Chapter 67: The Sakuragi Heiress and an Unexpected Alliance

I, Sakuragi, was an ordinary, yet extraordinary, high school student from the Sakura Nation.

Ordinary, because like most girls, I harbored romantic fantasies about youth and constantly dreamed of meeting my true love.

At the same time, I found myself perpetually entangled in academic stress and the intricate web of social relationships with my classmates.

Extraordinary, because I was the eldest daughter of the Sakuragi Conglomerate, the sole child of its patriarch. I was, quite literally, born with a silver spoon in my mouth.

Thanks to this unique status, my life had been incredibly smooth until a month ago. Yet, there were also aspects that left me discontent.

Being the Sakuragi heiress meant that wherever I went, a retinue of bodyguards followed, like bothersome shadows. Consequently, few dared to approach me.

While my father’s excessive protection certainly deterred some foolish individuals with ill intentions, it severely restricted my social circle.

My closest companions were the daughters of a few other prominent families; I had no male friends at all.

Whenever a boy dared to strike up a conversation, those tactless bodyguards would immediately swoop in, subjecting him to a full-blown interrogation. It was truly infuriating!

With such constant interference, who would ever dare to approach me again?

This made my dreams of romance utterly unattainable. Still, I clung to hope, wishing that one day I would meet a man I could truly love, and experience a passionate romance, transforming all my fanciful daydreams into reality.

I yearned to make the act of ‘eating dog food’ a thing of the past forever!

However…

Just a month prior, I discovered this hope seemed destined to remain unfulfilled.

A sudden, devastating piece of news shattered the tranquility of my life: my father had been involved in a severe car accident.

Though his life was saved after emergency treatment, he lapsed into a vegetative state, perhaps never to awaken.

Sorrow, pain, and helplessness overwhelmed my heart.

I longed to do something, anything, yet found myself utterly powerless.

During this tumultuous period, a major power struggle erupted within the Sakuragi Conglomerate. With my father incapacitated, countless relatives and acquaintances revealed greedy faces I had never imagined possible, all vying for control of the conglomerate.

‘Ah, what kind of soap opera plot is this?’

Ultimately, my uncle emerged victorious. I had assumed everything would end there.

Yet, my uncle seemed to have no intention of granting me freedom.

To quell the instability caused by the pandemic and the patriarch’s coma, he insisted I become engaged to the second young master of the Kawakami Group.

When my father was conscious, he had promised me he would never interfere with my marriage.

To my dismay, the moment he was gone, an antiquated story like an arranged marriage actually befell me.

How unpredictable fate could be.

But then, to my astonishment, I discovered that Kawakami Jianghua was not as unbearable as I had imagined. He was, in fact, a handsome man of refined manners and witty conversation.

Having little experience interacting with boys, I was quickly captivated by his appearance, completely smitten and unable to extricate myself.

Perhaps marrying him and having children might not be such a bad choice after all.

Looking back now, I realize how incredibly foolish I was.

At that time, I believed my life would simply unfold, uneventfully, alongside Kawakami Jianghua. Yet, my destiny underwent an unimaginable change that very day.

On an ordinary morning, an extraordinary guest arrived in my room.

A silver-haired girl of breathtaking beauty, so radiant that I felt ashamed of my own appearance. Initially, I suspected her to be an intruder, but upon seeing her face and sensing her comforting aura, I instinctively lowered my guard.

Only later did I realize she was the mysterious girl at the center of global attention.

She wasn’t as aloof as the rumors suggested; she was remarkably kind to me.

She informed me that my fiancé was not as noble as I believed. Naturally, I refused to believe her at first, convinced she was deliberately trying to sabotage my relationship with Jianghua.

I even lashed out at her. Now, thinking back, I deeply regret it.

The silver-haired girl did not get angry. Instead, she revealed Jianghua’s true colors to me.

It was then that I understood the saying, ‘one cannot judge a book by its cover.’ Some people appear to be gentlemen on the surface, but are, in reality, philandering scoundrels, beasts, degenerates, and absolute trash. And…

‘Forget it, too many names. I won’t bother listing them all.’

This man spent his days carousing, toying with the emotions of various ‘innocent’ girls. But more importantly, his affection for me was also a sham, merely an act.

He was willing to marry me only to secure the Sakuragi Conglomerate’s support and become the successor of the Kawakami Group.

Enraged by this revelation, and heartbroken, I disregarded the silver-haired girl’s advice and immediately confronted my uncle, demanding the annulment of the engagement.

