My Happy Marriage (LN) - Volume 4 - Chapter 2

  CHAPTER 2  

Her First Friend

She dreamed for the first time in a long while.

In her vision, she found herself standing before an unfamiliar traditional wood-frame house.

“C’mon, Naoshi. I heard you got in another fight, is that right?”

A young woman’s voice echoed from the garden, bathed in warm sunlight.

It was a voice she knew well. The voice of her mother, Sumi Saimori.

Compared to her memory of it, however, it was a little livelier and more cheerful. She surmised the dream was from a time before her mother wedded into the Saimori family.

Miyo looked around and spied a young man standing in the shade of a verdant tree, shrugging his shoulders and smiling.

“The other guy started it. I was just defending myself.”

“Liar. If that’s true, then why did your opponent end up in the hospital while you don’t even have a scratch on you?”

Looking down on the man from the veranda, interrogating him with a hand on her hip, was indeed Sumi as a young girl.

Despite this, she seemed different than the versions of her mother who had shown up in her dreams before.

This Sumi appeared to be somewhere in her early teens. Her beautiful black hair swayed behind her as she puffed out her cheeks, brimming with sprightly vigor.

She was a far cry from how her mother looked in Miyo’s dreams of the Saimori house, where her expression was always forlorn and sad.

“I can’t pull one over on you, Sumi. But I swear, it was the other guy who picked the fight and threw the first punch.”

“…And you responded with ‘excessive self-defense.’ Ever heard of it?”

“Hah-hah-hah-hah. Can’t say I have.”

Miyo recognized the young man attempting to smooth things over with his smile. It was only just recently that he had made Miyo’s blood run cold.

Naoshi Usui.

Though he was dressed like a student, wearing a kimono over a white shirt and hakama pants, his round glasses—and the dangerous gleam in the eyes behind them—were the same in the past as the present.

Or maybe not… He’s a little less scary than he is now.

Miyo superimposed Usui’s face from a few days prior onto the young man standing a few feet away from her.

As he looked up from the garden to Sumi on the veranda, the man narrowed his eyes with affection for her

“Don’t try worming your way out of this. How many times have I told you that you shouldn’t use violence?”

“I just can’t help it when I lose my temper, honest. I’ll be careful next time. I’ll try to keep the other guy out of the hospital.”

“Come on, now. I’m not telling you to go easier on people, I’m saying to stop beating them up in the first place! Understand?”

“I get it, I get it, Your Highness.”

“Sheesh, it’s always flattery with you!”

Sumi let out a sigh before she began to giggle, as if at a loss about how to deal with the young man.

Their exchange was friendly and peaceful, just like the sort of back-and-forth any normal girl and boy their age would have.

A short-lived memory of warm and gentle days gone by.

Before her was a run-of-the-mill scene of two young people’s daily lives. So ordinary she could cry.

She keenly sensed Usui’s love for Sumi, and the love Sumi felt for him in return.

Why was her power of Dream Sight showing her this memory? Her Gift wasn’t going haywire, which meant that somewhere deep down, Miyo herself wished to know more about the past.

Were the two of them lovers?

Without anyone to answer her question, she tried to guess the truth herself, sending only the worst possibilities imaginable flittering through her mind.

What if Naoshi Usui was her real father?

What if her mother and Usui had been in love with each other, only to be ripped apart by Sumi’s politically arranged marriage?

What am I supposed to do?

As Usui’s daughter, did she need to atone for the crimes he had committed? Or apologize in her mother’s stead to the Saimoris for deceiving them this whole time?

Would the fact that she didn’t want to do either ultimately become a sin of her own?

Overflowing with inconsolable feelings, Miyo covered her face with both of her hands.

“Don’t worry, Sumi. I’ll always protect you, and everything you care about… As long as you stay by my side.”

Her dream came to an end, closing with a voice from Usui that was so gentle, it was totally incomparable to the voice she had heard several days prior.

The day after the meeting.

From today onward, Miyo would be spending the whole day inside the walls of the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit with Kiyoka.

Generally speaking, she would be leaving the house in the morning together with Kiyoka, and come evening, they would return home together. Although Kaoruko was acting as her bodyguard, Miyo’s safety came above all else, so her world had gotten smaller.

In other words, she would be spending day and night by her fiancé’s side. And that was…

Unbearable.

Eating breakfast together at home like always and departing for the station had all been fine.

But now that she had met up with Kaoruko and they were passing the time on the couch in Kiyoka’s office, she found herself with nothing to do.

Miyo looked over to the desk and saw Kiyoka staring sternly at the documents in front of him.

Just sitting at her fiancé’s side as he worked diligently and waiting until he was finished for the day like this was awkward and uncomfortable.

But I can’t simply move around willy-nilly, either.

Though she may have wanted to help, things weren’t that simple. On top of needing protection, Miyo was a civilian. She’d cause trouble for others if she let her whims carry her throughout the facility.

“Oh, I’ll go make some tea.”

Kaoruko smiled cheerfully as she raised her hand up and left the room.

Miyo wanted to offer to prepare the tea herself, but she didn’t know where anything was in the station. She was envious of how accustomed Kaoruko was to the place.

It was depressing to sit there idly, being protected and unable to do anything to help.

I’m so pathetic…

While Miyo fretted in anguish, Kaoruko quickly returned with a tray in hand.

“I’m back!”

Kaoruko headed straight for Kiyoka’s desk and placed a cup down on it.

“Commander, you preferred coffee, right?”

“…Right, thanks. I’m shocked you remember.”

Kiyoka furrowed his brow for an instant before breaking into a smile. It slightly surprised Miyo to see him grin while working.

Kaoruko looked happy as well.

“Oh please. I remember everything about you, Commander.”

“Listen, you……”

She looked pretty as she flashed him an impish smile. While Kaoruko wasn’t earning any praise for teasing her superior, Miyo didn’t think Kiyoka was quite as upset as he was letting on.

Both of them really do get on well together.

The more she thought about it, the more Miyo realized that she knew almost nothing about how Kiyoka behaved at work.

