“Riri-san. Can I show you around the palace today?”
Riri bowed her head and greeted Keika who had come to her room.
“Thank you, Princess Keika. I would like to see the palace, but there’s actually something I would like to know. Can I ask you about it in private?”
Riri glanced at the maid who was standing next to Keika.
Keika tilted her head while telling the maid to stay behind as she stepped into Riri’s room.
It has been three days since Riri arrived at Koran. Keika has visited her every day since and taught her many things. Yesterday, they chatted over tea and sweets which were hard to find in Koran.
Riri wanted to look around the place, but it was time for her to accomplish her goal here.
When Riri gestured her to sit down, Keika quietly sat down in front of her.
“What is it you want to know?”
“I heard from Seirai-sama that blue… winter daphne’s bloom in Koran.”
Keika put her hand over her mouth as if in thought.
“I’ve certainly seen a blue winter daphne before.”
Alright! Riri clenched her fist in victory inside her mind.
“Where can I find this blue winter daphne? I really need them for making this incense, but only white and pink winter daphne’s bloom in Shinzui.”
She couldn’t say that she needed them to make the treasured incense. It was painful to keep something from Keika, but she couldn’t tell Keika the truth because it was a secret that she was making the treasured incense.
“Koran also doesn’t have many winter daphne’s that are blue. I have only seen it once when I was a child. A noble brought a whole potted plant with him from his estate because it’s so rare, but it soon withered away when it was planted in the palace garden.”
Keika closed her eyes as if she was trying to remember that moment and continued slowly.
“The palace gardener said that the blue winter daphne probably bloomed in his fief because the soil is special in that area, and that’s why it withered away quickly in the palace’s garden.”
“So, you can only find the blue daphne in that area?”
“I think so. But I was a child when I saw the blue winter daphne, so I don’t remember who brought it here. So, I don’t know which fief it came from.”
Keika looked down apologetically. Riri quickly shook her head when she saw this.
“Please don’t worry about it. I will think of another way to get it now that I have this piece of information.”
If she knew where the winter daphne’s are planted, then there might be a way for her to get them.
But as she was pondering on how to find this out, Keika suddenly looked up.
“Ah! Come to think of it, records are kept when nobles bring gifts to the palace. If we can check the record of those days, then we might be able to find out whose fief it is.”
Riri felt as if a light had shone through the darkness.
“Really?”
“Yes. I saw the blue winter daphne around the time of my tenth birthday. At that time, His Majesty happened to be in a good mood, so he told me that he would give me the rare blue winter daphne as a birthday present. I remember I was delighted, so I think it was five years ago when I received it.”
If so, then she could surely find out who brought the gift by checking the records from five years ago.
She was happy, but then something occurred to her.
“But wouldn’t it be hard for me to look at those records since I live in another nation?”
Keika looked down in thought.
“Those records are probably kept in the archives. Anyone from the palace should be able to look at them since they are official gift records. The archives also contain books for the general public, so I’m sure the bookkeepers will let us in if I tell them that we’ll be borrowing a book to read in the garden. But…”
Keika’s voice trailed off and Riri tilted her head in confusion.
“But what?”
“There are a lot of books in the archives. I’m sure there are a lot of books containing gift information as well, so it would take quite a long time to find the record even if we know that it was brought to the palace five years ago.”
Keika was right, but Riri shook her head and held Keika’s hand.
“I’ll look for it, no matter how long it takes. I’m sorry, but can you take me to the archives?”
She would probably have to use the fragrant wood from the blue winter daphne to make the treasured incense. Many perfumers in Shinzui probably failed to make the treasured incense because they couldn’t get the fragrant wood of the blue winter daphne in Shinzui.
(I came to Koran to see if the fragrant wood of the blue winter daphne has the same fragrance as the treasured incense that my nose remembers. I must find it no matter what it takes.)
“Okay, then let’s go to the archives today. I’ll help you.”
Riri smiled at Keika as Keika squeezed her hand back.
Koran’s archives were filled with books just as Keika had said.
Riri’s mouth dropped open when she saw that the archives were filled with shelves that reached to the ceiling, all with books in them.
“I wouldn’t be able to read all the books in here even if it took me a lifetime.”
She said and Keika nodded.
“I agree, but Brother told me that he read all the books in here by the time he was ten years old and has almost completely memorised them all. The Crown Prince at that time suspected that Brother was lying.”
Riri heard that Seirai wasn’t the Crown Prince at first.
