After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Mortis was furious at the sight of that serious expression.

Not to mention her, even Wakaba Mutsumi, who explicitly refused to continue appearing on variety shows with Mori Minami as a child star, never received such care from his mother again after that.

Therefore, Mortis had absolutely no belief in what Minami Nami said.

My mother is definitely a success in the conventional sense. She has achieved great success in her career and gained both fame and fortune. She is also an industry legend who has successfully raised her daughter to be even better than her before retiring. Every year, there have been calls for her to make a comeback.

But Mortis knew that Minami was definitely not a good person, at least not a good mother, and had never considered her own or Wakaba Mutsu's feelings.

"Don't beat around the bush with me. You're still in contact with those people from the branch family, aren't you? What's your purpose in trying to keep Youyu here tonight?"

"I didn't try to keep Youyu here. I won't stop him if he wants to leave, but aren't you the one who's eager to make him stay here?"

Faced with her daughter's suspicions and accusations, Senmina was unconcerned, while Mortis and the character Wakaba Mutsu in her mind were somewhat embarrassed.

They were well aware that letting Yuu Toyokawa stay out all night was a bad thing and didn't fit into their original plan at all.

But a plan is a plan, and it's impossible to let such a good opportunity slip by.

"But my daughters, do you really want to win?"

Ignoring the embarrassment on her daughter's face, Senmina continued to speak, fiddling with the doll in her hand.

"Mortis is one thing, but she practically confessed to Yuu-kun at Xiangzi's wedding. If Hachiman hadn't suddenly jumped in and interfered, you would have been the one to lose face instead of her... But at least, I think Mortis still wants to win, and her feelings for Yuu-kun are almost overflowing without any attempt to hide them."

Ignoring her daughter's increasingly dark expression with each additional word she spoke, Senmina casually reminisced about the old stories.

Judging from this, it seems that the person who lost the agreement and stayed at home for several years was not her.

"As for Xiao Mu... I can understand your feelings for Xiao Xiang, so you've been suppressing your feelings. But she's gone now, isn't she? If you don't make a move, Yu Yu might fall into someone else's hands. You should know that Hachiman Kairin has always been thinking about him."

"...For me, it's good to maintain this relationship with Youyu, so that no one will feel awkward."

After a moment of silence in the hall, Ye Mu's slightly cold, yet somewhat forlorn voice softly rang out.

The idea of ​​reminding herself to seize the opportunity is something that doesn't even need to be said by an irresponsible mother like herself; Mortis has already urged her many times.

However, compared to this simple possession, or like back then, watching helplessly as her relationship with Toyokawa Yuu drifted apart because of other people, it was a different story.

What Ye Mu would rather not see is putting Toyokawa Yuu in a dilemma.

I don't feel like Xiangzi has left me; she just can't talk to me right now.

Their ten fingers were intertwined in a somewhat tangled mess. Ruo Ye Mu certainly wanted to win, and she also knew that if she ignored everything now, her chances of winning were actually very high.

Perhaps Mortis is a different story, but for herself, Toyokawa Yuu is probably unguarded—the time they lived together back then made Wakaba Mutsumi quite aware of this.

But... Wakaba Mutsu really didn't want to lose.

It wasn't that I lost to someone else, but to Shoko Toyokawa, who has already passed away.

Shoko Toyokawa was willing to give up many things for Yuu Toyokawa, including reconnecting with Kairin Hachiman because of her grandfather's resignation and the subsequent depression that led to his death.

And me... am I only capable of taking advantage of situations like this?

She certainly understood the principle that forced love is never sweet but it does quench thirst, but what Ye Mu wanted was not just something as simple as quenching thirst.

"I can be more greedy, more self-centered..." These are the words that Toyokawa Yuu once said to herself.

"Moreover, I will not lose; even Mortis cannot beat me."

With this declaration, Wakaba Mutsu manipulated his body to step onto the stairs of his own home for the first time in a long time.

...in the direction of the room where Yuu Toyokawa stayed.

written request for leave

I think I'm a bit sick; after writing two thousand words, I feel dizzy and lightheaded.

I'm taking a day off. I haven't been feeling well lately, and my updates have only been at the bare minimum. I'll see if I can try to get back to 8,000 updates a day starting tomorrow. There's still so much to catch up on.

I've also seen readers worrying about things like the original character and the protagonist not being the same person. Don't worry, this isn't my first time writing a novel, and I wouldn't touch on such a sensitive topic. I won't spoil the details, just wait and see.

Chapter 139 Sharing a Bed (5k)

Half-asleep, Toyokawa Yuu groggily opened her eyes.

But even something as simple as lifting one's eyelids becomes extremely difficult at this moment. Even if one manages to lift them slightly, it feels as if grit has been poured into the gap between the eyelids, causing a sore and aching sensation.

