Chapter 2. Quivering, Embarrassed

CHAPTER 2

Quivering, Embarrassed

It took half a day by train to reach the villa from the capital.

This was Miyo’s first experience using this “railroad” invention, so she was tense the entire trip.

Not only was she incredulous that such a huge vehicle could actually move at all, but the interior of the wooden first-class carriage they were in was so fancy, she found it hard to relax.

In the several hours that had passed since first boarding the train to depart that morning, Miyo hadn’t moved an inch. She was sitting straight as a rod, her hands folded in her lap and a tense look on her face.

“Miyo, you can relax a bit more.”

“Easier said than done…”

Engrossed in a newspaper, Kiyoka was dressed in a casual white shirt and black slacks instead of his usual military garb. He seemed totally at home.

She definitely wouldn’t be picking up on those mannerisms of his anytime soon.

“Miyo, would you like some tea? It’s pretty good stuff,” Tadakiyo said, leisurely sipping a cup of tea. However, the carriage was shaking too much for Miyo to be sure that she wouldn’t spill anything.

“No…I’m fine, thank you.”

“You sure? We’ve still got a ways to go, though. If you want anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Th-thank you.”

Miyo appreciated his concern, but she didn’t see herself making a request anytime soon, either.

“Still, it’s too bad Hazuki couldn’t come along with us,” mumbled Tadakiyo. Miyo nodded and replied, “It truly is.”

Hazuki had helped Miyo prepare for the journey, but she couldn’t join them this time. She apparently had an important party coming up that she couldn’t afford to miss.

“
I really, really wanted to come with you! Now who’s going to protect Miyo from Mother?!
” she had shouted, but there wasn’t anything they could do to change things.

“We’ll get some peace and quiet without her.”

“…But she wanted to tag along so badly, Kiyoka.”

Miyo’s unguarded outpouring on the subject left Kiyoka at a loss for words. He scrunched his brow.

“…Then how about we bring her back something?”

“That’s perfect!”

He really was kind at heart. Miyo broke into a smile.

They continued conversing like this. Along the way, Miyo almost fainted from her nerves as she rocked back and forth in the train car until noon. Fortunately, they managed to fit in a light meal during this time.

At last, the train stopped at a town that had found recent fame as a hot springs destination. That didn’t change the fact that they were in the countryside, though. The surrounding area consisted mostly of farming villages and mountain hamlets. It was like night and day compared to the prosperity of the capital.

Hot springs weren’t the only thing this town had going for it, though. Thanks to the abundance of natural shade here, the area was blessed with cooler summers than the capital. For that reason, the Kudous weren’t the only wealthy family who had a vacation home here.

“Let’s get off, shall we.”

Tadakiyo grabbed his bag and stood up.

Miyo continued after him and went to grab her luggage. Just then, a porcelain hand stretched out beside her to lift her bag.

“K-Kiyoka.”

Her fianc
é
walked off without a word, his bag in one hand and Miyo’s in the other.

“Kiyoka, I can carry my own things…!”

“I don’t mind.”

“Still, though.”

She followed behind him as he walked briskly to descend from the train to the platform.

When they did, a lone elderly man came up to meet them. He was dressed in a swallow-tailed coat, and his hair was perfectly coiffed. Miyo could tell he was a house servant from a single glance.

“Welcome back, Master.”

The man bowed deeply before Tadakiyo then turned to Kiyoka and Miyo.

“Welcome, Master Scion, Young Mistress.”

“Nice to see you, Sasaki.”

“It has been a while, indeed. You’ve grown into an even finer young man.”

The man called Sasaki was, per Kiyoka’s introduction, the caretaker and butler for the Kudous’ villa.

Although his overall appearance itself was neat and tidy, his bright and gentle smile lent him the air of a genial old man.

More important…

“Y-Y-Young Mistress…?”

Her cheeks grew hot as it slowly sank in.

Wasn’t it a bit hasty of him to call her that when they still hadn’t married yet? She wasn’t exactly embarrassed, but the title did make her feel a bit bashful.

“Hee-hee. Young—excuse me—Master Scion. You’ve found yourself a truly beautiful wife.”

“I agree. Wait, did you almost call me ‘Young Master’ just now?”

“Of course not. You must have misheard me.”

Kiyoka shrugged in exasperation at Sasaki playing dumb.

They all got into the automobile outside the station, and with Sasaki at the wheel, they headed toward the villa.

