Everything about today felt strange to Sawamura Sayuri.
First of all, when she was at the entrance welcoming guests, she greeted Lord Asai, but he didn't enter the estate.
Instead, he stood at the door with her, saying he was waiting for an important guest.
Later, when Akira arrived alone, Sayuri finally understood what kind of guest was important enough for Lord Asai to wait for in person.
While pleasantly surprised, she was also puzzled—why would the reclusive Akira show up at a banquet at her home, and even come with the specially invited Lord Asai?
Then, when Lord Asai left, he said a few words to Akira.
But Akira, who had been chatting with other guests, showed no intention of leaving with him.
After a brief exchange, he allowed Lord Asai to leave alone, which clearly showed that Akira wasn't necessarily tied to the Asai family—though their relationship level was still unclear.
And then there were the strange things happening upstairs in the room.
The more Sayuri thought about it, the more puzzled she became. As soon as she saw Lord Asai off, she returned to Eriri's room.
Upon entering and seeing the silent boys and girls in the room, she couldn't help but sigh. "Tomoya, you were too impulsive today."
Tomoya was clearly unconvinced. "But that guy…"
"Lord Asai wasn't wrong. You can't force him to accept an apology, even if he did do something wrong." Sayuri pinched the bridge of her nose.
"But I've heard that Lord Asai is usually a pretty tactful person.
Yet today, he was willing to risk souring relationships without hesitation. That's a bit strange. Is there something you haven't told me?"
Before anyone could answer, she asked another question. "Eriri, do you know Mr. Akira?"
She had clearly noticed Eriri's strange reaction upon seeing Akira.
A mother knows her daughter best—Sayuri didn't believe her daughter was merely reacting to Akira's mourning attire.
That earlier explanation of the 'Unlucky Lucky Bird' was just a cover for Eriri's odd behavior.
Eriri hesitated. There was indeed something she hadn't said—something she had thought irrelevant, but that involved Utaha's privacy.
That was how she had come to know about Akira.
"I do, but… is it important?"
"I don't know. But a lot of things today seem strange to me. If there's any relevant information, we might still have options."
Sayuri could tell the group seemed hesitant, but she wasn't trying to pry into their private affairs. She truly wanted to help for her daughter's sake.
Eriri looked at Utaha.
The cycle of hope and disappointment was a terrible torment. The simplest way to avoid more pain was to stop hoping altogether.
So when Sayuri mentioned there might still be a way, Utaha didn't react emotionally.
But feeling apologetic for the trouble she'd caused, she gave a slight bow and recounted how she had met Akira.
With that missing key detail, Sayuri quickly connected all the strange parts and let out a bitter smile.
"If I had known this matter involved Mr. Akira, I wouldn't have agreed to help you apologize today."
Eriri grew anxious at once. "Why? Is he dangerous?"
"It's not about whether he's dangerous. Mr. Akira represents enormous value.
The larger the family, the greater the benefit he can bring. No matter how much you apologize, it won't change anything."
Seeing that Eriri still didn't fully understand, Sayuri explained further. "Mr. Akira is a yin-yang master and a very skilled feng shui expert.
Every family he's visited has experienced some kind of good fortune afterward.
That's why he's highly regarded. But he never takes a single extra cent, never accepts goodwill, and has never responded to any family's invitation.
His interactions are limited strictly to work-related matters."
"Now that Lord Asai has established a connection with him through this incident, he will cling to this opportunity no matter what.
That's why he'll never accept your apology—not even mine. He'll simply wait for Mr. Akira to speak."
"If I'm not mistaken, the reason Mr. Akira showed up today was likely because of that.
This vague relationship isn't enough for him to officially appear at a public Asai family event, but attending a small banquet together is fine.
And even if it's a small banquet, with the status of our guests, word will spread."
Eriri seemed to understand most of it, and her eyes turned red. "So there's really no way?"
Sayuri was about to shake her head, but seeing her daughter's reddening eyes, she softened and said, "Well… it depends on whether Mr. Akira is willing to do a charitable act."
Fuming, Eriri said, "No way! That scumbag and Lord Asai are totally working together!"
Sayuri thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"I don't think so. The whole thing started because of Miss Kasumigaoka's impulsiveness.
Afterward, the situation simply evolved due to Mr. Akira's involvement.
At most, there might be some unspoken understanding—like Lord Asai worrying that a moment of leniency might mess up Mr. Akira's 'arrangement.'
But compared to the deeper interests involved, that part is irrelevant."
"I'm going to talk to him!" Eriri blurted out in frustration and turned to leave.
But Utaha grabbed her wrist.
"Don't go, Eriri. Please don't go…"
Earlier, moved by concern, Eriri had stopped calling her "Kasumigaoka." And now, for the first time, Utaha called her by name.
Eriri turned back and saw Utaha looking a bit disheveled as she held on, eyes filled with something like pleading.
Her eyes grew red again.
Sayuri quietly observed. It was clear that Utaha could no longer bear the constant cycle of hope and disappointment. Sayuri sighed internally.
"I'm quite curious about Mr. Akira too. I heard he does fortune-telling.
Since this is a rare opportunity, I'll ask him to do a reading for Eriri. But Miss Kasumigaoka, as for your matter—we're powerless now. We won't mention it to Mr. Akira."
These harsh-sounding words didn't make Utaha more depressed. In fact, she looked a little more relaxed. "That's fine, Auntie."
"Let's go, Eriri."
Sayuri called her daughter and left the room. But just as the two walked out, Tomoya suddenly stepped forward. "Auntie, could I come with you…"
"No."
Before he could finish, Sayuri rejected him flatly.
"Tomoya, you were too emotional today. You need to calm down first. In your current state, you'll only make things worse."
Without waiting for a reply, Sayuri closed the door.
Even though she had watched Tomoya grow up and had always been kind to him, the way things had unfolded today left her no choice—she couldn't allow him to cause more trouble.
Holding Eriri's hand, Sayuri led her daughter downstairs. She spoke gently, "You must stay calm too, Eriri. Absolutely no conflict, understand?"
Eriri took a deep breath and nodded.
___
Read 20 Advanced Chapters on p@ tr eon (.) com/HalflingFics
Also, please point out my mistakes in the comment, thank you!
Don't forget to leave a review too~ Actually, please leave one.
Check out the other translations too
___