MTLNOVEL Chapter 578: Reiju: Something Is Very Wrong
That was enough information for Reiju to identify her visitor. Yet she remained puzzled. Why would her father come to see her now instead of continuing to cultivate his relationship with the Marine general? Instinctively, she sensed this visit boded ill.
Frowning, Reiju slipped out of bed. Before Judge could even knock, she called out:
"Father, please wait a moment. I'll be right out."
She briefly considered her recent conversation with Sanji, wondering if Judge had witnessed their interaction and disapproved of their closeness. Was that why he had come—to reprimand her?
Meanwhile, Judge had stepped back from the bedroom door and settled himself on the sofa in the living room, waiting patiently. He needed to carefully consider how to inform Reiju that he had sold—no, married her off.
Though he possessed absolute authority over his children's futures and could decide their fates with a single word, he recognized that he still needed Reiju to maintain his relationship with Luffy and carry out certain duties. So even Judge, who habitually treated his children as mere tools, decided this time to communicate patiently and perform the role of a concerned father.
He didn't have to wait long before he heard movement from the bedroom. Reiju emerged wearing a simple white dress, walking unhurriedly into the living room. She observed her father sitting rigidly on the sofa, hands folded across his chest, seemingly lost in thought.
After a moment's hesitation, she plastered a smile on her face and greeted him.
"Father, aren't you supposed to be accompanying Admiral Luffy? Why have you come to my quarters?"
Approaching Judge, Reiju reached for the teapot to prepare him a drink. To her surprise, Judge extended his hand to stop her. Confusion flickered across Reiju's face.
With a forced smile, Judge patted the seat beside him, inviting her to sit. Then, to her further astonishment, he poured the tea himself and placed the cup before her.
Reiju stared blankly at the expensive black tea set on the coffee table. A sudden sense of unease gripped her heart as she mentally reviewed her actions over the past few days.
Growing anxious, she quickly attempted to speak. "Father, I—"
"Reiju," Judge interrupted, "it's been quite some time since we, father and daughter, have sat together and had a proper conversation like this."
"Um, father... what are you doing?" Reiju was utterly bewildered by Judge's uncharacteristic behavior.
Judge, equally uncomfortable with this manner of interaction, fell silent. One waited for his daughter to speak, while the other remained stunned by her father's abnormal demeanor.
Father and daughter sat in silence, the atmosphere in the living room growing increasingly tense with each passing moment.
Judge occasionally glanced at Reiju from the corner of his eye, waiting for her to break the silence. But after an extended pause with no response, his brow furrowed in dissatisfaction. Unaccustomed to such delicate conversations, he felt awkward and somewhat embarrassed.
Yet for the sake of his ambitions, he cleared his throat and took the initiative.
"Ahem. I realize I haven't been particularly attentive to you under normal circumstances, so you may find it strange to hear me speak this way." Judge began, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "But I want you to know that I value you greatly. You are the eldest daughter of the Vinsmoke family, and I have the utmost confidence in your abilities and character."
He continued, leaning forward slightly. "All my efforts over the years have been for a purpose beyond myself. I simply want to create a better future for you and your brothers. Surely you can understand your father's intentions, can't you?"
After Judge's unexpected heart-to-heart, Reiju's internal defenses immediately went up. She sat straighter, her eyes narrowing imperceptibly.
Something's wrong. Something is terribly wrong! she thought. Is this still my cold-hearted father who has always treated his children as tools?
Such sudden warmth can only mean he has ulterior motives! Reiju knew her father's character all too well. The fact that he would speak to her this way meant he must need something of paramount importance—something significant enough to make him set aside his typical demeanor.
But what could be so critical yet require her involvement? The quick-witted Reiju rapidly considered several possibilities. Combined with the knowledge that her father had been in conversation with Luffy not long ago, she began to form an unsettling hypothesis.
Seeing Reiju's thoughtful expression as she processed his words, Judge guessed that his clever daughter was already piecing things together. Rather than allowing her to arrive at the conclusion herself, he decided it would be better to state it plainly. Perhaps a direct approach would make it easier for her to accept.