Chapter 9

Several months has passed since the approval of the divorce between Yuriko and Kurahashi.

With the pretext to meet Haruki, Asahina visited the Mizushima family frequently to meet up with Yuriko.

Apart from that, there were also bachelors who came from different distinguished families and began to take turns in visiting the Mizushima family. Each of them wanted become part of the powerful Mizushima family.

Their feelings toward Yuriko couldn’t be said as affectionate. But still, they have good will towards her.

However, there was also this notable characteristic from them that showed that they want to brag about becoming an in-law of the Mizushima and and a partner of Yuriko, who could be said to be one of the most beautiful woman in the upper-class society world.

Not like Asahina who wanted to marry Yuriko because he loved her, the majority of the men only wanted to be married with Yuriko to get a connection with the Mizushima.

Therefore, among them, they thought Tsubaki as a nuisance and there were a few of them who treat her rudely.

“I don’t want to look after the child of another man so stop being together with her.”

There was even a man who had the audacity to say that to Tsubaki, but she immediately went to her mother and said,

“Nee Okaa-sama. If you remarry, we can never be together again? That uncle said that to Tsubaki.”

The result? The man was blacklisted.

After seeing all of those men, Tsubaki concluded that the most desirable partner for her mother remarriage was Asahina.

However it would be futile if her mother doesn’t have any feelings towards Asahina.

That’s why every time Asahina came, Tsubaki always took her leave away from her mother.

Because if Tsubaki was together with her mother while Asahina was present, her mother would be very attentive to Tsubaki and couldn’t have a proper conversation with Asahina.

Today too, Asahina came visited the Mizushima family and had a conversation with Yuriko.

To not become a hindrance, Tsubaki immediately headed to the greenhouse while taking Kyousuke along with her.

“Are you really okay with this?”

Entering the greenhouse, Kyousuke felt a bit hesitant but he still asked Tsubaki anyway.

Perhaps he asked if it’s fine to let her mother to be alone with Asahina.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Asahina-sama is a nice person after all.”

“That’s right but… do you not feel lonely?”

Kyousuke, who has known Asahina longer than Tsubaki, knew well the nature of Asahina.

But still, for Tsubaki not try to prioritize her alone time with her mother anymore, and the time for them to be together decreased, Kyousuke was worried if Tsubaki would feel lonely.

“Tsubaki is not lonely. Because Tsubaki still has Kyou-chan and uncle after all. Even Tsubaki knows that Okaa-sama didn’t mean to leave Tsubaki alone.”

“… If you think so, it’s okay then.”

Saying no more than that, Kyousuke began to read a picture book that he brought.

Peeking at the picture book, Tsubaki saw that what was written in the book was not in Japanese language but in English language.

“Kyou-chan, you can read that?”

“Aa, I’m reading this to learn English so obviously I can read it.”

Tsubaki was dumbfounded when she he heard this.

Because Tsubaki had her memory from her previous life in her, she could easily understand the English language, but she was almost in her adulthood at that time when she learned it in her previous life.

That’s why for Kyousuke who could understand English with his current age was very shocking for Tsubaki.

“That book, Tsubaki felt that Kyou-chan always bring it together with him.”

“… This book is interesting after all.”

“Ah, that book is your birthday present from uncle right? So that’s why huh.”

This wasn’t the first time that Tsubaki saw this book in Kyousuke’s hands. She had caught him several times before, reading the picture book.

But she never saw what was inside the book. Because of that she never knew that what was written in it was in English.

Moreover, the butler Segawa has quietly told Tsubaki, who was watching Kyousuke reading the book at that time, that the picture book was a birthday present to Kyousuke from his father.

Happy with the birthday present from his father, Kyousuke kept re-reading the book over and over again.

How cute. Tsubaki thought this and loosened her cheeks a little bit.

Realizing that Tsubaki was watching him with a big grin on her face, Kyousuke’s face began to flush and he started to refute her.

“No! It’s not because this picture book is a present from father okay!? It’s because this picture book was very interesting, that’s all!”

“Yes yes~”

“You don’t believe me, don’t you?”

“Tsubaki believes you, Kyou-chan~”

Kyousuke, who kept on blabbering in refute, only dug his grave even deeper. Looking at the current Kyousuke, Tsubaki could only grinning sweetly.

In the end, Kyousuke got mad at Tsubaki and left the greenhouse. Tsubaki was flustered while chasing after him and tried to calm him down.

At night, after finishing her dinner, Tsubaki was walking in the hallway, headed to her bedroom.

There, the door of her uncle room was slowly being opened. Seeing that at the other side of the door was Tsubaki, Haruki crouch down to matched his eyes sight with Tsubaki and only let out his head and a hand to beckoning Tsubaki to come with a hand gesture.

Watched the same spectacle she had seen before, Tsubaki thought “Again?”. But it was obvious that her uncle had some business with her so she obediently entered her uncle’s room.

Entering her uncle’s room, Tsubaki took a seat at the place she usually takes when she comes into her uncle’s room. Her uncle prepared two glasses and poured milk into it, and offered one of the glasses to Tsubaki.