She had no idea that he drank coffee at all. At home it was nothing but green tea, and Miyo hadn’t the slightest inkling about how to brew a fancy, stylish drink like coffee.

It hadn’t even been a year since Miyo first met Kiyoka that spring.

Having worked together with him, Kaoruko surely must have known more about Kiyoka than Miyo did.

That was what arranged marriage essentially was in the first place. You were introduced to a potential partner you really didn’t know much about, then got married. As people spent time with their spouses, they steadily learned more and more about each other.

Even though she understood this intellectually, being confronted with this difference right before her eyes clouded her heart.

“Here you go, Miyo.”

“Th-thank you.”

Faking a smile to conceal her murky emotions, Miyo accepted the teacup from Kaoruko.

This wasn’t going to do—this woman was being so amicable with her, and Miyo couldn’t let her gloomy look dampen the atmosphere.

Kiyoka himself trusted Kaoruko, which was obviously why he’d entrusted her with guarding Miyo. Above all else, he’d decided on this arrangement with Miyo’s welfare in mind.

There wasn’t anything for her to be displeased about.

I need to search for something that I can do.

Though Miyo couldn’t handle military-related work, she ought to be able to take care of odd jobs or chores instead—even if it was just serving tea or giving shoulder massages. As long as she remained inside the station, people would be watching her and Kiyoka could immediately come running to her side, so she’d be totally safe… At least she thought so.

Mentally firing herself up, Miyo drained her tea and rose to her feet.

“U-um, excuse me, Kiyoka?”

“What is it?”

She continued speaking, undaunted by Kiyoka, who replied to her without lifting his eyes from his desk.

“Please give me some work to do.”

Miyo stared hard into his eyes after he lifted his head up in surprise. Then he sighed and laid down his fountain pen.

“No.”

“Wh-why not?”

“It’s dangerous.”

“But—”

“No buts. Usui might be after you at this very moment, you know.”

While Kiyoka’s tone wasn’t harsh, hearing him lay this out left Miyo at a loss for words.

She was utterly in the dark about the current security situation, leaving her no option but to defer to the expert in these matters.

But if she backed down now, she would wind up sitting there like a mere decorative object.

“I-is there really nothing I can do?”

“You’re really always looking to work, aren’t you? If anything, you’re usually too hard on yourself, so I wish you’d take this opportunity to relax a bit.”

“R-relax……”

No other word troubled her as much as this one.

Miyo found taking it easy much more difficult than continuing to push herself.

“You even worked yourself to the bone on our trip to the villa, didn’t you?”

“I don’t think that has anything to do with this situation…”

“You’ve stopped listening to what I say lately, you know that?”

Kiyoka pouted, and Miyo lost the power to keep up her best protests.

It wasn’t that she wanted to work, exactly.

Until very recently, the concept of “free time” had been foreign to her. That was why being told to do as she pleased upset her.

The way she saw it, working was exponentially more preferrable than sitting around doing nothing. Besides—

“But I want to do something. I’ve got Usuba blood in my veins, too.”

It wasn’t about the possibility Usui might be her real father, or about doing something to stop the man himself.

The Usubas—her grandfather Yoshirou and Arata—had acknowledged her as family. She couldn’t turn a blind eye to Usui, who was also connected to the Usubas, like it didn’t concern her.

Miyo also felt she had some responsibility to bear as a blood relative, and she actively wanted to share that responsibility.

“Still, though.”

“C’mon, Commander, why not? Miyo will be safe and sound with me around!” Kaoruko confidently declared, pounding her chest with her fist.

“Miss Jinnouchi.”

With another member of the military on her side, Miyo was sure Kiyoka would allow her to work. Little did she know that she’d been too hasty to let relief wash over her.

“Jinnouchi, you’re not thinking carefully about this. This is Naoshi Usui we’re dealing with. It doesn’t matter how skilled or capable you are when you’re up against him. Let your guard down, and he’ll take your life in an instant.”

Kiyoka narrowed his eyes into a pointed glare, but Kaoruko glared right back at him, undaunted.

“I am thinking carefully about this. I just feel like forcing the person we need to guard to sit and bear with it isn’t really ‘protecting’ her. At the very least, that’s not really what I think ‘bodyguard duty,’ is about.”

“…What an audacious thing to say.”

“Despite what you may think, in the old capital, I’m still a remarkable military woman. I’ve been training myself every day, whether I want to or not.”

“Please, Kiyoka. I won’t cause you any trouble. I’ll be sure to listen to Jinnouchi’s orders, and I won’t leave the station. Please.”

Miyo fervently advocated for herself, prompting Kiyoka to let out another sigh of resignation.

“Haah. Fine, if you insist. Still, I can’t let you get involved in any military affairs. It’ll truly be nothing but odd jobs and chores. Is that okay with you?”

“Yes, I don’t mind.”

Hearing Miyo’s unequivocal response, Kiyoka brought his hand up to his forehead in exasperation.

His reaction suggested to Miyo that she was forcing unneeded hassle onto him. And that was probably true.

Just then, her enthusiasm withered, and the guilt pushed her toward retracting her request.

“You’re overthinking things again, aren’t you, Miyo?”

“Huh?”

She jerked her shoulders suddenly as Kiyoka instantly picked up on the feelings in her heart.

At this point, the way Miyo’s train of thought would continue to spiral in the worst possible direction had become a habit of hers. After all, if she anticipated things going badly from the start, then she would be able to get through whatever life threw at her with the least amount of pain.

But Kiyoka was well aware of this, so he simply smiled at his fiancée.

“Miyo.”

“Y-yes?”

“I know I may not look it, but I believe I’m capable of granting an indulgence or two from my fiancée. Don’t worry about it.”

The words weren’t anything special. They were surely a common sentiment between friendly spouses-to-be.

Yet that didn’t stop Miyo from feeling like her face was going to burst into flames.

It was a half-and-half split—partly because she was embarrassed to hear him call her request “an indulgence,” and also because she could clearly tell from Kiyoka’s smile that he found her lovely and endearing.

Had he always been this sweet?

Whatever the case, her heart couldn’t take it. Miyo averted her eyes as she grew dizzy.

