After an annual shareholders' meeting held at SCJ Group, following the temporary calming of the great crisis, things appeared outwardly stable. It had to be said—an extraordinary number of strange and mysterious events had taken place within the Kamakiri family. Unexplained deaths. And the way the family had quietly erased every trace of them after each scandal.
It was as if ordinary people had only just managed to glimpse a tiny fragment of the tangled roots beneath a wealthy dynasty—
And now they were blind again. The media, too, had fallen into an eerie silence. But for a corporation like SCJ, things were far from comfortable.
Shareholders' meetings were being held continuously due to the rapid changes in leadership.
Kamakiri Mina—who had only recently served as interim CEO of SCJ in place of Haruna during the scandal—had now risen straight to the position of Chairwoman of the Board. Her aunt, Kamakiri Tomi, remained Vice Chairwoman.
And at present, she was still the one primarily running operations.
What made the situation unsettling was that for nearly a month now, even with official announcements about the change in title, no concrete information had been released.
Even the new Chairwoman herself had been repeatedly absent. As a result, certain rumors related to the Kamakiri family quietly resurfaced within the company.
Because the former Chairman of SCJ Group—who was also the husband of Madam Kamakiri Miko, the biological father of Haruna and Mina—His name was Victor Cruison. The son of an extremely wealthy mining family in Austria.
And yet, strangely, despite holding the chairman position for decades, no one knew what he looked like.
At several shareholders' meetings, he had only ever appeared as a silhouette shrouded in shadow, his voice distorted by a voice-changing program.
The Kamakiri family had explained that he suffered from a rare illness that eroded his body, making it difficult for him to speak—let alone reveal his face, which had allegedly become disfigured. Victor also disliked being looked at. That was the explanation given.
But was it truly so?
Mr. Thuy had just stepped out of the strange and exhausting shareholders' meeting, his face tense and fatigued. Walking beside him were two other trusted senior directors of the corporation. Their expressions mirrored his own—confused, uneasy.
Only when they reached the employee smoking room did they finally feel able to speak freely.
All of them had once been close to Valko.
Now Valko was dead. Or rather, according to rumors, he had been made the scapegoat for everything and eliminated by the Kamakiri family. They had been forced to erase every trace of their connections with him. And yet, those who had once seen them together now looked at them with wary, sympathetic eyes.
"Damn it!"
One of the men took a furious drag from his cigarette and kicked over a trash can.
"What do you mean they immediately promoted her to Chairwoman of the Board!? And didn't even inform us!? No vote! What the hell does that family think we are!?"
"Calm down, Thanh," Thuy sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder. His own face was pale with unease. "There are cameras in this room. And they record audio."
"I don't give a damn!" Thanh spat. "Let them hear! You think I'm scared? I'll say it louder!"
"Please, stop," Thuy whispered, cold sweat nearly dripping down his back.
But Thanh continued.
"Don't you all find it strange? Everything happened like a well-designed plan. Suddenly there's a food poisoning scandal. Valko keeps getting investigated. Then his wife steadily climbs to director—and then jumps straight to Chairwoman of the Board?"
Of course they knew. When Valko had been wanted by the police, he had tried to contact them. He had tried to say something.
Yes, Valko had been a two-faced bastard. He was no innocent man. But his sudden death—There were far too many suspicious details.
And they inspired fear of the Kamakiri family. But what was most concerning was…
Kamakiri Mina.
Thanh stared thoughtfully out the window, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"I've been thinking. Something doesn't add up. I think… Kamakiri Mina isn't Victor's biological daughter."
The words stunned Thuy and the others. He immediately whispered in fear,
"What did you just say!? You absolutely cannot repeat that outside this room!"
Thanh sighed and nodded.
"You think I don't know that? You all know about it too. Twenty-six years ago… Madam Kamakiri Miko clearly had an affair with another man. That's why Mina was born. The reason the family once ignored her was because she was the daughter of an outsider."
It had once been merely a rumor circulating in the company two decades ago. But anyone who dared mention it back then had either been fired—or mysteriously disappeared. That only deepened the fear people felt toward the Kamakiri family.
And ironically, their attempts to silence the rumor made it seem even more believable.
Thuy shook his head in resignation.
"It doesn't matter now. She's the Chairwoman of SCJ. She's the legal heir to the entire Kamakiri fortune. Whether it's true or not serves no purpose. For our own survival, we should keep our mouths shut."
None of them argued. Whatever was said in this room would remain in this room.
