Chapter 15: Mai’s Counterattack

Not long after, Futaba’s breakfast was delivered by the inn staff.

She pressed her hands together, said “I humbly receive,” and then began to eat.

She ate with focused attention, her manners perfect—the rule of silence during meals was ingrained. It was clear she had been trained from childhood. But her eyes kept discreetly scanning the other three.

‘Has this Divine Child truly united with Chihaya and little Mai? How curious.’

You, his attention focused on Futaba mainly to prevent her from causing trouble again, noticed her actions. He lowered his head and shoveled rice into his mouth, pretending not to notice. He hoped Futaba wouldn’t start trouble so early in the morning.

Futaba observed him as she mused to herself.

‘Hmm… their movements and breathing don’t seem like it. Both are calm, not like they expended much last night.’

But both of their faces still had traces of flushed red that hadn’t faded.

‘That actually makes it seem more plausible.’

She decided she’d have to ask directly. She set down her bowl, and when she placed her chopsticks, they made a sharp clink.

“Chihaya.”

She smiled and repeated the greeting she’d used when she first entered.

“How did you ‘rest’ last night? Did you accomplish the task Lady Moon Princess gave you?”

She enunciated the word “rest” with particular clarity.

You nearly spat out his water and had to exert great effort to hold it in.

‘Here it comes. Of course it does. Futaba is about to stir up trouble again.’

‘Seriously? Are you asking that directly?’

‘Did I misunderstand? Is my fiancée Chihaya actually a very nice, gentle girl and not a pink-haired dark heart? Was the darkening I saw yesterday and the danger I just sensed all my imagination?’

‘Otherwise, how would Futaba dare to provoke her so directly? Isn’t she afraid Chihaya will turn on her?’

He sneaked a glance at Chihaya to see her reaction.

Chihaya’s expression didn’t change. She continued to pick up dishes and eat at a leisurely pace.

“I naturally accomplished it.”

Her voice was light, as if she were commenting on the weather.

Upon hearing that, Mai quickly lowered her head and shoveled rice into her mouth, her face nearly buried in her bowl. A grain of rice stuck to the corner of her mouth, but she didn’t bother to wipe it off.

‘Geez, my sister and Futaba are at it again. At times like this, I need to lower my profile.’

Mai silently complained in her heart.

“Oh?—”

Futaba drew out her voice, her smile unchanged.

“Then I understand. So Chihaya, you haven’t united with the Divine Child—”

She paused.

“That puts my mind at ease.”

Chihaya slammed her bowl hard onto the table.

With a bang, a few drops of soup splashed out.

She no longer cared about table manners.

“Futaba—! Are your ears broken? I clearly said I accomplished it! How could you mishear such a simple statement?”

Her voice was at least two pitches higher than usual.

You shrank his neck.

‘Here it is. Chihaya’s darkening mode.’

Futaba’s smile didn’t change. She leaned back in her chair with an air of complete composure.

“Chihaya, there’s no need to be so hasty.”

Her tone remained unhurried, carrying a hint of laziness.

“If you had truly united with the Divine Child last night, how could you admit it so calmly? Since you’re so calm, it must be false.”

Chihaya was choked by that remark.

Her mouth opened and closed. She couldn’t speak.

Her face reddened from her neck upward, all the way to the tips of her ears.

Mai, reading the situation well, handed her a cup of tea.

Chihaya took it directly and drank it in one gulp.

Futaba watched this scene with a grin and praised her.

“Well done, little Mai.”

Mai sighed, her voice carrying a tone of “I’m already used to this” resignation.

“Futaba, please don’t tease my sister like this anymore.”

Futaba brushed it off: “Mm-hmm, I won’t do it again.”

Mai sighed again.

You watched all this from the side, his heart a mix of emotions.

‘Good, good. The Chihaya darkening I saw before wasn’t an illusion.’

‘But Futaba is something else. With just a few words, she can break through Chihaya’s normally cool and dignified composure. And from Mai’s tone, this kind of interaction has happened more than once?’

