Kenshin spent the rest of day 428 with his loving family, taking the little sons for rides in the new carriage. Makoto and Karin still couldn't get used to the infants growing so much in days that they now raced around the yard chasing Red.
Keiko, meanwhile, quickly accepted this amazing turn. No one explained, but she figured the already extraordinary future-seer might have even more surprising abilities. She knew innate talents could be incredible and decided it was just Kenshin's advanced Kekkei Genkai.
"How are you feeling?" Kenshin asked softly, sitting beside Keiko.
"Much better, thank you," Keiko replied with a light smile.
"You should dress warmer—summer's over..." Kenshin whispered with a sigh, draping a warm sweater over the lightly dressed woman.
"Thank you, you're very kind," she said, lost in the depths of his brown eyes.
She hadn't realized how, in a week, her ten-year dormant cold heart had awakened, making the mature, calm woman feel like a young girl again.
Keiko increasingly gazed with longing and envy at Kenshin's affections toward his wives. Greeting kisses stretched into hours in her mind, and the long-forgotten woman lay awake, immersed in blissful dreams she feared thinking about near Kenshin.
Being no fool, she was utterly inexperienced in love and stubbornly refused to see Kenshin's attentions as romantic. She saw them as mere kindness from a good man, trapped like a young girl in imagined fears.
"You have very beautiful hands. I hope soon you can wear sleeveless clothes again," Kenshin said with a smile, taking her hand and stroking her slender, refined fingers.
"Hitomi-san said the scars will remain anyway..." she replied with a sigh, coughing.
"Don't worry—I'll ensure you become healthy again," Kenshin said, gently embracing her waist and stroking. He pulled her closer, letting her feel his intoxicating scent.
Everyone saw Kenshin and Keiko were talking, so they tacitly left them be. Moms played with sons, Makoto and Karin fed horses sugar. Meyumi, though displeased, knew Keiko was vital to Kenshin and stayed aside, awaiting their talk's end.
Red was the only one allowed tactlessness in the Nakayama Family home. Fleeing playful toddlers, she carefully crawled under Kenshin's bench, barely fitting the small space.
"Red, come here," Kenshin said softly. The big puma joyfully poked her head out and in an instant climbed onto the rest of the bench, resting her muzzle on her master's lap.
"What a magnificent cat... Where did you find her?" Keiko said admiringly, stroking the wondrous fur of the beautiful puma.
"She found us, right, Noriko?" Kenshin asked with a smile, glancing at the stone roof.
"Uh-huh, that flea bag nearly bit our asses off. I don't get why Kenshin took her along... She's useless—even on hunts she eats more than she catches!" Noriko complained displeasedly, loudly biting an apple.
Red just flattened her ears and hissed at Noriko on the ledge.
"Stop badmouthing her. We don't need constant hunting, and Red's a great pet. You saw how thrilled the kids were," Kenshin sighed, stroking the beautiful puma again with Keiko's tender hand.
"Fine, but if our tribe runs out of food—I'll make her meat on day one!" Noriko growled threateningly, causing Red to crawl further, her head now on the red-haired woman's lap.
"Don't be scared, sweetie—she's joking," he whispered softly, stroking the purring cat. Kenshin's tender tone affected not just Red but Keiko. She nearly melted from his emanating gentleness, sinking back into her dreams.
Kenshin spent the rest of the evening with his beloved women and children, enjoying their joyful smiles. After sunset, all returned indoors and to their activities. Moms put sons to bed, Noriko trained, Makoto and Karin chased the fleeing puma, while Kenshin and Keiko drank tea and played board games.
Meyumi kept trying for her share of affection, and Kenshin mentally promised her the whole night alone if she'd stop embarrassing Keiko and let them play undisturbed.
Such an arrangement more than suited the young blonde, and she generously allowed Keiko to talk with her beloved husband. Meyumi's jealousy had practically vanished entirely, for she considered herself at least equal to the others, and her visibly swelling belly was the best proof of that.
During the time spent alone with Keiko, Kenshin had greatly improved their relationship, and finally convinced her to address him by name. The red-haired woman had completely melted from the multitude of compliments and casual touches from the handsome, muscular guy, so she accepted a much more sensual goodnight kiss from him without a single objection.
At the end of the evening, Kenshin unashamedly wrapped his arm around the beautiful woman's waist and pulled her to him, fully feeling the tenderness of her naturally plump lips for the first time. Keiko was so absorbed in the emotions overwhelming her that she paid no attention to Kenshin's hand wandering at the very base of her back.
Throughout the kiss, sparks danced in Keiko's eyes like a raging torrent, and her heart pounded at the limit of possibility. For the first time in her entire life, she felt such strong emotions, and she didn't want this wonderful evening to ever end.
Kenshin, in turn, didn't want the evening to end either, and he thoroughly pleased Meyumi by ending up in bed with her. He was so aroused by the emotions Keiko had given him that he ignored Meyumi's pregnancy and was very rough with her, only allowing the exhausted girl to blissfully fall asleep midway through the night.