1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Information 3

Some Translator’s Notes 4

Glossary of Sorts 5

Chapter 1 7

Chapter 2 13

Chapter 3 20

Chapter 4 26

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 INFORMATION
Before you get to reading

Original Title: わたしの幸せな結婚

Romanised Title: Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon

Author: Agitogi Akumi

Translated by: liliesareflowers.blogspot
Send some coffee

Novel Ebooks & Physical Copies^^
Comic Physical & Digital!!
PV

From V2 light novel:

What I want is not just a place to stay; I just want to be near Danna-sama——
Miyo begins her studies as Kiyoka’s fiancé but just when she thought that peaceful days
await, she is plagued by nightmares which gradually eat away at her. This results in
misunderstandings, causing them to pass each other by and Miyo eventually leaves home…

Synopsis:
My sister from a different mother was blessed with beauty, education, psionic ability… She
had everything.
I on the other hand, other than having the same blood flowing through our veins, was just a
servant. My appearance was shabby, I had no education nor did I inherit any psionic abilities. I
was an unloved, unwanted daughter.
Even the only one who was on my side, my childhood friend, married my half-sister and
inherited my father’s business. I was seen as a hindrance and was kicked out of the house to be
wedded to another.
To a man rumoured to be frightening and ruthless.
As that may be, this is a story about a heroine who met a loving husband and went on to
lead a blissful life.

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 SOME TRANSLATOR’S NOTES
Before you get to reading

Please note: What you are currently reading are fan translations for the second volume of the
web novel. I do not guarantee the accuracy of my translations and please do not reproduce
these translations in any way shape or form and/or use it for commercial purposes.

I understand the gripe that some might have with untranslated Japanese honorifics, or the
fact that I couldn’t just freaking translate as ‘father’, ‘stepmother’, etc. I assure you that I did not
do it that way just because I was like: uwuuu leaving it in the romaji is so cute!! The main culprit
is ‘danna-sama’ >.> There are direct translations for the word, such as husband or master, but I
felt that there wasn’t one word in English that could capture its duality which was why I made
the conscious decision to leave it untranslated and opted for leaving translator notes instead. I
felt it also read smoother in English. Stuff like father, mother, etc, aren’t as affected but for like
husband which appears quite a lot, it felt pretty awkward to me without the use of a possessive
pronoun, but it also feels weird with? Idk lol Since I made that decision, for uniformity sake, I
decided to leave all the Japanese honorifics untranslated.

I also know that there are some who hate translators not translating this「…」to normal
English quotation marks. Well, too bad xp I felt that following the author’s formatting made it
clearer when a certain conversation was happening in a dream/flashback.

If this is something you absolutely despise with passion, then this is where we say byebye

Anyways, the contents page should be clickable (the page numbers) and you should also be
able to click on the superscript numbers to get to the footnotes. Pressing the number at the
footnote should bring you right back to the text.

If there are any issues with the grammar, typos, etc, or the way I interpreted certain parts, you
can click the translated by on the previous page to get the ways to contact me.

peace lilies~

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 GLOSSARY OF SORTS
There may be some spoilers

Raws Translation Notes

旦那さま Danna-sama Master/Husband

お姉さま Onee-sama Older sister

斎森美世 Saimori Miyo MC

久堂清霞 Kudou Kiyoka ML, also referred to by Miyo as

Danna-sama and Yurie as Bocchan
少佐/隊⻑ Major/Taichou His rank in the military/position

久堂葉⽉ Kudou Hazuki Kiyoka’s older sister

薄刃澄美 Usuba Sumi Miyo’s mother

ゆり江 Yurie Kiyoka’s elderly servant

五道 Godou Kiyoka’s subordinate, right-hand

man

⼤海渡征 Ookaito Masashi Kiyoka’s direct superior

⼤海渡少将 Major General Ookaito

⾠⽯実 Tatsuishi Minoru Former head of the Tatsuishi family

⾠⽯⼀志 Tatsuishi Kazushi Kouji’s brother, head of the Tatsuishi

family

堯⼈ Takaihito A prince of Japan and most

promising candidate for the throne

Everything else lol

⾒⻤の才 Paranormal Vision

異能を受 Ability users

対異(たいい)特務⼩隊 Anti-supernatural Special Task The unit which Kiyoka leads as a

Force/Anti-supernatural Unit Major

参謀本部 Imperial Japanese Army General

Staff Office, or Army General Staff

宮城 Imperial Palace

対異特務⼩隊の屯所 Military base of the Anti-

supernatural Special Task Force

帝都 Imperial City The capital city

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式 Shikigami Technically, in the raws, it’s only
written as shiki, but given the
descriptions and depiction in the
manga, the imagery seemed to
match what you might find when
you search for shikigami (small
paper dolls)

Tokonoma 床の間 (in a Japanese house) a recess or

alcove, typically a few inches above
floor level, for displaying flowers,
pictures, and ornaments.

