I seem to have come back to life.
This thought emerged mysteriously in Rurikawa Tsubaki's heart. Her heart, which had been numb and dead, suddenly overflowed with endless grievance and gratitude. Her expressionless face turned into a pouting, aggrieved look, and hot tears ruined her exquisite makeup, silently streaming down her cheeks.
"Rurikawa Natsuyu, you are insane!"
Rurikawa Rinka struggled to climb up. She clenched her fists and shouted in a fit of rage:
"Do you have any idea how much trouble you will bring upon the family by doing this and sabotaging this deal!"
"Is this how you treat your family as its sole successor!"
"Bastard! The family cannot be destroyed in your hands! You incompetent successor—it was that hot-headed brat who corrupted you!"
Rurikawa Tsubaki also felt the young master was insane. He had sabotaged a deal that benefited him, fallen from the sky to beat down all the bodyguards, bullied the detestable old lady, and saved someone like her who had nothing, just like a prince charming from a dream.
Natsuyu smiled and said, "I actually think Mr. Lawyer is quite cute. Ugly old lady, I can understand why you are jealous that he is cuter than you."
Rurikawa Tsubaki was somewhat dumbfounded. What kind of talk was this? Was there any logic to it?
Rurikawa Rinka was beyond livid. She directed the bodyguards who were climbing back up:
"All of you, go together and restrain him! You are permitted to use weapons!"
The bodyguards looked at each other and took out iron rods, flick sticks, and other weapons, surrounding Rurikawa Tsubaki.
No, rather, she was just incidental cargo; the one they wanted to deal with was the young master.
Rurikawa Tsubaki felt despair once again.
No matter how well the young master could fight, he could not beat so many people.
Was she still unable to escape her tragic destiny?
Rurikawa Tsubaki bit her lip aggrievedly, her tears wetting the front of her clothes:
"...... Thank you, Young Master Natsuyu."
"At least in the end, you let me know that there is still someone willing to be kind to me."
Natsuyu gave her a strange look. A smile spread across his handsome face, carrying a relaxed and unrestrained air:
"I haven't lost yet, and you already think I can't handle this?"
"Originally, I wanted to just take you and run, but now I have no choice but to show off my strength. I wouldn't want you to think I am afraid of this old lady."
Was this a matter of being afraid of the old lady?
What Rurikawa Tsubaki feared was that group of tall, large bodyguards armed with weapons causing Natsuyu to get hurt.
Natsuyu clapped his hands and proactively initiated a charge toward the surrounding bodyguards. In the eyes of an ordinary person, his speed was like a ghost.
Going empty-handed against armed opponents was indeed troublesome.
Although Natsuyu's physique was powerful enough to far exceed an ordinary person, he was still flesh and blood after all and could not contend with steel.
No matter how strong a person was, flesh and blood could not match metal in hardness; being stabbed by a small child would still result in death.
This was the gap between being armed and empty-handed.
Therefore, Natsuyu snatched a rod.
It was very simple: he grabbed a bodyguard's hand, gave a hard yank, and the rod was his.
"Now, it is armed against armed."
Natsuyu's eyes lit up with excitement.
This was his first time fighting in such a large-scale brawl. Thinking about his physique that surpassed human limits, he felt a sudden rush of excitement.
As expected, being a bad boy felt great!
Thud, thud, thud.
Natsuyu swung the iron rod three times with clean efficiency, sending the weapons of three bodyguards flying.
The bodyguards who lost their weapons were left with numb arms from the shock, stopping in their tracks with vacant expressions.
But Natsuyu did not stop. He kicked them away one by one, knocking down three other bodyguards in the process.
Since several bodyguards had been knocked down by Natsuyu earlier and had not been able to get back up, in the blink of an eye, only two opponents remained.
The female bodyguard's expression changed drastically. Her eyes showed wavering uncertainty and a gut-wrenching fear. Abandoning the fight against the unstoppable Natsuyu, she ran toward Rurikawa Tsubaki.
Although she did not know if taking Rurikawa Tsubaki hostage would be effective, it was the only way to restrict this monster!
But while the imagination was rich, reality was skeletal.
Before the female bodyguard could reach Rurikawa Tsubaki's side, she was kicked away by an irresistible force. She slammed into the ground, her whole body aching, as she watched the last bodyguard fly backward as well.
Silence.
Only the wails and gasps of the bodyguards remained in the courtyard.
Everyone looked at Natsuyu—who held the iron rod with an expression that seemed somewhat unsatisfied—as if they were looking at a monster.
"You guys are so weak. Is that all?"
The bodyguards felt like coughing up blood.
Natsuyu carried the iron rod indifferently and walked up to the stunned Rurikawa Tsubaki, extending his hand once more:
"Let's go. I am taking you away from here."
"...Okay."
Rurikawa Tsubaki wiped away her tears and gripped that hand with all her might, as if letting go would mean falling into hell.
Hope had actually descended by her side.
At her moment of deepest despair, Young Master Natsuyu had become the incarnation of hope and saved her.
"Natsuyu!"
Rurikawa Rinka looked at the bodyguards lying on the ground in shock. She gritted her teeth and shouted:
"You cannot do this! The family will bear the infamy of being untrustworthy, its reputation will be ruined, and it will completely decline!"
"I will not allow you to trample on the family's reputation. If you dare to take her away from here today, don't ever come back!"
Natsuyu laughed loudly. "Old thing, do you know who I am?"
"If I don't come back, then please go find someone else and give birth to another Rurikawa to inherit the family. Good luck, I believe in you."
Rurikawa Rinka's expression froze, looking as hideous as if she had swallowed a fly.
Rurikawa Tsubaki felt so refreshed that she burst out laughing.
Facing Rurikawa Rinka's murderous gaze, she hid behind Natsuyu, her smile becoming more and more obvious.
Rurikawa Rinka was exploding with rage, but no one cared about her.
Natsuyu held Rurikawa Tsubaki's hand and strode outside.
Many servants had already gathered outside.
They were the servants and housekeepers of the Rurikawa Family, as well as people from the branch family. They had been drawn by the commotion and were looking at the scene in the courtyard with either confusion or shock.
The young master breaking with the matriarch—this was too intense!
Rurikawa Rinka screamed:
"Whoever you are, hurry and stop this little bastard for me!"
"Old thing, bye-bye."
Natsuyu suddenly triggered speed up.
His running speed was so fast that he easily broke through the encirclement.
Rurikawa Tsubaki felt like she was almost being lifted off the ground as she ran. Her entire weight rested on him. Gusts of free wind blew her hair wild, facing the morning sun. The morning light paved the road ahead with a sacred brightness.
Having broken through the encirclement of the house servants, they ran with dozens of people chasing behind them, sprinting down the path of redemption paved by the morning sun.
The noisy shouting and the humble pleas for them to stop behind them became the most wonderful and moving background music.
Rurikawa Tsubaki watched the youth leading her escape without blinking.
Natsuyu laughed heartily. "This is fun. They can't catch us at all. The old lady will lose her heir because of a moment of angry words, and since she can't give birth to a second one herself, she will be filled with regret, crying and making a scene."
Rurikawa Tsubaki was amused by the scene Natsuyu described. Her eyes curved like crescent moons, and beneath her wet lashes, her eyes shone like glowing moons.