There is a tomb deep in the forbidden land.
A burial ground for gift-users, referred to as the Grave.
It is here that vengeful spirits of the supernaturally gifted
transform into Grotesqueries.
To prevent their escape, they are sealed away.
As supernatural abilities are linked to spiritual power,
if the Grotesqueries were ever awakened,
it would mean an unprecedented crisis
for everyone in the imperial capital.
The real question we face is who would unseal the Grave
and for what purpose?
The revelation that came to His Highness Takaihito,
it can't have been a coincidence.
He isn't certain. He says that his powers aren't steady.
Once he ascends to the throne, he should fully inherit them.
Try as we might,
we could never comprehend this
as he does.
Haven't seen you two for a while.
Mr. Kudo and Mr. Okaito.
Tatsuishi, your outfit!
Do you intend to appear before His Highness in that?
Huh? Military officers have a uniform.
And since I'm not one, the only rules I should follow are orders
direct from the Emperor.
Shouldn't there be a minimum level of etiquette?
Everything you see is my formal wear.
So you don't have to be such a stiff about clothing.
I will let this slide, but only once.
There's no need to get all wound up.
We have arrived, Your Highness.
Okaito, Kudo, and lastly, Tatsuishi.
You may enter.
Thank you for coming to see me.
MY HAPPY MARRIAGE
EPISODE 8 NIGHTMARES AND OMINOUS SHADOWS
It has been far too long, Your Highness.
Far too long, indeed, I am glad to see you all well.
Your Highness, I wish to introduce myself as the new head of the Tatsuishis.
My name is Kazushi Tatsuishi.
I thank you.
I'm grateful that you would grant me an audience today
despite the recent disgrace upon my family.
He committed a crime most severe.
I truly hope it had caused little trouble.
You need not fear.
I can't imagine it was easy for you either.
Sire, your words are far too kind.
We will begin anew with guidance from the Kudos.
With their family's guiding hand and watchful eye,
I will do my best, my utmost
to restore honor and trust following their command.
On behalf of my father, the Emperor, I forgive the Tatsuishi family.
Strive to live up to the words you have spoken in earnest today.
I am grateful for your generosity.
Now then, the revelation.
I was told you've had one recently, Your Highness.
Hmm…
I have little doubt that you are now aware of the Grave being unsealed?
Yes.
From the realm of the dead, a never-ending night will come.
It is a deep and eternal darkness with no end.
Be careful. There will be a battle.
If things go poorly, some may lose their lives.
So the danger is already here,
and it's approaching the imperial capital.
I will immediately inform you if I see anything else.
Yes, thank you, Your Highness.
We will now take our leave.
Kiyoka.
Yes, Your Highness.
I heard that you got engaged
-at long last. -Yes.
Your fiancée is certainly interesting. Although, things are going to be
a little bit difficult for you before long.
Difficult?
No need to worry yourself. I've no doubt you'll be fine.
Was that a revelation?
I will stay mindful of that.
-Oh! Mm-hm. -Uh, what do you think?
First things first.
You'll want to keep your back as stick straight as you possibly can.
-Right. -Eyes stay forward.
-Right. -Parties are meant for socializing.
You don't have much experience in that area, so we'll focus there first.
-Okay. -Now, give us a smile.
Uh, right.
Try lifting the corners of your mouth.
Hmm… Oh, here we are!
A while ago, I took Kiyoka out to this little sweets shop.
So of course we ordered some. You basically have to, right?
Uh, of course.
But what was he interested in?
It certainly wasn't the sweets, so what do you think it was?
Huh, what was it?
They served us pickles as a side for the sweets!
He loved them so much that he asked
if he could start having pickles for dessert
every day.
He acts so stoic, but he loves to eat.
Did he really say that to you?
Yes, that's it!
Let's get that smile to be your natural one!
Okay.
That's what I like to hear.
Next up, you'll practice walking in a dress.
Movement in a dress is different than a kimono.
Oh, I see.
Uh…
ONE: ETIQUETTE FOR WESTERN ATTIRE
TWO: SMILE WHEN GREETING
THREE: TABLE MANNERS
She's phenomenal.
Miss Hazuki is a real proper lady.
In our lessons, I get to learn a bit more from her every day.
It feels like… I'm slowly coming to know her better.
It's like a ray of sunshine getting closer to me.
I think I can become a proper lady,
one who's suitable of being with Lord Kudo.
His Highness knows something…
or at least has some idea of what's about to happen to Miyo.
I'm not sure how to help her.
It's about Shinichi's first wife.
You're truly not gonna believe it when I tell you about this.
