Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 378 - 278: Urging Marriage

Chapter 378: Chapter 278: Urging Marriage

Itsuki Hiroyuki once said, "Kyoto is the country within the country of Japan."

From 794 AD, when Emperor Kanmu moved the capital to Heian-kyo (now Kyoto), to 1868, when Emperor Meiji moved it to Tokyo, for over a thousand years, Kyoto was consistently the capital of Japan, the gathering place of the Japan Imperial Family, court nobles, and aristocracy, serving as Japan’s political center for a long time.

If the various regions of Japan were personified, then Kyoto would be the true millennial aristocrat of Japan, possessing a cultural gene distinctly different from the ordinary sense of ’Japan.’

Perhaps in a few decades, Kyoto’s influence may gradually wane, becoming akin to a mascot for the Emperor. But in 1991, Kyoto still remained the homeland of major financial cliques and nobility, with many families’ ’main houses’ located there, and elderly family elders enjoying their twilight years in Kyoto.

During major holidays, the younger generation would return to the main house, and significant family decisions were also mandated by the main house.

If a family encountered a major crisis, or the direct descendants faced unsolvable problems, they would also return to Kyoto, seeking the assistance of the Family Head or family elders.

Just as at this moment, in the southern part of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, within the main hall of a private residence, Kujo Yua knelt on her seat.

She wore a simple white shirt and black trousers, her long hair neatly tied, her back straight, and her demeanor composed, her knees sunk into the Nishijin brocade, years of kneeling had worn the gold threads into a fine velvet, like scales of history peeling away.

In the center of the main hall stood an altar inscribed with the Kujo Family’s crest.

"Mutsumi-sama has arrived."

The young servant behind the door softly reminded.

Kujo Yua stood up, standing by the door to welcome the Family Head.

According to family rules, the women were required to kneel by the door to greet him. But even before leaving her home, she had stood, citing knee discomfort, greeting guests standing until they knelt before she sat down.

The sound of a wind chime echoed from the eaves, footsteps could be faintly heard approaching from the corridor.

Kujo Yua hesitated for a moment, then slowly knelt by the door. When the young servant drew the sliding door, she bowed her head slightly in greeting, "Father."

"Ah."

The wearer of a crest-patterned haori, his face aged but eyes sharp, was none other than the current Family Head, Kujo Mutsumi.

He stood at the door, paused for a moment upon seeing her, sighed lightly, and then seated himself on the other side of the tea table.

The young servant brought a charcoal stove, and Kujo Mutsumi personally brewed the tea. Until the water boiled and the tea steeped, they each took a sip before Kujo Mutsumi began to ask why his daughter had sought him out.

Kujo Yua had already prepared her words beforehand, maintaining politeness according to protocol, expressing longing for her father before proceeding to the main topic, saying only what she could.

...

Before leaving, Fushimi Roku made a call to Sazaki Gen. If he didn’t get back within 24 hours, Sazaki Gen was to contact Kujo Yua to inform her of Minamoto Tamako’s disappearance.

However, there was no need for Sazaki Gen to act; Kujo Yua had already learned of her daughter’s kidnapping on the day of the incident.

Because she had installed cameras early in the living room of the Sugamo Apartment, with a specialist upstairs responsible for monitoring — yet, when Shirakawa Miki took action, the specialist happened to be on break, awaking to see the surveillance footage and feeling as if the sky had fallen.

Concerned that Naoaki Minamoto’s tragedy might repeat, Kujo Yua did not make a grand display of searching, but under the guise of investigating murder, discreetly sent elite investigators to look into the matter... the details of which need not be elaborated upon, as the investigators were not idle, ultimately focusing their suspicions on the Aum Truth Sect.

Kujo Yua had heard of the Aum Truth Sect, which had been quite active recently. She had even received an "Invitation Letter," but paid it no mind. Now desperate to save her daughter, she sought records from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to discern which properties the Aum Truth Sect had acquired.

As expected, her investigation encountered obstacles.

Though she was the Deputy Director of the Police Department, she could not, without evidence, rush into the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to arrest people. It would have been less obstructive if it had just been a minor official in her way, but her rejection came directly from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Furthermore, the higher-ups implied for her to stop her investigation.

Were it not for being at her wit’s end, she would not have returned to her main house for help.

...

The head of the Kujo Family sipped from his cup, listened quietly to his daughter’s plea. Learning of his granddaughter’s disappearance, he remained calm, set down his teacup, and casually asked, "When was the last time...you returned home?"

"I don’t remember," Kujo Yua lowered her head, "over twenty years ago perhaps..."

"It was nineteen years ago, I held my granddaughter on February 16th. It’s April now, how quickly time flies." Kujo Mutsumi glanced at his daughter’s hair, "Have you aged?"

"Father is teasing, I am in my prime." Kujo Yua focused on the teacup in her hands.

"’In your prime’ describes men; you should say you’re youthful, or full of vitality..."

"I am in my prime," Kujo Yua interrupted.

Seeing his daughter stubbornly reiterate, Kujo Mutsumi sighed again, scratching his sparsely white hair, "Are you really going to keep arguing with me over such a thing?"

"I would never argue with Father." said Kujo Yua.

"Don’t talk like that, like a sharp-tongued old lady." Kujo Mutsumi attempted a jest, but it wasn’t very effective, and the atmosphere grew even heavier.

