Chapter 25: Kamisato Ayaka

"Alright, alright! That's enough family bonding for today!!"

Yae Miko interrupted the two, taking little Teiyu from the Shogun puppet and preparing to leave.

"Leaving already?"

"...."

The two new mothers wanted to spend more time with their child.

"I'll bring him back to see you once he's a bit older~~" Yae Miko teased.

Now wasn't the best time for a family reunion. The Shogun had to manage the shogunate, personally overseeing all affairs, big and small, with little time to spare. Ei would continue to meditate in the Pure Land, seeking the path of eternity, and she too had no time to raise a child.

So it fell to the "idle" Yae Miko to fulfill the duties of a "mother." After all, she had plenty of time.

"..."

"Alright, I understand!"

Neither Ei nor the Shogun were the type to wallow in sentimentality. Besides, with Teiyu now having a pseudo-divine body, living for a few hundred years would be easy. They wouldn't lack opportunities to reunite in the future.

As she left Tenshukaku, Yae Miko couldn't help but sigh deeply.

Who would have thought things would change so drastically... At least her goal had been accomplished.

[Hmm, there are two main tasks left!]

First, find Kamo Harunosuke and settle the score!

After all the suffering she had endured, Yae Miko, who never forgot a grudge, had no intention of letting it go. She had carefully calculated the debt owed by Harunosuke in her mind.

Second, take good care of Teiyu and raise him well. Both tasks would take time, so Yae Miko decided to take it slow.

"Hmph, unexpectedly! After that incident, Kamo Harunosuke completely disappeared."

Yae Miko returned to the scene of the battle, but apart from the wreckage, there were no clues left to follow.

Harunosuke had vanished as if into thin air, and Yae Miko, unable to find him, could only give up for now.

One day, she found Sayu.

"Little tanuki, do me a favor~" Yae Miko said lazily, her jade hand gently patting Sayu's head.

"Ugh..." Sayu really wanted to slap away the hand messing with her head.

"I'm not a tanuki!" She stood on tiptoe, trying to prove her height, not just anyone could pat her head!

The green leaf on her head stubbornly stood upright as Sayu's small body swayed, about to use her ninjutsu to escape.

"Are you sure you want to use your escape ninjutsu right in front of me?"

Yae Miko's narrow eyes narrowed slightly as her jade hand pressed down lightly but firmly on Sayu's head, threatening her.

"Wu eh—" Sayu let out a pitiful whimper, her small body trembling.

Why

was it?

Her escape ninjutsu, which usually worked like a charm, never seemed to work in front of Yae Miko.

Each time she tried, Yae Miko would catch her instantly, even when Sayu used her breathing techniques.

Over time, Sayu began to fear Yae Miko.

If she got caught trying to escape… she would have to endure Yae Miko's terrifying "punishment"!

"Wu wu, I never want to experience that again!"

"Alright, alright, what's with the tears, little tanuki?" Yae Miko sighed, feeling a bit guilty for making the little one tear up. Sayu's childlike form often made Yae Miko feel as though she was bullying a little kid.

She softened her tone: "Listen, little tanuki! I need you to save this child again and bring him back to the shrine."

"Wu... huh?" Sayu stopped her fake crying, looking at Yae Miko in confusion.

"Here, this child." Yae Miko stepped aside, revealing Teiyu behind her.

Yae Miko didn't bother explaining too much. "I'll place this child in a hilichurl camp. Once he wakes up, you'll pretend to find him by chance, save him, and bring him back to the shrine."

"As for what happens next, you don't need to worry about it." Yae Miko tapped her jade fingers lightly. "Just do this task well, and I promise, for the next month, Kujo Sara won't bother you."

"....."

"Are you serious?" Sayu thought about it for a moment.

Just saving someone wasn't too hard for someone skilled at escaping like her.

Even though she didn't understand why Yae Miko wanted her to save the same child she had found before, it seemed like a good deal. She could sleep as late as she wanted for a whole month without any scary shrine maidens coming to get her! Such a good opportunity was rare!

"Alright, I'll take the job!" Sayu puffed out her little chest.

Before she realized it, she had started treating the task as a mission from the Shuumatsuban!

She looked up at Yae Miko seriously and said, "I hope you keep your promise!" With that, she rolled her body and transformed into a green whirlwind, zipping away.

"That ability sure is convenient." Yae Miko watched as Sayu fled as if she had seen a ghost, chuckling to herself. "Am I really that scary?"

Yae Miko's plan to have Sayu reenact the rescue was not without reason.

When Yae Miko first found Teiyu, he was unconscious.

Yae Miko didn't want to deal with the hassle of explaining everything to him if he woke up in the shrine.

It was much easier to have Sayu bring him up the mountain. That way, she could skip the explanations, and he would even owe her a favor.

In a sense… Teiyu technically might be her child...

