Lancer had guessed that Fujiwara no Fuhito sudden invitation must involve something, but he hadn't expected it to be related to the girl standing before him.
However, his expression quickly became somewhat awkward. He swore he hadn't intentionally gotten the man drunk this time, but who could blame him for it becoming a habit?
'That's right, it definitely wasn't my fault.'
"Lord Fujiwara no Fuhito seemed to have overindulged a bit earlier, so he's already drunk. He didn't tell me what the matter was, but if you need any help, Mokou, just tell me directly."
Lancer acted quite magnanimous toward this little girl who seemed to admire him. After all, in his eyes, she couldn't possibly have any unreasonable requests. Moreover, he wasn't truly foolish; if a request were genuinely excessive, he would be honest with her.
To his surprise, after he finished speaking, she froze for a moment. Then, using both hands to pull up her sleeves, she shielded her face, leaving only two bright red ears visible.
Compared to the curious Lancer, Fujiwara no Mokou was inwardly grumbling about her father. But then, she felt lost.
Tell him directly? Directly what? Was she supposed to say she liked him?
She couldn't do it! She just couldn't!
Not only because she was incredibly shy, but also because of her upbringing. As a daughter of court nobility, she could never do something as 'irregular' as confessing love to a man; it would be a disgrace to her family name.
Undoubtedly, Mokou was still bound by the Fujiwara name. Her every word and action had been nailed down by over a decade of life, and change was not something that could happen in a day or two.
And so, one stood blushing and flustered while the other sat there equally confused, until————
"Um, Lord Lancer, my birthday is in two months. Could you come to the Fujiwara estate on that day?"
In the end, Mokou didn't speak her heart, but she tried to take a step forward by inviting him.
Most people in this era didn't celebrate birthdays. But for Mokou, it was a very special day. In the past, her father would always spend it with her and her mother. After her mother passed and her father work became more important, he couldn't always be there. On this day, she longed for someone to be by her side.
Lancer had no idea how much mental gymnastics Mokou went through to say those words. The only thing he found strange was that Fuhito surely wouldn't have invited him just for something like this?
Lancer wasn't stupid. From Mokou room and the behavior of the maids, he could see her status in the family wasn't high. A bit of inquiry would reveal her mother was just a concubine. The only reason she even had an independent courtyard was because of Fuhito former affection for her mother; generally, children of concubines had no status.
Despite his confusion, he nodded and agreed to the invitation.
"No problem."
His injuries would be fully healed in about a month. He would have plenty of time to visit the Tengu territory and return.
Mokou, who had hidden most of her face behind her sleeves, felt immense joy upon hearing his answer.
"Thank you, Lord Lancer."
"Don't worry, it's a small matter~ Besides, I can grab a free meal while I'm at it, right?"
Although all of Mokou information about Lancer came from her father, it was enough for her to understand his strength and fame. He couldn't possibly lack a meal. She knew he was comforting her.
She couldn't help but feel happy.
Through her own effort, her flushed face had mostly returned to normal, leaving only her ears and forehead slightly red. To change the subject and calm herself down, she asked about something she cared about.
"Um, Mr. Lancer, Father said you left suddenly while at Bamboo Mountain. Was it because some Youkai were causing trouble?"
"Youkai causing trouble? That's not quite it, though it was indeed related to Youkai..."
Lancer didn't tell her about the Onmyoryo. Youkai matters didn't matter, but the Onmyoryo was an official organization. Knowing about them would be meaningless for Mokou and would only bring trouble, so he skipped those parts.
Still, the description of 'Onigashima,' which was completely different from the outside world's perception, fascinated her.
Instead of being the cruel and evil place of legends, in Lancer telling, it became a place of "silly and cute" beings. When he mentioned an Oni the same height as her was roughly as strong as him, she covered her mouth in shock. In her eyes, Lancer was the most powerful person. When he described his hard-fought victory, she let out a small, timely gasp.
This undoubtedly made Lancer very pleased.
Lancer wasn't one to brag, but the reaction of the listener made all the difference.
When people with ulterior motives surround you, their cheers feel empty. Sometimes Lancer wondered what kind of 'tenacious' will allowed those people to feel self-satisfied when they knew the applause was manufactured.
But facing a girl who truly admired him, he couldn't help but feel a bit of joy.
Lancer wasn't a great orator, and his storytelling was average at best, but his rich experiences were enough to make anyone gasp.
Perhaps because the story was too intense, or because she had been so tense from shyness earlier, Mokou head eventually hit his arm. It was only then that Lancer realized she had fallen asleep, leaning directly against him.
Looking at her delicate sleeping face, Lancer didn't disturb her. He used his finger to tuck back a few stray hairs, then gently picked her up, laid her on the prepared futon, and pulled up the covers.
"Goodnight~"
After whispering softly, he blew out the candle and left the room.
Inside the covers, the girl showed a brilliant smile even in her sleep...