Impatience had driven Reirin during her confrontations with Akim and Genyou. She had brimmed with energy, and her mind had been sharp. Defeating them would help Keigetsu, after all. When she tricked Genyou into nearly beheading her and when she refused to remove the bracelet, her excitement had gotten the better of her. Or perhaps “desperation” was a better word for it.
It was something she could do for Keigetsu.
It was all she could do for Keigetsu.
“I wish to do something for Lady Keigetsu while I still have value. Last night, she told me that she wouldn’t let me forget what she had done. I owe her a great debt. I must pay her back as soon as possible—before it’s too late.”
If she caught the sorcerer, it would bring an end to Genyou’s revenge. He would lose his reason for suppressing the Daoist arts, and the world would become a place where Keigetsu could live without fear.
“Moreover, if I make myself useful…perhaps I can live on in Lady Keigetsu’s memory.”
Keigetsu would surely go on to live the happy life she deserved. As she beamed under brilliant rays of sun, it would be nice if—just every now and then—she remembered that a girl named Kou Reirin had once made up the ground beneath her feet.
“In the end, I suppose it all came down to my own greed.” The more Reirin talked, the more she realized how selfish her motivations had been, and a self-deprecating smile rose to her lips. “All I wanted was to be first place in Lady Keigetsu’s eyes. But the reality is that I am not, so I hoped to do something useful enough for her to remember me by.”
The longer she went on, the more pathetic she felt. She couldn’t believe how immature and self-centered she had been.
“And so I rushed into things, only to anger Lady Keigetsu as a result. I’m such a fool.”
“You really are,” a voice rang out from behind her.
Reirin whipped around with a start, only to be rendered speechless. There stood Shu Keigetsu, hands on her hips and wearing the Kou Maiden’s own face.
“Wha…? Lady… Huuuh?!” sputtered Reirin, springing from her chair fast enough to knock it over. She dropped her teacup in the process, which Gyoumei nimbly caught and set back on the table, chuckling.
Heedless of Reirin’s panic, he greeted Keigetsu—and Keishou, who was peeking in from the doorway—with a jerk of his chin. “You did a good job sneaking in, Shu Keigetsu. Color me impressed.”
In truth, it was the crown prince himself who had ordered the two court ladies to bring her here. He had sat Reirin down with her back to the door so she wouldn’t notice Keigetsu entering the room.
“Y-Your Highness?! How could you?!”
“Reirin, consider this your punishment for disobeying my order and saying anything other than ‘Yes, sir.’ You are to spend at least the next half hour talking with Shu Keigetsu. You are forbidden from putting up a brave front or downplaying your feelings for that entire duration.” He faced Keigetsu and ordered, “Tell me if she does.” And with that, he briskly exited the room.
“Your Highness!” Reirin called out, but he shut the door firmly behind himself, leaving her at a loss.
When she spun back around, she found Keigetsu standing next to the chair, hands still planted firmly on her hips.
A heavy silence settled between them. Unable to bear it, Reirin broached, “Er… H-how much of that did you hear?”
“Everything after you broke down and thought, ‘Drink the damn tea!’” Keigetsu replied, raising an eyebrow.
For once, Reirin was first among them to start shouting. “That was almost the entire thing!”
She clapped her hands over her face and gave a soundless moan. The shock had dried her tears, but her cheeks turned red as a trade-off, her blood boiling with shame.
This is a disaster!
Keigetsu had heard everything: how Reirin couldn’t bring herself to celebrate her best friend’s success, how she had secretly grown weary of her own many illnesses, and how she had run in circles trying to make a difference in Keigetsu’s life. And this despite her always insisting that Keigetsu should get closer to other people, or going on about how much the Kou clan valued independence.
I wish there was a hole I could crawl into… No, I wish I could punch myself in the face!
As Reirin instinctively scanned the room for a blunt object, Keigetsu said, “Kou Reirin.”
“Y-yes?!”
“You are an absolute fool.”
“Yes, ma’am! I am an absolute fool!” Reirin parroted, shrinking in on herself.
Keigetsu hung her head and pressed her lips into a tight line.
“Lady Keigetsu? What is it?”
Upon closer inspection, the girl’s eyes were watering. Keigetsu exhaled a deep breath, as though putting something behind her, then turned her gaze back up again. “Look,” she began, punctuating each and every word. “Let me make something clear. I’ve only been playing nice with the court ladies and the other Maidens because I knew it’s what you would do.”
Reirin blinked. This came as a surprise; she had always assumed that it was Keigetsu’s dream to get along with the people around her. “Um, really?”
Keigetsu narrowed her eyes. “Obviously. Why else would I waste my time with people who change their tune as soon as they start seeing results? The other Maidens only started talking to me because I moved up the ranks after the Rite of Reverence, and the court ladies only warmed up to me because I helped you out a few times.”
“I don’t think that’s—”
“But it feels that way to me!” Keigetsu blurted out, then mussed up her hair in frustration. “Argh! No! I’m not here to talk about my incurable inferiority complex! That isn’t my point.”