Yosho woke to the sound of leaves rustling and Misaki moving about the outer wall of Tenju. It’s morning already. I didn’t sleep very well. It had been a week since he came back to Jurai, and he was still not physically used to the tension and circadian rhythm on Jurai. It was exhausting to deal with Ayeka and Misaki, who happily romped around on being able to see Yosho again. He realized that his senses had dulled physically and mentally more than he had thought and was acutely aware of why Seto had brought him back after only six months. Strangely, he had gotten over his feelings for Misaki. There were days in the final three months at the Academy when he did not even remember her.
Well… I was busy, and Airi-dono had filled up the rest of my free time, so I didn’t have the time to be sentimental.
“Good morning, Yosho-chan… I mean, Yosho-dono.” Misaki made her way inside his room, which was unusual.
“Misaki-sama?!”
“Were you still asleep? Come on, get up. You have places to go.”
Yosho clutched his covers so they would not be ripped off him and asked, “Did I have plans today?”
“Official business for House Kamiki, but Mother suddenly said to bring you, too.”
“Seto-sama?”
“Yes. Come on, hurry!”
“All right…please don’t pull.” He shooed Misaki out of his room, got ready, and headed to Jurai Imperial Academy as specified by Seto. That day, there was a ceremony to send off the cadets on a training voyage, and since Utsutsumi was an alumni, he attended every year. The white yukigasumi, or Powder Snow flowers, which resembled cherry blossoms on Earth, were in full bloom.
“I look forward to this view every year.” Walking the vast gardens on the way to campus, Seto was entranced. Next to her, Utsutsumi maintained a stony silence.
Yosho walked between them, looked sidelong at a grouchy Utsutsumi, and asked Seto, “Seto-sama, why bring me here today?”
Seto ignored Yosho and looked at her husband. “Dear, I’m going to take Yosho-dono and Misaki on an errand. You go on ahead.”
“Hm, but I was going to show him around. Shouldn’t we introduce him to the faculty here?” Utsutsumi answered in a dignified voice.
Seto smiled scornfully and said, “Why don’t you do that after the send- off ceremony?”
“Azusa… I mean, the Emperor used to attend here. Some want to see his son.” A hint of panicked impatience was in Utsutsumi’s voice.
“Then shall I accompany you, Utsutsumi-sama?” Yosho suggested, as from Utsutsumi’s attitude and Seto’s meaningful expression, he figured that something was up, and for reasons unclear to him determined that he should side with Utsutsumi.
Utsutsumi returned a smile of relief at his proposal. “All right, then come with me. I’ll show you all the interesting places.”
“Thank you, Utsutsumi-sama.”
“How admirable of you, Yosho-dono.” Of course, Seto knew what he was thinking. “But I’m afraid this must be done before the ceremony.”
“Then we’ll go ahead. You go do the errand.”
“This has to do with Yosho-dono, dear.” Seto attacked him as if she were peeling one finger off at a time as he clung desperately on a cliff.
“All right, then I’ll go with you.” Just as Utsutsumi said this, Misaki appeared behind him and grabbed him. Seto took Yosho’s shoulders tightly.
“Yosho-chan…this is where he molested me.” Seto appealed with tears in her eyes. Needless to say, this was a false claim.
“F-for decency’s sake!!” Utsutsumi yelled red-faced, abandoning all pretense of dignity he had so desperately composed. No matter how he struggled, Misaki did not budge in her bear hug. Sadly for him, Misaki was more physically powerful than her father.
To add insult to injury, Seto admitted, blushing, “That day, the yukigasumi flowers were in full bloom, just like today. I was napping among the bushes, when something suddenly fell on top of me.”
“He’s too young for this!!” Considering how Utsutsumi did not deny it, this part seemed to be true.
“I resisted with all my strength. But I was too weak…” Seto dabbed her tears with the hem of Yosho’s clothes.
“How are you weak, you old bag?!” Nobody could deny this point. “And he reached for my heaving bosom…”
“No! I tripped! And I fell on top of you; that was it!!” Unable to hold back, Utsutsumi shouted.
“But you touched my breast.”
“It was an accident. I didn’t mean to. I fell on top of you, so I couldn’t help it! The teacher told me to go look for you because you didn’t show up, even though the entrance ceremony was starting already! And you were napping like you didn’t have a care in the world… Besides, I was only nine years old at the time!!” He did not realize that he was telling the whole story himself.
