Reunion

When Rikka woke up, she woke up to a pair of amethyst-colored eyes staring at her. Rikka blinked immediately, recognizing the woman. Brown hair and amethyst jewel-colored eyes, fair skin. "Terashima Sumire?"

The older woman chuckled. "Correct."

So the one who found them was Terashima Sumire. A relieved sigh passed her lips. She recalled being stung by a poisonous snake and collapsing. Then she saw a cloaked figure approach them. Rikka was positive that those people caught them, and she would wake up in a terrible state again.

But thankfully, that isn't the case here. Her entire body felt weak, and she could barely move her leg. But this pain is proof that she made it.

Sumire brushed her fingers across her forehead. "Hmmm, I think the antidote is working, but you will still have a fever for a while. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes," Rikka trailed off. She seemed very startled at how kindly this person was treating her.

She is the reason why her daughter couldn't have a peaceful marriage.

Wait, she may be safe. But Haruka was trailing behind her, wasn't he? Did he get to safety too? Before she could ask, she heard grumbling and saw a man with long brown colored hair on the opposite couch.

Rikka weakly made her way over, and she burst into tears when she saw the gunshot wounds on his body. Even though he does not remember her anymore, he still shielded her. It was painful for her to see them torture Haruka every day, but what hurts the most is knowing they tortured him to the point he became a lifeless doll.

"He doesn't remember anymore," Rikka mumbled.

Sumire frowned. "Excessive torture?"

Rikka nodded, and the older woman shook her head. "This is the first time even for me seeing excessive torture leading to this." Sumire turned to Haruka and bent down. She brushed her fingers across his forehead like she did with her.

"What are you-"

"I'm going to make the pain go away. I will erase it from his memory. The external wounds will be hard to treat, but at the very least, I can get rid of his suffering a little bit."

Erase his memory of the time they tortured him. If she does that, then whatever remains of her in Harukas heart will vanish too. Even though he stopped talking, to a certain degree, he still remembered who she was. He even protected her.

Rikka clenched her fist. But would she rather have him recall the times they tortured him? The times they drugged him to do it with her? She would rather have them erase it.

Right this moment, a man with silver-colored hair walked in. He looked slightly different from when she last saw him, but she recognized Austin Kiryu immediately.

The man looked frantic, and it was clear that he ran here. "Sumire-san, were you joking? Did you find-" Kiryu stopped mid-sentence when their gaze met. He turned to the couch and immediately slumped down. "Haruka is alive."

"I don't think this can be called living. Come here, Kiryu-kun, look."

Rikka watched as Austin Kiryu's gaze darkened as he looked at the wounds on Haruka's body.

"Damn them. I'm going to-"

"Do nothing." Sumire finished. "Kiryu-kun, do you know how unstable your condition is? Besides, if you make any careless movements and Rosalia-chan finds out, you will end up in a worse state. I cannot allow the three of you to fall in their hands, so stay put here until I figure things out, alright?"

"Yes."

"And Rika-chan." Sumire turned to her with a gentle smile. "I will visit you every day, and we can have a bit of a chat. Oh, I will make snacks too, so make sure you are comfortable."

A chat and snacks? Rikka blinked, surprised at the older woman's words. Why isn't she mad? This is mainly her fault. It is because she stupidly believed that her cousin wouldn't betray Haruka. No matter how much she liked him, Rikka didn't think she would throw Haruka into the lion's den.

But she recalled how that same woman kidnapped her from the hospital and even tried to make her undergo plastic surgery to look like Lila. Thankfully she managed to get out of it. But instead, Sophia changed her plan and got that woman who liked Haruka to impersonate her instead.

The night Haruka first came, it stunned her. She didn't think it was him at first, but when he said with a foolish smile. 'Hey, I found you; this is the real one, I am sure.' Rikka immediately understood what had happened.

Sophia is despicable; no, she has already fallen beyond that point. How could she do this to her relative and to the man she supposedly loves?

Kiryu grumbled but then turned to her. "Why did you run from Shichiro in the market? You could have asked for help right then."

Right at the market, she had vague recollections of it due to the situation. She took a deep breath. Now that it has come this far, there is no use glossing everything over. Besides, it would be better to tell them everything rather than keep it to herself.

"At that time, I was drugged heavily and was being monitored. I was only able to go out because I had to meet clients."

Despite that vague term, Rikka knew they understood since Austin Kiryu looked angrier.

"Tsk, that's something that a crazy woman would think of."

Crazy woman? Does he mean Miyazawa Rosalia? Indeed it isn't Sophia's style to do something like this. But what if that is the case? Sophia still handed them over.

It doesn't change what she has done. Rikka unconsciously shuddered at the thought of her cousin. 'How could she sell me out? It is not like I have ever mistreated her.' When so many people looked down on her, she never left her side.

Rikka always felt something wrong with Sophia, even more so after she introduced Haruka to her. But naturally, she didn't think much of it at the time.

Before Rikka could say anymore, somebody else waltzes into the room. "Kiryu, I'm back--!"

Her eyes widened when she saw a woman with black curly hair and amethyst-colored eyes.

It was Terashima Lila, Harukas wife.

"Uh, we have guests?" Lila trailed off. The girl's gaze automatically fell on Haruka. The moment she saw him, Rikka watched as she burst into tears.

"Ah? Uh…. I'm so sorry, I don't know."

Rikka's eyes widened when Haruka took a step forward and walked over. He extended his hand out and brushed his fingertips across the girl's eyelids.

"Don't cry."

This--- his voice?

She felt her heartbeat increase when she heard him speak. How much time has passed since she last heard that voice? 'I thought I heard him earlier, but I cannot be too sure. But right now, the evidence is directly in front of me.' All Haruka has to do is meet Lila again, and he will get better.

That was the thought that kept her determined to escape. But who would have thought she would see the results so quickly?