Volume 8 Chapter 3 Part 1 (2/2)
Then, after diving into the sea to follow Kanade, when she regained consciousness the first thing she saw was s.h.i.+n's back.
”It was really big”
Karin could faintly remember when he was carrying her. s.h.i.+n was of rather lean build, but his back was bigger and larger than she thought, and she didn't feel uneasy at all when leaning against him.
Then, he helped them look for the medicinal herb for Lady Haruna; on top of Mt. Fuji, he stood fearlessly before a giant 8-headed snake monster, and won the herb with his sword.
Karin remembered the burning sensation in her chest as she watched s.h.i.+n face the female warrior clad in platinum armor.
However, she thought that it was a sensation born from watching two powerful warriors engage in battle
”To fall in love while watching him cross swords in battlethere's something wrong with me.”
She was starting to worry about her sensitivity. She had been focused on the sword all her life, that's true, but even so that was too violent a beginning.
Something else that could have triggered it all
”Ah”
She came up with something else.
The decisive episode that made her think about s.h.i.+n.
Karin lightly pa.s.sed her fingers on her lips.
”The kiss.”
s.h.i.+n had desperately explained that he had done that to save her, and Karin did not doubt his words.
But it was still true that she had been kissed. And according to Kanade, he had touched her b.r.e.a.s.t.s too.
She knew she was more developed than other people her age. She also knew that when she was out adventuring with Kanade, men would often gaze at her chest.
She felt nothing but disgust then, but in s.h.i.+n's case the disgust disappeared.
Rather, she even
”Aaaah!! What am I thinking about!?!”
Karin couldn't help but raise her voice.
Her heartbeat was getting annoyingly noisy. Her thoughts refused to be put in order.
The more she tried not to think about it, the more s.h.i.+n's silhouette occupied her mind.
The slightly silly expression he had when they first met.
The brave expression he showed when he blew away the Gale Serpent's head.
His kind expression when he was worrying about her.
His serious expression while he swung the sword.
”To realize it after being turned downthere really is something wrong with me”
She would barely sleep that night.
3 days after Karin talked about marriage to s.h.i.+n, a letter was delivered to the Saegusa house.
Chiyo, who had received it, said it had come from the Kujou.
”It's for me?”
”Yes, lady Haruna expressed the wish to meet you. The sender is lady Kanade.”
I am aware of the rudeness of my request. But could you make it possible to meet my sister oncewas the content of the letter.
Considering Kanade's personality, she would rather show up personally to talk about it, but as she had been absent from Hinomoto for a long time, she likely had been caught by a servant on her way out.
”Lady Haruna is a very reasonable person. She surely would not think well of requesting the person she owes her life to to come visit her. But just ending things with a thank-you letter isn't something that she'd accept either.”
s.h.i.+n had already received a letter of grat.i.tude for the a.s.sistance he had lent.
It was rich in old-fas.h.i.+oned expressions and hard to read, but her feelings of grat.i.tude were clearly expressed.
”I have already been thanked by lord Tadahisa too, I don't think she should concern herself with it though”
”She's also unusually stubborn you see. Sir s.h.i.+n, wouldn't you give lady Haruna a chance to express her thanks?”
”Well, I don't have much to do until my comrades arrive after all. If she will be relieved, then it's fine for me. To be honest, I'm the one feeling nervous though”
Kuyou wrote the letter of acceptance and handed it to the waiting messenger.
They would go visit lady Haruna the following day.
”Ehm, I think it is best to review the visit protocol”
”Y-yes”
As they were walking towards the Kujou residence, s.h.i.+n talked to Karin, but received an awkward reply.
The day after their marriage conversation, Karin was too restless and they couldn't continue their usual training.
Now, after a few days had pa.s.sed, she seemed more calm.
By the way, Yuzuha had stayed back at the residence.
As they arrived to the residence where Haruna was said to be, they showed the gate guard the proof of pa.s.sage they had received with the reply to their letter.
The proof of pa.s.sage had half of a seal; combined with the other half, which the gate guard had, it matched perfectly and emitted a faint glow. In order to avoid counterfeiting, a magical defense mechanism had been placed on it as well.
As they were waiting for someone to guide them into the residence, Kanade herself appeared.
”I thank you for coming. Come in, this way.”
”Lady Kanade. The n.o.ble daughter of the Kujou house should not behave like that in public!!”
