[At the Mansion - Lady Sofia's Perspective]

  Having finished a "battle" for the first time in a long while. My interrogation (also known as teatime) with Shigure had concluded, and I was fresh out of the shower, drying my wet hair with a towel.

  "...Phew."

  Nastya (Anastasia) had disappeared into the nap room, chasing after Shigure. She's probably pnning to dish out a thorough punishment. That child has always been deeply possessive... I do hope she shows some moderation. Her "love" is a bit too heavy for a human to bear.

  As I sat before my dresser doing my skincare routine, I suddenly ruminated on the conversation we just had.

  (...Buei's dying wish, was it?)

  There was a thorn of doubt lodged in my mind that I couldn't ignore. That girl, Kei, had said: "Lord Yoritomo left a dying wish on his deathbed. 'Even if I die, you must sy that monster.'"

  That is strange.

  Because the one who watched over that man (Yoritomo) in his final moments was none other than myself. From the time he fell from his horse and lost consciousness, right up until the exact moment he drew his st breath a few days ter, I was by his bedside. He was calling my name in his delirium, but I am certain he never uttered a single word about sying me.

  "...Did someone rewrite history? Or perhaps..."

  Just as I muttered to myself—.

  BAAAAM!!

  "My Lady, are you safe—!!"

  A familiar, massive figure came tumbling into the room with enough force to blow the door right off its hinges. A rough, tomboyish voice. Arms as thick as logs. It was Hilde, my Head Maid from Germany.

  "...As you can see, I am right here. How many times must I tell you to knock before opening the door?"

  "My Lady!! Thank goodness you're safe!!"

  Hilde, completely deaf to my scolding, charged at me like a Panzer tank.

  "I heard the gist of it from Anastasia! You were attacked! Damn it, and while I was away!"

  "Yes, I was. But rest assured, the soldiers of such a peaceful era are completely spineless compared to the ones from the old days."

  "Are you injured!? Are you missing any limbs!?"

  Hilde began patting my body all over. My arms, my legs, the nape of my neck, my sides...

  "W-Wait! You're touching too much! That tickles!"

  I smacked her thick arm away. Her suffocatingly intense loyalty is exactly the same as always.

  "...More importantly, what is the status of that matter?"

  I changed the subject. While I was away, I had tasked her with investigating the local underground society's information network.

  "Ah, of course! I have completely wiped out the antisocial forces in this entire region!"

  "...Huh?"

  Wiped out? My hand, holding a cotton pad, stopped mid-air.

  "By that, you mean... what exactly did you do?"

  I have a very bad feeling about this. This girl's one fw is that she's far too much of a meathead.

  "I went around crushing the hideouts of the mafia... the guys they call 'Yakuza' in Japan, one by one!"

  Hilde fshed a bright, toothy smile and gave me a thumbs-up.

  "I-I see... I can imagine, but how exactly did you...?"

  "I went to their offices and executed a Kachikomi (frontal assault/raid)! It was surprisingly easy."

  "..."

  "I was going around town asking, 'Where is the Yakuza office?' and they came up to me trying to pick a fight, saying, 'Haaah? You the one sniffing around our turf?' So, I just beat them all to a pulp, made them guide me to their office, and then..."

  "Oh..."

  I held my head in my hands. I had entrusted her to make contact with the local armed groups to gather information peacefully... This was entirely a mistake in my delegation.

  "But wait! When I stormed the office, I made sure to properly decre my Jingi (honor code)! Just like they did in that Yakuza movie you showed me, My Lady!"

  "Ah... you mean Battles Without Honor and Humanity, the one I showed you so you could learn about the Yakuza ecosystem... I'm so gd your studies paid off. (Deadpan)"

  "Yes! I shouted, 'Pardon my intrusion! (Ohikaenasutte!)' at the top of my lungs before I crashed the party!"

  "And which syndicate did you crush?"

  "Oh, I took care of all the ones in this area."

  "Hm?"

  Keeping a stiff smile on my face, I asked again.

  "Hm?"

  "Like I said, the Yakuza, the delinquent gangs, the half-greys (semi-organized crime groups)... I took care of all of them in this area."

  "Oh..."

  So the Kamakura underground is practically annihited. Well, it's true that it makes it easier for us to operate, but... that's severe overkill.

  "But wait. How did you figure out the overall structure and locations of the organizations? Internet search?"

  "It was easy!"

  Hilde rubbed the area under her nose proudly.

  "To the boss—the Kashira?—of the first group I attacked... you know that thing we used to do back in Europe, in the 14th century, was it? The thing where you snap their fingers backward one by one."

