The Yasha’s Princess (7)

“No…”

What fault could Ryoga possibly have had?

He had not only taken her away from that painful place, but had even given her somewhere she belonged.

“No. This was entirely my fault.”

Kyo murmured the words in anguish.

“When I heard the rumor that there was a Princess at the Yasha’s estate, I thought I had no choice but to cling to that hope. Father was barely conscious, and I was told he might not even survive until the next day…”

The tears in his voice made Mei’s own heart ache.

“Normally, I should have sent a letter and asked permission before visiting. I tried to skip the proper steps and showed you no respect. Even if the two of you forgive me, I cannot forgive myself…”

Kyo clenched his beak so tightly that it seemed ready to crack, and Jokyo patted him consolingly on the shoulder.

“Kyo. What you must do from now on is not wallow in regret, but show your sincerity.”

“Father…”

“Lord Ryoga. This boy is still young. He lacks the strength required to succeed me and govern our clan. Would you consider taking him in for a while and training him?”

“!”

Everyone there except Jokyo stared at him in surprise.

“Take him in? What exactly do you mean?”

“Nothing complicated. Think of him as a brat and work him hard enough that he does not die. I am certain he would do anything for the Princess.”

“Lord Jokyo…”

Ryoga looked utterly bewildered, and this time Kyo bowed his head.

“Lord Yasha… no, Lord Ryoga! Please put me to use. I know I have no right to ask this, but please give me the duty of protecting the Princess…!”

“Protect me? There’s no need for—”

Ryoga stopped Mei before she could finish.

“What will you do if someone else appears and tries to abduct Mei, just as you did?”

“I will protect her even at the cost of my life. In the first place, my life is as good as something the Princess saved for me. Please allow me to serve her until this body gives out.”

“Kyo, you don’t have to—”

“Very well.”

“What?!”

Ryoga answered before Mei could finish refusing.

He folded his arms and looked quietly down at Kyo.

“I do not trust you yet. But I understand the circumstances. I also owe Lord Jokyo a debt, so this time, out of respect for him, I will take you in as Mei’s guard.”

“Lord Ryoga!”

While Mei cried out in utter shock, Jokyo and Kyo both broke into broad smiles.

“Thank you, Lord Ryoga!”

“My son is still lacking in many ways, but I leave him in your care.”

Mei began to panic as the matter seemed about to be settled without her input, but Ryoga turned to her with a serious expression.

“I had already been thinking that it was time to assign you a guard in addition to Gen. This incident only proves it further. You are in a position that makes you very easy to target.”

“But having a guard sounds far too excessive…”

“It is not excessive at all. There are many who would target you because you are my Princess. This time, all they wanted was your power as a Princess, but what if the one who took you had harbored malicious intentions?”

The pain in Ryoga’s furrowed brow conveyed just how deeply the thought distressed him.

“Mei. You need to understand your own worth better. Please, just as I treasure you, I want you to treasure yourself.”

“…!”

Never once in her life had anyone protected her or worried about her this much.

From the very first day they met, Ryoga had done nothing but give Mei everything she had always longed for.

A simple “thank you” could never express what was swelling inside her.

She tried somehow to give a name to the soft, formless emotion, but could not, and her brows lowered slightly.

(—If only I could somehow show him what is in my heart.)

Gratitude, respect, trust.

And something just a little stronger than all of those—affection.

All those feelings mingled together and threw Mei’s heart into turmoil.

“I want to protect you.”

His earnest words pierced her heart.

The nameless feeling inside her seemed to bloom like a flower.

(—So I had fallen in love with him.)

He was the strong, beautiful oni who had changed her entire dark world.

How could she possibly have avoided falling in love with him?

“…I’m sorry.”

The instant she realized it, she could no longer look Ryoga in the face, and Mei lowered her head as the apology slipped from her lips.

Embarrassment and confusion tightened painfully around her chest.

“I am not asking you to apologize. I simply want to protect you. I have a responsibility to you, as the one who welcomed you into this world.”

Responsibility.

That word fell heavily into Mei’s heart.

It felt as though something had crushed the feelings that had only just begun to bud, leaving a painful lump in her throat.

(—Of course. Lord Ryoga is the ruler of that land. He has a reason to protect me as a healer.)

Now that she had become Ryoga’s Princess, she needed to use her power as he wished.

And Ryoga, in turn, had a responsibility to protect the power he had gained.

It was only natural.

And yet Mei hated herself for feeling lonely because of it.

(—He must never know how I feel.)

Her selfish feelings would surely only burden Ryoga.

So Mei had to continue behaving just as she always had, as Ryoga’s Princess.

As long as she did that, she could remain by his side forever.

“Kyo. From today onward, never take your eyes off Mei. If there is anything you do not understand, learn it from Gen.”

“That is right. This Gen was given a name by the Princess herself and is her foremost attendant. Make sure you listen carefully to what Gen says.”

Called upon, Gen gave a proud little snort.

Kyo, meanwhile, seemed stunned by the realization that his position was now apparently below Gen’s. He stood frozen with his beak hanging open.

The endearing sight of the two of them lifted Mei’s spirits, and she smiled.

Kyo was to return to Ryoga’s estate together with Mei and the others.

Despite leaving his home, Kyo looked as casual as though he were merely stepping out to do a little shopping, which surprised Mei.

When she honestly told them so, Ryoga and the others tilted their heads in puzzlement instead.

Apparently, farewells were not considered particularly important among Aberrations.

“As long as we live, we can meet again. There is no need to mourn the parting.”

“Exactly. It’s not as though I’m going to die. I can easily come back and visit.”

At first, Mei was bewildered by their matter-of-fact answers, but as they continued talking, she soon realized why they could part so easily.

(—I see. They trust their family.)

They knew that even if they were separated physically, their hearts would not grow distant.

Because there was no reason to grieve over setting out, there was no need for a grand farewell either.

They could leave so casually precisely because they trusted one another to return soon, and knew they would always be welcomed home.

Perhaps that was what a true family was—people bound together by invisible ties like those.

(—How nice.)

A faint feeling of envy surfaced inside her.

She had thought she no longer had any lingering attachment, and yet images of her former family crossed her mind.

What did they think now that Mei was gone?

Perhaps they already considered her dead, assuming she had been eaten by an oni.

A small, hopeful thought rose within her—perhaps they had grieved for her, even just a little.

But she quickly shook her head as if to drive the thought away.

Even if that were true, it would change nothing.

And if it were not, then thinking about it would only leave her feeling empty.

“Mei, let’s go.”

Ryoga held out his hand to her.

The opening in space that would take them back to the estate glowed faintly.

The sight overlapped with the day she had first been invited into the Otherworld.

“Yes.”

Without hesitation, Mei took his hand and set off on the journey home.