After Transmigrating to Become Lady Skylark - Chapter 41

Chapter 41

In the end, Jin Chaoyan didn’t bring much with her. It was Kusakabe and Kina who came over to help move her tatami mat to the other room. During the process, she pretended not to notice the looks they kept shooting her way, instead focusing intently on studying the pattern of the remaining half of the ink-wash screen.

“Madam, would you like me to pack some of your clothes, accessories, and skincare products?”

Kina walked over with a beaming smile. She was tactful enough not to ask how the situation had escalated to this point, instead focusing on her work with professional seriousness.

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

The woman turned her head to look at her, then peered into the corridor at Tetsuya Kusakabe, who was emerging from the other room. “Mr. Kusakabe, will you have time to find someone to fix the door tomorrow?”

It was only a temporary arrangement for tonight; she could just move back tomorrow.

The subordinate in the corridor instantly froze in his tracks.

“I…”

He reflexively turned to look at the man inside the room. Sensing a sudden lock of murderous intent fixed upon him, cold sweat broke out on his neck beneath his suit collar. Even the blade of grass in his mouth trembled slightly. “I’m afraid I won’t have time, Madam. The existence of this base must remain a secret, and it’s inconvenient to contact repairmen to come over. Please endure it for the time being.”

After finishing this explanation under immense life-and-death pressure, the invisible weight vanished instantly. Kusakabe couldn’t help but let out a long breath—he had gambled correctly!

But Jin Chaoyan, completely unaware that he had just skirted the gates of hell, leaned against the doorframe and asked, “What about Mr. Giannini next door? I remember he’s an all-purpose engineer. Could you ask him if he’s free tomorrow?”

Kusakabe: @Giannini, run!

For the sake of the Vongola chief engineer’s life, he felt it necessary to find something for the man to do at the Vongola base tomorrow. While planning this in his mind, Kusakabe replied quickly, “Understood, Madam. However, the construction of the Vongola base is not yet complete and has many flaws. Please be prepared for the possibility that he won’t be able to come help.”

“…How much longer do you plan to chat?”

Hearing Jin Chaoyan ask about door repairmen one after another, Kyoya Hibari interrupted their conversation with great displeasure. That single sentence restored silence to the corridor.

Before long, the woman with pale blue hair flowing loose, wearing silk pajamas and clutching a pillow, walked into his room. This time, she indeed smelled a very faint fragrance indoors. Unlike the floral and fruity scents she preferred, the candles he used seemed to smell like fresh grass.

—She had assumed he would prefer woody tones like pine or cypress.

Kyoya Hibari’s room directly faced the courtyard with the best lighting. Not only was the space exceptionally large, but the sleeping area was also separated by a folding screen featuring landscapes. Consequently, there was a certain distance between her tatami mat and his.

Moreover, judging by the design and size of hers compared to his, this base really hadn’t been built with the comfort of overnight guests in mind. Kyoya Hibari’s bedding and the size of his bed looked exceptionally comfortable!

Since she was going to sleep, it was inconvenient to wear the Covenant Chains, so she reluctantly deactivated her ability. She walked over to her mat, put down the extra pillow she had brought, and quickly slid under the covers, lying still. She planned to spend the night quietly “playing dead” and waiting for dawn with her eyes closed.

However, there was a movement in the other bed. Soon, a fluffy yellow bird with messy feathers poked its head out from the covers. It looked at her sleepily, then at its master walking toward it, and flapped its wings happily:

“Chaoyan~ Hibari~”

“Mhm, goodnight, baby,” Jin Chaoyan whispered back, pulling the quilt up to her chin and remaining motionless with her eyes shut.

Hibird flapped its wings and flew over from Hibari’s side. It hopped once next to her pillow, then looked back at the other bed, seemingly caught in a dilemma of where it would be best to sleep.

Ultimately, it hopped onto Chaoyan’s pillow, curling into a soft yellow ball against her head. Closing its eyes again, it decided to snuggle with its mistress for the first half of the night and move to Hibari’s side for the second half.

Around 2:00 AM.

Jin Chaoyan, tortured by the discomfort of lying flat on her back, opened her eyes in the silent night. Feeling she truly couldn’t take it anymore, she instinctively moved her hand under the covers, quietly using her right hand to rub her left shoulder.

Though the movement was extremely light, a very calm voice asked from the side, “What are you doing?”

“…”

With this level of sensory sensitivity, were she and Kyoya Hibari even the same species?

Jin Chaoyan’s breathing grew slightly heavier as she spoke up helplessly to show she wasn’t making noise on purpose. “This tatami mat isn’t soft enough. My shoulder hurts.”