She heard that he had many siblings from different mothers.
He said that his older brother, who was the original Crown Prince, died, so he, the second son, became the Crown Prince.
“The Crown Prince at that time chose a random book and questioned my brother on what was in it. My brother was able to answer all the questions that were asked no matter what book the Crown Prince chose.”
Garan, who had heard what Riri was doing and offered to help, crossed his arms.
“I don’t know if he really memorised the books or if he just happened to be asked questions on passages he knew, but it’s strange since it seems that either scenario could be applied to him.”
Riri nodded her head in agreement.
She wanted to look in Seirai’s head, but she was sure that it would be too much for an ordinary person to understand.
“It’s this way, Riri-san.”
Keika guided them through the archives, so Riri stopped thinking about Seirai and headed for the door at the back of the room.
When the small wooden door was opened, Riri found that the next room was the same size as the last and was also filled with rows of large shelves.
Of course, these shelves were also crammed with books.
“These are the palace records. I believe the gift records are stored in the shelves at the back, but I think it’ll take a long time to search through them. Is that alright with you?”
Riri nodded at the worried Keika.
“Yes, I really want the blue winter daphne. It may take a lot of time, but I like working hard, so don’t worry.”
Garan walked towards the back of the room as they were talking.
“Riri, are you certain it was five years ago?”
“Yes, Garan. It was around the time of Princess Keika’s birthday.”
Riri answered casually and Keika opened her eyes wide in surprise.
“Riri? Garan…?”
“Ah!” Riri put a hand over her mouth. She and Garan have been adding honorifics to each other’s names since they came to Koran, but they let their guard down since they were in a closed room.
“… Please keep this between us, but Garan is my friend, so we usually call each other by name. But please don’t tell anyone about this.”
Riri put her index finger on her mouth and Keika looked down slightly.
“I see… I’m jealous.”
“Excuse me?”
Riri couldn’t understand what Keika meant and looked confused. Keika looked up in surprise.
“Ah, nothing. It’s amazing that the General is your friend… Okay. I won’t tell anyone.”
Keika’s bashful smile was dazzling.
“Thank you very much. Now let’s look for that record.”
The shelves were marked with the dates the records were taken.
She suddenly remembered what Garan said earlier as she followed the numbers with her eyes.
(Huh? It’s been a long time since Garan has been this relaxed.)
Garan had been behaving strangely since before they arrived in Koran.
Riri didn’t know what the cause behind this strange behaviour was, but his attitude changed so often that she wondered how she should treat him.
But his voice and the language he used when he spoke to her earlier was just like the one Garan used when he was her close friend.
Garan called out to her as she wished for him to return to his former self.
“Riri, come here.”
Garan beckoned to her from the back of the room. She rushed to the back with Keika and Garan pointed at the shelf in front of them.
“The books in this area are from five years ago, but we’ll be up all night if we go through everything.”
It would be a painstaking task to examine every book on the tall shelves.
“I know it’s a lot of work, but I have to do it even if it takes me until the morning.”
Garan smiled widely.
“I thought you would say that. Then let’s do this until we find that record.”
She was glad to hear him say this.
The three of them picked up books from the shelves and began going through them one by one to search for that record.
How long had it been since they had entered the archives?
It felt like a long time had passed since the light had stopped coming through the windows and the candles were lit, but the records were still nowhere to be found and Riri was getting impatient.
(I wonder if there is really a record of it… I won’t be able to get the blue winter daphne if I can’t find any clues because they omitted the record…!)
“RIRI! What are you doing?”
She heard Garan’s voice from below. She looked down in a panic since she was climbing a ladder and saw that he had just returned from getting drinks.
“I told you that I would check the top shelves. It’s dangerous for you to climb the ladder!”
“I’m sorry. I got absorbed in looking for records.”
Keika glanced at her in shock next to Garan.
“Riri-san, I told you many times that it was dangerous, but you didn’t hear me at all.”
Riri felt extremely apologetic when Keika raised her voice timidly.
“I’m sorry. I’ve always been unable to pay attention to my surroundings when I concentrate, but I suspect the record is in this area…”
She held onto the ladder with her right hand as she flipped through the book with her left hand to make sure that she had the right book before climbing down.
“It seems like this area would contain the records for Princess Keika’s birthday… Ah!”
She flipped through the book and saw a sentence.
The words ‘blue winter daphne’ was written in that sentence.
“I found it~! … Eeh?!”
