"It's not really taking care of her; it should be more like mutual support. During this time, Ayaka has also helped me a lot," Shiki said softly.
"Is that so? It seems Miss Ryougi and my sister have a really good relationship."
As he spoke, Kamisato Ayato subtly glanced at his sister, only to find that she was constantly looking at Shiki. This couldn't help but stir a strange pang of sourness in his heart.
'Strange, what's wrong with me?'
Kamisato Ayato felt a bit strange. What was this sudden feeling, like he had just eaten a lemon?
Shiki, hearing this, turned to look at Ayaka, her eyes conveying a question.
The latter, however, gently shook her head. It was not yet time to reveal their relationship.
Or perhaps, she wasn't ready yet?
It was probably a bit of both. In any case, Ayaka currently did not want her brother to know about her relationship with Shiki.
Although societal attitudes were not as rigid as before, same-sex relationships were still, after all, a shocking matter.
They had only met twice in total. Ayaka was afraid of scaring her brother by abruptly informing him of their relationship.
"After all, Ayaka and I get along very well, and since we're both girls, our relationship is naturally good," Shiki explained earnestly, afraid she would burst out laughing the next second.
Speaking of which, was her act of deceiving her brother-in-law a bit inappropriate?
"Ah haha, I can certainly understand that. I just suddenly thought of something work-related," Kamisato Ayato said with a forced smile, pretending nothing was amiss. But for some reason, the sourness in his heart grew even stronger.
'What's wrong with the chef today? Why is there so much vinegar in the food?'
Chef:??? Please speak into the microphone.
Shiki and Ayaka began eating their meal. Because her brother-in-law was there, Shiki, for once, also acted a bit prim and proper.
Tonight's dinner was classic Inazuma cuisine, with grilled fish, sushi, sashimi, and, of course, warming miso soup.
However, Shiki had gone from initial novelty to current boredom.
Inazuma cuisine, to put it plainly, was Japanese food from Earth. There were differences, but essentially, they were the same.
It was like a chain store that would release different products based on the region, but the overall products were still the same category.
For Shiki, after such a long time, Japanese food had gone from initial novelty to being uninteresting.
After all, Japanese cuisine only had so many variations. Any one of China's Eight Great Cuisines could easily outperform it.
Shiki now deeply missed her hometown cuisine, or Liyue Cuisine would also do. Unfortunately, in Inazuma, she was the only one who knew how to cook, and she never lifted a finger in the kitchen, so there was no telling if she would ever cook.
Perhaps only on a sudden whim would she ever step into the kitchen to cook.
However, if she did cook, it would certainly be a feast for the eyes, nose, and taste buds. So, even though she usually didn't cook, her culinary skills were actually maxed out.
Dinner time passed quickly. After eating, Kamisato Ayato took his documents and went somewhere unknown. Shiki, feeling a bit curious, asked:
"Ayaka, what does your brother do every day? Does the Yashiro Commission really have that much to handle?"
"Actually, the affairs of the Yashiro Commission alone are not that busy, but besides that, brother also has to handle a series of matters for the Anbu."
"Anbu plus Yashiro Commission, naturally, makes him busy…"
"In the past, Mother was responsible for the Anbu's affairs, but ever since the family underwent changes, all these responsibilities have fallen on brother's shoulders."
"I want to take over the Anbu like Mother did to help brother share the burden, but he has always refused, saying I'm not ready yet."
"Not only that, but he also tricked me into the Kamisato Clan's diplomatic position, saying that building good relationships with various major families is very important."
"That's certainly true, but as one of the Three Commissions, all the major families in Inazuma are eager to build good relationships with the Kamisato Clan, so I don't really need to do much."
"The result is that now I am known to the world as the Shiratsuyu Princess, but very little is known about the brother who has been silently sacrificing behind the scenes."
As Ayaka spoke, her eyes couldn't help but show a hint of melancholy. She knew that was her brother protecting her, but she didn't need that kind of protection.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have fixated on it, trapping herself in the cage named 'Shiratsuyu Princess.'
Holding a high position, yet idle all day, with much free time but no close friends to confide in—it would be strange if she didn't feel trapped.
Fortunately, a certain person unreasonabily broke the cage that bound her, and the graceful White Heron finally began to spread her wings and soar.
Thinking of this, Ayaka looked at the girl. A faint smile graced her beautiful face, a smile Ayaka was very familiar with, because every time she met the other person, the girl's face always wore such an elegant smile.
This was Shiki's smile, exclusive to Ayaka.
Her deep brown eyes reflected her own image. Who could refuse a girl whose eyes were full of you?
Of course, in the latter's eyes, it was the same; this was reciprocal.
"Ayaka, you can think about it from a different perspective," Shiki's ethereal voice sounded, accompanied by an almost imperceptible smile. She continued, "The people who truly lead the grand scheme often do not easily expose themselves to the public eye."
"Because that often means something very important is about to happen. For example, the Shogun, do you remember what she was going to do the last time she appeared in the public eye?"
"The Vision Hunt Ceremony for the ninety-ninth Vision…"
"Exactly. The same logic applies to your brother. As the head of the Yashiro Commission, which manages civil affairs, if the Kamisato Clan head appeared in the public eye every day, wouldn't that imply that Inazuma is very chaotic in this regard?"
"And if Inazuma is chaotic, wouldn't that indirectly suggest your brother's incompetence in this area?"
Ayaka pondered this, and it indeed made sense.
She and her brother managed internal and external affairs respectively. If the one managing internal affairs frequently made public appearances, it would certainly have a negative impact.
"As for helping your brother share the burden, I think you've already achieved that!" Shiki continued.
"I've already achieved it?"
Ayaka was startled. Had she already helped her brother? How did she not know?
"Yes, Ayaka, think about it. The ongoing Seirai Island reconstruction project in Inazuma is a huge undertaking, and it naturally requires the Yashiro Commission's involvement."
"Then who has been helping me all this time?"
"It was Ayaka! If it wasn't for Ayaka, your brother would have been in charge of these matters, you know~"
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