Yoshimura had no intention of interfering with Eto's thoughts. He had never interfered with Eto.
He only hoped Eto wouldn't oppose Amaha-kun. After all, he had already witnessed Byakuya's power.
"Eto... are you still planning to oppose Amaha-kun?"
Yoshimura asked with concern.
"No, how could I still oppose him? I don't want to die having accomplished nothing..."
Eto said immediately.
"That's good..."
Yoshimura relaxed slightly.
As long as Eto didn't oppose Amaha-kun, whatever she planned to do was fine.
"Also..."
Then Eto suddenly shifted the topic to Yoshimura. "Daddy~ we finally get to meet. Don't you have anything you want to say to me?"
"..."
When facing Kaneki Ken or everyone at Anteiku, Yoshimura could always speak with philosophical and profound words. Yet when facing his own daughter, he suddenly didn't know what to say.
Actually, he had thought about this long ago—what he would say to Eto when she came to Anteiku. After all, from the very beginning, he had carefully preserved that classical, elegant coffee cup, waiting for the day Eto would arrive...
But now that he was actually face-to-face with Eto, it was as if he couldn't remember anything. For the longest time, he couldn't utter a single word.
After a while, seeing Kuzen still standing there in silence, Eto felt somewhat disappointed—but not particularly surprised. This old man was just like this.
"...Forget it. There'll be plenty of opportunities later. After all, you won't be dying now. After all, that bastard wants you alive, so no one can touch you anymore."
Eto spoke casually. "So, can I leave now? Being stuck in this tiny, dark place is kind of uncomfortable. It reminds me of certain things from my childhood I'd rather not remember."
The "certain things" she referred to were her early years in Ward 24.
Especially after her adoptive father Noroi was killed by the V Organization, until she became capable enough to survive on her own, her experiences in Ward 24 were undoubtedly unbearable to recall...
"You can. Go wherever you want."
Just then, Byakuya's voice came from the doorway.
He had just walked in.
"So... you were eavesdropping just now? That's not very nice, is it?"
Eto immediately teased.
"No, I just happened to arrive."
Byakuya replied calmly.
Eto naturally knew whether Byakuya was telling the truth or not—after all, she could tell by smell whether he had been standing outside listening. And the truth was just as Byakuya said.
"...Then I'm leaving."
Eto immediately stood up, preparing to depart.
She had been gone too long. Everyone at Aogiri Tree was surely worried, especially Tatara and the others who still didn't know what had happened. She needed to head back immediately.
She just didn't know if that Byakuya bastard would actually let her go.
And when Eto passed by Byakuya and walked out the door, Byakuya indeed didn't stop her.
"At least go introduce yourself to Yomo-san and the others and say goodbye..."
Byakuya suddenly spoke again.
"...I see. If that's all you're asking, I can accept that."
Eto smiled faintly.
She took this as Byakuya's condition for letting her leave.
It wasn't an unreasonable request, so she was willing to comply.
As for Yoshimura...
In the end, the relationship between Yoshimura and Eto hadn't improved at all.
Reconciliation between them was clearly not going to be easy—in fact, it would be extremely difficult.
Things had already reached an almost irreversible point. After all, Eto had been heartless enough to have Yoshimura captured as an experimental subject.
Though it wasn't just Yoshimura—everyone in Aogiri Tree, including Arima and many innocent people and ghouls, were all "sacrifices" Eto was willing to make for her ultimate goal. But relatively speaking, Arima, Tatara, and others were willing participants...
However, with Byakuya's "brute force" disruption completely scrambling the entire situation, a sliver of hope for reversing the irreversible relationship between Yoshimura and Eto had been forcibly created.
Perhaps this was what they called "miracles through overwhelming force."
It was precisely because of Byakuya's overwhelming power that Eto had seen hope for this world. She no longer needed to cling stubbornly to her plan that required enormous sacrifices and had little chance of success.
Afterward, Eto came to the hall where Yomo, Irimi, and Koma were.
She had to pass through here to leave anyway. Unless she broke through the wall, which Byakuya definitely wouldn't allow—she couldn't make that kind of commotion.
Byakuya and Yoshimura also came over.
Seeing this unfamiliar girl wrapped entirely in bandages and wearing a dark red cloak, her face revealed and showing delicate, cute features mixed with an air of something bewitching...
Irimi and Koma were both curious about who this girl they'd never seen before was.
"..."
Yomo was the quickest to react. He remembered Byakuya saying the One-Eyed Owl was also being held here. And he knew the One-Eyed Owl was the Manager's child. So he quickly wondered if this girl before him might be the One-Eyed Owl...
The next moment, Eto spoke to Irimi and the others in a friendly manner. "Nice to meet you. I'm Manager Yoshimura's daughter, Eto Yoshimura. Please take care of me."
At this moment, she seemed less like the One-Eyed Owl and more like the human author "Sen Takatsuki."
"Oh, nice to meet you..."
Irimi was startled. "So the Manager has a child?"
"To think you're the Manager's daughter! Please take care of us too!"
Koma was also surprised.
Neither of them had known about this, because the Manager never talked about his family. Even when they asked, he always said he had none.
Unlike Yomo, who went out collecting information all the time. Especially since Yomo was friends with Uta and Itori, both members of the Clowns, he had access to even more secret information.
"Speaking of which, the Manager should be quite old by now, right? How come his daughter looks like she's only..."
Irimi suddenly noticed that Eto looked very young. If Eto had claimed to be the Manager's granddaughter, she wouldn't have doubted it.
"Maybe the Manager had children late in life."
Koma suggested.
"I might look like this, but I'm actually twenty-four years old~"
Hearing this, Eto smiled and answered.
...
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