The Rakshasa Princess’s Love (5)

From the resigned attitudes of those around him and from Ryoga’s own behavior, Mei had assumed there must be some reason he could not simply turn the visitor away, but she had never imagined the woman was his betrothed.

Her eyes burned painfully, and something bitter rose in the back of her throat. The shock was enough to make the whole world seem to sway, and her heart began pounding even harder.

(—I’m such a fool.)

When she had realized she was in love with Ryoga, she had decided to hide her feelings. And yet merely learning that he had a betrothed left her so devastated she felt as though she might die.

Her own weakness was painfully clear to her, and she was struck by the illusion that all the color was draining from the world.

“I see…”

When Mei repeated the words in a hoarse voice, Yoka narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.

“…My name is Suo Mei. Ryoga-sama has been kind enough to take care of me.”

“You needn’t bother introducing yourself. I already know that much.”

Yoka slipped down beside Mei with feline grace, then leaned her face in close.

Under that shamelessly appraising gaze, Mei shrank in on herself. Yoka quickly seemed to lose interest, leaning back again and folding her arms.

“For a human girl, I suppose you’re passable, but there’s nothing remarkable about you. Since Ryoga was said to be keeping you here, I expected someone far more beautiful. How utterly ordinary. Coming to see you was a waste of time.”

“Um…”

“Now I understand why Ryoga was so adamant about keeping you hidden. He must be embarrassed to let anyone see you.”

Mei felt certain she was being insulted quite severely, but perhaps confusion outweighed everything else, because she felt no anger.

“How rude! Princess is more pure and beautiful than anyone! I’ll tell Master what you said!”

Gen bristled from head to tail and growled, but Yoka merely curled one corner of her mouth in a mocking smile.

“What a lively little furball. I might skin you, but you’re too small even to make a decent stole. A pity. And Ryoga is out at the moment.”

“!”

At the horrifying remark, Mei hurriedly scooped Gen into her arms.

She desperately tried to think of whom she should call for help.

“Please stop.”

“Hmm? You dare lecture me? A mere human? Don’t get carried away just because Ryoga has taken you under his protection.”

“I’m not getting carried away…”

Mei was bewildered by Yoka’s openly confrontational attitude. Her gleaming eyes glared at Mei with obvious irritation.

“You’ve grown conceited because they call you Princess, haven’t you? Word has even reached the village. They say Ryoga, who is to become the Yasha King, has acquired an unnecessary burden.”

Yasha King. Yoka spoke the title so casually—the title Ryoga had acquired despite never wanting it—that Mei felt a faint sense of unease. Ryoga had come here precisely because he did not wish to inherit the village in the first place.

“Ryoga is destined to become the head of the village and the king who rules over all oni. That is why we need him to return as soon as possible.”

Yoka shook her head with the air of a mother exasperated by a stubborn child.

“He has no time to waste on the likes of you. Know your place and behave yourself.”

Yoka’s long, slender fingers, their nails painted red, reached out and touched Mei’s hair. The eyes looking down at Mei were filled with scorn. They were the same eyes that had pierced Mei’s heart countless times back in West Suo.

Something at the core of her mind turned cold.

(—This woman isn’t looking at Ryoga-sama at all.)

Mei remembered the faintly lonely expression Ryoga had worn when he told her about his homeland. Ryoga, who had lived in isolation because of the power he had been born with, been pushed around by the selfish ambitions of those around him, and ultimately abandoned his home.

“That is not for you to decide.”

Her own voice came out colder than she had expected.

“What did you say?”

Yoka withdrew her hand from Mei’s hair and narrowed both eyes.

“I will remain by Ryoga-sama’s side for as long as he wishes me there. Where Ryoga-sama chooses to live is for Ryoga-sama to decide.”

“You insolent little girl…!”

The temperature around them dropped in an instant. Mei’s breath turned white, and her body suddenly felt impossibly heavy. If she had not braced one hand against the veranda, she might have collapsed on the spot.

“Ugh…”

“Princess!”

