Chapter Fifty-Eight

Future Brother-in-Law

 

Kinouchi Nekohime¹And like before, it can be directly translated as "Cat Princess Hidden in a Tree" if someone wants to see it like that. But of course Nekohiko would prefer it to mean "Tree-Roots Princess" instead ^^. was a fun choice for an alias.

It was the same name Suminoe had given him when Nekohiko was forced into his cross-dressing childhood drama. But the issue was that Abihiko had never referred to him with that name. Nekohiko doubted Abihiko even remembered it that well.

At the same time, the name had never been hidden, so everyone could check it out in the Izumo Shrine School records. Which meant -- everyone. If someone wanted to prickle Abihiko with this name, anyone could. Including Morokata who apparently had quite a history of tormenting Abihiko with fake Nekohikos.

In any case, Nekohiko didn't mind whichever reaction Abihiko would show to it.

Any reaction would please him greatly.

When he raised from his deep bow, his insides squeezed in joy at seeing Abihiko's face grow sour.

Abihiko studied Nekohiko's eyes as though searching for a hint of mockery, then slowly trailed them to Nekohiko's girly hairdo gathered in buns at the sides of his head, then lower -- to Nekohiko's golden robes.

His gaze was grave but not angry. Nor scared.

Rather, Nekohiko only saw distaste in his features, but even that flickered by. Abihiko returned his attention to Kataji with a dry smile.

"Pleased to meet you, too, Lady Kinouchi. I am very happy for you, Kataji, to have finally found a date you wanted to introduce to me. You seem happy, yourself."

Kataji had never looked so pleasantly surprised. "Thank you, Eldest Brother. Your opinion means a lot to me."

If Abihiko was pissed at the name reference, he showed incredible amounts of restraint in curbing it. Genially, he tilted his head to his brother and held him by the elbow, pushing into a stroll through the gathering. "Where did you two meet? And how long ago? I presume -- in the last two days?"

Ah, a trace of aggression, at last.

Look at him, only focusing on Kataji and ignoring Nekohiko's presence completely. The Abihiko of the past would have already begun glowering or throwing veiled insults at Nekohiko to displace him. But the adult Abihiko was, of course, much more refined in his methods.

The two brothers ambled their way through the reception hall, and Nekohiko followed behind them diligently. As all young ladies introduced to their date's family members, he had to maintain a demure act and not call anyone's attention to himself. For now, he did.

Plus, he never forgot to switch his consciousness to the seashell for brief moments and feel for himself just how agitated Abihiko's heartbeat became.

"Actually, we've known each other for a couple of months already," Kataji said. "We were exchanging letters and thus I feel like we know one another decently enough. Don't you think?"

"Mmm. Which family or house does young lady Kinouchi belong to? And which city and region?" Abihiko turned to Nekohiko at last, smiling very forcedly. "I struggle to remember if I heard about it before."

Nekohiko hurried to walk beside them. It helped that Abihiko was very distinctly leading them away from the commotion of the hall and into one of the side corridors where it was calmer and less crowded. Nekohiko noted that Abihiko's mask never found its way back to his face again.

Why? Did Abihiko want Nekohiko to see just how displeased he was with Kinouchi Nekohime's persona?

Nekohiko bowed to respond, still keeping his fan up. "A small family in Tanzawa mountains, Your Majesty. You wouldn't be aware of such a place."

Abihiko definitely knew about Nekohiko's long-lost home in Tanzawa mountains. How many times had they talked about it during their nights together?

Nekohiko fluttered his eyelashes when Abihiko gave him another dreary glance.

"I once had a friend who was raised in Tanzawa mountains," Abihiko said, chilly, "so it's quite a coincidence that you're from there, too, since it's not a very populated place."

"Your friend and I might have a lot to talk about then," Nekohiko hummed. "I wouldn't mind meeting them."

Abihiko's smile widened. "Me, too. Alas, he and I became estranged some years back. You know how fickle people's relationships can sometimes be. I haven't seen him in ages."

...

Sure.

