LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 25: Bird in a Cradle
Chapter 25: Bird in a Cradle
Junishima.
It is an isolated/solitary island located on the side of the Sea of Japan. If compared to the two major Islands of Okinawa and Sado, it is ranked third in terms of how wide/large it is.
On the one side, Junishima Island was quite a famous place for being a “village” that actually had a population of one million people.
From a geographic point of view, since it has been recorded in history, the period where Junishima Island escaped the influence of the Japanese Imperial Court is rare, similarly the period in which the island was put under the complete rule of the Court is also rare. Whilst they were submitting their self to the Japanese Imperial Court, at the same time, they were also building their original political power, this is the place known as Junishima Island.
Even now the Junishima Clan rules over the island, and various original laws have been enacted, it was a region with a certain kind of extraterritorial rights.
Amongst the many possessions that the Junishima Clan has within the mainland, the Junishima Feudal Lord Mansion located in Seikasono Town is one where several men from the clan had gathered.
Even there reception hall spanned over 30 meters squared. When entering there would be four men and four women standing in wait for guests. Three people would be kneeling on the side in a straight line waiting to fix the collars of those who entered, and there was a person sitting on the head seat which was on the other side of a bamboo blind.
Although the figure can’t clearly be distinguished due to being behind the bamboo blind, the silhouette is like a woman.
Her name is Junishima Youran, A very important person within the Junishima clan, she is a woman whom is going to become their next clan head for the next term.
Next to her, a man with glasses and who looked sharp and intellectual was sitting on her left, his name was Junishima Kaizen, and he started to make an announcement.
「I will go over the Teresa plan right now. If we take into account the reality of Naburu Minaogawa and the transmigration of Meme Onagawa, the plan should be able to proceed accordingly. Therefore, we will now be advancing to plan the next stage and the extra budget—」
「Kaizen」
Interrupting his word, is a woman of middle age who sits in the center. Her looks to be around fifty and it is being concealed due to the application of heavy makeup………However, due to the excessiveness of the makeup, it actually accentuated her aging and is counterproductive.
She…….is Junishima Tsubaki, one of the pillars of the Junishima clan with heavy influence/authority in the clan matters.
Although they were both influential, the difference between the older woman (Tsubaki) and the younger one (Kaizen) in terms of authority is as big as the heaven and the earth.
「Tsubaki-sama……」(Kaizen speaking)
「You are only permitted to attend this meeting in order report the findings, was I mistaken? 」
A rotten voice that sticked to you like a gooey substance resounded from the old woman, Kaizen immediately endured the feeling of nausea with a jerk as he lowered his head and bowed deeply.
「It is just like you said」
「In that case, I would like you to refrain from any action that is unexpected ever again, is that clear?」 (Tsubaki is referring to how Kaizen was about to talk about his next plan, instead of ending the report)
「………..Yes」
「Was that the end of the report?」
「………..It was the end」
「Then, the next person is Sakura. The Blood Soul plan I have entrusted you with, how is that proceeding? 」
「Yes」
The woman who sat on the opposite side, of the one who just objected. She had a Chignon hairstyle and a tight skirt suit, and a voluptuous pair of knockers/boobies, she was Junishima Sakura.
There is a ranking in each of the working class amongst the clan, and different to the older woman, Sakura was in a position that was destined to be hopeless.
Youran was the child of the legitimate present Clan Head, whereas Sakura was only a child born from a mistress…….She was an illegitimate child.
In the long history of the Junishima Clan an illegitimate child and or the concubine’s child has never rose to power or obtained any power. In other words, no matter how good her accomplishments become or how she tries to raise up in rankings, within her whole life, she is destined to only serve the Junishima family and will be blocked from ever ascending to a position of importance.
Sakura answered Tsubaki’s question with a sour expression as if she was an insect that was about to be crushed.
「We are currently approaching the plan from two different directions. The first is as usual making use of the eternally little as an experimental body, this particular project is going as planned」
「Is that so? And, what of the other plan? 」
「It is scheduled that we will be securing the three specimens as material in the next few days. We will then be proceeding with the experiment afterwards—」
「According to my desires」
Although Sakura wasn’t even finished with her explanation, it was already being disregarded.
「Are the other specimens really necessary to experiment on? Isn’t it fine even if we just proceeded as usual and experiment with the eternally little specimen? You said that, the plan proceeding as scheduled, isn’t that right? 」
「That is…….Yes」
「In that case, don’t worry about the unnecessary things. Besides the other party is just a bunch of “old housemaids”, they are replaceable existences, no matter how many die as a result of the experiments we can just replace them easily. There is no need to spare any resources」
「……」
Sakura, becomes silent and doesn’t answer. She wanted to say something back, but she was unable to do so, instead she dug her finger nails into the tatami mat and endured.