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 CHAPTER 1
Meeting (1)

This was the base of the Anti-supernatural Special Task Force located in a corner of the
Imperial City where the members of the unit were training hard on the training grounds of the
compound.

Those who were gifted with abilities would hone their abilities by conjuring fire and water,
while others who only had Paranormal Vision would train in the art of techniques and erecting
barriers. 
Countless shikigamis, swirls of fire, and water columns flying through the air on a hot
summer’s day was a very bizarre and unrealistic sight to behold, but it was just business as usual
here. 

And Kudou Kiyoka, the leader of the Anti-supernatural Unit, was making his rounds through
the large training grounds, supervising the training of the troops. 

「Uwah… Taichou!」

With a snap, the barrier set up by the new recruit to the unit was easily broken by Kiyoka with
one finger. 

「How will you protect yourself with such a weak barrier?」

Kiyoka sent that recruit an icy look.

「Practice at least 30 more times today.」

「Y-Yes!」

The recruit jumped and took their position again. 

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 All the while during his rounds, as the leader, Kiyoka would mercilessly crush the abilities
and techniques summoned by the soldiers. 

「What’s this? Where’s the power? Where’s your spirit?」

「I’m sorry!」

「Your manipulation of the shikigamis is wholly inadequate. Start over!」

「Yes!」

「Do you think such monotonous attacks would work? You’re lacking in imagination!」

「My greatest apologies!」

The talent one had for abilities and the use of techniques was largely dependent on what
they were born with. However, that didn’t mean they could simply neglect their training because
of that. The reason they work hard every day was to prevent them from finding themselves in
tough situations and getting hurt in actual combat. 
And thus, Kiyoka came to be known as ruthless and merciless because of the relentless
guidance he gave.
(lilies: wowow bringing out the M in me (*ﾟ▽ﾟ*) hohoho forcefully taken away and thrown in a cell)

At that moment, his right-hand man, Godou, who had been inside the building, came out to
inform Kiyoka who was stringently overseeing the training of the unit.

「Taichou～」

「What is it?」

「Major General is here to see you.」

「…That’s early.」

Kiyoka’s brows creased together slightly when he heard that his guest had arrived ahead of
schedule. However, the other person was his direct superior, who was a very busy man, so it’s
not like he could complain too much about it. 

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 Kiyoka left the supervision of training to Godou and hurried to the reception room. 

「…I apologise for the delay, Major General Ookaito.」

「Ah, I was the one who came too early. Sorry to interrupt your training supervision,
Kiyoka.」

「No, it’s alright.」

In the reception room, a large, rather boorish-looking man in a military uniform spoke with a
wry smile while sitting on the sofa. 

Ookaito Masashi, a soldier enlisted in the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office, with
a rank of Major General at only forty years of age. Although he was still too young to join in the
ranks of the heavyweights, he was the successor to the Ookaito family which has produced
many military men, so he was someone with a promising future. 
In addition, the Anti-supernatural Unit, which was treated as an outcast within the army in
many ways, was formally under his command.

「Are you able to leave immediately? I thinking of heading straight to the Imperial Palace.」

「Yes, no problem.」

That was the plan, to begin with. Although it was a little early, it was still within an acceptable
range1. 

Kiyoka briefly tidied up his appearance that had been slightly dishevelled from overseeing
training. Then, he got on the vehicle that was driven by one of his subordinates with Ookaito
and set out for the Imperial Palace where the Emperor resided. 
The two of them had a good relationship both professionally and personally and could be
considered kindred spirits. However, they were both often too busy and seldom had the
window to chat leisurely. Hence, right now, there was no shortage of topics to talk about during
the ride. 

「I heard you got engaged, Kiyoka… How has it been since then?」

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 In response to this question he had very much expected, Kiyoka replied vaguely with
a「Nothing much.」Ookaito was undeterred by Kiyoka’s lukewarm response and continued
unaffected. 

「For someone like you who refused to get married so much to make this decision, you must
really get along, don’t you?」

「…It’s not like I was averse to marriage itself.」

As the head of the Kudou family, not getting married was never an option. And it’s not like
he ever hated it, he just couldn’t find the right person. 
So in a sense, it could be said that he and Miyo, his current fiancé, were just right for each
other.

