Tanuki Rise of the Yokai Clan

"Are you okay with wine, Tamazuki-kun?"

"I don't mind."

Tamazuki sat on the sofa and watched Aoi pour red wine into a clear crystal glass.

Maybe because of his height, along with how he carried himself that he appeared older than he was, so Aoi had never thought that he was still in high school. Still, he didn't reject her offer and even accepted it.

As of now, they were in the study room inside the house that was located on the first floor near the guest room where he stayed.

Meanwhile, her daughter's room was on the second floor, and she had already fallen asleep.

Only the two of them were inside this room.

There were no other people, including her husband.

Yet, Aoi had never thought about how dangerous and ambiguous her situation was, or she might have noticed but pretended that she didn't notice. However, she only thought that she might not meet him again, so she just let loose her control and... she just wanted someone to talk to.

In the past year, her belief and love had been constantly tested.

Whether it was the matter of her second daughter or her husband who had to enter a dangerous war.

In the beginning, she thought that she had prepared herself to marry a "Mage" family.

After all, she was also a part of the "Mage" family, even though currently, her family lost the qualification to become one in this modern world.

Nevertheless, the pedigree inside her blood still existed, and it was why she became the wife of Tohsaka Tokiomi.

When she married him, everything was good. She loved her husband dearly, and she had two cute daughters. She spent all of her time on her family, wanting this happiness to continue forever, yet her husband didn't think so.

Her second daughter was sent and adopted into Matou's family under the arrangement of her husband.

Then, later, her husband needed to enter a dangerous war in this city, known as the Holy Grail.

As a woman who married into a "Mage" family, she should be ready, yet she realized she wasn't.

Her husband told her that she should forget about her second daughter, yet how could she be?

Tohsaka Sakura, now known as Matou Sakura, was her daughter.

She was born from her, and she had her blood.

They should be a family, yet her husband callously told her that she should forget about Sakura.

Yet, it was her husband's wish.

She endured and continued to become a loving mother who cared for her family.

She might have lost Sakura, but she still had Rin and her husband, so she wanted to take care of them dearly since they were her precious treasure, yet once again, she might lose that treasure.

Her husband needed to join a dangerous war known as the Holy Grail.

Even if her husband was confident, she couldn't erase the worry in her heart since she knew that her husband could die. Her husband could lose her life.

In this battle, everything was possible.

Yet, once again, she endured.

She endured it since she knew it was the price of becoming a wife of a "Mage."

Moreover, she still needed to take care of Rin.

If she couldn't be strong, who could take care of Rin?

Similar to her, Rin should have been worried, yet she didn't show it.

Aoi knew that, and she couldn't help but feel ashamed since, as a mother, she felt she was a failure, so she forced herself to become a qualified mother. Becoming a suitable wife of a "Mage," taking care of her family and house when her husband wasn't by her side.

Yet... yet... could she do it?

Sometimes, she couldn't fall asleep at night and just stared out the window in a daze or took a stroll around her neighborhood to ease the worry inside her heart.

Every night she wondered whether Sakura was alright.

Every night she wondered whether her husband was okay.

Every night she wondered whether she could take care of this family.

She was worried, and at the same time, she knew she was weak.

She needed someone by her side, and probably, Rin also realized that since she knew how smart her daughter was.

Probably that was also the reason why Rin told her to save Tamazuki when they saw him fall on the street and pass out.

Frankly, she didn't dare to do anything and just thought of leaving him, but Rin told her to save him, so she decided to agree, but unexpectedly, his presence had grown into something that eased her worry, and into a relationship where the two chatted together while drinking a glass of wine with ease.

"Tamazuki-kun, you have said that you were the only inheritor of "Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist"?"

"Yes."

In this world, he was the only one.

"Then, what about your teacher?"

He showed a lonely smile toward the window. "...he passed away."

"Sorry." Aoi quickly apologized.

"It's okay. It is sad since he is my only family, but it can't be helped."

It can't be helped...

It was like her case.

Similarly, she was also powerless since she knew she was unable to do anything to change the decision of her husband and to protect her family. While she didn't have a hobby of drinking alcohol, she wanted to numb her mind for now.

"Aoi-san, you shouldn't drink too much."

"It's okay. You will leave here after this, right? It is a rare moment."

"But..."

"How about you drink more."

He sighed helplessly but still accepted.

Still, because of their conversation, they were quiet and only sipped their wine in silence.

"Um... how do you deal with it?"

"How do you deal?"

"I mean... how do you deal with the loss of someone you care about?"

They were the same, and that was why she wanted to know how to deal with the problem where one lost someone important.

Tamazuki didn't answer this question immediately. He gently swirled the wine glass, watching the red liquid dance in the glass.

"I don't. Even if I don't want to and try my best to forget it, I can't do it since he often appears on my mind every time I close my eyes since I know that I can't meet them anymore. Those days in the past can't be repeated once again. Everything has disappeared.

"If you don't help me back then, it might not be bad to pass away to follow since I can't seem to find a reason to continue.

"However, I am still alive. There must be a meaning behind it. It might be nice if I could change my past, but I can't change it, so I will remember it for the rest of my life. It will become a lesson for me so it won't happen again in the future, and I won't have a similar regret."

He then laughed and apologized. "I'm sorry. My words might be strange and sound quite high and pretentious."

"No... it's okay since I understand."

She understood him well.

It would be nice if the past could change. Unfortunately... it wouldn't.

In the end, she could only do her best, so the same mistake wouldn't be repeated once again.

This time, she was going to protect her daughter.

The two then continued to drink quietly before it was time for him to say goodbye.

"Let me send you to the entrance."

Her face flushed red, and she stood up, but she staggered and almost fell.

"Are you okay?"

He quickly caught her, so she wouldn't fall.

However, because of this, they were so close at this moment. Their bodies heat, breath, and everything becomes ambitious.

Their eyes were locked on each other.

As a married woman, it was impossible for Aoi to do something so dirty and treacherous, so everything was his fault.

Tamazuki was a beast.

In front of such a charming married woman, he was unable to control his will.

Yet, Aoi couldn't refuse him, or did she not refuse him?

Nevertheless, his lips touched her lips before the two fell on the soft sofa in the study room, doing something that shouldn't be done when her daughter was sleeping.

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