The next day, Akira's bedroom door remained firmly shut until the sun reached its zenith.
Only when afternoon had fully arrived did he emerge into the living room with hollow eyes.
The cost of enduring the affectionate onslaught of Servants including Tamamo and Kiyohime all night was brutal. If not for his oni regeneration ability, he might have been discovered as a mummy on his bed.
"Ugh... my back..."
Akira dragged his aching body and buried himself deep into the leather sofa. Soon after, the Kocho sisters, having been summoned, entered the living room.
"My, what happened since morning? Your complexion... paler than usual, Akira-san?"
Shinobu asked with a beaming smile.
Though it was her characteristic gentle tone, it subtly contained a sarcastic implication of 'You look good after rolling around with them all night.'
After living together these past few years, Shinobu had become close with Akira, acknowledging him as an oni.
Even if he was a being who ate humans, the fact he took in and protected them, who lost their parents, as family and benefactor remained unchanged.
"Ahem. Nonsense. I have an important announcement. My wedding will be held two weeks from now."
Instantly, a silence as if a heavy lead ingot had fallen flowed through the living room. The teacup Kanae was holding trembled slightly.
"...Wedding, you say?"
Kanae's pupils shook. Shinobu's smile hardened like a mask.
Because it meant formally welcoming a human wife, not a supernatural being like the Servants.
Not a relationship like Ubume or Tsubaki, nor a dependent like Mukago.
"The partner is the young lady of the Kanroji family, Kanroji Mitsuri. The person who will become my official wife publicly."
Akira continued his explanation calmly. The political union with the Kanroji family, Mitsuri's potential, and the strategic reason for recruiting her before the Demon Slayer Corps.
"That girl is incredibly pure and rather tactless. You'll disguise as my distant cousins and help her adjust here. Most importantly, keep the fact I'm an oni a complete secret from her. Got it? Well, later I'll manipulate her perception with a suggestion to easily accept I'm an oni."
At Akira's words, Shinobu felt stifled as if a part of her chest was blocked. A feeling of something lodged that wouldn't go down.
'Strategic reasons. Of course. We were taken in that way too. But... why do I feel so bad?'
Shinobu couldn't understand her own emotions.
It helps Akira. It strengthens our forces. But it was irritating. She tried hard to rationalize the reason.
"...Understood. If it's Akira-san's will, we must follow. We have no right to refuse such things."
Shinobu answered in a businesslike tone, pretending it was nothing.
Kanae nodded with a bitter smile.
She vaguely knew the identity of the emotion rising in her chest, but couldn't show it before her sister nor before Akira.
A few days later, Mitsuri visited to see the wedding preparations and the house she'd marry into. Mitsuri, getting off the black Ford Model T, was overwhelmed by the mansion's grandeur, unable to close her mouth.
"Wow...! Akira-san's house, it's really incredibly huge! What if I get lost here?"
Mitsuri, very nervous with a flushed face, entered the entrance. Akira welcomed her with a gentle smile, and soon after, a meeting with the sisters occurred in the drawing room.
"Welcome, Miss Mitsuri. These are my distant cousins, Kanae and Shinobu. Due to circumstances, I'm taking care of them as their guardian."
Akira, having met her over the past few days, naturally spoke casually and connected Mitsuri with the sisters. The two sisters bowed politely as promised.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Kanroji. I'm Kocho Kanae."
"I'm Shinobu. Pleased to meet you."
The moment Mitsuri saw the two sisters, her eyes sparkled. An expression like a child discovering a cute puppy or a pretty doll in a display case.
"Kyaaah! Oh my, goodness! You're so pretty and cute! Your names were Miss Kanae, Miss Shinobu? How can you be as graceful as butterflies!"
The sisters were momentarily flustered by Mitsuri's 100% pure praise.
Usually noble young ladies were arrogant, or would flatter seeing Akira's wealth, but this woman was endlessly sunny.
Mitsuri approached without reservation and firmly grabbed both their hands.
"Um, actually I have many siblings but I'm so happy it feels like I gained sisters! Pleased to meet you from now on! Let's live like real sisters!"
Squeeze.
"...?!"
Shinobu's eyes widened roundly. Though the corners of her mouth were smiling, a chilly shiver ran up her spine.
The pressure felt from the held hand wasn't that of an ordinary human.
'Th, this grip strength...?'
Though just a handshake out of joy, it was solid and heavy as if caught between rocks.
Overwhelming brute force that seemed to make hand bones creak. Instantly, numerous thoughts passed through Shinobu's mind.
'I... learned poison because I lacked the strength to cut an oni's neck.'
Herself, who couldn't fight head-on due to innately weak physical strength. The physical limits that couldn't be filled no matter how much she trained swinging and thrusting her sword.
The talent she so longed for but couldn't have, existed abundantly in this sunny woman before her.
'Unfair.'
It was jealousy. Simultaneously jealousy toward a romantic rival, and painful inferiority felt as a warrior.
If Akira chose her because of this strength, a sense of defeat that she could never beat her overwhelmed Shinobu.
"Ah, oh my! S, sorry! I failed to control my strength again! Uwaa, are you okay? It's red!"
Mitsuri, seeing Shinobu's hand had turned red, flinched and let go. She soon made a crying face and fidgeted anxiously.
"...It's fine. Your grip strength is impressive. Really, I envy you."
Shinobu's voice had an edge. Sincerely, envy and jealousy that pierced deep into her bones.
But tactless Mitsuri, thinking it was just praise, blushed.
"Akira-san said that too! That great strength is a divine blessing! Hehe. Actually, I've had many broken engagements because of this. Said it's creepy."
Those words stabbed another dagger into Shinobu's chest.
