They finished their dinner, and by the time Miyo and Kiyoka set foot on the grounds of the Miyakouji estate with Komon, the sun had set completely, and the mantle of night had descended onto the city.
Even in the dark, Miyo could tell just how vast the Miyakoujis’ lands were, with the wall encircling the whole property extending farther than the eye could see.
The property was quiet, as it was situated at a slight remove from the old capital’s downtown area, which could be lively well into the night.
The Miyakouji home was a perfect fit for the ancient former capital: a long-standing one-story estate made of wood. Miyo’s previous home, the Saimori estate, had also been quite spacious, but the scale of the Miyakoujis’ put it to shame.
Their gate was so tall that she had to crane her neck to see the top, and the garden within it was huge. So huge, in fact, that the space seemed less like a garden and more like a forested park, complete with a pond, a river, and a small hill that made one feel as if they were in the wilderness. The manor on the property was the size of a palace, yet it still had the atmosphere of a retreat in the woods.
“Welcome to the Miyakouji estate.”
Tipsy and in high spirits, Komon waved away the servants who had come to receive them and personally led Miyo and Kiyoka to a guest room.
“Since you two are newlyweds, I wanted to give you somewhere you could relax and spend your time in peace.”
Komon led them to the very edge of the estate. Their guest room was in a separate annex, connected to the main manor via a covered walkway. According to Komon, the entire building was dedicated to housing their guests.
The annex, originally large enough to house close to ten people at once, had several large rooms covered with tatami mats, as well as a bath, a restroom, and a compact kitchen, making it completely self-sufficient.
Miyo and Kiyoka would have the whole place to themselves—the height of luxury.
“Go right ahead and use the place as you see fit. Make yourselves at home, you hear?”
“Thank you so much for all the consideration you’ve shown us.”
After Komon was done giving them a cheerful explanation, he returned to the main building, leaving Miyo and Kiyoka alone in the spacious residence.
Thankfully, their futons had both been laid out side by side, and their bathwater was already warm. Since they had already eaten for the night, all they would have to worry about was going to bed.
“…This takes me back to my brief stay at the Imperial Palace last winter.”
Recalling that time filled Miyo with emotions. Back then, she and Kiyoka had ended up staying at the Imperial Palace at Takaihito’s command, inside one of his personal residences. The palace servants had also laid out their futons side by side, just like the Miyakouji servants had now.
Only six months had passed, yet her state of mind now was entirely different.
She had also grown completely used to sleeping beside Kiyoka.
H-how embarrassing…
However, when she thought about how things were, her sense of shame won out.
She and Kiyoka chatted as they finished some light unpacking, before taking turns in the bath and changing into their nightclothes. By then, it was the perfect time for them to go to sleep.
“That was a truly unpleasant man,” Kiyoka muttered, sitting cross-legged on his bedding and resting his chin in his hands.
That instant, he let his long, slightly damp hair spill down his neck. Miyo’s heart beat a tiny bit faster upon seeing her husband’s slightly frustrated behavior.
Wh-what could be the matter…?
Kiyoka was almost never in a sour mood when they were alone together. Now that she thought about it, seeing Kiyoka look a bit cranky when it was just the two of them felt novel to her.
She wondered if it was odd for a wife’s heart to flutter from seeing her husband upset.
“Are you listening?” Kiyoka asked, practically pouting. It was more endearing than Miyo could bear.
She imagined Kiyoka must have felt similar while he’d been watching her enjoy herself on the train. Her lips rose in a smile.
“Hee-hee. Yes, of course I am.”
“This is no laughing matter… Trying to court a married woman—it’s utterly ridiculous.”
Eugene had clearly gotten on Kiyoka’s bad side.
“Kiyoka, are you feeling jealous…?”
“And if I am?”
What was she going to do with this adorable husband of hers? A slight heat came to her cheeks, and she tried to convince herself this was because she had just gotten out of the bath. She then spread her arms.
“I-I’ll pamper you.”
Kiyoka’s eyes widened. The next moment, his grimace melted away.
“I’ll have to take you up on that.”
Kiyoka rolled onto his side and put his head in Miyo’s lap. Miyo gently ran her fingers through his silky hair.
“Um, Eugene did tell me one thing that gave me pause…”
“What is it?”
“To be precise, I believe he told me I was the princess of our nation’s shamans. I haven’t any idea what he meant by ‘shaman’ or ‘princess.’”
Kiyoka turned his head sideways in Miyo’s lap.
“I didn’t mention this at the time, but shaman is a foreign word. I believe it means ‘prophet.’”
“Prophet…? But wouldn’t that…?”
Kiyoka nodded in agreement with Miyo as she pointed out that this would apply more to a Gift-user like Takaihito.
“Divine Revelation definitely matches the description. So it makes no sense why he would call you the ‘princess of the shamans.’”
Even after mouthing the word “prophet” once again, Miyo could only cock her head in confusion.
Miyo could use Dream Sight to peer into the past, the present, and the future, so she could indeed predict things. Perhaps Eugene hadn’t been too off the mark in calling her a shaman.
This led Miyo to an unsettling conclusion.
“Does Eugene know me?”
Naturally, Miyo wasn’t acquainted with anyone like him. Had he looked into Miyo’s background?
But…he didn’t seem to know my name, either.
While it was possible he had merely been pretending not to know her name in an effort to make their meeting appear coincidental, Miyo got the sense from how he’d spoken to her that he’d truly wanted to know her name.