"Ah, what a great pity!" Nekohiko tsked. "You must miss him."

"Mmm." Abihiko suppressed a wince. "It is a pity. Good friends are notoriously hard to find. Oftentimes, people can only find fake friendships that want something from them." He stepped aside to give Kataji a quick pat on his shoulder. "One should be more careful with those and learn to distinguish the real thing from a manipulation. Otherwise, one can get easily tricked by a sweet smile or charming words that mean nothing underneath."

Innocently, Nekohiko blinked a couple of times, then dropped his gaze. "His Majesty is so wise and experienced. It is a great honor just to learn a small fraction of His Majesty's wisdom."

"You are welcome, My Lady. But the wisdom is not mine. My good friend King Morokata taught me this wisdom." Abihiko flashed him a razor-thin smile. "I bet you and His Majesty Morokata could have taught each other a great many things, too. Would you care for me to introduce you to one another? Or perhaps you might know him already?"

"Huuuh?" Nekohiko giggled behind his fan. "What would make you believe that, Your Majesty?"

"I don't know." Abihiko crinkled up his nose in a grimace of doubt. "Just a hunch I have."

Ah. So Nekohiko's guess was correct.

Abihiko suspected that Nekohiko's "name" reference, his gold dress, his hairdo, and even his looks might have been another twisted joke of Morokata's. That Morokata had gone through all the trouble to send another fake "Nekohiko" to the Emperor.

Now even done through Abihiko's own little brother, to further torment him.

Good.

If Abihiko thought this entire encounter was merely a plot by Morokata, then Nekohiko didn't have a lot to be afraid of. He was already entertained by just how much he could stretch this premise and piss Abihiko off without actually alerting him to his true identity.

Ha-ha-ha, if he straight out said a few things only he and Abihiko could know -- would that freak Abihiko out because he would believe Morokata knew much more about him than he had expected?

What an entertaining way to play with this traitor...

"Whaaaat? Me and His glorious Majesty Morokata?" Nekohiko gushed, feinting a flustered expression and cooling himself with his fan. Which, in turn, made him expose his face from behind it, but only slightly.

Still enough to see Abihiko's brows faintly knit together at seeing another of those "Nekohiko-wannabe" faces.

"I cannot believe His Imperial Majesty would suggest introducing me to King Morokata himself! I feel so... inadequate and insignificant to have warranted this!" Nekohiko inclined his head, hoping that at least some blush crept over his face from all this excitement. "This undeserving maiden cannot express her full gratitude for the Emperor even suggesting this. I can only hope that King Morokata wouldn't feel like an unsuspecting victim if Your Majesty and I ambushed him like this, ah!"

Both Kataji and Abihiko gave him odd looks. Nekohiko couldn't tell what that referred to, but he enjoyed himself, so what did it matter if others thought his overacting was subpar?

In any case, Abihiko was only getting more amused as well. "His splendid Majesty Morokata will be fine. He has survived far graver offenses, trust me, young Lady. Besides, as my future relative, he would be happy to meet another of my future relatives." His hand, still on Kataji's shoulder, squeezed it patronizingly. "You see, King Morokata will soon be my Brother-in-law, and I assume I will soon be yours. So, as family members, what is there to fear between us all?"

Kataji's face flushed drastically. "Eldest Brother. I'm unsure of what you mean. Nekohime and I are not--"

"--Nekohime and you can wait. Nekohime and I probably cannot since, as the Emperor, I do not have much free time to spare, so now is the only few minutes she and I can have a chat. So, why don't I give sweet Lady Nekohime a small personal tour of the Palace while I still have the time?"

His elbow lifted toward Nekohiko to offer him support for walking. Abihiko nodded toward the endless corridors that ran from the one they were in. A luminous, lavish place like all the others. Far less-peopled than the ones before.

But before Nekohiko could take his elbow, Kataji stepped between them. "Excuse me, but no. We're not visiting for long. Only to receive the news you wanted to share on the reception. Thus, I see no reason for a tour."