The area around the station had lodgings and souvenir shops aimed at tourists. Though this downtown area was decently busy, as they got farther and farther away, the scenery gave way to nothing but mountains, trees, and rice fields.

The villa lay at the end of about a ten-minute drive. It had been constructed in a small forest on the outskirts of a rural rice-farming village.

Although the lone road through the forest was well maintained, their surroundings were mountainous and untended. They were in much closer proximity to nature here than in the house that Miyo and Kiyoka shared.

Miyo had been hoping to see some wild animals, but unfortunately, they arrived before her wish could come true.

“
Phew
, here at last.”

“You must be tired from such a long trip.”

Tadakiyo got out of the automobile and stretched his body, coughing here and there as he did.

It was nippy outside. The brisk wind of the capital was chilly enough, but thanks to the nearby mountains and higher elevation here, the air was even colder.

The trees surrounding the villa had already lost most of their leaves. Winter was right around the corner.

“The air out here is very clear, isn’t it?”

“That’s what happens when there’s so much nature around. More importantly, are you cold, Miyo?”

Miyo shook her head at her worrying fianc
é
.

“I have this
haori
overcoat, so I’m fine.”

Kiyoka had picked out the fabric for her
haori
, and she was particularly fond of it.

Miyo’s outfit for the day consisted of her chrysanthemum-patterned
kimono and the matching indigo
haori
that Suzushima’s had tailored recently.

She’d felt guilty about having new kimonos and accessories made with each changing season, but Hazuki told her, “Don’t worry about it, and let me pay for it.” Now she obediently accepted her offers.

“Really? Good thing we had that tailored, then.”

“Yes, thank you.”

As they conversed, Sasaki led them into the entryway of the villa.

It was a two-story structure, about half as large as the main estate. Compared to Kiyoka’s one-floor house and its handful of rooms, however, this Western-style wooden residence was several times larger.

The exterior walls were painted a subtle cream color, and the roof was a bright brown. Overall, the building came across as more charming than pretty.

Sasaki pulled back the heavy-looking main door, and the three of them—Miyo, Kiyoka, and Tadakiyo—stepped into the villa.

“Welcome home.”

The servants of the house, who were gathered in the entry hall, bowed their heads in unison. They included an elderly woman about as old as Sasaki, a middle-aged man and two middle-aged women, and a younger man in his twenties. Lastly, there was a thirty-year-old man in a chef outfit, which made six in total.

A woman in an elegant dress strode boldly out before them.

“Welcome home.”

Then she scowled, snapping open her fan and gracefully hiding her mouth as she addressed them.

Miyo tensed up slightly behind Kiyoka. This had to be
her
.

“
Koff
, I’m home! Nothing happened while I was gone, did it,
ma chérie
?”

In contrast to the clearly foul-tempered woman, Fuyu Kudou, Tadakiyo burst into a smile and rushed over to her.

“How many more times will I have to tell you before you understand? I’m
not
playing along with that tiresome back-and-forth of yours,” Fuyu spat. “Such nonsense.”

Despite his wife’s frigid attitude, Tadakiyo didn’t stop smiling for an instant. If anything, her grousing seemed to please him.

Even from the sidelines, it was obvious the couple had a tremendous gap in enthusiasm for each other.

“Come now, don’t be like that. I’m just telling you, my beloved
chérie
—”

“There’s absolutely no love between the two of us.”

Splat.

Miyo could almost hear Fuyu slap Tadakiyo’s words out of the air with her brilliantly blunt rebuttal.

After coldly silencing her husband, Fuyu turned her almond-shaped eyes to the couple behind him—Kiyoka and Miyo.

With subtle, flowing movements, Kiyoka moved in front of Miyo to shield her.

“Kiyoka.”

She addressed her son with the same frigidity she’d reserved for Tadakiyo.

Fuyu had a beautiful face, sharp as a knife. Since she didn’t crack the slightest smile on top of it, she had an intimidating aura about her.

“You’ve neglected to visit for
quite
some time now, haven’t you? How coldhearted you are.”

“Coldhearted? I beg to disagree.”

“So you don’t think never once showing up to Obon or New Year’s shows a lack of filial respect?”

“Not in the slightest.”

A strained air passed between the two of them. The stiff and formal conversation, as if they weren’t parent and child at all, was rapidly elevating the tension in the room.

But Miyo couldn’t simply remain hidden behind Kiyoka and watch things play out.

Summoning up all the courage she had, she stepped beside her fianc
é
.

“Um, excuse me…!”

“Wait.”

