Chapter 390: The Moonlit Meeting
"Kaguya-sama, you're no longer a child."
A long-haired woman with the demeanor of a Yamato Nadeshiko covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
She was quite similar to Kaguya—both born into families like this.
Back in high school, even into university, she had thought about loving freely—but in the end, she couldn't withstand the pressure of her family.
A brother is like a father, so the decisions of Shinomiya Oko were something Shinomiya Kaguya could hardly defy.
"Do you think Shijo Mikado isn't a good choice?"
Another woman asked.
"I don't deny Shijo Mikado's merits as a man. But I already have someone I love."
"Then if you choose the one you love, what will happen to the Shinomiya family? Have you thought about that?"
Shinomiya Kaguya hesitated slightly.
But soon, she smiled faintly and said, "Are you trying to use hypocrisy to bind me? To crush me under some so-called greater good? Or do you think that just because I refuse this marriage, the Shinomiya family will collapse?"
To tell the truth—bankruptcy was impossible.
Not at this level.
The Shinomiya family was so vast that even if they clashed with the Shijo family, at most they'd only suffer a few minor injuries—after some time to rest, they would recover easily.
"It won't collapse. But have you considered how many people might lose their jobs—or even their lives?"
"Then why don't you divorce your husband and marry into the Shijo family instead? Trading my happiness for yours—sounds fair enough, doesn't it? Quite the calculation." Shinomiya Kaguya smiled mockingly.
After spending so much time with Sakurai Saki, her verbal sparring skills were no longer what they used to be.
"I'm a married woman, and you're the daughter of a whore. Who do you think is more suitable?"
The woman in a kimono sneered.
"Don't rush. No need to rush—trying to scare me with borrowed power won't work. Besides, your so-called 'tiger's hide' is just as easy to peel off as that disgusting thick layer of makeup on your face. Careful now, Madam—if that powder wears off, I wonder how many mistresses your husband will keep outside? I really can't imagine."
"You bitch!!"
"Getting flustered already? Oh, so there really are quite a few mistresses out there." — Shinomiya Kaguya rested her chin lightly on her right hand, looking down at the woman with utter disdain. — "How pitiful. The value of a decorative vase replaced by a prettier one—your anger is understandable, I suppose."
"Kaguya-sama, please don't stoop to her level…" — One woman tried to step in and mediate.
"Your husband… judging by your face, I bet he's had quite a few as well."
The mediator's smile froze instantly. — "Bastard child."
"Say that again, if you dare." — Shinomiya Kaguya's gaze turned cold as winter wind.
She could endure being insulted herself—but she absolutely could not tolerate anyone insulting her mother!
"Bastard! The daughter of some nightclub woman—no wonder you have no manners. All you can do is flap your mouth and argue. I'd really like to see how a bastard like you plans to escape from the Shinomiya family!" — The woman showed no restraint, seeing nothing noble in Kaguya.
In fact, to her, a bastard child wasn't even worth as much as she was!
"What did you say?!"
Shinomiya Kaguya strode forward, grabbed the collar of the woman's kimono, and, abandoning all sense of noble composure, slammed her to the ground and raised her fist.
"BOP!!"
A heavy punch landed squarely on the woman's face.
"Aaaa——!!!!" The woman screamed, her sharp cry blending with a low, pained moan—
"Ah——!"
The noise quickly drew the attention of the men dining nearby.
As Shinomiya Kaguya drew her fist back, hurried footsteps echoed outside the door.
"Spare… me." — The woman's voice was hoarse, her face covered in blood, her features barely recognizable.
Normally, Kaguya practiced archery—her physical strength far surpassed Shirogane Miyuki's, easily comparable to that of a grown man.
"..." Shinomiya Kaguya said nothing. She stood, then stomped hard on the woman's stomach!
"Uhhh~" The woman groaned in agony, curling up on the floor.
She couldn't comprehend—why would Kaguya dare to do this?
Didn't she want to continue enjoying the privileges of being a woman of the Shinomiya family?
Everywhere she went, people gazed at her with admiration; just hearing the name "Shinomiya" made countless pitiful men bow their heads in submission.
Why would she want to throw all of that away?
Shinomiya Kaguya used the sleeve of her kimono to wipe the blood off her hands, then hurriedly ran out of the room.