「But… it must’ve been hard for you, with all the various things that happened. And even so,
you still chose her, so I thought that was quite something.」

「Those things are not her fault.」

「…It seems like the rumours of your dislike for women are completely and utterly wrong.」

「Whatever2.」

Hearing his blunt answer, Ookaito let out a low throaty laugh.

The troubles that occurred between the Kudou, Saimori, and Tatsuishi—families of ability
users—that occurred about a month ago were still fresh in his mind but the matter was finally
settling down. 
Of course, details of the commotion caused from the Saimori residence burning down did
reach the ears of Ookaito. 

The atmosphere felt a little suffocating and Kiyoka couldn’t help but exhale lightly. 

「Oh, Tatsuishi has already arrived?」

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 「Yeah… unexpectedly, they’re taking their job quite seriously.」

「That family can’t lose afford to any more credibility so it’s only natural.」

Well, truthfully, if they didn’t, they’re only asking for trouble. 

After the former head of the Tatsuishi family, Tatsuishi Minoru, committed a crime, his eldest
son, Tatsuishi Kazushi, took over as the new family head. 

It’s just that this Kazushi was quite an idiosyncratic individual. Hence, the question was still in
the air whether or not he would be able to support the Tatsuishi family whose reputation had
been soiled. Neither Kiyoka nor Ookaito had much expectations for him, but surprisingly, he
seemed to be fulfilling his role as the successor without a hitch. Apparently, he completed the
various procedures well and was very cooperative when questioned by the police and the
military.

Part of their business in the Imperial Palace was related to Kazushi, so he would be joining
them today. 

Before long, the car carrying Kiyoka and Ookaito soon passed through the gates to the
residence of the most prestigious family in the country. 
The large compound was surrounded by a moat, lush Sakura trees and Pine trees lined
either side of the cobblestone paths. There were several palaces3 scattered throughout the
place, each housing a member of the royal family. Kiyoka and Ookaito were visiting the largest
palace which stood in the very centre of the palace grounds. 

When the car stopped in front of the entrance, the two of them got off and stepped inside
with familiarity for the place. 

「This way please, your companion is waiting for you.」

A servant opened the sliding door to reveal the figure of Tatsuishi Kazushi, who had arrived
before them.

「Good day, Kudou-san, Ookaito-san.」

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 A playboy-looking young man dressed in flashy kimono spotted Kiyoka and Ookaito and
greeted them with a suspiciously broad smile on his face.

1 Technically it should be margin of error

2 Like an ‘I don’t care what others say’

3 I feel like some might be confused but basically, all the standalone buildings within the Imperial Palace grounds
that house a royal are called palaces as well. Why you so boring english go ham and have 1001 names like the
͈ ̀ ˂ ̶ )੭◌ꠥ
Forbidden City with all them harems (● ˃ ̶ロ ́ ͈ ⁾⁾

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 CHAPTER 2
Meeting (2)

「…Tatsuishi, you’re going to appear before the Emperor dressed like that?」

Kiyoka could feel a headache coming up as he massaged his temples.

Unfortunately, since the Tatsuishi family had now gone under the Kudou family, the
responsibility of supervising over them now rested on Kiyoka’s shoulders. And it’s not like he
could complain about it.

「I’m not a military man, and besides, I’ve heard that it’s alright for ability users to dress like
that.」

Kazushi explained calmly and didn’t find anything wrong with his attire.
What he said was indeed true. There were no rules that he had to specifically abide by as an
ability user other than obeying the emperor. Therefore, since he wasn’t an ability user in the
military, there wasn’t any particular dress code and the like for him.
This had been a custom from long before the Meiji Restoration and it was also proof of just
how special the existence of an ability user was to the country.

However, Kiyoka just wished Tatsuishi Kazushi some maintained basic decorum. It hurt his
eyes to see Tatsuishi Kazushi’s outfit of flashy primary colours of red and yellow.

「Kudou-san, this is my formal attire, so to speak. You don’t have to be so rigid.」

「…Just this once. I’ll strike you if I see this again.」

Ookaito sighed as he watched the two people before him and gave Kiyoka a look that read:
「You have it hard too, huh.」

Despite this little hiccup, they had finally met up with Kazushi and it was time for their
meeting with that esteemed individual. Although the atmosphere of the palace was heavy and
solemn, Kiyoka and Ookaito were well-accustomed to it.

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 They arrived at the innermost part of the palace. Beyond the opulent set of sliding doors was
a room where the royal would hold an audience with them.