“U-um, okay. Thank you…,” she managed to reply in between her short breaths, to which Kiyoka nodded with a look of satisfaction.

“However, before getting to any work or the like, you’ll need to learn the layout of the building. How about you try looking around for today?”

“Oh, in that case, I can serve as her guide while I’m guarding her.”

Kaoruko energetically volunteered to lend a hand, and this time, approval came immediately.

“Good point. I’ll leave it to you.”

“Thank you for your help, Miss Jinnouchi.”

“Leave it to me! I’ll give you the top-to-bottom tour.”

That was how Miyo ended up looking around the station together with her bodyguard Kaoruko.

However, when it came time for them to leave the office, Kiyoka left them with a nagging warning.

“I’m going to be here working, so be sure to call me if anything happens, got it?”

“I will.”

“Make absolutely sure you don’t step outside the station compound. Bodyguard or not, you can’t afford to let down your guard.”

“I won’t.”

“U-uhh, Commander?”

“If the men say anything to you, just ignore them. A hello’s good enough. Got it?”

“I understand.”

“On that point, if any one of them say anything rude to you, run away and come report it to me imm—”

“C-Commander! Enough, before we run out of time for the tour.”

Her patience for Kiyoka’s unending stream of safety precautions finally wearing thin, Kaoruko interjected and shot him a look of exasperation.

He looked slightly peeved at being cut off by one of his subordinates.

“These are all points that need going over, Jinnouchi.”

“Yes, yes, believe me, you’ve made your point loud and clear. I’ll be right by Miyo’s side making sure she’s safe, too. Right?”

Kaoruko glanced at Miyo for approval, and she nodded.

Every once and a while, Kiyoka could be a big worrywart. Miyo clearly understood that Usui was dangerous, and while she was happy to have her fiancé worry over her safety so much, she wasn’t a child. She felt just the slightest bit perturbed at being told what to do in such fine detail.

“…All right. Just make sure you’re extra careful while you’re out and about.”

He patted Miyo’s head with the palm of his large head.

Despite the fact he was treating her like a child, Miyo felt her face flush once again.

“I will. Thank you, Kiyoka.”

“Of course.”

Too embarrassed to lift her head, Miyo departed the office together with Kaoruko.

Kiyoka let out a tiny sigh as he watched his departing fiancée and subordinate close the door behind them.

…What exactly is it that I want to do?

He had always held affection for Miyo—he thought.

He’d make sure to protect his fiancée, who bore deep scars, and to treat her with care. These feelings had remained consistent from when he’d first met her to now, when he’d spent more time with her.

However, this didn’t necessarily mean he had a felt a romantic sense of “love” for her from the start.

It’s shameful it took hearing that from the old man for me to realize it, though.

Now that he had been told of love, and awakened to it himself, Kiyoka couldn’t keep the feelings teeming in his chest out of his mind.

Leaning deeper into his chair, he let his eyes fall on the surface of his desk.

He would treasure Miyo for as long as he lived. His mind had been made up from the start, yet now there was so much more he wanted from her.

He didn’t want to ask that she’d reciprocate these same feelings.

Kiyoka simply wanted to cherish her, to make sure she never cried or got hurt again. He didn’t want to get her in harm’s way. In fact, he wanted her to always be within his sights, never leaving his side.

“………”

A terribly dangerous thought. What in the world was he thinking? Shame suddenly welled up inside him, and he stared into the air.

Day by day, Miyo was growing so much that she scarcely resembled the woman she had been.

Anyone who saw her would agree that she was a splendid noblewoman, and she could conduct herself as one in front of anybody. Both she and Kiyoka had wanted this. And yet.

There was a part of him inside that longed for her to stay put, to never move from his side. A part of him thought he would be at peace if he shut her away in a place where neither Usui nor anyone else could touch her.

Utter nonsense… I just want to make things easier for myself. Disgraceful.

Nevertheless, every time he saw her standing firm, desperately trying to suppress the terror she felt from Usui’s presence and declarations, he would ponder what he could do to protect her from any kind of fear or sadness for good.

Kiyoka shook his head, chasing the terrible thoughts from his mind.

In any event, Miyo was changing. She was deftly interacting with Kaoruko, even though they had only just met. She may have been his fiancée, but he had no right to dictate her every move.

That was why agreeing to her wishes had been the right call.

I need to capture Usui come springtime, no matter what.

To spare Miyo any more pain, it was all the more vital that he dealt with Usui and the Gifted Communion as soon as possible.

Kiyoka turned his eyes to the documents in his hand.

Was Usui actually Miyo’s real father? If this turned out to be true, it would flip everything upside down.

Going off the results of his investigation, it was likeliest that Miyo’s father was Shinichi Saimori, based on when Miyo was born and when Sumi Usuba was officially married. However, the findings weren’t indisputable. He couldn’t definitively rule out the possibility that Sumi Usuba had met with Usui after she’d gotten married.

If Usui was Miyo’s real father, then he could use his parental authority to manipulate her. On the other hand, even if he was only claiming her as his daughter for some ulterior motive, it was evidence of just how much he wanted her for himself.

Whatever the truth was, it was impossible to prevent her from getting involved in the situation.

What am I supposed to do?

What method was there to confront Usui and capture him while also preventing Miyo from being put in danger as much as possible?

Kiyoka sunk in his seat, deep in his thoughts and with no answer in sight.

She advanced through the corridor with a spring in her step.

Kaoruko let out a laugh behind Miyo, walking as if she was fleeing Kiyoka’s presence.

“So that’s how the commander treats his fiancée, huh. I’m surprised.”

“…He must act a lot different when he’s working. “

Coming to a halt, Miyo tried to cool the flush in her cheeks while she turned around and mumbled.

“That’s a given. The commander’s usually very strict on both himself and others.”

“Even with you, Miss Jinnouchi? Um, you were……you were also one of Kiyoka’s potential marriage candidates, right?”

She hadn’t really wanted to ask the question, but her curiosity had brought it tumbling out of her mouth.

I’m so stupid.

