The Head Lord and the Rat Thief {Kamisato Ayato FanFiction}

Chapter 29 ~ The Long Game and the Glove

Chapter 29 ~ The Long Game and the Glove

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       Caiome immediately recognized the name, Yamamoto Shichiro, as belonging to the family that, a year ago, had decided to gain independence from the Kamisato family, and Ayato had given them free rein with a smile on his face. Only that a few months later, they went bankrupt due to market competition in the paper industry, and when Yamamoto Shichiro begged Ayato to take him back into the fold of subordinate clans, Ayato was not swayed by his pleas. Instead, all of Yamamoto's employees were laid off, and the members of the family, the two spouses and their three children, were to work for the Nobutoshi and Masaru families, the other two families working for Ayato in the paper industry, which included paper manufacturing, paper-derived products, and writing instruments.

       And Caiome had always liked drama and was curious about why Yamamoto Shichiro was now in Ayato's house. Although... she could guess.

       Arriving in the Great Hall, the only person there was a man of medium height, with hair half white, half black, wearing glasses, his eyes sunken in their sockets, with drawn cheeks and modestly dressed. When he saw Ayato approaching, Yamamoto Shichiro paid little attention to Caiome, instead focusing on making a deep bow as Ayato passed by with his chest held high and chin raised.

       Suddenly, the expression on Ayato's face turned to stone as he sat on the purple cushion at his usual table. Any sparkle in his eyes he had in the garden, Caiome noticed, had faded once he stepped into the Great Hall and laid eyes on Yamamoto, which probably meant that the whole situation was bad.

       "You wanted to see me, my lord?" Yamamoto asked humbly.

       "That is why you're here, isn't it?" Ayato replied curtly, causing Yamamoto to delay his bow. It seemed he didn't have the courage to lift his eyes to look at Ayato, and quite rightly so.

       For Caiome, Yamamoto was a fool. He stretched himself farther than his blanket, thinking he could fight on his own against Ayato and the two families in the paper industry, when the difference between the two sides was clear from the beginning. Yamamoto had no chance of success, neither financially nor socially. Not even Caiome did such impulsive things when she knew she couldn't succeed. When you wanted to do something on your own, you had to take all necessary measures and study the terrain well. Which Yamamoto didn't do, so he deserved to work for others instead of having others work for him. He deserved his fate because of his stupidity.

       Ayato raised his hand, pulling a scroll from the wide sleeve of his coat and placing it on the table. Caiome immediately recognized it as the scroll of papyrus that Ayato had taken from her for the investigation of a shipment of such paper. And judging by Yamamoto's reaction, it seemed he recognized the type of paper as well.

       "I was informed," Ayato began, looking down at Yamamoto, "about a suspicious shipment. I did not say anything then because the shipment disappeared subtly, and I needed all the evidence to make an accusation, but judging by your expression, it seems I could have confronted you without it. Do you acknowledge this?" he gestured towards the scroll of papyrus. "I do not need to tell you what will happen if you dare to lie to me from now on."

       Yamamoto quickly fell to his knees, pressing his forehead to the ground, trembling from head to toe. "Please, forgive me, my lord. It was a mistake, I was wrong. Please..."

       Ayato just lifted his chin. "A year ago, you declared in a rather arrogant way that you no longer wanted to depend on the Kamisato family or the Yashiro Commission. You begged for my forgivness and I gave it to you. Now you beg for my forgiveness once again after a few months, as a result. It seems I did not take enough drastic measures back then."