The Bride Of The Sacred Forest God
Chapter 52. Rewards and Reactions Aragaki-sama

Aragaki walked to a street full of trees.

The road passes through a quiet and quiet forest area. There is a torii (the temple gate) in sight.

Once there, there were hundreds of tombstones there. In each tomb, there are foreign names that are very well known by the ruler. Right, it was the tomb of his loyal servants.

“Sorry because I just saw you guys again. Please forgive me for being late.”

Aragaki stepped inside towards a tomb. He stopped at a tomb with the inscription ‘Ryoko’.

The ribbon he stored, removed and tied to the tombstone.

“Ryoko, I'm coming. I'm sorry I forbid that little fox to see this place again. Anyway, Ryuunosuke was very small back then and I didn't want him to cry because of your loss.”

“I'm sorry for making your son cry so often. Please forgive this pitiful master of yours yes.”

“Thank you, because you want to keep blooming on top of the thousand-wish cherry blossoms. I always hoped, you would still see your pathetic master.”

From quite a distance away, the two tengu saw his master standing in front of the tomb.

“It...the tomb of Ryoko-san.” Kuroto said slowly

“Aragaki-sama visited Ryoko-san's grave. Could it be that Aragaki-sama felt guilty for making Ryuunosuke cry?”

“Maybe. You know that little fox is a favorite kid, right? It is only natural that Aragaki-sama feels guilty. I think we should go back now before Aragaki-sama realizes our existence.”

“You're right, Kuroto. Besides, we can't hear what he's saying. Come.”

Both of them went from there.

While below, Aragaki looks very serious. It was like making a confession in front of the tomb.

“Ryoko, your little fox has grown into a sweet little fox. He is exactly like his father, Rantaro and his smile is similar to yours.”

“Since your death, he's been trying to keep smiling. All the things needed by us were taken care of by him. That little fox is very diligent like you. Lately, he's even beaten you in terms of cookery.” Aragaki smiled a little

“Today, I went to visit Shuen and when I ate the menu served by her, I immediately missed your son's cooking. He's a great chef.”

“Recently, about a week ago.’those from the land of sinners’ sent another dirty girl to me. I don't know if you've seen her or not, but this girl is quite liked by your son.”

“I don't see anything good from him. He's dirty, just like everyone else. He did nothing right and.” Aragaki did not continue. He was silent for a moment.

Until finally, Aragaki said things that she had never thought of before.

“That filthy girl has made my beloved little fox laugh. He treated the boy well and taught him to do things he had never done.”

“He even hugged and praised her until Ryuunosuke gave the ribbon you used to wear to that dirty girl.”

“The dirty girl defended my little fox's mistake and received the penalty of replacing her.”

“I don't know what makes Ryuunosuke like it, but my little fox really likes that dirty girl. She even wanted to cry and lie to me to defend her.”

“Ryuunosuke..laughs like you were alive, Ryoko. Since the arrival of that filthy girl, your little fox has become more lively and happier. I know this sounds silly, but that's the truth.”

Aragaki fell silent while bowing her head in front of Ryoko's grave, Ryuunosuke's late mother.

In the mind of the ruler, he recalled the sentence from his friend.

[I don't mean to insult you, Aragaki. But I think you actually know what's different about that girl. And that is also what your five servants began to feel so they wanted to help him]

[Honestly, you can't accept that even if you know the truth, right?]

[Sometimes, we don't realize it. The person you hate the most can be the one who loves you the most]

“Ryoko..I don't want to believe anything since seeing you and everyone dies before my eyes. I just don't want..forget this pain.”

“Does this master of yours have his former self? Do you think that this pitiful master of yours could be the wolf protecting his herd again?”

That afternoon, Aragaki just continued to stand in front of Ryoko's grave while continuing to tell her everything.

Not a useful thing indeed, but at least for now only in this way Aragaki can make himself calm.

After that, he walked towards his house. There was nothing that made him so strange from the outpouring of his heart before this.

Aragaki still seems unwilling to admit anything. He keeps trying to pull everything off, even though he said it a while ago in front of Ryoko's grave.

Without trying to ponder anything back, he walked until he almost arrived at his house.

**

At the Aragaki residence, before the ruler arrived, the little fox was so pleased with the results of his own hands and kept looking at him.

