Chapter 471
The Past
If you were to ask a mother if she is interested in the woman her son likes, the answer would definitely be yes.
The problem is that Karasuma Mochizuki and Goldvasel have a delicate relationship. If an ordinary mother asks her son a few more questions about the woman he likes, the son might become impatient or rebel. This is even more true in a situation like hers, where she has never raised a son since her divorce and both of them have questionable backgrounds.
Therefore, Karasuma Mochizuki decided not to interfere, but only to offer some advice on minor matters—such as gifts or dating locations.
Goldwasser seemed to like her very much.
He didn't call Karasuma Mochizuki as often as he used to, but he mentioned that woman much more often during their conversations.
One day, he happily told her that she had finally agreed to go on a date with him.
However, she was busy during the day, so their date had to be at night, in the wild, for a night hunt.
Karasuma Mochizuki had to remind him that his identity was special and it was too dangerous for him to go to such a place late at night. Moreover, his concern for her might bring trouble upon her.
His reply was: "No, I remember telling you that she saved me during that attack. She twisted everyone's heads off with her bare hands, like unscrewing a bottle cap."
Karasuma Mochizuki: "..."
The divorced mother couldn't help but ask, "Is there something wrong with her identity? Could she be deliberately trying to get close to you?"
Could it be an assassin sent by someone in the family who dislikes Godvasel?
“She is my Aphrodite, and our meeting was guided by Cupid’s arrow,” Goldvasel said immediately. “Mom, I’ve already thought about it. When we have children in the future, we will name them according to mythology.”
Karasuma Mochizuki: "..."
Did he understand what she meant...? Having survived from that family, he must know what she was referring to, right? But he didn't want to care.
This son is very willful, something Karasuma Mochizuki has gradually noticed through their interactions over the past few days.
Sometimes, he will do anything he likes, even if he knows there is danger behind it, danger that could even endanger his life.
And without any regrets.
……
Karasuma Mochizuki had forgotten from which day that Godivaser suddenly stopped mentioning that woman.
She didn't ask any further questions.
In recent years, she has focused all her attention on her daughter, Karasuma Sakura, whom she raised herself. Now that her daughter is grown up, she is about to take the college entrance exam.
Thanks to Karasuma Mochizuki's diligent protection, his daughter remained as pure and radiant as cherry blossoms in early spring, completely unaware of the organization's existence.
She said that Japan has been experiencing an economic crisis in recent years, making it increasingly difficult for young people in the country to find jobs. Therefore, she wanted to study in the United States, which would also be a good opportunity to see her brother whom she hadn't seen for many years and spend some time with him.
A few days later, Karasuma Mochizuki, with a hesitant attitude, tentatively brought up the matter in a phone call.
"That's great."
Goldwasser was now an adult in his twenties, and his voice no longer carried the lightness and energy of the past; it had become much more composed.
He was as straightforward as ever: "Let her choose any school she likes to take the exam. If she doesn't get in, I'll donate a building and money to that university to get her admitted. Graduation won't be a problem."
Karasuma Mochizuki silently swallowed the words, "No need, her grades are alright." It was a good thing that her son was willing to take care of his sister, whom he'd barely met. She composed herself and stated her true request: "You..."
She whispered Godivaser's real name, which she rarely used, and then said, "Please don't let her know about the organization."
Goldwasser paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, "You plan to never tell her?"
“Yes.” Karasuma Mochizuki said firmly, “I haven’t let her find out about the organization’s existence in the past few years. She doesn’t know what I’m doing, she doesn’t know anything about the Karasuma family, and I’ve never told her what you’re doing right now.”
This time, Godivaser remained silent for a longer period.
Just when Karasuma Mochizuki thought he was going to refuse, he said, "Mom, if that's what you want, then okay. I won't tell her on my own initiative, and I'll usually advise her to stay away from dangerous areas."
"However, that's all." He changed the subject. "If she accidentally bumps into someone from the organization, there's nothing I can do."
Karasuma Mochizuki felt half relieved: "That's enough."
Whether the United States is safe or not depends entirely on the area. In wealthy neighborhoods, there are police patrolling at the entrances, and even ordinary homeless people cannot get close.
The organization's members either disguise themselves as ordinary people and live in ordinary communities, or they frequent areas with poor security, and are rarely found in wealthy neighborhoods.
She wasn't worried about being recognized by the organization based on her appearance. Her children didn't look alike; Goldwasser looked more like her and his Asian heritage was immediately apparent, while her daughter, judging by her appearance alone, actually looked more like a native American girl.
Karasuma Mochizuki never expected that her seemingly well-planned arrangements would lead to an accident three years later.
"Mom, I want to stay in America," her daughter told her on the phone. "I've fallen in love with a man."
Then she recounted how they met. She went to church to volunteer and didn't get back until very late that day. On her way back, she was ambushed and intercepted by homeless people who had been collecting food that afternoon. Just as she was about to be dragged away, a passing car stopped, and the driver got out to stop the violence.
"He is simply the most handsome man I have ever seen. He is also a judge, and I have seen him on television."
The daughter's voice carried a sweetness that seemed familiar to Karasuma Mochizuki.
"I want to marry him; I will never marry anyone else in this life."
These words sounded familiar, as if I had heard them somewhere before.
Karasuma Mochizuki was in a bad mood. This morning, the scientist couple she had planned to recruit had just rejected her, and now her daughter was in trouble.
She first comforted her daughter with a few words, without saying whether she was against or in favor of the call. After hanging up, she immediately called her son.
After listening to the whole story, Goldwasser gave a curt "Oh," his voice devoid of emotion: "So it was him."
Karasuma Mochizuki's heart skipped a beat again: "You know him?"
“He is a member of the organization. I personally recruited him a few years ago, and I helped him get to his current position. His original identity was a bit troublesome, but now he has changed his surname and created a completely new identity. He is now considered a member of this family... As for his age, he is more than ten years older than Sakura.”
Godivassel never liked being a riddle-maker and directly revealed the other person's identity.
The next second, he dropped another bombshell:
"By the way, he's also my child's uncle."
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
The pacing of these chapters has been off. The story of the protagonist's parents was supposed to be at the end, but once I started writing, I couldn't stop, and I don't want to make major revisions... (End of this chapter)