All the troublesome matters seemed to have finally settled into place.
Those thorny predicaments, those upsetting sudden situations, had drifted away on the wind like withered flower petals.
Returning to the quiet little villa, the first thing Soyo did was help Chiose—and herself—take a bath.
The sea breeze had left the scent of salt grains and orange juice between the hair of mother and daughter; rushing off to the hospital, Soyo hadn't even had the time to clean up.
Right now her mood was incredibly good, as if she weren't the same bashful fool she'd been two hours ago.
Chiose walked ahead into the house, while Soyo guarded her from behind.
Just now, when they'd walked into the courtyard, the way Chiose adorably hopped up the stone steps really warmed your heart simply to watch.
Honestly, Little Chiose, why are you so adorable?
In just one week, have you made me utterly [unable to put you down]? You're just like a little witch—practically casting spells.
Or is it... that I, a single woman past her prime—your mama—am just too lonely?
Forget it, thinking about this kind of question is basically slaughtering brain cells; better save some of my head to think about what to eat tonight.
Hmm... there's no food in the house, I'll need to order some vegetables... and some meat too.
She didn't inherit a single one of my vegetarian genes—how terrible. Where's there a daughter who doesn't take after her mother?
The last of the afternoon sunlight was still warm; Soyo felt her whole body warm and cozy.
A little sun in front of her, and the eternal blazing sun hanging high in the sky behind—what a marvelous experience it was.
"Mama!"
The little angel was speaking, and her tone seemed a touch displeased?
The way she pouted her little mouth was super delicious too.
"Mama, why do you keep spacing out! So dumb!"
"Ah... Mama was just..."
Savoring the moment.
Truthfully, this trip to the seaside hadn't been satisfying at all.
A muddled beginning, a hasty ending, and the part in between had been missing a lot of fun too.
For the adults this might have been terrible, but Soyo felt... Chiose was actually quite satisfied with it.
She was actually quite satisfied.
Even though the toy had been lost once.
But when this child held up her lost-and-found toy and kept happily spinning circles around Soyo, Soyo realized she was truly happy.
Like a clingy little kitten rubbing against your trouser leg, acting cute and spoiled—really, so adorable.
Daughters, as a species, are simply the cutest species in the world!
"Mama! Mama!"
In the second-floor study, seated in the office chair, the bespectacled Soyo turned her head to look at Chiose, who was tugging at the hem of her shirt.
"What is it, sweetheart?"
"Nothing! I just wanted to call out to Mama! Hehe..."
"Alright, good girl, Chiose—Mama's busy with work right now. Is there anything you'd like to eat tonight? Mama can make it."
"I want samgyetang! Can Mama take Chiose to have it again?"
Those twinkling big eyes are Chiose's go-to weapon for launching her attacks, while her soft, slightly lisping way of speaking is the charm she uses to enchant Soyo's very soul; her petite figure and deceptively young age make people let down their guard—
So you see, deceiving people is actually quite easy; if you truly want to deceive someone, every one of your personal traits can become a means to that end.
"Samgyetang? Little Chiose really does like it... just wait a bit for Mama—we'll have samgyetang tonight!"
"Yay! Long live Mama!"
Chiose saying "long live"—what a strange pairing.
Soyo pushed up her glasses and threw herself back into work.
Here she couldn't help but marvel at her capable secretary, Ms. Haizuka Kyou. During the period she'd been away, Haizuka had been not only her "eyes" at the company, but also her most useful "hands."
With Haizuka around, every problem seemed to be no problem at all.
As the sun was about to set, Chiose played with her toy on the sofa beside Soyo; the only sound in the whole house was the clack-clack of Soyo tapping at the keyboard.
Soyo stared at the screen before her, and for some reason she found herself recalling her mother at the hospital earlier.
As they were leaving, her mother had Chiose go out and wait first, keeping only Soyo behind, and in a tone Soyo couldn't understand, she had spoken a few words.
She said:
[Little Soyo, I'm so sorry. All these years I wasn't able to give you the love and companionship other children had. Sometimes I truly regret not having spent more time with you... So if you can, please never walk down the path your mama took... From now on Chiose is entrusted to you—go spend more time with her, she's terribly clingy.]
[At last, Little Soyo has become a mama too.]
[I can finally set my heart at ease...]
The ringing of her phone cut through Soyo's reminiscence, leaving her unable to keep recalling her mother's expression at that moment.
After glancing in Chiose's direction, she walked alone to the second-floor sunroom to take the call.
"Hello, what's the matter?"
"Ms. Nagasaki! It's bad! There's a problem at the company! You need to hurry back!"
On the other end was the secretary Haizuka, her tone urgent, her words coming fast—which only underscored how anxious she was.
"Don't panic first—I'm on my way. Tell me slowly on the road."
Brows knitting, Soyo had an ominous feeling.
As she passed the study, she took one last look at Chiose:
"Little Chiose, Mama has something to take care of now. I'll come back to take you to dinner later. Will you be a good girl and stay here in the study playing with your toys?"
"Okay!"
Chiose, who had been gazing at the scenery outside the window, turned her head and showed a smile that set Soyo's heart at ease.
A pity Soyo had no time to stop and admire it; she hurried downstairs, her steps flying.
And that was how it went.
...
Nagasaki Group, inside Soyo's office.
Miss System wiped the nonexistent sweat from her forehead, pulled down the office's roller blind, and alone raised a wine glass filled with premium white wine.
"Hoo hoo, honestly—Little Chiose is making trouble for me at a time like this? Now, let me recall... what was it that a famous general from that country across the ocean said during the Three Kingdoms period?"
Downing the wine in one gulp, the System slumped into Soyo's CEO chair, not wanting to move an inch.
"The time has come! Today we raise our army!"
Nagasaki Soyo, facing the theft of trade secrets and the backstabbing of your partner—for the coming while, don't even think about having an easy time of it.
"Chiose... oh, Chiose."
The System's emotionless eyes stared straight up at the ceiling, and after a long while finally let out a soft breath.
"Accustomed to the deceit and scheming within simulations, having trained up all manner of methods for bewitching hearts and deceiving others—when one day you discover that the girls in reality all carry memories of the time they spent with you..."
How will you feel, I wonder?
"And the most amusing part is, you'll also have to bear the psychological burden of deceiving others... After all, no one will ever know you're a wicked woman who's done so many villainous things."
You're fated to carry this heavy weight alone for the rest of your life.
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