After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

All you have to do is praise Toyokawa Shoko with her; this loyal golden retriever will do anything.

"That's why I can't allow those guys to defile the Toyokawa family that Xiangzi left behind. How can a bunch of vampires living in the night be worthy of touching the setting sun?"

By subtly extending an invitation to form a united front to Toyokawa Hatsune, Yuu Toyokawa believed that the other party probably wouldn't want to see Shoko's inheritance being fought over by others.

Guarding the house and property is also a duty that a loyal golden retriever should fulfill.

However, Yuu Toyokawa, who was gazing at the ceiling and dreaming about the future, did not notice that the Toyokawa Hatsune on her body seemed to have been switched on, and a fierce look flashed in her eyes.

In Toyokawa Yuu's current posture, Toyokawa Hatsune's face is completely obscured by her breasts.

"Xiangzi's brilliance is a treasure that only we deserve to possess, so Hatsune, let's protect everything Xiangzi has to offer."

Yuu Toyokawa extended her hand to Hatsune Toyokawa, and a kind smile appeared on her face.

Seeing the smile on Toyokawa Yuu's face, the blonde beauty hesitated slightly, then smiled back with the same warm smile.

Reaching out, she grasped Toyokawa Yuu's wrist and placed it in front of her. Leaning slightly forward, she pressed her hand down onto the man's shoulder, the soft sensation instantly enveloping him.

"You mean you'd do anything for Xiangzi, right?"

"That's right, we will protect everything Xiangzi has to do together, Hatsune."

He nodded to Toyokawa Hatsune, who was standing very close to him, and the way she put her hands on her shoulders made their connection even stronger.

In Toyokawa Yuu’s view, this was clearly a precursor to the establishment of the “Strategic Cooperation Alliance to Remember Xiangzi”.

"Stop joking! You're not allowed to take Xiangzi away from me!"

With both hands suddenly grabbing Yuu Toyokawa's neck, Hatsune Toyokawa's expression was no longer as languid and weary as before, but instead filled with a sickly blush.

"You were the one who cared the least about Xiangzi back then, so why are you allowed to openly possess her? Everything Xiangzi left behind... everything... everything is mine!"

The feeling of suffocation kept coming, and Yuu Toyokawa tried to struggle, but the dizziness caused by lack of oxygen made it difficult for him to exert any strength.

And how come this woman is so strong? Could Spider-Man be real?

Even though Yuu Toyokawa was no longer able to answer her, Hatsune Toyokawa still did not stop what she was doing.

Astride her desk, Toyokawa Hatsune's posture was remarkably similar to that of ten minutes earlier.

But her previous actions had the potential to create life, while now Toyokawa Hatsune is actually taking lives.

"Who are you trying to impress with this act? You're just after Xiangzi's inheritance. People like you... people like you who have tarnished Xiangzi's reputation should have died long ago!"

The agonizing cries of bones gradually crumbling echoed in the study, mingled with Toyokawa Hatsune's maniacal laughter.

"Besides, you also belong to Xiangzi, and you are the legacy Xiangzi left me. Everything Xiangzi owns... belongs to me!"

Finally, as Yuu Toyokawa's neck tilted completely to the side, Hatsune Toyokawa also tilted her head back at the same time, her star-like pinkish-purple eyes filled with a look of daze.

A glistening tear slid down her cheek, and it took her a long time to regain her rapid breathing.

However, after doing all this, Toyokawa Hatsune showed no regret or fear after killing anyone; only a sense of relief that the situation was gradually falling into her control.

It's almost as if an inheritance that had grown legs and was about to take over has been turned back into a docile, inanimate object or doll.

Tormented by excruciating pain and the thought of death, Toyokawa Yuu had only one thought before her vision completely disappeared into darkness.

What's gotten into this woman? We were just reminiscing about Xiangzi a moment ago, how come she's suddenly turning her back on us?

Is this the world of Ave Mujica? Truly, fate is unpredictable.

Unfortunately, this is not a stage.

Chapter 4 Who's the Boss?

As if waking from a nightmare, Toyokawa Yuu suddenly opened her eyes, instinctively covering her neck and breathing heavily with lingering fear.

Thankfully, my head is still intact, and there are no bruises from being strangled.

After confirming that she was still alive, Toyokawa Yuu finally had the energy to look around and found that she was in a fairly spacious room. However, the decoration and layout were quite different from the office of Toyokawa Shoko that had just made her lose her mind. In fact, it could be described as shabby. Its only advantage was that it was spacious.