She threw her body back in excitement as she yelled this, causing her right hand to slip off the ladder and her body swayed unsteadily.
“No way~, I’m going to fall!”
She tried to grab onto the ladder, but she was already falling head first onto the floor. She knew her situation was bad but there was nothing she could do, so she closed her eyes.
“Riri!”
She imagined the pain of falling to the floor, but the pain she had expected never came. Instead, something soft enveloped her body, softening the impact. She heard Garan’s voice when she hit the floor.
“Huh? Huh?”
She opened her eyes nervously, not knowing what was going on and saw Garan collapsed beneath her body.
“D-did you, I mean, you softened my fall. Garan! Are you alright?”
Garan’s body was shaking.
He slowly opened his eyes and glared at her.
“I told you it was dangerous. I thought my heart was going to stop when I saw you fall!’
He sounded really angry. Garan’s face suddenly turned red as she was about to apologise.
“What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”
She put her hand on his chest reflexively which caused him to gasp as if he was putting up with the pain.
“It’s nothing. So… get off me.”
When he said this, she remembered that she had fallen off the ladder and was still on top of Garan.
She was sitting on his belly as he laid on the floor.
She quickly got off him when she realised her situation.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I must have been heavy.”
She couldn’t grasp the situation because she was confused. Garan stood up while still looking at the ground.
“Garan, you must be hurting somewhere. Your face is red. Are you holding it in?”
“I’m not in pain. I’m fine.”
It didn’t seem like he was lying.
She couldn’t smell the sweat he exuded when he was enduring pain.
Instead, he was exuding that sweat and heartrending.
“But…”
Garan took a deep breath and looked up just as she was about to say something.
His face was calm and composed.
“I told you I’m fine. Anyway, you found the record?”
He picked up the book at his feet. It was the record that she had just found.
“Huh? Yes. I did.”
She questioned his attitude, but also believed that he might not like her if she continued questioning him.
She had no choice but to drop this and focus on her goal. Keika peeked at the book and raised her voice, “Ah!”
“This is it. Here, ‘A blue winter daphne was presented at Princess Keika’s tenth birthday’.”
The passage that Keika was pointing to did indeed say that. Riri looked at who had sent the blue winter daphne and read his name.
“It says that Riyoku Saisei sent it.”
Keika put her hand over her mouth and pondered.
“Riyoku Saisei-sama… I remember now. It was definitely Riyoku Saisei-sama who gave me the blue winter daphne that time!”
“Do you know him? Where is his fief?”
“It’s about half a day by horse from here. The fief ruled by Riyoku Saisei-sama has a volcano nearby, so not many crops can be harvested there, but it is famous for its rare plants and trees.”
It clicked when she heard the word ‘volcano’.
“The soil might have changed because of the volcanic ash. Maybe that’s why the winter daphne changed to blue. If it takes half a day to get there by horse… then maybe I can go?”
She looked up at Garan who nodded with a complicated expression on his face.
“Let’s ask Kousho-sama.”
This was Koran. She couldn’t act without permission.
Even Kousho had told her to talk to him before doing anything.
She nodded at Garan and left the archives with the record in her hand.
“You want to go somewhere that will take half a day by horse?”
Riri looked seriously at Kousho who said this stiffly.
Keika had obtained permission to borrow the record book, so she and Garan visited Kousho’s room with that in hand. She opened the book and pointed at the section that contained information on the blue winter daphne.
“I might be able to get blue winter daphne if I go to the fief of the noble whose name is written here. I really need the fragrant wood of the blue winter daphne to complete the treasured incense.”
“But this is Koran. It’s dangerous to leave the palace. We can’t act immediately if something were to happen to you in a foreign nation. Why don’t you stay in the palace and have someone else look for it for you?”
She had expected Kousho to say this.
She also didn’t want to do anything conspicuous since she came here as a representative of Shinzui.
But there was a reason why she must go.
“That probably won’t do. The wood that becomes the blue winter daphne’s fragrant wood has no scent. It’s only when the withered branches are buried in the ground for a long time that they finally emit a fragrance. We have to find the fragrant wood in the soil.”
She put her hand on her nose while looking at Kousho.
“Fragrance wood of the same type will have a slight difference in scent depending on how long it has been buried in the ground and the environment. I have to find a fragrant wood that emits the same fragrance as the one my father used when he was making the treasured incense with my nose. Only I can do this.”
Kousho covered his mouth with his hand.
