~ Chisaki's Pov ~
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I shouldn't have spoken to her that way… Even if I felt justified, even if I thought she deserved it in the moment—now, all I felt was this dull, aching weight in my chest.
Regret.
Creak~
My head snapped up at the sound of the door slowly opening. I was half-expecting a maid, or even a guard… but no—it was her.
My mother.
She stepped into the room with none of the formality she usually carried. No attendants. No icy presence. Just… her.
"Chisaki…" she began softly. "I know you might still be angry with me, but I need you to understand something. About what I did. And why I've done everything I have."
I didn't say anything. My throat felt tight. My fingers curled into the bedsheets.
She walked closer, her tone gentler than I remembered it ever being. "I didn't want this life for you. I wanted you to be able to choose your path freely, but freedom is a luxury our bloodline doesn't always allow. That doesn't mean I expect you to be a puppet. I… just needed to protect you. In the only way I knew how."
I turned away, not because I didn't want to hear her—but, because I wasn't sure I could look her in the eyes right now without everything I felt spilling out. The anger. Sadness. Confusion.
And, somewhere deep down… understanding.
She sat on the edge of the bed, not too close, but not too distant either.
"I know I've failed in how I've shown it. But everything I've done—every cold word, every command, every restriction I've placed on you—wasn't to control you. It was because I'm scared too. Of losing you. Of you ending up like some of the others…"
Her voice wavered. That was the part that hit hardest. Because it wasn't the queen of the sea people speaking anymore. It was finally justmy mother. I remember her started being like this a few years ago...
I could hear the subtle tremble in her breath as she exhaled, like she was bracing herself for something worse than battle—my silence.
"I saw your father die for this," she finally said, voice low. "Not in some heroic blaze, but quietly. Forgotten. After everything he sacrificed… he wasn't enough for them. Not strong enough. Not rare enough... They picked him apart anyway."
That stunned me. She'd never talked about him before—he was just a name I inherited, someone I was supposed to be proud of but never got to know...
"He wasn't born with anything special, he was a land dweller after all... But, he was kind, and he was equally brave. But in this world, kindness doesn't keep you safe. And bravery gets you hunted."
I clenched the blanket in my lap, the fabric twisting in my hands...
She looked at me now, her expression hollow but sincere. "That's why I pushed you so hard, Chisaki. Why I never let you out of my sight for long. I thought if I made you strong, you wouldn't disappear like he did. I thought if I made you cold, you'd survive longer."
She laughed bitterly under her breath.
"But I forgot that survival isn't the same as living, is it?"
I turned back toward her, swallowing thickly. There were so many things I could say, so many emotions tangled up that I didn't know where to even begin.
"…T-Then why him?" I asked quietly.
She blinked at me.
"Why Ayano? Why bring him into this?"
Her eyes softened again—more than I ever thought or imagined to be possible.
"Because he's special like us, and... he's the only one I've seen in a verylong time who isn't just capable of surviving… but capable of choosing what he wants to live for." She paused. "And because he didn't look at you like a duty. He looked at you like a person."
I stared at her... Not as a mother, not as royalty. Just… as a woman who had looked as if she had lived too long on the edge of constant loss. And maybe, for the first time—I didn't feel so alone in this large room anymore.
For once in many years, my world didn't feel as cold...
But, I'm still curious... "What happened with him?"
She looked at me tenderly, "I've spoken with him of course... For both his sake, and yours..."
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~ Flashback, Third person Pov ~
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"Hmm? What do you mean?" Ayano asked.
She exhaled slowly. "I want... to strike a deal with you..."
He thought about it for a second, but reluctantly agreed, just to hear what it could be, "Alright, what do you have in mind?"
"I want you to protect Chisaki, but... It won't be for free of course. In exchange for doing so, I will give you benefits. Specifically, training facilities for cultivatingyour strength, and anything else that will come to your mind. You name it, and if it isn't unreasonable, I will grant it."
Ayano's eyes widened at the offer, but he was still a bit cautious...
'That sounds, really tempting... Having my own place to properly train would be immensely helpful to me. I think, I'd be a fool not to take the offer. Plus, it's a good way I can test the limits of my own strength, since even I don't know where it really ended...' He thought, glancing back up at her.
After a few more minutes, he finally spoke up, "I think... I'll take you up on the offer, but I have my own conditions."
She nodded, slowly. "Name them."
He raised his finger. "First off. I'll only guard Chisaki from any threat I see. And it only ends at guarding, and no more than that. She doesn't have to even speak with me, or deal with me unless it's out of her own volition."
Then a second finger was raised, "I also want you to tell her about what we've discussed here in detail. I have an inkling that she doesn't really know everything you've even told me, and I don't exactly find that fair on her end."
Then he raised the third. "I known it's not really any of my business, but... I want... No, I need you to go to her and drop your ice-queen act. I'm not saying you can't be stern with her, but at this rate, I'm sure your hurting her more than you're actually helping."