Kiyoka made a discreet remark in an attempt to stop Miyo, but instead of backing down, she nodded in response. Slightly surprised, he sucked in his breath.

Miyo squeezed her fianc
é
’s slightly sweaty palm and looked straight ahead at Fuyu.

“I-it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Miyo Saimori.”

“…”

She couldn’t tell if Fuyu was looking at her or not. The woman didn’t react in the slightest.

“Um—”

“Kiyoka.”

When she spoke up again, Fuyu cut her off, as though Miyo’s words had never reached her ears.

Miyo heard a faint tongue click beside her. She turned to Kiyoka and saw his beautiful profile grimly cloud over.

“Kiyoka. Would you mind explaining that shabby attendant of yours?”

Attendant.
Miyo immediately understood that the word was aimed at her.

For nearly ten years, she had been treated like a servant. At this point, it didn’t depress her to be referred to that way, but it still stung to hear it again after so long.

And it seemed Kiyoka wasn’t going to let that slide.

“…Attendant?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m referring to that shameless, ugly wench standing next to the
head
of the Kudou family.”

“…”

“What village did she crawl out of, I wonder? She’s positively shabby. People will question your character when they find out a man of your station is keeping such a vulgar woman at his side.”

Concealing her mouth with her fan, Fuyu glanced over at Miyo as if she were looking at a pile of filth.

This was the final straw. Thunder and lightning roared outside the mansion.

“!”

Amid everyone’s bewilderment from the intense, ear-shattering sound, Miyo could clearly hear Kiyoka make a low growl.

“…Say that one more time.”

“Hold on, Kiyoka, that’s going too far now.”

Tadakiyo calmly reprimanded his son, but Kiyoka completely ignored him.

“I told you to say that one more time, Fuyu Kudou.”

“What?! How dare you speak to your own mother like that…!”

“Mother? Don’t make me laugh. I’ve never once thought of you as my mother.”

Fuyu’s cheeks instantly flushed crimson.

Kiyoka glared back at her with a look of absolute zero, wholly unlike any of the cold stares he had sent Tadakiyo’s way before.

“Excuse me?!”

“Don’t act surprised. We know who’s really the vulgar one here.”

Kiyoka sneered at her. A smile clearly aimed at ridiculing his mother.

“I gave you ample notice that I would be bringing my fianc
é
e with me today. You should know her name, too.”

Fuyu snapped her fan shut so hard, it looked ready to splinter.

Her face was bright red, and she was biting down on her lip; she was ready to explode at any moment.

Unable to intervene, everyone else present watched the mother-son conversation with bated breath.

“Kiyoka.”

Miyo was fine. She pulled on Kiyoka’s sleeve to try to make it clear to him.

But it was Fuyu, not her fianc
é
, who reacted to her gesture.

“You lowly abandoned brat! I won’t have you laying your hand casually on my son like that!”

Miyo tensed her shoulders with a jolt at the furious scream.

Abandoned—I suppose she’s right about that
, Miyo thought calmly.

Her mother was long dead, and her father had never paid her any attention. And of course, her stepmother hadn’t treated her like a
daughter, either. She couldn’t argue with someone telling her she was an orphan, so she didn’t find Fuyu’s comment upsetting.

The servants, however, looked worried that Kiyoka would really lose it over his mother’s abrasive remark.

“I could never accept a girl with such a third-rate upbringing into the Kudou family.”

“…” Miyo didn’t respond.

“See? Silent and unable to say anything in her defense. Clear proof of her lack of education. Surely even you can see that, Kiyoka.”

“Shut up.”

His curt rebuttal came out just as Tadakiyo stepped between mother and son.

“Enough, both of you.”

Fuyu frowned disapprovingly and flipped her gaze in the other direction.

“Let’s go,” Kiyoka said, pulling Miyo by the hand and walking off. Then he stopped right before the stairs leading up to the second floor and gazed at his mother condescendingly. His eyes were now void of any anger or hatred.

“The next time you say anything to Miyo, I’ll kill you.”

“K-kill—?!”

Everyone else widened their eyes in surprise.

No one in the room could laugh his statement off as an idle threat. Kiyoka’s demeanor told the whole story—he was completely serious about ending her life.

“…Kiyoka.”

Tadakiyo was the only one who painfully muttered a reply, while everyone else’s mouths remained shut. Miyo quietly allowed her enraged fianc
é
to take her along as they left the others behind.

Sasaki hastily followed after the couple to show them to their room, a corner suite on the second floor.

