Translator: Reflet
Editor: ryunakama
"Ah, but I could always be mistaken."
"Nay, do not attempt to console him like that. It will just make things worse, ja."
"Hauuu…"
"Is that actually true?"
He asked Aoba, and she gave a small nod.
Now that it has come to this, he had no choice but to admit it. He had been looking at Juurokuya with those eyes. He then probed himself, wondering if that meant he liked her.
After thinking on it a bit…
"I don"t see it…"
"Don"t see what, ja?"
"I don"t think I like her. Oh, and that doesn"t mean I dislike her, but I mean as a lover."
He made sure to expand on his statement when he remembered that Juurokuya was in the room. Juurokuya gave a panicked "Yes" in response.
"So you don"t even like her…seriously?"
"Ye don"t need to concern yeself over this matter."
"No, I can"t just ignore this…ah."
"Now what?"
"Could I possibly be thinking…the same thing about other women?"
"You mean you want to know whether or not you"ve been looking at others with the same l.u.s.t-filled eyes."
Taiyou nodded. He didn"t even object to her comment about him.
"Well yea, somewhat."
"You"ve got to be kidding me…"
"It be true."
"No way…"
He wanted to hold his head.
From Taiyou"s point of view, this was arguably his first experience. As of right now, there were six girls whom he referred to as his brides. From the point of view of other people, this was already strange, and they would likely see it as being unfaithful. Still, he had never paid it any heed, because all that mattered to him was that he liked the girls in question.
Kotone, Suzune, Kazane.
Kohaku.
Youran.
Aoba.
Akiha.
Shirokiyami.
He could declare without a doubt that he loved these six with all his heart. You could even say they were the pillars that held him intact. But now, with Juurokuya, it had all collapsed. To make matters worse, it wasn"t like he didn"t have a clue about her either. Just as Kohaku and the others had said, he did recall "looking at her with l.u.s.t-filled eyes". And not even just once or twice.
She strongly resembles Youran, but their faces were still fundamentally different. Now that he thought about it, he had indeed developed erotic feelings for her, desiring to make love with her.
"Tch, this is just…"
"Ye need not be concerned with this, ja."
"But I—-"
He looked at Kohaku, attempting to retort, but he lost his words. Kohaku, after repeating those words, had a very serious expression on her face. She was not merely making fun of him. She legitimately thought he did not need to be concerned about it.
Upon closer inspection, Aoba to the side was the same.
"If ye want to make love with this la.s.s, then why not? You can absolutely do that."
"What are you saying?"
"Juurokuya."
"Y-Yes."
"If Husband be seeking something of ye, what would ye do?"
"S-Seeking what? Y-You mean my body?"
"Aye, that be correct. And not even true love, but merely the desire to get physical. What say ye?"
"G-G-Gladly!"
Juurokuya nodded repeatedly. The twintails that matched so well with Yourans swayed from the movement.
"Say what?"
"I-I-It is an honor to have the privilege of doing such things with New Moon-sama"s important personage."
"I don"t think that"s…"
"And besides!"
She let out a loud voice, cutting across what Taiyou was trying to say.
"I-I-I happen to think that you are amazing, Taiyou-sama."
"…"
Her mouth had continued on.
"And that seems to be her opinion, ja."
"Huh?"
"Yer getting all fervent over this, Husband. Ye want to make love with this la.s.s. But ye don"t literally love her. Ye cannot make her yer bride. So ye seek to make a compromise with her and hopefully gain her body in the process. What do ye think? Perfect logic, nay?"
"Is it really okay for me to be such a savage b.a.s.t.a.r.d?"
Taiyou asked. Kohaku did not answer, instead looking at Sakura.
"So there ye have it, la.s.s. In order to taste test all the ladies with similar faces, he"ll worm his way into as many marriage conferences as he has to."
"Well that sounds troublesome."
Sakura giggled, completely calm. She didn"t even look put off by that.
"Is there perhaps some way I could get you to abandon this pursuit?"
"Husband be a tenacious man, ja."
"True, I do have this image of him being obstinate if I recall what occurred in the past."
"…"
Taiyou said nothing. This was because he knew exactly where Kohaku was going with this. So in order to not get in her way, he refrained from speaking.
"Well, I do get the feeling that I"ll be encountering him more than I bargained for."
"Yer jealous, eh?"
"Oh of course, from the bottom of my heart. I am so jealous that I never want to a.s.sociate with him again."
"Ye can join his team. There still be a slot open."
"A slot, you say? I didn"t know such a thing existed."
"Well, it be common sense that there be a limit to how many lucky women can be by the side of a man with a caliber like Husband."
"In that case, I shall let someone else have that spot. And may you and your future descendants have much fortune."
The two of them continuously said things to each other that they didn"t even mean. Taiyou was used to this, so he was calm, but Aoba was in a panic as she watched from the side. The atmosphere was tense.
"Do you perhaps know a way to get rid of persistent men?"
"Well, there be one limited way, ja."
"And what might that be?"
"Tell me everything concerning Tengai, ja."
"—-ngh!"
Shirokiyami in his arms twitched.