The world seen through those raised slits of eyes seemed shrouded in a thin white mist, and the air seemed filled with the sound of the wind, making the sounds that reached the ears extremely distant.

Without a doubt, this was a dream, the kind of hazy dream of extremely poor quality that comes from lack of rest and sleep.

Before Toyokawa Yuu's eyes, the hazy white mist and the dark ceiling would even briefly alternate, further proving the nature of her half-awake state.

If I try to open my eyes, I'll probably wake up immediately, but...

You should get some rest. Opportunities to get a good night's sleep like this are rare.

Perhaps because she was in the Wakaba family home and had Wakaba Mutsuko, whom she could trust, Yuu Toyokawa ultimately did not choose to force her eyelids open. Instead, she endured the less-than-ideal sleep quality and continued to throw her consciousness back into her dream.

A thin, white mist completely enveloped the scene in my dream, and the sound of the wind, which seemed to be blowing from afar, gradually quieted down.

Yuu Toyokawa didn't expect to have any good dreams, but as long as he could sleep soundly until dawn, it would be worth it for him to stay out overnight at this critical juncture when his deceased wife was to be buried the day after her death.

You know, I haven't had a good night's sleep in a while, so sleeping on the floor is definitely not as comfortable as a soft bed.

But he didn't expect that as the feeling that he might wake up at any moment gradually dissipated, and his particularly uncomfortable mind, which was half-asleep, gradually calmed down, a pink figure would appear in his dream.

............................................................

Standing at the door of the room where Yuu Toyokawa was staying, Mutsuka Wakaba placed her pale fingertips on the doorknob, her golden eyes showing some hesitation.

Having forcibly taken control of her body from Mortis after a long absence, she refuted Minami Mori's claims with a firm attitude, but her body, after going upstairs, honestly did not go directly back to her room, which had been unoccupied for a long time, but instead headed towards the guest room.

But even if I come here, what can I do?

He opened the door and went in, then directly told Yuu Toyokawa that he wanted to have a relationship with her like that with Shoko Toyokawa.

To be honest, Ruoye Mutsu did want to, but to say these things to Toyokawa Yuu so soon after Toyokawa Shoko's passing...

Putting aside whether Toyokawa Yuu herself could accept it, just considering her past relationship with Toyokawa Shoko, Ruoye Mu wouldn't allow herself to do such a thing.

Rather, if it weren't for Mortis's impatience and Hachiman Kairin's restless advances, she would have preferred to spend time with Toyokawa Yuu and slowly heal the wounds in his heart.

It might take five or ten years, but Ye Mu is not worried about losing.

Because in this turbulent time, when they could face dire straits at any moment, it was Mortis and I who stayed by Toyokawa Yuu's side.

As for the extra time it will take... does time still have any meaning for me now?

This is no longer a question of whether we've already waited ten years or are not afraid to wait another ten years.

Originally, I... intended to spend my whole life blessing Toyokawa Shoko and Toyokawa Yuu.

It was only the bizarre death of half of his body that caused him, who should have given up long ago, to rekindle those thoughts that he had personally suppressed back then.

But now...

After carefully loosening her fingers one by one from the doorknob, Ruoye Mu ultimately decided against opening the door directly.

There's no need to be so impatient, there's still plenty of time...

【You're not worried, but I am!】

Another voice suddenly rang in her mind. Ruoye Mu felt her fingertips move uncontrollably, touching the doorknob again, turning the bolt, and opening the door that seemed to trust Ruoye Mu so much that it hadn't even been locked.

Although the house looks somewhat desolate because the current head of the family has not returned home for many years, given the family's wealth, it is certainly not in a state of disrepair. Even the connection between the door frame and the door panel is quite intact, and the door does not make much noise when it is opened.

Yuu Toyokawa seemed to have gone to bed early. Logically speaking, it was just the beginning of the nightlife in Tokyo, a bustling city, and the man lying on the bed seemed to have already fallen into a deep sleep.

So much so that even the slightest sound of the door opening had no effect on waking him.

"You're asleep so early... that's not necessarily a bad thing."

Mortis's voice continued to echo in Wakaba Mutsu's mind, sounding somewhat disappointed, but quickly becoming more open-minded.

It seems that the original script in her mind was a romantic story about making a date and confessing her feelings, but now... she seems to be able to accept the situation, and even looks forward to it.

【Mortis!】

Scolding the other self in her mind, the usually aloof Wakaba Mutsu rarely spoke in such a stern tone.

But she really didn't approve of having such a frivolous and impatient attitude towards Toyokawa Yuu.

That's terrible. It's like they're surrendering early because they think they can't win, so they're trying to steal the trophy by some underhanded means.

Clearly... I don't hold such a low position in Yuu's heart... I'm not Hachiman Kairin.

