Several days passed after that. The search for the jaki had proven difficult, and tension hung heavily over the Domeki estate. Saiichi had been scowling the whole time, and even Loki had grown irritable, treating the bride coldly which, of course, made Karen throw one of her tantrums.
And as for the person at the center of all this—
“Working hard again today, I see, Miharu.”
“Is it really safe for you to be here?”
While I was alone in the kitchen, peeling an absurd amount of sweet potatoes, Tsubaki appeared out of nowhere. He was wearing the same camellia-patterned kimono as the first day I’d met him.
“The entire mansion feels tense.”
“That’s because the wedding’s tomorrow,” I explained. “And they still haven’t found you, so everyone’s even more on edge.”
When I told him, Tsubaki let out a surprised exclamation.
“Tomorrow already? Time sure flies.”
“It’s Karen’s sixteenth birthday tomorrow. She said she wanted to marry as soon as she was old enough to, but at this point, I’m not even sure if that’s something to call happiness.”
“Well, it’s happiness granted by an oni,” Tsubaki said lightly. “And what about you, Miharu? What kind of happiness would you want?”
I kept peeling as I answered.
“At the very least, I’d rather not be treated like livestock. I want to live my own life.”
“Your own life?” Tsubaki tilted his head.
“It means deciding my own path,” I said. “Something as simple as that has always been the hardest thing for me.”
I finished peeling one potato, and reached for the next one. I removed the sprouts and slid the knife along the skin.
“Hey, Miharu. If that path you speak of were to cross with mine, what would you do?”
“...Huh?”
The unexpected question almost made me slice my finger. That was close.
“What do you mean—”
Before I could finish, Tsubaki fixed me with a strangely serious look. It wasn’t something I could just dismiss as ridiculous as the atmosphere between us itself seemed to forbid it. My throat went dry.
“I…”
“Onee-chan!”
A rush of footsteps echoed down the corridor, snapping me out of it.
Turning toward the sound, I saw Karen approaching, wearing a fluffy white dress that probably cost a fortune. It was one of those designer pieces that costs around six-figure Loki had bought her on a whim after she’d pouted for it.
“I’ve been calling you! What are you doing in—oh my.”
Her energy faltered the moment she noticed Tsubaki. Faced with his regal, almost unearthly beauty, Karen’s expression softened into a dazed smile.
“Oh my, forgive me. I am Karen, wife of Domeki Loki. I hope my family’s servant hasn’t been troubling you in any way?”
There was something in that sentence worth criticizing in every line, but arguing about it felt exhausting, so I stayed silent. Nothing good ever came out of bickering with her.
Karen, with her delicate face framed perfectly, smiled as sweetly as a flower in bloom. On her clasped hands glittered a jeweled bracelet that caught the light with every movement.
But no matter how dazzlingly she dressed, I could no longer see it as proof of love, at least not the kind of love I believed in.
Tsubaki, visibly bored, let his gaze travel lazily from the top of her head to her toes, assessing her as one might an object. Then he gave a faint shrug and scoffed through his nose. It looked like a gesture that dripped with disdain.
“I’m currently asking for your older sister’s heart right now, and I have no business with you. So kindly leave. It’s rude to eavesdrop on others’ intimate moments.”
“Wha—!”
Color flushed into Karen’s pale cheeks. Her whole body trembled. It was probably the first time in her life she had ever been spoken to like that.
Her wide eyes narrowed, and she glared sharply at me. I met her gaze silently, refusing to look away.
We glared at each other for a moment. Karen looked as if she might explode, but eventually, her glossy lips tightened, and her piercing gaze shifted away from me.
She drew in a deep breath and forced a radiant smile, reminiscent of a blooming flower.
“My, how rude of me. I certainly never imagined such a man would appear for my sister. But please, don't tease her too much. She is too naive to understand what 'playing around' means."
“How fascinating, it sounds as though Madam herself is quite familiar with ‘playing around.’"
Karen’s cheek twitched at the remark, but realizing the situation was against her, she gave a graceful little bow, turned on her heel, and swept out of the room with her skirt swirling behind her.
"It sure is fun to poke at someone puffed up with arrogance."
Tsubaki's cheerful voice made me feel drained.
“Or rather, what are you talking about? Intimate moments? Really?”
“My mood’s been spoiled, I’ll just save it for another, more suitable occasion.”
He seemed genuinely amused by his own words, already plotting whatever nonsense he had in mind. I adjusted my grip on the knife and went back to peeling.
“I don’t think that occasion will ever come.”
“Oh, it sure will,” he said, with an almost prophetic certainty.
And at that, the potato in my hands slipped from my fingers.
