The Bride Of The Sacred Forest God
Chapter 48. Cooling Flowers For Aragaki
This morning, Reda woke up early once because she slept for so long yesterday.
“Thank God the sky was clear.”
Reda prayed, “God, please strengthen myself today. Today is the first day to start from zero again. On this ninth day, hopefully there are many good things for all of us.”
His body was already much better, his heart was also much better. He walked over and in front of him was already waiting for Ryuunosuke.
“Reda-sama, good morning.”
“Good morning, Ryuunosuke. Sleep well?”
“Ryuunosuke sleeps soundly, Reda-sama. Today we are excited again!”
“True. What passes let it pass. Today we start from zero again, yes.”
The little fox immediately held onto Reda's hand and pulled her. They went into the living room yesterday. On the table there is delicious food.
“Reda-sama, good morning.”
“Happy. Eh? Why?”
Reda is confused by this situation. Clearly in the room, there was a lot of food and even more surprisingly, the four Aragaki servants were there while arranging the dishes.
“Ryuunosuke wants to have breakfast with Reda-sama and others also allow it. Ryuunosuke cooks from the morning so he can eat with Reda-sama”
The fox's tail swayed quickly from being too happy and excited. Reda looked at the four Aragaki servants with an anxious face.
“I can't eat–”
“Reda-sama, Ryuunosuke cooked all this for us. Ryuunosuke fought today for the sake of Reda-sama as well. Reda-sama does not want to taste it. Hiks..”
“Ryuunosuke?!” Reda panicked when she saw her little fox start crying. She knelt down and immediately tried to comfort her, “Ryuunosuke, don't cry huh. Don't cry, cup cup. Yes yes, I ate yes.”
“Hiks...really eat?”
“True. Don't cry yes.”
The little fox then turned his back to Reda and looked at the other four servants. A sly smile was shown the five of them without Reda's knowledge.
“Our plan succeeded.” whispered Ryuunosuke
“Yosh!” the thumbs of the four servants were also raised as high as the stomach so that Reda did not notice it
Of course they form a circle when doing so. This time, Ryuunosuke's tears could be called crocodile tears.
“If it is not like this, we will not be able to make Reda-sama get used to the Aragaki-sama residence.” Hakuren murmured in heart
“When the fox came back last night and told me everything, I thought the village girl was weak with the tears of a child. He was too innocent and easily lied to, so this is the only way.” Nagi thought so too
“Excuse us, Reda-sama. We decided to go against Nushi-sama's orders. This is all for the sake of helping you. Your sincere feelings of love for our master will we fully support!” ginko said inwardly with a smile on his lips
“Fortunate you, village girl! We will fully support you from now on. You're the only human girl willing to confess your feelings in front of us. No one's ever done it this long. Therefore, we will help you from now on.” Kuroto also admitted it even though in the heart
Reda sat beside her little fox without knowing the veiled intention.
“Because Aragaki-sama is not around, so Reda-sama is free to eat everything. Ryuunosuke cooks all this like Reda-sama does, let's taste~” he exclaimed while looking happy
“I tasted ya.” Reda picked up her chopsticks and while eating them, she smiled. “Enak. It's delicious, Ryuunosuke.”
“Really?! Glad~”
Reda gave a smile and a soft elusan to her little fox hair.
“Ryuunosuke getting smarter cooking. Amazingly~Nushi-sama will be happy to taste this food later.”
Seeing the little fox happy, the four servants of Aragaki looked relieved. They actually ate together that morning.
**
On the other hand Higashi no Mori, in a large residence that Aragaki had once visited.
On the outside engawa, there are a lot of cute rabbit-headed stealth holding a broom. They swept away the reddened maple leaves.
In contrast to the atmosphere of the Aragaki residence which has a pink color because the cherry trees are flowering without withering, the large residence has an autumn aroma that seems to not stop.
In a room, Aragaki sits down drinking tea with another handsome young man.
His vibes are just like Aragaki's. The calm carrying and charismatic aura fascinated anyone.
“What was your sleep last night, Aragaki?” ask the young man
“Lumayan. It is cooler here because of the autumn feel. Thank you for accepting me, Shuen.”
“We've known each other for a long time, Aragaki. I also have to thank you for being willing to give a little Higashi no Mori land for my residence.”
“Since I expanded the forest of Nishi no Mori, I have had to look after everyone there as well. I don't want any other dark time for the demon world. Really, I'm sorry.”
The expression of the young man named Shuen looked very sad. But, it didn't last long. He immediately looked at Aragaki and asked her.
