Hatamoto Gozo had already used himself as bait to help his precious granddaughter completely seize control of the Hatamoto family.
But what he hadn't expected was that his granddaughter had her own plans, she had directly canceled the engagement with Takehiko.
This was truly beyond his expectations.
Still, there was nothing he could do. Some things had already been explained in advance.
Even so, Gozo Hatamoto remained deeply surprised.
The relationship between his beloved granddaughter and Takehiko had seemed good. He had seen it himself. It was precisely because Takehiko had potential as a future pillar of support that he had approved the marriage.
So why had Natsue so resolutely broken off the engagement after learning the truth about Takehiko?
Could the conversation have covered more than just Takehiko?
Gozo Hatamoto suddenly realized—
It must have been something else in that discussion that stimulated Natsue.
But what?
Gozo Hatamoto couldn't help but wonder.
Knock, knock, knock!
The sudden knock at the door interrupted Gozo's thoughts. His brow furrowed. This untimely interruption gave him a bad feeling.
"Natsue, go sit over there."
If it was one of those useless fools, he didn't want them bothering his precious granddaughter any longer.
Gozo Hatamoto motioned to a spot along the wall—somewhere not easily seen from the door.
He then walked over and opened the door. The moment he saw who it was, his expression turned dark.
Hatamoto Ichiro.
A shameless fool who didn't know the meaning of decency.
"What are you doing here?"
Gozo Hatamoto didn't speak to this grandson with even a fraction of the warmth he showed Natsue.
"Grandpa…"
Hearing that voice, Natsue—seated quietly against the wall—immediately knew who had arrived.
"Grandpa, I want to ask you for a favor."
"Don't even think about it."
Gozo didn't even let Ichiro finish. He coldly rejected him outright, his face dark and his tone steeped in disgust.
"I don't care what you're thinking. If you want to live as a parasite, go ahead. But don't drag Natsue into your worthless mess."
Huh? This has something to do with me?
Natsue Hatamoto, listening nearby, was confused. She didn't know what Ichiro had said to upset her grandfather so much but it seemed related to her.
"Why?! Why?!"
Ichiro's voice turned frantic, almost unhinged.
"They were going to let Takehiko marry Natsue, so why can't I!?"
Marry... me?
Hearing this, Natsue's eyes widened. She quickly covered her mouth to suppress any sound.
She had never had any feelings for Ichiro, if anything, she'd never seen any hint from him either.
But now she understood why her grandfather was so furious at Ichiro's visit.
Ichiro had come to propose something like this—right in front of Grandpa.
"Hmph."
"Your parents really passed on their disgusting genes to you."
Gozo Hatamoto didn't hide his contempt. His glare was filled with loathing, as if he were looking at garbage or some vermin crawling on the floor.
Gozo had tried to stop his daughter from getting involved with her cousin back then.
But the result had been her turning into a domineering shrew.
That was the moment Gozo Hatamoto realized what kind of person his daughter Mariko truly was.
From that point on, he had stopped caring about her marriage and simply let her do as she pleased.
But in his heart, Gozo looked down on Mariko's entire household. Seeing Ichiro only reminded him of those two disgraceful people.
As for Ichiro, an inbred product of that union Gozo naturally held him in disdain.
Now, this close-blooded relative wanted to lay his hands on Gozo's beloved granddaughter?
This level of shamelessness could only have come from his mother.
"Impossible means impossible!"
"I would never approve of someone like you—low, incompetent, and utterly nauseating—marrying Natsue."
Gozo Hatamoto had said something similar before. This was the second time he made it clear.
"Even if Takehiko has ulterior motives, at least he has ability."
"And you? Hmph. You have nothing."
"You're a low-level, half-baked painter. Do you really think you can support her? You're nothing but a burden."
Ichiro, humiliated and crushed, trembled as he stood there, fists clenched tightly.
"So no matter what, Grandpa will never allow me to marry Natsue…"
"That's right. I will never agree to your delusional fantasy."
But at that moment, Gozo Hatamoto didn't notice the flicker of murderous intent in Ichiro's eyes as he lowered his head.
His trembling stopped.
Suddenly, Ichiro pulled a kitchen knife from behind him and lunged toward the old man, his own grandfather.
In that instant, the flash of cold steel froze Natsue's mind completely.
Her thoughts were cut off, her consciousness and sense of time frozen in place.
Her brain quickly rebooted, thanks to the image now seared into her retina.
Ichiro, holding a kitchen knife, was charging at Grandpa—about to stab him in the abdomen.
At that moment, she finally understood what that boy had meant before he left.
Time had seemingly stopped—but her body, too, felt frozen with it.
Natsue Hatamoto's thoughts began racing.
If the kitchen knife pierced Grandpa's abdomen, it would be fatal for someone his age.
They were at sea. If they couldn't give immediate first aid, Grandpa would surely die!
Her mind reached that conclusion—and panic surged.
What should I do? What should I do?!
She didn't know when this frozen state would end. But once it did, Ichiro's knife would be in her grandfather's stomach.
Suddenly, a sentence she'd heard not long ago echoed in her mind:
[If you encounter something you can't handle, perhaps believing in the power of faith is also a good choice.]
The power of faith?
Natsue, who had never been a believer, didn't trust in "faith" at all.
But right now—she had no other options.
[If you want to repay me, then believe in me.]
I don't want Grandpa to die!
I don't know who you are…
But if believing in you can help me change Grandpa's fate.
Then please… give me the power to change Grandpa's fate!
(To be continued.)