「I beg your pardon, it’s Ookaito, Kudou, and Tatsuishi, may we enter?」

「――You may enter.」

With barely a pause, a reply came from inside the room when Ookaito greeted him on
behalf of the three of them.

「It’s been a long time since I last gave you my greetings, Takaihito-sama.」

When they entered the room, they were met with the sight of that eminent figure in front of
the tokonoma4 they were facing.
His skin was pure white and his lips bright red; he had a pair of long, narrow eyes they could
not read. Even though he was a man who was of similar age as Kiyoka, his unworldly
appearance that could be described as both feminine and masculine by those who had been
graced by his presence, held a natural sense of intimidation.

That man had no family name; known only by the name Takaihito.
That’s right, he was one of the emperor's children. In other words, he was the prince of this
country, and most importantly, he was the frontrunner to succeed the throne as the next
emperor.

「I’m glad to see you, Masashi, Kiyoka—and the new head of the Tatsuishi family.」

Kiyoka and the others all bowed their heads deeply in unison. As expected, even Kazushi
was quiet here.
Takaihito rested his hands on the armrest with a smile tugging at his lips.

「Raise your heads, all three of you. You may be at ease.」

「Yes, we beg your pardon.」

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 Following Ookaito's answer, Kiyoka and Kazushi raised their heads and straightened their
postures. Though no one was really foolish enough to allow themselves to be at ease as
Takaihito said, the tense atmosphere did relax slightly.
Kiyoka exchanged a look with Ookaito before swapping positions with the latter.
As the main subject of the meeting was regarding abilities, it was under the jurisdiction of
Kiyoka. While Ookaito was his superior, he was not an ability user and his company was only
due to formalities.

Kiyoka opened his mouth to speak with his head slightly lowered.

「…Takaihito-sama, may I introduce this individual?」

「Alright, let’s hear it.」

Then, Kazushi who was prompted took a step forward with his head hung low.

「I am the new head of the Tatsuishi family, Tatsuishi Kazushi. Although my family has been
blessed by the heavens with abilities, we’ve committed a grave crime, yet you’ve granted me an
audience with you, and I would like to express my sincerest gratitude.」

「Don’t worry about it. You must’ve had it hard as well.」

「Ah, I am unworthy of such words. From now on, the Tatsuishi family will be the hands and
feet of the Kudou family, and we will do our best to restore the honour and trust of our family, as
well as to serve the royal family.」

「On behalf of the Emperor, we forgive the Tatsuishi family. I wish you all the best and hope
that you do not go back on the promise you made today.」

Kazushi bowed deeply once more while saying「Understood.」

There was only one path for ability users, and that was to serve the emperor. Therefore, even
if they are charged as guilty and served their punishment according to the laws of society,
without the permission of the emperor, their worth as ability users will be denied.
The Tatsuishi family has now once again been allowed to serve the emperor.

15
 「You’ve worked hard as well, Kiyoka. Regarding the Saimori family… what a pity.」

No matter how badly the Saimori family had fallen, they were still a family of ability users and
the loss of such a family was a great loss for both the emperor and the empire.   Originally, for a
situation like this, they should have been severely pursued to take responsibility.
However, since no one died and the Saimori family had already been punished, losing their
standing and fading into obscurity, this much was enough.

Kiyoka lowered his eyes gloomily.

「I sincerely apologise for my lack of ability.」

「No matter. It was as fate has decreed.」

Takaihito said with a smile while nodding magnanimously. Hearing that, Kiyoka relaxed his
stiff shoulders and heaved a deep sigh.
Since they were kids, both the prince and Kiyoka had been at the forefront of their
respective circles—the most promising amongst princes and ability users respectively—as such,
the relationship between the two transcended formality and convention, and was much closer
than it should have been.

「Thank you for your generosity. Then—I’ve heard word that you have received a revelation,
Takaihito-sama.」

「Mhm.」In the future, some troublesome supernatural apparitions will appear.」

Kiyoka frowned at the sound of troublesome apparitions.

「Revelation」was an ability that is passed down from generation to generation, only to the
direct descendants of emperors.
It’s said that those who possess this ability are told by the gods in advance of the calamities
that will befall the country——in other words,「Prophecy」.
With this ability, emperors have been able to learn of national crises, allowing them to make
every effort to avert them or minimise the damage.

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 The fact was that Kiyoka did not know if there truly was a divine revelation from God.
However, it was the duty of ability users to carry out their missions following these revelations
and they did have historical evidence of that in the battles against the supernatural.
Even though Takaihito was the second son of the emperor, he inherited the power of
revelation which the eldest did not and it was almost guaranteed that he would be the next
emperor——that was how important the ability of revelation was.