"Should I not have the right to get to know my future Sister-in-law?" Abihiko asked him coolly. "If you bring home a person, expect me to invoke my parental rights, Kataji. I care about you, so I want to know the person my little brother has chosen as his potential partner."

Kataji blustered, instantly flushed. "Eld-dest Brother... no such thing! Nekohime and I are only friends..." Suddenly realizing, he paled in anger next. "And you are not my parent!"

"Since our parents aren't here anymore, Kata--" Abihiko began. But Kataji didn't let him.

"And whose fault was that?" Kataji huffed. "I'm sorry, but this is extremely inappropriate, Eldest Brother."

Abihiko's jaw flexed, but he didn't take the bait.

"Well then, unless Lady Nekohime has something to hide -- I see no reason for her to worry about accompanying me on a short walk through the Palace and chatting just for the sake of it, no? After all, we are only getting acquainted. What's so inappropriate about that?"

To be honest, Nekohiko wanted to speak to Abihiko one-on-one. But not in these circumstances. As a relatively weak dummy with insufficient Binding control, he preferred to stay hidden, only trying his hand at poking Abihiko with his ambiguous statements. For all he knew, Abihiko might actually go mad as he had done with all those fake Nekohikos he'd incinerated a few days ago!

Nekohiko did not plan on being incinerated by accident any time soon.

Thus, Kataji was his ally in this. 

Nekohiko's tone came out as carefree as he could muster. "Your Majesty, the tour of the Palace sounds so fun! But I wouldn't want to take too much of your time on my meager persona. Perhaps, a tour for me and Lord Kataji at the same time would be best? I heard he hadn't visited the Emerald Palace too often either and still feels lost inside it."

"I would prefer it to be one on one, though," Abihiko said through teeth even though he kept smiling. "Kataji is a big boy. He can find his way in the Palace, I am more than certain."

Uplifted by Nekohiko's suggestion, Kataji took his place right between his brother and Nekohiko and looped his arms through both their elbows. However, his hold of Abihiko's elbow was quite a bit stiffer. "I do feel lost here, indeed. Please, Eldest Brother, let us tour the place, then. We can get acquainted all three of us and still have a lot of fun. Unless, of course, you have something more important to do -- as I would expect Your Majesty to."

From beyond Kataji's head, Abihiko's somber gaze held almost no power over Nekohiko. All of its force had been tempered which felt very satisfying.

A potential predator turned into a kitten right before Nekohiko's eyes.

"Of course," Abihiko told Kataji grimly, then drew him forward and into the quieter, murkier hallways.

The pitter-patter of Abihiko's dummy guards followed suit eerily.

 

---

***

 

Memories flashed before Nekohiko's sight as he contemplated the recognizable halls with no festively-dressed people to distract his attention from the Palace's somberness. Blueing-green translucent stone of the walls and the floor, the gilded lace of the ceiling. Shadows shifting under his gaze in the thick, luminous walls as though reflections deep within the gemstone. Lights from the Bound constellations flickered across the surfaces, further setting the entire hallway on green fire.

Just beyond the colonnades, Nekohiko glimpsed the entrance to the Throne Room. It was open, yet foreboding, not welcoming anyone inside. The Throne Room was dark, even sinister. Partly because the last and only time Nekohiko had seen it -- it was filled with the cool starlight from the inner garden just outside its edge.

It was in that garden, right in front of the Spiritual Emerald Fir tree that Nekohiko had been murdered.

Now, all the doors that had led into that garden were shut, no light coming from it into the Throne Room. Before, when Nekohiko and Kataji had just entered the Palace, he had seen that the garden was closed off on that side as well. It was as though no matter where one would want to enter that garden, they wouldn't be able to.

Why?

Nekohiko had wanted to see the giant tree kept hidden in the heart of the Palace. Why couldn't he?

Kataji and Abihiko had been strolling around in tense silence, only occasionally exchanging commentaries about which corridor led where and why and which new carpet the Councilor of the Right Ministry had gifted Abihiko a year ago. Although Nekohiko preferred to play the role of a thoughtful young maiden who would never interrupt two men in the middle of their important conversation, he was frankly tired of listening to their polite bickering.