  "..."

  "I tried that first, but he was surprisingly stubborn. So, I started doing it to his subordinates right in front of him, one by one..."

  "I understand! Stop! I don't need the gritty details! All's well that ends well!"

  Hearing any more would be detrimental to my mental health. Still, this sheer simplicity and cruelty... she hasn't changed a bit.

  "By the way, My Lady. What exactly happened while the security squad and I were away?"

  With a sigh, I expined the incident involving "Kei Kajiwara" from earlier. After hearing the story, Hilde crossed her arms and looked up at the ceiling.

  "I see... that's a nostalgic name. Kajiwara, Oba..."

  "Oh, were you already serving me back then?"

  It feels strange to say it myself, but I have had countless servants and subordinates over the centuries. It is my household's custom to let them become independent once they've gained enough experience. Having watched so many children leave the nest, I don't perfectly remember every single one of them.

  "Yes! Those days were fun! Going on rampages with Yoshi is a very fond memory!"

  "Yoshi? ...Did we have a guy named like that green character who sticks out his tongue and ys eggs?"

  "No, no! I mean Kuro (Minamoto no Yoshitsune)! That guy always had a few screws loose when it came to war; he was the best!"

  "Ah... right, we did have someone like that. Anyway."

  Talking with Hilde, I felt the scattered puzzle pieces in my mind click into pce.

  "...Hey, Hilde."

  "Yes?"

  I pulled a single file from my drawer. This was the "Complete Student Roster" of Shigure's school, which I had ordered Nastya to discreetly "borrow" and scan while I was attending the parent-teacher conference the other day. It's so convenient how everything is digitized in this era.

  "Look at this. Do you notice anything?"

  Hilde took the roster and flipped through it. At first, she looked puzzled, but gradually, her eyes widened.

  "...Oh my? Well, this is... there are quite a few nostalgic names here."

  Tracing the surnames with her finger, she smiled innocently.

  "Wada, Hatakeyama, Hiki, Hojo... My Lady, this is incredible. Scattered throughout here are the surnames of the guys we fought alongside, and the guys we killed each other with."

  "...I see."

  Meeting my own eyes in the mirror, I muttered quietly.

  "So that's how it is."

  "...Things just got interesting."

  I smirked. It seems the ultimate spice has been dropped into my boring retirement life.

  [The Next Morning - Shigure's Perspective]

  With feet as heavy as lead, I was dragging myself toward the school's shoe lockers. It was the morning after that. My body felt sluggish, and I was mentally at my limit. And above all else...

  "...Ugh."

  The inside of my mouth hurt. Specifically, my tongue. The wound from where Anastasia-san had bitten me as "punishment" st night was throbbing with heat. When I looked in the mirror this morning, there were clear teeth marks left behind. That was straight-up "owner's marking."

  Besides, for my first ever... kiss to be like that... Just remembering it makes my face feel like it's on fire. I don't harbor those kinds of feelings for the same sex, yet only that sensation remains vividly etched into my mind.

  "Shigureee!!"

  From behind, I heard heavy, running footsteps. It was my best friend, Yoshino. She grabbed my shoulders tightly and peered into my face with a desperate expression.

  "Are you safe!? What happened after that yesterday! Where did that Kajiwara take you!?"

  "Ah, Yoshino..."

  "You look pale! Don't tell me that delinquent yankee... did something terrible to you...!"

  "No, I'm okay... really."

  I forced a smile. In truth, my tongue hurt so much that even speaking was a chore, but I couldn't afford to invite any weird misunderstandings here. Somehow, we managed to make it to the cssroom.

  Slide.

  "..."

  The moment we entered the cssroom, the air froze. The gazes of all the girls in the css pierced into me simultaneously. Those eyes were filled with curiosity, jealousy, and clear, unfiltered murderous intent.

  (...Here she comes, the thieving cat.) (The woman who seduced Kei-sama...)

  I could hear unsettling, hushed whispers. Breaking into a cold sweat, I headed toward my seat. And the moment I saw my desk, I was at a loss for words.

  "...What is this?"

  Stacked on my desk was a mountain of envelopes. Red, bck, purple... nothing but ominously colored envelopes. Timidly, I opened the one at the very top.

  【Letter of Challenge】 How dare you monopolize Kei-sama! Being 'taken home' by her at yesterday's parade... Come behind the gymnasium after school. Grit your teeth and wait! — From the 3rd Unit Commander of the Kei-Watching Imperial Guard

  "...A letter of challenge?"

  The other letters were much of the same. "Thieving cat." "Know your pce." "Kei-sama looked wonderful on horseback yesterday... but I cannot forgive the fact that you were riding with her. I demand a duel."

