“It looks good.”
“It is.”
“Could you spare me one? I haven’t had sweets in so long.”
“Oh, very well,” Hakurei sighed, her tone as cool as usual. She skewered a dumpling with a small bamboo stick and held it out in front of me.
I narrowed my eyes at her without thinking. “Hey. Chou Hakurei.”
“You were the one who wanted to eat one,” she replied calmly.
“Damn!” I didn’t have a comeback for that. Maybe if we had still been kids...
Her sapphire eyes housed an indomitable strength. Once Hakurei got like this, she wouldn’t budge until she got her way. Even though I could see Asaka and the other attendants smiling at us from behind the pillars, I gave up. Hakurei immediately popped the sesame dumpling into my open mouth and I chewed it.
“How does it taste?” she asked.
It took me a moment to swallow before I muttered, “It’s good.”
“I see.” Hakurei smiled, the expression subtle but sweet, as she picked up her cup of tea. She seemed awfully happy. “That’s good.”
She’s pretty as a picture. I used my hands to pick up a second dumpling and popped it in my mouth. “The taste of sesame is different from the usual fare. It seems more fragrant.”
“The sesame for the dumplings is from Seitou. We bought them since they’ve recently appeared on the market. Before you ask, we purchased them from actual merchants.”
“Oh, that’s not something you hear every...day...”
I tilted my head to the side. Something felt off. What was I about to notice just now? Considering the geography of the continent, more Seitou merchants came and went in Keiyou compared to Rinkei. It was still rare for Seitou to export sesame, however, since they consumed the vast majority of the seeds themselves. Not even Meirin was able to get her hands on them.
There weren’t any obvious changes in Seitou. It was the first thing I’d made sure of after returning from Rinkei. Even if there were Gen spies within Seitou’s borders, there wasn’t any need to be too cautious of them.
Hakurei placed her cup on the table and gave me a curious look. “Is something the matter? You’re making a strange expression. Well, stranger than normal.”
“You didn’t have to add that last, you know?! Ahem, well. There’s something bothering me.”
“Please, feel free to voice your thoughts. I don’t mind listening to them.”
I tried to verbalize my suspicions...and gave up immediately. Instead, I scratched my cheek and hummed. “I appreciate the offer, but I can’t put them into words. It’s like...how should I put it... I have an uncomfortable feeling, but it’s not taking any particular form.”
“You’ll fail as a civil official. It’s like you’re not even trying.”
“You’re so mean! Chou Hakurei, you cruel mistress! Okay sure, I may not have any talent, but I’m doing my best over here! Won’t you spare your poor older brother some pi—”
“I’ve never once thought of you as my older brother. Didn’t I already tell you that? If anything I would be your older sister, but since I have no intention of having you as my younger brother, this discussion is moot.”
She left no room for argument. I chugged my tea in silence and then glanced at the wooden box. The name “Ou Meirin” was written in an elegant hand on the cover of an envelope. I rested my cheek upon my hand and muttered, “I’m not exactly jumping for joy about it, but maybe I should write Meirin a letter. I’m sure if anyone can describe this feeling of unease, it’s her. But I don’t exactly want to be in her debt...”
Hakurei had been in such a good mood, but all at once her expression became stony and she stared at me in silence. Goose bumps broke out over my skin as I realized something: I’d seriously pissed her off.
“M-Miss Hakurei?” I managed to eke out.
“What is it, Mister Freeloader?”
Yikes! What did we even talk about that would make her this angry?! I had no idea as to why her mood had suddenly soured, but I had to ask. “Um, if I may, what made you so upset?” I knew from past experience that if I didn’t acknowledge and ask about her mood, then when she came to my room tonight she’d just sit in silence. On top of that, she wouldn’t leave until morning.
“I’m not upset at all. Your eyes must have gone bad.”
“Ah, okay...”
Her words were so harsh that they came all the way around to being impressive. She was also very clearly pouting. As I waited for her to continue, Hakurei lowered her head and muttered, “Tell me...”
“Hmm?” I tilted my head.
Hakurei’s cheeks puffed out, making her look like a little kid; it was rare for her to act like this. She poured more tea into my cup and said, “Tell me why you go out of your way to ask for that girl’s help?”
“Oh. Well, the reason’s simple,” I replied with a wry smile and a shrug of my shoulders. I took the cup from her, thanked her, and continued, “It’s because Meirin’s a genius in a different way than you are. She’s read a ton of books and documents, so she’s knowledgeable—she’s the one who ended up solving our rations issue. Plus, the Ou family does business with foreigners who also have dealings with Gen, so there’s a chance that they found something out. Now that father’s left Keiyou in my care, I plan on using everything at my disposal.”
“I see...” Hakurei nodded, though she still didn’t look too happy at my answer.
I picked up a third dumpling and joked, “Besides, it’s about time that I replied to her letter. You don’t want her to cut us off, do you?”
Hakurei’s lips parted, but she didn’t say anything—so I tossed the last dumpling into her mouth. The snacks were delicious and exactly to my taste. The Chou’s attendants were great at their jobs.
Hakurei chewed, swallowed, and crossed her arms. “Very well,” she said, giving her approval in a solemn tone. “I shall allow you to pen your letter.”
“Th-Thank you very much?” I had lost to the pressure she was exuding and ended up thanking her. Oops...
After Hakurei used a wet cloth to wipe her fingers and mouth, she said, “There’s still plenty of sesame dumplings left, so eat as many as you want. And put some backbone into your work. Make sure you finish everything before evening and get to sleep on time. So long as I’m around, there will be no staying up all night.”