Unexpectedly, even after I exposed Kawakami Jianghua’s despicable actions to my uncle, he remained unmoved.

He insisted on not canceling the engagement.

Despair washed over me, leaving me with nothing but impotent rage.

If Father were still here, he would never have allowed such a thing to happen!

As I wallowed in sorrow, the silver-haired girl told me she could save my father. More precisely, she could grant me the ability to save him.

However, I would need to do some things for her after the deed was done.

‘Bring a comatose father back to life? That’s truly unbelievable.’

But if it was her, perhaps it wasn’t mere nonsense.

If I could save my father, I would do anything!

Eventually, we reached an agreement, and I learned the silver-haired girl’s name: Lord Rothchild.

I always felt it wasn’t her real name, which was a bit disappointing, though I didn’t show it.

Lord Rothchild bestowed upon me a power so wondrous, so immensely potent and invigorating, that I could barely fathom it myself. After absorbing the gem she called a Life Star Origin, I felt completely reborn.

My physical capabilities vastly improved, and my once ordinary appearance underwent a radical transformation. For the first time, I realized how truly marvelous our world was.

The sensation of gaining such power was simply ineffable.

Under Lord Rothchild’s guidance, I gradually emerged from the gloom of heartbreak and deception, diligently striving to master this extraordinary power.

I successfully used this newfound ability to heal my father’s meridians, miraculously awakening him. The surprise was so sudden that I even wondered if I was dreaming.

My mother, overwhelmed by such immense joy, fainted on the spot, prompting me to give her another round of healing.

I had anticipated a dramatic storyline straight out of a TV show: reclaiming power, and breaking off the engagement with the scoundrel.

Yet, everything unfolded completely unexpectedly.

My greedy uncle, without a moment’s hesitation, returned control of the conglomerate to my father. Then, he boarded a plane to the M Nation, claiming he was retiring from the world…

As for my fiancé, he and his father came directly to kneel before me, begging me to annul the engagement and offering half of the Kawakami Group’s assets.

I was completely caught off guard. I had no idea what they had experienced to cause such a sudden and drastic change in their demeanor.

All in all, thanks to this, a lot of trouble was averted.

I could now fulfill my agreement with Lord Rothchild with peace of mind.

Undoubtedly, Lord Rothchild was our family’s benefactor, and someone worthy of my devotion. Even without our initial agreement, I would have chosen to do everything in my power to help her, for she had granted me a second chance at life.

Later, I heard that she needed a place to house giant beasts and establish a base. So, I purchased a small island for her in the South Sea, offering my humble assistance.

However, seeing that Lord Rothchild only had a cat and a few giant beasts by her side, I felt a little happy…

I was the first human to follow her.

****

Inside the South Sea villa,

Lin Ling sat up, looking at Sakuragi. The young lady seemed to have grown even more beautiful and elegant after receiving the Life Star Origin. It appeared that an increase in strength also offered some cosmetic benefits.

‘This young lady seems quite eager for me to call upon her,’ she mused.

“Does Lord Rothchild have any commands? You specially called me over.”

Seeing Lin Ling remain silent for a moment, Sakuragi couldn’t help but ask.

“There are just a few things I need your help with.”

“My Lady, you need only command,” Sakuragi replied respectfully.

‘Wow!’

‘Is this truly the young lady? She’s far too docile, more like a maid,’ Lin Ling thought, marveling internally.

Lin Ling then informed Sakuragi about the Star Soul suitable person currently imprisoned in an M Nation jail. Recent reports indicated that the individual’s appeal had failed, meaning they wouldn’t be leaving prison anytime soon, and their life was even in danger.

There was no other way. Although she didn’t want to meddle in the M Nation’s affairs, she also didn’t want to waste such a rare and promising talent. So, she instructed Sakuragi to help.

If Sakuragi’s conglomerate could resolve the issue with money, all the better. If not, Sakuragi could just break them out of jail.

It would also serve as good training for the girl. (Little White: ‘Breaking out of jail is hardly ‘training’.’)

As for herself, on one hand, her distinctive features made a prison break unsuitable; being recognized would be too detrimental to her reputation. On the other hand…

Feeling a certain stirring in her golden pupils,

Lin Ling had an ominous premonition. It would be best to quickly practice controlling her abilities and some close-combat techniques. She had a feeling they would be needed very soon.

****

Lin Ling’s premonition was not wrong.

At this moment,

On the eastern border of the Origin Star Universe,

An unknown conical space warship was silently evading all patrol forces, speeding towards the lawless zone.