"..."
In the originally warm living room, the atmosphere suddenly turned somewhat heavy.
Mahiru Shiina's hands, resting on her knees, tightened slightly. Her voice, for some reason, became even colder.
"Do you know about my circumstances?"
When she spoke those words, Mahiru's emotions clearly underwent a significant upheaval.
Yet, Leon acted as if he hadn't noticed, speaking nonchalantly.
"Don't let my appearance fool you; I'm quite well-informed within your social circle. Naturally, I wouldn't be unaware of the Shiina family's existence."
The Shiina family, like the Yukinoshita family, were local prominent names in Chiba Prefecture.
It was a rising clan, seemingly with only a few generations of history, but the strength they had accumulated was quite impressive. While they didn't dabble in politics as much as the Yukinoshitas, their achievements in the business world were currently higher than the present Yukinoshita family.
Of course, the Shiinas couldn't compare to the Yuuki family, much less the Shinomiya family. At most, they were a prominent clan on the same level as the Yukinoshitas. Furthermore, because they were a nouveau riche family, their status in the circle was subtly lower than that of the Yukinoshita family. In the eyes of many older, established prestigious families, they were seen as up-and-comers who still had much to prove.
To change this situation, the Shiina family had adopted a specific measure: marriage alliance.
They had formed a connection with an old, established local family and reached a marriage agreement. This union caused the Shiina family's status in Chiba Prefecture to skyrocket, to the point where they now slightly overshadowed the Yukinoshita family.
The unfortunate man and woman pushed forward for this alliance were Mahiru Shiina's parents.
"Your parents' story is actually quite famous in the circle. It's said that when they were pushed into the alliance, they caused quite a scene. But in the end, both families suppressed them, forcing them to become helpless sacrifices of a family marriage alliance."
Leon looked at the pale Mahiru Shiina and lightly chuckled as he recounted what he knew.
"But although those two married, they have never seen eye-to-eye. Far from having any affection for one another, they grew to hate each other. Since their marriage, there have been countless conflicts. It's even said that their daughter was merely the product of a single night of impulse. They are, in every sense, nothing like a married couple."
"Of course, it's one thing to not act like a couple, but those two are famously unlike parents as well."
"They have never breathed a word about the daughter they brought into this world. They've never even acknowledged her as their own blood in public, never brought her to any social functions, and have barely returned to the home where their daughter lives."
"Especially the mother."
"At most, the father is indifferent toward his daughter. But that mother feels an extreme loathing for her own child because her daughter not only carries the blood of a man she dislikes but also looks very much like him, making her completely unwilling to acknowledge her."
As soon as these words were spoken, Mahiru Shiina's grip on her knees tightened further, to the point where she was nearly breaking the skin.
"Actually, I can probably guess why you're in such a bad mood today," Leon said bluntly, like a man who couldn't read the room at all. "If I'm not mistaken, it's because of that ridiculous mother of yours, right?"
Leon vaguely remembered how terrible the mother's attitude was toward Mahiru.
She not only refused to acknowledge Mahiru as her daughter but also believed she was a child who should never have been born, believing that neither she nor Mahiru's father would ever need her.
If not for her, they might have divorced long ago.
But because they had a child, under the pressure of their respective families, they were forced to maintain a lingering, painful connection, unable to break free for the longest time.
She already had her own lover now and thought constantly about breaking up with her current husband to start her own family.
In truth, Mahiru's father was the same; he had long ago found his own sweetheart and had been wanting to reconstruct his life.
To people like them, Mahiru's existence wasn't a continuation of their own flesh and blood, but rather an obstacle to their future happiness.
Therefore, Leon could fully imagine exactly what Mahiru Shiina had experienced today.
If nothing went wrong, she had likely received a phone call from her mother and was then mercilessly wounded by her words.
Otherwise, as the young lady of the Shiina family, why would Mahiru Shiina come out to rent an apartment and live alone?
It was because she could find no love in her own home, nor could she receive any. Staying there would only increase her sorrow; she would just be living in a hollow mansion like a lonely ghost.
If Yukino Yukinoshita moved out to live alone because she wanted independence and to prove herself, and if Utaha Kasumigaoka moved out because it was more convenient for her writing and school, then Mahiru Shiina moved out simply because she could no longer stand being in her own home.
Very few people knew this because Mahiru Shiina always acted like a flawless angel at school, always greeting others with a smile. No one could have guessed that her family situation was like this.