On a side note, at present, the emperor was not in good health, which was why Takaihito was
acting as his substitute, relaying the revelation, and giving instructions to Kiyoka and the others.

「Take extra care. If you aren’t careful, some may lose their lives in this battle.」

The weight of those words was instantly taken up a notch as Kiyoka received Takaihito’s
words solemnly.
Naturally, there was always the risk of death in battle, but for him to be summoned like this
and forewarned so directly was a rare instance.

「…What is the thing? Is it a demon5 or fallen god of some kind?」

「Well, I haven’t inherited the throne yet, so my power is still unstable; I can’t see that far.」

「…I understand, so either way, it’ll certainly be dangerous.」

「Mhm.」

Then he’d have to go about it extra carefully.

If it was dangerous for ability users like Kiyoka, then it would be even more so for those who
are innocent and know nothing of such supernatural beings.
Ookaito and Kazushi, who had been listening to the conversation thus far, also seemed to
hold their breath as the words left them slightly on edge.

「Please inform me again should you have any more visions, Takaihito-sama.」

「Yes, I’ll be counting on you when the time comes.」

「——Oh, just one more thing, Kiyoka…」

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 Just when Kiyoka thought it was over and was about to take his leave, he was stopped by
Takaihito.

「Yes, Takaihito-sama?」

「I heard that you got engaged at last.」

That annoying topic again? Whether it was Ookaito or everyone else, recently, this topic
seemed to always come up whenever he met with an acquaintance.
Kiyoka was starting to get tired of talking about it all the time.
However, it didn’t seem like Takaihito was here to tease him about his engagement.

「About your fiancé… well, things are going to be tough from now on.」

「…Tough?」

「But it’ll probably be fine since it’s you. Fufu.」

Takaihito said cheerily.

「Is that a revelation as well?」

However, Kiyoka did not receive an answer from the prince who sees the future.
Kiyoka has known him long enough to know that the latter would not tell him everything.

「…I will keep that in mind.」

And with that, the meeting with Takaihito came to a close as Kiyoka and the others left the
palace, each with their own considerations for the near future.

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4 (in a Japanese house) a recess or alcove, typically a few inches above floor level, for displaying flowers, pictures,
and ornaments

5 Written as '⻤' which stands for oni

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 CHAPTER 3
Danna-sama’s Onee-san

The art of making tea, flower arrangement, playing the koto, and basic etiquette…
How to socialise at dance parties, how to carry oneself when wearing a dress instead of a
kimono… 

There was no end to the list of things required of the wife of the head of a prominent family.
And of course, that also stood true for the wife of the head of the Kudou family which has
served the emperor since ancient times and was still a prominent noble family 6 today.
Even if she kept the contact she had with other families to a minimum, she couldn’t avoid it
completely. Hence, practising for it was something that had to be done. 

For Miyo Saimori who had suddenly become a bride of the Kudou family without having
received sufficient education from her maiden home, it was an inevitable step she needed to
take on her path to becoming a lady.

「Nice to meet you, you must be Miyo-chan yes? I’m Kudou Hazuki, Kiyoka’s sister.」 

Miyo and Kiyoka lived a quiet life in a small house in the suburbs.
Surrounded by nature, it was a peaceful and quiet place——they lived in harmony with the
commoners in the area. And that tranquil life was disrupted when the summer was coming in
full swing and a woman, dressed somewhat inappropriately for the occasion, came to visit.

「N-Nice to meet you…」

Miyo, who went to welcome her with Yurie, managed to return the greeting despite the
pressure she felt. 

The woman who introduced herself as Kiyoka’s older sister, Hazuki, was a stunning woman
that left a deep impression on all that laid their eyes on her.
Her facial features were similar to that of Kiyoka’s, but the overall atmosphere she exuded
was feminine and soft. She had tea-coloured, shoulder-length hair that held loose waves and
was rather tall for a woman. As she donned a refreshing looking dress which exposed her fair

20
limbs, untouched by the harsh rays of the sun, she was the perfect example of what one might
refer to as a modern girl. 
She might appear lightly dressed, but the quality of her clothes and the accessories she
wore were a good indication of her status.

「It’s been a long time, Hazuki-sama.」

「Oh, Yurie! Indeed, it has. How many years has it been since the last time I saw you? I’m
glad to see that you’re still in good health——that is most important, above all else.」 

Hazuki grabbed Yurie’s hands and shook them excitedly. She used so much force Miyo was
worried Yurie’s arm might pop off from all that movement, but the smile never left Yurie’s face
and Miyo eventually smiled as well.