After she spoke, there was no further sound from the other side.

She exhaled in relief. Silence meant he wasn’t angry. If Kyoya Hibari were to get up after her answer, he would likely be coming over with his tonfa.

The brief dialogue between the two woke Hibird. It moved against Jin Chaoyan’s pillow, fluttering its wings and chirping, “Chaoyan~”

Jin Chaoyan didn’t dare reply. She switched to her left hand to rub her right shoulder while staring at the ceiling in a daze. But Hibird called her again: “Chaoyan~”

She could only report: “Hibird might be hungry. Should I go get it something to eat?”

He didn’t respond.

Jin Chaoyan took it as consent. She threw back the covers in one go, finally breaking the rigid posture she had held for so long. Feeling her stiff bones and muscles relax, she scooped up Hibird, intending to find food, but the little bird bit the sleeve of her pajamas with its beak and led her toward the other side.

The lights had long been out. Her night vision wasn’t great, so she had to extend her other hand beneath Hibird to prevent it from falling while pulling her. Thus, unable to watch her path, she followed Hibird toward the other side, whispering in confusion:

“Hibird, the food… isn’t in this direction, is it?”

Just as she finished, she felt herself trip over something on the floor. No longer worried about Hibird, she gasped and fell forward with her eyes shut—

Falling into a soft bed.

The first thought that popped into her head wasn’t “I’m doomed,” but that this dog man’s bed really was more comfortable than hers.

Kyoya Hibari had used his excellent reflexes to move aside. He was now sitting nearby, reaching out to accurately catch Hibird in the dark. He looked at the woman who had fallen onto his bed, a hint of amusement in his cool voice as he drew out his words slowly, tinged with a mocking tone:

“So, you brought it to my bed to find food?”

“…”

Feeling inexplicably set up by Hibird, Jin Chaoyan sat up slowly. She took a deep breath and told herself that since this wasn’t the first time she had embarrassed herself in front of him, she should just get used to it.

Then, she started to get up from the bed, trying to explain: “Hibird pulled me…”

Dim moonlight spilled into the courtyard and filtered through the screens outside the porch. Although the light inside was murky, Jin Chaoyan could clearly see the beautiful grey-blue eyes of the person sitting at the head of the bed, reflecting the faint light.

Then she heard him ask, his smile unchanging: “Do you know what the consequence is for disturbing my sleep?”

“…”

I know!

I’m already considering whether to use “Santen Kesshun” to block him or just lie flat and wait until I’m down to my last breath to use Reverse Cursed Technique!

“Why aren’t you speaking?” In her silence, he insisted on asking again.

Jin Chaoyan hadn’t realized before that he had a hobby of listening to people’s final words. Now, stifling her feelings, she crouched at the foot of the tatami mat and replied dryly, “W-What should I say?”

“What will it take for you to sleep quietly?” To her surprise, the man didn’t seem to have any intention of brandishing his tonfa. He remained sitting there lazily, simply placing the Hibird he had caught onto his head.

Perhaps Hibird had slept enough earlier, for it was now full of energy in the middle of the night. It flapped its wings on his head and hopped around, chirping, “Chaoyan~ Chaoyan~”

Jin Chaoyan truly couldn’t understand what it wanted tonight, so she simply followed its lead and asked, “What does Hibird want to do?”

The man replied nonchalantly, “It wants you to sleep here.”

Jin Chaoyan: “?”

She was completely stunned. It took a while for her to realize that because she had said the mat was too hard and her shoulder hurt, Hibird had heard her and wanted to bring her to the more comfortable tatami.

In her daze, Kyoya Hibari followed up with a question of his own. “If you come to this bed, can you be quiet?”

Jin Chaoyan: “…?”

That wouldn’t be quiet; that would be eternal rest, right?

Thinking about how it hadn’t really hurt when she fell just now, she vaguely sensed that the man’s mood wasn’t too bad tonight. Thus, she gave birth to a small, improper hope and asked carefully, “Um… would you be willing to switch beds with me?”

A cold laugh was his answer.

Kyoya Hibari hadn’t expected her to be so bold. He leaned forward slightly and reached out to grab her wrist. Before she could react, he pulled her onto the tatami and casually shared a portion of his quilt.

Before Jin Chaoyan could move, he propped his palm beside her ear and leaned over. His shadow covered her face, completely enveloping her in his presence. The curve of his lips didn’t retract, and his voice flowed into her ear at a closer distance than ever before:

“If you dare to make a sound again, I’ll bite you to death, hmm?”

Jin Chaoyan: “!”

