âLilâ Sis Lily, just how am I supposed to face you and should I really appear in front of youâŚâ After arriving at the entrance, Shimizu felt like turning back to leave again.
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âShe must be hating me. No one would be willing to forgive the person who tried to snatch their most precious treasure and nearly killed them in the process.â
âEven then, I still want to see her.â
âIâve lost my legacy, become a blade maiden, and even joined the ranks of the Hundred Demons⌠I donât have anything except Lily to live for.â
Shimizu held the parasol and walked into the house within the rain in a daze timidly. She didnât dare to enter the hall and just dithered along the courtyard, passing through the stone pavement of the garden that hadnât been tended for years, and arrived outside Lilyâs tearoom unknowingly.
Perhaps it was the mutual attraction that existed between them on an unknown level or an even more unfathomable thing that led Shimizu to Lilyâs location even without using a spirit probe.
Lilyâs voice echoed from within the quaint little room at this moment.
âSisâ blade has also accumulated a lot of grudgesâŚâ Lilyâs hand formed the orchid fingers gesture and she seemed much more proactive than when she was clear-headed. Her slender fingers stroked the long and rough handle of Reiâs blade as she enunciated those words while leaning her head on Reiâs shoulder.
âWhat? Have you also accumulated an intense grudge thatâs hard to neutralize within you, Lilâ Sis Lily?â
âIf I have, what should be done then?â
Although Lily could neutralize grudge via Moonlight Cleansing, she didnât want to do that right now.
She also wanted to try melding with the overflowing grudge of someone else and get a taste of that feeling.
âWhy donât you have a taste, then? Of my travelâs and lifeâs accumulations.â
Rei lifted Lilyâs chin and kissed her gently once, and then, she grabbed Lilyâs head from behind and pushed it towards her bladeâs handle.
Lily put up a weak resistance, her face turning red hot, but she relented in the end and complied.
As her head got pushed down, she curled up her beautiful hair behind her ear and exposed her earlobe and fair face from the side.
Minamoto no Shimizu stood behind the cluster of purple hyacinth flowers that bloomed in all seasons in the Heian world and looked at the scene before her eyes dumbfoundedly, her face flushing up and breath turning ragged along with her increasing heartbeat1.
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She turned around suddenly and hid behind the wall a moment later.
Shimizuâs eyes didnât reflect the rain as they were full of gloom already.
Her heart experienced a soul-wrenching pain and anguish, resulting in two trails of silent tears flowing down her face.
âLilâ Sis Lily. I traveled such a long distance to see you, yet you were actually⌠with another woman!â
ââŚâ
Shimizuâs violently heaving chest pacified gradually, and the black parasol fell to the side.
The pitch-black bangs of her hair glued to the edges of her long eyelashes under the rain and a different kind of luster manifested within her eyes as raindrops dripped from her bangs.
âHehehehehehe,â Shimizuâs soft chuckles drowned out within the rain.
âLilâ Sis Lily is such a healthy, pretty and strong girl, and she even has a kind heart. Isnât it quite natural for other women to like such a girl?â
âI am a bad woman who pushed my little sister down a cliff with my own hands. Is it right for a woman like me to still long for her little sister and wish for her to place faith in me again?â
âWho was the betrayer?â
âIt was meâŚâ
âI twisted Lilâ Sis Lilyâs kindness and betrayed her for my own selfishness, nearly killing her in the process!â
âIs it right for someone like that to still long for something?â
âAs long as Lilâ Sis forgives me, I donât care about anything else.â
âI love you, Lilâ Sis Lily. I love your everything, your healthiness, your beauty, your kindness, the sashaying of your buttocks, as well as the mesmerized yet somewhat guilty sight of yours within the arms of another womanâŚâ
âI shall stay beside you even when the other woman leaves you. I shall only have you within my eyes even when you show fickleness with another woman. I shall lick your wounds when the other woman abandons youâŚâ
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âI owe you, but⌠I have nothing left anymore. Even if you are a fickle Lilâ Sis, thereâs no turning back for me. I can only keep on loving you⌠nghâŚâ
Shimizu listened to Lilyâs voice and pressed her fingers against her mouth silently before sucking them in.
She closed her eyes and though her face was flushed, she wore an expression of dismay.
The image of the sweat-drenched Lily donned in disheveled clothes appeared in her mind.
âI love you, your everything, your good aspects, your bad aspects, your beauty, your sin⌠I can love all that you are as long as itâs you, but itâs impossible for me to keep on living without you⌠Lily.â
Lily was focused on sucking the grudge from Reiâs cursed katana, so she didnât notice Shimizu who had appeared in front of the window.
Rei, however, was caressing Lilyâs hair and managed to look at the black parasol momentarily.
âHmm?â Although she had some doubts, she didnât say anything at this moment2.
âŚ
Madam Kotoka returned at night and Nanako was also done training for the day, so the entire household had dinner together under the warm illumination of the lamps. In contrast to the joyous and harmonious scene inside the house, the girl infatuated with the mistress of the house dithered within the lonesome darkness of the rain outside and didnât dare to approach the room.
In her view, Lily was safe and happy here, and didnât need her at all.
Shimizu was also afraid that she would get discovered if she remained here for too long, so she left silently. However, she didnât go too far and looked at Lilyâs house from the distant woods of the hillside while holding the parasol. She felt at ease here as she wouldnât get discovered and could see what was happening within the house from this location.
