"Brother..."
From his hiding place in a secluded corner, Hizashi Hyuga watched the boy disappear around the bend. Having heard their entire conversation, he slowly stepped out and murmured to himself.
So, it was an apology.
Not a request.
And now, he understood.
His brother's ninety-degree bow had not been a request to the Assistant Agent, as he had imagined. It had been an apology to Yukina.
And their father had spared Yukina from punishment and allowed her freedom for this very reason.
But after that realization, his teeth clenched slightly.
He had heard every word of their conversation, including Chiba's analysis of their father.
And deep down, he felt that if it had been their father, he truly would have done such things.
For a man who could carve the Caged Bird Seal into his own biological son without hesitation, a mark like a prison, using his younger brother's daughter to make her bear everyone's resentment and ultimately preserve the Hyuga Clan's stability was hardly surprising.
Moreover, the Assistant Agent's deductions matched their father's final words to him.
At that moment, everything became clear to Hizashi Hyuga.
This must have dealt Brother a devastating blow! He had already reached the door and secretly peered inside. His brother stood motionless before the Spirit Tablets, staring at one of them with his brows tightly furrowed.
Though his expression remained calm, Hizashi could not help worrying.
He held no feelings for his father, the man who had branded him with the Caged Bird Seal. But this brother of his, who had protected him since childhood and had even yielded to him the chance to study under the strongest member of the clan, was one of only two family members he considered dear.
Ever since childhood, his brother had deeply admired their father.