I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

“Child abandonment—this is a common occurrence.”

“Even in Osaka, which is known for its wealth, there are many poor people who abandon their children due to poverty.”

"She was too young to remember anything then, and she didn't even know how terrible things had happened to her."

"I can't explain why, but the moment I saw this child, I felt an indescribable tenderness, which then triggered an incredibly strong urge to raise her."

“‘I don’t want this child to become unhappy’—that was my only thought at the time.”

"So I went up to her and said, 'Child, would you like to come with me?'"

“She didn’t know me at all, but she wasn’t afraid of me at all.”

She carefully took the hand I offered.

"When I took the child's little hand, cherry blossom petals were fluttering around her head."

"So, I named the child 'Dance'."

"And so, I possessed an incomparable 'treasure'."

Kinoshita Rin's tone was very calm, with almost no emotional fluctuations... but the content of her sincere words was enough to move people.

Leaving aside Aoto, Kinoshita Mai is inherently a very emotional and sensitive person.

She pursed her lips tightly, her eyes reddened, and tears glistened in them.

The other party adopted her when she was still a child and treated her as their own... Even though they are not related by blood, they are closer than family!

The reason why Kinoshita Mai rarely talks to Aoto about her past with Kinoshita Rin is probably because if she talks about it too much, she will be so moved that she will cry, and therefore she does not want to lose face in front of Aoto.

"I adopted A-Wu not for personal gain, but simply because I love her."

"I want to see this child grow up healthy and safe, and live a happy and fulfilling life—that's all I expect from her."

"For me, as long as Ah Wu's husband can meet the following three conditions, I have no objection whether he is a peerless hero or an ordinary commoner."

At this point, Kinoshita Rin held up three fingers:

"Firstly, I don't mind if A-Wu's future husband has many concubines, but A-Wu must be the legal wife, and absolutely not a concubine."

Secondly, A-Wu cannot be bullied or wronged in any way.

"Thirdly, A-Wu's husband must truly love her."

"If any of the above conditions are not met, then even if the other party is a one-in-a-million genius of our time, even if A-Wu kneels on the ground and begs me, I will not agree to this marriage."

"Not long ago, I learned through various channels that in addition to A-Wu, you also have unclear relationships with two other women."

"For this, I gave Jiulang a good scolding—you really are something, keeping this a secret for so long."

As she spoke, she glanced sideways at Mr. Kiryu beside her, casting a resentful look at him.

Mr. Kiryu immediately looked away, focusing his attention on his nose and pretending to be stupid.

"However, as I just said, I don't mind if A-Wu's future husband has many concubines."

"As long as you make A-Wu your legal wife and treat her sincerely, I won't say anything more."

"I was planning to talk to you about this properly as 'Mai Kinoshita's grandmother' after you come to Osaka."

"But unexpectedly... not long after, I received the news that you had decided to marry Mai, Chiba Sanako, and Okita Souji as your wives."

"To be fair, you did not violate the three requirements I made."

At this point, Kinoshita Rin's facial expression underwent a subtle and interesting change—she looked both amused and exasperated.

“A-Wu is indeed the legal wife, but the problem is… everyone is a legal wife.”

"Sigh... It's strangely like 'punching cotton'..."

"I've met quite a few extraordinary people in my life."

"But this is the first time I've ever seen a guy like you who claims he wants to marry three wives."

"I suspect you knew my criteria for a son-in-law beforehand, so you deliberately made such remarks..."

After saying that, as if to compose herself, she rubbed her temples and let out a long breath.

“Last night, I talked with A-Wu all night long.”

“I watched her grow up, so I know very well that this child is not a smooth talker.”

"But when the topic is you, her eyes light up and she talks on and on, as if she has endless things to say."

"Although I feel conflicted, I have to admit that A-Wu's feelings for you are genuine."

"It is thanks to you that this child has undergone many positive changes."

"I want to thank you for that."

As she spoke, she bent down and bowed to Qingdeng.

"Ju Qingdeng, thank you for taking care of Awu."

Upon seeing this, Qingdeng bowed in return without hesitation:

"Ms. Kinoshita, you flatter me."

When Kinoshita Rin straightened up again, she wore a solemn and utterly serious expression:

"I already understand Ah Wu's feelings for you."

