The ship swayed slightly, forming ripples along the lake. Due to its constant shaking, creaking sounds suffused the entirety of the wooden boat, mixed with the gentle splashes of the water surface.
After the troublemakers were driven away, Lily and Shimizu were able to regain their calm, but the interest in drinking tea was already interrupted.
Shimizu gazed at Lily’s somewhat worried eyes and asked, “Lil’ Lily, what’s the matter with you? Why have you been so sulky since Mizue left?”
“Eh?” Lily wore an inexplicable expression, “I only felt a bit disappointed when Mizue— Miss Mizue left; nothing else. What I’m thinking about is the Fujiwara family. Just what kind of family are they…?”
“So you like mature and plump women?! Even if they are married and already have sons, right?” Shimizu got a little angry.
“Ah? Sister Shimizu, what are you talking about? I only treat Miss Mizue as an ordinary companion. We shared adventures and risks together after all. Isn’t it natural to feel lost when they eventually leave? And I said before, I was just thinking about the Fujiwara family’s affairs.” Just the thought of interacting with the large and mysterious Fujiwara family was dizzying enough. Shimizu’s outburst only added to her confusion.
Seeing the hints of anxiety and confusion on Lily’s face, Shimizu’s ire seemed to have rekindled. She smiled with insightful eyes, “Is that true? But after Mizue left, you looked abnormally downhearted. Are you sure you’re not subconsciously thinking about her?”
While speaking, Shimizu reached her hands toward Lily, directly forcing her into the corner. Her deep eyes gazed into Lily’s own, “Say, why aren’t you speaking? Is it that your body is already admitting it, but you haven’t realized it yet?”
Their bodies were so close that it made Lily a little uncomfortable. After all, one of Shimizu’s hands which supported herself from the ground was accidentally pressing the side of her thigh. She was also worried that her chest would brush against Shimizu’s chin if she lost control of her erratic breath.
She tilted her head to the side and averted her gaze outside the window, staring at the drifting light-blue and white mist, “Sister Shimizu, don’t make such jokes in broad daylight. It’s just an ordinary menstrual cycle and has nothing to do with Miss Mizue.”
“Menstrual cycle? What is a menstrual cycle? Speak clearly.”
“Ah?” Lily further cornered herself. Could she explain the menstrual cycle? The only thing she knew was that her period was around two weeks ago.
Suddenly, Shimizu’s clear eyes shone brightly. Her scorching gaze swept over Lily’s delicate body, “Could it be…that…”
Shimizu leaned her lips toward Lily’s flushed ear and whispered a few tickling words.
Listening to the words, Lily instantly blushed, “Wha— no! Of course not! Sister Shimizu, don’t talk nonsense. We are about to arrive in Port Otsu; can we talk about more serious things?”
“Okay, then let’s talk seriously,” Shimizu replied with a touch of jealousy in her voice, “I want to ask you, when you go to Kansai, are you going to find Uesugi Rei?”
“Sister Shimizu, I can’t deny your suspicion. I must definitely look for Sister Uesugi. She’s probably on a dangerous path right now.” This topic resurfaced the worry in Lily’s heart and reinforced the mountainous pressure she was carrying— it was just too much.
“What’s wrong? Don’t look so sad. In fact, you don’t have to worry too much about Uesugi Rei. This woman is used to wandering around and braving risks.”
“But this time, she is crusading against Shuten Doji. Such a terrible existence is definitely something Sister Uesugi won’t be able to go up against.”
“Hahaha,” Shimizu smiled, “Lily, you worry too much about her. Do you think Uesugi Rei is a stupid woman? Shuten Doji is one of the top three demons of the Heian Dynasty. Fighting him by herself? Do you think she can rampage into Shuten Doji’s lair and fight him alone along with his army of demons? If she was that stupid, she wouldn’t have survived to this point. They must have spotted some kind of opportunity or joined an advanced crusader team in Kansai, for example, the strongest Ronin group of the Heian Dynasty: The Jinmu Legion of Eight. If they rallied their forces to crush Shuten Doji, wouldn’t Uesugi just have to participate in it?”
“Eh?” Lily was taken aback.
“No, don’t tell me you haven’t thought about this possibility?1”
“…”
Another pang of gloom hit Shimizu, “Hey, it seems that you really care about your Sister Uesugi so much that you’d lose your mind in worry. Do you like her?”
“That’s not it, but I do worry about her.”
However, after listening to Shimizu’s analysis, Lily felt a little assured. The Uesugi family was a traditionally rich family in the East which was privy to various secrets of the Heian Dynasty. They should all know that Shuten Doji wasn’t someone an ordinary samurai could afford to provoke. Even if Sister Uesugi is a righteous person, she wouldn’t be so foolhardy as to plunge herself into death, right? Maybe they really joined some powerful team or discovered some other chance. It’s impossible to think of challenging Shuten Doji head-on.