It was quite spacious and received ample sunlight. In addition to a canopied bed that was large enough for three people to sleep comfortably,
the room also contained a comfortable luxury chair and table. Though the wallpaper looked plain at first glance, upon closer inspection, an elaborate design popped into view.

Farther back in the room, there was a tiled balcony.

It’s so big…

Miyo subtly glanced at her fianc
é
beside her to try to read his expression.

She wanted to say something, but the lack of emotion on his face scared her.

“Now then, please make yourselves both at home. If you need anything, just say the word, and I shall take care of it.”

“Thanks for doing all that.”

Finished with bringing their luggage inside the room, Sasaki bowed once and departed. As soon as the door had clicked shut, Kiyoka heaved a sigh.

“…I’m sorry, Miyo.”

Miyo knew why he was apologizing. But as far as she was concerned, there was no need.

“Kiyoka,” she started.

All she was trying to say was that it wasn’t his fault. And yet…

The next instant, Kiyoka gently embraced Miyo in his arms, as if handling a fragile vase. It all happened so suddenly that she completely forgot what she wanted to say.

“I’m sorry. I put you through something awful.”

Kiyoka stroked the top of her head.

Enveloped in his scent, feeling his warmth… With each stroke to her head, the tension she was holding in her body melted further and further away.

He was warm. Reassuring.

Miyo had assumed she was so accustomed to insults that more wouldn’t bother her. Only now did she consider she might have been wrong.

“I should have known my mother would act like that.”

Her fianc
é
’s anguished murmur betrayed a strong sense of regret.

“Kiyoka…”

“Forgive me. It’s my fault.”

Kiyoka was more depressed about what had happened than Miyo herself. The wrinkles on his brow were denser, and his eyes were drooping more than usual.

“It’s all right. I’m okay, Kiyoka.”

“Still.”

Personally, Miyo thought the things Fuyu had said to her were reasonable. But if she told him something like, “What’s there to do? She’s right,” it would only sadden him further.

So she tried to be positive instead.

“I, um, I’ll try to do my best.”

“Miyo…”

“I can’t change the past, but I…I still really want to try getting along with your mother if I can.”

Blood relation, family ties—Miyo knew full well that these things did not guarantee someone would understand you unconditionally.

But now she also knew that it was impossible to build a trusting relationship with someone if you gave up on them immediately.

I’m not going to run away.

Though she didn’t have the slightest idea how she’d get Fuyu to understand her.

But unlike in the past, she wasn’t on her own. Even if she failed… Kiyoka would still be on her side. Hazuki, too. Miyo wasn’t ever going to be alone again, and because of that, she could persevere.

“So, Kiyoka? Will you watch over me for a little while?”

He grimaced as he stood, keeping his arms wrapped around her.

The expression he wore was less like his usual frown and more like a sulking pout. It had an adorable childishness to it that Miyo couldn’t help smiling at.

“…All right, then.”

“Thank you.”

“But bear in mind that I meant it when I said I’d kill her. If Fuyu says something like that to you again, tell me. I’ll turn her to ash on the spot.”

“Y-you can’t do that…,” she stammered, making sure to emphasize her objection.

She didn’t want to think that his remark about killing his own parent was a serious one, but the murderous glare he’d dropped earlier seemed genuine, if not a little frightening.

“Don’t stop me.”

“Huh? U-um, please don’t say that.”

Kiyoka finally released his hold on Miyo after a long sigh.

Separated from the warmth of his embrace, she felt almost lonel—

L-lonely…?

She couldn’t believe she was already missing being in Kiyoka’s arms after it had helped her calm down so much. Did that mean she actually wanted to stay there longer?

How absolutely immodest of her. That behavior could disqualify her from being a true noblewoman.

Miyo reflexively brought her hands to her burning cheeks in an attempt to conceal them. Her dizzying thoughts swirled frantically in her head.

“If you insist. Anyway, we have some time before dinner. I’m going to head out into the village for a bit.”

“You’re not going to rest a little?”

The sun had just reached its zenith in the sky. They said sunset came faster in the mountains, but even with that mind, there was still a fair bit of time until then.

“Nope. We were sitting for the whole trip out here, for one. I also don’t really want to be cooped up in the estate for too long. Now’s my chance to see what things are like out there.”

Kiyoka donned his coat, putting only his wallet in his pocket.

“Um, and what about me…?”

Putting on a brave face and talking big was all well and good, but Miyo suddenly felt uneasy about being left in the villa by herself. Now she was keenly aware of Hazuki’s absence.