However... our dear Lady Yae Miko has no desire to become a mother "at such a young age." Just thinking about all the hassle of raising a child—the time and energy it would require—makes her shudder. The thought of dealing with all those responsibilities makes her feel it would be best to raise Teiyu casually. After all, Yae Miko isn't exactly the "calm and stable" type suited for the role of a nurturing mother.

Life is long for a fox...

Yae Miko still has to manage Yae Publishing House, occasionally arrange shrine maidens at the Grand Narukami Shrine for various divine affairs, and then there's the tofu, ramen, fried skewers, tea drinking, and reading leisure books...

The thought of raising a child and having no time for these pleasures makes her feel a bit lazy.

"Raising a child... we'll just let him grow up on his own. As long as he doesn't starve..." the irresponsible Miko thought to herself.

Thus, after awakening once again, Teiyu found himself encountering Sayu, who brought him to the shrine to be raised casually. Due to Yae Miko's instructions, the shrine maidens assumed that his illness had been cured but left him with some memory loss, leading them to treat him with even more care, believing it was his first time at the shrine.

And so, Teiyu lived at the shrine for a while, learning the language of Teyvat and eventually setting out on his own adventures. By chance, he met many people, and eventually, he was taken in by Kamisato Ayato, where he became close with his sister, Ayaka, and they grew up together like siblings.

...

But in Yae Miko's eyes, this brat Teiyu had simply abandoned her, turning to Kamisato Ayato, who she didn't get along with! She was both angry and a bit helpless—how could her Reverse Hikaru Genji Plan fail before it even started, with this ungrateful boy running off to the Kamisato house, practically offering himself as their little husband?!!

And he had the nerve to call it "making new friends!" Yae Miko was livid, regretting and reflecting on how she might have neglected Teiyu's feelings by focusing too much on her own fun.

She regrouped, seriously studying various "techniques" and preparing to re-approach Teiyu, determined to win him back into her fold. Yae Miko's approach was steady, as she spent each day honing her patience.

Because of her negligence, the young lady of the Kamisato clan had seized the opportunity to gain the upper hand!

Hmph, I lost that round. But Yae Miko wasn't one to give up easily. She patiently waited for the right moment, ready to strike when the opportunity arose and reclaim Teiyu.

Hmph, who would win in the end was still uncertain!

"Miko, are you okay?"

"Say something!" Teiyu waved his hand in front of Yae Miko, trying to snap her out of her daze.

"..." Yae Miko came back to her senses, brushing away Teiyu's playful hand and lowering her head slightly as she asked, "Teiyu, what do you think of me?"

"Think? Why are you suddenly asking this?" Teiyu looked puzzled at Yae Miko's strange question. The cool breeze through the window made the candle flames flicker, and the light illuminated Yae Miko's purple eyes, which seemed to glimmer with emotion. The soft glow highlighted her delicate, elegant profile, making her look like a beautiful woman straight out of a painting.

Teiyu felt his heart start to race...

He gazed at Yae Miko's side profile, as if wanting to engrave this moment in his memory forever.

"You're a very important person to me!" Teiyu said seriously.

He thought back on all the ups and downs with Yae Miko, realizing that, without him even noticing, she had become the most important person in his life!

To Teiyu, Yae Miko was both a friend and a family member, and there was a subtle, unspoken connection between them.

"Is that so? I see…" Although Yae Miko had already guessed his answer, hearing it from his mouth still left her feeling a bit disappointed, as if something heavy was pressing on her heart.

Sigh... She let out a small sigh, feeling strangely tired. Is this how women feel when they fall in love?

Yae Miko had never experienced romantic feelings for anyone and wasn't sure if this was love, but she knew one thing for sure—she no longer saw Teiyu as just a child.

"Miko..."

"Are you okay?" Teiyu asked, seeing the unusual sadness on Yae Miko's face. It made him feel uncomfortable.

"I'm fine." Yae Miko turned her head, seeing Teiyu's worried expression, which wasn't fake, and felt comforted. "This child... at least he hasn't grown up in vain."

Suddenly, she spun around, as if transformed, and sternly said, "Where are the manuscripts for the past few days? You still haven't handed them over! What have you been doing?"

"Ah?" Teiyu didn't expect Yae Miko to change moods so quickly. Just moments ago, she was talking about feelings and life, and now she was back to being the terrifying editor-in-chief, demanding his work!

"I... I've been a bit busy these past few days…"

Teiyu panicked, feeling sympathy for Yae Miko just moments before, but she didn't seem to care at all! Clearly, the cunning fox was back to her old self.

"Busy... busy with what? How busy?" Yae Miko pressed closer, her tone becoming more intense.

"Miko… Miko…" Teiyu's hand slipped, and he fell backward onto the bed. Yae Miko's small table was right next to it, so he could easily lean back onto the mattress.

"Hmph! You little rascal, I don't think you're that busy!! If you were really busy, you wouldn't have had time to hang out with Beidou and Kuki Shinobu!!" Neither of them seemed to notice the unusual undertone in Yae Miko's words, which were laced with jealousy.

"I wasn't, it was Itto's idea. He temporarily entrusted me with the Arataki Gang's duties..."

