Miyo saw this as her opportunity to ask what had been on her mind. Komon replied with a joyful chuckle.
“I’d say so. Kiyoka and I are both the family heirs, so we’ve known each other since we were little. I attended college in the capital, too, so we’re rather close…or we should be anyway. Your husband’s attitude sure does make me worried, though.”
“Tee-hee.”
Kiyoka was nothing if not brusque, so Miyo understood where Komon was coming from. She couldn’t hold back a chuckle.
“Thing is, guys like me are treated like weirdos in the Miyakouji family. Basically, they all think the old capital’s the best, and the Miyakouji family’s the best, so watch your step, okay?”
Right as Komon finished saying this, a single figure approached their table.
“Hello. Lovely evening, isn’t it?”
“Huh?”
Miyo didn’t immediately register she was being addressed and missed her chance to give a greeting of her own.
It was a young man.
However, he was anything but ordinary. He had startlingly beautiful blond hair and blue eyes, along with well-sculpted features—characteristics you rarely saw in this country. His outfit, consisting of a well-tailored light brown three-piece suit and a type of scarf Miyo believed was known as a “cravat,” complemented his appearance and gave him an aristocratic air.
He looked like a prince ripped straight out of a foreign picture book.
“Um…”
Miyo had no idea why this man had addressed her. She looked to Komon in confusion and saw that he, too, was dumbfounded.
The blond-haired, blue-eyed young man bowed his head slightly when he noticed Miyo’s perplexed expression.
“I do beg your pardon. After seeing such a gorgeous and charming lady across the hall, I’m afraid my tongue got the better of my common sense. Forgive me for putting you on the spot.”
“Oh, no, um.”
His mannerisms and tone were affected and dramatic. The theatrical young man flashed a graceful and refined smile at her.
“But where are my manners? My name is Eugene. Milady, would you do me the honor of joining me for a cup of tea?”
“Wh-what…? No, I’m—”
“Hold it right there, bucko. This woman is married, and while he stepped away for a spell, her husband is here with her.”
Komon had come to his senses and interjected, but Eugene wasn’t dissuaded in the slightest. He kept his eyes locked on Miyo, not giving Komon so much as a glance.
“What do you say, milady?”
“I’m honored by your invitation; however, like Lord Komon just said, my husband is here with me, and we have business to attend to after this… Forgive me.”
Miyo bowed slightly, all while feeling anxious over how Eugene would react.
“Please, raise your head. I do apologize. It was never my intention to scare you.”
Looking up as told, Miyo saw Eugene staring straight at her with the same gentle smile, except now his eyes were drooping ever so slightly.
While his smile was gentle, she could sense a powerful will beneath it.
Oh no… Is he not going to back down?
What would she do if that happened? Komon was here with her, so she assumed Eugene wouldn’t do anything forceful, but she still didn’t want to cause a scene.
Miyo could feel her upper body pulling back slightly and face growing taut.
“Please, milady, if you could just grace me with your name.”
Miyo felt a cold sweat run down her spine as Eugene still refused to back down. Right at that moment, however…
“What’re you doing?”
…Kiyoka finally returned to the table, and Miyo breathed a sigh of relief. Eugene sent a sidelong glance at Kiyoka, without the slightest hint of remorse. Kiyoka’s glare sharpened in response.
“What business do you have with my wife?”
“…Oh, so you’re the gentleman with the good fortune to have wed this beautiful lady.”
Given Eugene looked like the younger of the two, Kiyoka was sending an almost murderous degree of hostility at the man. Yet Eugene looked Kiyoka squarely in the eyes, not recoiling in the slightest.
As Miyo sat on tenterhooks, she was inwardly surprised to see Eugene remain so self-assured in front of Kiyoka.
“I asked you what you’re doing.”
Kiyoka seemed to raise his guard in response to Eugene’s attitude, and his voice rapidly lowered. At that moment, Komon butted in with deathly earnestness.
“That young lad here was trying to court your beloved wife. Both Miyo and I shot him down and made it clear as crystal that Miyo is married, but he just wouldn’t give in.”
“He what?”
Kiyoka’s voice was so low, it seemed to be creeping along the bottom of the earth. Though it was the middle of summer, a glacial wind seemed to run through the area, and Miyo felt a chill run down her own spine.
Of course, the icy wind was simply a metaphor; the temperature hadn’t dropped at all. But depending on how Eugene acted from here on out, the young man could very well find himself frozen in a block of ice.
“Um, Kiyoka, we wouldn’t want to cause a scene. Besides, I’m fine…”
Although Miyo tried her best to deescalate the situation, as long as Eugene didn’t back down, it seemed impossible.
Just then, however, the foreign man gave in.
“Forgive me. The sight of such a beautiful woman rendered me unable to stop myself from approaching her. No one fancies a man who can’t take no for answer, so with that, I shall take my leave.”
Kiyoka furrowed his brow as he watched Eugene give an elegant and graceful bow. Still, he would only be asking for trouble if he stopped Eugene now that the man had expressed his intent to leave. Though Kiyoka was still incensed over what happened, he wasn’t able to say anything.
Just as Miyo thought he would obediently depart, however, Eugene whispered something into Miyo’s ear.
“Milady, you’re the princess of this country’s shamans, yes? Until we meet again.”
“What…?”
Not understanding what he meant, Miyo could only cock her head in puzzlement. Without another word, Eugene winked at Miyo, then finally turned around and gallantly walked off.
Kiyoka sternly watched him depart before sitting back down in evident displeasure.
“Who on earth does he think he is?”
“That man was shadier than a thicket.”
Komon gave a wincing grin.
“Miyo, what did that rake say to you at the end?”
While she didn’t mind Kiyoka asking, Miyo was hardly in a position to explain. She hadn’t really understood the term the man had used—the English word shaman—so relaying what he had said was difficult.
“Um…I believe he mentioned a ‘shaman’? Something about that.”
“A shaman?”
Kiyoka frowned with suspicion, putting a hand up to his chin to ponder.
“Not a word I’m familiar with, I’m afraid. I’d wager it’s a foreign word…”
Although Komon appeared deep in thought, Kiyoka seemed to put it out of mind for the time being.
“Something about the word sticks out to me. I’ll have to look into it… Miyo.”
“Y-yes?”
Miyo straightened her posture when she heard her name. Kiyoka fixed her with a piercing stare. Unlike Eugene’s gaze from earlier, Kiyoka’s held a tinge of concern for her and a small amount of heat.
“Listen to me: If you ever meet another man like that, don’t pay him any attention… If you are interested, then at least come to me about it first.”
“So I’m allowed to pay him some attention if I talk it over with you first?” Miyo said, intending to be a bit teasing.
Kiyoka grimaced.
“…Actually, no, I won’t permit it even if you do.”
Miyo found it adorable to see Kiyoka suddenly sound so intolerant despite his normally being so upstanding. She instinctively took her husband’s hand.
“I was joking. I am your wife, Kiyoka. I’m not interested in any other man.”
“Truly?”
“Yes, truly… If the need arises, I’ll use my Gift to make them fall asleep.”
An ominous thing to declare, but they were her true feelings on the matter. She was not reluctant to use her supernatural powers to protect herself or the people around her. If a man propositioned her and wouldn’t relent, and she had no other means of dealing with the situation, she would put him to sleep without question.
Her reply, coupled with her unblinking stare, seemed enough to convince Kiyoka.
He placed his other hand on Miyo’s.
“I’ll make sure that time never comes. Please don’t do anything dangerous.”
“I won’t.”
Kiyoka heaved a sigh at Miyo’s smile.