If Kaoruko replied saying he was strict with her, then Miyo would end up imagining them working together, but if she replied with the opposite, it would only agonize her to learn that she had been special to Kiyoka.

She shouldn’t have asked something so foolish.

Miyo couldn’t tell if Kaoruko had picked up on her feelings or not. She laughed off the question nonchalantly.

“He never pampered me like that. I was truly surprised to witness that exchange just now. That’s the first time I’ve seen the Major Kudou look all out of sorts, and that’s not even getting into the excessive warnings he gave. I’m this close to chiming in to ask what exactly happened in the few years since I last saw him.”

She looked radiant as she chuckled jovially with a hand on the back of her head.

“Is that so?”

“Sure is. Though, I know very well that the commander is kind, despite how strict he is.”

Kaoruko’s brief, gentle expression stung in Miyo’s chest.

After hearing that Kaoruko, too, had picked up on Kiyoka’s kindness, she couldn’t bear to look the woman straight in the eye.

The conversation trailed off, and the two silently started walking down the hall again.

“Oh, right,” Kaoruko said, clapping her hands together. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you, Miyo.”

“What would that be?”

Walking side by side, Miyo looked up at Kaoruko, who was tall for a woman. She looked back at Miyo with eyes full of anticipation.

“The truth is, you and I are actually pretty close in age. I’m twenty.”

“Oh…yes. We are close, then.”

Miyo would turn twenty in the new year. That would make Kaoruko a year older than her.

She thought about it for a moment and realized she hadn’t actually met many other women close to her in age.

No matter how deeply she searched through her memories, the most she could come up with was the kids she’d met when she attended elementary school, a few servants at her previous home, and her stepsister.

Meeting Kaoruko and conversing with her like this was a nigh unprecedented occasion.

“I think the two of us actually have a lot in common. We’re both still unmarried at our age, we’re Gift-users. And pretty, to boot.”

Miyo chuckled quietly, infected by Kaoruko’s comedic remark.

She didn’t consider herself pretty at all, but the joking compliment didn’t have any hint of nastiness to it. In all honesty, she was happy and amused to hear it.

“So, umm… What I actually want to say is, basically… Well, I sort of thought that the two of us could became good friends,” Kaoruko said

“Friends?”

“Yeah. We’ll be going around together for a good chunk of the day for the foreseeable future, for one, and it seems like we could get on well together, so I thought an easygoing relationship would let us both be a bit more relaxed around each other.”

“…Yes, I suppose.”

“That and, I actually don’t have many friends. It’d make me really happy to get to know you, Miyo. You’d be helping me out a lot, so what do you say?”

Kaoruko stopped and held out her hand with a smile, and Miyo, for the briefest moment, hesitated to take it.

Interested or not, Miyo had never had a friend before. She didn’t have any idea about what specifically she needed to do for the two of them to be considered compatriots.

Nevertheless, her hesitation lasted but a few seconds.

Miyo timidly stretched out her hand and took hold of Kaoruko’s.

“If you’re really fine with someone like me, then…I look forward to our friendship.”

“All right! Thank you, Miyo. I’m sure we’ll hit it off!”

Seeing Kaoruko’s genuine glee at her answer—she was on the verge of jumping for joy—made Miyo feel like she had made the right choice.

She found it charming how Kaoruko could cut a handsome and dignified figure the one moment, only to act cheerful and friendly the next.

“In that case, I can ditch the stuffy formalities, right? You can talk to me like you normally would, too, Miyo, I don’t mind! Also, please call me Kaoruko instead of Jinnouchi.”

Miyo nodded, feeling overpowered by the woman as she brought her beautiful face close to hers and took both of Miyo’s hands in her own.

She had never really considered word choices or formality before. From a hierarchical standpoint, despite Miyo’s betrothal to Kiyoka, the lowly status of her family would place her far below Kaoruko. Besides, she was a normal civilian who was uninvolved with the military.

While Kaoruko may have been in charge of protecting Miyo, that didn’t make Miyo anymore distinguished or important.

“Seriously?! Thanks. Phew, I’m sooo glad you didn’t turn me down. You’re sweet, Miyo.”

“Not at all. There was never any sort of hierarchy between us to begin with… But, um, as for using your first name…”

“Ah, is it hard to say?”

“That’s…not exactly it.”

“I’d really prefer Kaoruko. Truth is, I’m not a big fan of being called by my last name.”

“Huh? Why, um, is that?”

Jinnouchi was a splendid family name to have. Normally not the type of name someone would dislike.

Miyo cocked her head in confusion, and Kaoruko smiled awkwardly and scratched her cheek.

“The last name Jinnouchi… It’s kind of stiff, or a little pompous, don’t you think?”

“Really?”

Miyo agreed that the characters in her name weren’t very charming or cute. Kaoruko had a very gallant outward appearance, so Miyo was a bit surprised to learn that she would have preferred something more feminine and endearing.

Sensing that Miyo had been convinced, the uniformed beauty continued on, appearing a bit impatient.

“A-anyway, just call me Kaoruko, okay?”

“Okay.”

Kaoruko let out a sigh of relief at Miyo’s nod before urging her forward.

“C’mon, let’s go!”

Continuing down the loudly creaking wood corridor, the two women came to a door labeled KITCHENETTE. This was apparently the first stop on their tour.

“Now then, Miyo. First, we have the kitchenette here, where……”

Leaping into her role as Miyo’s guide, Kaoruko cheerily opened up the door halfway before her voice went silent mid-sentence. She froze, standing stock-still in a daze.

Growing worried about what happened, Miyo peered into the kitchenette as well.

Oh my……

The room was dimly lit, and a cold dampness hung in its stagnant air. Upon casting her eyes about the room more closely, she found it was in a horrible state. Things were scattered all over the place, and it was so messy there was just barely enough room on the ground to place your feet.

However, Miyo only got a glimpse of the room for the briefest of moments.

Kaoruko violently slammed the door shut. Then she turned to face Miyo, her lips stretched into a taut smile, and gave a shockingly monotone reply.

“Awww! I forgot. We can’t use the kitchenette right now!”

How on earth could it be unusable?

