In the early morning, gentle sunlight filtered through the Sōgo Shihoin drawn curtains, softly caressing Sōgo Shihoin's cheeks, giving Sōgo Shihoin a warm, ticklish feeling.
"Um..."
Sōgo Shihoin stretched gently and slowly opened his tired eyes. His azure eyes easily peered through the eye patch binding his eyes, clearly seeing the whole world.
Then... then... he saw the blonde little girl lying beside him, her clothes slightly disheveled.
"What?!"
Sōgo Shihoin stared wide-eyed at the little girl beside him. Someone tell him, what the hell is going on?!
"Um..."
Perhaps Sōgo's reaction was a bit too much, disturbing the sleeping blonde little girl. She groaned softly, sat up from beside Sōgo, stretched slowly, and noticed that Sōgo Shihoin was already awake beside her.
"Good morning darling."
The blonde little girl flashed her cute fangs and greeted Sōgo Shihoin warmly.
"I'm not good, and... young lady, please have some self-respect. Perhaps you don't quite understand when or who the word 'darling' is used to describe, but please understand, these three words 'darling' are definitely not used to describe me."
"What are you saying?! Darling..."
A hint of shyness flashed across the little girl's face, her cheeks flushed red like a half-ripe apple, a youthful innocence tinged with a shy blush.
"Young lady, watch your words. Don't speak unclearly; it's not good for you, and it's even worse for me."
Sōgo Shihoin stood leaning against the corner of the wall, his face pale and his forehead covered in sweat. In short... he chickened out! The invincible Sōgo Shihoin chickened out!
"Luckily, there was no one else around, otherwise I would have ruined my reputation..."
Sōgo Shihoin took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the beads of sweat that kept pouring from his forehead. He slowly breathed a sigh of relief. He needed to resolve everything before things escalated, to avoid any slip-ups that could lead to bigger trouble.
" Sōgo, I never expected you to be this kind of person. Are you planning to deny it to the death?"
"So be it. I'm yours now. I'll do whatever you say and I'll never be a burden to you. Even if you make me hide for the rest of my life, never getting any official status and only being a concubine, I'll accept it."
The blonde little girl was crying her eyes out, her words so moving, as if she and Sōgo truly shared a legendary, unforgettable love story... Bullshit!
"Wait, wait..."
What nonsense are you spouting?
"What do you mean by 'no official status' and 'being a mistress for life'... Who taught you all that?"
"Go to the bathroom right now, wash your face, and clear your head. Then, explain everything clearly, from beginning to end!"
Sōgo Shihoin spoke seriously and earnestly to the blonde little girl in front of him.
"Me...?"
The little girl looked at Sōgo Shihoin with a hesitant and awkward expression.
"Clatter~"
" Sōgo, you actually sneaked back to Soul Society behind my back..."
Just as Sōgo Shihoin and the little girl were sitting face to face, quietly waiting for the little girl to explain, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open. A woman with short, neat hair, a beautiful face, and a heroic demeanor walked in and happened to see the two people in the room with their underwear and clothes disheveled.
" Sōgo, I never expected you to be this kind of person. I misjudged you."
Looking at everything before her, Hōshō Ryo instantly understood. Sōgo had left her behind her back to have an affair with another woman. What was most infuriating was that Sōgo actually liked that type of woman. No matter how you looked at it, she was clearly still a child under fifty! What a beast!
With tears in her Hōshō Ryo left the room, choosing to let Sōgo have his way... The highest form of love is to let that person have their way.
"Oh my god!"
Sōgo Shihoin Hōshō Ryo was devastated as he watched Hōshō Rin leave, tears streaming down her face.
"Bee, my bee, Xiaofeng, Sister Bee, wait a minute..."
"Let me explain..."
Sōgo Shihoin followed Hōshō Ryo's footsteps, running out of the room and jogging all the way.
"Don't explain..."
"There's nothing to explain."
"I trust my eyes more than your explanation."
Hōshō Ryo Chestnut used Shunpo, transforming into a black shadow and disappearing into the Shihoin Family.
