Translator: Ranzan

  Editor: ryunakama

  『Today and this morning, there was something that Adano was after but it’s been rejected.』


  After Taiyou arrived on the roof after flying, in Youran’s room.

  She was video chatting along with one of her operatives.

  It used the whole wall, and it was like systems that would project your chatting partner to human size, however, because the person Youran was talking with was an underling and not Leticia, she didn’t need to use the hotline and the connection was bad.

  Even from that scratchy display, you could see that the girl Youran was talking to was scared.

  Youran had her hair down in Shingetsu no Kami mode as she talked to the operative.

  「Did you find out who the attackers are?」


  『From the remains, it’s thought that it is Sakura.』


  「Do you know for sure?」


  『Yes, we have proof of it.』


  「I see, how ostentatious of her.」


  『What was that?』


  「Nothing. I’ll take care of this. Don’t give any other orders other than to increase the guards, just in case.」


  『It will be done.』


  The girl on the other side of the chat bowed deeply.

  After hearing other various reports, Youran cut the video chat.

  She returned to being alone in her room.

  「There’s no way she can go on like this, Sakura’s not that much of a fool. She won’t plans within plans or do something so tedious. That means simply someone faking it.」


  Youran held her chin and spoke in a tone between her own and Shingetsu no Kami.

  She also had the habit now of forming her thoughts as she spoke.

  「If that’s what she’s doing, than it’s a question of who. Adano wouldn’t fake that it’s Sakura, so it’s got to be someone that’s trying to make it look like Sakura.」


  She whispered as she tried to form in her head who would have done this.

  Sakura was Sakura, and she had her place in Juunishima.

  Since she was the child of a concubine she had no succession rights, but she was still the true daughter of her father.

  Because she had that connection to her position, there was reason for her to have a grudge.

  「I must do something.」


  Youran whispered again, and though of a plan.

  Just as she was coming up with something, there was a knock knock on the door.

  Two knocks, so it wasn’t Taiyou or Kohaku, she thought as she answered.

  「Who is it?」


  「Kotone.」


  「Come in.」


  Youran said as the door opened and Kotone appeared with a tray and teacups.

  She walked in the room, and put them on the table before Youran.

  「I made some tea, please.」


  「Thank you.」


  Youran said her thanks in a voice softer than her previous one.

  Anyone would have to say that if they knew Kotone, she was easy to startle.

  Youran had never been a girl to speak so softly before knowing Kotone.

  When she was Shingetsu no Kami, of course, was just an act from the girl who usually had twintails.

  Only when she was with her friend Leticia was she able to be herself.

  Being relaxed like this was the calm Youran that had been born just recently.

  Mainly it was with the other wives that she showed this manner.

  「What were you doing?」


  「Hm, oh, talking to one my my operatives.」


  「Is that so?」


  「About Adano.」


  「Oh, how is Pochi doing?」


  「Fine, something came up though she said she wanted to see Kohaku again when she was, so I was giving her something to do that would keep her busy.」


  「Well, you shouldn’t be too harsh…」


  「Sorry, I’m harsh on my own family.」


  「What? But…」


  「I won’t treat you like that.」


  「Okay…」


  Kotone acted like she understood but didn’t.

  「That reminds me, this is the first time you all…I mean, you have spoken to someone alone, right?」


  Though Taiyou didn’t notice it, Youran used the word alone purposefully.

  Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane accepted all three of them being referred to as one, but Youran used it to distinguish the three of them from one of them.

  As she was now.

  Kotone didn’t seemed bothered by it either, but in the same way had a face that said 「Now that you mention it…」


  「Well, I really haven’t had a chance to be alone recently. Ah, but, maybe I’ll have more later.」


  「Hm? Why do you say that?」


  「Well, that’s still a secret from Taiyou.」


  Kotone put her finger to her lips and smiled mischievously.

  「Lately, we’ve been pretty comfortable being alone.」


  「Hm…hm? Sorry, could you be a little easier to understand? You were fine about it before.」


  「Well, I mean, all of us… have evolved a bit, I guess.」


  Kotone said with a smile.

  Not discouraged by Youran’s voice, her calm smile seemed to show.

  「Evolved?」


  「Until we met Taiyou, our connection allowed us to feel what each other was feeling.」


  「I heard that. So, just like when you were a kid, you’re able to speak with telepathy.」


  Youran said with a sip from the teacup.

  Like usual, the tea Kotone had made was very good.

  「No, we’ve evolved even past that.」


  「Wha?」


  Her hand on the tea stopped.

  Evolving from telepathy, Youran was surprised, and yet interested.

  「Before we felt it…almost like a phone being picked up, the connection that I had with Suzune and Kazane, but now it feels like we’re always connected.」


  「Hmmm…」


  「I can see and hear what Suzune and Kazane are seeing and hearing. Um, it’s like seeing an image with a new eye.」


  Kotone said as she knocked on her head just above the ear with her fist.

  「It’s just like seeing with a regular eye.」


  「If you all stand side to side, can you get a 360 view?」


  「Yes, we tried it. It was kind of funny.」


  「…that’s amazing.」


  Youran said with a laugh.

  Not trying to cover for anything, but actually envious of Kotone being able to do that.

  「Amazing?」


  「Yes, he’s weird, but you three are weird too. Why, how can you do something like that?」


  「It’s normal right? I mean, we’re triplets…from one soul.」


  「A genius or the main character from a fairy tale might call that 『normal.』 Like hitting a ball over the plate.」


  「Ah.」


  「It’s amazing.」


  「But, we think it’s because of Taiyou. Since he sees us as one, and treats us like that, I think we’ve become like this.」


  「That makes him pretty amazing too, even with as much as I know about you, I can’t just treat you all as one person.」


  「Yes, that’s all, we’re just thankful.」


  「Good.」


  「Oh, we hope you are too.」


  「…what?」


  Youran suddenly made a pained face.

  But something inside of her felt warm.

  Good—we hope you are too.

  That exchange made her heart feel warm.

  「Oh, Taiyou-chan.」


  「Hm?」


  Kotone looked to her side and whispered.

  Youran was surprised, and looked there.

  But there was no Taiyou. Youran remembered the exchange and asked.

  「He’s in the other room?」


  「Yes.」


  Taiyou had entered Suzune and Kazane’s room.

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