Chapter 39 - Blindness

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

And, as I said before, if you wish to read ahead, you can head over to my Patreon to get early access to all the translated chapters.

The Premonition of Revelation

 

Two years had passed since then.

 

Aoi had safely advanced to university and would turn twenty in about three months.

 

By immersing himself in his work, Ren had been trying to avoid thinking about Mikado's presence and his own identity as an omega. As a result of this relentless focus, Ren's business ventures had all begun to yield enormous profits.

 

Ren's position and power had grown even more unshakable, and combined with his mysterious beauty, everyone around him looked upon him with awe.

 

One day, Ren received some good news—something he had long been waiting for.

 

"A donor has been found!?"

 

"Yes. It's Yotsune Kunishiro, twenty-one years old, a nephew of Mr. Masachika. Yotsune's parents have requested that his eyes be used for Mr. Aoi."

 

"I see... What about the circumstances of the accident? Were there any other victims?"

 

"No, it was a solo accident. He lost control of his large motorcycle and collided with the central divider."

 

"Collided... What about his eyes? Are Yotsune's eyes intact?"

 

"Yes, they are miraculously in pristine condition. It's been three hours since the accident, but should we proceed with the extraction immediately?"

 

A human's eyes begin to cloud after about six hours, and become fully opaque between twenty-four and forty-eight hours. If the eyes themselves were unharmed, there would likely never be a better donor. Showing an uncharacteristic urgency, Ren ordered his general secretary, Seiba, a male beta.

 

"Extract the eyes immediately. And notify Ayase as well. I'll personally thank Yotsune's parents afterward."

 

"Understood. Yotsune has been brought to Ayase's hospital. I'll arrange everything right away."

 

"Good. Get the car ready."

 

"Understood."

 

After Seiba left the office, Ren exhaled deeply and stood up. He walked over to the large window that covered an entire wall, gazing down at the cityscape. Resting his hands on the windowsill, he took a deep breath.

 

Three years ago, the Ayase family's clinic had been turned into a medical corporation and developed into a full-fledged hospital. Ren had made a massive investment to ensure advanced medical care and specialized clinical research.

 

Ren's primary goal was, of course, the restoration of Aoi's vision. However, he also had high hopes for the development of a "safe omega pheromone suppressant with minimal strain on the body," which the Ayase family had been researching for two generations. Ren believed that developing a cheap and safe suppressant could be a valuable way to help omegas like himself, who couldn't live life the way they wanted.

 

—If the body has already been transported to Ayase, things can move forward quickly. Ayase said that eye transplant surgeries face less risk of rejection than organ transplants, and if it's from a young man with some blood relation, then Yotsune's eyes should be a perfect match for Aoi…

 

"Aoi's eyes… they might be healed."

 

Whispering to himself as if to reassure himself, Ren felt a tremor of anticipation ripple through his body.

 

If Aoi could regain his sight, he would be able to take his rightful place at the top of Kunishiro Holdings. Aoi already possessed the intelligence and grace to do so, and his temperament was flawless. Other than his blindness, Aoi was in excellent health. Even without the bias of being his brother, Ren judged Aoi to be an outstanding talent.

 

If Aoi could see again, he would finally be able to fully realize his potential. If that happened, Aoi might be able to share the burden he had been carrying all alone.

 

—Maybe I won't have to be alone anymore…

 

Ren steadied his breathing, his golden-tinged jade eyes reflecting the blue sky.

 

At that moment, without a knock, the door to the office opened with a loud bang. Masachika Kunishiro strode into the room. Irritated at the disruption of his rare moment of peace, Ren shot him an uncharacteristically displeased look.

 

"...Mr. Masachika, that was rude. Entering without knocking."

 

"My apologies. There's something urgent I need to ask."

 

Ren was about to snap, "What do you want at a time like this?" but the words caught in his throat.

 

Masachika's face was grim, and his eyes had a murky, dark look. His usually impeccably styled ash-gray hair was slightly disheveled today.

 

Ren realized something. Though Yotsune was only a distant relative to him, to Masachika, Yotsune was a nephew. Masachika must be grieving deeply over Yotsune's death. Ren took a deep breath to calm himself.

 

"My condolences for Yotsune..."

 

"Did you have Yotsune killed for his eyes?"

 

"What?"

 

Masachika stepped closer, his dark eyes swirling with something ominous as he stared directly at Ren. Ren furrowed his brow and met Masachika's gaze head-on.

 

"How absurd. Do you really think I would do something like that?"

 

"Who knows? If Aoi regains his sight, you and he will have total control over Kunishiro Holdings. What happens to us, the branch families, then? The main family will suck all the sweet nectar, leaving us in an even more pitiful position. Is that the way the head of the Kunishiro family operates?"

 

"Calm down. I have no idea what you're talking about."

 

Ren frowned deeply at Masachika's bitter words.

 

"Perhaps you should give the younger members of the branch families more opportunities. Because you neglect them, they end up like Yotsune, crashing a motorcycle in a reckless accident."

 

"Hold on. What proof do you have to say something like that? Are you implying that I orchestrated the accident?"