The grand Spring Beauty of Sobu High, one of the "unattainable flowers" who caused a sensation across the school shortly after enrollment, was actually a girl who was neglected by her parents, unloved, and even worse—ignored and loathed. Who could have imagined it?
Under these circumstances, Mahiru Shiina radiated a low-pressure aura, and her face no longer held any expression.
"Is she... ridiculous?" Mahiru Shiina asked coldly. "Shouldn't the ridiculous person be me?"
The self-deprecation in her voice was terrifyingly thick.
"It was fine when I was a child, but now I understand that I am a child who is not needed. Yet, I still can't help but expect, to long for, to want even a sliver of concern, a sliver of love from those two."
Because of this, Mahiru Shiina worked desperately hard, making herself excellent and outstanding, only praying that her parents would turn back to look at her, or that after hearing news of her, they would remember to come and see her.
And the result?
All she got in return was a phone call that was practically indistinguishable from verbal abuse.
"A person like me is the truly ridiculous one, right?"
Mahiru Shiina's words didn't sound like a confession; they sounded more like she was convincing herself, forcing her heart to finally die.
In fact, her heart truly had died.
That phone call, along with today's rain, had made her abandon all unrealistic expectations.
"Since they don't need me, I won't return to that house again, nor will I call myself a child of the Shiina family."
Mahiru Shiina spoke these words with a coldness that could almost be described as frightening. It was impossible to imagine that the gentle "Angel" could become like this.
"Then what do you plan to do in the future?"
Leon had no intention of comforting her. Like a bystander, he simply expressed his curiosity.
"I..."
Mahiru Shiina wanted to tell him that she would completely sever ties with her family once she reached adulthood.
This was also what her mother had told her—that she would only support her until she was an adult. After that, she would no longer have any contact with Mahiru and would not be responsible for a single cent of her expenses.
Mahiru Shiina wasn't afraid. With her grades and abilities, she could fully support herself once she became an adult; there was no need to worry about survival.
However, these were her own affairs and her own decisions. She didn't need to tell an outsider, nor would she.
Thus, Mahiru Shiina withdrew her words.
"Thank you for looking after me today, Senpai," Mahiru Shiina said, looking at Leon. "It's getting quite late now. You should probably head back, shouldn't you?"
It was indeed very late. After all, Mahiru had been unconscious for a significant amount of time; she still had a fever, and she had slept for at least six hours.
The sky outside was pitch black. In another hour or two, it would be midnight.
Seeing this, Mahiru Shiina issued a direct order for his departure, making her intention to stop the conversation crystal clear.
"It is indeed late." Whether Leon understood her or not, he nodded in deep agreement and said, "However, for a being like me, this time of day is exactly when I'm preparing to get active."
As he spoke, Leon stood up, stretched, and flashed a smile at Mahiru Shiina.
It was a smile that looked as if he had locked onto his prey.
That smile still looked sunny and radiant, but it no longer gave off the feeling of a bright, cheerful boy. Instead, his entire aura shifted, becoming somewhat dangerous.
"You said you are a child who isn't needed, right?"
Leon reached out a hand toward Mahiru Shiina and said one thing.
"In that case, why don't you come to my side?"
Hearing this, Mahiru Shiina remained unmoved.
"I don't understand what you mean, Senpai." Mahiru Shiina ignored Leon's outstretched hand and said, "But if you're trying to take advantage of me while I'm down, I'll just say you've miscalculated."
The way Mahiru Shiina looked at Leon was no longer the way one looked at a senior student, but rather how one looked at a man with ill intentions.
Presumably, in her eyes, Leon's invitation was just like the "concern" of the people she encountered on the street not long ago—all harboring ulterior motives.
To this, Leon only wanted to say…
"Your reaction is quite similar to Yukino's back then. You both think I want to date you, is that it?"
Leon burst into laughter and spoke his ultimate truth.
"Rest assured, Shiina-san. When a devil sets his sights on you, his goal is never to date you. He wants you to sell your soul."
As he spoke, Leon suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Mahiru Shiina before she could even react.
"If no one wants you, then I'll claim you."
"Stop being an angel, Shiina-san. Come and be a devil."
"Take the effort you once spent on your parents and use it toward being needed by me."
As his voice fell, three pairs of bat-like devil wings suddenly unfurled from Leon's back, stretching out freely in the living room.
Mahiru Shiina's caramel-colored eyes watched this scene, her pupils gradually dilating as she lost her voice.