「What is the reason on your persistence with finding another method? Just say it, speak your mind」
Tsubaki said this whilst she was snuffing out in contempt and looking at Sakura in a deplorable way.
「You, if you don’t get your act together, you won’t be able to live up to ??? the expectations of the new moon-sama, this is a very shameful thing—-」(Tsubaki speaking)
「Tsubaki-sama」
This time Kaizen was the one interrupting Tsubaki.
「What is it?」
「With all due respect. How is it that you would be able to know the idea’s/thoughts, of a being as important as New Moon-sama」 (TL: 新月様 not sure what this is…..)
Kaizen said this as he stared at Tsubaki. Tsubaki gave him a peculiar glance of a stringy middle-aged woman, and returned a disgusting smile whilst scowling back at Kaizen.
If someone could visualize it, the two people would have fireworks spitting out of their eyes as they glared at each other in contempt. Amongst the clan members these two people had a really bad relationship like: cats and dogs. Kaizen has ambitions in rising through the ranks one day and will one day attempt to overtake Tsubaki’s position.
The two people remained in that position for a little white, but before long, perhaps Tsubaki lost her patience and she broke eye contact.
「I suppose, someone of my caliber would be unable to represent such an honored being. However, Sakura」 (Tsubaki Speaking)
Whilst continuing to glare at Kaizen, Tsubaki spoke to Sakura.
「Unable to accomplish the simple task you were assigned, is after all going to be a deplorable thing isn’t it?」
「…….Yes, I understand」
「Yes. Well I won’t ask exactly what it is that you understand. That’s because, I’m sure you understand?????the consequences of failure」
Tsubaki said this with a stiff expression.
Afterwards, the reports were finished and the meeting was adjourned.
Sakura whom was leaving the reception hall, boiled up in anger and blushed like an octopus. Without needing to say, this is because of Tsubaki’s constant threats that were thrown at her.
「That……..Old Bitch! 」
The amount of people who hated the existence known as Tsubaki was plenty abound within the clan, Sakura was also one of those people. It was true that Sakura was also involved in a power struggle, however it was a fact that she also purely disliked this woman named Tsubaki.
「However………The words the hag said also had some truth to it. Starting a new project yet being unable to put out any results is….」
As she was thinking such things, the figure of the three sisters and the figure of the young boy who protected them floated in her mind.
The only reason the plan was not going as she planned was solely because of the young boy obstructing her. If she was able to somehow get him out of the way, the results would be favorable immediately.
First I must think of a way to deal with him…………..As Sakura was thinking about these things, a young man’s voice could be heard calling her from the back.
「Sakura-sama, I have a report to make」
When she turned around, a young man whom was her subordinate was standing there. Sakura immediately rebuild her state of mind, and listened to the report of her subordinate.
「……….What is it? 」
「The man in question, Natsuno Taiyou is coming towards us」
「He is?」
Her calm expression wavered just a little bit. The young boy she was just thinking about, the one that put her in this difficult situation. By no means did she ever expect/imagine the fact that he would of his own accord come towards her domain.
「What has he come here for?」
「I don’t know, he is still just outside out front gate」
「………At any rate, we must drive him away」
「Ummm…….That is」
The man was reticent, as if he still had something to say, it made Sakura frown and pucker up her eyebrows.
「What’s wrong?」
「That is………There is a particular image that we captured from our camera’s….」
The man had eyes filled with fear.
「『Shirokiyami』she is also with him」
「—tsu!!」(Surprise)
The moment that name was mentioned, Sakura’s face started to clearly shake/tremble.
Sakura came out of the mansion, and the image she presented was the same appearance she had previously when she first met Taiyou. It was a perceptive gaze that could send shivers up your spine. A tight suit skirt that depicted a capable woman that brought out an atmosphere of professionalism.
To her appearance, there was a certain kind of anticipation for Taiyou.
Without knowing what Taiyou’s real intentions were, Sakura approached Taiyou to a distance where her voice could reach him, she also brought along her underlings in black with her.
「Natsuno Taiyou」
「Junishima Sakura」
「I shall ask you without holding back, you, what have you come here for?」
「There is something I must request. No, it would be good if this could all be settled with a mere request」
「Yes, so what kind of thing are you suggesting?」
Unlike when he first met Sakura, she spared no time to talk in pleasantries and immediately asked for Taiyou’s intentions. Taiyou was feeling a sense of incompatibility and a disappointed feeling but he directly answered her question nonetheless.
「I want you to stop targeting the three sisters completely」
「I refuse, is that all you have come here to say?」
「……..Ahh」
Taiyou nods. Was Sakura’s true personality really this cold? The feeling of incompatibility within Taiyou grew more and more. Without even giving it a single thought and without hesitation, Sakura was succinctly giving him a straight answer. He started to wonder if something changed, or if this was her true personality.