Amane looked on in amusent as Akabe Tsurugi cut off the phone in a panicked manner. Now she knew that sothing had happened back at the Tsurugi family.
Unlike before, Akabe Tsurugi sounded confident when he said that Amane was no longer the family head but that was sothing Amane needed to look more into.
The first thing she needed to do was to head back ho and know more about the situation. What had happened in the few days she had been away?
It took a whole day to travel back ho. Amane had been busy with a lot of things on the way and she decided to take her ti. A lot of important information got passed on to her during this ti.
And it was through gossip that Amane knew the gist of what happened while she had been away.
Sakura and so of our delegates who attended the conference had been attacked by beasts. This stressful situation ended up helping Sakura wake up her hidden potential.
So now Sakura was being hailed as soone untouchable by the society and the elders were eager to put her forward as the family head.
"Well, the facts check out as to why these people are so eager to have Sakura as the family head. But sothing does not add up."
There was a lot that seed to be wrong with this situation. And the main problem was Sakura's powers.
They ca out too abruptly and the awakening seed too fast in Amane's opinion. Usually, there is a rhy and rhythm to these things. Awakening happened naturally and in steps.
Even those who had an early awakening were rewarded after they sweated for this awakening during their last monts.
But from what Amane had heard of Sakura and her situation, nothing of this sort seed to be the case.
'Sothing fishy is going on here. I need to look more into it.'
That was what Amane decided and went to sleep. She would be making her entrance to the Tsurugi house tomorrow. So, she wanted to get as much rest as she could before that.
...…..
Sakura tried not to shudder as she faced her mother's eyes. Her mother had co back ho to congratulate her on Sakura's awakening.
Or at least, that was the reason she had given everyone. But the truth was sothing else.
Sakura knew that her mother was not that kind and forgiving. There was no way she was here just to congratulate Sakura. And thus, Sakura always had her guard up.
"I heard that you awakened your potential, my dear child. May I see your powers in person?"
Sakura stared her mother right in the face as her mother demanded things from her. Well, Sakura tried to stare her mother in the face, but her instincts made her bow her head in front of her mother.
No matter how much power Sakura had gained right now, her mother was that one person who could make her feel like a powerless child once more.
"Mother I-"
"Sakura, I did not ask you to speak. Just do as much as you are told to. That should not be difficult for you, right?"
Sakura bit her lip in agitation as she brought her hand up. It lit up with a fla and her mother watched it with a fascinated expression on her face.
"I see. So, this is the power you awakened? It's a wonderful power but I can't recall where you got it from. No one on either side of the family has this power, right?"
Sakura held back her flinch when she heard her mother's words. She knew that her mother was right when she said this.
No one on either side of her family had the power of flas and it should be impossible for Sakura to inherit them. The only reason Sakura had been able to use these flas was because of the liquid she had drank.
But she was not going to tell that to anyone. It would create confusion and Sakura might be detained as a test subject.
"I…got lucky. I think this might be a recessive gene in one of our branch families that got activated for . I will have to look more into this later."
Sakura assured her mother and watched as her mother's mood changed in a minute. Her mother finally seed to be coming around to her mood.
"I see. Well, that is sothing you can think about later. First, I want you to take over this family back from that useless cousin of yours. How could you let your cousin beco the family head while you were alive? Don't you have any sha?"
Sakura's body burned as soon as she heard her mother speak. She was already feeling sick and her mother's nagging caused her a headache.
A hand pinched Sakura's arm to drag her attention away from her head and toward her mother. That action hurt but Sakura knew she should not make any sound.
"I asked you a question, Sakura. I asked you why you are not the family head right now. I trained you to beco one ever since you were born. So why are you disappointing like this?"
Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but the closed it. Nothing she would say here would help her out.
Her mother had been stubborn since the start.
"I am sorry Mother, but I still do not want to be the family head. I am happy where I am and-"
Sothing struck Sakura's face. Her cheeks burned as the palm connected with them. Her mother had slapped her across the face.
"You useless thing. How many tis do I have to tell you not to think and just do? I did not raise you to beco such a coward."
Sakura watched her mother sit back down with a calm face. No matter what ca out of her mother, Sakura's mother did not break her facade of calmness.
"Mother, I told you-"
"Silence. I do not want to listen to you right now. You have disappointed enough for a lifeti. No go and tell the elders that you will beco the family head. We need to correct this ss."
Sakura watched speechlessly as her mother put more and more pressure on her. She did not want to listen to a word her mother was saying.
But everything in Sakura's body was frozen in shock. She could not shake off the feeling that she was going to suffer is she ignored her mother's words.
"Sakura, I ask you a question. You will do as I asked you to, right?"
Sakura panted as she tried to drag herself out of the submissive state she was falling into. She could not let her mother see how much she was affecting Sakura.
"I-mother-no. I will not be the family head."
For the first ti, the calm facade of Sakura's mother had faltered and her true rage showed through from behind the mask. The elder female looked pissed off and she clutched her cup tightly in her hand.
But it did not take her long to fling her cup toward Sakura's head to try and hurt her.
"You useless thing. I asked you to do one thing and you are failing to even do that. I think I will need to teach you a thing or two about obedience now."
Sakura's insides were filled with fear. She knew about the punishnt her mother was talking about and it terrified her. The small and dark room her mother used to lock Sakura in had left a shadow on her mind.
She was about to beg her mother for forgiveness when the front door opened and a familiar sll lingered in the air.
"Hoh, you sure are a daring one for making my darling cousin do sothing she does not want to. And you are even threatening to take away my position as the family head? I have decided that I do not like you."
Both females in the room looked shocked as Yoko Tsurugi walked through the door. Her presence was enough to stumble everyone.
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Even the maids looked shocked to see her back. They had not expected Yoko to be back so soon.
"Y-Yoko, you are back? Were you not supposed to co back tomorrow? What are you doing here today?"
Sakura asked as she tried to gather her thoughts. eting her mother like this had shaken her core and resolve. Her mind was a ss right now.
"Well, I was thinking of taking a detour but then a lot happened back ho and news reached my ear that my dear cousin was in danger. And anyway, I can see that a lot of people have a problem with being the family head…again."
Sakura's mother had taken a step back as soon as Yoko had entered the room. She looked vigilant and curious to know more about Yoko Tsurugi.
But Yoko paid her no attention and she headed straight toward Sakura. Yoko placed one hand on Sakura's temple and felt the burning sensation in her hand.
"Tsk, you have a fever for sure. Go and lie down right now. You need to take better care of yourself."
Sakura opened her mouth to protest that she did not need any help. But she closed it the very next mont when she was picked up in Yoko's arms and taken out of the room.
All this while, Sakura's mother watched the happen with sharp eyes. And then she decided to retreat for the day back into her old room.
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