Book 2: Chapter 65: s.h.i.+mizus Return

Lady Nanako is still asleep, but she looks a lot better now, so she will probably recover fully soon.

Mhm. Ill have to trouble you to take care of Nanako and explain the circ.u.mstances to Lady s.h.i.+mizu when she returns. Im going to meditate for the next few days, so dont bother me unless there are some special circ.u.mstances before Lady s.h.i.+mizu arrives.

Yes! The maid acknowledged.

Lilys house was still undergoing repairs, so she entered one of the vacant rooms in s.h.i.+mizus house that faced the bamboo garden and closed the doors before she began meditating.

She was going to use the huge amount of magatama fragments she obtained this time.

However, even Lily couldnt use so many magatama fragments at once as her limit was around 55 grams each day.

And Lily had already consumed 100 grams of magatama fragments today morning.

The fluctuations from the perfectly shaped magatamas contained a gentle yet wonderful energy that permeated into Lilys body. This energy elevated her strength rapidly and also made her feel extremely invigorated.

However, Lily felt that her progression had slowed down ever since her penetration force had surpa.s.sed 3000 kan1. Although she had absorbed these 100 grams of magatama fragments skillfully this time, according to her estimations, the increment in her penetration force was less than 1000 kan and lied somewhere between 700 to 800 kan. Furthermore, it was becoming even slower.

This was actually reasonable as the requirement of the bodys strength would also increase along with the increment in penetration force. If someone wished to surpa.s.s their limits to reach the next stage, it would require them to strengthen their body substantially.

If not, Lord Kamakura would have just used all the magatama fragments in possession of the Genji and increased his power so much that he would have become unparalleled in the entire world, so, reaching the next stage wasnt as simple as it appeared. However, the ways to train to the higher stages were a secret, so Lily was still clueless about them.

s.h.i.+mizu returned on the night of this day.

This is s.h.i.+mizu revealed a puzzled expression when she saw an unknown woman lying in the guest room of her house.2

Lady s.h.i.+mizu, this is Nanako, an attendant sister of Lady Lily. She got bullied by Tokugawas faction after she got admitted here as Lady Lily still hadnt returned by then

The maid explained the turn of events over the past few days to s.h.i.+mizu in a few simple sentences.

s.h.i.+mizu nodded silently and asked, Where is Lily right now?

Shes meditating in the room adjacent to the bamboo garden right now.

Hah? Shes here? You should have told me that earlier.3

s.h.i.+mizu walked past the corridor and arrived at the room surrounded by a bamboo forest at the western corner of the house and knocked on the door gently, Lil Sister Lily?4

A moment later, the sound of footsteps echoed from within the room as Lily got up to open the door.

Sister s.h.i.+mizu! Lily seemed to have already forgotten the despondence and embarra.s.sment from that night. Her face was fully flushed right now, and she was swathed in a humid womanly scent all over as she greeted s.h.i.+mizu delightfully.

s.h.i.+mizu also felt a little relieved after seeing Lilys expression as things would have become awkward between them if Lily had held a grudge towards her because of the punishment she had given Lily.

s.h.i.+mizu entered the room and ordered the maid to bring the tea set.

She and Lily made tea for each other and chatted over it in a prim and elegant manner.

Lil Sister Lily, you really surprised me, s.h.i.+mizu fiddled with the tea brush as she prepared the tea and said, You obtained the first-cla.s.s merit in the expedition just a while ago and have now defeated Tokugawa s.h.i.+getsugu, obtaining the 3rd rank in a single stretch, and even received a great amount of magatama fragments as a reward for it. Your progression even makes me, your big sister, feel a bit envious sometimes.

Hehe. Sister s.h.i.+mizu, please dont make fun of me. Im still much inferior to you.

Its only been a short while since you entered the dojo, s.h.i.+mizu sipped the green tea gently and said, However, its different for me. I have hit a roadblock in my training recently and my health is also too volatile.

Sister s.h.i.+mizu, please dont say something so sad ever again. You are also a beautiful woman who is just in the prime of her age, Lily grabbed s.h.i.+mizus hand gently. Her hand radiated a humid warmth while s.h.i.+mizus hand emitted an ice-cold chill.

s.h.i.+mizu blushed faintly when she looked at the hand which Lily had grabbed.