“You can stay behind and rest if you’d like, but…”

Kiyoka trailed off for a moment in hesitation. Then—

“If you’re feeling up to it, would you like to accompany me?”

That was how Kiyoka invited Miyo on a work outing for the very first time.

The nearby farming village had a population of around one hundred people. It was about a fifteen-minute walk from the villa.

From what Miyo was told, there was also a hot spring and a small guest house in the area, along with a souvenir shop. Overall, it was thriving for a rural farming village.

The roads weren’t paved like in the capital, but they were evenly leveled and relatively easy to walk on.

A cold breeze blew by every so often, causing Miyo to shiver and tense up her shoulders.

“This is mainly an investigative mission.”

“You’re looking into something?”

Kiyoka was a powerful fighter, so Miyo assumed he’d been dispatched here to clash with an imposing Grotesquerie, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

He nodded lightly in response to her question.

“Yeah… We’ve gotten reports of a peculiar, bizarre phenomenon occurring in this town.”

His turn of phrase was already plenty peculiar on its own.

The word
bizarre
already described something strange or inconceivable, so what exactly did it entail if it was also
peculiar
on top of that?

“By ‘peculiar,’ I mean,” Kiyoka began to explain, sensing Miyo’s confusion, “that this phenomenon is unforeseen.”

“Un…foreseen?”

“That’s right. For example, all the regions in this country have their own native oral traditions, right?”

The stories passed down through word of mouth in each region— folktales.

Uneducated as she was, Miyo didn’t have much knowledge on the
subject, but she could at least think of several famous old tales and legends off the top of her head. Each of those stories must have been set in a particular region of Japan.

“This area also has its own folktales, though they’re mostly your garden-variety stories… Foxes and racoon dogs playing tricks on villagers, or people with a connection to the region becoming wandering spirits, et cetera.”

In other words, there was always the possibility that a bizarre phenomenon related to the surrounding region’s folktales could occur. But if that happened, the people of the region would usually have enough knowledge from their oral traditions to deal with the phenomenon on their own.

Those sorts of strange happenings generally weren’t enough to prompt an investigation from Kiyoka’s unit.

The phenomenon they were investigating this time, however, wasn’t a feature of any of the region’s folktales.

“According to our sources, accounts of people spotting the figure of a large-framed horned fiend in this area have been coming in one after another. If we cannot verify any folktales in line with this phenomenon, that means there have been no records of such an incident until now.”

“…So basically you’re saying that something that shouldn’t be happening
is
happening?”

“That’s not exactly it. New ghost and monster stories pop up day in and day out, everywhere you look. These tales can give rise to new Grotesqueries on occasion.”

Investigating the unknown origin of these “peculiar” bizarre phenomena was one of the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit’s responsibilities.

People fear mysterious things they don’t understand. If an unnatural phenomenon unfamiliar to this region occurred, people would grow terrified, and their fearful imaginations would bestow even great power to the Grotesquerie.

“We need to nip this in the bud if a Grotesquerie is behind this. And
if something else is to blame, we need to resolve this harmless rumor before it gains enough power to produce a Grotesquerie itself. That’s our job.”

“I-is that so…?”

Miyo was somewhere between cluelessness and understanding.

She was slightly ignorant of the world and lacking in education, so the explanation felt somewhat beyond her.

“Anyway.”

Kiyoka gently rested a hand atop her head.

“First, I need to assess the situation and gather information. Come along with me for a bit.”

“Okay.”

She couldn’t stop herself from grinning.

It made her happy to be out with Kiyoka. On top of this, the fact he’d opened up a bit to her about his job was proof he trusted and acknowledged her. That made her even happier.

Still, it vexed her that she couldn’t help him fully because she was lacking in so many ways.

By the time they got through the forest surrounding the villa and began walking on the gently sloping downhill road, they were already on the threshold of the village.

A small, weed-covered stone representation of a deity stood near what appeared to be the entrance.

“That’s a
jizo
statue, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

In a single fluid motion, Kiyoka knelt down and brought his hands together in front of the statue. Miyo copied him.

“…Is there some folktale about that
jizo
statue, too?”

Miyo asked after they had left it behind, to which Kiyoka shook his head.

“Maybe, but it’s not related to the current incident.”

“Oh, really?”

Kiyoka gave a short affirming reply as Miyo followed behind him.

“That was more of a greeting. Since we’re outsiders here.”

With the rice harvest long over, and the agricultural off-season drawing near, the village appeared somewhat lonesome. They saw other people here and there, but there weren’t any signs of other visitors.