  It seems that to the eyes of the bystanders, yesterday's commotion looked like "the lone wolf Kei-san went home doing cospy rolepy with some nobody potato girl"—a scene shocking enough to rival a shojo manga. In reality, I was just trying to stop their raid, only for them to get absolutely demolished by Lady Sofia.

  I sighed, staring at the mountain of envelopes, and muttered.

  "...No, seriously, Kamakura girls... are way too scary." "I mean, what even is this?"

  "Heh, so it has finally begun."

  Standing next to me, Yoshino went into an expnation mode, sounding like one of those automated commentary videos.

  "You wouldn't know since you're from the 'Gold-Pted' group that transferred in during high school, Shigure... but Kei Kajiwara, who's been here since elementary school, is popur enough to have her own actual fan club."

  "Gold-Pted...?"

  "Kajiwara's fans are incredibly well-coordinated. In a word: they're crazy!"

  "Oh..."

  "And since Kajiwara, who usually never talks to anyone, went home with you using nguage she normally never uses... well, you know..."

  I frowned and shot back at Yoshino.

  "...Thanks for the expnation, but hey, it's forbidden to call people who enrolled in high school 'Gold-Pted'. We're not like you 'Pure Gold' girls who have been here since elementary school. We fought through a high-competition entrance exam to get in here."

  I see... I understand the situation now. I really didn't want to, but I understand it, including this academy's annoying hierarchy.

  As I slumped over my desk, the cssroom erupted into a commotion once again.

  "Kyaaa! It's Kei-sama!" "Look at those bandages... it looks painful, but she's so cool...!"

  High-pitched squeals echoed from the hallway. Entering the cssroom was Kei Kajiwara, covered in bandages from head to toe. Her arm was in a sling, and there was gauze on her cheek, but the sharp gre unique to that yankee was as healthy as ever.

  The girls in the css, who usually only watched her from a distance, were unusually striking up conversations with Kei today. It was as if to say, "We won't lose either!" because I had (supposedly) "stolen a march" on them yesterday.

  Brushing off the girls' squealing voices of "Are you okay?" and "Shall we carry your bags?" with a dismissive "Yeah, 'sup" hand gesture, she walked in a straight line directly to my desk.

  Sm!

  She pced her hand on my desk and leaned her face in close, gring at me. Every girl in the cssroom gasped.

  "...Hey, Shigure."

  "Hii...!"

  Kei looked down at me with sharp eyes. Her loyal retainer mode from yesterday, where she called me "Shigure-dono," was completely gone, repced entirely by her yankee tone. But looking closely, her eyes were wavering with worry.

  "(Whispering) ...Hey, are you okay? Yesterday, after that... did that scary maid..."

  "(Whispering) ...I'm somehow in one piece."

  "Thank god... We owe you for a lot of things. All my comrades are alive, too. They're currently sleeping at the mansion looking like mummies, but their lives aren't in danger."

  "Thank goodness..."

  Kei let out a sigh of relief. She seemed relieved that her subordinates were safe, and that I was (outwardly) safe as well. The fact that she couldn't completely hide the "polite speech (loyalty)" slipping into her words was so very like her.

  Perhaps feeling at ease, Kei lightly patted my shoulder and pulled out her smartphone.

  "...If you don't mind, wanna exchange Insta?"

  "I'm sorry, I don't use Inst〇gram. Is Discord okay?"

  "...Eh?"

  At that exact moment. A collective scream of "KYAAAAAAA!!" erupted from the girls in the cssroom.

  "Kei-sama just! Exchanged DMs with that woman!!" "Are they really in a special retionship!?" "Unforgivable! You thieving caaaaat!!"

  The murderous intent doubled. Kei's casual physical contact and the exchange of contact info had poured oil on the fire.

  "U-Um... Kei-san, everyone is looking..."

  "Hah? ...Tch, so annoying."

  Kei shot a fierce gre at the surrounding girls and decred in a deep, menacing voice.

  "Hey, you lot. ...If any of you y a finger on her, I won't forgive you."

  """KYAAAAAA!! ???"""

  It completely backfired. The composition of "a prince protecting his woman" had been perfectly established. The girls were thrilled, and the fmes of their jealousy toward me burned even brighter.

  "...I'm doomed."

  I looked up at the ceiling in despair. At night, getting my tongue bitten by a vampire maid, and by day, experiencing the darkness of an all-girls school. Where on earth is my pce of sanctuary?

  The mountain of challenge letters on my desk colpsed like an avanche.

  (End of Chapter 8)