「Geez, you’re still the same as ever, Nee-san.」

At this time, Kiyoka who had appeared at the front door called out to Hazuki with a grumpy
look on his face.

「Ara, Kiyoka, what about work?」 

「I’m off duty.」

「Sigh, and you’re just as unfriendly as ever, even though you’ve only managed to snag
yourself such a lovely fiancé.」  

「That’s not something you have to concern yourself with.」

Hazuki pouted. Accordingly, she should be two years older than Kiyoka, but due to her
youthful appearance, when she performed such girly actions, it didn’t feel off and felt
surprisingly appropriate.

「Well, whatever. More than that, Miyo-chan—ah, can I call you Miyo-chan?」  

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 「Y-Yes.」

「I’ve been asked by Kiyoka to be your teacher. Have you heard?」

「Eh… Y-Yes…」

She had heard that someone who would take on the role of her teacher was scheduled to
come down today, but to be honest, she didn’t expect that person to be Kiyoka’s older sister. It
gave her a really big surprise.  

A few days ago.

After the commotion that occurred between the three families——the Saimori family, the
Tatsuishi family, and the Kudou family——had settled down and peace had returned to Miyo’s life,
she spent her days doing her household chores just as before.

It was the kind of calm daily life Miyo had always wished for and she was more than content
with it. In fact, she was so happy it almost felt surreal and she was scared it would disappear like
a dream.
However, there was also this vague sense of impatience nagging at a corner of her mind,
telling her「you can’t go on like this.」
As she stood in the position of Kiyoka’s wife, her primary role was to protect the house and
support him. However, she understood that only that was not enough.

And so, at the dinner table, finding it hard to continue with the meal, Miyo slowly put down
her chopsticks and decided to consult Kiyoka. 

「You want to relearn how to be a lady?」

「Yes. Is that possible?」 

As a child, Miyo was once given the education as a lady of a distinguished household at the
Saimori family.  However, what she had learnt was only the basics and as she was now, she had
long lost it and forgotten.
Kiyoka did not say anything. There was nothing he needed Miyo to do. However, as
someone who would become his wife, that was not good enough. Miyo couldn’t allow herself to
wallow and be spoiled by Kiyoka’s kindness forever.
22
 「It’s not that you can’t… It’s just that… you want to learn no matter what?」

Kiyoka deliberated over it with a tough expression on his face.

He was probably concerned about the burden it would place on Miyo. Miyo was not good at
paying compliments nor was she good at socialising; perhaps she would not be able to acquire
these quintessential skills to a lady. Of course, that was not to say that he wanted her to treat her
relearning lightly, he just couldn’t be sure about her condition regardless of any situations she
may face during the course of her learning.
It’s precisely because Kiyoka had such considerations in mind that he wasn’t able to give his
permission easily.

「Yes… no matter what. I will look for a teacher myself, so I won’t cause any trouble for
Danna-sama… Please…」 

「…」

Seeing Miyo’s deeply bowed head, Kiyoka couldn’t help but sigh.

「You’re still always lowering your head so easily. And…」 

Noticing Kiyoka’s sudden pause in his speech, Miyo raised her head curiously, only to find
that he was staring at her. Then, a fair, slender finger of man reached out to brush Miyo on her
cheeks.
(lilies: ohoho, you little rascal)

「…Your complexion doesn’t look very good. Even now, are you sure you’re not pushing
yourself too hard?」 

「…ah」

Due to the sudden intimacy, Miyo felt so shy she could feel the temperature rising to her
cheeks as she shook her head in a hurry. 

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 「I-I’m not straining myself at all! I’m perfectly fine!」

「Are you sure? You look like you’re running a fever right now.」
(lilies: and whose fault is it exactly?)

「Eh, I-I mean… Um… That is…」

The corners of Kiyoka’s lips curled into a smile as he watched Miyo mutter incoherently in
her fluster.
Miyo was not used to being teased like this, but Kiyoka’s smile was too precious, even if it
made her feel a hint of annoyance. 
(lilies: what a bad boi XD)

「D-Danna-sama…」

「Sorry, don’t look at me so begrudgingly… Alright, I get it, I have someone in mind to invite
as your teacher. I’ll get in touch and have her come over.」   

「Eh?」

For Miyo who was all fired up to find a teacher for herself, naturally, she would be taken
aback when Kiyoka said「Let me take care of it」so matter-of-factly.
All this stemmed from Miyo’s willfulness; there’d be no point if she just ended up troubling
Kiyoka in the end for something so trivial 7. 