Miyo sensed people staring at her and Kiyoka; they were wildly out of place with their surroundings.

“Let’s try speaking with the people over there.”

Kiyoka pointed at a shop selling gifts and sundries.

“We can take a look at the souvenirs while we’re at it.”

“Certainly!”

This was her first time going on a lengthy trip, so it was also the first time she would have the opportunity to buy souvenirs for people.

Miyo couldn’t hold back her excitement.

“Someone looks happy.”

“I am. I’m glad we’re here. It’s been so much fun.”

“…I wish I could’ve taken you somewhere a bit livelier.”

That way, there’d be so much more for her to see, and so much more for her to enjoy.

Kiyoka’s thoughts manifested on his gloomy face, prompting Miyo to give a flurried denial.

“Oh, no, not at all! I’m glad we’re here.”

“Sorry for being so spineless.”

It seemed that he was still torn up about putting her through the meeting with his mother.

Maybe bringing her here was also his way of trying to cheer her up and show he cared about her.

“Kiyoka, you’re not spineless, not at all… L-let’s go.”

Miyo suddenly grew embarrassed after the words had left her lips. Turning her burning face out of sight, she pulled on the sleeve of Kiyoka’s coat.

“R-right.”

They were both too bashful to meet each other’s eyes.

An awkward tension hanging between them, the two entered the shop.

“Welcome.”

The shopkeeper was a woman on the brink of old age. She glanced up at the couple who had entered, then she quickly turned back to the abacus in her hands.

The interior of the store was quite untidy and motley.

The goods for sale consisted of everything from foodstuffs to daily necessities, plus a variety of simple accessories and ornaments, and even some secondhand clothing. On top of all that, there were also souvenirs for sale, though there weren’t many to choose from.

Despite its dusty smell and aged wooden frame, the small establishment had a vaguely cordial atmosphere.

“Hmm. I should’ve figured as much, but there’s not much variety, is there?” Kiyoka muttered in a voice quiet enough that the shopkeeper wouldn’t overhear.

This shop certainly wasn’t a place you could call “refined” like you could the businesses in the capital. Not only was it small, but also the items on sale weren’t very up to date.

Ignorant as Miyo was, she
had
been born and raised in the capital, so it was her first time in a store like this.

But I really like this sort of place.

It was far more relaxing than a trendy business.

“…This shop is quite amusing, wouldn’t you say?”

“You think so?”

“Have you been in a place like this before, Kiyoka?”

“Yeah. Our unit ends up getting sent out of the capital a lot, like we are now.”

Apparently, the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit was typically assigned to missions in mountain hamlets or small farming villages—places where many folktales had been passed down through the ages.

As Miyo glanced around the store, something suddenly caught her eye.

They’re so cute.

Lined up on a shelf near the counter in the back of the store, where the shopkeeper was sitting, were a number of animal figurines carved from wood.

Dogs squatting on their hind legs, cats curled up for a nap, crouching rabbits, songbirds flapping their wings—a collection of adorable animals, each and every one of them small enough to fit in the palm of her hand.

“Catch yer eye, did they?”

Miyo glanced up at the remark and realized that the shopkeeper had started staring at her at some point.

“They did. They’re, um, very cute ornaments.”

“Think so…? Those ’uns are a common souvenir round these parts. An old standby.”

“Are they handmade?”

“Oh, you bet. Made from trees cut down up the mountain. Make ’em in the winter, when all the farm work’s on hold and there’s nothing better to do.”

The items were so meticulously made, Miyo couldn’t believe they were all carved by hand.

“Amazing,” she replied, her admiration naturally coming through.

“Gonna buy one?”

“…Can I?”

When she asked Kiyoka, who’d poked his head out from behind her, he nodded.

“Absolutely. Buy as many as you like.”

“I-I, um, couldn’t ask for that much…”

“Oh? Not gonna buy any of ’em, then?”

Giving in to Kiyoka’s expectant gaze, as well as the disappointment on the store attendant’s face, Miyo tentatively picked out one of each of the different animals lined up in front of her.

She paid the woman and put the figurines away in her drawstring purse.

“’Preciate yer business.”

“I’d like to check out, too. I’m looking to buy that item over there.”

To Miyo’s surprise, Kiyoka was pointing at a large sake barrel enshrined in the corner of the shop.

She thought it strange, wondering how he planned on bringing it back with him, but apparently some of the village youth would deliver it up to the villa for him later.

