Saeko stayed quiet.
She didn't quite follow the talk.
But—
ten or twenty years… even a century or two? So this really was a yokai world.
Then—
her body tensed; violet eyes tightened.
A crucial thought struck her: she was only human. How long could she walk beside Ren-kun?
"Father," Kaguya said suddenly.
"Hm?"
Ren pulled out of his thoughts and glanced at his daughter, puzzled.
Kaguya flicked him a look.
He followed her gaze to Saeko, put it together with what he knew of her temperament, and smiled.
"Tell me, Kaguya—how are Saeko's gifts and aptitude?"
"Excellent."
Kaguya nodded with poised ease. "Among humans, if Lady Saeko finds a fitting path, her ceiling won't be below that of a Great Onmyoji. If she were yokai, she'd have the qualifications to become an Oni King."
In this chaotic world the lines weren't razor-sharp.
Humans—onmyoji—were loosely spoken of as Great, High, Mid, and Low.
Yokai were roughly Low, Mid, Upper, Great—and, above even that, "Oni King."
In practice it was just a feel for the depth of spiritual or yokai power.
An Oni King and a Great Yokai were the same broad tier—
but not all Great Yokai were Oni Kings. Only a very few, peerless in every respect and acknowledged by all, had their power crowned with that title.
For instance…
the most famous three:
the Great Tengu,
the nine-tailed white-and-gold fox,
and Shuten-dōji.
Those three names alone stood for the pinnacle—three great Oni Kings.
And Saeko…
"So, in short," Ren said, amused, "her talent really is exceptional."
"For a human, top-tier," Kaguya agreed with a lilting smile.
She was very satisfied.
Mm. This woman was thoroughly besotted with Father—and blessed with talent.
Later,
when this humble one wages her war on the moon, she'll be a fine blade to carry.
"Your Highness," Saeko said, choosing her words.
Kaguya's smile warmed. "Please call this humble one Kaguya-hime."
"Kaguya-hime…?"
Saeko's pupils shrank a shade—such a familiar name.
She guessed much in a heartbeat,
but only nodded. "Then, please call me Saeko."
A few lines,
and the two—whose apparent ages did not match at all—were talking easily.
"Saeko, rest well tonight. We'll handle the rest tomorrow. I've already ordered dinner for you," Ren said, rising.
He'd learned enough for one day; the rest could wait.
"Ren-kun…"
Color rose to Saeko's cheeks; her eyes shimmered. She looked shy, but her voice was earnest. "It's my first night in another world. Will you stay with me?"
…Direct.
Just… A'ing straight in.
Kaguya blinked. So little reserve? Not a shred?
Ren understood perfectly. After a moment's thought, he smiled. "All right. I'll come by in a bit."
"Okay~"
Saeko's drawn-out answer couldn't hide her grin.
Ren left the room with Kaguya.
Under the moon,
father and daughter walked.
"Father—are you sure this woman is… fine?" Kaguya asked, hesitant.
That move from Saeko had been awfully swift. No subtle line-drawing at all—
just a knife to the heart.
It made Kaguya wonder whether something was off—whether there was another plan at work.
Ren only shook his head, smiling. "I know her type. More or less. Saeko is exactly that sort of person."
"This humble one understands," Kaguya said, letting it go.
"How do you wish to proceed with her?"
Ren thought a moment. "Watch and see. Tomorrow night Eirin's coming down—let her design the course. In this, no one beats Eirin."
Teacherly, learned, endlessly capable.
Her skill with medicine was only what she liked; decades of habit made it look singular.
It wasn't her only edge.
They chatted a while longer. Escorted by moon rabbits, Kaguya returned to rest.
Ren lingered a beat where he was.
Mm.
The books in the study would still be there later. When a beauty invites you to… "eat," hesitating starts to look strange.
Beast—or worse than beast?
He chose a third path.
He was no moral saint under a willow tree; that wasn't him.
Turning on his heel, he headed for Saeko's quarters.
"Saeko, have you eaten?"
"Ren-kun, I have. One moment—I'll get ready."
"Sure."
He waited outside a little while, until her voice floated from within: "Ren-kun, I'm ready."
He slid the door open—
and paused.
Kneeling on the bed, wrists and ankles loosely bound with ribbon into a neat bow, clad in a black, sheer lace nightdress—
Saeko looked up at him.
"Ren-kun," she said softly, "in thanks for saving my life—do you like this gift?"
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]