[??? What's going on?] Teiyu realized that somehow they had ended up rolling onto Yae Miko's bed.

"Hmph, you little liar... Still trying to fool me~~" Yae Miko, without any hesitation, straddled Teiyu's waist.

"Ah~~ oh~~" Teiyu instinctively tried to back away, but he had forgotten that there was nowhere to retreat to the bed.

"Indeed, technique requires practice! Only through practice can one gain true knowledge. The ancients certainly didn't deceive me!" Yae Miko silently reflected.

"Alright, brat!"

"You've had your fun, now hurry up and finish that manuscript!!!"

Yae Miko stretched out her long legs and kicked Teiyu off the bed with her small foot, which was painted with pink "flower nail polish."

"Ouch!" Teiyu, caught off guard, was thrown off the bed, landing hard on the floor. "Really? You just use me and throw me away?"

He couldn't help but grumble as he rubbed his waist and got up to continue working on his manuscript.

The air was filled with a subtle fragrance, and the candlelight flickered.

But alas, there was no beautiful woman to keep him company.

Sigh~

Sigh...

Sigh sigh sigh...

Teiyu sighed repeatedly as he lay on the table. "I can't help it... I'm not in the right mindset..." Having just finished up some milk, he was still too energized to settle down and write.

"..." Yae Miko, lying on the bed, looked at Teiyu with exasperation. "This brat! I've spoiled him too much. Give him an inch, and he wants a mile!!!"

Does he think I don't notice? she thought. Want me to grind the ink for you? Keep dreaming! Yae Miko lazily rolled over, pretending not to hear Teiyu's complaints.

"..."

"Miko?" Teiyu called out, but there was no response. Realizing that Yae Miko wasn't going to change her mind, he had no choice but to focus and continue writing.

"I can't get into it. I'm stuck!" After writing a few more lines, Teiyu couldn't help but get distracted again, his thoughts wandering.

Hmm... The wind feels nice...

Hmm... The candle oil smells good...

Hmm... Yae Miko's... is so big!!!!

Teiyu's eyes wandered around the room, but they kept coming back to Yae Miko's... assets.

She was lying there like a sleeping beauty, her pink hair cascading down her slim waist. Her red and white shrine maiden outfit clung to her curvy figure, making Teiyu's blood rush.

Having tasted the forbidden fruit, Teiyu couldn't focus on writing anymore! Writing was nothing compared to playing with the shrine maiden's...

He stared at Yae Miko's perfect figure, his eyes filled with admiration.

As they say:

"Is it nice to look at?"

"Very nice!"

"Do

you want to keep looking?"

"I shouldn't... but yes, I do..."

"Ouch!!" Teiyu's ear was suddenly pulled by Yae Miko.

"I told you to write, what are you doing?"

"...I'm sorry, I was wrong."

With his ear in Yae Miko's grip, Teiyu immediately fell in line, obediently going back to writing.

"..."

He was about to grind the ink himself when he looked up to see Yae Miko standing by his side, her delicate hand gracefully grinding the ink stick, not in any hurry.

Under the candlelight, Yae Miko's long hair flowed elegantly, and she looked serene and calm.

This was the dream of ancient scholars on Earth—to have a beautiful woman grinding ink while they wrote. Today, Teiyu was lucky enough to experience it, so he calmed his mind and began to write in earnest.

For three consecutive days, Teiyu stayed in Yae Miko's small room, diligently writing.

If he was hungry, Miko fed him.

If he was thirsty, Miko made him tea.

In those three days, Teiyu wrote the most he had ever written in his life, cranking out 100,000 words. Thanks to his efforts, his current novel was almost complete.

"Ugh! I can't take it anymore... I'm burnt out..."

During a break to go to the bathroom, Teiyu seized the opportunity to escape. If he continued writing, he felt he might break down. Even a farm animal wouldn't work this hard!!

Besides, today was Kamisato Ayaka's birthday, and he had promised her he wouldn't miss it.

As he made his way down the mountain, Teiyu's steps were light. The novel was almost finished, and when it was done, he would finally be free!

Back home after several days, Teiyu took a bath, changed into the kimono Ayaka had given him, and began to groom himself in front of the mirror.

"Wow, who's this handsome guy?" Teiyu joked, using a small blade to trim his sideburns.

In the mirror, a youthful, energetic young man smiled back at him.

Handsome, dashing, and charming, he felt as good as some of the most attractive men in the world.

Though he might not compare to the readers who were the true elites, he was content.

After all, the readers were all exceptional, and he was just a small protagonist, so it was natural not to match their brilliance.

As the breeze blew gently, scattering cherry blossoms through the air, Teiyu made his way to the Kamisato estate.

At the gate, a girl with a sweet, smiling face stood waiting. She gazed at him with tenderness.

Her blue eyes, clear as the sea, held a gentle warmth, as if conveying something, though she kept it hidden beneath her calm exterior.

"It's been a while, Teiyu."

——

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