“I see. I would like to grant your wish if it’s necessary for the completion of the treasured incense… but I’m at a loss. I would like to go with you, but I’m still in the middle of discussing the treaty. It would take you two days to travel there and find the fragrant wood. I can’t leave here for that long.”
Kousho pondered.
“As I said before, this is Koran. If we were in Shinzui, then I could deal with any problems immediately, but I can’t respond as quickly here. I’m worried something will happen to you.”
The tone of his voice made her believe that he sincerely felt that way.
(Kousho-sama… you’re a very considerate person. He’s mean to me sometimes, but I think his concern for me is real.)
When she thought that, she felt her heart gently warm up.
A lot of things had happened between her and Kousho, but she felt that he was even more dependable now that they were in a foreign nation.
He told her not to worry because he would protect her no matter what before they came to Koran.
Those words gave her emotional support and eased her anxiety about being in a foreign nation.
“… So, here’s what I’m going to do. Garan, I need you to protect Riri.”
Kousho looked at Garan who was waiting near the door.
“I can rely on you for this. I trust you more than anyone else in Shinzui.”
Garan quickly looked down when Kousho smiled.
(Huh…?)
There was something strange about the way Garan was acting. He would usually look proud that Kousho could depend on him like this, but now he looked apologetic. She didn’t know why he was making such an expression.
Then, Garan immediately looked Kousho in the eyes and put a hand on his chest.
“As you wish.”
His reply sounded reassuring like always. She tilted her head and wondered if she had just imagined the strangeness from earlier.
“Riri, I will tell His Majesty that you’re interested in obtaining a rare fragrant wood and ask him to inform the noble of the fief that you’ll be going there. This should make your search much easier. His Majesty seems to like you, so he will not disapprove. I’ll go immediately to request an audience, so wait in your room.”
“Thank you.”
She bowed her head and watched as Kousho walked away.
Riri was packing her belongings in her room.
Her search for the blue winter daphne was approved quickly thanks to Kousho.
Aren wrote a letter to the noble of the fief and suggested that she take ten soldiers to escort her there and help her search. She was relieved to know that she would be accompanied by several Shinzui soldiers and that Garan would be there too. She was getting ready to leave immediately tomorrow.
“Riri-san. May I have a moment?”
The voice coming from the other side of the door belonged to Keika.
“Come in.”
The door opened when she replied and Keika appeared. The maid, who was always beside her helping her guide them around, wasn’t there.
Riri motioned for Keika to enter, so Keika nodded and stepped into the room.
Riri suddenly smelled a certain fragrance when Keika stepped into the room.
“… You’re wearing an unusual fragrance.”
It was different from the scent that Keika usually wore and had a dense aroma that smelled like a ripe fruit.
“You can tell? Actually, I came to ask you about this fragrance.”
Keika took a small incense container from a cloth bag on her waist. The ceramic incense container looked expensive, there was a gold leaf on the white background. When she opened the lid, the fragrance that had been wafting through the air became stronger.
Inside the incense container was a white bundle.
“It looks like pastille, but it has a unique aroma. I’ve never smelled this scent before.”
“You know what you’re talking about. You’re amazing, Riri. This is a memento from my mother.”
Keika gently took out the bundle with great care.
“It’s a memento?”
“Yes. When my mother was younger, she was invited to perform in other nations as well. She learnt how to make incenses during that time and created this.”
Keika had a strange smile on her face that looked both lonely and proud.
“My mother was an amazing person. I heard that even after she was first seen by His Majesty and entered the inner palace, she wasn’t agitated at all when she was harassed by the others for not being a noble. She was a very strong person with a strong sense of justice, and she didn’t even try to flatter Father even though he’s the Emperor.”
Keika had nice memories of her mother.
Her expression was gentle and calm as she spoke of her mother.
“She was the only person who could speak strictly to His Majesty. His Majesty only listened to my mother, even though he did so with a wry smile. My mother told him, “If you don’t listen to me then I’ll leave. I won’t regret it,” and she left with my brother and me. I remember being surprised when His majesty came downtown to pick us up.”
It was hard to believe this when Aren acted in the way he does.
But if that were true then Riri could imagine that Keika’s mother must have been deeply loved by Aren.
“She must have been a wonderful mother.”
“She was. I admire my mother. I wanted to become an independent woman like her. People say that my face and voice are just like hers. But compared to my brave mother, I’m weak. I wouldn’t worry my brother if I were stronger.”
Keika smiled wryly as she stroked the pastille with great care.