Soon after, she saw Uesugi Rei leave the house without a parasol and walk over towards her location, so she hid herself quickly.
Rei arrived within the woods, but she didnât tread further inside and just stood there silently for a moment. Then, she stuck out her bountiful mounds and questioned, âShimizu. Since youâre here, why havenât you come out to greet me?3â
A girl holding a black parasol with wet sleeves appeared from behind a huge tree resolutely.
âUesugi Rei. Have you come to enact vengeance against me in place of Lily?â
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âHuh?â Uesugi Rei was taken aback as even though she guessed Shimizu wouldnât treat her with respect, she wasnât expecting to hear such a thing, âEnact vengeance for what?â
It was now Shimizuâs turn to be taken aback, âLilâ Sis Lily didnât tell you anything?â
âShe told me a lot of things, that she killed Hojo Dijon and that she lost touch with you under the pursuit of the monsters. She was worried about you all this time and wanted to look for you, but why you speak of enacting vengeance? Did you have a fight?â
âAhâŚâ Shimizuâs heart filled with a raging storm of warmth, amazement and love.
âHehehehehehehe.â
âWhatâs wrong with you? Why are you laughing?â
Shimizu ignored Reiâs question as she found it difficult to calm down.
âSo, Lilâ Sis hasnât mentioned that matter to anyone else until now! As I thought, no matter if she hates me or not, she still defended me, this selfish and cruel sister of hers!â
Shimizu lifted her head and smiled sweetly, âItâs nothing. Itâs a secret between me and Lilâ Sis Lily.â
As I thought, I am only able to smile when itâs about Lilâ Sis Lily.
Shimizuâs enigmatic reply didnât arouse Reiâs jealousy. From the very beginning, she felt that the two had their own secrets, just like how she had something to hide from Lily.
âShimizu, I want to request something of you,â Rei lifted her head suddenly, her beautiful silver hair still drenched in sliding raindrops.
âWhat is it?â Shimizu inquired, âDo you want me to stay away from your Lilâ Sis Lyn? Iâm already so far, yet you still canât tolerate me?â
Uesugi Reiâs eyes flashed with coldness and she unsheathed her cursed katana etched with purple soul runes to strike at Shimizu.
âClang!â The sparks of metal clashing with metal manifested within the nightly woods.
Shimizu also unsheathed Unsmiling Blade, Tranquil Bamboo, and flung black parasol aside. The grudge-powered pitch-black sword runes running across the slender blade shimmered as the two cursed swords clashed against each other!
The two contended against each other, neither willing to back down!
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âWhat, Uesugi Rei? Do you want to fight? This doesnât seem like your style. Youâve already held Lilâ Sis and even taken advantage of her, yet are you still unwilling to let me off? Do you wish to have a battle with me where the winner shall have her?â Shimizu stated in a soft yet firm voice.
âHmph,â Uesugi Rei revealed a satisfied smile, âAs I thought, you are much stronger than before, Shimizu. I can sense the changes within you from the confrontation between us just now. This intense grudge, so you were the same as me and Lilâ Sis Lily.â
âWhat if thatâs the case?â
Uesugi Rei pushed forward, and the clashing blades produced sparks yet again.
Rei and Shimizu both retreated a few steps back in the next moment.
Uesugi Rei sheathed her blade thereafter and said, âI can rest assured if thatâs the case.â
âI donât get what you are trying to say here,â Shimizu expressed her perplexment.
Uesugi Reiâs chest heaved up and down violently and she closed her eyes before saying the following words, âI hope you can protect Lily in secret in my place.4â
âHuh?â Shimizu was taken aback as she couldnât understand what Rei meant. There was no reason for such a domineering woman to place her woman in someone elseâs hands.
âIâll be going on a distant journey soon and I donât know when Iâll be able to return5. Although the current Lily is strong enough to not need my protection, my heart doesnât feel reassured leaving her alone as that girl is too kind and naĂŻve. Although Iâm unwilling to entrust this task to you, I have no other choice. I can feel that you are the same as me and wouldnât turn your back on Lilâ Sis and even bet your everything on the line without any complaints if needed, isnât that so?â
âHmph! Uesugi Rei, my love for Lilâ Sis is much deeper than yours! At least, I wonât abandon her and leave by myself,â Shimizu stated in a calm yet slightly sarcastic tone.
âPerhaps you are rightâŚâ Uesugi Rei smiled weakly, âI can rest assured if you are willing to do it. No matter how unfathomable a woman you are to me, I can only feel at peace if itâs you in regards to things related to Lilâ Sis Lyn. You have the resolution and power required for that.â
Uesugi Rei flashed with a slight sadness and defiance momentarily before settling into an inevitable resolution as she performed a perfect deep bow towards Shimizu, âPlease!â
âHuhâŚâ Shimizu never imagined a day would come when Uesugi Rei would request something of her based on such reasoning.
That she would entrust her beloved little sister to her love rival6.
For the first time ever, Shimizu used a different gaze to look at this woman who she loathed once and soliloquized internally, âUesugi Rei. Just what kind of burden are you carrying within your heart? Why havenât you opened up your heart to Lilâ Sis Lily?7â
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