And then her uncle, who was seated on a chair, began to start conversations with Tsubaki with light topics like “How are you doing lately?” and so on.

“Are there any inconvenience for you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“… If you have something you want just say it. As long as it is possible I will grant it.”

The words her uncle said “As long as it is possible” was probably has range more wider than what Tsubaki thought and Tsubaki could easily imagine it.

If she said she wished for a private jet, surely her uncle would gave her one. She wouldn’t asked for it though.

“Tsubaki, what do you think about Yuriko’s remarriage?”

“I am fine with anyone as long as they would think dearly of mother.”

That was what Tsubaki really thought.

Tsubaki was not particularly mindful if they didn’t care about her. Even if her step-father didn’t love her, though it would bring a negative influence for the growth of a genuine 5-year old child’s character, Tsubaki already has a clear character. Even if there would be some negative influence, it won’t have any effect to her at all.

Also, Tsubaki believes she could coped up with the adult if they wanted to made trouble for her mother.

“Then, Kaoru… How about Asahina Kaoru?”

“I think he is fine.”

That was also what Tsubaki really thought.

Asahina loves Tsubaki’s mother from the bottom of his heart. She knew Asahina would properly take care of her mother just based on his attitude and behaviour up to this point.

Perhaps because Asahina had several nieces and nephews, Tsubaki has an impression of Asahina that he used to handle children. Every time he came to visit the Mizushima family, he never forgot to bring a gift for Tsubaki, and he also sometimes played together with her.

Because there are only reasons to approve him, Tsubaki wouldn’t do boorish things like raising an objection.

“I see. … Did you happen to know what Yuriko thinks about Kaoru?”

To her uncle’s question, Tsubaki hold her tongue.

It wasn’t because she doesn’t know, but because she was troubled on how to answer him. She couldn’t just say something like: “It seems Okaa-sama holds good will towards him, even though it still not develop into anything romantic.” from a five year old’s mouth.

Tsubaki thought of just frankly saying that her mother seems to love him. However, if she said that, it would be troublesome if the person of romantic interest wouldn’t accept Asahina’s confession later. She can only ponder on what to say.

Looking at Tsubaki who was struggling on answering, her uncle took it that Tsubaki doesn’t know anything about it and began to change the topic.

“By the way, on the other day Kyousuke gave me a four-leaf clover. Did it grow in the garden?”

“Yes. Kyousuke-san found two of it. I gave mine to mother so I don’t have it anymore, but Kyousuke-san gave one of his to me.”

“So that’s why Yuriko was asking me to introduce an accessories craftsman to her.”

“Also we made corolla with the white clover together. I am the one who taught Kyousuke-san how to make it you know?”

“Ah right, Yuriko also showed me that. It takes quite a skill to make those. You really know how to make them well.”

Tsubaki’s breathing suddenly grew rough.

She told her uncle that she was the one who taught Kyousuke as if she had done some great achievement, but when she heard her uncle last word, her body froze in an instant.

Tsubaki began to quickly think of an excuse in her mind if her uncle asked her where did she learned how to make a corolla. However nothing good came into her mind and she began to be at loss.

“That reminds me, at the time Risa began living in this house, she brought illustrated books about plants and some flora encyclopedias together with her and put them into the library huh. Did you learned it from there?”

“Yes! Yes! That’s right!”

“Nice assist, Oji-sama!” She silently thanked while she wholeheartedly accepted her uncle’s words.

Without minding Tsubaki’s current state, her uncle was amazed that Tsubaki could understand and make corolla nicely just by reading the book Risa left behind. He could only praise Tsubaki for being such a quick-learn child.

Tsubaki still didn’t realized that at this time, she had just raised the hurdle of her uncle expectation to her pointlessly high.

After that, her uncle only discussed a matter about the remarriage of her mother and about Kyousuke. And then Tsubaki returned back to her room.

A half year has passed since Tsubaki and her mother came to live in the Mizushima residence.

Her mother has, more or less, recovered to the point where she couldn’t be compared with the time she stayed at the Kurahashi residence.

When they were still living in the Kurahashi residence, Tsubaki could only think of her mother as an unfortunate beautiful woman with a thin body like a fleeting husk and emotionally fragile.

However, when Tsubaki watched her mother’s current state while she was talking with her uncle and Asahina, her view of her mother drastically changed. She could only think of a lovely woman when she looks at her.

Tsubaki could never imagine that a joke could once more come out of her mother’s lips. Perhaps because she was in his brother’s house which she truly cared for it as her own also, which made her feel more at ease. The expressions she shows on her face are always different every day.

In the past, Tsubaki only thought that her mother only knew how to sadly smile and cry all day, but seeing her mother today, she was definitely happy that her mother was a woman that had abundant expressions.

For better or worse, a woman named Mizushima Yuriko was a maiden-like person.

If she had that kind of personality, of course she would be very popular. Tsubaki cannot help but think that her mother was truly too good for her biological father.