“This pastille is something my mother used to make and burn in her room. She called it palm incense. She was the only one who knew how to make it, so this is the last of it. I have always loved this fragrance. When I smell it, it reminds me of my mother and makes me happy.”
It was cute to see Keika holding the white bundle to her chest with great care.
“Fragrances have the power to remind people of their memories. My father was the head of the Ministry of Incenses, and I don’t have many memories of him. But when I smell certain fragrances, I remember, oh, my father used to do this or say this about this fragrance.”
She closed her eyes, concentrated on her nose and smelled the palm incense, then she nodded.
“I was sure when I heard the name, but this is probably the scent of palm oil. There are places where palm trees grow in the south in Shinzui, and palm oil with this unique fragrance is extracted from their fruit. Sometimes, it’s used in fragrances.”
“I’ve never heard of… palm trees before in Koran. My mother was a dancer who travelled to different nations to dance, so she must have obtained it then. Hmm… Riri-san. I would like you to make this incense, can you get the materials for it?”
Keika glanced up at Riri and spoke shyly.
“I have some palm oil with me, since I brought a little bit of everything that I had on hand with me from Shinzui.”
She wanted her incense to be as useful as possible since she didn’t know what would happen in Koran.
“Then do you know how to make it? I’ll like you to teach me if you do.”
She believed that she could definitely smell the different materials used in this palm incense to some extent with the power of her olfaction.
Besides, mixing was her specialty.
“I think I can. Will you be using it yourself?”
“No, hmm…”
Keika turned bright red, and she blinked a lot. Then, she finally spoke after a while.
“I’ll tell you the truth since it’s you. I want to give this to the man that I like, since this is my favourite fragrance.”
Her face turned even redder. She looked down and covered her face with both her hands.
“Eh? Really? Who is this man?”
Riri knew she was being rude, but her curiosity got the better of her and she leaned forward.
“It’s a secret!’
Her shyness was adorable, and Riri couldn’t help but hug her small shoulders.
(A secret, huh? But talking about love is exciting. I wonder who it is… Wait a minute…)
Riri suddenly remembered something as she was thinking.
Keika has been glancing at Garan and looking embarrassed for the past few days.
“Could it be that you like Garan…?”
She wasn’t sure. It was just a thought that popped up in her mind when she saw Keika’s attitude and expression towards Garan. Keika quickly looked up. Her eyes were widened in surprise and her mouth was wide open.
That seemed to be the answer.
“Ah! I’m sorry. I said too much. I’ll get ready to make the pastille right away.”
Riri quickly turned her back to Keika when she saw Keika freeze up.
Riri suddenly realised that her mind was a bit hazy while preparing the tools she needed for mixing.
(What is it? Why am I feeling strange? From the way she was acting just now, I’m pretty sure that she likes Garan. He may look tough, but he’s handsome, dependable and kind, so it’s not strange for Princess Keika to like him…)
She must have started to like him when he drove away her former fiancé.
The way Keika looked at Garan changed since then.
Riri wanted to support Keika if she had someone she liked.
But it was a bit different since it was Garan.
(Garan is my precious friend. Should I be happy if someone says they like my friend? But I don’t feel happy for some reason…)
She loved Keika. She was sure it would feel like this if she had a sister.
The honest Keika was a good match for the kind, yet boorish Garan.
But she couldn’t be happy about it.
(My heart hurts for some reason… I wonder if I’m feeling lonely because I’m about to lose a friend?)
She concluded that that must be it.
She pushed down her hazy feelings and turned to face Keika.
“Now, I’ll find out what materials are in that pastille.”
She smiled a smile that was contrary to her heart as if to blow away her hazy feelings.
She didn’t want Keika to know that she was feeling this way.
“This is probably the fragrance.”
Riri laid a cloth in front of Keika and placed some materials on it. She brought as much materials as she could from Shinzui, so she somehow managed to put together the materials for the palm incense that Keika wanted.
“Wow! Riri-san, you can tell what kind of materials are used just by smelling the fragrance!”
Keika’s eyes were sparkling.
Riri crossed her arms and thought about how to fulfil Keika’s wish of giving her mother’s memento to the man she liked.
“My olfaction is my only special skill. I can tell what materials were used with my olfaction, but now comes the hard part.”
“What do you mean the hard part?”
“The most difficult part is to determine the quantity of the materials. The slightest difference in quantity can result in a completely different aroma. This is why one must be careful when they are making incenses.”
