Fuuto at night resembled a piece of black velvet soaked through by rain.
A black Rolls-Royce Phantom glided soundlessly along the slick road.
The car eventually stopped before a Gothic-style manor. Ivy sprawled across the wrought-iron gates, resembling tangled black veins beneath the dim lights.
An elderly butler in a tailcoat, his hair meticulously combed, held a black long-handled umbrella as he waited beside the car door.
Zhang Qi pushed open the door, and the rain was kept beyond the umbrella.
The air carried the mingled scent of damp earth and rain-soaked roses—chilly, with a faintly rotten sweetness.
"Mr. Zhang Qi, the master and young ladies have been waiting for quite some time."
The old butler led him down the driveway paved with black gravel, its surface glistening with an oily sheen in the rain.
The living room was brightly lit, and the enormous crystal chandelier cast a warm yet faintly distant glow.
Sonozaki Wakana and Sonozaki Saeko were sitting on the sofa.
Wakana wore a pink house dress and held a pillow printed with "Fuuto-kun," listlessly pressing the TV remote.
Saeko, meanwhile, wore a crisp office-lady suit, black stockings stretched taut beneath her skirt. She held a glass of red wine, gently swirling it as she watched the curtain of rain outside.
Hearing the footsteps, both women turned around at once.
Zhang Qi smiled and took an exquisite paper bag from the servant. "Gifts for you two."
Wakana's eyes lit up. She jumped off the sofa and took one of the boxes.
She tore open the wrapping in a few quick motions. Inside was a custom Van Cleef & Arpels pendant in the shape of a four-leaf clover, with a tiny gemstone representing a musical note set in the middle.
"Wow! Thanks, brother-in-law!"
She called out sweetly and, without