He paused, patted his thigh, and added, "I will make inquiries, seeing as Tamako is also my granddaughter."

The surface of the tea in Kujo Yua’s cup rippled, she could tell her father had not mentioned Tamako’s surname and had deliberately emphasized the word ’granddaughter.’

Seeing his daughter remain silent, Kujo Mutsumi continued, "Have you taken a liking to anyone recently?"

"I’m already over forty," Kujo Yua replied.

"You look just over thirty... Besides, you can find a partner even at a hundred. Forty is not even half of life; you should still enjoy your youth."

"How would a direct heir from a prestigious family want to marry a sharp-tongued woman?"

"Bringing a son-in-law is fine too."

"That wasn’t what you said at the beginning."

"After all... um..." Kujo Mutsumi clammed up in time. Even though he truly felt that women become less valuable as they age, sitting right in front of him was his own daughter, and such words could never be spoken out loud; just thinking it was enough.

He cleared his throat and changed the topic, "Tamako is twenty-two this year, right? She’s at the age to be married..."

"She says she’s busy with her career, aiming to become a famous police chief, and has no time for romance, telling me not to worry about these things," Kujo Yua said, indirectly criticizing.

Kujo Mutsumi couldn’t help but sigh heavily again, thinking to himself: isn’t that just like his daughter? And she’s like a poorly equipped version of little Yua... At least back then, little Yua had the target of becoming the Director of Police and was considered a heroine. But when it comes to his granddaughter, her ambition shrinks all at once, satisfied with just becoming a police chief...

As the family head, he had his considerations. At present, the most important thing for the Kujo family was no longer maintaining family status but figuring out how to expand branches and spur the younger generation to have more children.

He himself could no longer do it. Recently, he went to the hospital for a checkup and found out his sperm activity was zero; even if a lover were to get pregnant, it wouldn’t be the bloodline of the Kujo family. He didn’t want to raise someone else’s children either.

"What’s the point?"

Kujo Mutsumi put down the empty teacup, displayed the dignity of a family head, and frowned, "So many years have passed, and you should know by now, right? A woman’s never going to become the Director of Police! You’re indeed outstanding, but what’s the use of that? In the end, you’re still going to be stuck in the vice-director position for a lifetime!"

"Even if Tamako becomes the police chief, so what? Sooner or later, she’ll have to get married. After marriage, she’ll inevitably be unable to stay in the front lines, and in the end, either she transfers to a clerical position, or resigns to become a full-time housewife. It’s better to find a reliable man sooner and try to have more sons..."

Seeing his daughter remain silent, he earnestly said, "You know too, the third one isn’t up to much—having no skills is one thing, and to make it worse, all four of his children are daughters; the fourth one went to study in the United States and came back not knowing who he is, not manly nor womanly; and the collateral lines are even worse off, getting more desolate. Now only you can take up the mantle..."

Kujo Yua couldn’t take it anymore. She heavily placed the teacup down, splashing a few drops of boiling water. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave."

"This is the most important thing!" Kujo Mutsumi slapped the table and shouted.

"Then why don’t you give birth yourself?!" Kujo Yua retorted angrily.

"How dare you talk to your father like that!!"

Seeing his daughter about to argue, Kujo Mutsumi glared with anger, "Since you don’t take the words of the family head to heart, you might as well go find Tamako yourself!"

If it were before, once her father brought up his status as an elder and family head, she would have left without a word. Even if her father threatened to sever their father-daughter relationship, she wouldn’t hesitate for a second.

Kujo Yua was once as tough as iron, proud and stubborn.

But now, she was silent, her straight spine bent, as if pressed down by some invisible force.

Seeing his daughter like this, Kujo Mutsumi didn’t feel good about it either, and his anger subsided immediately.

But as the family head, he still had to say what needed to be said.

No matter if his daughter got angry at him or hated him, others could drop their responsibilities, but he couldn’t.

The main hall was silent for over ten seconds. Kujo Mutsumi sighed deeply again, boiled water to make tea, and said with his head bowed, "If you really don’t want to get married, I’m not going to force you... But you must promise me, don’t let Tamako end up like you."

"What do you mean by end up like me?" Kujo Yua demanded.

"Alone," Kujo Mutsumi said as he looked her up and down.

"I’m very content."

"’Content’ is a word used by men. Women should say ’I’m very happy.’

"I’m very content."

"Stop debating this," Kujo Mutsumi said impatiently, "In any case, Tamako must get married this year! The Fujiwara family has already brought up the matter with me..."

"Impossible," Kujo Yua refused firmly, well aware of the character of the only son of the Fujiwara family.

Kujo Mutsumi wanted to explode, but he was getting on in years, lacking the energy to argue after being angry once, only feeling particularly exhausted, "Then what am I supposed to say to the Fujiwara family? Tamako is currently single and of marriageable age; you should at least give me a reason to refuse the Fujiwara family, no?"

Saying this, he waved his hand and preemptively stated, "Don’t talk to me about love, that’s something women care about."

The pressure on Kujo Yua suddenly increased, and she found herself without an option, forced to resort to making things up, "Tamako already has someone she likes."

"Hmm?"

Kujo Mutsumi became interested, put down the teapot, and continued to ask eagerly, "Where is this person from? Do you have pictures? What is their personality like? What does their family do?"