After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

"Five abandoned dolls, given temporary life by the bright moonlight, create a slightly fantastical little theater that complements Ave Mujica's musical style perfectly."

"To me, Xiangzi is like the moonlight. Before I met her, my life was like that of a puppet being manipulated. I couldn't get close to the mansion on the mountaintop, and I couldn't come into contact with the Toyokawa family... These were the threads that manipulated me."

With a gentle outstretched hand, Miku Miku seemed to want to part the clouds on the horizon and let the obscured moonlight fall upon the world.

But her hands never even touched the transparent glass, let alone plucked the bright moon from the sky.

"Until I met Xiangzi, the puppet no longer danced because of the pull of the silk thread, but began to follow the unreachable moonlight. Even if the dance was ugly and the steps were unsteady, I still came here."

"To me, Xiangzi is the moon that has guided me to this evening."

With her hands clasped to her chest, Miku Miku finally smiled, as if recalling some memorable time.

"So please help me, Mr. Yuyu. I'll do anything as long as I can form Ave Mujica with Xiangzi."

He reached out and touched Toyokawa Yuu's sleeve, seemingly intending to grab her arm and beg.

But before Miku Miku could touch her, Yuu Toyokawa had already pulled her hand away, keeping her distance and still facing away from her.

“You should know that your existence is not welcome. You are an outsider in the household registration, but in terms of the order of succession, you will threaten Xiangzi’s right to inherit… If I help you, it will be tantamount to betraying Xiangzi.”

This is true, although no one would admit that Miku Miku has the right to inherit the triangle, it is a good excuse to attack her.

As long as there is an opportunity, great scholars will always be there to defend her.

"I know... but please help me."

With her head bowed low, Miku awaited judgment from Yuu Toyokawa.

"You...you're so self-centered."

A helpless sigh drifted into Misaki's ears, carrying an undisguised disgust.

Silence, a deathly silence, so profound that one could hear their own heartbeat clearly.

Miku Miku kept waiting for Yuu Toyokawa's "but," but no matter how many times the neon lights outside the window changed color, she never heard anything more.

“…I understand. I’m sorry to have troubled you, Mr. Yuyu.”

Silently turning around, Miku Miku walked heavily toward the door.

She knew she was all alone, but even so, she wanted to touch the moonlight.

"I can help you, but there are conditions."

Just as Miku Miku's triangular hand touched the door latch, Yuu Toyokawa's voice finally rang out.

Helplessness, disgust, exhaustion... a mix of emotions swirled within her, yet she turned around with a pleasant surprise.

"As long as I can do it."

"The condition is that you must not let Xiangzi know about our conversation, and you must not let anyone know your identity. From now on, you must listen to me, otherwise you, me, and Xiangzi will all be doomed."

Is this considered a condition?

Misaki Misaki was stunned, and looked at Yuu Toyokawa's complicated gaze, speechless for a moment.

"Xiangzi has ambitions that require Ave Mujica to achieve, and Ave Mujica needs you. I hope she can at least live happily for the next ten years, even if it means becoming an accomplice."

Pointing to the office door, Toyokawa Yuu indicated that Misaki Hatsune could leave.

"You can leave now. I need to be alone because I've been stuck with an unreasonable accomplice."

"Yes, please have a good rest."

After bowing again to Yuu Toyokawa, Misaki Miku pushed open the door with a surprised smile, leaving only one person in the large office.

call……

Letting out a sigh of relief, Toyokawa Yuu touched her neck with lingering fear, making sure there were no marks from being strangled.

That was close! I almost thought I was going to be...

The image of her first death flashed through her mind subconsciously, and Toyokawa Yuu slumped into her office chair.

Fortunately, at least the initial control over Miku Miku's triangle has been achieved. The key point is not to keep it a secret, but... to listen to him.

The chain is already on; now it's just a matter of tightening it little by little.

Only when he leaned back did he realize that his back was already soaked with sweat.

Chapter 18 Signs of Discord Within the Team

"I never expected that our agent would be Xiangzi's fiancé. The engaged couple are working hard for a common business. This is the romance of a big family."

Inside the rehearsal space prepared for Ave Mujica by her agency, Yutenji Wakame sat in her seat, tapping the instruments in front of her one by one, testing their sound.

It must be admitted that although her behavior was not very likable, this girl's abilities were impeccable. After all, she had caught the eye of Toyokawa Shoko and was a talent personally selected by her.

