Nadeshiko found Sanekazura’s attitude inspiring, but at the same time, she wondered, “But…then, is taking care of me what you want?”
The maid was great at her job, but was it the job she wanted? Nadeshiko was worried again. Sanekazura looked at her with disbelief, as though telling her, You don’t get it?
“…Lady Nadeshiko. I am the head maid of the Town of Autumn. I rule over the honden’s housekeeping. This is a big deal. It’s the highest position of anyone in my family. And I get to serve such an adorable mistress. I think I won in life.”
“R-really?”
“And don’t send me home for New Year’s this time. I really don’t want to go there.”
“O-okay… I understand. I’m sorry.” Nadeshiko sighed in relief before looking at Shirahagi. “Do you want to go home, Mr. Shirahagi?”
Shirahagi swallowed the strawberry daifuku he had been served as part of Nadeshiko’s snack time before answering.
“I commute here from my home.”
Sanekazura noticed some white powder from the daifuku around his mouth and grabbed a kaishi tissue for him.
Shirahagi received the tissue bashfully and wiped his mouth.
“But you’re always with me.”
“Because that’s my job. I’m your escort…”
“Isn’t it inconvenient for you?”
“Not at all, but thank you for your concern.”
“…Do your mom and dad approve of this job?”
A smile escaped Shirahagi as the eight-year-old kept asking mature questions.
“I only have my mother at home, and she says it’s a wonderful job.”
“I see… You have a good relationship with your family. That’s great.”
“It’s just my mother and me, after all.”
“Oh my…”
“I made my mother work hard, so I’m glad to have a job that she would call wonderful. I am grateful to serve you, Lady Nadeshiko.”
In Shirahagi’s words were the implication, so please don’t worry.
He wanted to tell the child that she didn’t need to worry about him.
He was being considerate. Nadeshiko didn’t know the circumstances of his family, nor did she know why he’d taken this job. He felt it was uncouth to tell his lady.
“…I see.”
Neither of her close aides seemed to have any qualms about spending their time with her. They were passionate about their jobs.
Is that okay?
They said it was okay; she could just accept it. Yet she couldn’t. It had been a few years since she had been taken in at the Town of Autumn. And because she had gotten used to living here now, she thought, Won’t they get tired of being with me after a while?
After all, she hadn’t seen her parents in a long time. They must’ve grown tired of her.
Nadeshiko always spent New Year’s in the Town without meeting her parents, and this year had been no different.
She hadn’t heard from them since they’d told Rindo to take care of their daughter, as they were busy, and that was when they were in Rittou last year.
The incident surrounding the Archer of Dawn’s Custodian happened around that time. That must’ve been the issue.
Autumn came out unscathed, but Nadeshiko’s reputation fell.
“Lady Nadeshiko, what’s the matter?”
The stain had reached her parents’ reputation, too.
“Mmm… It’s just, Mr. Shirahagi…”
“Yes?”
“…I’m worried that you’ll be in danger again if you’re protecting me.”
Shirahagi blinked. “Lady Nadeshiko… That is my job.”
He looked at her with confusion as she shrank.
“I—I mean, yes, but…”
That wasn’t what she meant to say. She was worried about him, but her words didn’t express her true intention. What she really wanted to say was…
“…I’m just worried…”
Won’t you get tired of being with me? Won’t you be embarrassed?
“…I’m worried.”
As her receptivity matured, she felt the pressure of her parents’ abandonment as well as how the adults treated her differently depending on her reputation. It was a secret she hadn’t shared with anyone.
“…Lady Nadeshiko, Shirahagi wasn’t chosen as your closest aide just because of his loyalty. He has the skills he needs. He can overcome any danger that comes your way. That’s why they gave him the job.”
Shirahagi smiled and nodded bashfully.
Sanekazura patted Nadeshiko’s head. “You worry so much about other people that it worries me, too.”
“I don’t.”
“Yes, you do. If there was a contest for worrying about other people, you would be in first place.”
Nadeshiko smiled awkwardly at being named the winner of a nonexistent contest.
“You would win, Ms. Sanekazura.”
Nadeshiko truly thought that. This head maid had supported her without rest since she’d been appointed.
She cherished Nadeshiko like she was her own daughter or perhaps her little sister.
Even now…
Sanekazura caressed her head without any hesitation.
“…I am a little worried about you, Lady Nadeshiko. Kind people tend to get taken advantage of.” She sighed.
“Really?” Nadeshiko asked.
“Yes. Because you’re kind, you might let people mistreat you. That worries me… But of course, I’ll fight anyone who would try it.”
“That’s my job as her escort.”
“Hey, I can throw a punch or a kick.”
“Have you ever done that?” Shirahagi asked.
“No… Maybe I’ll get some training.”
Sanekazura and Shirahagi began talking about what sort of basic combat skills a beginner should learn.
