Meirin’s cheeks puffed out and she lay down on the table again, slamming the marble with her hands. “You shouldn’t lower your head so easily! Debasing yourself if it would benefit your friends and subordinates... Are you Kou Eihou of ancient times or something?! How unfair! How unreasonable! A man who cares so little for his own pride as long as it’ll help the soldiers at the front... Seeing a man like that only makes me want to help him even more!”
She waved her limbs like a child throwing a fit, but I was too busy trying to hide my surprise to say anything. It seemed like my past life was a lot more famous than I expected. I took a sip from my third cup of tea to calm myself down and then said, in as cheery a tone as I could muster, “And I’m sure you’ll take the lion’s share of the deal again, right?”
“Of course! ♪” she chirped. “I’ll use that money to buy more things so that I can make even more money.” Meirin looked up and smiled. In contrast to her usual childish expressions, this one was mature, akin to a flower blossoming. When it came to business, no one had as much raw talent as Meirin. She looked me in the eye and said in a firm tone, “That’s how the world goes round. Please keep that in mind, my future hero.”
It was a little embarrassing to hear her call me that. Instead of replying, I scratched at my face and looked away towards the manor. There was no sign of Miss Shizuka yet. I looked back at Meirin and shook my head. “I want to become a civil official in a local government. The more rural the place, the better. Then I’ll find myself a nice wife and have a kid with her. On rainy days, I’ll stay inside and read some books. That’s the sort of ideal life I want to lead; nothing more and nothing less!”
“You! Cannot! Weren’t you the one who chased the Crimson Wolf—one of the Gen’s four prized generals—back to the north? I don’t believe Ei is so peaceful that the government would allow someone of your caliber to stay as a mere local official! ★ Especially if we consider the influx of rats disguising themselves as merchants from Seitou. They’re even going so far as to prepare wares from there to make their story more believable.”
Though Meirin sounded like she was making fun, the information she was giving me reeked of danger. No one should know about Nguyen’s attack; it was highly confidential. Which meant that there were more Gen spies than ever.
“Meirin,” I said in a low voice.
“I haven’t mentioned this to anyone else. It’s very obviously a scheme Gen cooked up to try and break the alliance we have with Seitou. I’ve no interest in conflict. The only thing I care about”—Meirin fixed me with a serious look and I met it head-on; I wasn’t so pathetic that I would try to look away from her honesty—“is you, Lord Sekiei. However, if the war between Gen and Ei continues to drag on then there will be more and more witnesses until everyone starts to believe that Seitou is our enemy. If you truly wish to live a peaceful life, you should leave the Chou family while you can.”
I didn’t reply. Instead, I drained my third cup of tea. It tasted a lot more bitter than the others.
With an elegant hand, Meirin reached out and picked up a cup. “I suppose you’re worried about that girl you talk about all the time. Chou Hakurei, isn’t it?”
“Yeah...”
“Why? Why do you care about her so much?”
There was an odd strength behind Meirin’s words, pressuring me to give an actual answer. I placed my cup on the table to give her my full attention. Even as I did, I could hear a fuss being raised in the manor. Was the mysterious guest someone so important?
Meeting Meirin’s eyes, I admitted, “To cut a long story short, I owe her a debt. She saved my life, after all.”
A breeze blew in from the north, cutting between Meirin and I. Had the wind grown stronger?
Meirin blinked. “She saved your life?”
I nodded in a placid manner and looked up at the sky. “You’re a member of the big, up-and-coming Ou family. You must have looked into my past. I’m an orphan. Like yours, my parents were merchants. Bandits attacked us and our servants just outside of Keiyou while we were on a trip—I was the only survivor of the attack. The Chou family took me in when my father happened to find me while on patrol. Though, I don’t remember any of that myself.”
My memories from that period of my life were foggy. I could barely recall the cold wind of the plains and the thick stench of blood. After that, when I next remembered opening my eyes, I was on a bed with a young Hakurei nodding off next to me. I’d tried to sit up, only to have a sharp agony run through my head and body. That was the moment I had suddenly remembered: “I am the reincarnation of Kou Eihou.”
“I can understand that you’re grateful to General Chou for saving your life,” Meirin said in a quiet voice. “But you haven’t answered my question. I asked why—”
“No need to rush me, Ou Meirin. I’m not done with my story yet,” I said with a quick wink and a wave of my hand. Meirin fell silent, pursing her lips childishly. “After father saved me, I broke out in a high fever that lasted over a week. I was on the brink of death, so this next part could’ve been a dream. I was hardly conscious, after all.”
I met Meirin’s eyes. Her usual exuberance was nowhere to be found. Instead, she was looking at me with sincere interest.
“The entire time I was in the tent,” I went on, “I could hear the adults calling me a ‘child of misfortune’ and urging Chou Tairan to get rid of me. I could also hear her...hear Hakurei crying and arguing for my survival. ‘We saved his life, so don’t try to end it now!’ she said. She’s usually such a calm and composed person, but she always ends up yelling when she gets emotional.” I popped a sesame dumpling into my mouth and smiled.
But Meirin’s expression remained serious. “So in other words, that’s your—”
“My debt to Chou Hakurei, yes. I doubt she remembers it, and there’s always the chance I merely imagined the whole thing. It’s not as if I ever asked her about it.” I could hear Miss Shizuka talking to someone; it seemed like she and the guest were making their way to us. “I might not have received the education you did, nor do I have your natural smarts. But I know what a person should do if they wish to repay someone for their kindness. Until I see Chou Hakurei attain true happiness in her life, I can’t leave the Chou family.” I tossed back my cup of tea to hide my embarrassment after I’d finished talking, then added, “Oh, by the way, that’s a secret. Don’t tell anyone I said that.”
The unique flavor profile of the tea was delicious. I wondered if I should have Meirin give me a bag of leaves as a souvenir.
“Anyway,” I continued, “this is why you should give up on having me as your husband. You can’t win against me in a tea-tasting contest anyway. You’re brimming with talent as a merchant, so I’m sure you’ll be able to find yourself a nice man or two.”
I played the last part off as a joke to signal the end of my story. Not many people in the world were so easily able to come up with a plan to import enough food for tens of thousands of soldiers. Though Meirin made use of her family’s resources and power, she was still only seventeen years old. Her talents reminded me of my past life’s sworn brother, Ou Eifuu.
After a while, Meirin placed a hand over her chest and murmured, “State your conditions.” Her eyes burned with an extraordinary determination.
Huh? Wait. Isn’t this the part where she’s supposed to give up? I wrung my hands at the unexpected turn of events and Meirin shot to her feet with a jerk.
“State your conditions!” she shouted. “I understand how you feel, Lord Sekiei. However, that’s not enough to make me back down! I...I also consider you my savior! Did you forget that I, Ou Meirin, owe you a debt as well?!”
“Uh, erm, well...”
“Excuse me. What did you just say?”
At the sound of a third, cold voice, Meirin and I jumped as one and hurried to turn and look at the new arrival. I would recognize the figure at the edge of the pond anywhere.
“H-Hakurei?! What are you doing here?!”