The sounds of auditions echoing throughout the rehearsal room did not interfere with the transmission of her words. Upon hearing Yutenji Wakana's words, whether it was a sigh or an implication, the expressions of the others changed slightly.

The girls' gazes all turned to Toyokawa Shoko, a mixture of curiosity and worry.

In any case, the sudden intervention of Yuu Toyokawa caused ripples in this newly debuted commercial band, and also made the composition of the band no longer pure.

"Xiang..."

Holding her guitar, Mutsumi Wakaba was closest to Shoko Toyokawa. Looking at her own half-body, who was bent over adjusting the keys, she spoke with some concern.

Although she is quiet and reserved, Ruo Ye Mu is not an ignorant and naive little girl.

The fact that Toyokawa Shoko had a fiancé, which even her childhood friend was unaware of, can only mean that this so-called marriage was not something Shoko herself pursued.

Even whether there was any romantic relationship involved is questionable.

Moreover, assigning a fiancé to a young lady who is away from home and placing her in a very important position can also effectively prevent some unexpected situations from occurring.

Although Ruoye Mu herself doesn't like to think about these things, there are indeed some people in her mind who have this way of thinking.

"no problem?"

The unassuming voice of the man was tinged with obvious worry, causing Toyokawa Shoko, whose expression had been relatively calm, to frown.

She wasn't unaware of the curious or questioning looks from others, but she didn't want to elaborate on the topic.

Even if Toyokawa Yuu, who is acting as her manager, is the fiancé chosen by the family, so what? Now he is an accomplice in trying to defy the family, just like her.

Moreover, Ave Mujica's success is not dependent on family connections.

Even if she did use the title of "Miss Toyokawa" to deceive the investors when she formed Ave Mujica, it was her lie that fooled them and had nothing to do with the Toyokawa family itself.

After all, I really didn't ask my family for any support...

Lowering her eyes, Toyokawa Shoko convinced herself in this way.

"What problems could there be? Yu Yu and Ave Mujica are just managers. He just uses their titles when working, that's his attitude."

Hearing Toyokawa Shoko's obviously defiant statement, Wakaba Mutsu's worry deepened.

However, I didn't know what to say or how to help her.

Help and comfort are not functions that Wakaba Mutsu possesses; all she can do is offer silent companionship.

But Xiangzi looks so pained...

Subconsciously clutching her collar, Wakaba Mutsu wanted to say something but couldn't utter a word until Yutenji Wakame's voice broke the silence in the rehearsal room once again, amidst the sounds of auditions.

"Really? It's certainly business as usual with other people, but Mr. Yu has never called you Oblivionis, has he... It's quite an honor to see an engaged couple working together like this. After your performance on a grand enough stage is a success, could I do an exclusive interview with you, Xiangzi?"

That would definitely generate a lot of traffic, and you wouldn't have to go to great lengths to attract attention.

Thinking that he would be thriving in the foreseeable future, Yutenji Wakame's eyes narrowed into slits.

Should we try to film more backstage footage? Anyway, as long as we don't show everyone's faces, it should be fine, right? Miaomu is a genius.

While plotting to seize every opportunity to gain even the smallest profit, Yutenji Wakame clearly understood the principle of accumulating small gains into large ones.

"Miss Yutenji, please refrain from making such speculations about other people's relationships."

Hachiman Kairin, who had never really gotten involved in the band members' interactions and had always maintained a distant relationship with them, glanced at Yutenji Wakanagi, who was probably plotting something again, and spoke quietly.

Even though she wasn't particularly good at interpersonal communication, she could tell that Toyokawa Shoko didn't want to talk about this topic anymore. However, Yutenji Wakana, who should be very good at reading people as an internet celebrity, didn't notice this at all.

No, it should be said that she was fully aware of this, but she still couldn't help wanting to do it. Her desire for popularity was no secret within the band.

However, given the circumstances, Hachiman Kairin had no choice but to intervene and stop Yutenji Wakanagi's remarks.

She quite liked the band, as she had the power to direct her teammates to a certain extent without having to bear the corresponding obligations.

Previously, almost all the responsibility was borne by Toyokawa Shoko, who was the core of the team. After Toyokawa Yuu joined, it was even less of her turn to take responsibility.

It's been a long time since I've joined a band that I enjoy so much, and if possible, I hope this band can last a long time.