"Now... I want to know your feelings for A-Wu."

"Ju Qingdeng, what do you think of A-Wu?"

The sudden question startled Qing Deng for a moment, but he quickly recovered.

He remained silent, as if deep in thought.

Kinoshita Rin didn't urge him, and just waited quietly.

About three minutes later, Qing Deng slowly spoke:

"...To be honest, at the very beginning, it was Ah Wu's beauty that attracted me."

"Her beautiful face, fair skin, and graceful demeanor all deeply attracted me."

"In short—it was Ah Wu's unparalleled beauty that made me want to get to know her better."

"Gradually, as time went by, I don't know when it started, but whenever Ah Wu was with me, I would feel very relaxed."

"Besides that, there's also a feeling of... being redeemed."

Kinoshita Rin frowned slightly, repeating the words Aoto had just said, word by word:

"'Redemption'?"

Qingdeng smiled and nodded:

“I am not only the majestic ‘Niou’, but also the invincible ‘Shinsengumi Commander-in-Chief’, the ‘Lord of the Hatatsu Domain’ with a vast fiefdom, the ‘Pillar of the Nation’ who holds up the seas and the sky, and the ‘Hinatsuki Aoto’ who kills without hesitation.”

"The higher my position and the more roles I have, the more things I have to consider every day, the more troubles I have to face every day, and the more expectations I have to bear every day."

"Today, I am no longer myself."

“‘Ren-o’ (benevolent king), ‘pillar of the nation’, ‘slaying man on Qingdeng’… these titles have detached themselves from me and become illustrious symbols.”

“In the eyes of the retainers, I am the ‘pillar of the nation.’ They hope that I can continue my efforts, save the shogunate from its predicament, and restore its prosperity and wealth.”

"In the eyes of the Shinsengumi soldiers, I am the 'Shinsengumi Commander-in-Chief.' They hope that I can be invincible and lead them to one glorious victory after another, so that they can be covered with military merits."

“In the eyes of the people of Dajin, I am the ‘Lord of Qinjin’. They hope that I am a wise and diligent ruler who will enable them to live a good life with plenty of food and clothing.”

“In the eyes of those who hate me, I am ‘Man-Slaying Qingdeng’. They both fear and loathe me, and wish that I would die quickly, preferably in a miserable way.”

“In the eyes of my admirers, I am ‘Niou’ (the Benevolent King). They want me to always be a righteous and awe-inspiring hero to satisfy their ‘heroic dreams’.”

"Different people and different groups are observing my different 'identities'."

"In order to meet their expectations and disappoint the haters, I have to be on my guard and stay on edge at all times—this is beyond my control."

“I can’t run away… Now that I’m in such a high position, how can I act willfully?”

"Whether I'm unwilling or not, I can only keep fighting and keep winning."

“I was already aware of this… Taking on such a heavy responsibility by myself is by no means an ordinary hardship.”

"I'm used to fighting 'invincible'."

"However, over time, the glory of being 'undefeated' gradually accumulated into the heavy pressure of 'not being able to lose'."

"I don't mean to be discouraging, but sometimes... I really feel like I can't breathe."

"but--"

His tone suddenly shifted.

"Only when I'm by A-Wu's side, only when I'm holding A-Wu tightly, can I briefly turn back into 'Ju Qing Deng'."

"Because I know very well that in A-Wu's eyes, I am just 'Ju Qing Deng'."

"By the way, I feel the same way about Sanako and Tsukasa."

"Only they can free me from the shackles of 'Nioh', 'Gyeonggi Jinpushi', 'King of Hatajin', and 'Pillar of the Nation', and turn me back into the 'Tachibana Aoto' who likes to joke and is occasionally a little frivolous."

"This is how I feel about Ah Wu."

“Ama, Sanako, Tsukasa—they are all my salvation.”

"As long as they are by my side, I will always be an 'invincible warrior'!"

Qingdeng finished speaking.

He poured out all the emotions and truths that he had kept buried deep in his heart and would never let outsiders know under normal circumstances.

"..."

Kinoshita Rin did not react immediately.

He neither moved nor spoke—of course, this was only temporary.

"……I see."

She tilted her head back, facing the ceiling, and closed her eyes—"whoosh"—a long breath.

Immediately afterwards, she lowered her head and waved to Qingdeng.