I am currently sitting at a desk with a thick stack of finance textbooks on it.

Turning to look at the mirror next to her desk, Toyokawa Yuu found that her face had become much younger, and her clothes looked like those of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old student.

The date on the calendar on the wall was exactly ten years before Toyokawa Shoko's death.

What happened? After I was strangled to death by that crazy woman, Miku Toyokawa, I was transported back in time? Back to ten years ago?

As he drew back the curtains, the bright moonlight streamed into Toyokawa Yuu's eyes, its cool yet gentle warmth giving him a sense of being in another world.

Although he did die once just now.

Unfortunately, directly opposite the room where Yuu Toyokawa was located was a skyscraper with a huge display screen that was currently flashing extremely bright colors.

New band Ave Mujica's debut performance was a great success.

The scrolling text displayed this font, along with live photography from the scene, which was part of a stage play that set the stage before the music officially began, creating the world-building effect.

Mortis, I fear no death...

Timoris, I will not fear...

Amoris, I will not fear love...

【Oblivionis, I fear not being forgotten…】

【Doloris, I will not fear sorrow…】

"Welcome to the world of Ave Mujica..."

Yuu Toyokawa let out a long breath, speaking in unison with the words displayed on the giant screen.

It's confirmed now; I have indeed returned to ten years before Xiangzi's death, to the night of Ave Mujica's founding and its first performance.

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko, who was nominally his future wife, on the screen, and Hatsune Miku with blonde hair and purple eyes beside her, Toyokawa Yuu gritted her teeth, the shadow of death looming in her eyes.

He admitted that he now has a slight urge to rush into the performance venue with a knife and kill that blonde lunatic beforehand, so that he won't be discarded by her ten years later at the slightest disagreement.

No, it wasn't even a disagreement; Toyokawa Yuu didn't even understand what the problem was between her and Hatsune Miku.

One second the two were embracing and reminiscing about Xiangzi and the story of Toyokawa Sadaharu in the study, the next second the crazy woman suddenly strangled herself to death.

Even a last meal before execution wouldn't be this quick.

However, let's calm down first; there are still many questions that haven't been answered.

Why did I become Toyokawa Shoko's son-in-law?

What kind of marital relationship do I have with Toyokawa Shoko?

Can I stay in ten years indefinitely? If not, in what form will I return to ten years in the future?

And... what can I do now to ensure that I won't be strangled to death by that blonde lunatic ten years from now?

There are many things that need to be sorted out, but it's better than scrambling to find something at the last minute in the funeral hall.

Sitting down again at her desk, Toyokawa Yuu took out a blank pen and paper, just as she was about to sort out the information she had gathered, when she heard a soft rustling sound coming from her pocket.

Taking out her phone and looking at the name displayed on the screen, Toyokawa Yuu couldn't help but frown.

——Toyokawa Sadaharu.

Toyokawa Shoko's grandfather, an old man who didn't really care about the lower classes, was imitating this old Deng's story with Hatsune Miku just before he was strangled to death.

After hesitating for a moment, Toyokawa Yuu pressed the answer button. This was the only possible source of information at the moment, and she couldn't let it go to waste.

The call connected, and before Yuu Toyokawa could even greet him, the person on the other end spoke first, their tone quite familiar and informal.

“Yuyu, Ave Mujica is a done deal. Next, I will arrange for you to become the agency’s manager to sabotage her project and try to get her attention back to her family, so that she doesn’t waste her energy on that boring band anymore.”

The voice on the other end of the phone was concise and to the point, which startled Toyokawa Yuu.

"what?"

So, it turns out that it was this old man who arranged my marriage to Toyokawa Shoko?

"It's normal to feel nervous. After all, the rest of the Toyokawa family won't just stand by and watch us act. But don't be discouraged. You are my most promising adopted son-in-law. You have the ability to protect Xiangzi and prevent those collateral branches from getting their hands on what rightfully belongs to Xiangzi."

Seemingly mistaking Toyokawa Yuu's astonishment for nervousness, the tone on the other end of the phone softened slightly, even carrying a hint of encouragement.

However, this also created an opportunity for him.

An opportunity to openly and legitimately demand intelligence.

"I understand. Could you please compile a list of information about Xiangzi, myself, and everyone else who might have harmed Xiangzi, and send me a copy of all the details?"

