The Fake Legend of Princess Mei Mei - Episode 2.2

As the sun began to set, the wind grew stronger.

It looked like the weather would turn bad tonight. Keigetsu hurriedly gathered the medicinal herbs that had been drying outside and moved them to the shelves inside the hut.

Enshou had come over to help, but since he probably couldn’t tell the herbs apart, Keigetsu preferred that he not touch them. It would be a big problem if they got mixed up. Though he felt a little cold-hearted, he told Enshou to stay still and continued working efficiently.

Watching Keigetsu work, Enshou looked up at the sky, which seemed ready to release rain at any moment, and went to secure the doors. Keigetsu found this kind of consideration very endearing.

Feeling somewhat relieved, Keigetsu noticed Enshou smiling slightly.

Wondering if something was amusing, he turned around, only for Enshou to shake his head lightly.

“No, it’s just… I was thinking, is this how an ordinary married couple would act?”

Keigetsu couldn’t help but laugh at those words.

“Well, maybe. Since you have servants at your house, you probably never have to do things like locking up—haha. Yes, I suppose we do seem like a married couple.”

Recalling his parents—his mother preparing a meal while his father carried firewood to the hearth—Keigetsu realized that his interactions with Enshou resembled theirs.

Strangely, the thought didn’t bother him. He laughed again, and Enshou, perhaps feeling the same way, scratched his head with a slightly embarrassed expression.

By the time the sun had fully set, raindrops had begun to mix with the strong wind. It was getting chilly in the mountains.

Since it would be inconvenient to eat while wrapped in blankets, Keigetsu decided to bring back the brazier he had put away earlier, thinking it was already warm enough. There was only a little charcoal left, but it should last through the night.

When Enshou offered to light the fire, Keigetsu gladly accepted and started preparing dinner.

Once the room was thoroughly warmed, the soup with bamboo shoots and rabbit meat had finished cooking. It was still a bit early, but they decided to have dinner. On nights like this, it was best to eat quickly and go to bed.

“I’ll change your bandages after we finish eating.”

As Keigetsu said this while serving a second bowl, Enshou looked slightly hesitant but nodded obediently.

Since there was still a good amount of soup left, Keigetsu planned to turn it into a mixed grain porridge for breakfast the next morning. Finishing the cleanup, he brought out fresh bandages and an antiseptic medicine.

“Take it off,” he instructed, but Enshou hesitated slightly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well… I don’t think it’s proper for a young lady to see a man undressed unless they are lovers.”

“What are you talking about? I’ve already seen it plenty of times.”

Annoyed by his unnecessary modesty, Keigetsu sighed. Enshou looked surprised—he had assumed Keigetsu’s father had done the initial treatment.

“This might sting.”

Keigetsu carefully applied medicine to the wound after removing the old bandages. He wanted to rub it in properly, but that would be too painful, so he dabbed it on gently with his fingertips.

“How old are you, Keigetsu?”

Frowning slightly from the pain, Enshou muttered the question.

“I turned eighteen.”

“…I thought you were younger.”

“Haha, I hear that a lot.”

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I apologize if it bothered you.”

“Oh, it’s fine. I really do get that all the time. Even my younger sister, who is three years younger, is taller than me now.”

Smiling, Keigetsu pressed a clean cloth over the wound and began wrapping the bandages. But Enshou’s broad chest was difficult for his arms to wrap around properly, making the task a bit tricky. Amused, Keigetsu laughed again.

Noticing the struggle, Enshou adjusted his posture to make it easier for Keigetsu. That was helpful.

The sword wound from his chest to his stomach was taken care of, so next was the arrow wound on his arm. This one had been poisoned, so it had festered badly—Keigetsu’s father had mentioned that.

After wiping away the pus, Keigetsu applied fresh medicine and replaced the bandages.

“—Oh!”

At that moment, Keigetsu noticed something.

“A leaf charm!”

He hadn’t realized it before, but Enshou had the same leaf-shaped tattoo on his arm as the one on Keigetsu’s neck.

Surprised, Keigetsu exclaimed, making Enshou turn to him in confusion.
“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“Ah, sorry! I didn’t mean to shout.”

“A charm?”

Enshou looked at him skeptically. Keigetsu nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes! You have a leaf-shaped mark here on your arm, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“I have one too! Right around here.”

Keigetsu turned his back to him and moved his hair aside, showing the nape of his neck. He had never seen the mark himself, but according to Gekka, it was located near the seam of his collar, on the slightly protruding bone of his neck.

“Can you see it?”

Keigetsu thought about loosening his collar more for better visibility but hesitated—it felt inappropriate to expose more skin.

As he debated, Enshou suddenly touched the back of his neck.

The unexpected touch made Keigetsu tense up, but he didn’t feel any threat from it, so he stayed still and let him do as he wished.

“…The Blessing of the Sacred Willow…”

Tracing the tattoo on Keigetsu’s slightly sun-kissed skin, Enshou murmured in astonishment.

(Why does she have this…? Why does this custom exist in her family?)

In the Sai family, where Enshou was born, the founder had received divine guidance from a spirit dwelling in a willow tree. Since then, the family had worshipped the tree as sacred, and all family members had a willow leaf tattooed somewhere on their bodies to receive its protection.

The same mark was on Keigetsu’s neck.

She called it a “leaf charm.” Was there a similar custom in this region?

Well, since the country itself was named “Ryu” (Willow), it wasn’t surprising if willows were revered throughout the land. They were planted everywhere, and it would make sense for people to attach mystical significance to them.

That explanation was easy enough. But something about this didn’t sit right.

As Enshou withdrew his fingers and Keigetsu turned to face him, he asked, “Was it the same?”

“…Yes. It was.”

Enshou nodded, recalling how Shugetsu had reacted upon their first meeting.

Back then, Shugetsu had made it clear that he didn’t want anything to do with the Sai family. His tone had been filled with anger and disgust. Could his hostility be related to Keigetsu’s tattoo?

(Was his wife from the Sai family…?)

If Shugetsu’s wife had ties to the Sai family, that would mean Keigetsu did too.

That would explain why she had the tattoo.

But then, why was she living in such an isolated place? If Shugetsu had cut ties with the Sai family, he would have wanted nothing to do with their traditions. Tattoos were permanent—you couldn’t remove them without carving them out or burning them off.

So why, then…?

Watching Keigetsu as she put away the medical supplies, Enshou silently pondered the mystery.