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V12 Story III – Part 02

The Karakuri and Minase clans had been close since the time of Shirayuki’s predecessor, Minase Shiramine, who had developed an interest in living puppets after the death of his wife.

Mayuzumi had told me about it during the incident with Hirugao.

That’s why, when I was captured by Kugutsu, Shirayuki came straight to the Karakuri estate to save me without thinking twice. But I never imagined that Maihime would get in touch with the Minase clan.

“I didn’t do anything special. I simply asked if they intended to repeat their past mistakes,” Maihime said, holding a blowtorch. “If I had to hazard a guess, they shifted their stance because they themselves were already vaguely aware of the point I was making. I believe Mr. Shiramine’s death gave them scars, and at the same time a lesson.”

The flame illuminated the crude iron mask covering her face. She stopped welding and removed the mask, letting her beautiful white hair fall down her back. Wiping sweat from her forehead, she turned to me, her perpetually sleepy eyes blinking slowly.

Kugutsu had led us to Maihime’s workshop on the third floor. The room, equipped with polishing and cutting machines, and designed to be fireproof, seemed intended for more intense work than the surgical room on the second floor. Metal shavings littered the mirror-like concrete floor. A partially-assembled, intricate mechanism gleamed on the massive iron table in the center.

It was the internal organs of a puppet. Maihime had been working on it continuously, but now she had taken a break. The loud metallic sounds had ceased, and only Maihime’s voice reverberated throughout the room.

“While you were asleep, I went to the Minase clan. I told them that the Karakuri clan will repay its debt to Miss Mayuzumi. I asked them if it was true that they had withdrawn from the Mayuzumi affair. I knew that Minase Shirayuki had feelings for you, Odagiri Tsutomu. I’ve seen your interactions a few times before. I believe people call that love,” Maihime said with a smile.

She then directed her gaze to Kugutsu, who stood next to me. She had once called her feelings for him love. Kugutsu smiled in return. I didn’t know what had transpired between them since then, but their gazes were filled with trust and affection.

Turning back to me, Maihime continued, “When he was still alive, Minase Shiramine asked if I could make a living puppet of his wife. I told him I could prepare something identical if he wished. But he refused, saying there was only one of her in the world, and a puppet was meaningless. He swore he would bring her back himself. Thinking back, trying to bring back the dead is an act of sheer madness. It has never been possible since the days of Izanami. We are not gods; we cannot even hold the hands of the departed,” she said somberly.

I agreed. I recalled the faces of the dead. The faces of the people I had killed. Death is an insurmountable divide. The dead are beyond our reach.

No matter how much we wished for it, those who were gone would never return.

“Losing their only beloved is enough to destroy a person. The fact that she couldn’t help despite having the power to do so would undoubtedly wrench her heart. I asked if they could watch her break in silence, unable to even blame her clan, and they changed their stance.”

I thought back to Miyabi. The Minase clan had withdrawn from the Mayuzumi affair out of concern for Shirayuki. Unlike the previous influential members eliminated by Shiramine, Miyabi constantly worried about Shirayuki. Unlike Shiramine, whose wife was killed by the clan, Shirayuki would not harbor any hatred toward them. Nevertheless, the clan changed their mind. They wished for the well-being of their head, not just in body but in heart.

They had witnessed the painful grief and madness of Shiramine after he lost his wife.

Sometimes, intense feelings and the pain of longing for the dead can distort even a gentle person’s heart.

Men in black, presumably Shirayuki’s guards, stood by on the first floor. They knew they lacked the skill but were prepared to be shields when it came down to it. They had handed me a letter from Miyabi bearing only a few words. It might as well have been empty.

“Make sure she returns alive.”

She was telling me to prove my mettle as a man.

“That was all I did.”

After finishing her explanation, Maihime turned to me, tilting her head slightly. Her ashen hair swayed like a veil. Her sleepy eyes held a hint of exasperation.

“Mr. Odagiri, your waking leaves something to be desired,” she remarked.

“Well… yes, I think so too,” I admitted.

Yusuke nodded emphatically. Kugutsu also seemed to have something to say. Under their weary gazes, I cautiously raised my hand to explain.

“She won’t let go.”

Shirayuki was still clinging to me. She had detached herself to speak with the clan members on the first floor, but since coming back upstairs, she hadn’t let go. When I moved my head, our eyes met. Her eyes were swollen from crying. I tried to convey my thoughts through my gaze, but Shirayuki shook her head slightly and buried her face in my shoulder again.

During our brief, silent conversation earlier, I learned that she wasn’t angry with me. She understood that both the clan’s decision and my actions were justified. We both had braced ourselves for the possibility of never seeing each other again. That’s why our reunion was so joyful.

Since then, Shirayuki had steadfastly refused to let go of me. Also, there was another person in the room, stuck in a different way.

“Yukihito… please, stop hugging your knees,” I said.

Yukihito was curled up in a corner of the room. He had followed Shirayuki up from the first floor but hadn’t moved since. For some reason, he was currently cowering.

“Ugh… I’m glad you’re safe, but I feel like I’m going to crumble,” Yukihito moaned.

“Don’t you blow up on us now, Yukihito,” Yusuke said. “The one who should explode is over there. Get up. I understand how you feel. Hey, let go of the wall!” He peeled Yukihito off the wall and dragged him away. Carrying the tearful Yukihito, Yusuke looked at me and sighed deeply. “I have a feeling these two getting married would be really annoying.”

“I know it’s incredibly rude for someone like me to agree, but I fully agree,” Kugutsu added. “If they’re like this now, I can’t imagine what it’ll be like in the future.”

“But the clan head can’t cook, can she?” Yusuke said. “Well, since Odagiri-san can, it shouldn’t be a problem, I guess.”

Shirayuki abruptly let go of me. She opened her fan with a flourish. For once, she made several mistakes in writing. After repeatedly opening and closing her fan, she finally showed her message to Yusuke.

“I can cook Japanese food!”

“Yeah, this mansion doesn’t even have dashi,” Yusuke replied. “I was shocked that there wasn’t a single piece of katsuobushi.”

“The Princess prefers Western food. I’m sorry about that. I never expected she would burn the gas stove that badly with unfamiliar cooking. I realized my lack of imagination. I’m just glad the burns came off,” Kugutsu responded smoothly, without a hint of apology.

Shirayuki trembled in frustration. Apparently, Yusuke was the one who brought the breakfast because she was too busy cleaning the burnt stove. Watching her teary-eyed face, I moved closer and extended my arm.

I caught her from behind. Instead of stroking her hair to comfort her, I rested my chin on her head, calming her down. I then studied Kugutsu. His nonchalant face made me feel an odd sense of amusement. He had become quite the master of being courteously rude.

Maybe, just maybe, this was his true nature all along. He belittled himself, but he never called himself a dog.

“Is something wrong, sir? I don’t recall saying anything amusing. If I may be so bold, you seem a bit exhausted mentally.”

“Oh, I just realized that you’re that type,” I replied.

Kugutsu’s demeanor seemed to change when dealing with someone he saw as an equal. I couldn’t help but laugh. Seeing my expression, Kugutsu cleared his throat awkwardly. Maihime smiled at the sight.

“Mr. Odagiri, please stop there. My Kugutsu is in distress.”

“What are you saying, Princess? I’m not distressed at all.”

“No lying to me, Kugutsu. Do you think I can’t tell?” She turned to me. “He’s been agonizing over whether or not to apologize to you for what he did. I think he should.”

Kugutsu inhaled sharply. He turned his face away from me, clearly uncomfortable.