---
At that time, Tomi was still in Japan. They were staying at a Kamakiri estate in Aomori, adjacent to a private pine forest owned by the family for hunting season.
No civilians—or even government authorities—were permitted near the area. Even a vast stretch of over one kilometer surrounding it belonged to them. This place existed for family retreats, parties, and private rituals.
And now, what was approaching rapidly was the Ring Transfer Ceremony. The ritual that would officially pass the position of clan leader to the new heir.
Outside the estate, the atmosphere was chillingly silent. Heavy snow fell relentlessly, thick and blinding. The mansion resembled massive cube structures fused together, impossible to see into—like contemporary art installations.
Both outside and inside were heavily guarded. Guards were equipped with advanced weapons, dressed like a SWAT unit—but even more rigorously.
No one went out. No one came in.
With such intense security—What were they doing inside?
One detached building was designed like a modern multi-level villa, fully equipped and more spacious than their estate in Vietnam—yet it carried an indescribable coldness and suffocating atmosphere.
Tomi opened the door and stepped inside the resort wing.
She saw Miko standing there. The middle-aged woman was extraordinarily beautiful. If not for a few faint wrinkles, nothing distinguished her from her younger self.
Miko remained loyal to her deep, muted purple furisode—elegant and somber, like her sorrowful aura.
When she saw Tomi, she looked at her with cold hatred. For some reason, a single lock of Miko's hair had turned completely white. Her voice was hoarse, filled with resentment.
"Kamakiri Tomi… where is Haruna?"
Tomi remained calm, letting out a quiet sigh. She knew why Miko had suddenly come here. With a flick of her hand—
A bed was wheeled into the room by two servants dressed head-to-toe in medical protective suits.
Miko was struck with shock. It looked like a corpse, covered entirely by a white sheet. She trembled violently, sobbing as her shaking hand reached forward to lift the cloth.
It revealed Haruna's body—perfectly preserved, as if she were merely asleep. But her skin was pale and cold. And the bullet wound on her forehead was unmistakable.
Miko collapsed to the floor.
"No… No…"
Tomi stood silently, watching her sister's overwhelming grief.
"NO… NO!"
Miko screamed and threw herself over her daughter's body, tears pouring down as she repeated the word over and over. But nothing could change the reality before her.
Haruna was dead.
That bullet wound…Someone had shot her. That person…
Don't tell her it was—
Tomi let out a mocking laugh.
"You're pretending to mourn her? Weren't you the one who always wanted her to replace Mina as heir? What's the point of crying now?"
"KAMAKIRI TOMI!" Miko roared her name through clenched teeth.
"WHY!? WHY DID YOU DO THIS!? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO KILL HER!?"
Tomi was not intimidated in the slightest.
She replied coldly, matter-of-factly.
"Because if she didn't die, Mina could never become the sole heir."
"Mina…"
Miko trembled as she whispered her younger daughter's name in agony. Tomi smirked.
"You think I didn't know? You pushed Mina into that marriage with Valko to protect her from us, didn't you?"
Miko flinched at the accusation. But she remained silent, her eyes burning red with fury. Tomi continued.
"Too bad for you… Mina's temperament is just like yours when you were young. Stubborn. Cruel. But different from you in one way. Perhaps she truly dares to do everything—while you did not. She was willing to eliminate Valko, just like you killed Victor. What a coincidence. It even gives me chills. Perhaps it's fate."
Miko remained still, saying nothing, though she knew Tomi was deliberately provoking her. Their relationship had never been good. If anything, it had always been hostile.
Seeing Miko's silence, Tomi grew bored. Her smile faded. She ordered the servants behind her:
"Take her away."
Miko jolted as they began to remove Haruna's body. At first she tried to stop them, but they coldly pushed her aside. It was clear—those under Tomi's command did not regard Miko with any respect.
Miko knew exactly what they would do to Haruna's body. She knew.
But what could she possibly do?
Driven mad by the pain of losing her daughter, Miko suddenly burst into hysterical laughter, startling Tomi.
"All of you… and that man you call your ancestor… he's nothing more than a walking corpse…"
Hearing that, Tomi's expression instantly hardened with anger, even though just moments ago she had maintained perfect composure.
"What did you just say?"
Miko's shoulders trembled as she laughed uncontrollably. She had clearly lost her mind.
"I truly don't deserve to be a mother… No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop disaster from falling upon my two daughters. But now, if both of them die, it's still better than letting them fall into the hands of perverts like you. Connecting with a god? It's nothing but a ridiculous farce."
