An urgent summons—this kind of situation was rare.
Yu Xie quickly arrived at the Tenshukaku, walked through the grand hall, but didn't see either of the Raiden Makoto or Ei.
The vast hall was empty, with no one present.
Just as Yu Xie was feeling confused, a maid approached him.
"Commander Yu, Shogun has asked for you in the kitchen."
"The kitchen?" Yu Xie paused for a moment.
Wasn't this an urgent summons? Why would he be sent to the kitchen? Was someone poisoning the food?
"Understood."
Without further speculation, Yu Xie headed toward the kitchen in the Tenshukaku.
It seemed that everyone else had been dismissed, as Yu Xie only saw himself, and a familiar presence from inside the kitchen.
As he slowly walked into the kitchen, the scene before him gave him an idea of what had happened.
The kitchen was in a "tragic" state.
Some unknown ingredient was smeared on the walls, the pot on the stove was overturned, and the lid had flown off to one side.
Various cooking utensils were scattered on the floor, some seemingly tossed there in a flurry of chaotic movement.
Ei was standing in front of the stove, her purple braided hair lightly swaying.
She gazed at the chaotic stove, her expression serious, without speaking a word.
"Did the kitchen just experience an explosion?" Yu Xie asked.
"Pretty much." Ei spoke slowly. "I told you, cooking is a dangerous task. Looks like it's time to increase the chef's wages."
"You were cooking just now?"
"Mm, I suddenly felt like trying it out."
"…"
"What's wrong? Why the sudden silence?"
"So you urgently summoned me for this?"
"I don't know how to clean this up." Ei said. "I don't want Makoto to know about this, and I can't let anyone else know either—it would ruin my authority. After thinking about it for a while, I had no choice but to ask you for help."
"So, you think it won't ruin your authority if I know about this?"
"It will, but it feels better this way. You're the Head of the Royal Guards; you're entitled to know about many things." Ei turned her head away, not looking at Yu Xie. Her voice suddenly became a little hesitant. "S-sorry for the trouble, I owe you a favor. You can think about how you want me to repay you. In addition, tonight, I'll have the chef make a great meal to reward you."
Seeing this, Yu Xie felt a little helpless but had no other option.
He sighed and smiled wryly, shrugging his shoulders.
"Alright, what else can I do? Who told me I'm the Head of the Royal Guards?"
The cleaning began.
During the cleanup, Yu Xie could tell that Ei also wanted to help, but her eyes darted around, giving off an impression of helplessness.
This woman, who could slice a canyon with a single strike, had no idea what to do in a situation like this.
Every time Ei seemed about to step in to help clean, Yu Xie would throw out some excuse so she wouldn't have to, concerned that her clumsy tendency might cause a secondary crisis in the kitchen…
For Ei, this kitchen was much harder to control than a battlefield.
About two hours later, the kitchen was finally cleaned up, completely refreshed.
Yu Xie and Ei walked out of the kitchen and side by side.
"Thank you." Ei suddenly spoke.
"It's nothing. After all, you're paying me with a favor and a meal. I'm not losing out." Yu Xie joked.
Ei went silent for a moment, then turned her head to glance at the flowers and plants in the courtyard.
Those flowers and plants had been here for ten years, and perhaps because of lack of care, they no longer bloomed as brightly as they once did.
And the Yu Xie from ten years ago, who had been shorter than her, was now half a head taller.
As they turned a corner, they unexpectedly ran into Makoto.
Seeing Yu Xie and Ei walking together, the atmosphere felt a bit off. Makoto's gaze flickered with slight confusion.
"You two…"
Before Makoto could finish her sentence, Ei immediately turned to look at Yu Xie, giving him a meaningful glance.
Yu Xie immediately understood.
"I was just helping Ei with a small task."
A long time ago, Makoto had told Yu Xie that there was no need for him to address her or Ei with honorifics—it would feel distant. Ei had also tacitly agreed to this.
"What task?" Makoto casually asked.
"She asked me to be her sparring partner." Yu Xie replied.
This reason was quite convincing, after all, Ei spent most of her time in the training grounds.
"I see." Makoto nodded slightly, giving Yu Xie a gentle smile. "Thank you for your hard work, Yu Xie. Please stay for dinner tonight."
The setting sun dipped below the horizon.
The fiery red glow of the sunset bathed Narukami Island, the surface of the sea shimmering with light. The entire scene seemed like a beautiful painting, as if crafted by the hand of a great artist.
On the dining table, a variety of dishes lay out, their vibrant colors and enticing aromas filling the air.
"If there's anything else you'd like to eat, just let me know, and I'll have the chef prepare it right away." Makoto smiled warmly at Yu Xie.
She always smiled like that, her gentle expression seeming to brighten the hearts of those around her.
In contrast, Ei seemed a bit more "tight-lipped."
"These dishes are already great, no need to add more. We won't be able to finish it all anyway." Yu Xie replied.
Makoto smiled and nodded, but then suddenly paused, as if she had thought of something.
"I almost forgot. Our Head of the Royal Guards has grown up, no longer the child from back then. Would you like a drink? It's already after work hours."
"No need, I don't drink much usually, and I'm not very good at it."
"Just a little, then." Ei suddenly spoke up, "I suddenly feel like having a drink."
This surprised both Yu Xie and Makoto.
Ei rarely drank; she had once said that drinking would affect her ability to draw her sword.
"Ei?" Makoto looked at her younger sister, sensing that something was a bit off today.
"Just one drink." Ei said.
Soon, a bottle of aged wine was placed on the table.
The wine jug was opened, and its aroma slowly filled the air.
Ei poured a glass for herself, Makoto, and Yu Xie. After raising her glass, she drank it all in one go.
"Ei, slow down." Makoto reminded her. "Why do you suddenly feel like drinking today?"
"…" Ei hesitated, unsure how to explain.
Though she had acted tough in front of Yu Xie today, deep down, she still felt embarrassed about the kitchen disaster and having to ask Yu Xie for help.
She had heard that alcohol could help people forget their worries. Although Ei had never believed it, today, she suddenly felt like she might as well give it a try.
"I just suddenly felt like drinking, there's no special reason." Ei said as she poured herself another glass.
"Slow down, don't get drunk." Yu Xie couldn't help but say.
The wine continued to flow, and the dishes came and went.
After a few rounds, the wine jug was almost empty. Ei stared at her empty glass, and she started to realize that the saying about alcohol helping people forget their worries was a lie.
Her worries were still there, if anything, they felt even clearer.
"Why can't I learn to cook?" Ei stared at her empty glass in her hand, and the thought that should have stayed in her mind slipped out of her lips without her realizing.
A few seconds later, she suddenly realized what she had said.
The atmosphere became a little awkward.
End of chapter
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