the sight of her dazed eyes spinning in circles. He answered with a light chuckle.
"No problem."
The conditions Sadaharu had laid out were simple, identical to the "terms" Sakiko herself had once imagined. Even if the old man had not asked, Haru already intended to have more than one child.
"Next comes my third condition, which is also my last."
"Sakiko must be your main wife in the future."
Haru was momentarily taken aback. In Sakiko's earlier simulation, Togawa Sadaharu had not raised a third condition. Was that because, in her pure love route, such a stipulation wasn't necessary? But reality was not the same as the simulation.
Main wife?
Perhaps in a grand family like the Togawas, taking multiple wives in private was not unusual. Yet the status of the main wife held particular weight, for she could take part in major family decisions and stood above the rest with a special authority.
But Haru had always treated all the women by his side equally. Whatever their wishes, as a husband, he bore the responsibility never to show favoritism. That was the vow he had once made.
"Haa—"
"I don't agree!!!"
Just as Haru drew a deep breath to answer, Sakiko cut in before him. Her eyes widened, fierce and unyielding, her voice rising in outright defiance.
"Sakiko?"
Her grandfather was clearly startled by her refusal.
"From the moment Haru and I shared our feelings, I decided. I would rely on my own strength to stand openly at his side. I would gladly accept that he shares his love with others, and I would earn my special place through my own will...
I don't want it handed to me!"
No matter what intentions her grandfather had when he set such a condition, no matter how much joy that title of main wife might bring her, she would not accept it.
Because she had her pride.
"…Is that so?"
Sadaharu lowered his aged head in silence. He did not crush her protest with authority, but looked at her with eyes full of complexity, as though seeing once again that foolish daughter of his from years ago.
The old man let out a long, weary sigh, a sound burdened with the helplessness of age.
"Very well. If that is how you feel, so be it."
Sakiko had not expected her domineering grandfather to yield. For a moment, she floundered, glancing around in confusion. When at last her amber eyes turned to her "husband," Haru only gave her a faint, gentle smile.
Sakiko, you really have changed, haven't you?
His gaze softened as he lightly took her hand. Their slender, pale fingers entwined like the keys of a piano, and in an instant her heart steadied. Realizing what she was doing, she sat back down, her cheeks burning with shyness.
"It's already very late. You can't return home tonight, can you?"
"Then stay here for the night."
Eh?!
S-stay here?
For a moment, Sakiko forgot that this was her home to begin with. She had indeed returned to the Togawa family, once again a rightful Togawa daughter. And yet, the thought still made her nervous, her bright eyes darting away in unease.
Come to think of it...
Wasn't she already a wife to Haru now?