There was a bare-bones kitchen and a small cafeteria inside the station, so while you could theoretically brew coffee and tea over there, Kaoruko herself had made some tea just a few minutes ago. She couldn’t have just forgotten about the state of the kitchenette.

Miyo did have to agree that the horrible mess she’d briefly glimpsed would make the place difficult to use, though.

“Whoopsie, not much help if I’m introducing you to facilities you can’t use, now is there? Ah-hah-hah…”

Miyo stared hard at Kaoruko as she continued to speak in a strained monotone, purposefully avoiding her gaze.

A few seconds passed in total silence.

Resigning herself to the situation, Kaoruko then asked, “Did you see?”

Miyo nodded hesitantly.

“…Yes. I saw it.”

Miyo could understand that the wretched condition of the room wasn’t exactly something to show other people.

Kaoruko feebly frowned as she opened the door once again.

“If you’ll allow me to give somewhat of an explanation, the military’s basically a boys’ club, so a lot of areas don’t end up getting the attention they need.”

This station was filled with nothing but men.

Although they ostensibly took turns handling the cleaning and laundry, many of them were likely unaccustomed to these chores. Given that this was a military facility that housed confidential information, it would also be difficult to hire someone from outside the military to handle them.

Entrusting the cleaning to new recruits or trainees wouldn’t work, either, as the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit was always understaffed and wanted to utilize the fighting strength of any fresh faces right away, which prevented them from attending to any chores.

“I-it’s quite incredible, really.”

Miyo took another peek inside and discovered that the kitchenette was practically in a state of ruin.

It looked like you could still boil water and prepare tea here, at least, but the dust and the mold she saw did not speak highly of the room’s current level of sanitation.

Kaoruko heaved a sigh and closed the door again, as if to pretend she hadn’t seen anything.

“I get the feeling they haven’t cleaned it once since I was last stationed here.”

“Um, and just how long ago was that…?”

“Hmmm, around four, five years ago?”

The amount of time was far more horrifying than Miyo could’ve imagined.

Over those long years, the soldiers must have cleaned the kitchenette just barely enough to keep it usable, until it finally reached its current state. Miyo wished she hadn’t learned the truth.

She unconsciously brought her hand to her mouth in shock, causing Kaoruko to slump her shoulders.

“…Anyway, I definitely can’t let you see any more of that than you have to, so let’s keep going.”

“Okay.”

As she nodded, Miyo considered volunteering to clean the place before stopping herself.

She was still getting shown around at the moment, and ultimately, she couldn’t do anything without going back to Kiyoka’s office and asking him about it first.

“Now then, next we’ll goooo……this way.”

Miyo was having a lot more fun on Kaoruko’s tour than she’d expected.

After the kitchenette came the office and records room, followed by the courtyard, main kitchen, and the cafeteria. Looking inside the locker room and the storehouse was a step too far, of course, but Kaoruko took a brief peek in both places before shouting, “Filthy!” so they had to be in a similar state as the kitchenette.

Conversely, while the cafeteria was on the small side, it was neat and clean.

She was told that a retired former military man worked as the cook in the station kitchen. Unfortunately, Miyo wasn’t able to meet him when she dropped by on Kaoruko’s tour, but apparently, he was fastidious about his craft, and this pickiness was what kept both the cafeteria and the kitchen spick-and-span.

“The food at the canteen here is really good. The catered lunches they serve at the old capital station aren’t bad, but I mean, when you compare them to the freshly made meals here?” Kaoruko reminisced, a spellbound gleam in her eyes.

Miyo was startled to hear this.

W-wait, does that mean there’s a chance Kiyoka actually prefers the food here…?

The most delicious lunch she could make would still be cold when it came time to eat it. Surely Kiyoka would have preferred a piping hot meal to that if he could get one here.

She would need to ask him about that when she saw him next.

Lost in her thoughts, Miyo began to grow uneasy.

I feel like I’m being stared at.

It happened when she was walking with Kaoruko through the halls, or when they would poke their heads into each room. Wherever they went, the soldiers met her with rude, somewhat cagey stares.

She hadn’t felt these gazes yesterday. As Kaoruko put it, this was a boy’s club, so perhaps it was simply that the sight of two women walking about was unusual.

However, Miyo couldn’t help but get the impression their gazes were filled not with curiosity, but the same type of resentful sentiments she had been subjected to when she lived in the Saimori household.

“Last up is the dojo.”

Kaoruko’s tour was coming to an end.

In truth, Miyo had secretly worried that Kaoruko wouldn’t find her company very enjoyable since she didn’t have anything clever to say, but she was a little relieved that Kaoruko had worn a cheerful smile on her face from start to finish.

“I looove the dojo, so I wanted to save the best for last.”

“You’re that fond of it?”

“Yeah. My family runs a dojo. I’ve spent a lot of time in them ever since I was little, so it’s where I feel the most relaxed……and when I tell people that, they all give me this look that says, that explains a lot.”

“Because you’re so handsome?”

“Hah-hah-hah. Please, no one’s ever nice enough to put it like that. Most of the time people tell me I’m really masculine.”

Though a smile spread across Kaoruko’s jocular face at Miyo’s comment, there seemed to be a slight loneliness to it as well.

Miyo agreed that being called “masculine” despite being a woman must have brought up some complicated feelings, though she figured people must have said that to Kaoruko off-handedly.

She asked Kaoruko something that had been on her mind since the day before.

“Actually, now that you bring it up, I thought that only men could become soldiers. Are there any other female soldiers, besides yourself?”

Typically, only men could join the army. Miyo guessed that she wasn’t alone in thinking this, as society generally understood the military to be an all-male institution.

Even in this very station, the washrooms and locker room were meant for men only. It didn’t seem very suited to the needs of a female soldier whatsoever.

“Ahh, yeah good question.” Kaoruko nodded. “You’re right. Normally women can’t join the military, so you’re not under any misconception. The Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit, on the other hand, is a bit unique. There are actually other female soldiers besides me in the old capital.”

“There are?”

