By A Slight Mistake Chapter 10

Translator: Silver Editor: Namorax

「10」

Everyone has thought about the meaning of life at least once.

Why do I have a self?

Why am I myself?

For what reason am I alive?

If one made a mistake at this conjunction they might become seriously ill.

I’m pursuing those answers now.

Why did 『I』emerge in Mizuki’s consciousness?

Why were memories of my previous life there?

I haven’t found the answers yet.

There are many missing answers in this world.

Because there are things that can be viewed from both sides.

You could examine things from multiple perspectives.

Even if a singular event is witnessed, it will be viewed from several perspectives, and the truth could be lost amongst them.

I was, of course, talking about the s.h.i.+ori incident.

Only s.h.i.+ori understood the intentions behind s.h.i.+ori’s actions.

However, a bystander could interpret her actions in several ways.

There were the perspectives of those who adored her, of those who sympathized with me, and of those who did neither.

I realized several things after my meeting with the Suwa main family.

The intentions of branch family member towards the main family, that had been my blind spot.

Personally, I didn’t care if s.h.i.+ori was a good person or not.

The important thing was what had been driving her actions.

My present condition was the result of her actions.

It was possible that what I was doing was the reason behind the heavy-handed invitation from the heads of the Suwa main family.

To have a look at me, and to decide the fate of the branch family.

Have things already been set in motion, or was there still time?

I sent Yak.u.mo a text and hastily returned to the Sagara residence.

“Yak.u.mo-niisan!!”

As the car pulled into the driveway, I called out to Yak.u.mo who came to greet me.

“Why are you in such a rush, my little princess?”

“Enough with the princess joke. Did the Suwa family make a move?”

I asked my chuckling brother a question when I took his outstretched hand.

“……There is no such information yet. Why do you think they did something?”

“I've been invited by the Suwa family a short time ago. The main family organized a tea party to speak with me directly.”

“What?”

Yak.u.mo’s laughing expression instantly froze.

“I believe that, after having met with me, they plan to decide the branch family’s fate……”

“Is that so?”

“I left in the middle of it. Anyway, it’s not something I want to discuss with my older brother.”

“Well…… I’m amazed that my Mizuki could be such a wild princess.”

His frozen expression softens again.

“Come. Let’s talk in my room.”

“Ah. Please wait while I change my clothes.”

“What you’re wearing is fine. It’s rare to see you in a kimono, and you look beautiful in it.”

“Brother, please restrain your siscon tendencies. Even a benevolent fiancé would leave an elder brother who gives priority to his sister.”

“Then it’s alright to pick someone who prioritizes Mizuki over me. Suou-niisan is a good example, right?”

Yak.u.mo continued to hold onto my arm as we started walking.

“Onii-san!!”

“If you don’t call me onii-chan I’ll perform a princess carry and sit you down on my lap.”

“I firmly refuse. I won’t call you aniki either.”

“You’re being so stubborn…… can’t you see that a brother showing love to his younger sister is justice?”

“That’s just perversion.”

I hate this game.

Since he didn’t want to be labeled a pervert, Yak.u.mo released his hold on my arm.

“I’m sorry but my time is limited today. Apologies, Mizuki. Depending on what you say, I’ll get to work immediately.”

“I understand. Then we shall leave it at that.”

I opened the fusuma to Yak.u.mo’s room as when I said that.

It was a traditional j.a.panese-style room, but there was a strange PC setup in it.

“By the way, why is the yuzen artist wearing an edo kimono and not one of their own yuzen designs? Did you visit a tea ceremony?”

Yak.u.mo looked puzzled by my kimono as he prepared a legless chair for me.

“……It was a tea party.”

A cheerful, hand-made yuzen was good for bright, public places and for short visits, but a kimono with small, sewn patterns was better suited for a private tea party.

“This kimono is from great grandmother’s younger days. When grandmother aired out the storehouse, she gifted it to me.”

“Huh. It doesn’t seem to be that old…… Hey, don’t change the topic.”

After the seat was properly arranged, I leaned on my hand to sit sit down easily.

“It was a handwritten invitation from the Suwa matriarch.”

“Hm? Aren’t invitations normally done like that?”

“No. Ritsuko-sama seemed like the type of person who hates troublesome things and would rather have the invitations printed or have someone else write them.”

“I see. That’s understandable.”

“Yes. I immediately realized that I’d been the only one invited.”

“So, the Kimono?”

“That right. It was a bit of hara.s.sment.”

It’d been a somber bit of hara.s.sment for those who understood the meaning.

