048. The Stage of Tragedy

“As long as you offer just a little warmth from your heart...”

Wakaba Mutsumi gazed calmly at Motis before her.

Motis now truly possessed a certain actor’s talent, or perhaps she had always been a natural-born performer who had only just found her own path in the art.

Her expression remained as before, even more vivid than at the start:

“Mutsumi, now that you’ve come this far, you can hear the sounds from the banquet hall, can’t you?”

“Listen, they’re discussing family education, and you’re even part of their conversation.”

“Think back to those childhood banquets—did you attend many? But were you truly happy?”

“With so many people around, why do you still feel lonely?”

“Mutsumi!”

She reached out her hand once more.

“For some, a single donut is enough to stave off loneliness; for others, learning a piece of music keeps it at bay. Some find comfort in tending flowers or raising cats and dogs.”

“But we’re different—we’re monsters with many faces.”

Motis looked at Wakaba Mutsumi with eyes that cut like blades.

“You’ve tried so many things, yet loneliness still clings to you.”

“When we were children, we watched a Noh play called ‘Matsukaze.’”

“Though it’s a tale of ghosts and spirits, the performance felt inexplicably real.”

Her tone slowed, as if the film itself had been slowed to a crawl.

“The two female leads waited endlessly for their exiled husband’s return—one day, two days, three days...”

“Until they threw themselves into the sea, their souls trapped by obsession, eventually fading away into nothingness.”

“Life is finite; no matter how brilliant one’s existence, the soul will one day extinguish itself. But if even the soul is imprisoned, then what meaning does a radiant life hold?”

Motis laughed heartily, then abruptly silenced herself.

“Do you know why you’ve never broken down?”

“Because you’ve always held onto a sliver of hope—that one day, you might find the answer to loneliness.”

“But... we have only each other!”

“Come now, Mutsumi, trust me just once. Only once.”

“I will flawlessly handle this banquet for you, and I won’t let Lady Minami feel alarmed. There will be no charge—for only friends can make such a promise.”

Under the weight of these emotions, Motis’s face grew vivid with life.

Behind her stood Kan’ami, Zeami, Nakamura Jakushi, and Ichikawa Danjūrō—masters of classical Japanese theatre, all possessing her in spirit.

At this moment, Motis was no longer a mere puppet.

---

“Come, Mutsumi.”

She extended her invitation again.

“Just a little warmth from your heart... such a worthwhile bargain.”

Silence—

Time seemed to freeze.

One second...

Two seconds...

Three seconds...

Wakaba Mutsumi twitched slightly, as if about to reach out her hands.

Motis smiled.

She naturally moved her hand closer—

But then—

Whoosh—

Suddenly, an invisible domain enveloped the entire Wakaba estate.

Mutsumi was pulled back as if a drowning person dragged from the depths, jolted from her trance.

Just as she was about to cry out, a hand clamped over her lips.

“Shh, don’t make a sound.”

Nagumo Uzuki grabbed her from around the corner, dragging her into the shadowy corner beneath the staircase.

“It’s me.”

He looked at the puzzled Mutsumi and smiled softly.

“I wish your reaction to seeing me was joy, excitement, happiness—not ‘how the hell did you get in here?’”

He joked lightly, then gently withdrew his hand.

“Be careful. Wait a minute, then we’ll leave together.”

Mutsumi obediently nodded and shifted slightly into the narrow space beneath the stairwell.

A faint smile appeared on her face, then vanished almost instantly.

Nagumo Uzuki noticed and thought silently:

“If I’m not mistaken, this is only the third time I’ve seen her actually smile.”

Lost in thought, the ‘Edict’ domain still stretched around them.

Before entering the Wakaba estate, Nagumo had spent his last two skill points on the ‘Edict’ authority.

With the power of [Forbidden Domain: LV3], [Abyss of Mind: LV2], and [Illumination: LV2], the ‘Edict’ granted him near-perfect concealment, undetectable by ordinary people.

In fact, he could have walked openly into the estate—his attire was formal, specially changed for the banquet.

The maid who admitted him, influenced by the ‘Edict,’ instinctively believed he was a guest, letting him pass without suspicion. No one guessed he never intended to enter the banquet hall.

Nagumo whispered:

“I’ve timed it. Soon, a maid will enter the lounge to serve drinks.”

“Your estate is truly vast. Thankfully, you showed me the stairs from the basement before.”

“There’s still some distance between here and the hall. When I grab your hand, just follow me.”

“Let’s go...”

Wakaba Mutsumi ignored the seemingly impossible plan and simply nodded.

Within the ‘Edict’ domain, nothing escaped Nagumo’s perception.

He knew every blind spot and crevice of the Wakaba estate.

Meanwhile, guided by [Abyss of Mind], most guests in the banquet hall were growing a little drowsy, attributing their haze to the wine.

---

Inside the banquet hall,

Nanami Sakurai suddenly felt something was off.

Originally named Aiko Fuyutsuki, she had taken the name Nanami Sakurai after marrying the previous head of the Sakurai family.

Though not originally from the Yatsuki eight clans, she was still a mixed-blood with A-grade lineage.

Her bloodline gave her superior physical constitution, so she seldom felt intoxicated even after drinking.

Tonight’s banquet featured mild wines, catered for the ladies’ tastes—mostly sweet and sake.

Could such drinks cause intoxication?

Nanami narrowed her eyes.

She sipped her wine again, listening carefully to the chatter.

Just then, she heard a faint ‘click’—like a door opening.

But in her line of sight, a Wakaba maid was simply opening a bottle of wine with a corkscrew.

The sound of the corkscrew seemed to mimic the ‘click’ she heard.

Perhaps the recent family troubles had worn her out.

Her thoughts momentarily cut off, Nanami shook her head and dismissed the unease.