As night fell, the palace lanterns in the Daimyo Mansion lit up one after another, casting a soft glow under the corridors.
The door was pushed open with a soft creak, and Shun, a smile on his face, quietly entered the bedroom.
Mei, in soft boots, walked up to him, her skirt swaying gently. "Shun, the news about you and your two female secretaries spread today. You're returning so late, could it be that you forgot the time with Shizune and Kurenai?"
Her tone carried a deliberately feigned sourness. Her heart was beating a half-beat faster, yet she still forced a challenging posture.
Shun gently pulled her into his arms and asked, "What, Mei, are you a weak player with a big addiction, looking for your husband to 'challenge' you again?"
These words struck a chord with Mei. At this moment, she was very much like a lover in the throes of passion. She actively hooked her arms around Shun's neck and kissed him lightly.
Shun watched her clumsy movements, the smile in his eyes growing wider, allowing her to do as she pleased.
After a while, Mei, breathing unsteadily, pushed him away, her cheeks already as red as ripe cherries.
At this point, Shun reached out, wrapped an arm around her waist, and lifted her directly into his arms. She let out a gasp, instinctively wrapped her arms around Shun's neck, her eyes full of panic, yet also hiding a hint of imperceptible expectation.
"Mei, how about we rest early?" His voice was gentle.
Mei obediently closed her eyes, letting him lean in close.
The night gradually deepened, only the intertwined sounds of their breathing remained.
[Ding, Host and Partner: Mei have engaged in an intimate act, Boil Release (Intermediate) experience +100, Intermediate Lava Release (Intermediate) experience +100, Chakra cap +5.]
[Ding, upgrade conditions met, congratulations for acquiring Boil Release (Advanced)!]
[Ding, upgrade conditions met, congratulations for acquiring Lava Release (Advanced)!]
Upon hearing the system's notifications, Shun did not check them. This was because advancing from Kage-level to Six Paths-level was a huge threshold.
Mei nestled in Shun's arms, listening to his steady heartbeat, and mumbled softly, "Shun, I don't quite understand why you would tarnish your reputation with such scandals. With your current power, unifying the Ninja World shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Shun gently patted her back and asked, "What, are you jealous?"
"No, I just can't figure out what the point of doing this is."
Shun calmly explained, "This world is not as simple as you imagine. Some powerful individuals use the Ninja World as their chessboard. If I were to destroy all the other ninja villages, it would disrupt their arrangements, and then some terrifying enemies might appear."
Mei looked at Shun with a puzzled expression. "There are still enemies in this world that make you afraid? What kind of existence are they?"
Shun's gaze was profound. "Several old antiques who have lived for at least a thousand years. I will surpass them in the future."
Mei pondered for a moment, then responded, "I believe you. Tomorrow, I will accompany you and act well."
"Mm, I look forward to your performance."
…
The next day, Mei walked along the corridor, carrying a food box.
On the surface, she was there to deliver snacks, but in reality, it had already been arranged. Today, they were to perform a scene of "fiancée storming the council chambers" to further fuel the rumors outside.
A few steps from the council chambers, she heard the sound of women's laughter from within.
Mei paused, deliberately slowing her pace, waiting for Shun's agreed signal.
"Shizune, the format of this document is incorrect. Come here, I'll show you how to correct it."
Shizune, holding the document, walked to the desk with a slight blush, just about to look down at the file.
Shun suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms. "Shizune, how could you be so careless? Sit still and don't move."
Shizune instantly froze, scrambling to retreat, but Shun held her. "Don't be in such a hurry to leave. If the format is wrong, you'll have to redo it."
He leaned in close, his breath gently caressing Shizune's neck, while his peripheral vision constantly monitored the movement at the door.
"Look here, it should be changed like this."
Mei stood outside the door, watching Shun's acting, barely suppressing her laughter.
"Your Excellency, please don't…" Kurenai's voice, as faint as a mosquito's hum, had just fallen.
Hearing the agreed signal, Mei abruptly pushed open the door, placing the food box down with a "thump" on the desk, making the teacups rattle.
She deliberately put on a stern face, her tone carrying a carefully nurtured hint of aggression. "It seems I've come at an inconvenient time, interrupting Your Excellency's 'teaching female secretaries how to work'?"
Shun heard the sound, the smile in his eyes instantly fading, replaced by a slightly surprised expression.
He deliberately released Kurenai's hand, his tone flustered. "Mei, why are you here? Perfect, Shizune and Kurenai just learned to brew new tea, you should try some too."
"Try tea?"
Mei scoffed, her gaze sweeping over the cowering Shizune and Kurenai.
Her voice suddenly rose. "Shun, have you forgotten who I am?"
Shun paused, reaching out to brush away the stray hairs from her forehead.
Mei violently swatted his hand away, a hint of redness appearing in her eyes. "Don't touch me. I am your publicly announced fiancée. I'm not some fool who can watch you and your female subordinates flirting and still smile while drinking tea."
Shun's hand froze in mid-air, as if he had been scolded into a daze.
Mei clenched her fists, deliberately making her knuckles turn white. "What are the rumors outside saying?! But what about you? These past few days, you've gotten worse, not even showing an ounce of restraint. If I hadn't come today, would you have taken them to your bedchamber, making me, your rightful fiancée, clear out for them?"
Kurenai cooperatively whispered in defense, "Princess… no, Your Excellency, we didn't…"
Before she could finish, Mei's stern gaze silenced her.
Shun's tone softened, tinged with a hint of panic. "Mei, don't get agitated, I…"
Mei became even more assertive. "Shun, listen carefully. Either you rein in these absurd behaviors and remember that you are a man with a fiancée or you announce to the world that our engagement is broken, and from then on, you can be intimate with whomever you please, and I, Mei, will never bother you."
Shun sighed, his voice full of apology. "Mei, I shouldn't have let you suffer such great injustice."
Seeing this, Shizune and Kurenai quickly tiptoed towards the door, trying to sneak away.
"Stop."
Mei's muffled voice reached them, and the two instantly froze in place.
She deliberately feigned lingering anger in her eyes. "You are Shun's secretaries, you should know what to do and what not to do. Don't take advantage of his indulgence and forget your place."
"Yes, yes." The two quickly nodded, then fled from the council chambers as if escaping.
This "fierce scolding," however, had already drifted through the half-open door into the ears of the attendants.
Within half a day, the news of the Daimyo of the Land of Water and his fiancée arguing in the council chambers, future princess angrily accusing the Daimyo of being infatuated with two female secretaries intertwined with the previous rumors, spreading like wildfire.