Chapter 361 - Black Mist

"Where did Yuuka go? I haven't seen her since yesterday."

Maki Eito frowned at his wife, making the middle-aged lady flinch. The two of them sat at the dining table in their house. Only the two of them ate while their maidservants waited on the side, waiting for orders.

Lately, the master had always been irritable and scary that none of them dared make a sound else incur the man's wrath. However, there was none in the room who felt very happy with their employers. All of them were equally enraged but kept their negative feelings in silence. After all, they were merely servants and had no power to go against their masters.

Nonetheless, the case was not the same for Madam Maki. For several days now, she'd been equally dissatisfied with her husband and got irritated easily by anything. Also, she'd just been reigning in her own temper towards her husband. But lately, he had gotten more and more insufferable. He snapped at her for every little thing most especially everything that's related to their daughter.

"Your daughter is already old enough to go wherever she wishes and do whatever she wants. Why are you being so nosy?"

Technically, she didn't have to snap at him because his question only asked their daughter's whereabouts, but she barked at him anyway. It's Because of his tone of voice. She hated it.

"What's with that tone, woman? I just asked where Yuuka is," Eito equally snapped at her.

"Oh, you dislike my tone? Then why don't you realize you're the one who's been talking to everyone like your servant lately?"

"Because I'm the master of the house! You're all beneath me!"Eito slammed his hand on the table as he stood up. His eyes glared dangerously at his wife who finally cowered in fear.

She was originally a very timid woman. She rarely argued and most times than not, she didn't need to argue as Eito spoiled his wife more than he spoiled his daughter. In reality, this was the very first time the couple actually yelled at each other, surprising all their employees.

On the other hand, the people who watched the couple argued surprisingly felt elated in their hearts. It was as if they were rejoicing at this moment when people were obviously at odds against each other.

None of the seven people in the household right now could see the black smoke enveloping the house and its residents. No one noticed the dark mist passing through everyone, making the negativity in their heart amplify.

This was the reason why the household was in disharmony. This was the reason why Eito was obsessed with something, but couldn't really understand why. This was why the Madam felt aggrieved with every little thing as if they were out to get her and humiliate her, making her temper rile up. This was the culprit who made all the staff complain and felt irritated with their employers who usually treated them well.

Outside of the Maki's residence, a black SUV stopped. The four people sent by the Homura House, whistled at the amount of miasma in the air as soon as they rolled the car's window down.

The triplets, Shiro, Kuro, and Aka was amazed by how much the atmosphere had been contaminated in the Maki Household.

Shiro turned to the fourth person and the leader of their little group. "Young Master Aoi, do you think there is no one infected by this?"

For sure, the residents of the household were feeling sick or acting abnormally. Those were the norm upon exposure to miasma. What they're asking was the fact that the mist had already developed enough to evolve into a shadow lurker, and that the residents had become unknowing hosts to them.

Aoi glanced at the house with an unhappy expression. His older brother had asked him to take on this task, and he was adamant about delivering good news to him. However, it didn't look like it would still be good news. The dark mist was just too thick. It's impossible to believe that the people within were only slightly affected.  

"I'll give my brother a call," Aoi said as he fished his mobile phone and called Kazehaya Gin.

The younger brother explained what's going on, and reluctantly, Gin ordered him to ȧssess the people inside and to quickly deal with the shadow lurker if they saw one. Aoi then relayed the message to the Fuuma, and the four of them got out of the car to knock on the Makis' door.

All four people were wind casters and had a sharp hearing as the sounds were carried by the wind. As they got near the door, they could hear unpleasant sounds coming from within and they frowned. It seemed they had walked in into an argument between the lady and the master.

But they didn't care. At this rate, all the negative feelings would feed the miasma further and if it hadn't already, it would evolve into something nastier than the simple mist.

Kuro stepped up to ring the doorbell. All four of them waited as a servant opened the door, and not reacting at all when the man looked at them in shock.

Well, it was only normal. All four of them looked like foreigners anyway. The man transferred his gaze from the white-haired Shiro, red-head Aka, black-haired-light-brown-eyed Kuro, and the dark blond Aoi. However, what shocked the man was not solely their appearance but their clothing.

All four wore black suits, with black ties on their necks. But the most distinguishing part in their clothing was the wheel of Kresnik, the badge of the Homura House that was pinned on their ċhėst pockets that caught the man's eyes.

"Er… Homura… House?" The man almost squeaked the name both in fright and in confusion.

Never in his wildest dream had he ever imagined the Maki Household would ever receive a visitor from the distinguished Homura House.

"That's right," Shiro answered. He served as Aoi's secretary after all. "Please tell your master that the Young Master Kazehaya Aoi of the Cedar Palace is here to see him…"