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By the afternoon, the sky above Takeshita Town looked dark.

Lily had a feeling that the daylight was getting a little shorter.

She was standing in the front yard of Chrysanthemum Inn. Nearby the yard, she could hear the river murmuring on the other side of the road.

She always had a sense of satisfaction she couldn’t describe, but today, she didn’t know why there was a gloomy shade in this sort of satisfaction.

Lily was really sensitive. She didn’t know the reason but she felt somewhat insecure.

Anyway, the dojo adjacent to Chrysanthemum Inn was Lady Sakiko’s base of operations. With that thought, she felt she should be safe. Moreover, these days she had been practicing the method of using spirit power to stay alert from the Lunar Blossom book, and she had set up some wisps of her spirit power around the courtyard.

Those wisps of alert spirit power carried a hint of Lily’s aura. They quietly attached to flowers and grass, rocks, and even the beams of the roof. It was estimated that they would scatter after one or two days, leaving no trace or flaw.

Not far from her, a young girl ran toward her from the town. The cold wind billowed her pink, short-skirted kimono. She was Nanako.

Nanako entered the courtyard. Seeing Lily standing in a daze there, she was a little perplexed. She handed Lily a square, fabric-wrapped box and spoke. She didn’t seem to have a good mood. “Master, your tailored clothes are done.”

Nanako didn’t understand why she always felt irritated when she called the other Master in daylight. She felt unwilling and she hadn’t gotten used to it yet. Perhaps because she had been a Lady for quite a long time.

Lily received the kimono, feeling a little embarrassed. “It’s really embarrassing that I have to use your money to order the clothes. Thank you, Nanako.”

Nanako cocked her head to one side, pouting her lips annoyedly. “Psst, I said I just lent you some money. Within one month, Master, if you can’t pay me back, including the interest, it’ll be the amount I’ll use to redeem myself from slavery. So, it’s not important that you can pay me back or not. Moreover, being my master and you have only one set of outdoor clothes to wear, you’re really poverty-stricken. You will make the others laugh at my face, your slave. The Master of the Lady from Saionji House should at least wear something elegant and noble!”

Lily shook her head. She always felt strange that Nanako was her slave, and her life was now controlled by her slave.

“The autumn wind rattles a lot today. It’s cold outside. Let’s go in,” Lily said then pulled Nanako’s small hand.

Nanako was startled and she couldn’t react. However, the warm temperature of that soft hand made her unable to resist.

Then, they returned to Chrysanthemum Inn like a pair of sisters, the older pulling the younger.

“Swoosh —— Swoosh—— ”

The cold wind blew through the misty forest and mountains. It was both cold and wet.

However, a group of people didn’t take the main road but discreetly moving through the giant, old trees in the forest. Quietly, they approached Takeshita Town.

The leader was the female ninja from Fuma Clan, Mido Shiu.

Behind her were around ten Fuma ninjas, wearing black-gray ninja suits.

Mido Shiu was a senior genin, equivalent to a high-tier samurai. Although she was just sixteen years old, she could fight against Akira of the Daidouji Clan.

With her Power Level plus her knowledge of assassinations, apparently, she was more than capable to kill a mid-tier female samurai who didn’t have much experience in practical fights.

Fuma Clan had always been ruthless. They had sent a senior genin assisted by more than ten junior genins at lower rank to ensure no mistakes would be made.

Shiu brought the ninjas to the mountain flank. They stood on the branches of giant pine trees, watching Takeshita Town on the other side of the river.

“Is that the Genji Dojo? It has almost occupied half of the town. Hmph, truly extremely arrogant!” said Shiu, who wore a dark green mask.

“Master Shiu, the Genji Dojo is the largest force of samurais in Kanto. The Chief has repeatedly advised us not to disturb the Genji, let alone provoking them,” said a sturdy male ninja with ash-gray eyes as if they were made of white clay.

“Hmph, the Genji Dojo is intimidating, indeed. However, the way they defend ninja’s intrusion is ordinary. Moreover, they are concentrating in the courtyard inside the dojo. The one we have to kill is staying in a normal house outside the dojo. It’s not a problem to intrude that house. Anyway, after killing that woman, we have to retreat fast. Do not let the Genji Dojo recognize us. Moreover, in case any of you got captured by the Genji Dojo in a stroke of bad luck, do not reveal the name of our client,” Shiu said coldly and resolutely.

“Hmph, that woman’s really stupid. She offended the Daidouji family. Does she really think that no one can do anything to her if she hides in Takeshita Town? What the samurais can’t do, we Fuma Clan can do easily!” the male ninja said contentedly.