It wasn’t the first time she had heard his catchphrase, but it was the first time she was the one being warned. It should have been chilling murderous intent, but as the man spoke slowly in a night-roughened, slightly hoarse voice, carrying an ambiguous smile, it sounded like a whispered endearment.

Jin Chaoyan felt she had truly lost her mind in the night. She even stopped breathing for a moment. In the ear pressed against the bedding, she could clearly hear the chaotic, disordered pounding of her own heart—thump-thump, thump-thump—loud and agitated.

Every beat of the “deer” in her heart was telling her: You’re doomed.

In the second half of the night, Jin Chaoyan incredibly managed to fall asleep in that very position.

When she woke up in a daze, she found the other person was no longer in the bed. She raised a hand to block the light filtering through the screen on the courtyard side, sat up, and yawned. With bleary eyes, she surveyed the room and found she was alone in the quiet space.

Just then, Kina’s voice sounded politely outside the door. “Madam, a call came from the Jin family. They say they have sent someone to Namimori Station and request that Miss Kazumiko be picked up.”

“Hmm?”

She snapped back to reality, no longer thinking about that miraculously peaceful night, and got up from the bed. “They came at the right time; saves me the trouble of contacting them. Has Kazumiko packed her things? I’ll change and go with you to see her off.”

“Yes, Madam. I’ll go help Miss Kazumiko pack right now.”

Jin Chaoyan gave an affirmative and instinctively started toward the bathroom. Only after two steps did she realize this wasn’t her room. She turned around, pulled open the bedroom door, and headed back to her own quarters.

After washing up and changing, she came out to find a tearful Kazumiko. The girl wiped her eyes and told her, “Mother said it’s very dangerous in the country lately and wants to send me abroad temporarily… Sister, is that true?”

Jin Chaoyan thought for a moment. “Mhm, essentially. It’s good for you to stay somewhere safe.”

“Then what about you?”

Kazumiko grabbed her hand, speaking urgently. “Sister, are you going to stay here? Even though I… I can’t influence their decisions, I have quite a bit of allowance. Why don’t you come with me? I can rent an apartment for you right next to where I’ll be staying—”

This speech from the youngster was quite unexpected. Jin Chaoyan had thought the girl didn’t understand anything beyond enjoying life.

To think she was now willing to contribute her allowance to rent a house abroad for her…

Jin Chaoyan chuckled and rubbed her head. “No need. I want to stay here. Go and enjoy your vacation with peace of mind.”

“I’ll say it again: if you encounter danger you can’t handle, remember to use the card. No matter where you are, it can bring you to my side. Understand?”

Kazumiko nodded seriously.

After a while, she added, “I know you have… strange abilities, Sister, and you can protect yourself. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. When I saved that uncle before, I didn’t tell him how the cave appeared either… Anyway, Sister, you have to wait for me to return to the country. I still want to come and play with you. Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

Jin Chaoyan agreed with a smile, pushing her shoulders toward the exit. “Go on, let’s get you back. Remember to study hard when you return, cause less trouble, and try not to get hit again.”

But Kazumiko applied a bit of force with her feet, resisting the push. She turned back to her and said, “I’m sorry, Sister.”

“What?”

“I used to be very immature. I thought as long as I wasn’t the one getting hit, it was fine. I never helped you once when you were in trouble. I know you didn’t really like me before, and this time you only took me in mostly because I acted pathetic…”

“But I still have to apologize to you. I’m sorry. Also, thank you for saving my life in the warehouse, and thank you for taking me in this time.” Kazumiko bowed with a formal attitude she had never shown before.

Hearing this, Jin Chaoyan didn’t know how to respond for a moment.

In truth, her helping the girl was simply because she hadn’t possessed the original owner’s memories yet at that time, and Kazumiko’s antagonism at the family banquet meant nothing to her—not worth the girl losing her life over. The later shelter was only because she hated that fellow Jin Goemon.

In a family, most of the children’s misfortunes stem from improper education by the parents.

She knew how to distinguish the source of a debt from those merely caught in it.

Moreover, in the information provided by Kawahira, these cousins hadn’t done anything to kick Jin Chaoyan while she was down. To the heirs, she was so weak as to be beneath notice; specifically targeting her would have felt beneath their status.

In that house, Kazumiko was actually the one who would occasionally speak to the original owner, even warning her twice: “Hey, don’t hang around the house looking like that today. If you annoy Father, you’ll be lying half-dead again. While he’s still in his meeting, hurry up and find somewhere cool to stay.”

“Honestly… how can there be someone as bad at reading the room as you in this house?”

The words were harsh.

But it barely counted as being human.