【Why are you so concerned? This is a rare opportunity. What if something unexpected happens later if you seize it... Anyway, with Youyu staying overnight at our house at this crucial moment, there's bound to be a lot of gossip. What's wrong with making it a reality? It's called self-defense to survive, don't you understand?】

Unlike the somewhat aloof but serious Wakaba Mutsumi, Mortis is not actually that concerned about many things unless he designs something that is absolutely unshakeable... such as death.

Moreover, this is practically an opportunity delivered to our doorstep; there's no reason for us to let it slip by.

Regardless of what kind of tricks Minami Nami is up to, let's just eat the meat that's been delivered to our door first.

If Ye Mu were willing to spend time healing Toyokawa Yuu's heart, or even if Toyokawa Shoko hadn't died unexpectedly, she might have stayed by Toyokawa Yuu's side for the rest of her life as his wife and villa manager, but Mortis was unwilling.

Over the years, she has been in control of the power within the Wakaba family. Wakaba Mutsu's personality simply doesn't allow her to do these things; she is the one who actually holds the real power.

She had experienced the ego inflated by power, but how could the clueless Wakaba Mutsu understand that feeling?

Why should I give others the opportunity to disrupt things when I could have won in advance... especially since I had already half-conceded defeat once under the pressure of Toyokawa Shoko.

Regardless, let's focus on winning first. If we lose, we'll have nothing left and can only watch the winners strut around with their spoils every day.

Forcibly seizing control of his body, Mortis kicked off his shoes and quietly climbed onto the soft bed.

Looking at Yuu Toyokawa's sleeping face, which was anything but peaceful, Mortis felt his breathing gradually become rapid.

I've been waiting for so, so long.

The man in front of her was the first friend she made when she was a penniless dependent personality, the first person who was willing to spend a lot of money to go out with her.

First, I was robbed, and then someone else coveted me, but because I was just a secondary personality at that time, I couldn't do anything.

So this time, it should be my turn to win, right?

"Xiao Mu..."

A drowsy, soft voice rang in Mortis's ears.

By the moonlight streaming into the room through the window, Mortis saw Yuu Toyokawa barely lift her eyes a crack.

Even if he was exhausted and dulled, and didn't even notice the slight sound of the door being pushed open, the strange feeling brought about by someone suddenly appearing next to him and their odd gaze still made him uncomfortable.

"Youyu..."

Mortis became nervous upon seeing that Toyokawa Yuu had woken up.

Originally, in their plan, Toyokawa Yuu was supposed to be awake when they came in, so that they could create an ambiguous atmosphere and then take the opportunity to confess their feelings.

Whether it works out or not, at least the attitude has been shown, and nowadays, Toyokawa Yuu can't live without him no matter what, so there's no need to worry about the embarrassment of being rejected.

After all, what can be done even if it's awkward? The three of them can't be separated now. As long as they gradually get used to and get rid of this awkwardness, it's not entirely impossible to take things further.

Moreover, it might not even be awkward. Mortis felt that he and Wakaba Mutsu together held a place in Toyokawa Yuu's heart.

Even if Toyokawa Yuu is asleep, she can just snuggle into his arms, steal a few kisses, hug him as she pleases, and then sleep soundly until dawn. She can deal with whatever comes up tomorrow morning.

It wasn't that Mortis hadn't considered more extreme actions, but considering that it might wake Toyokawa Yuu from her sleep, he decided to leave it at that for now.

In short, as long as you take the initiative, everything else is negotiable.

However, Mortis hadn't considered the situation where Yuu Toyokawa fell asleep and then woke up again; this half-awake, dreaming state was the most difficult to handle.

It neither allows people to do whatever they want to it, nor can it facilitate clear-headed communication; its ramblings, like those in a dream, may not hold true the next day.

Even if I could just sneak around and do it halfway before waking up, that would be fine. But the problem is, I haven't even started anything yet.

Although he was a little flustered, Mortis was not completely at a loss; instead, he maintained a remarkably calm expression.

Although she kept a low profile as the villa manager at the Toyokawa family's residence, she had already surpassed the former Best Actress winner, Minami Mori, in acting skills.

“Youyu, this is Mortis.”

Deliberately lowering his voice, Mortis glanced nervously at the door of the guest room, as if he were on guard against something.

She held one finger up to her fingertip, signaling him to keep quiet.

However, seeing that Toyokawa Yuu was half-asleep, it was likely that he himself had no intention of making a fuss, which pleased Mortis.

It's not that I could take advantage of the situation to do anything, but I feel that I have a pretty good position in Toyokawa Yuu's heart.

She actually knew how alert this man was; when they drove to her house earlier, he kept looking back to see if anyone or any car was following him.

His calm and collected demeanor might indicate that he is still half asleep, but it also proves that he trusts himself completely.