Only in this way can I determine my true identity.

Toyokawa Sadaharu agreed to the request without hesitation, and even seemed pleased, as if he was quite satisfied with his ambition.

"Be wary of what you should be wary of, and don't do what you shouldn't do. You don't yet understand how terrifying the Toyokawa family is. Don't do anything foolish like that guy, Kiyoka."

"I understand, thank you for your help."

After using polite formalities, Toyokawa Yuu looked at the disconnected phone and a smile appeared on her lips.

In this way, he would not only learn about his relationship with Xiangzi, but also about the people mourning in the funeral hall.

It must be said that although Toyokawa Kiyoshi did not seem like a ruler in the matter of Hatsuka, as the current head of the Toyokawa family, he was indeed very efficient.

In less than five minutes, an email was sent to my computer.

It contains not only a lot of information about himself and Toyokawa Shoko, but also a diagram of Shoko's interpersonal relationships, as well as some people in the Toyokawa family who are worth being wary of.

Among them, there were a few faces that Toyokawa Yuu did recognize; he had seen them at the funeral hall.

For the rest of the night, Yuu Toyokawa sat at his desk, browsing the messages the old man had sent him, until sunlight streamed through the window and into the room.

"I see. So, in order to prevent the power of the main branch of the Toyokawa family from being seized by other branch families, they started looking for a son-in-law to help Xiangzi protect the family property and continue the bloodline from the year Xiangzi was born?"

Closing her eyes, which were already showing signs of bloodshot, Toyokawa Yuu sorted out the current information.

He was the adopted son-in-law of the Toyokawa family, a son-in-law and tool prepared for Xiangzi by that old bastard Toyokawa Teiji.

Before today, in order to avoid making Toyokawa Shoko feel disgusted with this pre-arranged marriage, he had only met her a few times, and she was unaware of this connection.

"A contractual couple bound purely by interests... Well, with the power of the Toyokawa family, once you enter this temple, you have to kowtow to them. Either you successfully defend your title, or you'll be completely taken advantage of. They're not afraid of betraying you at all."

That is to say...

If one day, Toyokawa Shoko becomes completely independent and no longer needs his help, then he will be useless.

If Toyokawa Kiyoko could be expelled from the family, who knows if Toyokawa Yuu will suffer the same or even more tragic fate?

After all, there were countless malicious glances at that funeral ten years later.

If I were truly of one mind with Toyokawa Shoko after marriage, I would never have faced such a predicament after ten years, even when Hatsune Miku strangled me to death without any hindrance.

Gently rubbing her temples, Toyokawa Yuu couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.

Only in moments of utter speechlessness would he experience this emotion akin to laughing in anger.

Unbelievable, none of them are credible.

"That's good. It saves me from feeling guilty. Let those old fogies see who the future head of the Toyokawa family is."

Chapter 5: Challenging the [Multi-Headed Monster]

Sobbing began to ring in her ears. In her hazy state, Toyokawa Yuu felt something wet but soft hit her head, and then her collar was grabbed tightly.

A shrill, questioning voice pierced his eardrums, forcibly waking Toyokawa Yuu from her drowsy sleep.

"Why! Why is it Xiangzi who died? Why isn't there a single tear on your face! Aren't you Xiangzi's husband?"

The beautiful green-clad figure grabbed Yuu Toyokawa by the collar and questioned her loudly.

"Do you really have human blood flowing through your veins, you cold-blooded demon!"

Anyone else might be confused or at a loss when faced with this sudden question, but Toyokawa Yuu is clearly not one of them.

After all, he had just gone through something like that not long ago.

Not only did she avoid making a fool of herself in front of everyone, she even got to act opposite the veteran actor in front of her.

His gaze subtly swept over his surroundings. The mourning hall was decorated in a somber yet tidy manner. Metis, just as he had not long ago, was putting on his flawless acting.

Her red, tear-streaked eyes were filled with grief and despair, and her tearful appearance made it seem as if the slightest provocation would cause her tears to flow again.

Sure enough, I'm back again. The time I spent in the past ten years was probably... twenty-four hours?

After briefly considering the time it took to browse the information and how long she would need to rest to recover to her current level, Toyokawa Yuu managed to determine how long she had stayed ten years ago.

However, instead of returning to the initial time point, it was postponed slightly?

It seems I can't truly achieve a perfect save/load.