Chapter 2: Break Off the Engagement! Break it Off! Break it Off!
The day had finally arrived.
Natsuba Hanae pursed her lips slightly, kneeling in place, her narrow eyes gazing at the bright sunlight outside.
But the sunlight was blocked by the eaves, casting a shadow just in front of her.
Outside were lush cherry blossoms, brilliant sunlight, and bustling crowds.
All things beautiful.
And she was inside the dark and gloomy main house.
This was her entire life.
Like a caged bird, its wings clipped, covered with a black cloth, put on display for others’ amusement.
She had mastered everything expected of a refined young lady: the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, archery, and flower arranging.
A perfect example of a well-bred daughter.
But it was all useless.
Because she was preordained merchandise.
On her sixteenth birthday, she and Natsuba Rinrei would be delivered to the head of the Kujō family by their own father.
And most importantly, although no one around her had explicitly said it, she knew the Kujō head’s character very well: cruel and cunning.
Because she had been reborn into this world.
This world was essentially a Tokyo supernatural urban game, and in the original story, she was the gentle, stunningly beautiful second daughter of the Natsuba conglomerate.
But in an era where abilities reigned supreme, she possessed none.
Even so, with her excellent character design and the Chinese appeal of her white hair and red eyes, she was undoubtedly the most popular female character in the game.
Countless players desperately sought opportunities to save her from the Kujō head.
But…
That was when the players were just starting out. She, however, was a character who wouldn’t survive past the third chapter, her fate sealed. Saving her was practically impossible.
However, there was still time.
For her, this wasn’t the beginning.
Rather, the fishing net was already woven, waiting to be drawn in.
There were still two months. It would be fine to let her older sister cause some chaos first.
A slight curve appeared on Natsuba Hanae’s lips.
Unlike herself, who had ‘silently’ accepted her fate of marriage, Natsuba Rinrei was making a huge fuss.
Two years ago, when she learned of the arranged marriage and discovered that the intended groom was an old man even older than her father, Natsuba Rinrei, whose personality was the polar opposite of Hanae’s and extremely fiery, completely exploded.
A few months ago, her anger reached its peak, and in a moment of intense emotion, she awakened her abilities.
Not only that, but judging by the otherworldly tide at the time, her ability rank was definitely not low.
But this pre-arranged exchange agreement was not something that could be easily altered.
Although Natsuba Rinrei had a fiery temper, it didn’t mean she was unintelligent. Born into the Natsuba conglomerate, she had an unparalleled starting point.
She quickly found a solution.
A newly awakened ability was ultimately rootless, so…
Natsuba Rinrei chose to join the Supernatural Abilities Association.
She had finally gained a small amount of leverage.
Now, she was probably plotting a grand disruption.
“?”
Natsuba Hanae frowned slightly as a cherry blossom petal drifted in from outside. She held out her palm.
The petal landed on it.
She murmured softly.
“Although I’m happy that something with the light of the sun has fallen in…”
“But…”
A gleam appeared in Natsuba Hanae’s red, glass-like eyes, containing a surging power, like a graceful, coiling dragon, constantly flowing.
In an instant, an extremely terrifying stillness completely enveloped her palm, without a trace of leakage.
In the darkness, the red in her eyes was incredibly striking, like the rising sun.
“There is already a sun here.”
A tiny, intensely concentrated black flame ignited the petal.
There wasn’t even any ash left behind.
The petal vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.
Just then, a deep male voice sounded from behind her. Natsuba Hanae wasn’t surprised in the slightest.
“Second Miss, archery time is over.”
“We will now proceed with flower arranging etiquette training. Please follow me.”
Hearing this, Natsuba Hanae stood up and nodded politely with impeccable manners. The previously expressionless face once again wore its usual warm, gentle smile.
“Then I’ll leave it to you, Steward Chikari.”
This was the Natsuba family steward, and the person she saw most every day, even more than her father.
Every day, this steward led her to various practice sessions.
Every day was the same repetition, the same boredom.
Natsuba Hanae walked towards the flower arranging room as Chikari Tanishi, dressed in a black bodyguard-like suit, paused his steps, falling one step behind Natsuba Hanae and following her.
This was the one downside of the main house being so large.
Walking within the residence was like strolling down a street outside.
It would take at least ten minutes to reach the flower arranging room.
After walking for five minutes and passing by Natsuba Rinrei’s bedroom, a loud crash suddenly echoed.
“Bang———!”
Then, a figure flew out of Natsuba Rinrei’s bedroom.
Simultaneously, Chikari Tanishi behind her immediately stepped forward, moving like a phantom to shield Natsuba Hanae, his actions incredibly swift.
The figure slammed hard against the wall.
“Boom—————！！”
Another violent crash resounded as the wall, impacted by the force, cracked like a spiderweb.
The figure’s appearance became clear; it was the Kujō steward who had left earlier.
He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his sunglasses shattered and nowhere to be seen, his appearance disheveled and a far cry from his previous arrogance.
Then, a clear female voice came from inside the room.
“I already told you!”
“I will not marry that dying piece of trash!”
“If you don’t leave now, you’ll be leaving in a black box!”
Silver-white twintails swayed as Natsuba Rinrei, dressed in a red outfit, stepped out.
With her arms crossed, her ruby-like eyes blazed with fury as she planted a foot firmly on the Kujō steward’s chest, her heroic figure radiating power.
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