Early the next morning, Emilia had already finished dressing at the vanity. She rose gently to her feet and smoothed down her long silver hair. Her outfit today was different from the day before. She wore a light pink dress, paired with matching white thigh-high stockings with garters and pale pink high-heeled pumps. She also retied the emerald pendant—where Puck resided—around her neck.
—Dressed in such a fresh and lovely style, she quietly walked toward the window after estimating the time. Her slender hand rested on the soft curtain before her. During the process, she briefly glanced back at the woman lying on the bed.
Swish~
She then pulled open the left half of the curtain. The dim bedroom, which had previously been unable to receive light, was instantly wrapped in pure morning sunlight.
Because only the left half of the curtain had been opened, the sunlight did not fully illuminate the face of the woman on the bed. It only stretched across the blankets covering the lower half of her body.
"Mmm~ so bright..."
Even so, the purple-haired beauty curled in the blankets made an adorable complaint. With a faintly alluring nasal tone, she rolled over like a little girl whining sleepily.
"Pfft... it didn't even shine on you~"
Seeing this, Emilia smiled indulgently. She then climbed onto the bed from the other side and leaned close to the sleeping Shogun's face, observing her delicate sleeping features from such an intimate distance.
Because she was lying on her stomach, her calves swayed lightly up and down behind her. One of her pumps was even dangling loosely from the tip of her white-stockinged foot due to gravity, swinging back and forth without quite falling off. The unconscious movement was oddly alluring, yet also sweet.
"Sho~gun~?"
Using a honeyed voice, she softly called near the other's ear while occasionally poking the Shogun's cheek with her fingertip.
"..."
The sleeping Shogun moved slightly as if sensing something. Her tempting cherry-colored lips parted faintly, revealing a glimpse of white teeth.
"Time to wake up~? Shogun~?"
Emilia showed no impatience and continued calling her sweetly.
[...]
Inside the Plane of Euthymia, Ei did not open her eyes. She simply floated in place in meditation. Yet she could still hear Emilia calling her daughter to wake up, making it difficult for her to remain fully focused.
However, no one expected what happened next. The sleeping girl suddenly murmured in her dream—
"Haa... stop messing around~ Kokomi, I'm sleepy."
The woman on the bed frowned slightly and lazily murmured a certain person's name. Then she pulled the blanket up over her mouth and continued sleeping.
"..." ×2
At that instant, both Emilia and Ei froze.
Ei opened her eyes, frowning in investigation.
Kokomi?
Sangonomiya Kokomi? Hm?!
Why would that name appear? Could it be that earlier, she and her daughter had...
[...]
After reaching a conclusion, Ei narrowed her eyes slightly, her expression becoming speechless.
So their relationship progressed that quickly~? They've already reached the stage of sleeping together?
Although Ayaka did say back then that the Shogun should build a good relationship with her, this seems a bit excessive, doesn't it?
"...I'm Emilia~! Shogun, wake up already~"
Emilia silently memorized the name the Shogun had just spoken. Then she pushed the woman on the bed with mild dissatisfaction.
"Mmm~ stinky fish... I said stop messing around..."
The Shogun frowned unhappily and rolled over, turning her back to Emilia.
"S-stinky—! Who are you calling a stinky fish?! Honestly!"
Unable to endure it anymore, Emilia grabbed the pillow beside her and smacked it straight onto the woman's face.
Pffnyu~!
Because the pillow was soft, it didn't hurt at all—but it was enough to wake the mumbling Shogun.
"!"
The Shogun slowly opened her somewhat hazy eyes. The first thing she saw was the slender silhouette above her.
"...Emilia?"
After recognizing her, she softly called out.
"Yes, I'm Emilia—not some 'Kokomi'~!"
Emilia puffed up her cheeks with a hint of jealousy.
"Ko—why do you know that name?"
She asked in confusion.
"You said it yourself... you were talking in your sleep."
Emilia replied speechlessly.
"Truly?"
"I heard it with my own ears."
"Haa..."
The Shogun sighed awkwardly. She covered her face with both hands and muttered something muffled in a cute tone. When she removed her hands, her cheeks had already flushed with embarrassment.
"Pfft, you're the one who said it, yet you're the one getting shy."
Emilia wasn't overly jealous. She had only reacted a little. Seeing the adorable expression on the other's face, she gently stroked her cheek.
"Something struck my face earlier. Was that you?"
The Shogun pushed the matter aside and touched her cheek, looking at Emilia in confusion.
"Eh? No, not at all~ I didn't do anything."
Emilia shook her head while holding back laughter.
[Pfft...]
Ei couldn't help revealing a small smile when she heard that.
"...Oh. Then perhaps the facial neural system experienced a bug."
The Shogun didn't think much of it and lazily muttered something Emilia couldn't understand at all.