‘If they’re still best friends despite this…’

‘Is this the legendary love-hate relationship?’

Seeing his expression, Mai’s eyes darted around. She actively sidled up next to him and lowered her voice to speak.

“Don’t let Futaba’s behavior fool you—the two of them actually have a very good relationship.”

She snuck a glance at her sister and Futaba, confirming they weren’t paying attention for the moment, then continued.

“My sister has a fairly serious personality. When she was little, she wasn’t very good at handling visitors and such. Every time, it was Futaba who came to help.”

As soon as the words left her mouth,

Chihaya emanated a dangerous aura.

A smile hung on her face, but that smile looked exactly like the calm before a storm.

“Mai—”

Her voice was very gentle, but it inexplicably sent a chill down the spine.

“How can you tell You everything?”

Futaba produced a folding fan from somewhere, opened it with a snap, and slowly fanned herself.

“Chihaya, don’t be angry. What little Mai said is also true, isn’t it?”

Mai shrank her neck, clearly suppressed by her sister’s presence.

She weakly added one more sentence.

“Of course, when it comes to Curse Technique practice and Divine Ritual Protocol, it’s my sister who teaches Futaba. Futaba’s Curse Technique talent is the best in her family, but it’s still a bit worse than my sister’s…”

She couldn’t continue.

Because Futaba’s aura had also become dangerous.

The fan slowed down considerably, each wave steady and rhythmic. The smile was still there, but it was a little too bright.

“Little Mai—”

Her voice was very soft.

“That’s not very nice of you.”

Mai swiftly grabbed You’s clothes and hid her entire body behind him.

You cheered loudly in his mind.

‘Mai! Well done!’

‘You’re an angel!’

‘This kind of explosive information should be shared! Let me hear more juicy gossip about this love-hate duo!’

He puffed out his chest, using his body to shield Mai, and started to smooth things over.

“Don’t be angry, you two.”

He chuckled.

“I’m not exactly an outsider, am I? The things Mai said also help me understand you two better, don’t you think?”

Hearing that, Chihaya and Futaba finally calmed down.

Futaba put on an amused smile and continued fanning herself. The pattern on the fan was a crescent moon, flickering in and out of view with each wave.

As for Chihaya, after hearing that line about “help me understand you two better,” her cheeks flushed slightly.

She lowered her head to adjust her hem, sat up straight again, and restored her cool, dignified demeanor.

You gave himself a mental thumbs up.

‘Looks like he already has experience defusing a shuraba.’

(Note: obvious confidence inflation.)

No one saw—

Behind You, in the blind spot of the others, Mai revealed a meaningful smile.

She muttered to herself in a very quiet voice.

“This trick worked even better than I imagined.”

“Big sister, Futaba, you always treat me like a child, always ignoring me and monopolizing You.”

She smiled even more happily.

“This time, I’ve evened the score, haven’t I?”

Then she quickly composed her expression.

That meaningful smile vanished, replaced by her usual innocent and naive demeanor.

She hesitantly emerged from behind You, head bowed, fingers twisting the hem of her clothes.

“Big sister, Futaba, I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have said all that.”

Her voice was timid, with a hint of a crying tone.

Chihaya’s expression instantly softened. She reached out and patted Mai’s head very gently.

“It’s okay, Mai. Big sister overreacted just now.”

Futaba also put away her fan, her smile much more sincere than before.

“I wasn’t angry just now, little Mai.”

Mai lifted her head, her eyes a little red, but the corners of her mouth were already curling up.

“Really?”

“Really, really.”

Futaba responded casually and opened her fan to fan herself again.

You watched this scene and suddenly felt something was off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

You picked up his teacup and took a sip.

‘Forget it. He’s never been able to figure out what these girls are thinking anyway. Why bother? Better to get ready to go out. Didn’t we just say we were going to Lake Ashi today?’

He spoke: “Shouldn’t we head to Lake Ashi now?”