Then he raised the last one. "I'll take the training facilities you have, but I'd prefer if it could be made under the comfort of my home. I'm not in any particular rush about it or anything... So, how does everything sound so far?"
She nodded. "About the training aspect, I would like to supervise you whenever if possible... I am a scientist after all, and I don't see people like you everyday."
Ayano nodded, begrudgingly at it. The deal was essentially perfect after all, except for that added part... He scratched the back of his head a few times. "Alright, I guess you can if you want..."
Her gaze lingered on Ayano for a long moment after he'd finished listing his terms. The room was quiet—like even the air around them knew something important had just been set in motion.
"Still, you... You really are different." she murmured, almost to herself. Then, she straightened and gave a small nod. "I accept all four conditions. Every single one of them."
She took a breath, her expression somewhat unreadable, but just for a moment—though there was something faint behind it. Something close to, relief.
"You remind me of him, in a way," she added quietly. "Your conviction… and your eyes. I suppose it's no wonder my daughter's heart couldn't help but lean toward you."
Ayano didn't respond to that part, since he didn't hear it. He just looked back at her, eyes steady. "Then it's a deal." He smiled.
She gave a single, solemn nod.
"Yes. Yes it is."
And just like that, the conversation was sealed...
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~ Flashback end, Chisaki's Pov ~
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"What surprised me was that. Three out of the fourths of that deal was made entirely for, you..."
My breath caught for just a second. She was absolutely right; Three out of four, were for me...
I looked at her—really looked—and for once, I didn't see the queen, or the cold strategist who always seemed ten moves ahead of me. I saw a mother, caught off guard by her own daughter's pain, and a random man—Ayano—who had walked into this world with no obligation to care, and yet…
he still did.
I didn't know what to say. I wasn't used to people choosing me like that. Not for status. Not for power. Just… because.
"…That idiot." I whispered, a weak laugh catching in my throat as my eyes stung more than even I'd like to admit. "He didn't even know me that well at all, yet he still…"
But he'd seen enough. Enough to speak for me when I couldn't. To push back against her for my sake. To carve even a little bit of space for me—quietly, without asking for anything in return.
I turned my face away again, but this time not to hide bitterness.
Just to finally, breathe. And maybe keep myself from actually crying...
She stood then, slowly, and I heard the faint rustle of her robes as she stepped away from the bed. But before she reached the door, she stopped.
"…I'll honor the deal I've made. Every part of it." she said, voice quiet. "But the rest? That's entirely between the two of you now."
She left without saying another word.
I laid back, thinking of what I should even do now... No, I should speak with him first to see what he really thinks of all this...
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~ Ayano's Pov ~
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I wonder if I've done the right thing here... I, really don't see why I can even trust these people. But, I also get the impression that Chisaki's mother wasn't exactly lying to me either. If that woman is right about all this, I might need all the help I can get.
This world even... It's pretty clear to me that it has things I still don't know about... Things I probably can't even begin fathom yet. Even my own ability. Why was I even given an ability like this?
Much less the rules I still don't even know about either. If other people like me are getting caught, trapped and experimented on; then I'd reallyneed to step my game up... If I wanted to both live, and survive.
"Ayano, the girls are finished with their bath... I'm gonna head in first."
I turned my head slightly at the sound of Renji's voice. He was standing just outside the sliding door, towel slung over his shoulder, steam from the bath clinging faintly to his skin.
"Ah, yeah, alright..." I replied, my voice a little more distant than I meant it to be.
He gave me a curious glance but, he didn't pry. He just gave a small nod before disappearing into the washroom.
I sat there alone for a few more moments, listening to the faint echo of water and voices further down the hall. My thoughts still lingered on that conversation. On her eyes when she spoke of Chisaki. On the quiet desperation behind her words.
It didn't feel like manipulation... If anything, it felt more like a last-ditch plea—from one person bound by expectations, to someone she genuinely hoped could protect what she probably couldn't.
'But, am I really up to the task here?'
I exhaled and leaned back against the wall, eyes half-closed. My body still felt a bit tense from earlier. Maybe not physically, but something in my chest—something heavy—hadn't eased up since I'd agreed to that deal. It wasn't regret. It really wasn't fear either.
I think it was probably the weight of choice...
Because now, I wasn't just surviving on my own anymore. I'd also tied my fate, in some significant way, to hers. I just hope I don't come to regret it.
"Well, I guess there's no backing out now..." I muttered to myself, rubbing the back of my neck.
Just then, I heard a soft knock at the frame... I looked up.
And there she was—Chisaki.
She just, stood there, still wearing that gentle neutrality she always carried, but her eyes—they looked, different tonight. A lot, warmer. Maybe even a little uncertain too.
She opened her mouth like she was going to speak, then hesitated.
I sat up straighter, giving her my full attention... I guess, this would be my second official conversation with her...?
"…Hey." I said softly. "You okay?"
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END