「You don’t have to be so reserved. I’m just putting someone with a lot of free time of her
hands to good use.」 

「Someone who’s very free…?」

And with that, Kiyoka ended the conversation without revealing any more details; Miyo was
still wondering what was going to happen…

(No way, it’s Danna-sama’s…)

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 She didn’t expect for the teacher Kiyoka invited to be his sister.

When faced with this smiling woman before her, Miyo virtually had the words nervousness
and anxiousness written all over her face.

「At any rate, Kiyoka doesn’t mention me much, does he?」

「N-No…」

「Well, matters not, I will take full responsibility for making you a fine lady.」 

Hazuki said spiritedly with her fist clenched.

6  The term used here is "華族" or Kazoku which refers to the aristocracy in japan—so, duke, marquess, earl, etc.—
which was later abolished after WW2

7 "本末転倒" which means "putting the cart before the horse" or getting one's priorities wrong

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 CHAPTER 4
Something worrying

　Hazuki was invited into the house and Miyo served her some tea.
　The servants that came with Hazuki left the room after putting in the luggage she brought
with her. Seeing their actions, Yurie followed suit and left as well, leaving only three people——
Miyo, Kiyoka, and Hazuki——in the living room.

「Well then, let’s get down to business right away. Miyo-chan wants to study, yes?」 

「Yes.」

　Miyo bobbed her head strongly at Hazuki’s question.

「Well, I suppose I should be able to teach you the basics given the education I’ve been
through from a young age and I am a graduate from girls’ school, but… are you sure you don’t
hate it?」 

　Hazuki’s eyes were downcast; she felt a little uneasy.

　She glanced over at Kiyoka who silently watched on from a distance. He probably
wouldn’t step in to say anything since he was reluctant to let Miyo attend lessons to learn to be a
lady in the first place.

　Miyo stared straight at Hazuki.

「I-I don’t hate it…Um, may I ask why you ask that question?」 

「Because I’m someone who has gone through a failed marriage. Moreover, isn’t annoying
to have to interact with the sister-in-law or something.」 

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 　Although it was probably a little late by this point, Miyo finally realised one thing——as
someone crowned a「Kudou」; a lady of the Kudou family; Kiyoka’s elder sister, it was quite
impossible for her to remain single up till this age.
　  Which was to say that she was once married out but has since returned8. As for her
mentioning of a sister-in-law, it likely came from her own experiences.

　Miyo felt really bad; she wondered if she had asked an insensitive question.

「I’m not… concerned about such things.」

「Really? You don’t mind it?」

「Yes.」

「That’s great!」

　Hazuki, who broke into a big smile, enveloped Miyo in a bear hug in her joy. Miyo caught a
whiff of a slightly sweet smell right at her nose and was terribly flustered by the sudden event.
　

「U-U-U-U-Um!」

「Awh, what a nice girl! Kiyoka, can I take this child home with me?」

「No.」

　Kiyoka stated with a firm expression, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

「How petty. If I bring Miyo home and help her study hard, she might become really
amazing.」 

「…No.」

「Hmm, I get it… if I take Miyo-chan away, you’ll be lonely.」 

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 　As the younger brother, there was nothing Kiyoka could do against his sister’s onslaughts
of teasing.
　Despite the wrinkle in his brows as if he regretted inviting his sister, Miyo couldn’t help but
smile at the rare sight of Kiyoka being so “powerless”.

(But I wonder why…)

　Miyo subconsciously placed a hand on her chest.

　In the depths of her heart, she felt a cold wind blowing. Kiyoka was the same as always
and Hazuki who she had met for the first time today was also very kind to her… so why, why did
she feel that way?

「What’s wrong, Miyo?」

　When she broke out of her daze, Miyo noticed that Kiyoka was staring at her. Even Hazuki
was looking at Miyo, all confused with her head cocked to the side, panicking slightly. 

「I-It’s nothing.」

「Are you sure? If you’re not feeling well——」

「No, I’m fine, really.」

「Miyo-chan, don’t force yourself alright?」

　Recently, Kiyoka often worries about Miyo’s health.  Perhaps he had already noticed
something.
　Miyo had no time to pause, she just wanted to push through despite the inconveniences. 

　Seeing her insist that she was fine, Kiyoka said nothing more while Hazuki carried a
relieved smile on her face as she redirected the conversation back onto Miyo’s education.

