"When will that tsundere stop being so stubborn..."
Kicked out of the Plane of Euthymia, Luo Qing found himself once more inside the high tower of the Tenshukaku, locking eyes with the silent Raiden Shogun.
They were linked, her and Ei. Whatever Ei sensed, the Shogun could also perceive. She could clearly feel Ei's emotional state within the Plane of Euthymia.
She had no idea why Ei would be so absorbed by those light novels that Luo Qing had brought. But ever since she kicked Luo Qing out of the Plane of Euthymia, Ei had been in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
The reason?
She didn't know.
But there was no need to think too deeply—it must have been Luo Qing's fault.
"If there's nothing else, you may leave."
The Raiden Shogun closed her eyes, unwilling to look at him any longer.
Men only slow my blade.
If she could harden her heart, she would have already cut Luo Qing down.
"Oh? The Shogun doesn't want to chat with me for a bit?"
Luo Qing leaned forward, watching the Raiden Shogun who remained sitting in meditative stillness, pretending she hadn't heard a thing.
"Well, can you at least give me a token or something? The samurai downstairs keep treating me like some delivery guy and won't let me in."
No response from the Shogun.
"Ah, playing the cool and silent type again, huh?"
Seeing that the Shogun had no intention of engaging, Luo Qing decided to stop trying to warm up to her cold demeanor. He activated Time Zero and jumped from the balcony, leaving Tenshukaku behind.
After spending the whole day with Ei reading light novels, it was already late afternoon when Luo Qing was allowed to leave.
As he passed by Yae Publishing House, he spotted Kozue watching him warily from a distance, as if he were some kind of dangerous monster.
No need to ask—Ayaka probably still didn't want to see him.
With a polite nod and a smile to Kozue, Luo Qing returned to his resting place.
Upon entering his quarters, he discovered Theresa rolling around on his tatami mat, clutching his blanket and wriggling on the floor.
"Theresa, are you having a seizure?"
"Ah?!... Ahem, ahem."
Theresa quickly jumped to her feet, flustered and red-faced, standing awkwardly by the wall. She was so embarrassed she even forgot to wipe the drool at the corner of her mouth.
"Why are you back at this hour, Lord Luo Qing... I... I've been waiting for you all day..."
"I'm not asking when you got here."
"..."
"Well... I haven't seen you for a while, and since you were away, I just..."
Theresa muttered, her head down like a child caught doing something naughty.
"Alright, get out."
Luo Qing didn't bother to listen to more of her excuses and walked out of the room.
Seeing him leave, Theresa could only follow, sneaking quietly behind him, her head still bowed, like a guilty schoolgirl.
"Where are the others?"
"Those samurai were being difficult, always plotting to escape, so the others stayed behind to keep an eye on them."
"Then why did you come?"
"I won in rock-paper-scissors! And I won at cards! So I got to come here!"
Theresa puffed out her chest with a proud smile, as if she'd just boasted about an impressive achievement.
But when she saw Luo Qing's expression remain unchanged, her pride quickly faded. She tried to appear pitiful.
"I missed you, Lord Luo Qing. I've been waiting so long to be by your side, and now you don't even seem happy to see me..."
"Cut the act."
"..."
[Frustration Value from Theresa +1]
"You're so annoying! I can't even get a rise out of you!"
Seeing that she'd been seen through, Theresa dropped the pretense and plopped down in front of Luo Qing, sitting cross-legged.
"Lord Luo Qing, those samurai aren't very smart. Just a bunch of low-level grunts. Why keep them around? You even have to feed them every day. What a waste of Mora."
"Are you questioning my decisions?" Luo Qing asked coolly.
"..."
"No, Lord. I didn't mean it like that. It's just... living with them in some cave in the middle of nowhere, making sure they don't starve... I feel like I've turned into some kind of cook..."
Theresa's shoulders drooped, her expression pitifully downcast. It was hard to tell if she was genuinely upset or just acting.
But Luo Qing wasn't fooled.
"Did Natalia bring back the signed testimonies I asked for?"
Originally, he'd sent Natalia to retrieve written confessions from the samurai, yet somehow, it was Theresa who returned instead.
Compared to this slightly unhinged Electro Cicin Mage, the more straightforward and fujoshi-inclined Natalia was easier to manage.
"Um... I did bring them."
Theresa nodded, then, right in front of Luo Qing, she pulled down the collar of her robe and started fishing around inside.
She let out a few odd noises as she searched.
Finally, she produced the testimonies, which now smelled distinctly like Theresa's perfume.
They were... a little damp.
Where the hell did she stash these?!
Noticing Luo Qing's gaze, Theresa mischievously pulled her collar down a bit further, exposing her pale neck. She pretended to be bashful.
"Don't misunderstand, Lord. These Electro Mage outfits don't have pockets, so... I didn't have anywhere else to put them..."
"..."
Luo Qing felt he was still too naive.
Theresa was not someone who could be understood with normal logic.
Deciding to ignore her antics, Luo Qing grabbed the slightly crumpled and perfumed documents from the table and began to read.
Everything seemed in order—mostly confessions detailing Kujo Takayuki's inhumane actions and the chaos within the Shogunate's ranks.
"Alright, stay here and don't go wandering around. I need to head out."
Luo Qing folded the documents, tucked them into his pocket, and gave Theresa a quick reminder before leaving the resting quarters again.
The documents were for Kujo Takayuki's eyes only. But the real evidence lay with the testimonies of those samurai.
The sound of Luo Qing shutting the door echoed from below.
Theresa tiptoed to the entrance, peeking out to make sure he was gone and wouldn't be returning soon.
Then, she turned back to the bedding in Luo Qing's room.
Ziiip...
Tenryou Commission
Late into the night, Kujo Takayuki's office was still lit.
As the head of the Kujo Clan and the leader of the Tenryou Commission, his duties were endless, and many of them were not fit for public view.
Ever since receiving secret support from the Fatui, the Kujo Clan's influence within the Tenryou Commission had solidified, and the Commission's standing among the Tri-Commission had risen as a result.
It seemed everything was progressing steadily.
But right now, staring at the documents in his hand, Kujo Takayuki's face was tense.
Not long ago, reports from the front lines of the Shogunate forces had reached him, detailing how the samurai sent to escort refugees back to Narukami Island had vanished without a trace, while the refugees arrived safely and began spreading word of the Commission's "heroic deeds."
Under normal circumstances, the disappearance of a few samurai wouldn't trouble him so.
But those samurai had orders—orders he had personally given—to drown those refugees at sea.
The samurai had vanished, yet the refugees had survived.
Someone is meddling in the shadows.
If word of his orders to eliminate the refugees reached the ears of the Raiden Shogun...
It would spell disaster for him and the entire Kujo Clan.
---
T/N: IT'S KOZUE NOW? FOR FUCK SAKE GIVE ME A BREAKKKk whatever shes just an npc anyway
<( •̀ᴖ•́)>
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
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Kazuha -> Kusa -> Kozue