17 Chapter 16: Yuragi Inn (6)

As always, Riyuo woke up at dawn the morning. Nao is still sleeping, but she was awake when Riyuo moved his body to stand up.

"...Riyuo-sama?" Nao asked drowsily.

Riyuo smiled softly and gave her a brief kiss. "Good morning, Nao. You can sleep a bit more, you know. I just wanted to do my daily training."

Nao nodded with a sleepy face and closed her eyes again. Riyuo shook his head and went to the bathroom to wash his face.

After finished washing his face and brushed his teeth, he then walked to the backyard of the inn.

He looked around and couldn't find Sagiri. 'Well, as expected she will rest considering the damage she received yesterday.' Riyuo thought.

So he started to do some stretching and start his daily training.

— One hour later.

The sun began to come out one hour after he finished his training. Nao also finished changing and tidying everything and came to the backyard to watch Riyuo's training.

But after he finishes training and they will return to the inn, someone approached them.

"S-Shinomiya Riyuo." It was Sagiri in her casual clothes.

Riyuo glanced at her briefly before greeting her. "Good morning, Sagiri-san. Is your body okay?" Riyuo asked with a worried tone.

"A-Ah, it's fine, it only takes a week's rest before I'm healthy again."

Riyuo walked towards her and gently stroked her head, "Is that so? Don't push yourself too hard okay, I don't want bad things to happen to you."

Sagiri's face suddenly turned red and let out a low growl. Somehow she looks like a dog, if she had a tail it would probably wag it left and right.

But Sagiri came to her senses quickly and took a few steps back. "W-What are you doing, S-Shinomiya Riyuo!"

"Hahaha! Well, if you can still be excited like this there's probably nothing to worry about."

Knowing that she was being teased, Sagiri's already red face turned into more red like a boiled octopus. "D-D-Don't tease me, I-I just want to give this back to you." She said while handing over the ninjato he threw yesterday.

"Oh, you brought it! Not only that you also sharpened it too! Thank you!" Riyuo said with a gently smile while taking his ninjato back.

Sagiri lowered her head from being too embarrassed and said. "N-No. I should be the one thanking you for saving my life."

Riyuo chuckled after hearing her words. "You're too much, after all there's no one who wouldn't want to save a beauty like you, Sagiri-san."

Hearing Riyuo call her beauty made her so embarrassed that Riyuo could see her head blowing smoke.

"I am not beauty." Sagiri whispered in a low voice, but of course Riyuo who was nearby her could hear it.

"But if you really want to thank me, I'd love it if you came to the hot spring tonight and rubbed my body." Riyuo said jokingly.

Sagiri who heard that wanted to scold Riyuo, "Shi-Shinomiya Riyuo, you—"

But when she looked up, Riyuo quickly approached her and kissed her forehead. After that he shifted his head and whispered in her ear, "I'll be waiting for you tonight okay, Sagiri-san. Don't run away."

After saying that Riyuo calmly returned to the inn with Nao, While Sagiri.Exe is still having an error.

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Riyuo pov.

It's all going according to my plan. The plan is actually quite simple. Save the princess from danger and become a knight in shining armor.

If it's for a mature woman who has a calm and logical mindset, of course a plan like this won't work. But this is Sagiri we are talking about, She may look cold and mature but she's actually a stubborn girl. In anime and manga it is said that she likes cute things, but because of her stubbornness she said that it didn't suit her because she felt quite inferiority with her femininity.

So my plan is to keep pushing her while making her accumulate 'gratitude' until she can't return it.

By leaving my ninjato, it's to make her understand that I was the one who helping her. And by the way I left without talking to her, it means that I don't want to get involved... I hope she understands my hidden message, besides, I don't want to be called to the Chuuma Ninja headquarters and interrogated.

By the way it's already 9pm, the other residents are doing their own thing while I'm relaxing in the hot springs.

I close my eyes while relaxing my muscles, Suddenly I heard the sound of the door opening and when I looked back it was Sagiri who was using a towel to cover her body. She entered the hot spring without speaking and didn't dare to look at me.

"You really came, Sagiri?"

"W-Wasn't it you who told me to come."

"We all know that I didn't mean it seriously, but since you've come why don't we take a dip and enjoy the night view together."

Sagiri didn't say anything and just washed her body before entering the bath. She was sitting at a distance but without caring I walked up to her and sat beside her.

"W-What are you doing, step away a little." She said while starting to make distance. But before she could move I grabbed her hand and made her sit on my lap.

"Kya! W-What are you doing, Shinomiya Riyuo! L-Let me go!"

I just smirked and bitted her earlobe. Sagiri twisted her body trying to escape, but I did not release her.

"If you continue to rebel I will punish you, Sagiri." I whispered in her ear.

Sagiri shivered and her body lost strength, but she quickly recovered herself and pouted. "...P-Pervert!"

I laughed enjoying Sagiri's shy expression. "Hahaha, you're so cute when you're shy, you know."

Sagiri blushed when she was called cute, then she said, "S-Shinomiya Riyuo, Y-You can't tell anyone about this."

"Riyuo."

"Eh?"

"I said Riyuo, call me by my name."

"T-That..."

I bit her earlobe again and started to speak in a slightly pushy tone. "Sagiri, call me by my name!"

"Uhm...Ri-Riyuo..."

"Good girl." I said with a smile while patting her head.

"C-Can you let me go...please."

I tightened my arms around Sagiri's waist. "Impossible."

Sagiri looked at me with a surprised expression. I stared right into her eyes and continued. "It was so hard to get my cute Sagiri, how can I give you up now? No matter what, I'll not abandon you. I'll take care of you forever...Sagiri, you're not a dense person, so you must know why I'm doing all of this, right?"

Sagiri's eyes turned wet and she lowered her head hurriedly. I could hear her sobbing softly, trying to suppress her tears.

"Why?...You know...I'm not that beautiful..."

"Because I want you to stay by my side. Don't worry Sagiri, I'll always be with you."

"...."

I grabbed Sagiri's chin and lifted it slightly then asked her "Can you be mine, Sagiri?"

She took a deep breath and said, "L-Let me think about it."

"Sure, you have all the time you need to think."

"Hmm." Sagiri nodded and rested on my arms. We remained like that for a while, letting the hot water warm our body.

After a while, we finished bathing and exited the hot spring. Sagiri then blushed shyly and pushed me out before she running towards to her room as though she was escaping from something.

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