“I don't mean to interfere in your personal affairs, but I wonder what made you come suddenly with the remnants of that horrible aura last night?”
“Honestly, I thought you killed someone else before you got here.”
Aragaki was silent for a moment hearing Shuen's question. He looked at the green tea stem in his cup and said, “ My servant has lied to me.”
“Lying? Hakuren and his friends?”
“I just knew Nagi and Ginko did it. But, chances are Hakuren and Kuroto are also.”
Aragaki did not respond. From his eyes and expression, Shuen's guess was just right. Even he shook his head now.
“How is it possible? I want to hear it!”
“This is not a good story. This may be very disgusting to tell, Shuen.”
“Abritish or not, I want to hear it! There's no way your loyal servant would do that, Aragaki! Want as bad as they are, their loyalty has been proven since hundreds or even thousands of years!”
Aragaki decides to tell Shuen everything. A long story that doesn't stop making Shuen smile.
“Aragaki, I think here those who should be mad at you are not the other way around.”
“What? Why are you talking like that?”
“Ahaha, I'm surprised they're still willing to kneel to a temperamental wolf like you.”
“Shuen, I'm not kidding.”
“I'm not kidding either, my friend. Listen, I feel that finally appeared the girl you can really call as the candidate of your ‘bride’, Aragaki.”
“What do you mean?”
“That girl you call dirty.I think is a new flower bud for you.”.
That sentence made Aragaki immediately ignited emotions. He started to look angry and his aura became so sharp.
A red mark on his forehead appeared which made the rabbit maid outside turn into a bundle of feather balls out of fear after feeling a sudden terrifying aura.
Aragaki's voice is rising.
“Flower? That filthy thing you call a flower? That girl with sinful blood in it is my bride? Don't joke!”
“He, who had the blood of the murderers of all my loyal servants, who threw their corpses before me, who burned Higashi no Mori and made a little fox an orphan was my bride?!”
“I didn't think you could be that stupid to the point of not seeing the past, Shuen.”
Amidst Aragaki's emotions, Shuen remained calm while drinking her tea and smiling.
“Please don't say cruel so, Aragaki. The little bunnies outside might now be hugging each other for fear of being eaten by wolves like you. Calm down.”
“I've heard enough of your bullshit, Shuen. Stop and pull your words.”
“No. I said it because it's true.”
“Shuen!!”
Aragaki snapped at him, but Shuen started to look at Aragaki seriously.
“Think of this, Aragaki. I want you to see the real situation.”
“You told me, that since the arrival of the girl, your beloved little fox smiled and defied you many times.”
“Your little fox that you always tell me about is very obsessed with the candidate ‘bride’. But all this time he kept getting bad treatment so you killed those girls.”
“But this girl can not only make your little fox laugh, but make you lie to all your loyal servants. Don't you think about this?”
“What magic might a girl have that her own village residents throw away to sacrifice into your sacrifice?”
“I didn't mean to insult you, Aragaki. But I think you actually know what's different about that girl. And that's also what your five servants started to feel so they wanted to help her.”
“Honestly, you cannot accept that even if you know the truth, right?”
“...” Aragaki is speechless. He didn't answer.
That was because in fact, Aragaki himself saw what kind of interaction the girl who was considered dirty by him was with his little fox.
“I've guessed. Stop lying to yourself, Aragaki. Learn to see it even if it is just a little.”
“It's not true. There is nothing good about that dirty girl. He was just like his ancestor, he was cunning and deceiving. Lulled by their false attitude, I lost everything I loved.” Aragaki looked so disappointed and filled with anger
However, Shuen again said something that surprised her enough.
“Then think of the girl as a flower that struggles to grow to beautify your dry heart of love.”
“…!!”
“Sometimes, we don't realize it. The person you hate the most, could be the one who loves you the most.”
“Love..”.
Aragaki remembered something.
[Didn't Reda-sama make it for the offering for Aragaki-sama?]
*[Reda-sama loves Aragaki-sama, right? The gift of Reda-sama makes Aragaki-sama smile*]
That was the sentence Aragaki heard from her little fox as they spoke outside her room.
Now, Aragaki was speechless remembering that. While Shuen who returned to drinking her tea looked at Aragaki with a smile.
“Aragaki, I may not be able to feel the pain and hurt in your heart. But, as your friend I can see it.”
“This is spring for you. The dried and wounded flowers of your heart will soon be healed. Trust me, love will be a new taste for your heart after this.”
****