「And so, I was thinking that we need to set a goal.」

「A goal?」
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 　Hazuki took out some textbooks from the luggage she brought with her and spread them
out.

「That’s right. If you have a goal in mind, you’ll have more motivation to work towards it, yes?
Ah, but it won’t work out if you aim for a faraway ideal.」 

　She might have a point. It's better for one to work towards a goal that they know they can
achieve so that they can feel that they’re improving. 

「Just nice, there happens to be a party coming up in two months. Both Kiyoka and I have
been invited, so how about we attend it together for a start?」 

「Eh?」

　Miyo was startled by Hazuki’s sudden words.

　She had never attended a party before; it’s hard to believe that for someone like her who
wasn’t even familiar with the basic etiquette would be able to attend a party in just two months. 

　However, Hazuki simply smiled and continued as if she could read Miyo’s mind.

「It’s alright, the organiser and I have known each other for a long time, so given our
relationship, there’s no need to worry too much. Besides, the party itself is more like a casual
social gathering.」

「But…」

　When Miyo’s mind was still in a mess, finding the situation hard to swallow, Kiyoka
interjected.

「Why don’t you give it a try?」

「D-Danna-sama… but…」

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 「No matter how much or hard you study, it’s meaningless if you can’t actually put what
you’ve learnt to practice.」

　As harsh as it might sound, he was right. If Miyo couldn’t muster the courage to do it, it’s
just all for nothing.

「I understand… Please allow me to attend the party.」 

　Miyo was aware that her current expression must be quite tense. After all, just the mere
mention of the word「party」sent her heart racing like a madman.

「Don’t worry. I won’t abruptly make you put on a dress and ask you to dance. Let’s do our
best!」  

「Yes.」

　Hazuki was a gentle person. Although the way she spoke was opposite to Kiyoka’s stern
tone, their kindness was very much the same.
　From the bottom of her heart, Miyo was immensely grateful to Kiyoka for inviting Hazuki to
be her teacher.

　◇◇◇

　After a rough discussion of their future plans, Hazuki left Miyo with a mountain of study
materials which she had brought with her before returning to the Kudou family’s main mansion.
　Miyo looked at the books happily. The books seemed to be Hazuki’s personal textbooks
from when she was a student at the girls’ school. Although they were a little discoloured, likely
from exposure to the sun, the books were virtually undamaged, to the point Miyo wondered
whether they had ever been used. 

　Kiyoka gazed at his fiancé, whose eyes held a rare sparkle in them, with mixed feelings. 
　To be honest, he did not want to put too much pressure on Miyo right now.
30
 　——That night, Kiyoka awoke to the feeling of something yet again.
　In the darkness, a feeling that Kiyoka was familiar with——like traces of ink flowing in
clearwater——a sign he could not ignore was here again.
　

　Kiyoka slipped out of his futon, careful not to make a sound, he walked with light steps
and stood in front of the room he had assigned to his fiancé.
　Come to think of it, those signs had been there all along, ever since Miyo arrived at the
house.  However, in the beginning, it was too faint to be sensed, even by Kiyoka.

　——It was the sign of a special ability being used.

　Like the smell of gunpowder after firing a handgun, traces of an ability being used could
be detected drifting in the air right here.
　And ever so softly, he could hear her moans of agony which he had grown accustomed to
coming from the other side of the sliding door.

(Miyo…)

　Kiyoka opened the sliding door and entered the room.

　The signs of an ability being used grew even stronger. He felt a prickling sensation on his
skin while the suffocating feeling almost made him choke.

　He walked over to the futon in the middle of the room and sat down next to it.

「No… S…top…」

　Beads of perspiration drenched Miyo’s forehead as she whimpered weakly——no matter

how many times he saw it, it would always leave Kiyoka feeling like a knife was stabbed into his
heart.

「It’s okay… It’s alright now.」 

　It was a hot summer’s night but her hands were cold; Kiyoka enveloped her icy hands in
his and gently brushed aside her bangs with his other hand.
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 　And just like that, Kiyoka stayed there until he finally heard Miyo’s steady breaths as she
eventually fell into restful sleep.

8 in asia, or at least (to my knowledge), east asia, girls are married out of their family and into their husband's family,
and they are considered more as a part of their husband's family than their own which I guess was largely was why
the status of women was so low because they would ultimately leave and become an "outsider". asian women will
commonly adopt their spouse's family name and all their children will take their father's name. I think this is
something that still persists in modern-day japan, where people, and most importantly, women themselves, look
down on other women who have gone through divorce.

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