She curled up her little hands.
She did not even have the courage to point at that demon.
Just seeing Su Youzi's crimson eyes and upturned lips—
The girl seemed to recall how, after transforming into the Anomaly: Nightmare Singer, she had been pinned down by Su Youzi, her wrists held in both hands.
And how that demon had smiled and said, "I'm going to dig in."
Even her toes had curled beneath the covers.
Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi trembled so badly she could barely keep her lips together. Her pitiful eyes darted between Soga Ishikawa Irube and Su Youzi, who wore a demonic smile.
Was this really her biological father?
Was this really her biological father?
Give me back all the touching feelings I had before!!!
In front of Su Youzi, Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi trembled and... did not even dare struggle.
"Huh?"
"Is that so?" Su Youzi watched Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi, who was clearly dumbfounded and looked like a little kitten about to be bullied into tears, with an intrigued expression.
She knew—
That was, of course, impossible.
The arrogance the girl had displayed yesterday had not been faked.
And when she had come to apologize last night, her floods of tears had certainly not been merely because she felt wronged.
Otherwise... in the dream,
she would not have been bullied until she was like a cat that had cried itself hoarse.
Her feelings toward Su Youzi were definitely not as Soga Ishikawa Irube had claimed.
She had not deliberately jumped in front of Su Youzi to seek attention simply because she admired her.
But—
Su Youzi looked at the way Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi stared at her as though she had seen a ghost.
She knew very well... the girl definitely remembered last night's dream clearly.
She absolutely remembered every detail of how Su Youzi had rescued her from the Abyssal Anomaly, as well as what had happened afterward.
In that case... wasn't this interesting?
Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi curled up her little hands, looking utterly miserable, as though she wanted to cry but had no tears left.
"Help..."
"Save me..."
"Get me away from this demon."
Just seeing Su Youzi made Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi feel as though she could not even stand.
"Please—"
"Be a father!!!" She looked at Soga Ishikawa Irube pleadingly. All the arrogance and swagger she had shown yesterday had vanished, leaving only a pitiful expression.
"I'll be very obedient from now on."
Soga Ishikawa Irube looked at Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi and gradually became more convinced that there was nothing wrong with this.
He did not know how frightened Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi had been yesterday morning.
Nor did he know that the girl had waited outside the dormitory until late at night to see Su Youzi because she wanted to get revenge on him.
In Soga Ishikawa Irube's eyes, if his pampered little princess had not truly been obsessed with something, how could she have put herself through so much suffering just to apologize?
"This..."
Could the nonsense he had spouted really have hit the mark?
Could it be that the tricks in those novels his wife read had actually been learned by Little Kiyomi?
That was really foolish of her.
In Soga Ishikawa Irube's view, if you liked something, you should work hard to obtain it.
That kind of scheme would not win anyone's heart.
But... he looked at the sincere gaze Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi directed at him.
Soga Ishikawa Irube had never seen his rebellious daughter look so sincere.
Now he was suddenly in a bit of a bind.
In terms of status, Little Kiyomi would lose nothing by clinging to Miss Youzi.
As for strength... although everyone said that Miss Youzi had brought shame upon the Soga Family,
Soga Ishikawa Irube had seen Su Youzi's grades in Mixed Martial Arts class and several other practical courses, so he understood.
Even with physical skills alone, the girl's future would certainly be boundless.
The poor relied on mutation.
The little miss of the Soga Main Family could accomplish the same things as a Physical Enhancement Ability User with the support of the Technology Department.
Moreover... the Soga Family's foundation was not limited to the Technology Department.
Her future would certainly be bright.
As for the fact that they were both girls, the Technology Department was so advanced nowadays—who cared about that?
The only problems were whether Miss Youzi would take a liking to his pampered daughter, and... what Young Lady Toyura thought.
But—
Since this was what Little Kiyomi wanted!
Under Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi's tearful, pleading gaze, Soga Ishikawa Irube put on an expression that said he understood everything.
Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi felt as though she had seen the light of heaven.
It was enough that Dad understood.
Hurry up and find an excuse to take this demon away.
No... Taking her along and getting out of here would work too.
Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi would rather go to the Fourth Action Department for questioning than watch this demon smile at her.
"Of course!" Soga Ishikawa Irube thumped his chest. "Little Kiyomi really likes Miss Youzi."
"Just look at Little Kiyomi's name."
"Kiyomi Tachibana."
"This is all fate."
Soga Ishikawa Irube comforted Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi with his eyes, his gaze filled with a fatherly love as massive as a landslide.
"Don't worry—"
"Daddy will always support you!"
In fact, he had never thought of Youzi or Kiyomi back then.
It was only because his wife and the Main Family's Madam had gotten along fairly well that he had muddleheadedly given the girl the name Kiyomi.
Boom, boom, boom—!
The sky outside was bright and sunny, yet a layer of gloom covered the girl's vacant crimson eyes.
She trembled as she tried to bite her lower lip.
But in front of Su Youzi, Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi was so weak that she seemed unable even to bite down on her lips.
Seeing how pitiful Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi looked, Su Youzi smiled happily.
Although she was not crying prettily enough to make flowers lose their color,
this scene of her silently shedding clear tears from the corners of her eyes, as though she had been played with until she broke, was far more lovable than that of some arrogant Young Lady.
[Beep—] [Detecting a recruitable operator.] [Recruit this operator?] [...]
Hearing the familiar intelligent machine female voice's prompt, Su Youzi hesitated instead.
Although she had bullied the girl thoroughly in the dream,
a contract...
Su Youzi truly felt that it was something she had to consider carefully.
Because... Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi hated her.
Watching Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi cry her eyes out, Soga Ishikawa Irube suddenly wondered whether he had misunderstood what his daughter meant.
He was just about to speak.
"Uncle Iribe, could you close the door?" Su Youzi turned to Soga Ishikawa Irube.
"I want to ask Sister Kiyomi a few questions."
"Sure!"
As Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi looked on pitifully, as if to say, This is unbelievable. Are you my father or hers? Soga Ishikawa Irube cheerfully closed the door.
Compared to the Fourth Action Department,
what could the little miss of the Main Family do to Little Kiyomi out in the open?
Miss Youzi was not Young Lady Toyura, who could directly crush a person's spirit.
Miss Youzi's ability was only a "Telekinetic Ability."
Thud—!
The room was suddenly left with only Su Youzi and Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi.
The sunlight was clearly so warm, yet the girl felt that even the air had turned icy.
Without even straightening her hospital gown, the girl immediately knelt and curled into a ball in front of Su Youzi as she apologized.
Although... Su Youzi could not help feeling that for an apology in this position,
it would be more sincere if the clothes were folded neatly and placed to the side.
Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi watched helplessly as Su Youzi sat down beside her bed.
The girl sitting sideways in the sunlight was truly beautiful.
She looked like an angel.
But... in Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi's eyes, Su Youzi was a girl sitting atop a black Thorn Throne, looking down at her with a face full of innocent delight.
When her Mental Domain had forcibly tried to squeeze in from that terrifying throne and descend,
it had already branded her with an indelible mark of domination.
"I'm sorry... Miss Youzi..." she whimpered tremulously.
She knew she was wrong.
She really knew she was wrong!!!
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