It was morning, and Hana awoke to find herself wrapped in Saku’s arms.
Hana had caused a commotion the first time it happened, but by now, it’d just become the usual start to her morning. The only emotion Hana could muster was resignation at him doing it yet again.
Every night when they went to sleep, Hana tried to ensure they slept apart. She would pull apart the futons that the servants had annoyingly laid out right next to each other. And every morning, she found them sleeping on the same futon. Truly a mystery.
Hana was the type who slept like a log until morning, so she wouldn’t notice a thing if Saku ever slipped in with her during the night. Aoi’s shouting would certainly wake her up if the shikigami ever barged in to stop him, but Saku used his ridiculous excess of power to set up a barrier to keep shikigami out every night, so Aoi had also given up. Making too much of a racket would bring Tsubaki out, too, and given how poorly he got along with her, Aoi learned his lesson pretty quickly.
Miyabi was none too pleased about being kicked out of the room, either, but she intended to stay on the sidelines for as long as Hana didn’t seek her help. However, she always held her squeaky toy hammer at the ready so she could break in at a moment’s notice. According to Azuha, she stood guard outside the barrier along with Arashi the inugami, who was the only shikigami powerful enough to break Saku’s barrier.
Hana felt bad about Arashi having to stick around, but Arashi was kind and never complained once.
As for Hana herself, she had stopped feeling any discomfort in how Saku would hug her so tightly that she couldn’t move. In fact, she’d started to feel soothed by Saku’s warmth, enough that she considered closing her eyes once again…before coming to her senses.
“No, no, no, I can’t let him infect me!” While they were a married couple, that was just to fulfill a contract. What was she getting settled in for? “It’s inappropriate for boys and girls to have all this physical contact!”
“It’s plenty appropriate.”
Hana looked up to find Saku, who turned out to be wide awake, flashing his indomitable smile. How long had he been awake for?
“If you’re not sleeping, then let go of me!”
“Wait—just a bit more.”
With that, he buried his face into the nape of Hana’s neck. Feeling the ticklish sensation of Saku’s breath on her shoulder, Hana let out a rather unladylike scream: “GYAAAUURRGH!!!” The she continued, ranting, “Why are we always sleeping together when I wake up?! I know we were on separate futons last night!”
“It’s normal for a husband and wife to sleep together.”
Saku was self-assured, as though Hana was clearly in the wrong.
“You don’t get to decide what’s normal!”
She flailed about and managed some light smacks, but sadly, the difference in strength between a grown man and a teenage girl wasn’t easy to overcome.
“But, well, I suppose it’s a bit inappropriate.” Saku then changed his posture…and pinned Hana down. “How about I grant your wish and make this more appropriate?”
“Wh-what are you doing?”
Hana’s instincts were sounding the alarm, but she at least had to ask.
“There’s only one thing for a husband and wife to do when sharing a bed, right?”
Saku’s sly grin and dubious implications sent Hana’s instincts from a code yellow to a blaring red alert.
“Eeegyaaaaugh!!! Miyabi, Miyabi, Miyabi!!!”
Hana screamed, acutely sensing the danger her body was in at the hands of this beast.
Not a moment later, a clink sounded outside the room as Saku’s barrier was broken. Miyabi forced her way inside with her giant toy hammer in hand.
“Master, are you all right?!”
“Miyabiii!”
Miyabi took one look at the situation and didn’t hesitate to aim her hammer right for Saku. She swung at her target, but Saku casually dodged the blow. Hana wasn’t quite in a position to be impressed by Saku’s skills at evasion, which were befitting of someone at an Obsidian rank, but Miyabi’s attack at least succeeded in getting Saku off her.
“Master, allow me to bring the hammer down upon this animal.”
Miyabi held her squeaky toy hammer high, fully intending to strike with no mercy. Saku clicked his tongue and then turned his attention to the inugami, who had leisurely entered late—Arashi.
“Hey, Arashi! Don’t go breaking my barriers!”
“I’m afraid that Hana requested we intervene at once. Should a shikigami not obey their master’s orders?”
“Everyone keeps getting in the way of a husband loving his wife…”
Saku seemed annoyed, but Hana was relieved that she had been spared.
“It’s only your just deserts after your many evil deeds against our master.”
Miyabi approached Saku one step at a time, her squeaky toy hammer in hand. The air felt like a powder keg about to catch a spark, but Saku appeared unconcerned.
“Mother banned you from using that in the mansion, remember? Don’t want your dear master bearing the brunt of her anger, now, do you?”
“Ngh…”
Miyabi frowned when her one weakness was pointed out.
“Fair, I don’t need Mom yelling at me first thing in the morning. Down, Miyabi,” Hana said.
“But, Masteeer!” Pent up with all her unrelieved stress, Miyabi pleaded with Hana to reconsider, but Hana stayed firm. The shikigami had no choice but to make her hammer disappear and stand down. “Master, keep in mind that I’ll be certain to protect you!”
Miyabi declared her loyalty and clung to Hana, who responded with a “Yeah, yeah” as she half-heartedly comforted her. Saku watched, scowling like he’d just tasted something bitter.
Afterward, he and Hana got ready for the day and stepped into the hallway leading to the dining room. Their discussion on the way to breakfast was about the morning’s events.
“I swear, your shikigami have no sense of moderation.”
“And whose fault is that?! Come on, who?!”
Hana was loudly snapping back first thing in the morning, while Saku was in the dumps over being interrupted.
“We’re married. This sort of contact comes with the territory.”
“Even married couples still need consent!”
“Ah, I see. So you’re not objecting to us being married anymore?”