That woman was a blood relative of the Usuba family.
The Usuba family.
Among all households with supernatural gifts,
they are considered exceptional and often seen as a threat.
They possess the ability to read minds, look into one's memories,
and even enter another's dream while they sleep.
Are Miyo's nightmares…
linked to someone in the Usuba family?
The barrier around the house is unbroken,
and there are no signs of external intruders.
Ruling those out, the only possibility left is…
We could move at any moment. Get what you need.
Oh, are you heading out?
Yes, I am. Won't take me long.
Ooh, is our Commander going off to see Miss Miyo?
It's for work. I will return before dark.
Yes, sir. Do as you will, sir.
We'll want to cover how to introduce yourself to others,
the intricacies of conversation,
and how to handle any of the troublemakers should they try to bother you.
I'm so grateful for you. Thank you so much.
This is all for my kind, sweet little sister!
If I can help you succeed in any way, then I'm more than happy to do it.
Could I ask you something?
Go ahead.
It's a small favor, really, and you don't have to.
I feel like we've gotten close enough that I can ask,
but is it still a strange request?
Miss Hazuki?
Uh, it's just about how you address me!
I want you to lose the "Miss". It feels too formal, wouldn't you agree?
Huh?
I'd like if the two of us could work on getting to know each other.
You are joining the family after all.
I want you to feel safe in relying on me for anything!
I'm sure Kiyoka feels the same way
even though he doesn't show it very well.
Rely on you?
You're one of us now. Formalities aren't needed.
If you would call me "sister", I would be more than okay with that.
Of course, I want that to be a choice you make.
Sister…
Dear sister.
Is something wrong?
Um…
May I just call you "Hazuki" instead?
Is that all right?
Yes, excellent!
All right then, Miyo. See you tomorrow.
Of course. Thank you for your time today.
I want very much to be by Lord Kudo's side.
I want very much to become a family with him someday.
But…
…what does it mean being "family"?
That's fun, started raining out of nowhere.
You can never tell what summer weather has in store.
Did you find them? The Usubas are difficult to track down.
I've looked into em' every way I could imagine to,
but there isn't a single record or document with that family's name.
Best I found were some rumors in circulation that mention 'em.
So there's one lead,
the single thread to the Usuba family is Sumi Usuba.
She was the only one who used the last name,
which makes her the only Usuba we know of.
We know that Sumi Usuba existed.
She married into the Saimoris and had Miyo.
They can try to keep this a secret,
but completely erasing her entire existence would be impossible.
Hey, Boss?
Get whatever information you can.
Her name was Sumi, so search any records with that name.
Comb the imperial capital.
I will figure this out. She's suffering with these nightmares.
H-How did that one look?
I think that was the best you've done so far.
I couldn't have done it without you.
With how far you've come, I'd say it's time to go into town
and give everything a real test run!
Oh, Miyo, are you okay? Is this too much?
It's fine.
Have you been sleeping enough at night?
-I am. -Don't overdo it.
Tell me if this gets too stressful.
All right.
If I heard correctly, Kiyoka's been coming home later.
He said his workload was increasing.
Because of that, he'll likely be staying there again tonight.
What?
Why would he ever choose work over his sweet, adorable fiancée?
That's a bad sign.
But that's not true at all.
Since he's at work busy giving it his best,
I get to do the same here working with you.
Look at you, huh! And what a smile!
Commander, there's an envoy
from the Ministry of the Imperial Household.
They finally decided to show up.
Weird, right? They're usually so secretive over there,
and this time, they're right on our doorstep?
If anything, it communicates how urgent the situation is.
I'm curious as to what they'll say, so we'll let them take the lead.
A pleasure to meet you.
My name is Arata Tsuruki.
SPECIAL ADVISOR ARATA TSURUKI
Messenger for the Ministry of the Imperial House.
I'm Kiyoka Kudo.
Commander of the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit.
I already know who you are.
In several circles of society, you're quite famous.
The ladies speak ill of you.
"Unapproachable, and cold as a frozen tundra", so I've heard.
I've no need of such intel.
I only require information on the Grave.
Right, of course.
Well then…
As you know by now, the Grave has been unsealed recently.
The Ministry is in a rush.
They're currently racing to retrieve the Grotesqueries.
And the motive for unsealing it?
That's still under investigation, but what they did find
were a multitude of suspicious men collapsed near the scene of the crime.
It would be natural to assume that they're the ones who did this,
but their purpose is unknown.
Why is the Ministry deciding to share
all of these classified details with us now?
They're usually more hesitant.