"Supreme Divine Majesty, forgive me my ignorance," he called, stopping to regard the closed doors to the Emerald Fir garden. "Could you please give us a tour to the famed Spirit Tree of the Emperor's family? It is the greatest Legendary Spirit of all, isn't it? Its roots linking all the parts of the Empire, its branches spreading as far as the Spiritway faith can go... I have always dreamed of seeing it with my own eyes."

Abihiko gave him a passing glance, then kept walking alongside Kataji. "No. Alas, the garden is under reconstruction now, so there's not much to see."

"I wouldn't mind a small peek even if it's underwhelming right now," Nekohiko said.

"I said NO."

Ah, he had such a booming voice when he was displeased. A jolt of satisfaction went through Nekohiko just from hearing how easily Abihiko could lose temper with him.

"Eldest Brother," Kataji cut in. "Please. Lady Nekohime didn't know... You do not need to raise your voice."

"I am merely used to people following my orders indiscriminately," Abihiko said. "So if I said no, it is no. I hope Lady Nekohime will remember that for later."

Kataji left Abihiko to take Nekohiko aside to apologize for his brother's aggression. He did it loudly, clearly wanting Abihiko to feel guilty for offending his date like this.

But as soon as the apology was over, he leaned closer to Nekohiko's face and whispered hotly. "Itsuki, what are you doing? Don't draw this out and stop talking to him. The faster we're done, the sooner he'll leave us and we can spend our time here as we want."

"But he's your Eldest Brother." Nekohiko smiled sweetly. "Surely I want to know him better. I already know you and Aomi. Why not him, too?"

Kataji winced, biting his lips. "Well then, can you not... do all this weird stuff please?"

...

Weird stuff?

"It's like I don't recognize you. You wiggle and squirm around... prettily. And you make strange faces and... you stare at Eldest Brother as though you want to stab him."

Wait...

What?

No. Nekohiko was very careful he hadn't done anything of the sort! He had been trying to act cute and coy like all those affected court ladies usually did.

He was simply copying their behaviors! Then again, he had never done this before, so perhaps his way of doing all that was a bit exaggerated. After all, he had never been good with performances even when living as a little girl his entire adolescence. Back then, all his acting consisted of... "not acting" at all.

But surely -- his skill could not be so low that he was making an utter fool of himself!

"I was only trying to act feminine," Nekohiko whispered, taken aback.

"Please don't," Kataji told him, horrified. "You're not... a good actor, Itsuki. And with your sex doll face blushing all the time, eyes sparkling and misting over, and lips shining so wetly, it all looks a bit... too sultry. Maybe even seductive. If I didn't know you better, I would think you were trying to put moves on my brother... Really, really stop, please."

Oh.

No wonder Abihiko's reaction to him had been... conflicted rather than intrigued or wounded.

Damn it, his plan to torment Abihiko with his well-acted psychological ploys was bound to fail from the start. Why had he ever thought it wouldn't? Had he ever succeeded at psychological manipulation in his human body? The realization was frustrating, and his body reacted in the most recently-learned manner: severe blushing.

Nekohiko's cheeks flushed hot and his breathing hitched.

"I... had no clue," he said, reddening only harsher with each word.

Before Abihiko could get a good look at this mess, Nekohiko once again hid behind his fan.

But thankfully, Kataji understood the issue. He turned to Abihiko. "Perhaps it would be better to tour the Palace some other time, Eldest Brother? My date doesn't feel well, so I think we should go back to the reception hall?"

"Oh no. Please give her my condolences," Abihiko said flatly.

Which didn't aid with Kataji's irritation at him at all. "Well then, next time, do not scare my dates with your temper, please," he hissed under his breath and hugged Nekohiko from the back to lead him away.

For now, Nekohiko preferred to retreat. He could not face Abihiko if he was blushing and trembling so severely. What kind of revenge satisfaction would that be? None.

