I Love You, Monster: The Blindfolded Wife x The Masked Husband

"I will go to country J." Sei said and the gloomy old man’s face brightened.

"You have a plan?" old man Mikazuki asked, looking excited. Well, if Sei was planning something, it would be a good idea to do it in country J, since that was the country where the two of them met.

"Mm." Sei nodded as his gloomy expression drastically change, causing the house’s atmosphere to immediately turn bright.

Thus, Sei then immediately started clearing his schedule for the day’s trip.

While he was preparing, he shifted his attention to the quiet Zaki on the couch.

"Zaki, bring your fiancée with you." Sei said and like a man startled from his daydreams, Zaki suddenly straightened as he immediately replied.

"H-huh? Why?" he asked with surprised look and Sei simply answered as he walked away.

"I need her. Also, she must come so someone can help you take care of little Shin."

Zaki’s mouth hung open as he watched his mighty brother leaving him behind. Afterwards, he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"In short, we will just follow you as your glorified babysitters, huh..." he muttered as he lazily raised his face up and then his shoulders drop before he moved his feet towards Hinari who was currently speaking with his parents.

...

Country J.

In an old yet luxurious Japanese style mansion, a banquet was being held. The setting was magnificent. Twinkling lights draped the walls of the corridors which opened up to the banquet hall. There were round tables elegantly set with red table cloths. The center pieces were large crystal vases, which stood on round mirrors, and housed a bouquet of white orchids which created an amazing contrast to the red tablecloth. The tiny crystals at the bottom of the vase caught the light and when they reflected off the mirror, it sparkled like a starry night sky.

Champagne was flowing easily. The waiters and waitresses were dressed smartly in a crisp black and white uniform as they walked around offering canapés and champagne to the guests.

The room was filled with people, all draped in their designer dresses and suits which were all made to fit. The ladies necks, ears and wrists were covered with gems, pearl or diamonds whereas the men wore expensive watches and cufflinks. This was certainly a most lavish affair.

The banquet was about to start and people started to settle down at their tables. The first course was served and not long after, the main meal came out. It didn’t take long for everyone to finish the scrumptious meals provided to them by the very top chef in Country J.

When everyone had finished their main course, an old man with a majestic aura holding a cane, went up to the stage. He was the respected leader of the Mizuhara clan, a clan that stood next to the Royal Family during the time when Country J was still a monarchy. This clan’s ancestor and founder was this country’s national hero; the legendary general back in ancient times who saved the country from invaders. This clan had also been the Royal Family’s ally for generations and even now, they still held a close relationship with the former king.

Despite the demolition of the country’s monarchy, the Mizuhara clan, although they stayed low-key, was actually just as powerful as before. The clan owned the country’s top hospitals and they remained respected by the people. However, the current leader had no offspring and Mr. Mizuhara’s only daughter had left the family many years ago to avoid the arranged marriage that was made for her. Due to that, Mr. Mizuhara chose the most capable of his nephews to inherit his position and tonight was supposedly the night of the announcement.

Old man Mizuhara began his speech as the people excitedly tried to guess who among the four candidates he would choose.

However, to everyone’s surprise, the old man announced that he would not share this news tonight. He said that it would be announced on the day of his official retirement.

The people were surprised but they easily accepted their leader’s decision. However, the next announcement from the old man’s lips was like a bomb that was suddenly dropped before them.

"The real reason why I arranged a banquet tonight was to welcome back a member of our family who had just returned home." The old man announced and everyone’s eyes widened.

"What? Don’t tell me it’s the Miss? Did she finally return home?!"

"It could only be her, right?"

"Yeah, I agree. It must be her."

"But, I don’t know if this is even good news. The Miss left the clan for so many years, cutting all ties with us so... so what if she returns now? Did we gather here just to welcome the prodigal daughter?"

"Hey, watch your mouth. The Miss is still the daughter of our master."

"Yeah, no matter what we say, we’re just distant relatives. We can’t complain about anything regarding the main family."

"Tch! Whatever."

There were soft murmurs from every table as they discussed this new development. Some of the people gathered were quite unhappy with the sudden turn of events but the old man Mizuhara continued speaking, gathering everyone’s attention again.

"Please welcome my dear granddaughter."

As soon as those words left the old man’s mouth, everyone fell silent as a beautiful young woman stood up from her chair and walked towards the stage like a majestic princess. She was dressed in an elegant white dress which enhanced her figure. The dress looked like it was made for her. It was a floor length gown, made from a very light material which flowed like a small waterfall as she walked. There were small diamonds scattered throughout the dress, making it sparkle like stars. She only wore a simple set of jewelry, unlike some of the others whose bodies were covered with it, which complemented her features elegantly instead of being overshadowed by them. Her aura oozed with confidence, elegance and nobility. Everyone who saw the out-of-this-world beauty couldn’t help but subconsciously hang their mouths open.

"W-who is she?"