T.A series Volume 7: Feathers of Fury

Chapter 1 - The Wrath of a Noble

Mouri Ran who is listening to the word 'Duke' mentioned for the first time, questions her best friend since she is born into a wealthy family, "What does that mean? 'Duke'?"

"Well, Ran, a Duke is like a really fancy king. But they don't get to be the main king, they're more like a prince of the king. Does that make sense?"

Ran stared at her blankly for a moment before responding, "Oh, so it's like a sidekick king? Like Robin to Batman?"

Sonoko giggled at the comparison, "Yeah, kinda like that. Except they don't fight crime, they just have a lot of money and fancy parties."

Ran's eyes widened in amazement, "Wow, that sounds so cool. I wish I could be a Duke one day."

"For us, we are girls, so the title isn't Duke, but Duchess. Still same rank by the way," Sonoko corrected her before turning back to the staff members, "But this is Japan, right? Although they are royals in existence, nobles don't exist! So how is it possible to have a Duke death memorial here?!" Sonoko's face scrunched up in anger.

"The kid is born in the U.K., that is why. In the U.K., this system was modernised to have nobles there."

"Why would someone who is born there end up having the memorial held in Japan?" Ran became baffled at the logic.

"Because someone who knew him insisted so," Another man added, "The little Duke died last year, and normally through their family custom, one would have it held every year. But due to circumstances, one of the people the late Duke was close with moved to Japan. So to ensure she didn't miss out, the memorial was decided to be held here."

The more Sonoko hears of this, the more outrage she grew, "so in other words, Ranran decided why not have the memorial be held at the same venue?! By cancelling my birthday party that was meant to be here!?" Sonoko said, her voice rising in annoyance.

"Birthday?" The other staff replied eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I don't know much about your birthday party being cancelled, but I do know that the memorial itself had to be carried out of vital importance."

Sonoko was angry, "How is it out of vital importance!? In Japan, titles don't really mean anything. They're just names!"

"Sonoko..."Ran called out to her.

"They do in the U.K, especially when one held events on any hotel the aristocrats owned overseas, one has to oblige." Ran and Sonoko then thanked the staff before they distanced themselves to talk.

Sonoko was fuming. "I can't believe that she-demon would stoop so low!" she exclaimed to Ran.

"I know, right?" replied Ran, her eyes blazing with anger.

"It's like she's using a boy's death, one who is given a title that had no relevance here just to get back at me, all because she hated Shinichi for calling her a 'bastard'!" continued Sonoko, her voice rising by the minute. "She is doing this to me, just because we are friends with him!"

"What a petty child, this Kudo Ranran girl is," replied Ran, still seething.

"But why must she take it this far to the point your father had to cancel the birthday party? It doesn't make any sense," Ran said, trying to reason with her friend.

"Who knows?" Sonoko said, shrugging off, "Whatever it is, the titles here are deemed useless! She had no right to do this to me!"

"Exactly! Who cares about titles in Japan nowadays? Titles don't mean anything," Ran said, her face contorting in anger. This revelation made Sonoko and Ran even more upset - how could Ranran use such an important event for her own personal gain? "What are we going to do?"