Abihiko gave them a long, stern look as they strolled away, and Nekohiko had to fan himself to calm down his breathing and burning cheeks. He almost didn't notice a familiar figure step out of the side corridor going in Abihiko's direction.

But then Kataji halted, bowing.

"Your Holiness," Kataji said ceremoniously.

And Nekohiko had no choice but to pay attention.

Suminoe!

The Head Priest was alone as he usually was, yet his countenance still gave Nekohiko a start. Suminoe looked so... agitated and annoyed as Nekohiko had never seen him. His icy gaze flicked past Kataji, not even stopping on Nekohiko, and trailed off to Abihiko.

As though this was the sole person he had been looking for.

But manners demanded him to stop and regard Kataji, so he did.

"Good evening to you, too, Master..." Suminoe's expression shifted to a friendlier one the moment he recognized Kataji's face. "Kataji," he finished. "Your Eldest Brother gave you a nice tour of the premises, I hope."

Nekohiko had no idea Suminoe would ever know who Kataji was, let alone would find him interesting enough to speak to. But apparently, Suminoe was interested in Kataji's presence. Even Nekohiko beside them caught his attention.

"Didn't his Majesty Morokata request your audience the other day, Master Kataji?" Suminoe asked next, only slightly narrowing his eyes. Yet this gesture still made Nekohiko shudder from its uncanniness. "You, and Master Nagare. He told me he was very upset you chose to ignore his invitation. After all, you and he will be one family soon."

Solely wanting to be considerate to the Head Priest, Kataji did not look like he could handle such a pointed chastising from the Head Priest of Izumo himself! The young man paled and bobbed his head up and down in agreement.

"Of course. I... was distracted by some other issues so... couldn't come straight away! But as soon as I am able, I absolutely would--"

"Wonderful." Suminoe patted Kataji's shoulder and once again gave Nekohiko an oblique look. Nekohiko hid everything but his averted eyes behind his fan. It seemed enough because Suminoe did not recognize him. "And you may bring your date there as well. King Morokata would not mind getting closer acquainted with His Supreme Divine Majesty's family, even if it's only future members."

"Well," Kataji stammered. "Lady Kinouchi Nekohime is nothing but a good friend of mine, but I hope she may come to see King Morokata as well?"

Nekohiko froze, cold with dread.

He'd just done it.

He'd said the name.

The name Suminoe himself had given Nekohiko eleven years ago! If Suminoe didn't take much interest in him before, now that was bound to change!

And yet...

"Pleased to meet you, Lady Kinouchi," Suminoe said, already disinterested, his eyes once again drawing toward where Abihiko had been a moment ago. But Abihiko wasn't there anymore, which visibly aggravated Suminoe. He sighed, scanning the adjacent corridors for Abihiko's presence and stepped away from Kataji. "Now please excuse me. I need to go."

"Thank you for the honor, Your Holiness," Kataji said after him.

But Nekohiko couldn't even echo that.

He felt... lost.

He had not expected this. Never in his life.

Suminoe had not recognized this name? Hadn't even had a reaction to it. Neither recognition nor confusion. Nothing. It was as though the name of a complete stranger to him...

Stunned, Nekohiko followed Suminoe's departing figure with his eyes. All his senses dulled, swept by the terrible feeling of horror. Suminoe's presence had given him a squirming, sinister sensation but he couldn't tell why. The man looked exactly like himself, so what was the issue?

"You don't need to come to Morokata if you don't want to," Kataji told him, softly pulling him down the corridor and back to the reception hall. "I understand that this type of courtly life can be exhausting and... unattractive. Although, probably most people would disagree. You've only been here half an hour, and already you've personally met the Emperor and the Head Priest of Izumo and were invited to meet the King of Hisome next." He chuckled, uneasy. "Most would be starry-eyed and giddy with all that. I know I would be choked with anxiety, myself. Yet you only look... bored instead?"

Nekohiko gulped, trying to drag a nicer expression onto his face. "Just... staggered," he rasped. "It is a bit too much to take for an average person in one go."

