Notwithstanding Tsubaki whose face became deadly pale, Mr. Souma continued.
"I did instruct my subordinates to bring you to me, but those fools thought I wanted to confine you at the factory. Why do I have to dirty myself with such an act? It's better for them to directly bring you to me to the city. I'd just expose myself if I dilly-dallying in bringing you to me."
Tsubaki ignored what he said. She directly focused on the important part.
"You said you wanted to check if I could help my mother... That's why you need to draw my blood?"
Mr. Souma nodded. He got up from where he sat, turned around and walked toward the closed windows. He stood with his back facing the couple.
When he spoke again, his voice was calm.
"You have seen for yourself how bad your mother is. She has leukemia and so far, there's no matching donor for her. What I did that year, she didn't know about it. She even begged me to not approach you with this intention in mind."
Tsubaki bit her lower lip. She let her mind slowly sank the man's words in. It was too much for her to bear but, she forced herself to keep going.
"Then, did you know... if I'm eligible to help or not? Or, my mother got to know about my involvement and pressure you to let me go?"
Countless things flashing in her mind. To Tsubaki, Mr. Souma was more than able to use the time when she was in a coma to conduct a test. She didn't know if it's possible or not, but he had plenty of time.
After the accident, she was in a short period of coma before she woke up without any memories a year prior. Satsuki was worried yet he didn't mention him about Ren or anything. Even Aunt Touko and Uncle Kiyonaga did the same.
"Both happened," Mr. Souma glanced at Tsubaki through the back of his shoulders, "Your mother knew of my plan. As usual, she asked me to not come close to you. Another thing was, you're not suitable to help her, which inadvertently relieved her."
"We didn't match?" Tsubaki was horrified.
Mr. Souma pursed his lips. He didn't nod nor shake his head.
The answer was obvious.
Tsubaki lowered her eyes. She felt as if her entire body was drained out of energy. Her lungs also felt like they were burned, almost suffocating her. Ren quickly supported Tsubaki when she slumped forward.
"Easy, take a deep breath," He slowly led her, "In, out, in..."
Tsubaki did as she was told. She grasped one of Ren's hands that were holding her shoulders. She kneaded her hand and gave him a weak smile.
"I think... I want to see my mother."
Ren nodded despite he felt reluctant to let her meet the woman lying inside the inner room.
Tsubaki declined his offer when Ren asked if she wanted his company. Since she had said so, he just relented to her.
Ren quietly watched Tsubaki entered the inner room. Once the door was closed once again, he shifted his attention to Mr. Souma who was still standing next to the windows. His eyes darkened instantly.
"We have to talk," Ren nodded toward the door, "Only two of us."
Mr. Souma shrugged indifferently. He followed the young man as Ren strode toward the door. The two men got out of the room and took their seats at the benches placed alongside the hallway.
"Are you sure it's good to talk here?" Mr. Souma glanced at the empty hallway, "Anyone could come, do you know?"
"This part of the building is the farthermost than most rooms," Ren answered nonchalantly, "If people heard, so be it. They wouldn't understand it either way."
Mr. Souma hummed. He crossed one leg over the other and leaned comfortably against the backrest of the bench.
"Just ask," He said in a low voice, "I know you've been dying to ask me some questions."
"You've found Tsubaki for more than a decade. I don't believe it if you said you only knew about it weeks before that fox kidnapped me back to the city."
Ren's question was direct. He glanced at the older man and waited for his answer.
"I've known it was the First Young Master of Fuse Household in the first week you stepped into the village," Mr. Souma replied without concealing anything, "Ah, I remembered that I was startled when my assistant showed me your photo."
"You didn't immediately point out my whereabouts to my family. Why?"
"I wanted to watch the fun," Mr. Souma snickered, "A young master, whose life was filled with people catering to you, got ended up in a remote village. I wondered how well would you fare for yourself. Plus, I'm not that close to your family. I won't trouble myself by getting involved with your family's crisis."
Half of his reasons sounded plausible, the other was just an excuse.
Even though if suddenly Mr. Souma wanted to act as a benefactor to Fuse family because he found the disappeared heir, his action would actually put him into a mess. Mr. Souma had to explain how did he come across Ren who was hiding in a faraway village from the city.
If the matter was handle clumsily, or he arose suspicions even for a bit, his brother might think something was wrong and eventually, it would lead to the exposure of Tsubaki's existence.
"The one thing you said you wanted to separate us, I assume it's true," Ren's voice turned a degree colder, "The disparity between our statuses. You thought we would replicate the tragedy of your best friend with Fujioka Masami."
This time, Mr. Souma kept his silence. Even so, Ren took it as an affirmation.
"It seems like your family really welcome her as your wife," Mr. Souma murmured, "Contrary to how I have assumed before."
It was a rare case for the elders of a prominent family to easily accept an ordinary person into their kin. Usually, it wouldn't end up well. He had seen so many examples during his time in high society.
The fact that Old Madam Fuse welcomed a girl from a humble birth as the future mistress of the household, the wife to the family's heir, had created sensations in their circle, up until now.
"When did you check that my wife isn't a suitable donor for her mother?" Ren changed the subject.
"During her stay in the hospital," Mr. Souma glanced at him, "I was surprised when she suddenly lost her memories after the accident. Even until now, she still doesn't remember anything, is that right?"
Ren didn't bother to clarify him. So far, Tsubaki had remembered some fragments of that gruesome night. They had yet to be pieced together. But, he didn't think there was a need for Mr. Souma to know about them.
"My mother-in-law only has a year to live."
The sentence came out as a declaration instead of a question.
Ren had understood thoroughly Fujioka Masami's condition. She was in the palliative care stage. Nothing could help to heal her condition, even if they found a suitable donor. She had long passed the stage where she could be treated toward recovery.
Mr. Souma wandered his eyes until they fell on Fujioka Masami's ward, "You should be grateful that girl could finally meet her mother."
What this man said was true, but, his heart throbbed in pain at the thought of Tsubaki had to lose her mother after only briefly meeting her.
Twelve months weren't enough to make up for all the lost years between them.
Ren slowly stood up. His long shadow fell on the floor. He stared at Mr. Souma who was still sitting in a relaxed manner.
"You've played both the good and bad guy parts," Ren murmured.
Mr. Souma raised up his brows in a nonchalant way, "I'm not a saint."
"I wanted to hold you accountable for what you did to my wife but, I won't bother with you," Ren turned his back toward the man, "It's best if we don't meet each other again. Both you and your brother."
"You want to throw me away after I've outlived my usefulness?" Mr. Souma snickered.
"It's already benevolent enough for me to do this," Ren looked at him behind his shoulders, "Your methods were crude. Even though I'm itching to at least punch you once, my wife won't agree."
"I heard you keep that village head and that drunkard in surveillance?"
Ren drew a cold smile, "They would meet their fate soon."
Having said that, Ren took a step forward, heading to the room. He left that man alone in the hallway.
He had painstakingly suppressed the raging fire in his heart toward this man and his brother. If it was the old him, he wouldn't hesitate to create trouble for them. But, his situation had changed now.
Their children would enter his and Tsubaki's lives soon. He didn't want to dirty his hands by exacting revenge on them. From now until forever, he just wished for their small family to live in bliss, away from the stained of his and Tsubaki's dark pasts.
He had to protect their family.