They’re so kind.
Nadeshiko had come to know of two kinds of people in her experience: those who were interested in her, and those who weren’t. Even those who were interested weren’t necessarily kind. Those who weren’t interested treated her like an object or animal—like a cow—or like she didn’t exist.
Nadeshiko’s heart raced when she met someone too kind.
After what she’d experienced, she was aware that she attracted danger. So she was beginning to think that it would be easier to deal with escorts or maids who didn’t care about her.
If anything happened, they would abandon her and run away; that would be a relief. She wouldn’t have to worry about having to always be a good kid so they wouldn’t hate her, either. There was no way they would like her to begin with. But these two were different.
“What’s the matter, Lady Nadeshiko?”
“Nothing,” she answered like always as Sanekazura gazed warmly at her.
Yet another dried leaf joined the pile inside Nadeshiko’s chest.
It was that same evening that a surprise came to her.
“How’s Hanakiri doing, Nadeshiko?”
One of the twin Agents of Summer, Ruri Hazakura, gave her a phone call.
“Lady Ruri!”
Nadeshiko had been playing with Hanakiri in a tatami room in the honden. Sanekazura was with her, but she moved away to let her lady talk freely with Ruri. A call from her older friend was the perfect thing to cheer the girl up.
“Thank you for giving it to me. Hanakiri is doing well. Here, Hanakiri. It’s Lady Ruri.”
Nadeshiko gleefully called the puppy closer.
“Can you hear him, Lady Ruri?”
Hanakiri barked at the phone, apparently reacting to Nadeshiko’s implied request. After a couple of barks, he looked at Nadeshiko, as though asking if that was enough.
“Yeah, sounds like everything’s great. I’m relieved to hear him say he’s protecting you.”
Nadeshiko looked at Hanakiri’s eyes.
“You can tell what he says even through the phone?”
“Of course I can! I trained with Hanakiri before leaving him in your care, you know.”
“Hanakiri is protecting me…,” Nadeshiko said with admiration, and the dog seemed proud.
After the chain of tragic events stemming from the insurgent attack in spring of Reimei 20, Summer and Autumn had deepened their relationship.
With the gods incarnate communicating more actively, and the fact that Nadeshiko had been kidnapped, Summer had promised to gift her with a trained guard dog.
However, the Dark Wolf incident came soon after the kidnapping in spring. Ruri and Ayame had been dealing with the stigma of becoming twin goddesses, so they didn’t have the time to train a puppy. Thanks to their fiancés’ efforts, the Hazakura sisters were able to push back against the Town and get married in the autumn of the previous year. Once they’d had some time to relax, they began training Hanakiri, and once the new year began, they traveled to Tsukushi to give Nadeshiko her guard dog.
“Although he’s not really a guard dog breed. You think he’s gonna be okay?”
“Yes. I appreciate guards…but more than anything, I want a family. I always wanted a puppy like this to be my family…”
“I’m glad to hear that. He may look cute, but he’s a brave boy. Be good to him.”
They had asked Nadeshiko what sort of dog she wanted and then granted her wish.
The proper thing would have been to give her one of the breeds registered in Yamato’s National Security, but she wanted a puppy that looked like cotton candy.
Hanakiri walked around Nadeshiko to get her attention, perhaps understanding they were talking about him.
Nadeshiko giggled as she hugged the dog close with one arm.
“That reminds me, it’s almost time for you and Lady Ayame to manifest summer.”
“Yeah. Time flies, huh? Feels like it was only yesterday that I was cheering Lady Hinagiku on her manifestation, and now it’s almost our turn already. But I’m not as nervous as I was last year. It’s gonna be our second time doing it together, and Raicho and Renri will be with us.”
“Are Lord Raicho and Lord Renri…and Lady Ayame doing well? How are you doing after the wedding?”
“They’re all great! I argue with Raicho sometimes, but we get along. Renri and Ayame are inseparable. The biggest problem after getting married is food. I’ve never cooked before, and Raicho hasn’t, either. We’re just experimenting every day.”
“Experimenting with food…”
“The Agency wants to send a helper to supervise and protect us, but we just got married! We don’t want someone else there. Also, tensions are still high in the Town of Summer. Like, nobody trusts anybody. So we’re keeping it just the two of us. We have security around the house, though.”
The corruption exposed during the Dark Wolf case was still having its effects even into the new year.
Considering their experiences, of course the Hazakura sisters would be cautious of outsiders.
They had nearly been assassinated. That said, they still lived with optimism.
“I see… That sounds difficult…”
“Hee-hee, but there’s more fun than hardship! It’s fine!”
Nadeshiko found her very reliable—no matter what, Ruri didn’t run away from her responsibilities and kept on living.
“By the way, did they tell you about Kyokoku?”
After some idle chatting, Ruri mentioned something that made Nadeshiko sit on her knees.