"What... system?"
Emilia asked in confusion.
"Nothing... I was half-asleep."
She casually brushed it off with an excuse and prepared to get up. Only then did she notice Emilia's hairstyle and clothing. Setting aside the dress that perfectly matched her temperament, the hairstyle looked strangely familiar.
"Your hair..."
She mentioned lightly.
"Ah... um/// that... I braided it based on your hairstyle, Shogun. What do you think?"
When Emilia saw that the Shogun immediately noticed her new hairstyle, she felt incredibly happy. She lightly touched the silver braid hanging over her shoulder and asked with a blush.
"It is very nice. It suits you well."
The Shogun answered while putting on her clothes.
"Really? Hehe... that's good. I've always felt that when your hair is loose, it looks very similar to mine. So I tried braiding it a little."
Emilia gently touched her hair.
"Mine has already been cut. It used to be even longer."
She replied casually while changing into the black stockings and high heels that matched her dress. Sitting at the edge of the bed, she lifted her leg and tied the ribbon around her ankle into a bow.
When her hair had been fully loose before, it reached all the way to her thighs. After cutting it, it only reached her hips.
She sat in front of the vanity, planning to braid her hair herself. Unexpectedly, Emilia stepped forward first and took hold of her hair.
"Let me do it for you."
Emilia looked at the beauty in the mirror and volunteered eagerly.
"'There's no need to trouble yourself'... even if I say that, you won't listen."
She relented and lowered her arms, allowing the girl behind her to braid her hair.
"Hehe~ you know me well~"
Emilia smiled and began braiding skillfully.
Looking at the girl reflected in the mirror, the Shogun became slightly absentminded. Emilia's current appearance overlapped with two other girls in her memory.
Yes—Ayaka and Kokomi.
It wasn't that the three of them looked alike. Rather, they had all braided her hair before. The very first person to ever braid her hair had been her mother, Raiden Ei.
Thinking about it now, she almost felt like a princess—constantly cared for by them so attentively.
"Shogun..."
During the process, Emilia called out softly, snapping her back to attention. She raised her eyes toward the silver-haired girl braiding her hair in the mirror.
"What is it?"
She asked.
"You must be a young lady from a noble family, right?"
Emilia looked at her with a gentle, affectionate smile as she asked.
"A young lady? What makes you say that?"
She asked in confusion.
Was she considered a young lady?
Ayaka was the true noble lady, wasn't she?
As Ei's daughter... what would that make her?
If Ei was the supreme ruler of the shogunate, then she would be the shogunate's princess.
In that sense... perhaps she really did count as a young lady.
"Mm—it's probably your temperament. And your appearance and clothing also carry a trace of nobility. You're completely different from the rest of us."
Emilia gently brushed aside the loose strands of hair by the Shogun's ear with her fingertips, explaining absentmindedly.
"My mother... is the ruler of a nation where I come from."
She explained briefly in a way Emilia could understand.
"Ah~ I knew it~! Then that means the Shogun is actually... a princess?"
Emilia asked in surprise.
[Princess... hmm—although it feels a little embarrassing, according to the customs here, that would indeed be accurate.]
Before the Shogun could speak, Ei had already accepted the title.
'The embarrassing one is me, you know~!'
She complained internally.
"You could say that."
Too lazy to search for another explanation, she simply used Ei's conclusion.
"Hehe~ then that means I'm friends with Her Highness the Princess~?"
Emilia wrapped her arms around the Shogun's neck from behind and pressed her cheek against hers, asking sweetly.
"...Your face is very close."
She leaned slightly away but didn't resist, only reminding her shyly while looking at their reflection in the mirror.
"Ah... s-sorry///"
Emilia immediately straightened up, her cheeks turning faintly red.
"Haa..."
Seeing this, the Shogun let out a small breath. In truth, she had long grown used to girls leaning close to her like this. Emilia wasn't the first. Thinking about it now... she had never really understood why so many girls liked sticking so close to her.
Was there something special about her?
Or was it simply her face?
After Emilia finished braiding her hair, the two of them left the room, passed through the corridor, and arrived at the mansion's front courtyard—the wide garden area.
Roswaal's mansion covered an enormous area. It featured a symmetrical European architectural style with pale walls and simple decoration, giving it a refreshing atmosphere.
The garden in the early morning was filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers. Above stretched a blue sky with clouds as soft as cotton. Lush green trees and plants surrounded the area, forming a scene like an exquisite painting.
Splash~
There was even a pool in the central area, where fountains occasionally burst upward.
"Mmm~"
Standing in such a refreshing place, Emilia stretched comfortably. Her slender and perfect figure extended with the motion, emphasizing the graceful curves of her body.
Humm~
In the next moment, a soft white light emerged from the emerald gem hanging at her neck.
