Substitute

Lila rang the bell on the side and informed the servants outside to fetch her some stuff from her office. She sent word to allow Soichiro to chair the meeting for her too.

'I did consider leaving for the meeting once he was asleep. But he won't feel good waking up and not seeing me around.'

The servants return with her laptop and folders. Lila quickly went back to work.

Lila didn't bother looking at the caller ID. She already knew who it was even without looking.

"How's Zane?"

Kiryu laughed. "I see you're not asking about my condition."

"I'm angry that you just rushed off without telling me the truth."

"You know I had my reasons. If I told you, you would have rushed off."

"Kiryu, are you okay?"

She heard laughter, and Lila sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just a bit frustrated. Haruka showed up here with some strange woman-"

"Haruka is there?"

"Mmm," Lila explained things from the start.

For a moment, Kiryu is silent, but he eventually speaks up. "I'll send Nobuhiko over first thing in the morning to have a look. But you don't have to worry, Lila; you're Haruka's partner."

"How can you be so sure about that?"

"I saw your original mark. It was during our ceremony. I thought I was mistaken. How could we conduct the ceremony if you already have a partner? The moment I tried it, lightning would strike me for taking someone else, partner. But that is not what happened."

Instead, there was confirmation that they could proceed with it. But now that she thought it through, mother had an odd look on her face when she came out.

Asuka-san looked conflicted as well.

Perhaps they know something about this? It won't be easy to contact her mother now. But Asuka-san did say she would be free to talk anytime.

"Kiryu, are you okay with telling me this?"

At those words, Kiryu laughed weakly. "Well, me keeping it a secret for any longer will destroy my consciousness. Moreover, your desire towards Haruka's blood became obvious."

"That's true." Lila trailed off. "Even if I tell myself that you don't mind anymore, I still ask such stupid questions."

"Nothing you say or do is stupid, Lila."

'He can say that so easily and so quickly too.' "You shouldn't have so much faith in me, Kiryu."

"But I do."

See? There is that confident reply again. Kiryu is truly a nice guy. Perhaps she would have returned to his side if she was a normal person. Perhaps if she met Kiryu first- Lila shook her head. No even if she had met Kiryu before Haruka, she doubted the outcome would be any different. The three of them would have still ended up this way.

…

After Soichiro told her just the other day about Kiryu's circumstances, she did not expect to see him for a while, but who knew he would come with Nobuhiko? Lila stopped herself from asking about his wellbeing. She managed to refrain from asking last night, so she knew she could do the same today too.

She and Haruka sat on one sofa, miss Cecilia, Nobuhiko on one. Kiryu on one of the individual chairs on the left.

"Miss Cecilia, is it? Could you show me your mark?" Nobuhiko asked.

The girl did so, and Haruka too.

"It does look the same. Have you two drunk each other's blood? How is it?

"Oh I drank." Cecilia said shyly."Haru hasn't--"

This reaction made her snap the pen she had in her hand in half. Even though she felt reassured

"Hey Haruka, how can we be sure if you don't drink?"

'I won't drink another woman's blood.'

Is it because of her? Two months ago, they did have that conversation before he left. But Lila knew it would be difficult to keep considering his situation.

"Even if the mark looks the same, there is a high chance it's wrong. Besides, Lila had this mark as a child." Kiryu commented.

"Huh? Did she?"

"Yeah, it just faded away because she made a new contract. Byt, I think it should reappear if she remembers what happened then."

"Where was it?"

Kiryu pointed at her neck, and Nobuhiko walked over and examined her.

"Hmmm, he's right. There was a mark here. It's in the same place as Haruka's, so it's clear Lila-san is his partner."

A relieved sigh passed her lips.

"Then, what's with this girl?"

"I think it's a temporary mark until Lila-san recalls her memories of that time."

Her memories, huh? Although she recalls the time, they started dating in light town. The memories Nobuhiko is referring to is the one from their childhood.

Unlike before, she does recall snippets of the past, but it's not enough.

"Will her real mark show then?" Haruka asked on behalf of the silent Cecilia.

"Yeah, this girl should already have a partner who isn't you."

"Then that's fine. She can stay here." Kiryu suggested.

A dark aura wrapped around her, and she glared at Kiryu.

"It's just in case something goes wrong with Haruka."

Haruka grabbed hold of her hand and said with a bright smile. "I guess I will count on you to save me, my wife."

Lila laughed softly. "Right."

For some reason, all the anger she had just now vanished. Whenever Haruka smiles at her, all her worries vanish.

"But really, Lila-san, I have to ask a few questions. Do you not remember anything?"

"I remember snippets," Lila admitted. "But it comes and goes. The memory itself doesn't stay in my head for long. So I tend to write it down. But every time I look back at my own notes, I don't understand what I have written." She took out a small notebook from her pocket.

"Here."

Haruka grabbed it before Nobuhiko could see. "I'll check it."

Uh, why is he acting so secretive? Lila noticed he wasn't going to open it in front of everyone, so she dropped the subject.

"Also, this is something I heard from Kouta-kun yesterday. It seems Mikami is missing. However, it does not seem like anybody from Sophia's side has captured him either. He just didn't return to the meeting spot once the time was over."

Haruka sighed deeply; a troubled look appeared on his face. "If I had the reigns to move, I could tell you where he could possibly be."

"Soichiro."

The bright blue-haired man, who was silent this entire time, spoke up. "Alright, you sure do ask for troublesome favors, my dear."

"Try to be low key about it."

"How difficult."

"Not really. I'll be coming with you."

'I can't let anything bad happen to Mikami.' If something happens to him, Kasumi would be devastated.

"Kiryu, could you"

Lila glared at Haruka, and he squeezed her hands. "My wife, I'm just worried about you."

Even if that's the case, he shouldn't ask Kiryu! Kiryu likes her.

"I'm afraid I have to decline."

Huh? Lila blinked, surprised. Oh, wait, Soichiro did say Kiryu was supposed to be gone for a while? But if that is the case, he shouldn't have been able to attend this meeting. Lila thought back to their conversation last night.

Could it be that he is sick?