Byakuya wasn't particularly interested in the situation with the Roswald family.
Still, he knew that sooner or later, he'd have to promote peaceful coexistence between humans and ghouls on a global scale.
But that was something for the future.
If stabilizing Tokyo alone was already this difficult, then how could the whole world be any easier?
That kind of progress couldn't be rushed.
Afterward, Byakuya paid a visit to the Washuu clan.
Under the rule of the new head of the Washuu, Furuta, and with the support of Yoshitoki and Kichimura, the once-dominant family had quieted down considerably.
Byakuya first found Yoshitoki.
"If I remember correctly, your family has strong connections with the German ghoul investigator agencies, right? I'll have to trouble you with this task."
Byakuya spoke directly.
Just the fact that the CCG research facility had been built in collaboration with Germany's ghoul research institute "GFG" made it clear the Washuu clan's ties to Germany were anything but simple.
Yoshitoki, having already been briefed on the Tsukiyama family's request, nodded.
"Understood. I'll personally head there with Furuta."
For him, it was a simple matter—simple enough that he might as well treat it like a vacation, bringing Furuta along for the ride.
Byakuya, of course, informed Furuta as well.
...
After leaving the Washuu estate, Byakuya made a stop at Shoeisha Publishing.
Not to check on the progress of his own works, but rather to see how Eto's sales were doing.
As he expected, Eto's novel Dear Kafka had begun selling like crazy.
While initial sales were slow, they soon began to rise exponentially. Now, the numbers were exploding daily.
The pen name Sen Takatsuki would soon be one of the most recognized names in literature.
Byakuya hurried home to share the good news with Eto.
"I've got some good news. Want to guess what it is?" he asked the moment he walked in.
"Oh? Playing guessing games now, are we? At least give me a hint" Eto said, amused.
"Alright, here's a hint—it's about your book Dear Kafka."
With that hint, there was really only one thing it could be.
"So… it's selling well?" Eto guessed conservatively.
She hadn't checked the numbers yet, having just come back from the world of the Titans.
"Not just well—it's blowing up. Keep it up and you'll be a household name soon" Byakuya said with a grin.
"Really? That's pretty awesome!" Eto beamed.
"Of course it's real. Didn't I tell you before? I knew this book would be a hit" Byakuya said proudly.
"You really do have a good eye... Wait, didn't you tell me once that this world I'm in — this ghoul-infested world — is also a parallel universe like the one with the Titans?"
Eto suddenly recalled something. "So... that means you weren't originally from this world. But even before coming here, you already knew everything about it, didn't you?"
It wasn't hard to guess. Byakuya had shown an uncanny familiarity with the world of Titans, and from the start, he seemed to know just as much about hers.
"You're right" Byakuya admitted without hesitation.
Only someone as sharp and close to him as Eto could have pieced that together. And only Eto was trusted enough to be told the full truth.
"So… you also knew about me long before we met?" she asked curiously.
"I did"
Eto blinked. "Then… were you just acting when we first met?"
She remembered how convincing he'd been, playing the role of an ordinary editor.
"I acted that way because I already knew your personality—what you'd been through. It was the only way I could approach you," Byakuya said earnestly. "Besides, the reason I tried so hard from the beginning… is because I was already like you before I even came to this world."
Eto was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered. "...You really are hopeless."
Despite learning that Byakuya had been playing a part from the start, Eto wasn't upset. She had already suspected it back when he revealed his identity as a ghoul investigator.
Instead, her heart felt light.
Because now she understood the real reason behind it all — Byakuya had loved her before he even arrived in this world.
It had nothing to do with being a ghoul investigator or anything else. He approached her the way he did purely because he cared about her.
Thinking back on all the things that had happened between them, she realized just how much of his actions had revolved around her.
"I guess you're right. If you hadn't approached me the way you did, I never would've trusted you. I'm not exactly the most… well-adjusted person."
Her tone was half-joking, half self-deprecating.
"..."
Byakuya didn't argue. After all, this was the Eto from ten years before the original story began — slightly more open, slightly easier to approach. The Eto from the canon timeline would've been much harder to reach.
"Come to think of it… Since you know everything about this world, you must know how the original story ended, right?" Eto asked, her curiosity piqued. "And how the plot was supposed to unfold?"
She had a strong feeling Byakuya knew this world's events inside and out—just like he had with the Titan world. Every character's fate, every major twist, even the final ending.
"If you really want to know, I'll start with you," Byakuya replied.
By now, there was no reason to hide the truth from Eto anymore.
"Go on. I'd like to hear what my original ending would've been," she said, leaning against his shoulder, ready to listen.