“Chihaya, about that Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto’s Divine Grace you said you’d share with me earlier—do I still get a share now?”
This sentence was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake. The girls were all stunned.
‘What’s going on?’
Before dinner, Futaba had been using “I don’t know the Prayer Spell Technique” as an excuse to deflect Chihaya’s probing. How did her attitude do a complete one-eighty just because Kaguya-hime came and went?
Chihaya frowned. She stared at Futaba, trying to read something from that smiling face. But she saw nothing. As always, Futaba’s smile was too perfect to fault.
“Why?”
Chihaya asked. Her voice was calm, but everyone could hear what lay beneath it.
Futaba looked charmingly playful.
“Because I’m You-kun’s fiancée.”
Her tone was frivolous and lazy, as if stating something obvious.
Chihaya felt a headache coming on. That answer was as good as no answer. But Chihaya knew that pressing further would yield nothing. When Futaba didn’t want to talk, no one could pry it out of her.
‘She sighed inwardly. Let it go. Whatever Futaba was plotting, as long as she accepted Tsukuyomi’s Divine Grace, she had taken sides. From now on, she would no longer be ‘one of them’ on Kaguya-hime’s side. Even if Kaguya-hime wanted a Divine Descent, she wouldn’t choose a miko who had drunk Tsukuyomi’s Divine Grace. The crisis was resolved. As for what Futaba was scheming—I’ll deal with it later.’
Chihaya sighed inwardly.
‘You-kun, You-kun, how did you get involved with such troublesome people.’
Chihaya composed her expression and looked seriously into Futaba’s eyes. Those eyes still revealed nothing.
“Of course you do. As long as you want it, this Divine Grace is yours.”
Futaba’s smile deepened.
“Then I won’t hold back.”
Chihaya stood up, walked to the cabinet in the room, and took out the flask she had put away earlier. The silver liquid inside shimmered faintly in the moonlight, just as before. She poured a cup, the silver liquid swaying slightly in the vessel. She chanted a few prayers, and the silver glow became even softer.
She carried the teacup back and handed it to Futaba.
“Drink it. I’ve already processed it with Curse Art. Besides the usual effect of boosting spiritual power cultivation, it also nourishes the body.”
Futaba took the teacup, looked down at the Divine Grace, and was silent for a moment. She looked up and glanced at You.
You saw this. He didn’t know why, but he felt that look carried some other meaning. Not gratitude, not shyness—more like… confirmation? You felt a bit baffled by her gaze.
Futaba averted her gaze, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one go. The silver liquid slid down her throat, cool and carrying a faint, elusive sweetness. It was no different from ordinary spring water. But when that power entered her body, she felt it. It wasn’t the “fullness” of Kaguya-hime’s descent, but a gentler sensation, as if something was slowly dissolving inside her. Seeping bit by bit into every corner.
She set down the teacup and looked at Chihaya.
“Thank you.”
Chihaya nodded.
“No need to thank me. From now on, we’re family.”
The words were said lightly, but everyone understood their weight.
Mai’s eyes had been fixed on Futaba ever since Futaba had lain in You’s arms. Mai couldn’t understand what Futaba-nee was thinking. First refusing, then asking for it. First avoiding You-kun, then lying in his arms. Changing back and forth, impossible to figure out.
But she knew one thing—from today, she had one more rival. Her sister was already hard to deal with, and Hitomi-nee was also eyeing him. Now even Futaba-nee had officially stepped into the ring. She looked down at her own chest, then at Futaba’s, and silently looked away.
‘Forget it. I won’t think about it.’
Hitomi lowered her eyes, looking at her own reflection in the teacup. Chihaya had won this round. Futaba had drunk the Divine Grace, so she was Tsukuyomi’s person now. No matter what she was thinking, at least regarding “stance,” there was no retreat.
But what she couldn’t understand was—why did Futaba jump in voluntarily? She had been refusing before dinner, but as soon as Kaguya-hime came, everything changed. There was still room to maneuver, wasn’t there? Did Kaguya-hime say something to her? She looked up and glanced at Futaba’s profile. That face wore a smile, just as usual, revealing nothing.
Hitomi looked away.
‘No rush. She still has time.’
As for You, he was startled by Futaba’s actions.
‘What’s going on? Futaba’s behavior was too abnormal. Before dinner, when Chihaya forced her to take sides, she was still using “I don’t know the Prayer Spell Technique” as an excuse. Now that Kaguya-hime had just left, she actively asked for it. A complete one-eighty in attitude. When they first met at the Tsukuyomi Grand Shrine, Futaba had said she was his girlfriend, but everyone could tell it was a joke. Later, when they coincidentally met in Hakone, she had also seemed like someone who liked to stir up trouble, saying “I’m You-kun’s girlfriend” while her eyes were always watching Chihaya’s reaction.’
‘Back then, her target wasn’t him—it was Chihaya. Now, in just a few minutes, she had actively lain in his arms? Why? Did Kaguya-hime say something to her during the Divine Descent? Even if Kaguya-hime told Futaba that she had no intention of using Futaba’s body for reproduction, Futaba’s attitude couldn’t have done a complete one-eighty, could it? She has no emotional foundation with me, and she was clearly avoiding me before. And that excited look in Futaba’s eyes—something’s wrong. Nine-tenths wrong.’
You mentally sorted through the clues from the past few days again. Futaba had been avoiding him before. On one hand, it was because of the “stance issue”—she was a member of the Tsukuyomi Family, and getting close to the Divine Child would be seen as having ulterior motives. On the other hand, it was naturally because she didn’t like him. At best, she didn’t dislike him, so avoiding him was normal.
You was almost a hundred percent sure that Futaba’s approach wasn’t because she was attracted to him. Rather, he played some role in her plan. What role exactly, he didn’t know, but it was probably not something as simple as “good husband.”
A plan that could make Futaba that excited was definitely not something peaceful. He didn’t know what she was planning. But he knew one thing: until he figured out her purpose, stay away from her. He sounded a mental alarm for himself.
The matter of conquering Futaba—put it on hold for now. No need to rush. If he continued to pursue, given Futaba’s attitude today, she probably wouldn’t reject him. But he had no idea what would happen in the end. He shouldn’t go offering himself up to be sold and then count the money.
You made up his mind. He turned to Chihaya and started chatting with her, talking about today’s Curse Art practice, the taste of the meals these past few days, the weather in Hakone—anything and everything.
‘I’ll leave Futaba alone for a few days and observe her reaction first,’ You thought.