Imhotep didn't know about his lover almost pulling a knife in the restaurant. After consulting a lawyer with Mori Tsukisa, they called the owner of the abandoned shrine again.
The other party turned out to be unexpectedly sincere. The old man, whose voice was slightly distorted over the phone, said bluntly: 'If you're sincere, just come for a face-to-face talk.'
Checking the time, Mori Tsukisa simply 'fell ill' for a few days and headed straight for the countryside with her Attendants—leaving Tokyo for over two hours, transferring at Matsumoto, and leaving the city's prosperity behind the train's tail.
They arrived at Itomori Town.
To be honest, anyone walking here would immediately feel the word 'city' was redundant. This place still preserved the architectural style of the Edo period, with retro yet charming Gassho-style buildings and wooden beams and pillars—a leisurely stream encircled the town, and along its winding path, the villagers had built a small wooden bridge.
Green plants were everywhere.
In the quiet, bright sun, one could hear the crisp stream water piercing through layers of bluestone by the bank. Whispering country children held Gohei-mochi, with popsicle sticks in their mouths. Older ones pushed old-fashioned bicycles; Boys looked at girls, and the elderly looked at the youth.
When the wind blew, everyone smiled.
Mori Tsukisa loved this pastoral atmosphere and loved plants—for some reason, ever since she had called upon her emotionless mother last time, the girl had a more urgent longing for nature... Today, that was finally satisfied.
Imhotep held Anck-Su-Namun, while Nagini brought Arrietty. The four beings looked on with parental satisfaction at the girl frolicking ahead. She had picked an unnamed pink flower from somewhere, ran over shouting "Ahhh!" to tuck it behind Nagini's ear, then ran off again, returning a while later holding a large pile of various snacks while shouting "Ahhh!"... The jingling sound of bells and the girl's laughter mixed together all along the way.
She was truly having a great time.
Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun also liked it here. Although so far, they hadn't started to feel weary of modern society and bustling cities.
"Master should really want to live here," Nagini followed behind, chatting idly with Arrietty. "She suits this place, living and breathing here."
"I told you that you're a low-intelligence serpent and I was right." The Little Sprite rolled her eyes disdainfully. "She likes it one moment and then she doesn't. Don't you know your 'Master' yet? In the end, it will definitely be like this—"
Not content with just speaking, the Little Sprite simply jumped onto Nagini's palm and began to act it out with grand gestures:
'Ah! My little boots... there are no shops here... where am I going to buy my favorite precious little boots?'
'Ah! There's no soft, expensive carpet either... my poor feet! She misses them!'
'Ah! No modernization...'
'Ah! And no...'
'Creatures like Eriri, Yuno Gasai, Kasumigaoka Utaha, Hiratsuka Shizuka, Izumi Sagiri, Tojo Aoi, or Aoyama Nanami.'
After Arrietty finished her monologue, she couldn't stop laughing until she noticed Nagini was expressionless—no, she was staring at her with great disapproval.
Until she noticed the sound of the bells had vanished.
The alert Little Sprite immediately turned around.
Mori Tsukisa was standing quietly not far away, her hands behind her back and standing on her tiptoes, watching her.
"Arrietty, what were you saying?" A cold voice drifted over.
Silence...
"Arrietty, for this year, please live a sugar-free life."
"Your Majesty!! She—she just laughed too!!" That stinking snake definitely laughed, damn it! She saw it just now!
Mori Tsukisa felt that at this moment, Arrietty was a bit like a scolded elementary school student.
'You spoke.'
'She said it too!!'
Pfft.
Mori Tsukisa covered her mouth and chuckled. Looking at the still serious and pretentious Nagini, she asked teasingly, "Miss Nagini, you're listening very carefully. May I ask, did you laugh?"
"No, Master." Nagini looked at the Little Sprite who was sticking her butt up and biting her palm. "I listened carefully once so that I could repeat it to you better and more accurately."
"You two-faced hypocrite!" Arrietty shouted indistinctly with Nagini's hand in her mouth. The cold-eyed woman lifted her palm, brought the Little Sprite to her lips, and whispered:
"I'm just a brainless snake, after all..."
"Lady Arrietty."
...The main house of that abandoned shrine was located on a high slope in the center of Itomori Town. Later, every household lit their lamps, and the leisurely chirping of insects was hidden within the lush greenery.
Stepping onto the stone steps, thick moss clung to both sides; before them, the ancient wooden door felt full of history.
Imhotep stepped forward and knocked twice.
Knock—knock
"Who are you looking for?"
It was a young girl's voice. The pitter-patter of slippers approached from afar, echoing through the crack in the door. After a dozen seconds, with a creak, the thick wooden door opened a sliver—
A small head peeked out.
The girl had satin-like long black hair and a round face. Her large eyes were full of curiosity and questions—she seemed to have naturally smiling lips; facing the group, it felt as if she was quietly smiling.
A likable girl.
Imhotep took two steps back and explained his purpose.
"I am Imhotep. Two days ago, I discussed the abandoned shrine in Tokyo with your family's Head Priest—"
"Oh!! It's you! Are you from Tokyo?" The girl interrupted suddenly, an excited expression appearing on her face. "I heard Grandmother mention it. Please, come in!"
Opening the door, the girl realized she was wearing pajamas... Mori Tsukisa grabbed the hem of Imhotep's clothes, walked past him to the door to block the view, and said, "So sorry to disturb you so late! Since we arrived early, we just came to say hello—tomorrow morning at the scheduled time, is that okay?"
The girl looked at Mori Tsukisa, who was smiling and waving at her. "See you tomorrow! Please let the Priestess Grandmother know!"
"Eh—Eh?!"
The girl stood there dazed and at a loss, watching Mori Tsukisa's skipping figure. Behind her, a hand suddenly patted her shoulder!
"Oh! Yotsuha!!"
"Hee... who is it, Sister?"
"It's... the people who want to buy the shrine." The girl pushed her sister's head back into the house and closed the door. "I'm going to tell Grandmother that they'll be visiting tomorrow."
"I think I heard a girl's voice." The younger sister wiped her mouth. "By the way, I ate your ice cream."
The older sister blinked. "Huh?"
"Yours," the younger sister said, her two short braids sticking out on either side. "That cup on the table that you were going to eat."
She pointed to herself. "I ate it. Thanks for the treat."
"Miyamizu Yotsuha! I'm going to curse you!"
"Eek! As a Shrine Maiden, don't just say such scary things!"
"Why didn't you think about how scary I am when you were eating my ice cream?"
The older sister pulled the younger sister into the house.
"Grandmother! Just now some—"
The white-haired elderly woman wore glasses and didn't even look up.
"Yes, yes, I know..."
"We'll wait for them tomorrow..."
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