“Mother was 4500 years old at the time, by the way.” Misaki certainly did not know when to keep quiet. Sure enough, she got a knock on the head from Seto.
“That was not necessary!”
“Ow…” Misaki glared at her reproachfully, though it was commendable that she’d kept her hold on Utsutsumi.
“I was so surprised… It had been so long since anyone had touched my bosom.” The terrifying scowl transformed into the expression of a fragile victim; her face blushing, Seto leaned coquettishly against Yosho. Since she was breathtakingly beautiful, the whole thing seemed sensual upon first glance. But after seeing the withering glare she’d aimed at Misaki, not even the most hot-blooded man would be turned on.
“Well, of course. Nobody would be reckless enough to harass the demon princess of Jurai.” Utsutsumi thoughtlessly let slip out what Yosho had kept to himself.
“Yosho-chan, Caterpillar Face is bullying me. After all he did to me!” Seto clung to Yosho, collapsing into tears.
“A boy of tender years simply tumbled on top of you, and you said, ‘I’ve been ruined and can’t get married anymore. You’ll have to step up and take responsibility’ in all seriousness…”
“I was joking.”
“How was a nine-year-old boy supposed to know?! I could barely eat from sheer terror for a whole month…”
“You collapsed from malnutrition and went to the hospital, right?” Without missing a beat, Misaki made another dig at her father.
“That’s right! And 130 years of suffering later, I finally got up the courage to face you, and I offered to take responsibility, and you…”
“What did she do…?” Yosho asked.
Seto stuck out her tongue. “I burst out laughing. He took 130 years, and he proposed without as much as a preface…”
“130 years is too short after learning your true nature!!”
Yosho remembered that the older generations were unanimous in calling her terrifying.
Seto nodded, satisfied, and turned to Yosho with a smile. “So there you have it. He tried to take you with a myriad of excuses because he was afraid I was going to talk about what he just detailed to you himself.”
“Oh…” Yosho looked sidelong at Utsutsumi, who was aghast upon realizing what he had done.
“You told him everything, so there’s nothing to worry about anymore, is there? Come along, Yosho-dono.”
Yosho looked behind him as Seto led him away and saw Utsutsumi drowning in melancholy, his hands planted on the ground and his head hung low. For the first time, he realized why Azusa, his father, gave his full attention to how he handled Seto, why those who really knew her feared her so much, and why she was called the demon princess of Jurai. I didn’t want to understand like this… I’ll be careful from now on, too, he thought from the bottom of his heart.
“Welcome, Seto-sama, Misaki-sama, and Yosho-sama.” Seto had brought Yosho to the Academy principal’s room. He was an old man, but he was hale and hearty, and unlike others, he was unabashed when faced with Seto. Seto and Misaki, likewise, had casual expressions, without their social masks.
“I summoned the person you requested not long ago, so he should be here momentarily.”
“I see. That’s good timing… Were you watching us come over?” Seto turned with an embarrassed smile.
“Yes, I can see very well from the window here. I hoped you wouldn’t bully Utsutsumi-dono so much. And Misaki-sama!”
“Yes, sir!!” Misaki straightened up nervously and stood at attention. It was rare for her to act like this with anyone besides Seto. Seto would later tell Yosho that the principal used to be Misaki’s mentor back when she was in school.
“You should lay off on riding Seto-sama’s coattails and engaging in wacky hijinks. You are a mother now.”
“But, sir…” “But what?”
“Nothing…” Her voice was barely audible. Yosho could imagine what her student years were like. Getting scolded like this often, probably.
“Now, Mr. Principal. That’s probably enough, since Yosho-dono is here and all.” It was embarrassing to be scolded in front of her son, even a stepson.
He agreed with what she had to say, but he looked at the flowers outside and said, “Seto-sama, were you rehashing that old story again?”
Seto hesitated for a moment but then feigned innocence with unconcerned laughter. If Utsutsumi had been here, it would have been awkward to say the least. The moment the principal opened his month to say something, there was a knock on the door.
“He’s here. Come in.”
“Excuse me!” Hirata Kanemitsu, with an Imperial Academy uniform, strode into the room. But as soon as he did, he froze upon seeing who was also present.
“I apologize for the sudden summons.” The principal had anticipated Kanemitsu’s reaction, spoke to him gently to ease his anxiety, and placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him.