Chapter 528: 526
There was a certain beauty in things only partly revealed.
A work of art beneath a cloth could still capture the imagination. Even without seeing every detail, the shape beneath the fabric hinted at what lay hidden.
Sometimes, a glimpse could be more captivating than seeing everything at once.
But beneath the awkwardness of that evening lay feelings far more complicated than appearances suggested.
“Lady Seitenshi, what’s that expression supposed to mean? Are you laughing at me?”
Tendo Kisara knew perfectly well that she wasn’t.
Nor had she brought Seitenshi along because she resented her or truly believed she deserved to pay some personal price.
Kouzuki Yuuko had been quite deliberate about bringing herself closer to Kain. Kisara had much the same goal in mind: a deeper personal bond might give him more reason to care about them and their world.
Honestly, if taking Seitenshi’s position hadn’t sounded like such an exhausting responsibility, Kisara would have preferred to keep him to herself.
But if Seitenshi was going to remain in power, Kisara wanted her firmly on their side, someone they could trust completely.
In a world this broken, someone in Seitenshi’s position would struggle to find an ordinary partner anyway. Kisara thought Kain was a better choice.
As for herself, she had already made her decision on his second day in this world. During the meeting Seitenshi had called about recovering the Legacy of the Seven Stars, Kisara had behaved as though she and Kain were a couple.
Even then, she had intended to express her gratitude once everything was settled.
She doubted an ordinary relationship was possible for her, either. She didn’t want to drag some unsuspecting person into her problems.
Something inside her had changed. Her hatred over her parents’ deaths had left a darkness in her heart.
Getting her revenge hadn’t simply made that darkness disappear.
Without someone capable of stopping her, she might eventually become even more dangerous than Hiruko Kagetane.
Kain was the only person she believed could keep her in check.
In that sense, she was using him a little.
But her feelings for him were real, too.
“N-no. I wasn’t laughing. I’m sorry.”
Seitenshi’s hurried answer drew Kisara out of her thoughts.
Her stunned expression had come from surprise, nothing more. Kisara’s boldness kept leaving her at a loss for words.
“Or have you still not made up your mind, Lady Seitenshi?”
“No. I have.”
Her reply was quiet, but sincere.
She had made her decision. Adjusting to it was another matter.
There was also something she now understood about the supposed bargain Kisara had mentioned, the claim that driving off Scorpio required a personal price from her.
Kisara had invented that arrangement herself.
Kain had known nothing about it.
And Kisara hadn’t waited until afterward to admit the truth. Before anything could happen, she had explained the situation herself.
There was no bargain. Choosing to stay would buy Seitenshi no favors, and she could not attach demands to that choice. Whatever she decided had to be voluntary.
Seitenshi had accepted those terms.
She already felt she had no right to ask him for anything more.
For all her embarrassment, she understood the distinction. This was a choice she was making, not a payment he had demanded.
The conversation softened, and the evening slipped into privacy.
Later, Seitenshi found herself watching another exchange between Kain and Kisara with a bewilderment she was beginning to recognize.
Somehow, their teasing had turned into a competition.
Kain was thoroughly confident. Kisara, predictably, refused to back down.
The more certain he sounded, the more determined she became to prove him wrong. Yet she still had enough self-awareness to insist on a few conditions before accepting his challenge.
Seitenshi glanced at her.
Only a short while ago, Kisara had seemed completely in control of the situation. Now she was arguing over the rules with an earnestness that left Seitenshi unsure whether to laugh or look away.
Then their attention shifted to her.
Seitenshi froze.
Was she expected to join in, too?
(End of Chapter)
“Zaelum”]