Wooden clogs were difficult to run in when wearing a kimono, so Kaguya threw them away, wearing only her thick white socks. Fortunately, the socks were thick enough that even when stepping on the ground, she didn't feel uncomfortable.
Kaguya soon heard the voices of her brother and the guests.
"Ran away already?"
"The child of a bitch is also a bitch after all."
"This Shinomiya residence is filled with eyes and ears; she won't get far."
They said a few words and then went back to eating and drinking, not treating her as anything significant.
That made Kaguya let out a faint sigh of relief, but she immediately realized—
No one was going after her not because she wasn't important, but because the Shinomiya estate was so strictly guarded that she simply couldn't escape.
Shinomiya Kaguya took advantage of the situation before it became chaotic, quietly sneaking toward the outer wall.
Her movements were extremely light.
After letting her hair down to cover half her face, she managed to stay unnoticed for the time being.
She didn't choose to return to her own quarters.
That place might have been closer to the main gate, but there was no way to escape from there—the guards definitely wouldn't let her leave.
Within the Shinomiya estate, there was a spot where the wall had a small opening; when she was little, she used to sneak out through it to play outside. That was her target now.
There was no time left to think.
She hurried toward the place she remembered.
Along the way, more and more people were being sent to capture her.
"What? Kaguya-sama ran away?"
"Kaguya-sama? You're still calling her that? She's just the daughter of a concubine, and no one even knows if she's really his child."
"Haha, that's true. Come to think of it, who would've thought Gan'an-sama would ever fall for a woman? The tiger who built up the Shinomiya family business has grown old at last, drowned in lust—how lamentable."
Hearing those infuriating words, Shinomiya Kaguya struggled to suppress the urge to act.
She knew she couldn't possibly fight against these grown men, let alone trained guards.
Her destination was getting closer.
Shinomiya Kaguya felt like a survivor seeing the first light of dawn.
"There she is!!"
Suddenly, a shout rang out from behind!
"Kaguya-sama is over here! Come quickly!!!"
Hearing that, Shinomiya Kaguya immediately sped up. Luckily, the path ahead was still fairly even, so even without shoes, she could still run fast.
'Almost there!!'
She was almost there!
"Just ahead!!"
Shinomiya Kaguya turned a corner, looking toward the place she remembered.
And then——
"How could this be?" The hole that Shinomiya Kaguya remembered so clearly had now been completely sealed up, not even the slightest crack remained.
She instantly understood.
In the Shinomiya household, even a dead flowerpot would be replaced with a new one.
How could they possibly leave such a big hole unattended?
The sound of chaotic footsteps echoed behind her, and Shinomiya Kaguya's heart sank into despair.
"Sakurai…"
If you really are a hero, please come save me.
"My prince." she whispered softly, lowering her head a few seconds later.
As expected, fairy tales were nothing but lies.
"Excuse me, are you calling me?"
A gentle voice sounded.
Shinomiya Kaguya immediately looked up.
Under the moonlight, the handsome boy in casual clothes jumped down from the tall wall, landed firmly, brushed the dust off his clothes, and said in a slightly helpless tone:
"Your house is too big—I almost got lost."
Sakurai Saki looked at Kaguya's face, which was on the verge of tears, and gently comforted her: "Alright, don't cry anymore. I'm here now, aren't I?"
Shinomiya Kaguya choked up and said, "To make the Princess wait this long, you really are a useless prince."
Do you know how much I missed you?
Do you know how terrified I was just now?
"But… ưm~ I'm generous, so I'll forgive you." Shinomiya Kaguya wiped away the tear at the corner of her eye.
Now was not the time for talk.
They had to run.
"How are we getting out of here?"
Kaguya, still trembling, reached out her hand to him.
"Walk out properly, of course. What, should we climb over the wall?"
His serious tone was so strange that all the sadness in Shinomiya Kaguya's heart vanished in an instant.
Crying and laughing at the same time, she said: "If you can, then go through the front gate—I don't want to run away anymore."
Sakurai Saki took her hand.
"Of course, they can't stop me."
If this were a novel, perhaps it would be written like this——
A mere Shinomiya household—destroyed with a single wave of his hand!
...