Looking at the two real sisters hugging each other, tears brimming in their eyes, Aiden thought, 'Now this is true sisterly affection. The women back at home… when something happens, even if they feel upset, at most they'll say a few words.'
'Even Bayonetta and Jeanne, they'd first throw out a couple of mocking lines before stepping in to save someone.'
Thinking of this, Aiden slightly shook his head, then crossed his arms, watching the touching scene before him…
But after quite a long while, the sisters still had no intention of letting go of each other.
Aiden, who had been watching this emotional family drama for some time, finally couldn't help but lightly clear his throat, "Ahem, well, um, I suppose there's no need to keep competing now, right? Of course, if you still want to continue, I wouldn't mind."
"No need, no need!"
Maki almost forgot there was still an outsider watching them. She quickly let go of her younger sister and shook her head firmly at Aiden.
Then she very solemnly bowed deeply toward Aiden, "Thank you for saving my little sister!"
Now that was an overstatement. You and your sister are successors of the Three Sacred Treasures' families, how could you die so easily from a fall…
But Aiden still accepted Maki's thanks with a clear conscience. After all, the competition was their idea, the accident was caused by Chizuru's carelessness, and in the end it was he who "saved" her.
At this moment, even Chizuru blushed slightly as she bowed and thanked Aiden. But the main reason was still that, when Aiden saved her, he had held her by the waist, that left her somewhat unwilling to accept it in her heart.
But now, her motorcycle had already fallen into the river, and even the bubbles had disappeared. If she wanted to keep racing… Chizuru turned her gaze toward her older sister's motorcycle parked not far away.
"Don't even think about it. For the time being, you are not allowed to ride again."
Maki held Chizuru's head in both hands, forcibly directing her gaze back at herself, and said word by word, "Starting tomorrow, etiquette lessons in the morning, bridal training continues in the afternoon."
"I don't want to! Forget the etiquette lessons, but I'm only twenty years old. Why do I have to do this bridal training every year? I don't want to get married yet." Chizuru immediately shouted.
She had started bridal training at sixteen, and what once was anticipation had long turned into weariness.
"No choice, you must. You are the family's successor. The continuation of the family's mission depends on you."
Maki stared into Chizuru's eyes and said, "If it weren't for tradition, I'd rather go take the bridal training myself."
What Maki hated most in her life was the family's so-called destiny. This so-called fate bound her tightly to the Yata Mirror, preventing her from living like a normal woman, to love, to marry, to bear children. She could only guard the legendary seal as a shrine maiden.
Hearing her sister's words, Chizuru finally quieted down. She too hated the family's fate, and at the same time, felt sorrow for her elder sister who was bound by it.
'If not for this destiny, elder sister should be able to live like me, doing what she likes, right…' Chizuru thought sadly.
Looking at her now quiet and silent younger sister, Maki stroked her head, then turned again to face Aiden, preparing to thank him once more.
Aiden had already had enough of R-person's politeness. Words of thanks once were enough, there was no need to keep repeating them again and again.
"No need to thank me, it was just a small effort." Aiden casually waved his hand, cutting off Maki's next words.
Maki froze for a moment, the words at the tip of her tongue stuck back inside, leaving her at a loss for what to say.
After thinking for a while, only then did she continue, "In any case, you saved my sister. We really must thank you properly."
"How about this, just ahead is the Yata Shrine where Chizuru and I usually live. It's already late, and it wouldn't be convenient for you to go back."
"Would you like to rest at our place for a while? I can also have Chizuru prepare tea and refreshments for you…"
At this point, Maki remembered her younger sister's bridal training.
Although she didn't know how much she had mastered, with some confidence she said, "My sister's tea ceremony skills are quite good. She has studied formally."
Now she thought again of her earlier idea, finding her sister a good husband, a good brother-in-law for herself, that was currently her greatest dream.
Hearing Maki's words, Aiden looked at Chizuru with suspicion. If it were the future Chizuru after Maki's death, he might believe it, since by then Chizuru had matured.
But now, with Maki alive and well, the current Chizuru was still just a mentally immature little girl.
So really, such a waste of that onee-san appearance and figure…
The suspicion on Aiden's face was plain to see, and Maki of course noticed it. Although she wanted to explain, recalling her sister's earlier behavior, she found herself unable to open her mouth.
"Hey, hey, hey! What's with that look? I really did study tea ceremony seriously. Even the elders in our family said my tea ceremony skills are excellent, and the bridal training teacher also praised me, okay?" Chizuru said unhappily.
If Aiden hadn't "saved" her just earlier, her tone would have been even harsher.
"Really?" Aiden wasn't the kind to resist provocation either.
He glanced at Chizuru, then said to Maki, "Since that's the case, then I'll gladly accept."
Chizuru's motorcycle fell into the river. Although with the weight of a motorcycle it shouldn't be carried away by the current, the three people present clearly didn't have the mood to retrieve it.
And Chizuru herself wouldn't care about that motorcycle either, for the Kagura family, whose inheritance has lasted a thousand years, the words "wealth rivaling a nation" could completely be used to describe her family.
And after hearing Aiden agree, Maki rode her bike, carrying Chizuru, and took Aiden toward the Yata Shrine where the sisters often resided.
The shrine where the sisters lived was not far away. After passing that river, you could already see a cluster of shrines built along the mountainside.
That mountain was not high, the highest point being around two to three hundred meters was already not bad, but seeing the buildings stretching all the way to the mountaintop, Aiden had to admit the Kagura family's foundation was a bit exaggerated.
