"Young Mistress."
A maid greeted her with a bouquet of beautiful fresh red roses. It was a big bouquet with a small white card between it.
[I'm sorry but I need my yellow box]
Kahina lips twitched to the note. Shameless man! She thought of changing her strategy to concede with his demand but now he flirts with her with this flower and sweet note. She thought women were the most difficult creature to understand but it seems this man much more complicated. If he thinks he can treat her like a ball, he is wrong. Kahina admitted she lowered her pride to chase a man but she read a lot of novels and watched a lot of drama to know if a person didn't pursue the thing he truly wanted then it will complicate the situation. She believes by saying it out loud your desire then it is much easier for it to come true.
She walked to her room and put the roses in a vase and placed it on her dresser. She took the card and reread it repeatedly. There is something off with the note. Touma was not a simple man, and for him to ask for a yellow box wasn't his personality either. Kahina felt like he was sending her a hidden message but she can't figure what it is. She flipped the card a few times but nothing come to her mind.
'Maybe I overthink about it..."
She grabbed Mr Teddy and hugged it. "Mr Teddy, please tell your master I'm confused. He kept on rejecting me but now he asks for more chocolate. Isn't he selfish?"
"And tell him I will not give up. Never!"
Even if she wanted to she can't. Her heart wouldn't listen to her. At least she must make sure Touma live a happy life even without her.
Suddenly the knocks from the door startled her.
"Young Mistress! Someone wants to meet you. She said she had something important to tell," Han's voice echoed from behind the door. She walked out and straight walked to the courtyard. Kahina saw a woman and a boy kneeling on the ground. She was wearing worn-out clothes and so does the boy. Kahina doesn't recognise both of them but the way they look at her she understands. They were terrified. It was shown from her trembling hands and lips. The woman looks like in her mid-thirty and they boy like ten years old. Kahina stared at their faces tried to recall the faces but she was sure she never met both of them.
"Han, why are they on their knees?" Kneeling wasn't something they simply do. It will strip them from their dignity and pride and for this young woman to do this, then she must commit something wrong.
"She was the girlfriend of the culprit from your accident and he was their son." That is why she can't recognise them.
"Please stand up. That poor child will hurt his knees." When she saw the child's face soaked with tears, her heart softened. The boy was so thin and pitiful but the woman remained on her position with no intention to stand. Kahina just let her sigh out and not to force her.
"Tell me what do you want to talk about?"
"Young... Mistress... I come to ask for your forgiveness and to tell you everything I know. When you decide to help my child after his father killed your man, I am grateful. When your men come barging our door and dragged us to Oyabun, I thought our life was over but you forgive us and decided to pay for his heart operation, I lost my word. You are an angel."
Kahina listened to every word she spoke. Indeed, she let her go and helped the boy for his operation but it was not out of her pure heart but it was easy to gain people trust with kindness than force. When she found out the reason the culprit willing to sacrifice his life to save his boy's life, then that was the moment she decided to make the boy's life hers. Plus, she still needs to pay everything back if she wants to claim her freedom. None of it was making Kahina an angel at all. She did nothing except giving the order, Han did the rest. That is why she can't recognise them.
"Don't fret over it. The boy is innocent and I don't think it is appropriate for him to pay for his parents' sin but you do realise you need to pay everything back, right?" It wasn't Kahina intention to get back the money she spent for the boy but she wanted the woman to be clear, her life was not hers anymore. Debt is the biggest and strongest rope to tie people and make them succumb to her demand.
"I know, and even if you ask for my life, I'm willing to give it to you. You are my saviour and my life is yours."
Kahina smiled satisfied with her response but that wasn't she wanted to hear.
"Tell me, why are you here today?"
She extended a USB driver to Kahina. Kahina signalled Han to take it and he immediately vanished for a moment and come back with a laptop.
"These are all the recorded conversation between my boyfriend and the woman that hired him. He made it as a backup if she back out from her words. I didn't know about it until it was sent to me this morning."
"Who was the sender?" To answer Kahina's question, the woman pulled out an envelope and handed to Kahina.
"I don't know who sent it but the sender's name written there was my boyfriend himself."
Kahina inspected the envelope but nothing out of ordinary caught her eyes. Once again, she passed it to Han and Han immediately know what to do.
"Is there anything else? If not, let my man send you back. Thank you for this." Then Kahina approached the boy and gave him five thousand yen. He hesitated to receive it but after he saw her mother nodded to him, he took it with a smile.
"Take care of your mother. You are my shatei now, so walk with pride."
The boy's eyes dilated to Kahina's words. He was a boy with nobody to rely on but when he heard Kahina called him as her people; he felt the sense of pride and that moment he promised himself, he will serve her for his entire life.