Chapter 194 - Fast Move

"Sure. Why not?"

Eh? EH? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH?

Emi had lost count how many times she had been shocked that day. But this topped everything.

What was going on?

Last night, the love of her life just said goodbye to her after apologizing for treating her badly for years. Then, as she was already prepared to let go, she was suddenly approached and talked to, showed concerned about her hands before getting fired out of the blue.

But that was because she was unexpectedly somewhat told she would be courted, and that their servant-master relationship was in the way, although it was what she said not him. But because of that…

Because of that, she was now getting adopted…

And by the Koutaishidenka too…

Homura Emi no longer knew what to think. Things happened so fast she could barely register what was going on anymore. The last straw was when the Koutaishidenka readily agreed to take her on as his sister, and the rest of the conversation became a jumbled sound. She had spaced out. 

On another note, Kazehaya Gin looked at her and recognized that blank look. He wanted to laugh but prevented himself as he needed to be serious in what he was doing. He had noted that Emi's current circumstance had made her lose her confidence when it came to romance.

He had immediately caught on and realized she might be unconsciously going to reject him. His status as the second-in-command – a Young Master to her servant status was frowned upon in her world. She was raised with archaic values after all.

In short, she might like him, but she would not be with him.

It was probably why he never realized she was in love with him in the first place. It was because the damn woman was satisfied just liking him and never thought of trying to be with him.

He realized once again how stupid he was, thinking that all Makuras were all scheming vixens. For the first time in his life, he wished this specific Makura would start machinating to get him.

But that was wishful thinking.

It had been proven time and time again that Emi was not that kind of girl. He felt ashamed of himself actually. With everything he'd done to her, it was supposed to be him who should be analyzing if he still had the right to be with her, and not the other way around.

"So when are you going to arrange it?"Kazehaya Gin asked unabashedly.

He knew he was kind of crashing the Koutaishidenka's party with his own love life, but it was a just dessert for the little brother who was bullying him for being rejected just earlier.

"Now! Now!"

A female voice answered for Homura Ryuu, and Kazehaya Gin turned to see that it was Ara who yelled and was smiling and giving him the thumbs up when he saw her.

Ryuu, who was also looking at his wife, chuckled. "The wife says now so it shall be arranged now," he announced, his fond gaze not leaving his bride who also gave him a thumb's up and a grin. 

Gin used this opportunity to signal Homura House's lawyers who were also with them during the ceremony earlier and they all moved in sync to arrange everything needed to adopt Emi legally.

Huh?

Seeing as Emi was coming through again, Ryuu raised a brow at Gin and signaled for him to take his girl somewhere they could talk privately – and he did. He gave the Koutaishidenka and Ara a grateful smile before he lifted Emi up and took her outside again.

As soon as they left, the Koutaishidenka signaled for the people to continue on with the party which they did as if nothing just happened. Almost all of them already had an idea of what was going on between the Young Master Gin and the former Makura as soon as they saw them leave earlier. But some of them knew the real score a long time ago. For instance, Yayoi.

The old head housekeeper had inched closer to the Young Master and whispered her thanks.

Homura Ryuu grunted in acknowledgment, his face still twitched in amusement. He knew that Kazehaya Gin would definitely approach Homura Emi at the party, as he was the one who had goaded him to do so.

However, he too had to admit that his older cousin moved too fast and too suave.

Adoption! Who'd ever think of something like that? No one else that he could ever think of, that's who.

Ryuu felt proud of Gin. He truly was a love sensei. Although he's a legitimate idiot, he did things fast and accurate without giving the other party a chance to back out as soon as he got his things going.

Ara joined her husband and she happily anchored her hands on his arm. Like Yayoi, she looked happy and proud of her husband.

"Nice one!" she said as she grinned up at him. "I thought the chipmunk's going to take forever before he makes his move."

Hearing the funny nickname, Ryuu and Yayoi laughed.

"Well, he's gotta do what he has to," the Koutaishidenka answered, making Yayoi and Ara smile at his use of language. He never used slang words until now.

"Will it be alright?"Ara asked, referring to the adoption.

Ryuu nodded. "Emi's technically already adopted by a branch family so she's a Homura. I just need them to hand over the papers and the lawyers can fix it."

Ara nodded. In Japan, it was common to lawfully and publicly accept a nonconsanguineous or non-blood-related adult into an offspring role of a family.

The hundred-years-old practice was developed as a means for families to extend their family name, properties and ancestry without an unwieldy dependence on bloodlines, and was a dynamic tool for social and economic mobility. It was done so in case of not having a male heir to take over the family business.

In Emi's case, however, it would simply be an adult adoption not because of any financial means. She was being adopted for Kazehaya Gin's sake. Then again, another reason why Ryuu readily agreed was that he acknowledged that the Homura House owed Emi her happiness. The Makura system had taken everything from the girl, and now was the time to give her life back.