"Mn." Kataji still kept looking at him sideways, concerned. "Let's get you a slight drink -- I saw some light ones in the reception hall. Just to clear your throat a little. You sound ill."

"I just need a moment." Nekohiko motioned Kataji to go on, himself turning toward one of the curtained niches. "Your brother is indeed so intimidating and impressive."

"He's not that impressive, just a bully," Kataji said under his nose.

For some reason, that lifted Nekohiko's mood. "I'm sorry I made a fool of myself in front of him. I hope he won't think less of you for bringing such a weird date to his home."

Kataji's breath erupted out of his mouth in a huff. "He'd be the one to talk. Our mother had told me quite a lot of things of the girl he'd once brought on a date to meet her."

Pfff. Abihiko and a girl? Yeah right.

Oh wait.

Had it been himself? Had Lady Asazuma told Kataji or Aomi about him? W-why?

"You make it sound as though that date was some kind of a bigger weirdo than I am," Nekohiko tried, cautious.

"I haven't seen her, but Mother did. She said she had never seen a sorrier excuse of a girl in her life, and that is saying something if you knew our mother," Kataji ended secretively. "So trust me, out of all people on the world, Eldest Brother has the least right to look down upon any girl I decide to bring home." His lips quirked up in such a cute manner. "Including you -- but to be honest, your 'girl' impression is one of the sorriest I can imagine."

Thank you, Kataji. Exactly what I needed to hear.

Hunched, Nekohiko sank onto the lacework bench in the niche. "If it's not a big problem, may I sit here a bit and take a breather? I feel a bit overwhelmed."

"Of course. Is there anything I can do?"

Really? No. He just wanted to be alone -- to gather his thoughts or to venture out into the corridors and find out something about the Emerald Fir garden, didn't matter. Simply being on his own was enough.

But of course Kataji wouldn't leave him if he thought Nekohiko was feeling out of sorts.

An encouraging smile should fix that. "Just bring me a drink here," Nekohiko told him gently. "That's all I need."

"Don't go anywhere," Kataji whispered, then drew the curtain behind him as though trying to protect Nekohiko inside the niche with such a flimsy guard.

His footsteps soon faded into the background noise of the nobles moving about and chatting with one another in the bigger halls. The silence in the surrounding corridors was so peaceful that Nekohiko found his calm fast enough. No tremors, no rash or heat spreading on his face. Once there wasn't anyone around who made him doubt himself or his methods, he regained his peace of mind and could function once again.

Thus, he was out of the niche the moment his curiosity pulled him back to thinking about Suminoe's odd behavior, or Abihiko's refusal to talk about the Emerald Fir garden. Too many unsolved issues plagued this forsaken place.

He avoided other people who wandered the halls and quickly skittered along the wall to the Throne Room. Of course, he still had trouble walking in the stiff dress, so he had to support himself on the columns and railings and curtains for the fear of falling and being unable to stand up afterward. But he managed.

He waited for the last couple of nobles to amble past him before he sidled through the tall arches that led toward the Emerald Throne.

There it was, so macabre in the creeping shadows. All the lights extinguished, all the windows shut. Only the natural gemstone color gave out a feeble glow from within the Throne, but it being blueish green, it only looked more menacing in the pitch darkness.

Nekohiko hadn't given the Throne a good look the last time he'd seen it because he had never been interested in it. He held the true Emperor's power -- what was a mere fancy chair compared to that? But now, he contemplated it very carefully.

Such a cold, jagged piece of megalithic crystal. Was it comfortable to sit on? He doubted that. Abihiko must feel so lonely on it, and so small compared to its size, drowned in its eerie green luminescence.

Itself, the Throne Room was a giant hall and its shadowy corners gave Nekohiko shivers as he hurried across it to the many shut doors that led into the inner garden. He couldn't help but glance back, afraid to be seen by something or someone from inside these shadows.

Tentatively, he put his gloved hand on the nearest door frame and gave it a push.

But the door hardly moved. It must be enhanced with Binding aspects for it to be so sturdy and heavy, huh. He wondered why.