“Yup. I mean, there aren’t a lot of Gift-users to begin with, right? That’s why woman can join as long as they have the necessary combat skills. A female Gift-user is more powerful than a man who can’t use his supernatural powers very well, and that on its own means more military strength for the nation to freely utilize. Incidentally, while they aren’t treated as regular soldiers, even students can work in the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit.”

“Students, too……”

“I actually started working here as an assistant pretty early on, from when I was about fourteen or fifteen. Though, there’s not many student assistants or female soldiers. As you’re already aware, right now I’m the only women in this station, for example.”

“I see,” Miyo said, satisfied with the explanation.

After meeting Kiyoka and awakening to her own supernatural ability, Miyo had finally come to understand just how special the Gift-users’ positions were.

The Gift-users’ main duties were defeating Grotesqueries, but should a war ever break out, they would serve as powerful antipersonnel weapons. That was why the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit existed—to give the military the authority to order Gift-users as they saw fit.

Kaoruko……may not have mentioned this, but…

While female Gift-users were allowed to join the unit to bolster their fighting power, it was clear that the hope was they would get married and give birth to the next generation of Gift-users. Since this was taken as the default, there ultimately weren’t many female soldiers after all.

Being recognized as a Gift-user came with many privileges. However, they weren’t viewed as people.

Feeling like she had swallowed a bitter pill, Miyo followed Kaoruko and dropped by the dojo.

“Well, we’re here.”

The dojo was spacious and housed in a separate building from the station, which it connected to via a corridor.

Miyo estimated there were roughly ten people inside. The soldiers, clothed in martials arts wear, were working up a sweat, exchanging blows with wood swords or sparing in hand-to-hand combat.

“So you don’t use bamboo blades.”

“That’s because this isn’t kendo, but sword-fighting techniques meant for actual combat.”

“Ah, Jinnouchi, you’re here.” A deep voice called out to Kaoruko from the side as the two women conversed.

Though not especially tall, the owner of the voice was a man with a sturdy physique. You could tell he was well-trained with a single glance, and his features had an intellectual quality.

Miyo remembered seeing him in the meeting yesterday. If she wasn’t mistaken, he was a squad leader by the name of Mukadeyama.

“Greetings, Squad Leader Mukadeyama, sir.”

“I should be greeting you, Jinnouchi. It must be exhausting to be back in the capital after so long.”

“Oh, no, not at all. I’ve got plenty of motivation, so I’m not tired at all.”

Mukadeyama laughed with a grunt before he casually looked over to Miyo.

“Well, now, if it isn’t the commander’s fiancée. Forgive me for not greeting you sooner.”

“…Good day.”

Mukadeyama lightly bowed with her reply. It felt almost like he was trying to see through to something inside Miyo.

“Hello, I’m Mukadeyama, one of the squad leaders. May I ask what sort of business has brought you here?”

He narrowed his eyes, and her sense of intimidation intensified.

This feeling she had, which Mukadeyama was testing, was probably overthinking on Miyo’s part. But the more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that he was trying to evaluate her. Both as Kiyoka’s fiancée, and as an Usuba.

He had no reason not to.

“Yes. I was in the middle of having Kaoruko show me around the station.

Miyo calmed herself and clearly answered Mukadeyama, who replied with a simple, “I see.” Then he picked up one of the wood swords leaning up against the wall and held it out to Kaoruko.

“Jinnouchi, how about a match for old time’s sake?”

“Sure… But I’m on bodyguard duty right now.”

“So you planned on coming all this way without doing anything? Skimp on your training, and you’ll get rusty. I’ll watch over Miss Fiancée here, so go spar.”

“Hmmm, I understand, sir, but…”

Kaoruko deliberated over the offer for a moment, but in the end, she hesitantly took the wooden sword from him.

“Well, if you insist, I’ll spar for a match.”

She doffed her coat, tossing it against the wall and rolling up her sleeves.

Mukadeyama selected a young man who had only been in the unit for two years to be her opponent.

“Thank you for the match.”

“…Thank you as well.”

The two bowed to each other, and the bout immediately got underway.

Even with her untrained eyes, Miyo could tell that the young man was strangely concerned with Kaoruko, aggressively striking at her right from the start. Kaoruko, on the other hand, coolly parried his attacks one after the other.

Incredible.

Kaoruko was very skilled. She seemed totally in control of the situation.

Before long, the other soldiers in the dojo were absorbed in the match.

“Keep it up!”

“Lose to a woman and you’ll never live it down!”

Shouts popped up here and there from the crowd of soldiers.

“Miss Fiancée, who do you think will win?”

Miyo was a little bit surprised when Mukadeyama abruptly threw a question at her. She’d never expected that he would try striking up a conversation.

Faced with his question, she found it hard to pick an answer.

The way she saw it, Kaoruko seemed like she had more vigor to spare, but nevertheless, there was a simple gap in stamina and arm strength between men and women. Kaoruko was still on the defensive, and she wasn’t attempting any counterattacks of her own.

After a moment of hesitation—

“…Kaoruko, I think.”

—she replied with her honest feelings, prompting Mukadeyama to quietly nod.

“Yeah, most likely. Jinnouchi far outclasses her opponent on a technical level… If she wasn’t a woman, she could’ve risen right up the ranks.”

If she wasn’t a woman.

This casual comment lodged itself in Miyo’s brain.

In other words, Kaoruko’s degree of skill ultimately didn’t count for anything. Even with her worldly ignorance, Miyo knew this was what Mukadeyama was implying.

“This is relevant for you, too.”

“Huh?”

She looked up to her side, locking eyes with him.

Yet she didn’t see a hint of emotion in his gaze. Though he was technically looking at Miyo, it appeared as if he wasn’t actually interested in her whatsoever.

More importantly than that, though—what did he mean by this being relevant for her, too?

Mukadeyama continued to address her in a languid tone.

“What I’m saying is, there are quite a few soldiers who believe it’s a nuisance to have you wandering around the station.”

“A nuisance…”

“There’s no reason to welcome you in our walls. You’re the commander’s fiancée, so there’s no one stupid enough to do something about it openly, but that’s how things are. As far as the men are concerned, a civilian woman who can’t even put up a fight is nothing but a nuisance around here, and I can empathize with the sentiment. All of us earned our positions in the unit, and we do our work with pride.”

