Priceless Smile 2

Chapter 105: Blame

Their scene changed again as they now watch Kazumi sneaking into the headquarters with the three demons following right behind her. As she enter the Grand Elder's room, they saw Nishiki silently crying on his bedside. Kazumi rushed to him immediately and hugged him. Nishiki hugged her back tightly as he cry on her shoulder while the three watch.

"Grandfather.... grandfather's dead.... I-I killed him." He stuttered in between his cries.
"I-I don't know what to do.... what should I do?"

"Don't say that, it wasn't your fault. You didn't kill him." She said as she rub his back.

It took quite a while for Nishiki to calm down a bit in order to explain everything. It turns out that he was ordered by his mother to bring medicine for his grandfather. He didn't know that the medicine bottle was switched with a similar looking bottle but with poison.

'So they tried to frame him up.'

Just then, Kazumi heard the maids and the Pillars coming closer from outside. The demons panicked and so did Nishiki.

"Take him." Kazumi said as she stood up and faced the demons.

Kai nodded as he approach Nishiki to help him up while Kazumi picked up the poisoned bottle. Nishiki faced her in confusion.

"Master, what're you doing?" He asked.

"Just go, I'll take care of things myself."

"If we leave you behind they'll suspect you." Fujikase said.

"Exactly. Now you guys should go."

"But Master! I'll tell them the truth! I'll let them know the truth instead of having you take the blame!" Nishiki said as he went to her and kneeled down gripping tightly on the sleeve of her haori.
"Please, don't do this. Please. Please!" He begged.

"Listen here Nishiki, both your mother and your cousin framed you up for this. If you tell the slayers that this was your mother's plan, they'd surely lose their trust on you making you also lose the position of being the head of the corps only because you're her son. And what's more, you're the one who gave the poison." She explained putting her hand on his head as she slowly hug him.
"May you and your descendants lead the corps well my child."

With that said, she used her blood demon art making him inhale a little scent of her blood that made him lose consciousness. Aoki's about to retort too when Fujikase knocked him out herself. She carried him over her shoulder while Kai carried Nishiki on his back.

"Take his wife also and the child." Kazumi added as they nodded in response all leaving the room.

Shortly after they left, the maids and the Pillars, together with Tsukika and Natsuko, burst into the room and saw Kazumi. The Pillars surrounded her as a maid checked the Grand Elder's pulse as she sadly said that his heart has stopped beating. They looked at her hands holding the bottle as Etsudo quickly held her down the floor on her knees holding her back collar and her arms on her back.

"You traitor! How could you do this to the Grand Elder?!" Tsukika exclaimed pointing an accusing finger on her.
"He treated you like his own child yet how could you kill him! Have you no gratitude?!"

"Go." Yuki whispered to her as he crouch down about to confiscate her sword.

Etsudo slightly loosen his grip as she stood up and pushed the two away grabbing her sword. Just as Yasuko and Suzue's about to grab her, she jumped out of the open window and ran away into the dark.

"What are you guys standing there for?! Go get her!" Natsuko ordered as the Pillars followed her.

Just as she run deeper into the woods, she hid herself letting the Pillars pass by. As she went the other way, she have decided to let the situation slow down first before confronting the two. After a while, she sneaked into Yuki's estate where Etsudo and Yuki are waiting for her.