The curtain of night descended over the skies silently while the two girls chatted with each other and the moonlit bamboo garden portrayed a somewhat forlorn and romantic scene.

Lil Sister Lily forgive me for what happened on that night. Huh? Sister s.h.i.+mizu, Lily never felt like you had done something you need to apologize for.

s.h.i.+mizu smiled faintly and seemed to sink deeper into Lilys bosom that was as deep as the boundless sea, Lily, you are so bountiful that it actually makes me feel ashamed. I became so emotional on that day because of my sincere feelings. I began paying too much attention to you because I had developed feelings for you and felt very depressed when you acted close with other women and even felt angry at it

Mhm Lily hugged her bosom and a faint blush appeared on her face, Lily realized Sister s.h.i.+mizus thoughts, so Lily never felt angry at you. Sister s.h.i.+mizus health isnt good too, but Lily couldnt cheer you up, so Lily blamed herself for it yet Lily didnt know what to do as well.

s.h.i.+mizu smiled affectionately, Your words soothe me even more, Lil Sister. Actually, its quite easy to make me feel happy, it just needs

s.h.i.+mizu leaned closer to Lily a bit and raised Lilys chin with her slender finger that carried a medicinal scent with it and continued, It just needs for our relations.h.i.+p to reach the next stage.

Having such a powerful, n.o.ble yet sincere s.h.i.+mizu lift her chin, it was simply impossible for Lilys heart to remain unmoved, but that feeling was still a step away from the affection between a woman and a woman. Furthermore, even if it was indeed affection, she absolutely couldnt commit to it.

Hence, Lily didnt reply to her and just moved her blus.h.i.+ng face aside slightly.

The perceptive s.h.i.+mizu withdrew her hand back after making out Lilys embarra.s.sment and asked sadly, Is it because of that woman?

Huh?

It was indeed because of a woman, but s.h.i.+mizu couldnt know who she was.

Uesugi Rei, right? Is she really that better than me? N-No. Im afraid you are mistaken, Sister s.h.i.+mizu.

Since you like a woman, other than me, who else can it be except Uesugi Rei who you have the most ambiguous relations.h.i.+p with? I got acquainted with you later, so I dont plan to demand an answer from you, but you shouldnt hide it from me at the very least. Tell me, do you like Uesugi Rei? s.h.i.+mizus eyes lit up with the flames of jealousy, but they also contained a deep worry.

What should I tell her?

Although Lily liked her Sister Uesugi a bit, the misunderstanding would only deepen if she gave such an answer. However, she couldnt reveal her senior sisters existence to others as she had a faint feeling that it would bring great danger to herself, her senior sister, and the people around her.

Im afraid you are mistaken, Sister s.h.i.+mizu. Lily doesnt have time to think about love right now, and only wishes to focus on training. As Lilys current thoughts on love, Lily shall probably stay single throughout Lilys entire life,5 Lily felt a little sad as she said these words. Although it probably wouldnt happen, if Lily failed to awaken her senior sister, she would probably remain single for the rest of her life. She was obviously surrounded by all kinds of luscious flowers, yet she couldnt let them approach her even if she had some feelings for them.

However, even if she really had to remain single for the rest of her life, she had no regrets at all!

s.h.i.+mizu sensed the flames of pa.s.sion encasing Lilys ice-cold heart and finally believed that Lily and Uesugi Rei probably didnt have that kind of a relations.h.i.+p. However, she failed to understand why Lilys heart was frozen when she burned with so much pa.s.sion.

She lowered her head and began sobbing silently.

Sister s.h.i.+mizu. W-Why are you crying Lily just wants to remain faithful to someone, thats all Can Sister s.h.i.+mizu not understand that? No, Im not crying because of that. I just feel lonely because I have too many burdens on my shoulders, yet no one to share them with. Sister s.h.i.+mizu Lily, as a woman who has been healthy from birth, can you really understand the loneliness Ive felt from my childhood till now because of my frailness? It would have been fine if it was just that since theres a lot of misfortunate women who have naturally frail bodies in this world. However, I got chosen by that ancient mirror even though Im one of them. Lily, you have probably never experienced how a chosen person feels!6

s.h.i.+mizu took out her treasured mirror from her bosom gently and explained, This is what makes me different from other women, including you, Lily. As an exceptional female samurai, you have a bright future ahead of you, Lil Sister Lily. Youll be rewarded with land and also obtain fame and wealth as long as you keep training and obtain merits, just like most of the formidable samurai of the Land of East. Thats because the Land of East is a region where powerful people can progress their position in the world with ease.

