𝑬𝑴𝑷𝑰𝑹𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑮𝑶𝑳𝑫 ⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐈𝐕 - 𝐒𝐈𝐗 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐒

"SO?" MIKAZUKI ASKED, resting her head on her palm as she fluttered her eyelids, golden gaze settling on the man in front of her.

The café – much like the hotel in general – was nearly empty at seven in the morning, which is why Mikazuki had chosen the place to begin with. It was quiet, and the staff of the Tsuki hotel were too well-paid to gossip and too busy to take notice of the encounter. The sorceress sipped on her drink, leaning against the back of her chair and eyeing the man in front of her.

Yamato was well-dressed, even for a lawyer. He wore a red suit with black lining, a satin tie to match the set, waxed Hermès shoes and the stench of a Hugo Boss cologne Mikazuki would rather not have to smell until at least noon. Then again, Yamato wasn't just any lawyer – if he were, the sorceress wouldn't have sought him out. He was one of the only lawyers knowledgeable enough in Jujutsu law to practice it, as well as an employee of one of the most successful international law firms in Japan, meaning his retainer was more than what most people earned in a year.

He was also an old friend, but that mattered very little in the grand scheme of things.

Yamato sighed, stretching his arm and giving one last look at the contract before sliding it towards his client.

"The contract appears to be legally sound, both in accordance to mortal and Jujutsu law." He reported, flagging down the waitress and ordering himself a martini.

Mikazuki rolled her eyes, adjusting her position and leaning forward again, hand sliding over the paperwork.

"I figured." She snorted, taking a sip of her own drink. "Is there any angle I can grab this from? Anything remotely suspicious, preferably the kind that could get Asahi's company audited?"

Truth to be told, Mikazuki was not foolish enough to believe her father would end up behind bars because of a couple of dubious legal wordings, and even if he did, the chances of poofing himself out of it were still big enough. Still, having some advantage – any, at this point – would be a welcome development, especially if she wanted to watch his empire burn to ashes and crumble to the ground.

Yamato chuckled, eyeing the waitress' rear as she walked away before taking the glass and downing the martini in a single gulp.

"Nah, that shit is airtight." He answered honestly, coughing lightly at the sudden intake of alcohol and more ice than he could handle. "Everything they're asking for is one hundred percent legal, at least for this type of transaction: marriage, couple of heirs here and there, work... it's all pretty standard, if you ask me." He shrugged.

"And it's directly indentured to my father, right? It doesn't mention The Magistrate or any of their demands?"

"No, that would be an entirely separated affair. They have their own laws, you're covered from that angle."

Mikazuki looked down at the piece of paper once again. The sorceress had gone over the contract at least a dozen of times, flagging every bit of important information with bright yellow post it notes and underlining everything in red, hoping to find anything remotely questionable, something she could use against him.

Unfortunately, Asahi was as good at drafting legal documents as he was a sorcerer, meaning the thing was impenetrable.

"I don't see why you're upset." Yamato commented nonchalantly. "This is a very generous deal, Mizuki."

Mizuki. She chuckled. When was the last time someone called me that?

Ten years ago, probably.

"Yeah, sure. Except, you know, for the part where I basically prostitute myself for my father." She scolded, sifting through the pages until she found the highlighted part she was looking for. "Listen to this shit: the heiress shall engage in all social activities planned by the clan with the goal of ensuring an appropriate match." She turned the page. "The heiress shall meet with eligible men on a weekly basis and fulfil her duty through a marriage alliance that will benefit all parties, producing at least two (2) male viable heirs." She smashed the paper on the table, wincing when a couple of the guests glared in their direction.

Yamato put his hands up in defeat.

"Okay, so maybe it's a bit archaic."

Mikazuki glared at him.

"A bit?" She parroted, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I might as well be a brood mare, sold to the highest bidder."

Yamato sighed, leaning forward in his chair. His expression changed, the previously carefree face of the twenty-year-old quickly melting into a more serious one. Mikazuki grew silent, somewhat unsettled by Yamato's change in attitude.

"Look, I know this sucks." He conceded. "But try to think about it from another perspective, after the six month trial period, you become co-owner of the Kinzoku Conglomerate, you will also have access to all of his accounts, and once you're married, you will get his seat at The Magistrate. That's more than what many sorcerers could dream of."

Six months. Six months of putting on a brave face, playing nice and living inside of a nightmare.

It's only six months.

She could do it.

And even if she couldn't, she didn't have a choice, not when Asahi was all but ready to tie a noose around Niko's neck.