Ritsuko-sama, who didn’t seem familiar with kimonos didn’t realise it, but Toori-sama noticed.

“I hadn’t expected the head of the household to appear as well.”

“I see. Therefore, you thought that the Suwa acted in some way.”

“Yes. Depending on their move, I might have to ask our older brothers and grandfather for a.s.sistance……”

“I met them earlier. If my little princess was called out by the Suwas, there might be things they are wanting to confirm and which they still might not know about.”

Yak.u.mo-niisan’s eye wandered over to the garden outside the window.

“I won’t go into details, but it was pretty horrible. A few years before the incident, the head of the Suwa branch family had been embezzling the profits of the company he’d be placed in charge of. When the Sagara began to play their hand, he began covering his tracks while throwing what money he had into gambling. Besides s.h.i.+ori, he also has an illegitimate child. Since the father married into the family, the child cannot be acknowledged.”

His features were delicate enough to be considered beautiful, but not feminine.

It was said that he resembles me, so I guess I wasn’t all that feminine either.

“His gambling has racked up an impressive amount of debt, and it seems he is trying to sublimate it by forming a relations.h.i.+p with the Sagara. In other words, pairing me up with s.h.i.+ori. It appears he intends to siphon money from me to pay off his debts. Well, I knew s.h.i.+ori liked me for a while, but I have no interest in a child that’s weak in the head.”

What was that?

The brother who was called a『Level-headed n.o.bleman』was actually a devil.

Actually, it would be more accurate to call him a devilish n.o.bleman, wouldn’t it?

“Would a normal girl ever try to become the fiancé of the brother of the person she nearly got killed?”

Yak.u.mo-niisan glanced towards me.

If one didn’t know the true feelings behind the look, one would find the look glamorous and s.e.xy.

Yak.u.mo was true siscon.

The image of the cool and calm Yak.u.mo was no longer there.

I want my pure heart back.

If you were me, you’d think the same.

“However, that child has recently been saying…… that she would like to become Mizuki’s older sister. It’s strange, isn’t it? She wasn’t saying she wanted to be my wife, instead she says she wants to be your sister?”

“……I’ve also heard various rumors about that.”

“I intend to bear the brunt of what’s coming to protect you Mizuki. My sister, are you the perpetrator?”

I instinctively diverted my gaze from Yak.u.mo’s face.

I’ve seen something I shouldn’t have.

An ikeman wearing such an inhuman smile and speaking such cruel words was too much to bear.

It was an appallingly gruesome expression.

How much do you hate s.h.i.+ori!?

How could you voice your hatred in such a lovely fas.h.i.+on?

“I’m annoyed just watching this unfold. What shall I do?”

“Yak.u.mo-niisan, a word, I have something to say.”

“Our older siblings are aware of everything as well.”

Yak.u.mo wore a refres.h.i.+ng smile as he spoke.

“You, do you suddenly have a thing for children?”

“That’s right. If it’s for Mizuki, I would even change the laws themselves.”

I hesitantly replied to those disturbing remarks.

“Please comply with the current laws. We’d be in trouble if you make something illegal legal.”

“Your skills of perception are good, Mizuki.”

Yak.u.mo wryly smiled and patted my head.

“By the way, I must be leaving soon. You should go rest in your room, Mizuki. You’re looking a bit pale.”

“It’s all right.”

“It's not! Did the Suwa stress you out? You’ve been prohibited from acc.u.mulating excessive stress. What if you reopen one of your wounds?”

Hey!

Now 『Dame!』moe was starting to mix into his scolding!!

Why are you talking to your sister is such a manner, nii-san!

Could I say that if it helped me relieve stress?

“Even though s.h.i.+nonome’s female uniforms look good, you wear the male uniform in order to cover up your wounds and avoid irritating them with stockings or leggings. Therefore it must be easy for them to open up, right? That what I heard from nee-san.”

“T-That……”

“If you don’t listen to me, I’ll just carry you.”

“I see. I’ll go rest then.”

I reluctantly agreed after being threatened, but Yak.u.mo’s face still soured.

“So you consider carrying you as a punishment……”

His inner siscon is leaking out again.

“If you find out anything else, please inform me, even if it’s by email.”

“Understood. I will also convey it to our brothers.”

“Thank you. Now then…”

I didn’t hate gathering the information like the pieces of a puzzle.

However, when it comes to a.n.a.lyze everything I couldn't reach my older brothers' skill.

As I returned to my room, I was grateful for being the youngest sibling of so many caring brothers and sisters.