'The strength I want but can't have, you thought was creepy? How full you are.'
Shinobu's eyes grew sharper, but Kanae gently intervened and eased the atmosphere.
When Akira winked slyly saying "You girls chat comfortably," and gave them space, a proper tea party began.
Mitsuri's eyes sparkled as she picked up a sakura mochi.
"Wow! Can I eat all of these? Really? My goodness, it's like a dream!"
And what began was storm-like inhalation. Mitsuri finished off the mochi at unbelievable speed, but very happily and bountifully.
Each time Mitsuri ate, Ubume brought additional sakura mochi.
Mochi made by Benienma herself for Mitsuri, of course incomparably delicious and plentiful compared to those sold commercially.
"It's really delicious! Akira-san is truly a kind person. He said my hair color like cherry blossoms is pretty... and that eating lots is bountiful."
Mitsuri, with red bean powder at the corner of her mouth, began boasting about Akira.
"So I've decided! With this strength, I'll protect Akira-san for a lifetime! If anyone tries to harm Akira-san, I'll blow them all away!"
Mitsuri clenched her fist and declared her resolve. Shinobu's gaze watching that scene sank coldly.
'Protect... though Akira-san isn't someone who needs protection from anyone.'
Something hot surged up inside.
'What do you know. Not knowing anything about what kind of existence Akira-san is, what world we live in. Just because you're somewhat strong, heard some pretty words...'
To Shinobu, Akira was an object of fear, a savior, and a second parent.
Not someone she could dare say she'd protect. Yet this immature young lady so easily spoke those words. That touched Shinobu's pride.
"...Miss Mitsuri must really like Akira-san. To go that far despite not having met long."
Shinobu shot back.
"Yes! I think this is what love at first sight is! Miss Shinobu might be too young to know? Love is something that strikes like lightning KABOOM! and falls!"
Mitsuri smiled sunnily, not sensing Shinobu's thorns at all.
The topic naturally moved to the upcoming wedding.
"So, we decided on a traditional wedding! I'll wear a white kimono (Shiromuku)!"
"Shiromuku. A pure white wedding kimono. It will suit you well, Miss Mitsuri."
Kanae gently agreed.
"Yes! Hehe. But I'm a bit embarrassed. The shiromuku means 'I will be dyed in your color'... whether someone like me, a tomboy, can be well dyed in the color of a wonderful, proper person like Akira-san..."
Mitsuri covered her flushed cheeks with both hands and squirmed.
The image of Mitsuri in pure white wedding kimono standing beside Akira. Those words 'dyed in your color.'
Shinobu put down her teacup roughly enough for it to clatter.
'Dyed in your color...'
She couldn't understand why her stomach felt so nauseous, why she felt so disgusted.
Akira's color. That is the color of red blood. An oni's color. This woman, knowing nothing, says she'll be dyed in that color.
Ignorance isn't a sin, but at this moment, that ignorance felt sinful.
'...No. This isn't jealousy. It's just displeasure. That this woman stands beside Akira-san, that with such powerful physique she only plays at love games, makes me angry. Having the strength I desperately tried but couldn't obtain, just being infatuated with a man.'
Shinobu denied her emotions to the end, calming her boiling insides with cold tea.
As evening came, Mitsuri returned, seen off by Akira.
"...I'm incredibly tired."
Shinobu said, plopping down onto the sofa. Rubbing the back of her held hand, a throbbing sensation still remained.
"Indeed. She was an energetic person."
Kanae also cleared the teacups with a bitter smile.
"Sister. That woman, too simple. No, like a fool. Not knowing Akira-san is an oni... being so blindly infatuated like that. What will she do when she learns the truth later? She's obviously just being used and will be discarded."
Shinobu grumbled, puckering her lips. But Kanae read the complex, tangled true feelings hidden within her sister's complaint.
"Shinobu. Do you dislike her because she seems like a fool? Or... do you dislike that Akira-san chose her?"
At her sister's words hitting the mark, Shinobu jumped up. Y1pKRDY3WUhYeXVKQmZZeTNSUXY4QnFwdFBVVGphZjNJbFJFL0JEVmJ0MTMwRUNWUjRBRG1vV2xwOVNKL3FXcA
"Huh?! Th, that's nonsense, sister! Of course the former! That someone only strong and thoughtless becomes Akira-san's wife, I'm worried! Beside Akira-san should be... a bit more, yes. Someone more intelligent and calm suits better! Besides, there are already many such people."
Watching her younger sister making excuses with a flushed face, Kanae quietly approached and stroked her head.
"Right, I see. But Shinobu. Isn't that it? Jealousy makes a woman ugly."
"I, it's not jealousy! Really not! I just... only envy that woman's strength! If I had such strength, I could've been more helpful."
Shinobu packaged her emotions as envy for strength to the end.
Because the moment she acknowledged this unknowable emotion, she feared the world she'd built would crumble.
"Anyway..."
Kanae said quietly, looking out the window.
"In a few days, a real mistress will enter this house. A bride in white kimono, with cherry blossom color. Of course, only the surface bride. Mitsuri, that person is two years younger than me. One year older than Shinobu. I wonder what will happen, I'm worried."
If Mitsuri enters this house, what exactly will happen to her? What changes will occur to them?
Kanae was worried. Of course Akira or the others wouldn't treat Mitsuri harshly, but they wouldn't just leave her be.
Though she knew they would definitely do something to Mitsuri, as Kanae, she could only watch.
Because Akira and his Servants were, this house. No, the absolute rulers of Ginza. Even if manipulated, happiness would await Mitsuri ahead.
Like a benevolent lie, Kanae had to condone their actions even knowing they were immoral.
After all, having lived and grown stronger thanks to their grace, opposing them would be shameless.