"Calm!"
" Little Fon, listen to me..."
"You must believe me, this is all an illusion..."
"Actually, to tell you the truth, Little Fon, you've fallen for Kyōka Suigetsu!"
"It's all Aizen's doing. He's trying to drive a wedge between us..."
Sōgo Shihoin followed closely behind Hōshō Ryo, struggling to explain everything before him. In the end, he had no choice but to shift the blame entirely to Sōsuke Aizen, who was in Hueco Mundo.
" Lord Sōgo is right!"
Hiding in the bushes, secretly protecting Sōgo Shihoin's safety, Tsunayashiro Tokinada exclaimed that he was an expert and secretly gave Sōgo Shihoin a thumbs up. He knew that all of this was Sōsuke Aizen's doing.
Meanwhile, far away in Hueco Mundo Sōsuke Aizen was sneezing repeatedly. "Ugh... I've been hiding in Hueco Mundo, and now I'm being blamed?"
" Kyōka Suigetsu?!"
Upon hearing Sōgo's words, Hōshō Ryo immediately stopped in her tracks. She turned around and looked at Sōgo Shihoin, feeling a slight sense of dread. She had no idea when she had fallen into this Kyōka Suigetsu; Sōsuke Aizen was terrifying indeed!
" Little Fon, you've finally stopped to listen to my explanation of the 'false'. Actually... this is what happened..."
Sōgo Shihoin made no attempt to hide anything from Hōshō Ryo, revealing the whole truth.
"You mean, that child was in your room first thing this morning?"
Hōshō Ryo frowned slightly, looking at Sōgo Shihoin with a somewhat suspicious gaze.
" Little Fon, you have to believe me!"
Sōgo Shihoin, fearing that Hōshō Ryo would suspect him, repeatedly said...
"I'm not doubting you, I'm doubting the child. Perhaps the truth isn't so simple... Anyway, let's find the child first and find out her background..."
Hōshō Ryo rubbed her temples vigorously as she explained to Sōgo Shihoin. At the same time, she had a bad feeling. If her premonition was correct, a huge conspiracy that would sweep across the entire Soul Society was about to unfold... and Sōgo was already at the center of this conspiracy and could hardly get out.
Half an hour later, the little girl, forced to get dressed, trembled with fear as Sōgo Shihoin was giving her an interrogation. At that moment, the blonde little girl finally understood what it meant to be pitiful, weak, and Mujō...
Are you scared?
"Panic?"
"Why didn't you do this sooner?"
"I advise you to think twice and tell me the truth right now!"
Sōgo Shihoin spoke menacingly and fiercely to the little girl.
"I, I..."
The little girl's eyes were brimming with tears, and she was about to cry as she spoke.
"You stay out of here..."
Just as the little girl was about to cry, Sōgo Shihoin Sougo was pushed away by Hōshō Ryo, Hōshō Ryo then sat down opposite the little girl, holding her hand with eyes full of tenderness.
"Tell your sister what happened, and she'll stand up for you."
Hōshō Ryo gently patted the little girl's head and spoke softly.
"Mother!"
The little girl felt the maternal warmth emanating from Hōshō Ryo, her eyes reddening slightly, and she cried as she threw herself into Hōshō Ryo's arms.
"Mother?!"
" Little Fon, you've already raised my child this big?!"
Sōgo looked astonished. He wondered if he had misheard. He felt he might also be under the influence of illusion, and that none of this was real!
" Sōgo, let me explain!"
"This child really has nothing to do with me..."
Hōshō Ryo was utterly panicked. What was going on? How did she suddenly end up with such a big child?!
" Sōgo, it's Kyōka Suigetsu! This must all be Kyōka Suigetsu!"
Hōshō Ryo tugged at Sōgo's sleeve and explained.
"Sister, you're just like my mother."
Just as Hōshō Ryo was explaining to Sōgo Shihoin, the blonde little girl finally blurted out the rest of her words...
"..."
Sōgo was speechless after hearing what the blonde little girl said.