Miyo dropped her eyes to her feet.

“On top of it all, you’re a blood relative of the Usubas. A Gift-user who’s also the enemy of Gift-users everywhere, so to speak.”

“……!”

“There isn’t a single Gift-user would feel comfortable about having someone like that hanging around.”

“An enemy……”

Miyo paled at the weight of the word.

It was her first time hearing the Usubas described this way, but she couldn’t completely deny the veracity of the label.

The Usubas used their supernatural powers to subdue other Gift-users when the need arose. This was true of Miyo’s own power of Dream Sight, too. Miyo herself was still inexperienced as a Gift-user, so she didn’t have easy access to it, but in theory, she had free rein over the life and death of anyone who was sleeping.

Scary, aggravating, annoying.

It dawned on her that it wasn’t strange to be met with hostile looks filled with such negative emotions.

Miyo was sure this situation was a consequence of the Usubas being brought out from the shadows into the open.

“I’m not really trying to make blind assumptions here. But please remember that there are people here who don’t take kindly to you. And don’t go around doing anything uncalled for.”

“…I understand.”

Miyo lowered her eyes at Mukadeyama’s firm warning.

He was right.

She’d finally learned the truth about the stares she’d gotten during her tour inside the station.

It’s because I’m an Usuba.

While their approach may have been forceful, the Usubas had welcomed Miyo as a member of their family, and for that she owed them a debt of gratitude. She had never once found them terrifying or unpleasant, and that was the extent of it; nothing more, nothing less.

However, that was only because Miyo didn’t consider herself a Gift-user and was wholly ignorant of what it was like to be one.

Furthermore, her current desire to work and be useful somehow undoubtedly counted as “sticking her head where it didn’t belong” that Mukadeyama had mentioned. Whether Kiyoka gave her permission or not, that had no influence on the other soldiers’ feelings on the matter.

Am I being selfish?

Right as Miyo let out a small sigh, the soldiers watching the sparring match erupted into an uproar.

Kaoruko had seized on a momentary opening in her opponent’s strikes to knock his sword out of his hands and claimed victory.

“Thank you for the match.”

“…Yeah, thanks.”

The young soldier glared maliciously at Kaoruko. But instead of noticing this, she turned her back to him and stomped out of the dojo, her face bright red.

The spectators spat foul curses at her.

In all honesty, Miyo didn’t find this a great environment.

“Good job, Kaoruko.”

“Thanks.”

Miyo handed her a handkerchief and consoled her as she returned, and the other woman smiled brightly at her.

The only saving grace was that it seemed like Kaoruko wasn’t letting the other soldiers’ remarks get to her.

“Whew, sparring matches really are fun. A good workout, too… Thank you very much for the invitation, Squad Leader Mukadeyama.”

“Glad to see you haven’t gotten rusty.”

“If anything, my skills are sharper than they were the last time I was here, wouldn’t you say?”

“Hmm, I don’t know about that.”

The two chuckled amongst themselves. There didn’t seem to be any bad blood between them.

Mukadeyama’s assertion that he wasn’t trying to make blind assumptions must have been genuine. At the very least, Miyo could tell that he was taking care not to be prejudiced about other people. That was why he’d recognized Kaoruko for her skills.

With me though…

Unlike Kaoruko, Miyo didn’t have any combat skills to speak of. She couldn’t use her Gift well, either.

Just as Mukadeyama said, Miyo was not only useless, but also being targeted by Usui; she was nothing more than a burden for the soldiers to shoulder. Taking that thought one step further, she was a nuisance, someone who would only give them more headaches to deal with.

Yet Miyo’s only option here was to do what was within her powers as Kiyoka’s fiancée. As much as she wanted to push herself, ultimately, she could only apply herself to the limited range of things she was capable of.

But that didn’t prevent the situation from being irritating. Confronted with the fact that she alone was out of place here, Miyo felt unbelievably jealous of the faith Kiyoka had in Kaoruko.

Once the sun set, Miyo and Kiyoka returned home together to find Yurie waiting for them.

“Welcome home, Young Master, Miss Miyo.”

Yurie greeted them in the entryway with a smile, bringing Miyo an immense sense of relief. She relaxed the tension she had been holding in her body. It felt like she could finally breathe again.

“We’re back.”

“We’re home, Yurie.”

It had grown frigid outside since sunset, but the inside of the house was warm.

“Now go and get yourself changed, Young Master. Miss Miyo, please relax in the living room.”

“Oh, um, no, I’ll lend a hand!”

Miyo quickly stood up and hurried after Yurie as she returned to the housework.

She entered the kitchen and found that most of the preparations for the evening’s meal were already finished.

“Aren’t you tired, Miss Miyo?” Yurie asked, concerned, while she retrieved the dinnerware from the shelf.

“No,” Miyo briefly replied before her gaze fell to her feet. She must have looked exhausted for Yurie to have asked her that.

But she hadn’t done much of anything that day to tire her out.

“No, I’m feeling fine.”

If anything, this had been an easy day for her, since she usually used up her stamina on doing housework. Nevertheless, mental fatigue had instantly surged up inside her as soon as she arrived home.

Ever since meeting Karuko, Miyo had felt like there was something constantly weighing on her heart. Once Mukadeyama’s words made her understand the reality of the current situation, she had steadily sunk deeper and deeper into melancholy.

Miyo unconsciously sighed, prompting Yurie to put her hand over her mouth.

“Oh my… Please sit down for a moment, Miss Miyo.”

Yurie pointed to the small chair in the corner of the kitchen.

Miyo was confused by the sudden request.

“What? But…”

“It will still be some time before the young master finishes changing.”

Yurie’s smiling face left no room for debate. Though the old woman was typically gentle and kind, Miyo had already experienced how frightening things could get when she grew angry.

Her only choice was to obediently follow her wishes.

“Wait there for a moment.”

Yurie made sure Miyo sat in the chair as she’d asked, then poured something into a pot and put it over a flame.

