Chapter 8 : Dancing With The Snake

Grandpa Takigawa's face quickly turned sour, as if someone just fed him a piece of lemon.

[1 Charm Point has been deducted from your account.]

[Another Charm Point has been deducted from your account.]

[Another...]

WAIT!!!!

I HAVEN'T EVEN DONE ANYTHING YET! WHY ARE YOU DEDUCTING POINTS FROM ME???

S-9898 sighed. Dealing with transmigrators was never easy.

[Grandpa Takigawa's impression of you is deteriorating at a rapid speed, Midori-san. Shouldn't you do something about it? (⁠｡⁠•́⁠︿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠)]

Mimicking the scenes of bullied damsels in old Japanese movies she used to watch, Midori let herself fall sideways to the ground and wiped non-existent tears with the end of her kimono sleeve.

"Grandpa, your granddaughter is too ashamed to meet you. It was indeed a great mistake of mine to leave this house three years ago in a fit of anger.

Oh, if only I listened to Chie-san'advice."

Grandpa Takigawa's facial expression softened.

The point deductions finally stopped.

Midori sighed inwardly.

Just in time for her to repay Chie.

"Chie-san had advised me to just leave quietly in the middle of the night to not alert anyone. Grandpa, I am so sorry... My poor choice that day has given you a lot of heartache."

Midori watched with sheer satisfaction how Chie's face first turned pale before ugly specks of red climbed her cheeks like the onset of skin rash.

If Chie were a transmigrator, surely she was losing Charm Points by now.

Grandpa Takigawa's eyes narrowed, his gaze turning as cold and sharp as shards of ice freshly hewn from a frozen lake.

His stare was so intense, so piercing, that it seemed to possess the power to cut through steel, severing even the strongest of bonds like a blade slicing through the air.

"Is that true, Chie-san?" he growled at his eldest granddaughter-in-law.

Chie broke into nervous laughter. Her desperate attempt to calm the tempest brewing in front of her was akin to a futile juggle of words, each phrase tossed into the fray only to be swallowed by the rising tide of anger and displeasure.

"Forget it," the elderly snapped.

He moved across the garden and closed the distance between him and Midori.

Gently, he extended his hand toward his long-lost granddaughter.

"Midori-san, you are pregnant. You should not be sitting on the ground."

Midori sniffled as she took Grandpa Takigawa's hand.

"Grandpa, you must be so disappointed with me. I merely hope that this child will make better decisions than mine..."

Midori put her hands around her belly.

As her fingers traced the delicate curve of her belly, her face softened into an expression of pure maternal love, her eyes twinkling with an ethereal glow.

The sight of his beloved granddaughter, radiating such joy and anticipation, stirred a deep well of affection within Grandpa Takigawa's soul.

The elderly nodded several times in apprehension.

"Now that you are back, the child in your belly will be raised as a Takigawa. We will all take very good care of the baby.

I am glad that I will get to hear the pitter-patter sound of tiny feet around this house soon."

Midori did not anticipate it, but these words constituted an insult to Chie. She had been married to Midori's eldest brother for over three years now, but she had not managed to get pregnant even once.

Her lips curled into an involuntary smirk, the corners of her eyes crinkling at the corners as a wave of schadenfreude washed over her. An almost imperceptible snicker threatened to escape her lips, but she stifled it with a swift motion, raising her hand to cover her mouth and lower face.

A layer of ice glazed over Chie's eyes.

"Well," she said once she regained her composure. "Grandpa, you surely have a lot to talk about with Midori-san. We will leave you alone then."

Without a word, Chie bowed her head and pivoted on her toes, leaving Fumiko trailing behind. The younger woman's expression was etched with bewilderment.

But Midori could not let them leave yet.

"Please wait, Chie-san," she called out hastily.

Chie's brief lapse into a grimace was swiftly masked by her practiced smile as she turned to face Midori and Grandpa Takigawa.

"Yes, Midori-san?"

"Chie-san, I have just returned to this house. I miss my old bedroom so, can I please have it back?"

Fumiko's eyes widened in disbelief behind Chie's back. That was because the Ojou-sama's bedroom, the biggest vacant bedroom in the house, had been given to her upon her entry into the Takigawa household.

Chie drilled stares into Midori's eyes. She might think that Midori was utterly shameless, but Midori was just asking for her original bedroom.

Seeing that mere fire sparks were enough to create an explosion between the two women, Grandpa Takigawa made a decision on their behalf.

"Midori-san, you can have your bedroom back. Chie-san, please take care of it."

The muscles at Chie's cheeks twitched visibly, but she swallowed her indignation and bowed her head in front of Grandpa Takigawa.

"Yes, Grandpa."

She then left for real. Midori could almost hear Fumiko's loud complaints before the door was closed.

S-9898 arrived in time to announce the conclusion of the mission.

[Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations! Midori san, you have completed the first mission with amazing achievements! ✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧

Basic reward upon completion, 10 Life Points have been added to your account!

3 Charm Points were deducted from your account due to Grandpa Takigawa's worsening impression of you at the beginning.

10 Charm Points are added to your account because you managed to improve your standing before Grandpa Takigawa.

10 Creativity Points are added to your account as a reward for your ingenuity in spinning the plot to your advantage!

You have unlocked the title "Do Not Mess With Me, B****".]

Midori was so happy that she wanted to fist-bump S-9898. Not that the system had a corporeal body to perform fist-bump on.

"Midori-san, come inside and sit."

"Yes, Grandpa."

Grandpa Takigawa led her to sit by the hearth.

Midori knelt on a sitting cushion, facing her Grandfather with a heavily pounding heart.

Grandpa Takigawa arched a brow at Midori.

"Please prepare the tea, Midori-san."

It was natural for the younger one to serve the elder one.

The original host, raised in an environment where refinement and etiquette were paramount, had been immersed in the art of tea ceremony since childhood.

However, Midori Takigawa, the transmigrated soul within, possessed little knowledge of the intricate rituals surrounding tea preparation, let alone the graceful art of serving it.

Just as Midori was screaming for help in her head, S-9898 arrived to announce the start of the next mission.

[Attention! Attention! Attention! The bonus mission has been unlocked!

Bonus Mission : Successfully prepare tea for Grandpa Takigawa.

Basic reward upon completion : + 10 Charm Points.

Basic punishment upon failure : Unknown]