A lady in her 40s, who arrived right after Kanade, reprimanded her. She was Kanade's tutor and her name was ”Ei”.
”I apologize for my rudeness. I shall accompany you inside. Only several days have pa.s.sed since our lady Haruna rose from her sickbed, thus I pray you not to tire her too much.”
”Understood.”
Ei bowed deeply to them, and s.h.i.+n nodded in reply. Her illness might have been cured, but Haruna had been sick in bed for a long period, naturally they did not want to be a burden to her.
After they walked for awhile, Ei stopped in front a room with a veranda. Kanade, who had gone back before them, was already inside.
Ei kneeled on the floor and called to who was beyond the sliding doors.
”Lady Haruna. Lord s.h.i.+n and Lady Karin have arrived.”
”Let them inside.”
After Haruna's reply, Ei opened the sliding doors. s.h.i.+n and Karin were encouraged to go inside and complied.
”Let me thank you for coming all the way here to visit me.”
Alongside Kanade, in the room there was another young woman, adorned in a gorgeous kimono.
s.h.i.+n's attention was caught by the woman's captivating waist-length black hair and her eyes, black like polished obsidian gems.
Her facial features were very j.a.panese-like, with a reserved kind of elegance typical of traditional j.a.panese beauty.
”Don't just stand around like that, have a seat. You shouldn't make my sister wait.”
”You have even less restraint than usual I see.”
There was no doubt that the young lady before them was Haruna.
As s.h.i.+n sat on the cus.h.i.+on prepared for him, Haruna adjusted her posture, then deeply lowered her head to him.
”I wish to give you my deepest grat.i.tude for saving my sister and her friend's lives. Thanks to you, the illness afflicting me has been cured as well. I shall never forget the debt of grat.i.tude I owe you for the rest of my life.”
”Raise your head, please. I simply followed my heart. Your feelings of grat.i.tude have already reached me very well.”
s.h.i.+n felt a bit uneasy, doubting that it was proper for the daughter of the family's head to bow like that to a mere adventurer.
He appreciated her gesture of thanks, of course, but being treated so formally had the inverse effect of making him nervous.
Being born and raised in modern times, s.h.i.+n found Haruna's reactions exaggerated.
”I also wish I could show my grat.i.tude to you somehow”
”No, please, you really should not concern yourself with that. Eroh, yes! Seeing Lady Haruna smile would be more than sufficient!”
”My smile?”
”I do not know how you normally are, of course, but your expression now is, how should I saystiff, lady Haruna. I do not need things or glory, nothing like that, but if possible, I would like to see a more cheerful expression from you.”
s.h.i.+n went with an idea that had suddenly come to mind, but while talking he was almost annoyed with himself at that totally out of character request.
He knew that when he would recall his actions and words later, he would want to kick himself.
”I say, I also love my sister's smile very much.”
Saying so, Kanade hugged Haruna.
”I do not know how valuable my smile can be, but I shall not refuse such a request. I have not had much to smile about after being bedridden, so I hope it is not too awkward.”
While caressing Kanade's head, who had jumped on her lap, Haruna replied to s.h.i.+n. Her words gave him a small relief.
Haruna's expression as she cuddled Kanade appeared as if illuminated by sunlight.
”.lending my help has been worth it.”
Thanks to the warmth he felt from looking at Haruna cuddling Kanade, s.h.i.+n's uneasiness was gone too.
After explaining briefly what had happened in their travels, they excused themselves from Haruna's quarters. The tutor Ei had reminded them not to stay too long after all.
Karin had not spoken much, but apparently she had already met and talked with Haruna, whom she counted as a close friend.
”I have been steadily recovering, but everyone's such a worrywart.”
”I heard you have been bedridden for a long time, so it can't be helped.”
After consoling the disappointed-looking Haruna, s.h.i.+n stood up. Haruna didn't want to see them go yet, but there was nothing else they could do; A presence was clearly sending a ”It's time to let the lady rest” message from outside towards s.h.i.+n, probably Ei.
”I shall take my leave then. Please take care not to push yourself too much, as you just recovered.”
Realizing again how loved she had to be by those around her, s.h.i.+n bid farewell to Haruna.
”Will it be possible to meet again? I am eager to know more about the world outside Hinomoto.”
”I am imposing in the Saegusa house until my companions arrive, so it will be possible until then. Although I fear the va.s.sals will be opposed to the household's lady meeting a mere adventurer like me.”