Reda who previously left him for a while finally returned to bring the peeled fruit with tea.

“Ryuunosuke, eat a snack first before lunch.”

“Reda-sama, this is beautiful right? Ryuunosuke can finally be like Reda-sama. Ehehe~”

“This must be the cherry blossoms of mother and friends. They must have supported Ryuunosuke. If you see this, Aragaki-sama must be smiling. Ryuunosuke can't wait to give this to him.”

The little fox looked very excited. He was so impatient to give this surprise.

“May Nushi-sama go home quickly yes.” said Reda

“Ryuunosuke also–”

Not yet finished speaking, Ryuunosuke's ears swayed and stood upright. “That's Aragaki-sama! Aragaki-sama is finally back!”

“Really?!” Reda was surprised because she was happy. As if he had forgotten what he experienced yesterday, Reda looks so sparkling to hear his loved ones coming home.

“Reda-sama, Ryuunosuke would like to provide this now!”

Eagerly, the little fox walked quickly carrying the ikebana bowl with him. Reda followed behind to make sure that Ryuunosuke did not fall while carrying him.

From a distance, Nagi and Ginko who felt the return of their master walked towards the main door to greet the ruler.

As soon as the door was opened, Aragaki returned to her house greeted by two newly arrived tengu and descended from above.

“Welcome back, Aragaki-sama. Glad you came back safely.”

“I'm home.”

Aragaki seems to have improved. He wanted to show his smile to the two tengu. Before long, a small familiar voice sounded.

“Aragaki-sama, Aragaki-sama, welcome!”

The ruler saw his little fox running. Aragaki's smile was seen when the fox came, but her smile faded as soon as she saw the girl behind her.

“That dirty girl..”

Aragaki forgets everything she said in front of Ryoko's grave and returns showing a cold gaze to the village girl she thought was dirty. However, his attention was only for a moment.

The little fox greeted him while carrying an ikebana bowl in hand.

“Aragaki-sama, look at this! Ryuunosuke made it himself! Ryuunosuke really made it himself now! This is for Aragaki-sama!”

The little fox's tail swayed quickly from being too happy. Behind him, not far from Ryuunosuke, Reda stood up with a smile while looking at the sweet fox.

“He must be so happy.”

Unexpectedly by her, upon seeing Aragaki, their eyes met.

Reda looked at him with a happy gaze, but it did not seem to apply to Aragaki who looked at him coldly full of prejudice.

Seeing what Ryuunosuke was carrying, Aragaki instantly had another thought. He even let out a cold tone all of a sudden.

“This...can you? Is that true?”

“Eh? Aragaki-sama?”

“Ryuunosuke, you are not lying and helping the dirty girl behind you again to deceive me, right?”

The four servants were so shocked and pale hearing him.

Ryuunosuke's tail stopped swaying and went straight down along with his ears that were down in fear.

“Aragaki-sama, Ryuunosuke made it himself. Reda-sama who taught her.”

“Before you also said that it was your made. But, it turns out that you and those two adult foxes lied to me.”

Reda felt that her little fox would cry after this. He frantically approached his little fox and tried to explain it to the ruler.

“Nushi-sama, I dare to swear on the name of God that this is really not my making. The little fox that made it. The flower used is his own choice because this is the favorite flower of Nushi-sama.”

Hearing the word ‘favorite flowers’, Aragaki saw the details of the flower.

Clearly it is a sakura, a flower that means a lot to Aragaki as it symbolizes the soul of all her friends and loved ones who have died.

The flowers in the bowl that had been neatly arranged it made him rise up to scream.

“I guess everything I said in front of Ryoko was a lie. How dare you ruin the quiet soul of all that I love. How dare your filthy hands touch their beautiful blooming souls on my cherry trees!!”

Aragaki let out a wind that wanted to destroy the bowl in Ryuunosuke's hands. The four loyal servants intended to stop him, yet it seemed that it would be too late.

Until finally, Reda at the expense of her body hugged Ryuunosuke and the bowl to protect him.

“Ukh..” Reda's moaning sound due to wounds on his back.

There was a hint of blood dripping and along with that, a shout sounded.

“Reda-sama!!”

****