Gen, too, let out a pained cry and flattened against the floor.

Mei watched Yoka’s eyes change from amber to a pomegranate-red.

“Don’t get so full of yourself just because you possess some healing power!”

Yoka shrieked as she raised her right hand.

Mei might not come through this unharmed.

Overcome by instinctive fear, she squeezed her eyes shut.

But the blow she expected never came.

Instead, she heard a familiar voice.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Gyaaah!”

At Yoka’s scream, Mei opened her eyes.

“Ryoga-sama.”

“Mei, are you all right?”

Ryoga had caught Yoka by the wrist before she could strike.

“Let go of me! My arm—my arm is going to come off!”

“Shut up. There’s a limit to how far I’ll let you push your luck!”

Ryoga swung Yoka by the arm and hurled her toward the garden.

Mei thought she would crash into the ground, but Yoka’s body fluttered lightly through the air like a butterfly before landing soundlessly.

“What was that for, Ryoga?!”

“What were you doing? Mei is my Princess. Do you understand what it means to raise your hand against her?”

At the icy chill in Ryoga’s voice, the color drained from Yoka’s face and she faltered.

“N-no, that’s not it. That little girl was so ignorant of her place that…”

“Enough. I won’t listen to excuses.”

After cutting off Yoka’s protest, Ryoga turned back toward Mei.

“Mei, are you really all right?”

His expression and voice were so gentle, so utterly different from how he had spoken to Yoka, that Mei nearly burst into tears.

“I’m fine.”

She somehow managed a smile, and Ryoga’s brows drew together painfully. His large hand closed around hers.

“You’re freezing. You were exposed to Yoka’s cold aura.”

“I’m fine now. See?”

Her body was certainly cold, but not so much that she could not move.

“No.”

“Eek!”

Ryoga effortlessly scooped Mei into his arms.

Her field of vision suddenly rose, and dizzy with the abrupt change in height, Mei clung to his shoulder.

“Wait!”

Yoka was shouting something in a shrill voice behind them, but Ryoga did not stop. He simply continued walking with Mei in his arms.

“R-Ryoga-sama, please put me down.”

“Her power is stronger than you think. Please. I’m worried about you.”

Mei could hardly refuse when he pleaded with her like that.

Trying to contain both her embarrassment and her happiness, she quietly remained in Ryoga’s arms.

“I’m sorry. I told her not to go near you.”

Ryoga looked genuinely remorseful, and Mei hurriedly shook her head.

“Please don’t worry about it. Um… Yoka-san is your betrothed, isn’t she, Ryoga-sama? I said something cruel to her, and that was what made her angry.”

“What? What did you just say?”

Ryoga’s voice dropped sharply.

Mei went pale, thinking she had angered him.

“Um, about what I said to her…”

“No. Before that. You said Yoka is my betrothed? Did she tell you that?”

“Huh? Y-yes.”

When Mei nodded honestly, she heard Ryoga grind his back teeth together.

“…I should have killed her when I had the chance.”

Mei’s throat squeaked at the alarming words.

“Um!”

“For the sake of my honor, let me make this clear. She is not my betrothed. Some people in the village decided to push the matter on their own, and that is the only reason such a rumor exists. I have never once agreed to it.”

“I see…”

(—She wasn’t his betrothed.)

Mei’s cheeks almost relaxed into a smile, and she hurriedly forced her expression back under control.

By the time they finished talking, they had reached Mei’s room.

Ignoring Mei’s attempts to stop him, Ryoga quickly laid out the futon, placed her down upon it, and told her to rest.

Mei protested several times that she was not sleepy, but Ryoga refused to yield, and she reluctantly closed her eyes.

The sensation of his large hand gently stroking her head sent drowsiness washing through her entire body almost at once.

Apparently, Yoka’s cold aura had drained far more of her strength than she had realized.

“I’m sorry.”

Just before Mei slipped into the world of dreams, she heard Ryoga’s voice.

She wanted to tell him not to apologize, but she was already too far gone to give the words sound.