Currently, only 20 percent of the Grotesqueries have been retrieved.
There are also victims.
Clearly, they are too short-staffed to handle this.
The higher-ups of the Ministry needed some convincing to understand that.
Does something trouble you?
If this is rude, I apologize,
but what circumstances led you here today?
You're not Ministry staff, are you?
What a keen eye you have, Mr. Kudo.
You are correct.
I am not employed by the Ministry of the Imperial Household.
However, I've had a relationship with them for a long while now.
Most often, one would find me running a company called Tsuruki Trading.
I'm usually quite immersed researching and doing negotiations
with our various business partners,
but if they ask, I'll take on jobs like this every once in a while.
I understand. A negotiator.
When they have a situation that's more than they can handle,
they call you in, correct?
Correct.
Speaking of which, before the negotiations,
I also did a little research on you
as I knew we were going to be meeting today.
Oh, and congratulations on your recent engagement, by the way.
It would be a lie to say that I wasn't envious of you.
I think that we all would like to find a companion we enjoy
with the eventual prospect of settling down with them.
But that is no easy task.
I think the whole concept of marriage is difficult.
As this is a formal request,
we are happy to offer assistance with whatever the Ministry needs.
And we thank you for that.
I will very likely be your point of contact
for any further operations from here.
I'm looking forward to working alongside you.
And likewise. Thank you for coming.
I wish you the best of luck, Mr. Kudo.
Worse than I could've imagined.
As soon as you see a Grotesquerie, you will report in.
If you encounter one,
be sure that others are with you to deal with them.
Yes, sir.
He was found collapsed in the bushes nearby.
I do detect a faint pulse, but he's out cold.
So this one is the same as the others mentioned in the report?
Poor guy! But I guess "victim" isn't the only title he's got.
Yes. From what we can tell,
he's one of the perpetrators in the unsealing.
So when he wakes up, he's got a scary interrogation
waiting for him whenever he's cognizant again?
Guy can't catch a break.
And that's if he comes to again.
Several other men in this state were discovered back at the Grave site,
but none are awake yet.
No one can figure out why they're like this.
They're weak, but none of them should be catatonic.
And we're assuming it's a curse?
Right.
We suspect that they came into contact with a Grotesquerie
that had recently been freed from the Grave.
Probably so.
Just so you understand, kaijutsu's the type of work I do.
While it does allow me to undo a curse or technique,
it would only work on the living.
Lifting a curse on the dead is a whole other skill.
We have no alternative. Do your best, please.
Roger that.
So what happened?
From the looks of things, something was taken out of here.
Commander? Do you sense something?
It's too quiet.
The sound… just vanished.
What? What is it?
This curse is really strong.
More than I can handle. It's overwhelming…
-What's that? -Keep your distance.
What is this place?
Where am I?
Let me go!
Though they were once one of us, the moment they turn into
vengeful Grotesqueries that attack the living…
we must take action.
There is only one way. I cannot allow you to roam freely.
It's almost time…
Finally…
Hmm… the signs are already there.
The awakening will be soon.
Yes. And I, its protector.
After all, it is my duty.
They're awful. Grave Grotesqueries…
If we had to face an army of these at the imperial capital…
We won't let that happen… no matter what.
Hi, sir. Can I get one?
Sure thing!
Lovely! I think you're doing very well! Your hard work shows!
Your walk, down to your posture, is great!
It's thanks to your instruction.
Now, let's go.
While this is still a lesson, it's important to have fun.
Yes, you're right.
It's practical training day.
Lord Kudo is working so hard with all those long days,
so I have to work hard too.
I have to become a proper lady that's suitable for him.
Miss Miyo?
Huh?
Miyo, what's wrong?
You're looking awfully pale.
Huh? Oh, I feel fine.
Taking a break is part of working hard.
You can't rush learning all of this.
You're already doing everything you need to.
So there's no need to overdo it.
Right.
Actually, why don't we go home for today?
Oh, no, Hazuki, I'm okay.
You're not.
You're going to go home and get some proper rest. Got it?
Yes, I understand.
This is for your own good. There's no need to rush this.
You wouldn't want to prepare for an event, only to get sick. Come on!
All right! Storytime is starting, so listen close!
Hey, hurry up! Hurry up!
Sorry, ma'am.
-Are you all right? -Uh-huh.
-Let's go! -Okay.
On, no!
I can't just…
collapse during training.
I'll ruin everything…
Oh, are you feeling all right, Miyo? Miyo?
It's you, Lord Kudo…
Miss Miyo, isn't it? How do you do, my dear?