 

"The timing is just too perfect, isn't it? Aoi's debut into society is just around the corner, and now you have Yotsune's eyes at the ready."

 

"Enough! I've done nothing. It was an unfortunate accident. If you continue to spread such baseless accusations, I'll have no choice but to sue you for defamation."

 

Ren's firm tone made Masachika fall silent, though his expression remained displeased. Still, his eyes roamed over Ren in an unsettling way, as if he had more to say. Ren crossed his arms and stared Masachika down, irritated by his piercing gaze.

 

"I've told you before, I value skill and merit above all else, not lineage or family background. I've never neglected the branch families. Those with ambition and ability have been placed in suitable positions. I thought you understood that by now."

 

"Hmph… you're just an arrogant brat."

 

Masachika spat the words with contempt and took a step closer, thrusting his arm forward. Ren instinctively stepped back, but with the large window behind him, there was nowhere to retreat. Masachika had him pinned, trapping him between his arms.

 

Ren could feel Masachika's sharp nose and mouth disturbingly close, and a chill ran down his spine. The alpha's scent clung to him, causing his entire body to stiffen in an instant.

 

But Ren couldn't afford to show fear. Swallowing the tremor in his voice, he steeled himself, gathering strength in his core, and glared up at Masachika with sharp eyes.

 

"What do you think you're doing?"

 

"You have such a sweet, enticing scent. Almost as if you're luring me in."

 

"...What?"

 

"Isn't that why you've kept me around even after becoming CEO? Despite your rebellious words, deep down, you want to rely on me. That's why, despite your protests, you haven't removed me from the board of directors."

 

"What? That's ridiculous…"

 

Masachika's handsome face twisted into a depraved smile as he gently touched Ren's cheek. At the same time, he leaned in, his nose grazing Ren's neck as if to deliberately inhale his scent.

 

Revulsion washed over Ren, paralyzing him. His entire body recoiled as if engulfed in a suffocating wave. Instinctively, Ren slapped Masachika's hand away, but the older man, physically stronger, grabbed Ren's wrist firmly. Ren's heart raced as he gritted his teeth and glared up at Masachika.

 

"Let go! What do you think you're doing?!"

 

"I can spoil you as much as you like if that's what you want. If you want me to be by your side, just say so honestly."

 

Masachika's lips curved into a sickening smile as he spoke. Ren's entire body tensed.

 

The humiliating memories of his violent fantasies flashed through Ren's mind, and cold sweat ran down his back.

 

As if snapped awake, Ren yanked his hand free with force. Even so, Masachika maintained his smug, predatory gaze. Disgust welled up inside Ren, and he stepped away from him, breathing deeply to rid himself of the nauseating feeling twisting in his stomach.

 

"Don't get ahead of yourself. The only reason I didn't remove you from the board is that I didn't want to deal with unnecessary conflict. It's always the incompetent ones, obsessed with family lines, who drag out these petty arguments. I don't have time to entertain such nonsense."

 

Masachika said nothing, but Ren could see the simmering rage burning in his eyes.

 

The revulsion he felt toward Masachika had pushed Ren to finally voice the thoughts he had kept carefully hidden until now. Had he made a mistake? Ren wondered briefly. But no, he had the power now to distance Masachika for good. He was surrounded by loyal subordinates. If Masachika caused any more trouble, Ren wouldn't hesitate to wield the full authority of his position as CEO. As these thoughts raced through his mind, he watched Masachika carefully.

 

Masachika slowly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, his face softening into a saccharine smile as he shrugged exaggeratedly.

 

"My apologies. I spoke out of turn. I was simply distraught over my nephew's death."

 

"…"

 

"I'll go handle the funeral arrangements. You'll be attending, I assume?"

 

"Of course."

 

Masachika straightened his posture, casually running his hand through his hair. His lips still curled into that unsettling smile, and his gaze swept over Ren from head to toe. The snake-like intensity of his stare made Ren shudder once more.

 

"You really are well guarded. But the more solitary a ruler stands, the deeper the loneliness they carry within."

 

The subtle triumph in Masachika's expression chilled Ren to the core.

 

There was something ominous in Masachika's words, a hint that sent waves of dread creeping up from Ren's feet, freezing him in place.

 

—Could he have figured it out…?

 

"What are you trying to say?"

 

"Oh, nothing at all."

 

Just as Ren was about to speak again, a soft knock came from the office door. He paused, holding his words back.

 

"What is it?"

 

"My apologies, Mr. Ren. About the eye extraction… ah, I see you're in the middle of something."

 

Seiba, who had reentered the room, politely bowed toward Masachika. Ren, hearing Masachika click his tongue quietly in frustration, forced himself to calm his increasingly erratic breathing and maintain a composed exterior.

 

"That's all. Mr. Masachika is leaving. I'll head to the hospital shortly."

 

"Understood."

 

"Then, I'll take my leave."

 

Ren gave Masachika a small nod before slipping on the jacket hanging on the coat rack and quickly exiting the office.

 

As he walked briskly down the hallway, he wiped the sweat from his temples with the back of his hand.

 

His tightly clenched fists trembled slightly.

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