“I see. I’m sorry for asking you to go through all this trouble.”
Riri quickly waved her hands left and right when she saw that Keika had become so small.
“It’s fine. I like to think and formulate incenses like this. It’s just like solving the mystery of a case.”
Keika seemed puzzled.
“The mystery of a case…?”
“Yes, I will need to investigate the suspect, which will be the ‘materials’ and find the ‘quantity’ required to make the palm incense that was left behind by Princess Keika’s mother. Once I have that, the truth will naturally emerge.”
Keika widened her eyes when Riri held up her index finger.
“I didn’t know you could think of it like that.”
“You can. I learnt this from my master. He was a bit strange, and he told me that if I thought of making incenses like this then I could enjoy the tedious process of mixing the materials together.”
After she said that, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
“Mixing is a plain task. It is tedious and you may eventually get bored of it. So, the trick to not getting bored of mixing is to make up a fantasy in your head while you’re doing it.”
Mokuren said with a serious expression as he pushed his glasses up.
“Riri-san, why are you smiling all of a sudden?”
Riri was startled by Keika’s curious voice.
“I was smiling just now?”
“Yes. You seemed to be enjoying yourself. Are you smiling because you remembered your master?”
What flashed through her head was a fond memory. At that time, she had no idea that Mokuren was the head of the Dark Perfumers, and that he was thinking of dethroning the Emperor to take over Shinzui.
Why did she smile happily at the memory of him when he had betrayed her?
(Mokuren…! Where the hell are you?)
She bit her lip gently and closed her eyes as her heart felt as if it was being squeezed.
“Mixing is like solving a case. That’s an interesting thing to say, Mokuren.”
Hearing the impressed voice, Mokuren sighed a little as he put the material into the mortar.
“I just believe that thinking like that would keep me from being bored. It takes a lot of time and effort to mix materials repeatedly to get the desired fragrance. I thought it would be more fun to think of it in a different perspective even if it’s all just in my head.”
He hadn’t told many people this and regretted it as soon as he had mentioned it. The person he was talking to was someone who also held a grudge against Shinzui, and Mokuren ended up talking to him about this since he had also created one of the treasured incenses, the memory-retrieving incense.
Mokuren suddenly remembered that he had told this to someone else once before.
The girl, who he had taught how to mix, had a twinkle in her eyes when she heard this. She quickly absorbed everything he taught her, and combined with her olfaction, she quickly became qualified to be a perfumer.
Several years had passed since they had first met, and the girl was now a woman living in the inner palace.
It was now impossible for him to even see her easily.
It was only the other day that he shockingly found out that he was sad about this.
His heart hurt when he thought about Riri. That’s why I told myself not to think about her anymore, he lightly shook his head.
They live in different worlds now.
“Anyway, you’re here about something else, aren’t you?”
He put down the mortar and looked the man in the eye. He wanted to change the topic and there was something he wanted to ask.
“Ah. I’m finally going to carry out my plan since the annoying Kousho and Garan aren’t here right now. The Emperor is bedridden and his eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be. Now is the perfect time.”
Mokuren has been hearing about this plan for some time. Slipping pass Kousho and Garan was the biggest obstacle of this plan, but they both were both away from Shinzui right now.
“Listen, Mokuren. I will take everything in Shinzui. I won’t be picky about how I achieve this. Are you ready to abandon everything and fight?”
He glared at Mokuren, but Mokuren nodded his head as his eyes shone with conviction.
“Of course. Why are you asking me that now?”
“Because you seem to have feelings for that Riri woman. She probably won’t even talk to you anymore if this is successful. I just wanted to make sure that you’re alright with her cussing and hating you.”
Mokuren thought it was a repulsive question. Still, he nodded broadly without changing his expression.
“I know. Of course, I’m prepared.”
He declared, though he would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little bit perturbed.
But he was sure that Riri would never forgive them for what they were about to do.
He was trying to persuade Riri to join the Dark Perfumers, but she would probably not even want to see him if he carried out this plan. Still, there was no turning back now.
“I’m the head of the Dark Perfumers. I will do what I have to do.”
Even if it means that Riri will hate me and that I will be parted from her forever.
He muttered in my mouth and gently closed his eyes.
A great storm of events will be brewing in Shinzui.
It was evitable that he and Riri would be at the centre of this storm.
Memories of Riri flashed through his mind.
Mokuren softly laughed at himself as he looked back on them with a mixture of nostalgia, sadness and bitterness.