"..."
Hōshō Ryo was equally at a loss for words, but inwardly she roared with anger. She hated people who would only say half of what they meant and then gasp for breath. Did she know how many misunderstandings were caused by that?!
"Now, you can tell us what happened properly, right?!"
Hōshō Ryo forced a smile and spoke as gently as possible to the blonde little girl in their arms.
"Hmm!" The little girl nodded gently. "The thing is... there's been some trouble in my family, and I desperately need someone to protect me. My retainer told me..."
"Wait a minute," Sōgo Shihoin interrupted the little girl. "Didn't anyone tell you that when introducing yourself to others, you should start with your name?!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, my rudeness."
After hearing what Sōgo Shihoin, a look of realization flashed across the little girl's face. She gently bowed to Sōgo Shihoin to express her apology.
"Let me introduce myself. I... my name is Rurichiyo Kasumioji! I am the current heir of the Kasumioji Clan!"
The blonde little girl introduced her background with a proud tone, clearly showing her pride in her family, the Kasumioji Clan!
" The Kasumioji Clan?!"
Upon hearing the little girl's surname, Sōgo Shihoin suddenly remembered something...
An image of a middle-aged man with a small mustache and a sleazy appearance appeared in his mind... the head of the Kasumioji Clan, who claimed to be the number one family below the Five Great Noble Clans and even planned to covet the positions of the Five Great Noble Clans.
Sōgo Shihoin still remembered that he had some grudges with the head of the Kasumioji Clan 'Kuchiki Clan Byakuya Kuchiki -age ceremony. He had deliberately insulted the other party and embarrassed him.
It now seems that the other party sending their own daughter to frame him was premeditated!
This is what they call, "You embarrassed me, so I'll make you my son." It's incredibly insidious and terrifying!
" The Kasumioji Clan... this is truly unexpected."
"As the heir to the Kasumioji Clan, someone who has almost reached the pinnacle of power in Soul Society, why would you submit to a man you've never even met?!"
With a questioning look, Hōshō Ryo looked at the girl in front of her. After learning that the girl was the heir of the Kasumioji Clan, Hōshō Ryo could no longer treat the girl as an ordinary girl. Given the girl's status, if not handled properly, it would be a major news story that would shake the entire Soul Society...
The thought of the Soul Society's headline the next day—"Shocking! Sougo Hōshō Ryo, head of the Sōgo Shihoin Family, is worse than a beast, actually attacking the head of the emerging noble Kasumioji Clan, a clan leader under fifty? Is this a distortion of humanity or a moral decay?! And does it foreshadow some kind of signal? Is the powerful alliance between the old and new nobles a blessing or a curse for Soul Society? Please tune in to the 'Into Soul Society' segment, the 'Theological Evening News'..." sent chills down her spine. She vowed that, even for her own sake, she would prevent such a thing from happening.
"There's nothing we can do about it. My father and mother suddenly met with an accident... and I'm too young. The elders in the clan are already starting to stir, and some have even colluded with outsiders to put pressure on me and force me to step down. The best solution in this situation is to find a good man who can keep others in check." A glint of shrewdness flashed in the eyes of the blonde Rurichiyo Kasumioji. "I heard from my Sōgo Shihoin is the best man in the entire Soul Society. Not only is he powerful and handsome, but he also comes from the most powerful Shihōin Clan among the Five Great Noble Clans. He's practically the perfect partner."
"Who taught you all this, you bastard!"
"While what you said is absolutely true... I really am that perfect man..."
Listening to Rurichiyo's words, Sōgo Shihoin nodded repeatedly. "So eloquent! Say more! That's right, he, Sōgo Shihoin, is the most perfect man in Soul Society. He has good looks, strength, and wealth—he's practically the epitome of perfection. Even wildflowers on the street would swoon over him. A high-quality Soul Reaper in Soul Society."
"You stay out of the way."
Hōshō Ryo looked at Sōgo Shihoin, who had unknowingly bounced back, and pointed to the empty corner of the room.