“It would be annoying, and Mr. Yuyu wouldn’t want discord within the team.”

"It's rare to hear you say something like that. It seems you think highly of Mr. Youyu. But he's Xiangzi's fiancé, so don't get any ideas, Haizi."

Turning a teasing gaze to Hachiman Kairin, who was rarely involved in the conversation, Yutenji Wakame's tone was somewhat amused.

It's unclear whether he was joking or genuinely trying to stir up something between them so he could capture something that would grab the audience's attention.

"I just admire his serious and responsible work attitude."

Even Hachiman Kairin's tone became somewhat dissatisfied, clearly indicating that this topic had gone beyond the realm of jokes for her.

However, she wasn't lying. Compared to the so-called "scandalous tendencies" mentioned by Yutenji Wakanagi, Hachiman Kairin was more concerned about work.

I'm really looking forward to the day when you can help me with some of the external work...

Yuu Toyokawa's voice flashed through Kairin Hachiman's mind. Her words, whether polite or expectant, made the legendary mercenary's fingertips tremble.

A discordant note rang out in the rehearsal room, but it was quickly drowned out by the sounds of the rehearsals.

Chapter 19 Mori Nami

After seeing off Misaki Miku, Yuu Toyokawa spent some time adjusting her mindset.

Although they have decided to take control of the band, they are trying to change the future by altering the variable that "Ave Mujica will disband".

But no matter what, being in this band will inevitably bring a considerable amount of psychological burden to Toyokawa Yuu.

After all, he was certain that, apart from Toyokawa Shoko, who would die in ten years, half of the remaining members of this five-member band would kill him in the future.

Being in this environment, even just maintaining a professional attitude is a considerable challenge.

Fortunately, I have now gained some initial control over the band.

He used Toyokawa Sadaharu's plan as a pledge of loyalty to gain Toyokawa Shoko's trust. Yutenji Wakanagi, with her somewhat snobbish but power-hungry personality, was unlikely to hold a grudge against him. Hachiman Kairin could also be controlled through power exchanges within the team in the future. Hatsune Miku had also been fooled by him. Only Wakaba Mutsumi...

Thinking of that green-haired, golden-eyed girl, a troubled look inevitably flashed in Toyokawa Yuu's eyes.

He was certain that the person who would push him off the building to perform the aerial rain act ten years later was Metis. It was actually quite simple to make Metis give up the idea of ​​killing him ten years later; he just needed to do nothing.

According to what Metis revealed ten years later, she would resent him because he and her mother, Minami, had "murdered" Mutsumi, so as long as he didn't participate in it, everything would be fine.

At least this way, Metis won't be hostile towards him.

But if that happens, after Toyokawa Shoko dies, will Metis allow the Wakaba family's power to be used for his own purposes?

It's important to understand that ten years later, it wasn't just Hatsune Miku and Metis who wanted to kill him; those who had split up the family were probably overjoyed at the deaths of themselves and Toyokawa Shoko.

[Dongdongdong——]

The knocking sounded again, followed by the sound of the door opening, interrupting Toyokawa Yuu's thoughts.

"Have you forgotten something, Miss Dolores?"

Turning her gaze toward the entrance, Toyokawa Yuu was slightly taken aback. It wasn't Miku Miku who entered, but a mature figure.

With long, emerald-green hair and golden eyes just like Wakaba Mutsu, this figure had a much brighter smile than the always expressionless Wakaba Mutsu.

In terms of fame, it is much more well-known than Mortis of Ave Mujica.

"It's not Doloris from Ave Mujica. But I really didn't expect that Grandpa Sadaharu would actually be willing to let you out. I thought that after Kiyoko was kicked out of the family, you would be arranged to train in the Wakaba family's business in advance."

The figure who entered the room, despite being called by the wrong name, neither felt embarrassed nor annoyed. Instead, she greeted Toyokawa Yuu with an air of familiarity.

"It's been a few years since we last met. Have you missed me, Xiao Youyu?"

"Ms. Minami... what are you doing here?"

Recognizing the figure who pushed open the door, Toyokawa Yuu felt a sense of confusion in her heart, but quickly put on a look of surprise and flattery.

Minami Mori is a top-tier actress and a long-term collaborator with the Toyokawa family.

Of course, she is also the biological mother of Wakaba Mutsu.

It's clear that someone of that caliber wouldn't be visiting the office of a small, up-and-coming band for work.