Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon - Volume 1 - Chapter 21

Chapter 21 - Hair tie

"Miyo"

Her name was called.

That was the first time she knew that her name could be called with such a soft and gentle voice.

"Could you tie my hair for me?"

"Yes... I'd be more than happy to."

Kiyoka picked up the hair tie and handed it to Miyo. She received it and moved to sit down behind him.

Such beautiful hair. One wouldn't think it was the same body part that everyone had.

With just one touch, you would understand the difference. It was virtually silk, lustrous and smooth. It was the type of hair that would make inadvertently sigh in envy.

If Kiyoka was a woman, it would no doubt be an impressive weapon he could boast about.

Miyo felt as if she was holding an extremely precious and expensive treasure as her hands trembled with fear.

"I-I'm done."

She somehow managed to tie his hair up loosely with the hair tie. She made it such that Kiyoka’s hair was draped over his shoulders so he could see the hair tie.

Once it was his hair, Miyo could see that it matched Kiyoka's tea-coloured hair even better than she had imagined.

—The colour of the hair tie was purple, it was elegant and not too flashy, perfect for Kiyoka.

"It's a beautiful colour."

Kiyoka gently picked up the hair tie that held his hair, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile.

(Ah, what do I do? My heart is beating so noisily...)

The stir in her heart was surely not from fear, but the exhilaration she felt.

"Thank you. I will take good care of it and use it well."

"Y-Yes."

He looked happy.

Which meant that it was a success! Miyo was so happy she didn't know what to say, that's how fulfilled she felt now. She was truly glad to have been able to come to this house and to have met this man.

"Hana, are you leaving already?"

When Miyo had finally calmed herself down, Hana appeared to tell them that it was time for her to leave. And Miyo went with her to the entrance along with Kiyoka and Yurie to send Hana off.

Incidentally, it seemed that while Miyo and Kiyoka were having their talk, Yurie accompanied Hana and they sipped on some tea during that time. Miyo felt really sorry for troubling them so much.

"Yes, but I'll be sightseeing for a bit before returning home... Since Kudou-sama had arranged a good lodging for me."

So that was how it is.

Miyo really couldn't thank Kiyoka enough for all the help he had given her. In fact, he would probably just brushed it off while telling her not to worry about it.

Apparently, it was Kiyoka's subordinate, Godou, who sent Hana here with a car. Miyo was secretly determined to give her thanks once more.

"Let's meet again, Ojou-sama. We still have a lot more to talk about."

"Yes, I want... to see you again too."

The relationship between Miyo and Hana was no longer that of master and servant.

From now on, they could meet to shop or dine together whenever they liked.

"Thank you so so much, Hana. If I didn't meet you; if it hadn't been for your words, I think I would still close myself up in the room."

"I'm honoured to be of help to you. I was also very glad to be able to talk to you and see my beautiful ojou-sama all grown up."

The two of them clasped each other's hands and smiled at one another.

In the end, while they were still reluctant to release their hands, they suddenly heard the sound of an engine approaching. A car had pulled into the grounds of the house.

"Ah, you're here. Sorry about this, Godou."

"No no- This was what we had agreed on from the start."

It was Godou who peeked his head out from the car window.

Miyo had only met him once, but he was just as easy-going as she had remembered him to be. If he weren't dressed in his military garb, it'd be hard to tell that he was a soldier belonging to a very small elite group known as the Anti-supernatural Special Task Force.

He was probably here because Kiyoka had instructed him to send Hana to the inn.

"Anything about the surveillance placed on me?"

"There isn't any at the moment. They probably don't know about what happened today."

The conversation between Godou and Kiyoka was exchanged in whispers so it was not overheard by Miyo, Yurie, or Hana.

The reason Kiyoka did not drive the car himself was so that the suspicious stalker would not notice Hana's presence to avoid exposing her to danger. But it was not necessary for Miyo and the ladies to know about it.

"Well then, Hana-san, let's go~"

"Yes. I'll be in your care."

When Miyo watched as Hana got into the vehicle, she met eyes with Godou and bowed her head deeply to express her gratitude. To which he returned with an amiable smile before shrinking back into the car.

"...Don't make that expression. From now on, you can meet anyone you want at any time."

Kiyoka placed a hand on Miyo's shoulder and said that as they watched the car drive away.

(Did I look very depressed?)

Miyo cupped her face and tilted her head as she wondered. Hmm... she didn't really know.

"Thankyou, Danna-sama."

For comforting her right now, for reuniting her with Hana and even more so, for accepting her as she was.

It seemed like everything that this rThank youj encapsilated was properly conveyed.

"Don't worry about it."

Although it was a very simple and unadorned line, Miyo couldn't help but smile contentedly.

★ ★ ★

"...Tch."

Tatsuishi Minoru crushed the bird-shaped shikigamis that had just returned to him after being scattered all over the place.

He should have been able to keep an eye on Kudo Kiyoka without any problems after the first batch of shikigamis that were sent had all been burnt to crisps. However, it seemed that the most crucial part had been cleverly hidden away, even though he should've covered all bases and nothing should be out of his sight.

More than Kiyoka, Tatsuishi Minoru was interested in knowing Miyo’s situation. However, he didn't manage to even see her once. He couldn't see her movement in and out of the Kudou residence either.

"Please hear me out, Oji-sama, Onee-sama is still brazenly living in Kudou-sama's residence. Though, given her appearance, she was probably being treated as nothing more than a servant."

Kaya, who had recently visited the Tatsuishi home, said something like that, but he had yet to find any proof to confirm her words.

That may be so, but this spoilt lady may be useful for something. He can gain valuable information just by chatting with her.

"Since Kouji-san took Onee-sama's side that day, it put me in a bad mood but..."

(But I was able to meet an incredibly beautiful man.)

The person Kaya was talking about while swooning with flushed cheeks was definitely Kiyoka. Tatsuishi Minoru did know that that young man had visited the Saimori family, though he did not know the contents of their conversation. However, based on what Kaya said, he assumed that Kiyoka was probably expressing his complaints about them sending such a shabby girl like Miyo.

If he truly understood Miyo's worth, there's no way he would treat her like a servant.

The atmosphere in the Saimori household was not very good, perhaps, Kiyoka had requested a settlement for sending him a nuisance.

(If that's the case, they should have just handed Miyo over to us from the beginning.)

Truly foolish.

Tatsuishi Minoru shifted the blame39 onto the Saimoris and cursed at them inwardly.

(But finally...)

When Miyo gets kicked out of the Kudou house, he will swoop in to give her protection and welcome her as a bride of the Tatsuishi family. That way, everything will fall into place as it should.

When in actual fact, Kiyoka was going to officially take Miyo was his fiance—Tatsuishi Minoru who had never considered that notion didn't know that in the near future, he would be a panic to take action. But for now, he chuckled to himself.