"Aaah~ good morning, you two..."
Puck appeared in his cat form, yawning sleepily while greeting the two beauties with half-lidded eyes.
"Puck, did you just wake up?"
Emilia asked speechlessly.
"Don't say it like that. Sleeping is also an important time to replenish magical power. It can't be neglected."
He climbed onto Emilia's shoulder and lay down again.
"I didn't see you use any magic yesterday."
Emilia complained.
"Ehehe~"
Puck laughed awkwardly.
Meanwhile, the Shogun casually sat down on a white bench in the garden. Emilia followed and sat beside her, smoothing her skirt as she did so.
"Reinhard..."
The Shogun suddenly spoke the name of the red-haired man.
"Hm?" ×2
Her words drew the attention of both of them.
"Shogun?"
Emilia looked at her in confusion.
"...That young man from yesterday?"
She asked.
"Mm... yes. So?"
Emilia still didn't understand.
"Who is he?"
She asked.
"Ah—well, Reinhard van Astrea. As the name suggests, he's the 'Sword Saint' of the Astrea family."
Puck sat up on Emilia's shoulder, suddenly enthusiastic as he explained.
"Sword Saint?"
The Shogun narrowed her eyes slightly.
"That's right. He's the current Sword Saint and possesses the strongest strength in the world~! Plus, he's handsome, elegant, and humble. Girls absolutely adore him. Why~? Did he catch your eye~?"
Puck asked with a mischievous grin.
"Puck~!"
Emilia complained immediately.
"I have no interest in men (?_?)"
The Shogun replied calmly, her eyes half-lidded in a blank expression.
"R-really?"
Emilia asked, oddly concerned.
"Why are you so concerned about that~?!"
Puck couldn't help but comment.
"B-because—! Mm... never mind."
Emilia blushed briefly but ultimately didn't say anything, shaking her head vaguely.
"Anyway? Did you fight him while I was asleep yesterday?! Hurry and tell me—who won?"
Puck looked at her eagerly, as if his eyes were sparkling.
"No. It was merely a battle of words."
She shook her head.
"Honestly~ Puck, don't talk about fighting and killing all day."
Emilia complained again.
"I'm just saying. Besides, didn't you also attack those two who stole your badge with magic earlier?"
Puck retorted.
"T-that was... unavoidable! I tried talking to them nicely but they refused to return it and even provoked me. They brought it on themselves!"
She turned her face away while explaining awkwardly, unconsciously raising her voice with a cute tremble.
"Where are Ram and Rem?"
The Shogun changed the subject and asked about the perfectly synchronized twin sisters.
"Eh? They should be... with Subaru? Yes, in his room, I think."
Emilia tried to recall his name. The twins had been curious about him and were temporarily responsible for taking care of him.
"...He's come out."
"Eh?"
Emilia froze slightly upon hearing this.
The Shogun signaled with her eyes toward the distance.
There stood the boy with short spiky hair, still wearing that low-quality tracksuit. He was standing alone, staring blankly at nothing in particular. Occasionally he crouched down to perform some strange, comical movement, touching the grass while loudly talking to himself from time to time. His behavior looked extremely odd.
"Pfft... he's such a strange person. It almost feels like he's from a completely different world than us."
Emilia joked.
"..."
The Shogun watched him silently.
"Ah—no, that's not what I meant! I wasn't talking about you, Shogun~! Even though you're not from the same world as us... we still get along really well, right? It doesn't feel like there's any kind of gap between us at all."
After remembering the Shogun's own circumstances, Emilia hurriedly waved her hands in explanation.
"I understand what you mean. There's no need to explain."
She shook her head reassuringly.
"Phew..."
Emilia let out a relieved sigh.
"By the way... Shogun."
"Mm?"
She turned toward the girl beside her.
"Why did you bring him back last night?"
Emilia asked while taking the opportunity.
"..."
Hearing the question, the Shogun thought for a moment.
"After all, he was just a stranger we met by chance, wasn't he?"
Since the Shogun had given her that look at the time, Emilia believed there must have been a reason behind it. She trusted the Shogun, which was why she had agreed.
Moreover, she was certain there was something unusual about the matter. She had sensed a strange sense of inconsistency from Natsuki Subaru himself—including his previous behavior, the fact that he already knew her name, and the issue with the badge.
She narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched the boy in the distance.
"True. From that perspective, it is reasonable to think so. But he is very special."
The Shogun answered.
"Special?"
Emilia looked at her.
"Before I explain the reason... let me ask you something first. Do you trust me?"
She asked cautiously, just in case.
"Mm. I trust you."
Emilia nodded without hesitation.
When it came to the Shogun, she trusted her completely.
She didn't even know why.
Perhaps... that was simply the Shogun's charm.