“Did the two of ya come out here from the capital?” the woman asked while she calculated the cost of the sake barrel.

“We did.”

“To own a huge mansion like that, ya must have plenty of money, then… There’s been some real ominous talk goin’ round lately, so both of ya be careful now.”

Ominous talk.
Miyo and Kiyoka both looked at each other.

“What kind of talk?”

The woman’s face made it clear she thought it strange they were picking out that part of her statement to focus on.

Nevertheless, there was a chance this could be vital information related to Kiyoka’s assignment.

“I don’t know much about it myself, now. Men headin’ out to cut down some trees and sayin’ they saw a monster, suspicious strangers comin’ and goin’ from the run-down shack on the village outskirts. All sorts, really,” the women said, shrugging.

“…A run-down shack.”

Kiyoka stroked his chin in thought.

What form did these monsters take when they showed up? What happened when they did? What time had these encounters occurred? And what did the shopkeeper mean by “suspicious strangers”? Kiyoka wanted to press her for these details and more, but she didn’t look like she knew much more than that.

He would risk offending her if he interrogated her right then and there.

“We’ll be careful. Thank you for the warning.”

Kiyoka turned and walked back toward the entrance of the shop.

Miyo went to follow after him before she heard a “Wait a moment, now” from the woman and stopped.

“Hold out yer hands.”

“Hmm?”

She did as she was told, and a small item tumbled into her palms.

“Oh… How cute.”

It was the same type of handcrafted animal ornament Miyo had just purchased, in the shape of a turtle.

“A little extra for ya. Since you bought so much.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t.”

It wouldn’t do to take it for free. When Miyo tried to pass it back to the woman, she smiled and stopped her.

“The two of you’re newlyweds, aye? Might not be much, but think of it as a wedding gift. Turtles are a good omen, y’know.”

Newlyweds.

Realizing that a total stranger had seen them that way, Miyo became too embarrassed to look the shopkeeper in the eye.

“U-um, why would you say that…?”

“That pure and innocent air about you two makes me feel ashamed for just lookin’ at ya. That husband of yers, he’s a keeper. An extra-handsome fella. You two get along now, okay?”

Unable to bring herself to clarify they weren’t quite married, Miyo managed to thank the woman in a voice quieter than the squeak of a field mouse. Then she quickly followed after the broad back, cloaked in long wavy hair, of the man who had started to leave before her.

Miyo was confident that their day-to-day life wouldn’t change much once they were married. Still, there was a definitive difference between being merely engaged and being husband and wife. Even Miyo knew that much.

I wonder if my heart’s going to burst when that day comes…

It was already thumping hard in her chest at present.

“Miyo. Finished?”

“Yes.”

Happiness. More than anywhere else, just being at Kiyoka’s side warmed her heart and brought her peace of mind. She believed she was allowed with him.

But why, then, was her heart beating almost painfully fast?

My feelings for Kiyoka…

She loved him with her whole heart. Though she didn’t understand just what sort of love she was feeling.

Miyo and Kiyoka returned to the villa after checking out the village.

They’d verified the location of the run-down shack the shop attendant woman had mentioned—a deserted house on the outskirts of town—but Kiyoka would investigate in full tomorrow, by himself.

He told Miyo that it would be too dangerous for her to accompany him.

“Welcome back.”

Greeting the two at the door was Nae, a housemaid.

The old woman was married to Sasaki. Her distinctive thin eyes and gangly physique gave her a somewhat timid impression.

It appeared that the servants in this house consisted almost entirely of people from Sasaki’s family.

In addition to Sasaki and Nae, the villa employed their son and his wife. The younger male servant was Sasaki’s grandson. Besides them, there was also the chef, who was single, and another housemaid, a widow.

That was quite a large number of servants considering there were only two people, Tadakiyo and Fuyu, living here most of the time.

“Thanks.”

“We’re back.”

When both Kiyoka and Miyo gave their replies, Nae squinted her already narrow eyes even further and smiled.

“You must both be tired.”

“Nae, is
she
going to be at dinner?”

The woman in question was surely Fuyu.

Nae immediately intuited who Kiyoka was talking about from the grimace of displeasure on his face. Her smile vanished, and she slowly shook her head.

“No. The mistress informed us she won’t be leaving her room for the night… And while I don’t wish to say why—”

“You don’t need to tell me. I’m sure she threw a tantrum about not wanting to share a table with Miyo, or some other foulmouthed nonsense. As revolting as always.”