Tomi could not suppress her anger any longer. She glared at Miko.
"Perverts? You'd better watch your mouth and show some respect. What awaits Mina is an honor. That child holds the turning point of our Kamakiri family…"
But seeing that Miko no longer bothered to respond or even acknowledge her, Tomi lost interest.
"Whatever. I suppose you've gone insane already. It's best you remain here. There's no way for you to get out and ruin the ring ceremony. Everything must proceed according to plan."
After saying that, Tomi turned away coldly and shut the door. Miko did not need to look to know it had been locked.
Only now, when she was completely alone, did she collapse onto the floor. Like a lifeless body, she covered her face and sobbed uncontrollably.
"Hwang… was I wrong…? Am I a cruel woman…? I've harmed my daughters… I've harmed Mina…"
Miko remained in that room, sinking deeper into a pain too unbearable to put into words. The lights in the room suddenly began flickering violently. Yet Miko paid no attention.
Not even to the strange warmth that seemed to be wrapping around her body. Gentle. Soft.
Miko suddenly startled and lifted her head. But there was no one there. Then what had that feeling just now been?
"Miko… You must be strong… The time has come, and you can do it. Save Mina…"
What disaster was about to befall Mina?
---
One day before the inheritance ceremony.
Mina was being led somewhere by Tomi. Judging from Tomi's attitude, she seemed unusually cheerful and warm.
"Your grandmother misses you very much, Mina. She wants you to meet someone. I'm sure you'll like him."
"Yes, Aunt," Mina replied softly.
Her face looked calm, obedient, as if she were dutifully following everything Tomi said. But inside her heart, not a single trace of trust remained. Tomi, however, seemed completely unaware. She continued using the familiar tone of "Aunt Tomi" who had always treated Mina kindly.
"Oh, you've gotten thinner lately because you haven't been eating properly. I had the kitchen prepare a pot of stewed soft-shell turtle meat for you. It's very good for strengthening vitality. I know you don't like meat, but you should try to eat a little. Don't disappoint me, alright?"
Mina gave a small nod and responded with a faint smile.
"Yes, Aunt."
"That's more like it. We can't let the future heir of our family become frail."
How disgusting, Mina thought.
She could still use that caring tone after having just killed another niece of the family.
At the thought, Mina felt a surge of discomfort beneath her calm exterior.
What did they want from her?
Why did it have to be her?
To reach this day, Mina regretted how much effort and intelligence she had spent fighting for the position of heir. She knew something was wrong.
Haruna's death.
Tomi's attitude.
And yet, she chose to obediently comply, pretending to be the same well-behaved niece as before. She needed to uncover the truth with her own eyes.
A door bearing the symbol of a red sun opened before her.
Standing inside was Nyoko—Mina's grandmother. Of course, in the form of a youthful woman with full lips.
She was holding hands intimately with a strange man, their closeness startling Mina.
When they noticed Mina had entered, they slowly separated from each other as if nothing had happened.
Grandmother Nyoko looked at Mina with a strange smile. Tomi chirped happily as she guided Mina forward.
"Mother, I've brought Mina."
"Well done, Tomi," Nyoko said calmly. "Mina, come here. I want to introduce you to someone."
At the mention of Mina's name, the man slowly turned around. He was a handsome middle-aged man with graying hair, dressed in a tailored dark-blue suit with a deep crimson cloak draped over his shoulders. He wore pitch-black sunglasses despite being indoors.
One half of his face appeared darkened and rough, as if afflicted by some kind of severe skin disease.
Who was this man? Mina could not help but feel curious.
When the man saw Mina, his brows seemed to relax. He could not help but murmur in his deep, resonant voice:
"So alike… truly alike…"
For some reason, Mina felt a chill crawl down her spine.
The man stepped closer to her gently. His voice was polite, his demeanor refined—like a nobleman by blood.
"Forgive my abruptness, Mina. Perhaps you do not remember me, but I met you when you were still very young…"
Mina still could not recall who he was.
Her gaze shifted slightly toward Nyoko standing beside her. Nyoko spoke smoothly:
"Mina, the one standing before you is our founding ancestor. Kamakiri Ousa."
Even Mina, who was usually excellent at maintaining her composure, could not help but gasp softly.
"An… ancestor…"
At once, the man took her hand and pressed a kiss upon the back of it. A faint red gleam flickered beneath his sunglasses.
It was clear—
He was not human.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Mina…"