Hearing the apology now, however, she couldn’t accept it. “There’s no need for thanks. As for the apology, keep it for now. I’m not the one who can accept it. If you really want to do something, please don’t be a bystander in the future. Try to give whatever help you can to the weak. That’s all.”

“…Okay, I’ll remember. I’ll do it too, Sister. When I’ve helped someone, I’ll come back and tell you.”

Failing to have her apology accepted, Kazumiko’s expression darkened significantly. On the way out, she habitually reached for Jin Chaoyan’s hand, but for some reason, she ultimately didn’t. She only whispered to Kina from behind, asking if Hibari would protect her well.

After seeing off Kazumiko, it began to rain again.

Compared to the constant sunshine of the previous months, Namimori had been quite rainy this month. Jin Chaoyan and Kina sat in the back of a taxi. Hearing that they had to take a detour due to road repairs in the city center didn’t bother them, until the car passed a very remote, dilapidated road. A curtain of rain rose high into the sky beside them, looking like a tsunami making landfall.

The taxi driver was startled and stepped on the gas, jolting the two in the back. “A tsunami! We have to run! Sit tight, ladies, I’m getting out of here as fast as possible… Honestly, what’s wrong with the radio? They aren’t broadcasting news of this size? What are they thinking?”

“W-Wait!”

Jin Chaoyan caught a glimpse of the word “Kokuyo” on a dilapidated amusement park sign. She suddenly remembered whose territory this was in the anime and told the driver to stop.

The driver was naturally unwilling, until Jin Chaoyan replied, “What tsunami? You must have misseen it. My friend and I didn’t see anything. What are you trying to do by refusing to stop? I’m calling the police right now to report you for fatigued driving!”

“?”

The driver looked in the rearview mirror again. Sure enough, there was no sign of the waves from before. The car radio was still broadcasting the daily Namimori road conditions. He shook his head, thinking he had simply become dizzy from driving too long. He pulled over cautiously and apologized instinctively.

Once Kina had paid the fare and stepped out of the car with an umbrella for Jin Chaoyan, she noticed her gaze fixed on the dilapidated place in the distance. She said instinctively, “Did you discover something, Madam? That place looks like a ruined amusement park or a dangerous building that’s been out of repair for years. It might be dangerous to go there.”

“Mhm…”

In this anime, Jin Chaoyan could remember the protagonist Sawada Tsuna and Kyoya Hibari. Naturally, she would also remember the only character who treated Hibari like a punching bag: the Vongola Mist Guardian, Rokudo Mukuro.

This Kokuyo Land was his territory.

But given that the man was a dangerous figure, Jin Chaoyan decided to wait and see. If a man with pineapple-styled hair walked out of the park later, she would take Kina and run. If an enemy walked out, she would… finish them off.

Standing by the roadside, away from the trees, the woman stood quietly under the umbrella. She waited and waited. Just as the rain began to subside, she suddenly saw a figure in a green girl’s school uniform emerge from the woods. She was propping herself up with a black trident and staggering.

Eh?

Jin Chaoyan was stunned. She tried to scramble through her tattered memories of the series. After a while, she remembered that this beauty was Rokudo Mukuro’s representative in the human world. Just as she was wondering whether to help, the other girl collapsed to the ground.

“!”

“Kina, wait for me here. No need for the umbrella. I’ll go check the situation; don’t get close yet.” Jin Chaoyan, having forgotten the plot, didn’t quite dare to bring a normal person near these dangerous illusionists without precautions. Not until she drew close did she realize the other girl had truly lost all combat capability and consciousness, lying senseless in the rain.

Ten minutes later.

Vongola training room, basement level nine.

The accompanying Tetsuya Kusakabe heard his phone ring. After answering, he was stunned for a moment. He tried calling out to the two people locked in a fierce battle in mid-air. “Kyo-san! A call from Madam!”

Sawada Tsuna was startled first, and then he was knocked from the air to the ground by his opponent’s tonfa without hesitation, shattering the stone slabs of the training room.

Kyoya Hibari swung his tonfa. The flames upon them slowly subsided from their peak state and finally vanished. By the time he walked to Kusakabe’s side, the unrestrained killing intent had largely dissipated.

He took the phone from his subordinate and asked in a softened tone: “What is it?”

“…Who did you say you picked up?”

“Understood. I’m coming up now; stay quiet… Hmm? The internal organs disappeared?”

Sawada Tsuna, who had crawled up from the ground, had two thick lines of tears running down his face. Looking at this man who had transformed from savage to peaceful in an instant, he couldn’t help but make a “tsukkomi” face:

Speaking softly and gently to your wife, but using heavy punches on me, is that it?

I really didn’t expect you to be this kind of Hibari-senpai!

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