”It will be wise to do it without creating any unpleasant rumors, by having someone else with you during the visit, I think.”
The Kujou house was the ruler of east Hinomoto. If people started rumoring that its first-born daughter was intimate with an unknown adventurer, Haruna's reputation was more at risk than s.h.i.+n.
Karin thus suggested that they avoided meeting by themselves.
”I understand, but it is truly regretful.”
”Alas, it is how s.h.i.+n and Karin said. Now that you have recovered, the storm of marriage proposals will start again too.”
s.h.i.+n thought that Kanade's prediction was surely on the spot.
Her household and appearance were excellent, talking to her showed a person with a serene personality, clearly quite intelligent too. With so many excellent conditions all together, there will surely be mult.i.tudes of men willing to marry her.
As she had just recovered, it was likely that no such topic had been mentioned to her, but sooner or later they surely would. It wasn't something s.h.i.+n could do anything about.
”Well then, if there will be the chance, let us meet again.”
”Thank you again for coming.”
”Yes, come again!”
Ei, who was waiting outside Haruna's quarters, led them back to the entrance gate.
”Thank you very much for sparing your precious time for Lady Haruna today.”
”Not at all, a mere adventurer like me was unworthy of such honor.”
Normally, an attendant would accompany guests from the small gate in the hedges surrounding the residence until the large gate at the entrance of the Kujou estate, but this time Karin a.s.sumed that role.
Even if it was a person they owe great grat.i.tude to, they wouldn't let strangers walk on their own around the main compound after all.
While thinking about this, s.h.i.+n realized that since he had entered the Kujou domain, every time he left the Saegusa residence he was accompanied by someone.
”Well, I guess that's obvious.”
He whispered this to himself and looked towards the large gate, when he saw someone other than the guard before it.
”It's been a while, sir s.h.i.+n.”
”Sir Kankurouyou have business with lady Haruna as well?”
Kankurou, who was dressed the same way as when he fought s.h.i.+n, shook his head.
”No, I simply had some free time, so I was taking a walk, and I perceived your presence. I do not have very much time, but would you join me for some conversation?”
”No problem for me, but what about you Karin?”
”That is fine for me too. I see sir Tos.h.i.+ro is here too, what about you?”
”I do not have any pressing duties either.”
In the direction, Karin looked at stood Yaejima Tos.h.i.+ro. He was not wearing armor, but only grey and deep green formal wear.
”However, if time allows it, I would like to ask sir s.h.i.+n for a match.”
”A match?”
Ever since they first met, when s.h.i.+n was with Karin and Kanade, he hadn't felt any amity coming from Tos.h.i.+ro. What he felt almost made him feel like he was considered an enemy instead.
He was slightly surprised, then, to be challenged to a duel in such a direct manner.
”I have heard the rumors. You are receiving lady Karin's teachings in the way of the sword, yes?”
”There are such rumors?”
s.h.i.+n raised his eyebrows at Tos.h.i.+ro's words.
Karin was the Saegusa family's first-born daughter and the 3rd seat of the Hinomoto Brave Ten. If word of her teaching a stranger the art of the sword spread, it would definitely cause a commotion. s.h.i.+n would have hated to return Karin's favor with trouble.
”I don't think I spoke about it with anyone though.”
”I have not heard a word of it either. By the way, Tos.h.i.+ro, recently you seem to strangely disappear rather often, don't you?”
After hearing Karin and especially Kankurou's comments, s.h.i.+n casted a suspicious glance at Kankurou, thinking that he might have been spying on them.
”I just heard it from lady Chiyo! I was told not to say it to anyone else, nor have I any intention to!! I am just all too env-ahem!!!”
The more they talked, the more s.h.i.+n's opinion of Tos.h.i.+ro changed.
”Ehmsir Tos.h.i.+ro?”
Karin looked puzzled at Tos.h.i.+ro, she didn't seem to have noticed his affection for her yet.
”In any case!! I shall put you to the test and see how much your skills have grown!!”
”My apologies. Tos.h.i.+ro is infatuated with lady Karin, and you see”
”Oh, yes, I kind of realized it too.”
”T-that has nothing to do with this!!!”
Tos.h.i.+ro yelled at Kankurou and s.h.i.+n's whispered conversation.
Karin, who had not heard the conversation, looked even more confused.
s.h.i.+n thought that maybe, this Yaejima Tos.h.i.+ro wasn't a bad person.