Miyo stared into space for a while before she was passed a steaming bowl.

“Here you go, Miss Miyo.”

“Thank you.”

Without thinking anything of it, Miyo took the bowl, and her eyes widened when she gazed at its contents.

It was filled to the brim with a thick white substance that gave off a sweet aroma.

A bowl of amazake…

She cupped the bowl with both of her hands, and warmth spread through her body from her fingertips.

“It’s already gotten quite cold lately, so I just bought some earlier today.”

“I’m sorry. I was supposed to help you.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Now please, drink it up before it gets cold.

Relieved by Yurie’s smiling face, Miyo brought the bowl up to her lips.

The sweetness of piping hot amazake sank right through to her bones, and the unique texture of the fermented rice grains that lingered on her tongue was delicious. How many years had it been since she had tasted this sweetness?

“It’s delicious.”

Miyo exhaled a hot breath of air.

It was as though the strong, sweet flavor had started to dissolve the leaden weight in her chest. Coupled with the warmth of Yurie’s thoughtful gesture, Miyo felt like she would break into tears on the spot.

“Hee-hee. Looks like it was the right choice to buy some today.”

Miyo returned Yurie’s grin and slowly downed the rest of the amazake.

By the time the bowl was emptied, Miyo’s heart was lighter than before.

“Yurie.”

Just then, Miyo turned to face the voice coming in from the doorway and saw Kiyoka, changed out of his uniform and peering into kitchen.

“Oh, Young Master. Is something the matter?”

“…It’s already dark out. If you’re heading home tonight, I’ll come with you part of the way.”

“Oh my, where did the time go?”

Hearing this reminded Miyo that it had indeed been dark when they arrived home.

She stood up and placed the emptied bowl in the sink.

“I can finish the rest on my own, Yurie.”

“Ah, yes, then I’ll leave it to you.”

“You’re coming with us, Miyo.”

“What?”

She cocked her head, leading Kiyoka to narrow his eyes slightly in exasperation.

“You haven’t forgotten that you’re being targeted right now, have you?”

“No, I haven’t forgotten… But, um, it will just be for a short while, won’t it?”

Yurie’s house wasn’t very far, and because it got dark so early in the wintertime, her family would come pick her up on the route home. It usually only took Kiyoka a few minutes to drop her off.

Miyo wasn’t underestimating Usui, but she couldn’t imagine that he would sneak into their house like a burglar in that short span of time.

Yet Kiyoka’s face only grew sterner with each word Miyo spoke.

“No. Do as I say.”

His tone was harsh.

Kiyoka was worried about Miyo and trying to protect her from harm, so the best thing to do here was obey him. That was obvious, given that she didn’t have the skills to defend herself.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t help comparing his reaction to the trust she’d witnessed between him and Kaoruko that other day. An indescribable feeling came over her.

“…I understand.”

Why was she so focused on Kaoruko and Kiyoka’s relationship?

Perplexed by her own emotions, Miyo quietly nodded.

After safely delivering Yukie to her family, Miyo and Kiyoka walked back home together along the night road, their path illuminated by only the moon and the stars.

They’d managed to talk plenty on the way there since Yuri had been with them, but the conversation immediately died once they were alone together. An awkward silence hung between them.

This is my fault, isn’t it?

Miyo reflected on herself, looking down at her feet to make sure she didn’t trip.

Since returning from the villa, she hadn’t been able to interact with Kiyoka like she used to. Whether this stemmed from a sense of shame or her preoccupation with Kaoruko, she couldn’t tell.

The silence continued before Miyo suddenly remembered something and called out to her fiancé, walking a few paces in front of her.

“Um, Kiyoka.”

“What?”

“…Should I stop making you lunch?”

It was just an offhand question.

After hearing Kaoruko say the cafeteria food at the station was delicious, she thought to ask if he would prefer to eat that for lunch instead of the meal she typically prepared for him.

“Huh……?” Kiyoka, however, couldn’t hold back his surprise, stopping to turn around and face her. “Why?”

The expression he wore was dyed with shock, turmoil, and grief unlike anything Miyo had seen up until now.

Miyo had anticipated, at most, the same terse reply he usually gave her, and so she was perplexed by his unexpectedly intense reaction.

“Um, well… Kaoruko told me about the station cafeteria and…”

Kiyoka stared at her as she gave her reply, and a cold sweat formed on her forehead.

“And?”

“She mentioned that the station cafeteria food was top-notch, so I thought maybe you’d also—”

“Ridiculous.”

Kiyoka tersely cut her off.

What exactly had upset him so much? Baffled, Miyo could only dart her eyes around in confusion.

“I-it’s, ridiculous……?”

“Absolutely. Miyo, I eat your lunches because I enjoy them. Much more than any cafeteria food. If making it is too much work…or you don’t want to make it anymore, then I’m fine with you giving it up, but I’d ask you to keep making it for me, if you’re up for it.”

The almost earnest timbre of his entreaty sunk into Miyo’s chest.

He had simply asked her to make his lunch, yet she was so overjoyed her lips rose into a smile.

Kiyoka actually enjoys my lunches.

Miyo had started off making meals for him of her own accord and would’ve immediately stopped if he told her he didn’t want them.

Nevertheless, she knew it would hurt to hear him say he actually didn’t want them. It made her ecstatic to hear Kiyoka needed her.

She responded, heedless of the lively vigor in her voice.

“I will! I’d love to continue making your lunch for you!”

“Great.”

Kiyoka widened his lips into a smile.

“Miyo, give me your hand.”

“Hm? Here.”

When she did as instructed, he extended his large palm to take hold of her small one. Then he pulled her close, her hand in his.

“It’s dark out. This is a lot safer, isn’t it?”

“Y-yes, I suppose so…”

She was holding hands with him.

The second Miyo comprehended the situation, her body flushed with heat, and her previously cold hand quickly warmed.

“……Please, don’t hate me.”

With all of her attention focused solely on their two hands joined together, Miyo didn’t catch the small murmur Kiyoka gave in reply as he led the way.

The two walked along the night road, enveloped in an entirely different silence from before.