“Pardon me. Once dinner preparations have finished, I shall call for you both.”

“Please do.”

After that, the two of them returned to their room and unpacked their luggage until it came time for dinner.

Just as Nae had said, Fuyu did not make an appearance, and the meal went by peacefully.

That being said, whenever Tadakiyo tried addressing Kiyoka, his son gave only curt, one-word answers. Miyo also did little more than respond to questions that came her way, so the bulk of the meal was taken up by Tadakiyo’s bright and cheerful personality.

Then, once dinner was over and she had finished her bath, Miyo was faced with a huge dilemma.

…There’s only one bed…

She’d absentmindedly shrugged it off when they were first shown their room, but now she could no longer deny she would be sharing the space with Kiyoka. On top of that, there was only one bed between them. With everything that had happened earlier that day, she hadn’t paid attention to the details of the situation.

Miyo got the feeling that they hadn’t been given a single room simply because of a lack of availability. Indeed, there was another open guest room on the first floor, and other vacant chambers on the second.

Not only that, but there were two pillows neatly laid out on the wide bed.

D-does this mean I’m supposed to sleep in the same bed as Kiyoka…?

Her fingertips went cold with anxiety. The blood drained from her instantly.

What do I do?
she asked herself over and over again in her head, but the answer never came. With neither a sofa nor a lounge chair in sight, the only places to sleep were the bed or the floor.

A-all I can do is have them prepare another room for me.

Of course. They weren’t formally married yet, so she could simply say that she wanted separate rooms. Problem solved.

Thinking back, she remembered that when Sasaki had first met them at the station, he had called Miyo “Young Mistress.” They were actually set to get married the following spring, so he might already have thought of them as husband and wife.

But, but, we’re still only betrothed!

They didn’t need to sleep in the same bed.

She didn’t have anything to be nervous about. She would just leave the room and have them prepare a separate one for her. While Miyo regretted forcing extra work on the house staff this late at night, she found her current predicament even more troubling.

That was when, suddenly, her thoughts flew in a completely different direction.

I-it’s not that I am particularly against sharing a bed with Kiyoka. I-I’m still not…emotionally prepared, is all. Oh no, what am I even thinking about? I’m so ashamed.

As pandemonium raged in Miyo’s mind, the door to the room clicked open.

“…What are you getting so red and blue in the face about?”

“
Eep!
K-K-K-Kiyoka!”

Now that she thought about it, Kiyoka was the only person who would come in without announcing his presence, but that wasn’t enough to stop her from jumping back with surprise.

Thanks to her guilty conscience, or her embarrassing fantasies, rather, she was ready to perish right there on the spot.

“What was that shriek for…?”

Her shame only intensified at Kiyoka’s exasperated tone.

On top of that, she felt herself growing dizzy from catching a whiff of the faint scent coming off him, a different type of soap than normal.

In reality, it was Miyo’s shame and panic making her dizzy, not the smell, but she didn’t have the composure to realize it.

“I-I’m sorry!”

“I’m not trying to criticize you or anything. So why are you standing in the middle of the room stiff as a board, then?”

“Umm, well…”

She couldn’t possibly tell him that her imagination had taken off in a weird direction while she’d been fretting over the prospect of sharing a bed.

“…Um, it’s just, the bed…”

Kiyoka glanced over at the bed in question. Then it dawned on him why Miyo was trailing off and darting her eyes.

“Right. I bet Father had it set up like that, or Sasaki was reading into things in a weird way. It looks big enough, regardless, so we shouldn’t have a problem sleeping like normal.”

“Hmm?!”

Normal…? What exactly was “normal” supposed to mean?

Both of them lying side by side in the same bed. That alone was far beyond abnormal.

Kiyoka was the first person Miyo had ever shared a house with, but now he was like family to her. However, unmarried family members didn’t typically share the same bed, and she was far too old to be sleeping with her mother.

In which case, he must have meant “sleep like an average husband and wife.”

But that was something she absolutely wasn’t mentally prepared for.

We’re going to sleep together? Really?

It was impossible. Thoroughly impossible. Even if they simply lay down together side by side, she was sure to spend the entire night too nervous to calm down and sleep.

There were the events from that afternoon, too. She felt like it was somehow wrong to make up her mind about her feelings for Kiyoka while Fuyu still didn’t accept her, and she still hadn’t done anything to fix that.

“Miyo?”

“I-I’m going to go have them prepare a separate bed for me after all…!”

Abandoning disorganized thoughts swirling around her head, Miyo fled from the room.