[html]
He had known of the monster that was Haku Soul when she slept with him. She had been aware of his crimes and injustices, but still, she had chosen to do it. The thought had been dangerous and forbidden; it had made her feel young again, even powerful. She no longer felt the same things, and the fantasy had ended when she realized she was pregnant. She knew he could never find out about her children, but he had and now Noir was dead. Somehow, these thoughts rang clearly in the back of her mind. Unlike everything else that was going on, they were sharp and clean-cut. She could examine them and reflect on them, but she could not touch them.
When he spoke, Tayui realized that he knew. There was no ruse; he knew she could see him for who he was, and there was no point trying to hide it anymore. Even if the image of Haku flickered, replaced by Noir for a brief second, she knew it was not her daughter. She remained silent, quietly regarding him after he finished speaking. There was nothing she could say to that, nothing that would make it right. She did not know what his intentions were; perhaps he had only come here to cause her pain, or perhaps he wanted something from her. Whatever it was, Tayui knew there was something she could never give him: knowledge. She could not tell him where her other children were, if she had more, or how many there were. Again, she realized that they would never be safe unless Haku Soul was dead.
Quietly and contemplatively, she replied: “I see.” She could not say anything that would jeopardize the lives of her children. But if he knew where she was, he would eventually find her family. She could not let this happen. She had to be strong for Claudius, Attila and Ocèane if she could not be strong enough for herself.