A few days ago, he had asked Mikawa if the boy found any leads for the Emerald Trees of the Empire and from which Nekohiko's log could have been cut. But there were no leads. And in regards to the Imperial Tree, Mikawa had only told him that it was untouched inside the Palace. If a huge chunk of it the size of Nekohiko's log was gone, most people would have noticed long ago. Yet the tree still stood where it should and one could see the top of the tree from one of the towers surrounding the Palace or with Mikawa's winds.

Thus, the tree should be fine as usual. So why hide it?

Or was it something else besides the tree that needed to be hidden?

He tried another door, then the next one. Just a tiny tendril of his aura brushed across it to define that -- no, trying to access the inner garden by magic also wouldn't work. The doors and the walls of this hall were Bound to be impenetrable by magic as well as by force.

Someone really wanted to keep the insides of the garden hidden, yet any onlooker from the guard towers could still peek at the Emerald Fir in its center?

What an odd thing to do. It seemed downright contradictory to Nekohiko.

That only made his curiosity spike up higher. He bent down on his knees to prod the bottom edge of the door and see whether any draft escaped it but froze midway.

A powerful sensation of being watched snapped through him. Like a trickle of cold down his neck.

Carefully, he turned his head to the side.

The luminous green robes of Abihiko's were like a slam of color in the middle of the dark room. It took Nekohiko's breath away. He flinched back, scrambling to put his fan in front of his face because he could swear his control of his facial expressions slipped and needed to be hidden.

Then again, in such darkness, perhaps Abihiko wouldn't see that anyway?

"Looking for something?" Abihiko said, sounding pleased. "How so? I was your tour-guide to the Palace. If you really wanted to see something, why not just ask?"

"Your Majesty!" Nekohiko gasped, backing into the closed door. "You spooked me."

Abihiko's smile only widened. His steps toward Nekohiko were casual, even idle in their ease. "Tsk, but why? Am I really so scary, my Lady?"

Wait, wait, wait. This is too close.

Abihiko had already passed the appropriate distance maintained between two barely-acquainted people! Only one-elbow length separated them now!

Nekohiko knew his body was reacting with intense flushing, so he raised his fan to cover his face fully. From how tightly he was squeezing it in his fingers, the fan was shaking.

"No, you are not scary at all, Your Majesty," he blubbered, trying to chuckle and failing. "That said, it is too dark in here and I am scared of shadows, so maybe... we could go out somewhere else?" There was nowhere to go! Abihiko was obstructing all of Nekohiko's escape routes by leaning so close. "Please?"

"Mmm, naturally. But before we do, why not talk about my brother a little? Since you and I are finally all by ourselves and can speak sincerely?"

His brother...?

Abihiko's finger landed on top of Nekohiko's fan and pushed it down enough for their eyes to meet at last. And Abihiko's eyes were not as warm as his smooth tone suggested.

Rather, this stare was probably not much different from what all those fake Nekohikos had seen right before he immolated them.

"It's one thing for one of you parasites to latch onto me with your ridiculous shit Morokata makes you do," he murmured into Nekohiko's face. "And wholly another when you come after my family members."

"I... don't know what you're talking about, Your Majesty," Nekohiko mumbled, desperately trying to worm his way to the side and make a run for it.

But Abihiko's palm pressed into the wall right next to Nekohiko's face, cutting off any idea of escape from this side. And seeing as Abihiko would obviously put his other hand on his other side the moment Nekohiko tried to flee there, this position was truly no better than a cage. A cage made of Abihiko's arms, but a cage in which Nekohiko was trapped nonetheless.

And, damn it, with Abihiko towering a whole head above him, and this place being so remote from anywhere other people were, and so dark, and so macabre -- this was not in any way what Nekohiko had thought his first satisfying face-to-face with Abihiko would be like!

This was not at all satisfying!

"So," Abihiko went on, grave. "Did you want something from me? Or from Kataji? Or from this very garden you're trying to sneak into? I'm listening very intently.

"Speak."