Onmyoji, a nobleman in Heian-kyo

Beneath his brows and eyes, a pair of scarlet eyes exuded a violent aura, like a volcano about to erupt.

Kyosuke Kosaka paused for a moment, then quickly smiled and nodded in a friendly manner.

As the oxcart continued on its way, their eye contact ended.

The woman, who had been walking briskly, suddenly faltered, her expression stiffening.

As if remembering something, he touched the slightly bulging areas on both sides of his forehead and then exhaled.

The demon horns did not grow.

Sitting in the oxcart, Kyosuke Kousaka sighed inwardly.

Yaodao-hime saw it too.

The main storyline is really about to begin.

"Kyosuke-sama." Ayanokouji Kiyotaka suddenly spoke.

What's wrong?

"Master Dao, you also sent my sister to serve with me as your attendant."

"..."

After a few seconds of silence, Kousaka Kyosuke said in a cryptic tone:

"...Master Dao is truly intrigued."

If I'm not mistaken, the Taoist priest casually asked Ayanokouji Kiyotaka a question, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka answered honestly.

That's about it.

As a result, my younger sister got lost.

“…You’re too honest,” Kousaka Kyosuke said after a few seconds of hesitation, then asked, “What are your sister’s likes and dislikes?”

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji replied, "She likes farming."

Kyosuke Kosaka then said, "Are you willing to let her go and farm on one of my estates?"

"...Master Dao said that she should be Kyosuke's attendant."

"That's true. Then come over to my house every now and then and stay for a few days. That way, we'll have an explanation."

"I am very grateful for Lord Kyosuke's great kindness!" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka said quickly.

Kyosuke Kosaka chuckled but didn't say anything more.

He didn't know how to evaluate Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

I have no idea what exactly this "Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's sister" is all about.

In short, don't take it too seriously.

Back at the mansion.

Kyosuke Kousaka met Shizuko, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji's younger sister.

She was a thin, frail girl with flaxen hair.

She is about the same height as Yukinoshita, but a little slimmer. She has delicate features and a quiet temperament, just like her name.

It was those bright and piercing eyes that left a deep impression, and they resembled someone very much.

Kyosuke Kosaka inadvertently observes Eru Chitanda.

On her pretty face, which was flushed with happiness like cherry blossoms, a pair of purple eyes sparkled.

Judging from her demeanor, the girl should be very happy at this moment.

Could it be that Shizuko's arrival made her very happy?

After all, they should all be very interested in agriculture.

"Jingzi."

"—Lord Kyosuke!" Shizuko immediately bowed her head.

Kyosuke Kosaka said, "I almost forgot to ask, could you go and ask your brother if he needs anything?"

Shizuko was slightly taken aback, but quickly nodded in agreement.

Yukinoshita was thoughtful.

She always felt that something was off about Kyosuke Kousaka.

The more I observe, the stranger it becomes...

Day 48 of crossing

After pulling back the partition and waiting for some leisurely time, Kyosuke Kousaka soon found himself staring at Nino with wide eyes.

Holding a basin of hot water, Nino looked more like she was going up a mountain to fight a tiger.

"Lord Kyosuke, I will help you wash your face today."

"it is good."

Kyosuke Kousaka agreed.

Because there is no reason to refuse.

Nino knelt down, a slight blush creeping across her face, and slowly wiped Kousaka Kyosuke's face.

Kyosuke Kosaka lowered his gaze, avoiding meeting those lustrous eyes that seemed to hold a misty, rainy look. Instead, he saw the girl's rounded buttocks, which rose gracefully as she knelt, and which appeared even fuller against her slender waist and back.

"Kyosuke-sama is so handsome."

"It's really nice to hear that again."

Kyosuke Kosaka looked up and smiled.

Nino finally blushed.

In the courtyard, Yukinoshita mechanically moved, her gaze constantly drawn to Kyosuke Kousaka and Nino.

Shizuko, who was helping out, almost cried, "That's not how you cut leaves!"

Si Shi (巳时), after finishing a meal.

Kousaka Kyosuke took Ayanokoji Kiyotaka with him when they went out, but no oxcart was used.

Doing that would make things inconvenient.

Some roads in Ukyo were not yet completed, making it inconvenient for oxcarts to pass.

After walking from north to south along the eight main roads, the number of guards from the Outer Guard began to increase. Four guards, fully equipped, escorted groups of people dressed in tattered and shabby clothes.

Kousaka Kyosuke watched quietly and noticed several vaguely familiar faces.

I remember that these people all narrowly escaped death and survived during the flood season.

Many people were in high spirits and full of energy, eager to win the top ten prizes set by Kyosuke Kosaka.

Looking at it again now.

They all looked numb, their true colors revealed.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji was also watching.

He had long understood the principle that human life was worthless in feudal times.

Those who are slow-witted and don't understand this principle are already dead.

"Ayanokouji! —Ayanokouji!"

A hoarse, desperate voice rang out.

Kyosuke Kosaka instinctively looked toward the source of the sound.

Kiyotaka Ayanokouji felt a slight unease and looked at the source of the sound with a puzzled expression.

A slightly frivolous boy with upturned eyes rushed towards their location, looking as if he had seen a savior, only to be immediately kicked to the ground by a burly guard.

"Aaaaaah, help me—"

Kousaka Kyosuke looked at Ayanokoji Kiyotaka behind him.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka immediately bowed respectfully to him: "Kyosuke-sama."

Kyosuke Kosaka nodded without saying anything.

I thought to myself, "Your acting skills are truly superb."

Of course, if he were Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, he would probably have done the same thing.

"Ayanokouji, we're...uh-uh—"

The screams from not far away suddenly stopped.

Kyosuke Kosaka looked over again with a puzzled expression.

The guard who had kicked the boy to the ground showed no mercy when he found the boy, who was trying to ask Ayanokouji Kiyotaka for help, unable to say anything as if he had lost his voice. He continued to kick the boy repeatedly.

"It's like being under a spell."

Kyosuke Kosaka calmly pondered the situation and continued walking forward.