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"A child who looks like you?"
Raiden Ei, who had initially only wanted to see if Raiden Ei would struggle with the embarrassment of not having enough Mora to pay for her order, found herself shaken by her own words. Was there truly another young girl in this world besides the two of them who shared such a striking resemblance?
"That... it's just a..."
If Raiden Ei were the one asking, Raiden Ei would rarely hold back the truth. However, the prospect of admitting that her consciousness had separated from the Shogun's body, leaving her to act through a vessel that seemed only capable of acting cute, was humiliating. She could only imagine how long her sister would tease her if she ever found out.
"It's just a... child... that looks like me."
After weighing the potential consequences, Raiden Ei decided to keep the truth buried. Besides, that body only existed in the physical realm. Ei couldn't leave the Plane of Euthymia, nor could she see it.
Yae Miko raised a tiny paw. As someone who had witnessed Ei returning from the Plane of Euthymia to the real world, she knew exactly what that child was. Since Ei was so desperate to hide it from her sister, Miko felt a sudden, spiteful urge to tell all.
"Does Miko know?"
Watching the movement of the little fox in her arms, Raiden Ei shifted her focus, hoping for an answer. It wasn't possible that Ei had a child, was it? With her stubborn, explosive temper, which man could possibly tolerate her?
Raiden Ei shot a fierce glare at Yae Miko. The look, which promised that the little fox would soon be turned into a fur coat, made Miko stiffen. She abandoned her plan to share the good news with Raiden Ei. Fine, she wouldn't say a word. She couldn't best Ei in a fight, but that was just a lack of personal strength. If she found someone who could defeat her, surely even Ei couldn't stop her from speaking, right?
With that thought, the little fox raised a paw and pointed directly toward Tenshukaku.
This sudden change made Raiden Ei realize that her sister was desperately trying to keep this secret. But when had her little sister become someone who hid things from her?
"If you don't want to talk about it, Ei, I won't ask."
Raiden Ei sighed. "You've grown up, and you have your own thoughts now. That's natural, and I shouldn't pry as your sister."
Yet, she underestimated just how determined Ei was to keep this secret. Being exposed to those closest to you only made the embarrassment more painful. It was exactly because of this that Ei hadn't minded as much when Kamisato Ayaka was around; she knew the secret wouldn't spread. As for Miko, since she was Ei's only friend at the time, she hadn't been able to bring herself to silence her. But Raiden Ei could not find out!
"Does Su Ran know?"
The sudden question made Raiden Ei go rigid. She had no idea how to answer. Did he know? He knew better than anyone. That vessel of hers had been crafted by Su Ran himself; how could he not know? She could threaten Yae Miko, but what could she possibly do to threaten Su Ran? A suicide pact? Impossible. She had only just reunited with her sister, and she wasn't ready to die yet. She hadn't even spent a month by her sister's side—she wouldn't even have an appetite for desserts without that. But if her sister asked him, Su Ran might actually tell her!
"He doesn't know!"
Raiden Ei feigned composure. She didn't blush as she spoke the lie, but her heart hammered violently against her ribs.
"Is that so?"
Raiden Ei eyed her sister with deep suspicion. Ei nodded quickly. Her sister was still her sister, especially the martial-obsessed one. It was one thing that she wasn't a sharp thinker, but she didn't even bother to patch up such an obvious hole in her lie.
"But didn't you just say that a man was holding a doll? Isn't that man Su Ran?"
Raiden Ei fell into a sudden silence. She had run out of excuses. She had intended to set a trap for Su Ran, so how had she ended up entangled in it herself?
"Why would he be holding a child who looks so much like you?"
Raiden Ei, usually so gentle, now looked at her sister with an edge of aggression. If she didn't push, she would never know how many secrets her sister was hiding from her.
"He..."
Raiden Ei's face flushed a deep red. It was the physical manifestation of her lie crumbling, combined with the looming threat of social death. If her sister found out, she would truly never be able to hold her head up again.
"Alright, alright. I won't ask."
Seeing how nervous and terrified her sister was, Raiden Ei began to feel a sense of dread herself. That child couldn't possibly be related to Ei, right? Her sister was so dense; she knew nothing but how to fight. Aside from possessing a face as beautiful as her own, she had no merits. Surely no man would ever take an interest in her, would he?
Raiden Ei looked down at the pink-haired fox in her arms. The mischievous fox was still pointing toward Tenshukaku. Her expression turned subtle.
"Are you saying that the man is Su Ran?"
The fox nodded.
"The man who turned Ei into that state is Su Ran?"
Raiden Ei pointed at the flustered Ei, asking again in utter disbelief. This time, the fox glanced at Ei, then nodded solemnly. All hope was lost. How could her foolish sister have given everything away to a man without consulting her big sister first? Did she already have a child? She hadn't prepared a single gift for her niece yet. Although Su Ran was undeniably a man of great talent, how could a dense person like Ei possibly hold the heart of such a brilliant man? Once they were together, wouldn't she be twisted around his finger?
No, looking back at their time in Tenshukaku earlier, wasn't she already being twisted around his finger? She had done nothing but take the abuse. And wasn't Su Ran supposedly pursuing a woman named Kamisato Ayaka? She had to see for herself just how exceptional a woman she was to be targeted by the same man as her sister.
Raiden Ei completely forgot that she had been calling her sister a fool just moments before.
"Ei, let's head back to Tenshukaku."
"Wait a moment, pack me two more servings of Dango Milk."
If she was going to meet her niece, she naturally had to bring a gift. It was a bit rushed, and she didn't have time to prepare anything better, but this drink tasted quite good. Her niece should like it.