"Rise and shine, queen-to-be," Akari sang in a teasing lilt as she swept the curtains wide.
Sunlight burst into the room, spilling over the bed in a golden flood that chased away the gentle shadows clinging to the corners. The air instantly warmed, carrying the faint scent of blooming plum trees drifting in from the courtyard. Outside, birds trilled like they were personally hired to announce the day.
Rin groaned, pressing the heel of her palm against her forehead as though the brightness was an insult. "Good morning, Cousin Akari," she mumbled, her voice still husky from sleep. She stretched lazily, her fingers brushing the edge of the pillow beside her—cold, and very empty.
Her brows knitted. "Where's Selene?"
"She already left," Akari replied with a bright, almost smug smile, smoothing the skirt of her yellow dress until every fold fell perfectly in place. She looked like someone who woke up specifically to win at mornings.
"Tsk… thought she was going to stay the night. Acting all romantic and everything," Rin muttered, lips curling in the faintest pout. She slid her legs over the side of the bed—then froze mid-movement.
The dress she'd worn to the party was gone. In its place was her soft nightgown, the silk cool and whisper-light against her skin.
Her eyes widened. "…Who changed my clothes?" She clutched the fabric at her chest like it could somehow shield her from the answer.
"Well, it must have been Queen Selene," Akari said breezily, like it was the most ordinary thing in the world. "She was with you all night. Didn't let anyone in—especially Sister Shion. But she left early this morning."
The words hit Rin like a slap. All night… she changed my clothes… she saw me…
The thought didn't finish before her hands flew to cover herself, as though Selene might still be lurking behind the wardrobe. Her mouth hung slightly open, and her heartbeat pounded so loudly she could barely hear Akari moving about the room.
By the time she sat at the dining table, her appetite had withered and died. She prodded her rice with her chopsticks like it had personally wronged her. "I can't believe that pervert Selene saw me naked… again," she muttered, cheeks still hot.
"Rin, is everything alright?" Master Hoshino's calm voice drifted from the head of the table, deep and steady like still water.
"Yes, sir. Everything's fine," she said quickly, pasting on a smile so polite it could have been painted on porcelain. Her eyes slid to Shion's empty seat.
"Where's Cousin Shion?"
"Oh, Sister Shion is on a mission. She'll be back in two days," Akari replied, spearing a dumpling with practiced precision.
Rin huffed softly. "Could've at least told me. Wonder what kind of mission it is…" She rested her cheek in her hand, gaze wandering toward the open shoji door where sunlight slanted across the floor.
"Cousin Rin, hurry up. We have a lot to do today," Akari urged. She shoveled the last bite of breakfast into her mouth, dabbed delicately at her lips with a napkin, and stood. Without warning, she grabbed Rin's wrist and started pulling her away—even though Rin hadn't taken a single bite.
"Okay, bye Father! We're off to the Maiden Club," Akari called cheerfully over her shoulder.
"Wait."
Akari stopped so abruptly Rin nearly bumped into her. She glanced back, eyes narrowing slightly. "Yes, Father?"
"Last time you went out, the two guards escorting you both lost sight of you." His tone carried the kind of mild disappointment that somehow felt worse than yelling.
"Yes, because they couldn't keep up. Then they got distracted, and the next thing I knew, they were dancing," Akari said, folding her arms. "Unprofessional. Both of them."
"I know. Very unprofessional," Master Hoshino agreed with a slow nod, though a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth suggested he'd found the mental image amusing. "But I have good news. I promised to replace them, didn't I?"
"No, you promised that if I handled the engagement party well, you wouldn't send guards to follow me around like a child anymore," Akari countered, her grin smug and triumphant. "And I handled it perfectly. Which means… no guards."
"True," he admitted with a patient smile. "You don't need guards… but she does." His gaze slid to Rin, heavy with meaning. "She's marrying the Ice Queen. She'll need protection wherever she goes. And unlike us, she has no powers to defend herself."
Rin's eyes widened. "No, no, no! I'm fine—completely fine! There's no need for—"
"Minato and Ayato will accompany you from now on," Master Hoshino said, the decision falling like a stone into still water.
Across the table, the brothers froze mid-chew like deer spotting an approaching predator.
Minato slowly lowered his chopsticks, his brow furrowing in disbelief. Ayato, however, still had both cheeks stuffed with rice, staring at Master Hoshino like someone had just told him winter was canceled and taxes were doubled.
"Heh?" he mumbled through the mouthful. A single grain of rice betrayed him, tumbling onto the table.
"Yes, Master," Ayato said quickly after swallowing so hard it made his throat click. Minato gave a short, stiff nod, but the faint twitch in his jaw said everything—there would be complaining later.
Rin and Akari exchanged a look—the kind that didn't need words.
The kind that said, We are about to regret every life choice that led us here.
"Huh!" Minato huffed dramatically, dragging his feet as though the air itself weighed him down. The hand fan in his hand flapped lazily, sending weak puffs of air against his sweaty forehead. "We came for our sister's wedding, and somehow ended up as bodyguards. Do we need to remind him we're powerless? What happens when someone throws a fireball or—gods forbid—sharp sand at us? Are we supposed to… politely die?"
Ayato gave a half-shrug, his tone dry. "Could be worse. He could've sent us to his land to farm. At least he didn't call us farmers."
"We are farmers, brother. And we always will be." Minato punctuated the statement with a light smack to Ayato's arm using his fan, the thwap cutting through the warm air.
Ayato sighed. "Just because our father is a farmer doesn't mean we have to be. We can choose whatever we want to be."
"With no powers and no status?" Minato scoffed, narrowing his eyes. "Sure. And next, we'll be Masters or even clan lords. Let's just stay in our place, okay? The better for us, the better it'll be."
And with that, he quickened his pace, the fan flapping indignantly as he hurried to catch up with Rin and Akari.