“But the target’s a female samurai. Although she’s not strong, we can’t be careless. We don’t want to see her create any casualties in her death struggle.”

“Understood, Master Shiu.”

“We’ll take action immediately when the night falls. We will intrude Takeshita Town,” said Shiu.

The night fell. The moon was almost covered by dark clouds, shining some weak moonlight.

The shadows created low rattling sounds while moving through the forest outside Takeshita Town. Using the coverage of the night and bushes, they discreetly entered the town.

Takeshita Town didn’t have a city gate or wall or any soldier on guard. As long as the intruders didn’t get into the Genji Dojo, they didn’t need to prevent anything.

At this moment, Lily was reading in her room. However, today, she couldn’t focus on her reading much. As she was thinking about when she could start to let Nanako bathe her.

While she was having such a thought in her head, Nanako came.

“Master,” Nanako’s shadow kneeled by the door, calling.

“Nanako, come in.” Lily slightly blushed, feeling a little awkward.

“Master, tonight, Nanako has something she wants to ask your favor for,” Nanako slide the door open, pouting her lips. She mentioned favor but she didn’t look like she wanted to negotiate with Lily.

Favor? Would she proactively ask to bathe me? That’s not good! Lily thought about the other matter again.

Nanako continued, “Master, Nanako’s former servants, Taihara and his son, will return to Suruga Province tomorrow. They’re preparing a farewell dinner in an inn in downtown. When we part this time, I don’t know when I will see them again. I wonder… if I can go there to meet them?”

Lily was a little absent-minded. However, she said generously, “No matter what, you and them have had a master-servant relationship for a while. It’s understandable that you want to talk before parting. Go, but don’t return too late.”

“Thank you!” Nanako said then gave her a light bow before turning around and leaving.

Tonight, Sakiko also stayed in the dojo. She wouldn’t come home, leaving only Lily and that old woman in Chrysanthemum Inn.

After taking a shower, Lily didn’t go to bed straight away. Seizing the time that Nanako wasn’t here, she took out the new clothes the girl had bought for her.

In Lily’s previous world, there was a saying that read, “Men buy women clothes because they want to take them off.”

“So what is it for when a woman bought clothes for another woman?”

As Lily mumbled, she unfolded the garments in front of her.

These clothes had a beautiful bright red color, which perfectly matched Lily’s natural red lips.

The red fabric was decorated with many big white flowers and many smaller, colorful florets. The decoration motif was so beautiful and fascinating.

Although this otherworld Heian was full of dangers, women’s clothing in this world was really beautiful.

Gorgeous and generous; elegant but still romantic.

And, her figure was perfectly fit with this type of kimono. Speaking in a not-elegant way, this kimono required a big booty model.

And, it was given to her by Nanako; Lily couldn’t help but have light and airy feeling.

“Thank you, Nanako.”

Although Nanako said that she just wanted to lend her some money, Lily felt like Nanako had cared about her.

Lily blushed, but then she got a hold of herself. What happened to her? It was just the clothes the Loli had given her. How come she was so excited? She wasn’t some weak, little girl!

Anyway, no matter what, she should try it on. She had to wear it tomorrow to receive her certificate.

Lily took off her yukata. Her beautiful, graceful, and holy body had only a piece of tiny, black cloth. Even though there was no one else here, she shyly covered her chest with her arm. Turning around, slowly, she put on the vivid red kimono…

After she had put it on and adjusted everything nice and neat, she unfolded her sleeves, which made her look like a higanbana¹ that drifted and bloomed beautifully in this otherworld. This piece of clothes didn’t only fit her. It looked tailor-made for her.

Lily was very pleased. However, she didn’t want to wear such good clothes to bed. As she was about to take it off, all of a sudden, strange noises came to her from every corner of Chrysanthemum Inn.

“What?”

Lily could feel at least a dozen different auras, which were quietly entering Chrysanthemum Inn from both the front and the back doors. If Lily hadn’t set up her alert spirit power, she would have never been able to sense those intruders. Apparently, Lily had subconsciously assumed that the Chrysanthemum Inn was a safe place so she didn’t bother to release waves-type detection spirit power.

But now, at this moment, her feeble wisps of spirit power had reported some uninvited guests.

Each of them, even though they caused no sound, was full of murderous intentions.

Lily’s dreamy eyes suddenly turned sharper.

1. https://www.japanvisitor.com/japanese-culture/seasons/higanbana