"OK."
After hearing what Sōgo Shihoin Hōshō Ryo said, Shihōin Sōgo nodded slightly, then ran to a secluded corner and quietly waited for the two girls to finish their conversation.
"In short, they told me that as long as I win over Sōgo Shihoin, the entire Soul Society will be mine, and protecting our Kasumioji Clan will be a piece of cake."
Rurichiyo Kasumioji spoke eloquently.
"But... Little Rurichiyo, have you ever thought about something...?"
"If you want to be with Sōgo Shihoin, you will become a member of the Shihoin Family. In that case, the entire Kasumioji Clan will become part of the Shihōin Clan, and you still won't get what you want."
Hōshō Ryo Rurichiyo Kasumioji spoke to Kasumi Ōji Rurichiyo.
"Huh..."
Is that so?
Rurichiyo Kasumioji stared at Hōshō Ryo in shock; she had never imagined such a situation.
"Of course, even if it costs the entire Kasumioji Clan as dowry, it still won't stop you from lusting after my body. Then, when you're a hundred years old, we might consider it."
Sōgo Shihoin smiled slightly at Rurichiyo Kasumioji and said jokingly.
"I see..."
"Do I have to wait until I'm a hundred?!"
Rurichiyo Kasumioji Sōgo Shihoin's words intently, as if she were truly considering marrying into the Shihoin Family when she was a hundred years old...
" Little Rurichiyo, you're not actually going to take what that idiot Sōgo said into consideration, are you?!"
Hōshō Ryo looked at Rurichiyo, who was seriously thinking about the problem, and asked with a slightly flustered expression. At the same time, she looked at Sōgo Shihoin, who was deliberately teasing Rurichiyo, with a slightly resentful look. Her eyes seemed to be saying to Sōgo, "You're the only one who can talk back, you idiot!"
" Little Rurichiyo, I was just joking with you. Actually, things are complicated here..."
"However, I can introduce you to a suitable candidate."
"That person is powerful and has connections."
"Most importantly, he's about your age, neither of you are fifty."
Sōgo Shihoin to Hōshō Ryo with a "don't be impatient" gesture and began to deceive her.
"Oh?! Are there people like that in Soul Society?"
How come I didn't know?
Rurichiyo Kasumioji looked at Sōgo Shihoin with a questioning gaze and asked.
"That person is called Ichigo Kurosaki. He's not in Soul Society, but in the World of the Living."
" Little Rurichiyo, you need to go to the World of the Living to find him. Of course, although his surname is Ichigo Kurosaki, he is actually from the Shiba Clan, one of the Five Great Noble Clans families. His father is Isshin Shiba, who left Soul Society to work hard and build his career in the World of the Living and married into World of the Living Kurosaki Family. In other words, you don't need to worry about him inheriting the Shiba Clan. You can have him marry into your Kasumioji Clan..."
"You think that once he marries into your Kasumioji Clan, your Kasumioji Clan, with the bloodline of the Shiba Clan, can completely use this to advance its status and stand shoulder to shoulder with our Shihoin Family, Kuchiki Clan, Shiba Clan, Tsunayashiro Clan... and be called one of the Six Great Noble Clans..."
"By the way, Ichigo Kurosaki just turned fifteen this year. He's not much older than you; you're practically a match made in heaven..."
Sōgo Shihoin bluffing.
"Fifteen years old this year, born into the Shiba Clan, but will not inherit the Shiba Clan. Instead, he will marry into one of the Six Great Noble Clans and accomplish the great feat his father could not!"
Rurichiyo Kasumioji has been Sōgo Shihoin; all she can think about now is how to seduce Ichigo Kurosaki and get Ichigo Kurosaki into their Kasumioji Clan.
"Phew..." Sōgo Shihoin gently wiped the sweat from his forehead, silently muttering to himself, " Ichigo Kurosaki, please don't thank me. I'm just a legend..."
Ichigo Kurosaki: "Thank you so much, bro!!"
This chapter continues with another 5,000 words~
(End of this chapter)