“Sister Shimizu, what you said isn’t unreasonable, but I still need to inquire about the actual news in order to rest at ease,” Lily said.
Sister Uesugi, why on earth do you want to fight Shuten Doji? Why didn’t you tell me beforehand? Maybe it’s just as my Sister Shimizu said, but I’m still worried you won’t play the cards according to common sense— it’s your style after all. In any case, when I arrive in the Heian Region, I want to find your whereabouts as soon as possible, Lily thought in her heart.
Shimizu looked at the dazed Lily with a tinge of bitterness. She got up and sat facing the other window, “You obviously have me by your side but your thoughts are all over other women…”
“Huh? No, no, it’s because Sister Uesugi is in danger, right?”
“Aren’t we in danger ourselves? You yourself are being hunted down by the forces behind the curtains. Have you never thought about me? Wouldn’t I, who is by your side, be in danger as well?”
Shimizu’s words left her speechless.
“No, it’s not like that. Sister Shimizu, If it wasn’t for you, maybe I wouldn’t have been able to escape from Witch Momiji’s clutches. I will do everything to protect you, Sister Shimizu, and I also need your protection…” Lily said while approaching Shimizu.
“I don’t want that…” Shimizu bowed her head.
“Eh?”
She then looked back up, “Is it just protection that you want from me?2”
Lily looked at her Sister Shimizu with a bewildered face. What was especially puzzling was that she didn’t know what to say next. She couldn’t understand her own heart.
In the room, two people exchanged quiet gazes, trapped in their special moment. It would be false to say that Lily didn’t harbor any strange thoughts, but whether it be Sister Uesugi or Sister Shimizu, she knew that she couldn’t accept them.
She couldn’t do anything that would harm her Senior Sister.
Couldn’t be done? Have I not done a lot already?
Lily recalled Uesugi’s kiss and couldn’t help but feel guilty. What qualifications did she have to pretend to be innocent; to pretend to be infatuated?
But, even so, that wasn’t a reason to give up on herself, right?
After my mistakes, I will confess to Senior Sister and ask for punishment and forgiveness from her.
Moreover, Lily had always adhered to several bottom lines. These bottom lines were reserved for her Senior Sister. If one day, the Senior Sister woke up, anything she wanted could be taken at any time without needing consent from Lily.
However, she also had to be mindful of other people.
Shimizu’s heart was also very sensitive. When she saw how Lily’s mind wandered off, she reevaluated their close relationship. Wasn’t she attractive enough?
This thought plummeted her mood.
But to break down in front of Lily, turn around, and shed tears? She didn’t want Lily to see her in such an image.
A woman like Lily doesn’t know what she wants, Shimizu said to herself, No, she is a touchstone. A woman who doesn’t have enough determination and aura can only pass her by. Lily may be very determined and persistent, but she is a submissive woman! The reason why Uesugi could take the lead was because of her fierce offense.
Shimizu suddenly felt that she couldn’t go on like this anymore. Just showing her sincerity to a woman like Lily wasn’t enough to conquer her heart. Instead, she would only wander in shame and ambiguity forever, bringing pain to both herself and Lily.
What she doesn’t want to do isn’t necessarily what would make her happy. I want Lily to be happy; not to go along with her wishes, because her conscience and innermost secrets will only make her heart more painful3…so I will help her.
At this moment, she seemed to have made up her mind.
“Lil’ Lily, look up.”
“Uh?” Lily, who was lost in her thoughts, raised her head subconsciously.
Shimizu took the opportunity to lean in for a kiss, pressing Lily’s soft and slightly moist lips against her own. Suddenly being kissed sent an electric shock through Lily’s body, jolting her mind and causing her head to blank.
After she was released, her rationality returned to her.
“Sister Shimizu, don’t— don’t do this.” Lily turned her head, gently covering her mouth.
Lily’s reaction made Shimizu both angry and happy.
She smiled to herself, Can you even call this a rejection? I kissed you, yet you’re rebuking me so lightly. Are you rejecting or seducing me? You’re playing with fire. Your puny resistance is only testing my degree of passion, and the ability to control a woman like you, Shimizu thought to herself4.
She grabbed Lily’s wrist which was covering her coveted treasure and pulled it away without hesitation. She then pinned Lily’s arms against the wall with one hand and pinched her chin with the other. Her thigh pushed forward, squeezing between Lily’s legs. Shimizu then dove in for another kiss, devouring the flowery softness.
Lily was pinned against the cabin wall with nowhere to escape5.
No, Lily protested in her mind but couldn’t speak, *Sister Shimizu should not have much experience in kissing. That time in the barracks, she told me it was her first kiss. Knowing her character, she shouldn’t have gotten intimate with other girls. But why is she so skilled, or is it that I am particularly… *
