"Mm..." Hoshimi turned and left, just as the female chauffeur emerged from the shade of the trees in the greenbelt.
He nodded at her, acknowledging her.
"..." The female chauffeur slightly bowed in response as a greeting.
After all, he was the future husband of the young lady, so she had to maintain proper etiquette.
After exchanging greetings, Hoshimi and the female chauffeur passed by each other.
Soon, Hoshimi's figure disappeared into the night, while the female chauffeur timely opened the car door, inviting Kotoko inside.
"Miss, please get in the car."
"Mm." Kotoko got into the car without a hint of hesitation.
Now that Hoshimi had gone back to accompany Yukinoshita, what was there to linger for?
However, she was a bit curious about what Yukinoshita's reaction would be when she tasted Kotoko's flavor on Hoshimi's lips.
It would certainly be interesting, though unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to witness it...
Oh right, if she kissed Hoshimi and then he kissed Yukinoshita, would that count as an indirect kiss between her and Yukinoshita?
Hmm~ Looks like she'd have to be careful the next time she kissed Hoshimi. She didn't want an indirect kiss with Yukinoshita, nor did she want to know what Yukinoshita's lips tasted like...
"Miss, are we heading straight home, or...?" The female chauffeur's voice, cool and steady, asked from within the luxury car.
"Home." Kotoko lifted her finger slightly, and a palm-sized little yokai flew to sit atop the chauffeur's head.
The female chauffeur, feeling nothing at all, respectfully responded and silently started the car.
Moments later, the sleek black car was smoothly on the road.
After driving for a short while, a female ghost dressed in pure white robes appeared beside Kotoko, floating inside the car. Her distant voice called out, "Priestess."
"Huh? It's you. What brings you here today?" Kotoko asked, though her face showed no trace of curiosity.
"I heard you have a lover, Priestess, so I came to take a look..." The pale-skinned ghost wore a faintly suggestive smile.
"Really?" Kotoko wasn't surprised, and instead asked, "So? What do you think? Isn't Hoshimi handsome?"
"Yes, Hoshimi-sama is very handsome, both in appearance and figure, he's flawless." The ghost respectfully referred to Kotoko's chosen partner.
After affirming the Priestess's choice, the ghost seemed hesitant to say more.
Noticing this, Kotoko grew intrigued. "Hmm? What's on your mind? Feel free to say it; I won't mind."
"Well..." The ghost still seemed worried, but she looked at Kotoko and tentatively asked, "Priestess, is Hoshimi-sama human? Why does he give me such a strange feeling?"
"Oh? Strange? How so?" Kotoko's curiosity grew as she wondered what was so unique about Hoshimi from the ghost's perspective.
Previously, the little yokais around her had mentioned not wanting to get too close to Hoshimi, saying he gave them an unsettling feeling, almost like they would be "devoured."
At the time, she had suspected that it might be Hoshimi's dream abilities at work, unconsciously warning the creatures away.
As for the "devouring" feeling, if she guessed correctly, it likely referred to being drawn into his dreams.
Having personally experienced the power of Hoshimi's dreams, being "devoured" was not far from the truth...
"Um... Hoshimi-sama gives me the feeling of..."
The ghost began explaining, while Kotoko pulled her wandering thoughts back and focused on her.
Without a physical body, the ghost struggled with her words. After a while, she finally came up with the right description.
"Ah, right... it's... heavy. Hoshimi-sama feels very heavy to me..."
"Not in terms of his weight... but his... soul... Yes, his soul feels very heavy..."
"And it's not just heavy... it's..." Once again, the ghost was at a loss for words, desperately searching for the right ones.
"Ah, right, it's not just heavy... It feels like it has an especially high density..."
"I have this feeling..." The ghost blushed, lowered her head, wringing her fingers together as she continued, her voice barely a whisper, "I feel like... if I could share a 'dream' with Hoshimi-sama... I might reach the next level... and even recover my memories from when I was alive..."
"..." Kotoko's face froze.
"Sharing a dream" was a subtle way of saying it. If she were to be blunt, it meant spiritual intercourse and siphoning off Hoshimi's energy.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, the ghost sneaked a glance at Kotoko and, noticing her displeasure, realized she had just blurted out her true thoughts.
Panicking, she quickly explained, "Priestess... I didn't mean it like that... I was just saying it... I wouldn't, and I don't dare to actually do that."
"Hoshimi-sama... Hoshimi-sama's soul is far too heavy... Its density is far too high... If he weren't... willing... I would... uh..."
The ghost turned her head, her face slightly flushed, and continued in a voice as soft as a mosquito's, "... I would die..."
"..." Kotoko's mouth twitched, and she asked with an ominous tone, "Would it be a death on a spiritual level, or a physical one?"
"Huh?" The ghost was confused, not understanding the difference between the two.
Seeing the ghost's bewildered expression, Kotoko squinted and clarified, "I mean, would it be the kind of 'death' that feels really good, or the kind where your soul is obliterated?"
"Oh..." The ghost understood now. She wrung her fingers again and innocently replied, "It would be the soul-obliterating kind of death... If Hoshimi-sama weren't willing, his soul might crush me..."
"..." Kotoko was at a loss for words.
What's the deal with Hoshimi? According to the ghost, Hoshimi's soul must have an incredibly high density.
How strange. How could a human like Hoshimi have such a dense soul? Could it be that he's the reincarnation of a god?
No, that's impossible. True gods have long since disappeared, and there's no way they could reincarnate in a modern world with such thin spiritual energy. That theory could be ruled out.
So, if it's not divine reincarnation, then what else could it be?
Kotoko couldn't figure it out and didn't feel like pursuing it further. She glanced at the pretty ghost and sternly said, "Hoshimi is mine! You're not allowed to fantasize about him!"
"Mm-hmm..." The ghost shuddered and nodded frantically like a pecking chicken.
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