And me? Although I have obtained power that transcends this world because I possess the only ancient mirror in this world, I also have to bear a fate that an ordinary girl like you can never imagine!

I can feel that the people who keep trying to eliminate the mirror girls in vain are growing stronger and stronger. I have to protect this mirror as well as the mirror girls and allow them to see the light of the day again. I must free them from the isolation, spurn, and persecution and prevent the boundless darkness of this era from swallowing them whole. Although my body is turning weaker day by day and although I havent made much progress in my training because I have reached a bottleneck, I have never once considered abandoning this responsibility! This is fate!

Lil Sister Lily, Im a chosen person! This power has given me honor yet also wrought danger upon me. I feel too lonely and burdened by this fate

Saying so, s.h.i.+mizu couldnt prevent her body from trembling as tears marred her sorrowful face.

Sister s.h.i.+mizu

I know, Lil Sister Lily, that its still hard for you to understand my feelings. Its impossible for a woman who hasnt touched the mirror to truly understand the weight of the fate and the danger this power brings, but although I have a frail body, I can endure it and face the threat from the Land of Hundred Demons and the looming darkness bravely! However, my heart might fail me before my body does. I wish for someone to share this secret with me. I wish for someone to feel concerned for me from behind as I face the enemies bravely. I wish for someone to welcome me at the doors of my home when I return from subjugating monsters in triumph

Lil Sister Lily, that person can only be you.7

s.h.i.+mizu grabbed Lilys hand and fell into her embrace, Lil Sister Lily, Im too tired. Im not afraid of my enemies, but Im afraid of loneliness. Lil Sister, I dont care how strong you are or how much merit you have as I can just get all that for you if you want them and even s.n.a.t.c.h anything you want. I only want you to stay beside me.

s.h.i.+mizu pressed her face against Lilys belly and then rested her head on Lilys thighs, using them as a pillow. She then forgot herself and breathed Lilys scent from this location brazenly this seemed to have pacified her bodys trembling a little.

Lily caressed s.h.i.+mizus dainty shoulders gently. She found it hard to refuse such a lonely and frail s.h.i.+mizu who bore such a heavy burden on her shoulders, so she just allowed s.h.i.+mizu to use her thighs as a pillow and rest for a while.

If I am destined to remain in this Heian world as a woman, I would have certainly felt happy and relieved to become the woman of a female samurai who loves me so deeply. If its foreordained that I cant return, nothing is stopping me from pursuing this peace and calm.

However, I cant do that Lilys heart filled with countless worries, Sister s.h.i.+mizu, you can feel comforted in my embrace, but do you know that I have no one I can talk to about the fate Im actually bearing? I dont even dare to implore the Heavens as I dont know how many dangers I will have to face in the future. This is an unfamiliar world to me

Even if Lily felt so repressed, she couldnt tell it to anyone, so she just comforted s.h.i.+mizu silently as if she was comforting another self of hers.

She said gently, Perhaps Lily cant understand your current feelings, Sister s.h.i.+mizu, but Lily will always stay beside you and aid you as your training sister. No matter what kind of crisis or terrible threat you face, Lily shall

Never leave your side.8

Just a small change from kwan to kan, I dont think its necessary to go back to previous chapters to change them all since its pretty minor and shouldnt affect the reading too much.

Robinxen: s.h.i.+mizu has arrived on the scene of the adultery and infidelity.

Robinxen: Pfffft.

Robinxen: The imouto cult remains strong.

Robinxen: Well Ill give you a B for effort in explaining that you dont have a thing with Rei.

Robinxen: I know were supposed to empathise with her here but its hard to sympathise with someone when theyre like you dont know my pain! and ignore that someone else might have their own troubles.

Robinxen: YURI-DA!

Robinxen: How romantic.