He thought to himself, 'No wonder Chizuru could later host KOF tournaments again and again, money to these sisters probably really was nothing more than a string of zeroes!'
However, although it was a shrine, the Yata Shrine before him was not quite the same as a normal shrine.
There weren't too many official positions here, after all, it was the Kagura family's own shrine. So aside from Maki, the legitimate shrine maiden who also served as the head priest, the rest were all family servants.
"Mr. Aiden, please come in!"
At the shrine's entrance, after a few of the family maids on night duty helped push aside Aiden's and Maki's motorcycles, Maki very politely made an inviting gesture.
And on their way here, the three of them had already exchanged their names. When the sisters learned that Aiden was from Country Z, both their faces revealed a trace of interest.
Aiden followed at Maki's left side, going along the stone steps of the approach path. After passing through one building after another, the three arrived before the shrine office not far from the main hall, this was where the sisters rested.
"Reina, Yumiko, please bring this gentleman inside to sit for a while."
Maki summoned the maids on night duty in front of the shrine office, spoke a few words to them, then gave Aiden a small bow. "Mr. Aiden, please wait a moment. My sister and I will go change clothes first."
"Alright!"
Aiden just nodded. He wasn't used to bowing to others, nor was he used to others bowing to him. But since that was their way of hospitality, he didn't say anything.
After the sisters left, Aiden followed the two maids into one of the wooden houses.
The interior of the wooden house was very simple and old-fashioned. Aside from a short-legged tea table, there was basically no other furniture.
But even so old-fashioned, it still had electric lighting installed, this was also the only household appliance inside.
"Sir, please sit."
While Aiden was looking around the inside of the wooden house, one maid brought him a floor cushion, placed it beside the tea table, and gestured for him to sit.
Aiden didn't like kneeling, so he simply sat cross-legged. As for the two maids, they knelt one on each side of the doorway, but they didn't serve tea. It seemed Maki had just told them earlier that Chizuru would be the one to make tea and serve him.
After sitting and waiting a while, the wooden door was slid open. Several maids carried in tea utensils and some snacks from outside.
And only after the two maids inside finished setting everything in place did the Kagura sisters come in from outside.
"Mr. Aiden, sorry to have kept you waiting!"
Wearing a white shrine maiden outfit, Maki came in and again politely bowed slightly to Aiden. The excessive formalities made Aiden sigh inwardly.
Just as he was about to stand and return the bow, Maki waved her hand at him, then sat down across from him.
As for Chizuru, she directly sat at the other side of the tea table. She wasn't wearing a shrine maiden outfit, since her sister wasn't dead yet, it wasn't her turn to succeed.
So she was just wearing a stylish everyday komon kimono… which her sister had strongly insisted she change into.
Not wanting to make Aiden wait too long, the sisters hadn't put on makeup or hair ornaments. Their waist-length hair was only simply tied at the ends with a red cord.
But since they were already very pretty, even without any adornment, they were still extremely pleasant to look at.
"Chizuru!"
After Chizuru sat down, Maki looked at her, signaling that she could begin.
Because earlier she had felt belittled by Aiden, Chizuru, wanting to prove her tea ceremony skill, was very serious this time.
Serious to the point that even her sister revealed a surprised look. But then Maki's expression shifted from surprise to joy.
'As long as my little sister can always maintain this, there'll be no worry about not finding a husband in the future.' she thought with anticipation.
To continue the family, to prosper the lineage, that was her greatest wish. Compared to becoming a shrine maiden guarding the seal, she much more wished for her little sister to live better.
'Such a pity… that I cannot marry… ah, I really want to try what love feels like!' Maki sighed heavily again in her heart.
Then she lifted her head to glance at Aiden sitting across from her, and saw he was also watching Chizuru seriously handling the tea utensils.
She couldn't help but nod slightly. Even though Aiden was from Country Z, the more she looked, the more satisfied she felt.
However, she vaguely remembered that men from Country Z were hard to accept marrying into the wife's family, especially into a Japanese family, and that the children would have to take the mother's surname.
'Hopefully he is an open-minded man. Perhaps I should tell him about our family's strength, and what benefits he would get after marrying in…' Maki frowned and thought.
While she was thinking, Chizuru had already finished preparing the tea. Naturally, the first bowl she offered was to her most beloved elder sister.
"Sis, please have some tea." Chizuru held the tea bowl in both hands and presented it to Maki.
"The first bowl of tea should be given to the guest to drink, Chizuru. Didn't your etiquette teacher ever teach you that?" Maki's expression became stern.
Pouting, Chizuru had no choice but to hand the tea bowl over to Aiden instead.
"Mr… Aiden, please have some tea!"
'Girl, why does that honorific sound so forced coming from you!'
But Aiden still smilingly accepted the tea bowl. Only, just as he was about to drink it down in one go, he noticed Chizuru glaring at him.
The girl's eyes had no real killing intent, but still gave Aiden a little psychological pressure. He could only hand the tea cup back toward Maki, "Uh… how about you drink first, Miss Maki."
But he saw Maki raise her hand and gently push the tea bowl back, then lightly shook her head at Chizuru.
"Chizuru, Mr. Aiden is from Country Z. Don't make it so complicated."
"But elder sister, I brewed the tea for him so seriously. Shouldn't he first praise my skill, and then praise our tea set too? This is our family's best tea set."
Hearing this, Aiden more or less understood what was going on, Chizuru was looking for recognition.
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