[Part 2/6]
"..."
Her husband had plenty of money and things, but he had a sweet tooth and loved food. Kotsuzu wanted him to be happy, so she thought of sharing it with him at dinner... but she realized it was a silly and thoughtless idea. What was she thinking, trying to share something so carefree with her busy husband?
"...Maybe during dinner?"
It might seem pushy to mention it. Maybe it would be better to just tell the kitchen staff to prepare something for after the meal. That's how a wife should support her husband... Kotsuzu convinced herself of that.
But what began as a tiny misunderstanding──a common mistake that happens among family members──turned out to be significant for the Onitsuki family. Since the head of the household and the sister's sibling were away, their absence created a big gap during a chaotic time in this busy situation.
So, the next day, the presence of cursed insects hidden in the sweets during the Hidden Group leader's lunch would spread suspicion among the remaining members of the Onitsuki family.
And it would cast a dark shadow over Kotsuzu's position in the Onitsuki family...
The delay in returning to the village from 2 days to 3 was due to dealing with a youkai they encountered on the way back. This included not just extermination but also disposing of the remains.
In the end, we dealt with 9 intermediate-level youkai... This number was unusual, especially since it wasn't even near a forbidden area in the Center region. So, instead of being idle, the exorcist clan took the initiative to report their progress.
We also needed to write to the imperial court, the Onmyouji Bureau, and the local exorcist clan, so their stay in the village was extended.
The village heads, who had been cold at first, were now generous, likely because the youkai remains could be sold for money. It was quite opportunistic. Well, they took advantage of the situation and bought them at a very low price.
Anyway, even though there were a lot of youkai nearby, everyone in the village was pretty chill about it. If this were any other place, the village head would probably faint from worry, but it seemed like they didn't feel much danger since they hadn't really experienced any youkai problems before.
It reminded me of Hotoya, but it was way worse. They had hired bodyguards a long time ago, so they were more aware of the risks.
At night, Tamaki and I were at the best inn in the village. After enjoying a hot bath, we ended up watching a street performer while enjoying a feast.
The food was a mix of local treats and some fancy stuff brought in from center region, and it was definitely fancier than what we had earlier, but I decided not to comment on that.
I kept an eye on Tamaki to make sure she didn't drink too much, and I ended up getting the village head's son drunk instead to get out of a sticky situation. It's an eroge, so these basic traps are expected.
In the game, drunk Murasaki actually gets r*ped, drunk Murasaki gets killed, drunk Murasaki gets killed again.. I just realized I mentioned Murasaki 3 times in a row, which is against the rules, right?
Anyway, I waited for the right moment and took the slightly tipsy protagonist to Iruka for protection. Outside her room, I could hear the wolf acting as a bodyguard while I enjoyed some snacks and drinks I had borrowed. Anyone trying to break in would need to be ready for a fight.
As for me, I was trying to write some important documents. I sent back a girl who had come directly from the village to help me, and while struggling with the format and wording, I somehow managed to finish 3 letters.
If it were just for the Onitsuki family, it wouldn't matter, but if it went to the higher-ups or other families, bad handwriting would be a huge embarrassment. I could even get kicked out of the industry. Scary!
Sadly, even after all this careful work, I still wasn't done. The two main exorcists sent from Onitsuki, which included Tamaki, meant that Tamaki had a higher status than me.
I could write the main part, but I needed her seal on it. I couldn't just use it without permission. I planned to get her to stamp it before sending it out.
"Well, I guess I'll deal with that after the sun comes up."
I glanced outside at the pitch-black night and sighed. It felt like we had missed the youkai's hour. The sound of crickets filled the dark. If I were a noble, I'd probably be feeling poetic and singing a traditional song right now, but I didn't have that kind of fancy feeling.
So, I sealed the document in a shelf with a curse and stretched my body. My back cracked pleasantly as I stretched. I let out a sigh as I leaned on my writing desk. Sleep was tempting, but I didn't want to waste time. My stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn't eaten lunch.
"Boss (danna), are you done?"
"Huh? Oh, just about."
As I was stretching out my stiff body, Magoroku, who was assigned to help with chores, walked in. Mari was with him too. I felt a bit bad about having a blind girl do chores, but I didn't want her too close to the village head and his wife. I decided to ignore what others might think about it.
"Thanks for your hard work. Here's some tea."
"Yeah, thanks."
I sipped the steaming cup of tea that was handed to me. I also took a manju that was prepared alongside it. Mmm, the sweetness felt nice after a tiring day.
"By the way... were you all okay while we were gone?"
While Tamaki and I were deep in the forest dealing with youkai, Magoroku and his siblings, along with Yukine, Tamaki's attendant, and a few laborers, stayed back in the village. They were there for safety, but youkai aren't the only scary things; people can be too. I hoped nothing bad happened to them.
"Oh, it was fine. Since I was directly under you, nobody bothered us. Well, the village head's son wandered around once, but he got chased off by a maid from Hotoya."
"What? I didn't know that..."
It seemed like being connected to me, the Household Member Coordinator kept things safe. But seriously, that village head's son has no boundaries. What's he trying to do, become a generic magical-kun? That's kind of brave, in a way.
"I see... Sorry for worrying you."
"No way, that can't be true!"
"But it must be tough for Mari, right?"
Magoroku looks down a bit at my comment. If he has to take his weak little sister around everywhere...
"That's true... but Mari doesn't hold any grudges against you, boss."
"Mari, huh? You wouldn't want your sister to suffer, would you?"
I joke around, but I'm also making a sharp point. Magoroku doesn't try to cover it up.
"But... it's a fact that both Mari and I were saved by you, boss. We owe you so much, it wouldn't make sense to resent you."
"Still, there are times you might feel resentful, right?"
"Boss can be a bit mean, you know?"
"Haha, sorry about that!"
We both laugh awkwardly. There's no hidden agenda, but facing reality, we can only laugh.
"Please take care of Mari tomorrow. That should be enough."
"Is that all? What about what you want? Money? Don't hold back! You're making more than before, right?"
"Too much luxury is bad for us, you know?"
Magoroku gives a wry smile, as if saying he knows how to be content. He speaks like he's seen it happen before. I wonder if something happened in the past?
"But is just taking care of her enough?"
"Mari doesn't really want much more than that, Boss... She's just that kind of person."
"Now that you mention it, that's true."
Mari was the kind of girl who would bloom with joy over little things. She would feel sad about losing something, but she wouldn't hold a grudge. She always accepted things, thought about sharing, and was the type to give, even if it confused her.
"Yeah. So to make her happy, it's about small, thoughtful gestures."
Then Magoroku stands up.
"I have to get up early tomorrow, so I'll take my leave now. Is that okay?"
He scratches his head, asking for permission in a way. I nod slowly.
"Yeah. The tea was good. Thanks!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, boss."
Magoroku leaves respectfully. He'll probably take care of Mari and then go to bed. He really has a tough job.
Silence falls again. Should I just go to sleep? No, but... it feels weird to just sleep like this. What should I do?
"Should I wash off the sweat and dust? Maybe take a bath?"
As soon as I say that, I grab the special bottle I received and stand up...
...
...
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