Under the moon, in the quiet, simple and elegant courtyard, a few of the early autumn fireflies danced in the grass and trees in front of the stage.
Nanako of the Saikanji clan was sitting in her room, looking at the night view outside, in a pink yukata.
She had just taken a bath and her charming hair was now loose, and some water was dripping on her shoulder.
Nanako’s big and pure eyes seemed to become quieter with the change of her hairstyle. Compared to her wayward nature in daily life, there was a bit of worry and kindness in her.
She didn’t know why, since Nanako was kidnapped by the enemy, her temperament was not as arrogant as before. In her proud and clear eyes, there was more gentleness and concern.
Nanako unconsciously put her fingers on her pink lips but her mind was a little chaotic just like the flustered firefly.1
“Hmph, that big-breasted woman has been suffocating herself in the room for the past two days. She managed to learn that Ukiyo-e but didn’t seem to realize the true meaning of the painting! Even so, she keeps on persisting!”
“She didn’t listen to the master’s advice and insisted on learning. The master has already said that she couldn’t understand the real meaning of painting only by drawing on paper. But why didn’t she go to find a female samurai for practice?”
Nanako’s eyes stayed on the glowing firefly under the night but her eyes seemed to be hypnotized. “Is it because she doesn’t have any connection in Sugura town since this is her first time here? Is that why she couldn’t find a female samurai? Hum! It’s none of my business!” That said, Nanako laid down, but she tossed about and couldn’t sleep.
“Looking at her frown every day is putting this lady in a bad mood!”
Nanako got up again. Her eyes were a little distracted in the middle of the night as though covered with a layer of fog. She stood up and walked out of the room barefoot, leaving her hair loose without braiding. Unconsciously, she walked along the corridor through the courtyard toward Lily’s room.
“I wonder if the big breasted woman has realized anything…”
At this time, Lily, as Nanako expected, fell into a bottleneck. She was dressed in white and sat in her room. The room was full of paper and she was practising painting.
“Obviously, the technique is very mature, but why can’t I understand a trace of Drawing concept? What is the meaning of Drawing concept? Do I really have no talent?” Lily mumbled and touched the piece of Ukiyo-e. She felt like she was flower viewing from horseback2 and couldn’t comprehend the deeper meaning of the painting.
Some are talented in painting while others are not. One should face it calmly.
However, Lily couldn’t just resign herself to fate like this.
“Do I really need to find a female samurai to let me paint on her body in order to get some insight?”
Lily shook her head. The master said that if a woman paints on other women, they would not have any special feelings. Also, what could happen between two women? Without special feelings, wasn’t that just the same as drawing on white paper?
Wait a moment, even though I have the body of a woman but I still have consciousness of a boy. I don’t know if it will work in this way.
However, where to go to find a female warrior who was willing to let her practise painting on her back? That Master Moronobu spent so much to find an ordinary woman. How could a female samurai be willing to let her see her body and then practice painting on her body at will?
I am also a female samurai. The dignity of a samurai absolutely doesn’t allow accepting such humiliation!
So, how can I ask others to accept?
Lily would rather go into the mountains to challenge powerful monsters and fight between life and death. Even if it was for the sake of art, she couldn’t bring herself to force a female samurai to do something like that!
Besides, she didn’t even have anyone to force.
“Senior sister… will Lily, be unable to go no further than this?”
If she couldn’t forge her own Phantom Blade, then it was impossible for her to go too far as a Demon Sword Maiden. If she wanted to ask Master Fujiwara of Heian-kyo for advice on painting, she needed to have outstanding strength to cross the vast wasteland of demon nation!
Not to mention crossing the wasteland, she didn’t even dare to go out of the gate of Suruga town. How could Hojo Dijon let her go? She was afraid that he was still lying in ambush outside. As soon as she went out, she’ll be killed by him!
However, I am stuck in a bottleneck here and my heart is in chaos. Even if I don’t consider the Phantom Blade for the time being, I am in no mood to practice something else.
“What should I do? What should I do? Senior sister, what should I do …”
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How lonely was Lily? How many people knew the burden in her heart and the long-cherished wish that was almost impossible to be fulfilled?
“Sniffs… sniffs…..”
She wasn’t originally such a strong boy to begin with and was now in possession of such a delicate female body. At this time, she could not bear the pressure and cried out loud in her lonely room.
“Sniffs… oh senior sister… What should Lily do? How can Lily save you? Waaaaaa, senior sister…”
At this point, just outside the door—
“Senior Sister? Who is Senior Sister?”3
Nanako’s hair was still wet and she was leaning against the back of the half-opened door. A faint yellow light fell on her white feet from the crack of the door.
A few droplets of water lingered on the ends of her messy hair that covered her forehead. Her pair of surprised eyes seemed to be lost in thought, but the image of Lily sorrowfully crying out “Senior sister” in her room was deeply imprinted in Nanako’s heart.
“What does senior sister mean? An older sister? One who studies together with her?”
Nanako turned around again and looked at the lonely figure of Lily through the crack of the door.
The crystal clear tears falling from the beautiful face were like the ice dropping into Nanako’s warm heart.
The feeling of heartache and pity welled up involuntarily.
“Is that senior sister her relative? An important person?
I thought she was just a big-breasted woman who admired violence and liked to bully others. Did she also bear such a sad fate?
Did she pursue martial arts at all costs to save her sister, the most important person in her heart?
“Kagami Lily… I never knew that you are a woman with such deep feelings and a sad past…”
Not long after, Lily wiped her tears. After crying for a little while, she felt relieved. It was impossible for this little difficulty to stop her determination.
“Knock! Knock!”
There seemed to be a small knock on the door.
“Who?” Lily asked.
But no answer came from outside the door.
Someone just slipped a note under the door.
Lily sorted her clothes slightly. After all, she looked a little indecent after crying that much earlier. She opened the door but found that there was no one outside.
She picked up the note and opened it for a look. It said: “Come to the hut in the west courtyard at midnight.”
There was no signature on it, but looking at the handwriting, it should be written by a girl. Moreover, the handwriting seemed somewhat familiar.
Lily looked at the orchid in the elegant yet slightly mysterious courtyard under the dim lighting of the night.
Her breasts naturally raised up and down along with the rhythm of her breathing.
“Come to the hut in the west courtyard at midnight? What?” Lily was confused and didn’t know what she should do with this.4