"Miku?" Satsuki asked, her voice laced with concern.
"…I'm fine." Miku snapped back to reality, shaking her head at her sister. She was the elder; she had to take care of Satsuki and not let her worry.
"Then why is your face so red?" Satsuki pressed, her brow furrowed. With all the diseases going around, any strange symptom was cause for alarm.
"It's nothing, really. Let's just finish cleaning," Miku insisted. Satsuki watched her for a long moment before finally letting it go.
Soon, they finished sweeping the area in front of the gate and joined Yukinoshita in wiping down the open-air corridors, a daily chore made necessary by the constant dust.
"I'll teach you how to make clothes later," Yukinoshita said after they had worked for a while.
Satsuki's face flushed with embarrassment. "…I want to make underwear and panties first," she mumbled.
Yukinoshita's calm expression wavered for a fraction of a second. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then thought better of it.
Miku gently tugged on Satsuki's sleeve. "The fabric is Master Kyosuke's property, and he only told us to make two sets of clothing. Besides," she added pragmatically, "no one here wears things like that. There's no need to be ashamed."
"Miku, please don't say such things!" Satsuki cried, her face turning so red she looked like she might faint.
"It's nothing," Yukinoshita said, regaining her composure. "Once you get used to it, it's fine. You just have to be more careful when you move."
Satsuki lowered her head, her mouth moving, making faint, unknown sounds. Yukinoshita leaned closer, trying to hear.
"She's worried about sagging," Miku stated plainly.
"…?!"
In an instant, Yukinoshita's cheeks became as rosy as Satsuki's, a deep blush caused by a sudden surge of emotion. Miku just looked at her in confusion, not understanding the problem at all. Despite the occasional awkwardness, the three girls were getting along quite harmoniously.
That night, as the faint evening bells rang from the palace, the three of them waited quietly for Kyosuke's return, chatting by the light of two flickering candles. Yukinoshita couldn't help but ask about Miku and Satsuki's time at Fujiwara no Michinaga's residence. Unfortunately, they didn't know much.
"I just know a lot of the history is wrong," Miku said, launching into a topic she knew well. "The ages of Emperor Ichijo, Lord Michinaga, and some others don't match what's written in the history books…"
Yukinoshita listened, stunned, before asking, "Do you know anything about Onmyoji?" Frankly, she knew almost nothing about them herself.
"Not much," Miku admitted. "Only that Onmyoji in this era have replaced the functions of Shinto priests and hold a very special status."
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from outside.
"Be careful," Yukinoshita whispered, her body tensing as her eyes darted to a heavy wooden stick leaning in the corner. Miku and Satsuki grew nervous. This era was dangerous, filled not only with ghosts and plagues but robbers as well.
"I'm back," a voice called from outside. It sounded like Kyosuke.
Miku and Satsuki started to get up, but Yukinoshita, anticipating the move, grabbed their arms and pulled them back.
"Don't go out!" she hissed, her tone heavy with warning. "Lord Kyosuke said not to leave the house at night."
As if on cue, the voice outside turned angry. "Where are they? Why don't they come out to greet me?!" A string of curses and furious shouts followed, lasting for nearly half an hour before finally fading into silence.
"His acting is terrible," Miku said calmly, patting Satsuki's head. "Master Kyosuke doesn't seem like someone who gets angry or speaks that loudly."
Yukinoshita nodded in agreement. "I've observed him for a long time. He has a calm personality and doesn't easily show his emotions."
Miku looked puzzled. He doesn't show his emotions? But he smiled at us so gently before… She noticed her sister whimpering beside her and quickly focused on comforting her. It dawned on Miku that their previous residence had been free of vengeful spirits, but this place was clearly haunted. The only difference was that yesterday, Kyosuke had been home.
At that same moment, some distance from his residence, Kyosuke was walking home, a strange look on his face. He was thinking about the poor acting skills of the yokai he'd just encountered. So many times, a smile was just an expression. It was foolish to assume it meant someone was friendly. Just like that attendant of Michinaga's. His face showed respect and fear, but his heartbeat and breathing were steady. His psychological quality was high, but his acting was a bit stiff.
Ignoring the random thoughts, Kyosuke casually placed his hand on the head of a horned monster lurking in the shadows. After a long moment, the creature dissolved into fine powder. No problem, he thought, and continued his slow walk home.
Day 21
I went to the Ukyo district again. I'd spent enough time scouting my own district of Sakyo; now it was time to learn the other half of the capital. With so many disasters on the horizon, being familiar with the entire city was essential.
As I passed the manor I had approached before, I noticed a change. The graceful, seal-script-like black bird patterns on the walls had been replaced with a familiar vine pattern.
Lord Yukinari is certainly efficient, I thought silently. I lowered my eyes, thinking about the Fujiwara clan's aggressive land grabs. The black bird was the crest of the Qin clan, an immigrant family of great influence. It was no surprise to see them suppressed by the native Fujiwara. Still, the Qin clan managed the Fushimi Inari Shrine, and I knew from the Onmyoji game that the god Inari would eventually appear in the main story. The gods had an obligation to protect their earthly representatives, so the Qin clan wouldn't be wiped out completely.
I came back to my senses and realized I'd wandered into a more remote part of Ukyo. The area was desolate, messy, and overgrown with weeds, as if no one lived here at all. I suddenly stopped, standing perfectly still.
A few seconds later, a man burst out from behind a ruined wall, roaring in anger as he shook his fist. "Assholes! Are you trying to kill us all?!"
The moment he shouted, dozens of people rushed out from every corner, their faces masks of grief and fury. I glanced down at the conspicuous Fujiwara vine pattern on my own hunting robe and nodded to myself. A family crest could intimidate others, but it could also bring you a host of enemies.
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