The Incompetent Noblewoman Marries the 'Devil of the Far East' as a Substitute Bride—Told by Her Parents to 'Die in Place of Your Sister,' She Left the House, but Her New Family Turned Out to Be Wonderful and She's Happy - Episode 1.23
I came to Sakichi family home.
It said Rokutan-en Rokutan-so Kimono Shop.
It seems that “Rokutan-en” is Mr. Sakichi last name.
And then, I think again.
This store is big.
A magnificent building. A spacious store interior.
And the dazzling kimonos and bolts of fabric are displayed in every nook and cranny.
“Come now, bride. Please choose any dress you like. I’ll give you anything for free.”
There’s something I’ve been wondering about… I will ask Satoru-sama.
“Could it be that the Rokutan-en kimono shop… is an established store?”
“Ah. It’s a long-established kimono shop favored by the royal family, you know?”
Y-yeah, I knew it!
Even though I checked the price of the luxurious and splendid haori that was displayed nearby…
100,000,000 yen
One hundred million yen…?
I don’t know how much 1 yen is worth…
But even I, who am not very bright, can tell that this is expensive.
“Y-your kindness is truly appreciated, but… I would like to respectfully decline…”
To the me who is trembling, Sakichi-san smiles warmly.
“You are a humble person. You are a wonderful woman. But… please accept this. It is a token of gratitude to the benefactor who saved the lives of my wife and child, more precious to me than my own life.”
“But, but…”
And at that moment.
The bride of the Ichijo family
From the back of the room, a very… beautiful person came.
Long, flowing gray, lustrous fur.
With wide, double eyelids and big eyes.
A straightened spine and a broad chest.
“Yuu Momen! Are you okay to be up already!?”
Mr. Sakichi hurriedly heads towards the gray-haired woman.
“It’s okay now. Sorry, Sakichi. I made you worry.”
“It’s fine! As long as you all are safe! That’s all that matters…!”
Sakichi-san is crying, sob sob.
That alone, this person… Lady Cotton Yuu must be very much loved.
“Dear bride, thank you very much. My name is Yuu Momen from Rokutan-en.”
“Ah, no, um… I’m glad you’re safe.”
With a bright smile, Yuu Cotton laughs cheerfully.
“You chose a good kid, didn’t you, Satoru!”
“Yeah, cotton.”
Y-Yuu Cotton…!? Satoru!?
W-What kind of relationship do you have…?
“Oh, sorry, sorry! Satoru is my childhood friend.”
“Childhood friend…”
“The Rokutan family and the Ichijo family have been in contact since long ago. After all, all the clothes he’s wearing are ours.”
Does that mean Sakichi-san is an adopted son-in-law…?
“And! You don’t have to jump to weird conclusions. My husband is only Sakichi. Satoru is just a childhood friend, well, more like a male friend!”
Phew, I’m glad…
Was it good?
Could it be that I… was arrogantly, and, enviously, jealous?
What a thing. It’s too much to bear.
Someone like me, feeling jealous…
“Adorable! Hey Satoru, isn’t this kid super cute?!”
Yuu-sama hugs me and ruffles my hair.
“Oh, Rei is not only amazing but also incredibly cute.”
Satoru-sama is nodding with a smug expression…
Such… how could you say I’m cute…?
“Wow… I never thought Satoru would seriously fall for a girl.”
“Stop making statements that could be misunderstood by Rei.”
Ah, no good.
There’s a part of me that can’t help but think, “That’s nice.”
I want to have a casual relationship with Satoru-sama like this…
“Hmm, so? Rei-chan, which one do you like?”
“Rei-chan…”
“Oh, is that not okay? We’re around the same age, right? I’m 18.”
“Oh, we’re the same age!”
“Oh! What a coincidence! Then, I’d like you to call me Cotton Yuu-chan~”
“Is that alright?”
“Of course! We’re friends, right~?”
Ah, my friend…
No way… I made a friend…!
“That’s great, Rei.”
“Y-yes!”
I’m so happy… I have friends, hehe… I have friends now!
I made a friend, Mom!
“Getting so incredibly happy just because you made a friend…”
“Rei is going through a lot of hardships.”
“I see,” Yuu-chan nods.
“Let’s hurry up and choose! I wonder which one would look good on Rei-chan. I think light colors would suit her!”
Yuu-chan helped me choose clothes… no, she gave them to me.
How about this? This might look good on me.
I’m picking out clothes with a girl my age…!
Just that made me very happy.
Suddenly.
I was captivated by the very beautiful haori hanging on the wall.
Pure white fabric.
And… it is adorned with a design of indigo butterflies.
This white haori…
It looks like the haori that Satoru-sama is wearing.
Even in Lord Satoru’s hair…
“Is that your favorite?”
“Ah, uh, yeah…”
Yuu-chan smiles with a big grin.
“Satoru…! Your fiancée says she wants to wear matching outfits with you!”
“Pa, pair look!?”
Couples wearing the same clothes… huh?
W-What? Me, of all people, wearing matching outfits with Satoru-sama?
“Sa, Satoru-sama…? What happened…?”
“Well… I was moved. Rei wearing matching clothes with me… made me so happy…”
Huh?
W-What, just that much…?
“I never thought a day would come when I could do something like this… something so… normal for a couple…”
“I see, I see.”
And then, Cotton Yuu-chan taps Satoru-sama on the shoulder.
“Alright then! I’ll quickly adjust the size!”
“Uh, um… it’s not like I particularly like this or anything…”
“This one is good. It seems like Satoru likes it too, right?”
Satoru-sama is nodding vigorously.
But, wearing matching clothes still feels a bit too much for me…
“It’s already decided. So, don’t move, okay?”
Yuu-chan from Cotton puts a haori on me.
It’s a bit too long for me.
In the next moment, the size of the haori changed to fit me perfectly.
“Special abilities?”
“Yeah. I have the ability of the Ittan-momen. It’s the ability to freely manipulate any cloth I touch!”
So, they adjusted the size of the haori to fit me…
“Look, it suits you! It looks so good on you! Come on, stand next to each other!”
Satoru-sama and I stand side by side.
He is also wearing a beautiful white haori.
But, in Satoru-sama’s, hexagonal designs are intricately woven with jade threads throughout.
Like a turtle shell…
“Awesome! You two!”
“Thank you, Yuu Momen. For choosing the best thing.”
“You’re welcome!”
Matching with Satoru-sama… I still feel a bit hesitant.
But if Satoru-sama is pleased…
“Um, Yuu-chan from Cotton. Thank you very much.”
“From now on, please take care of me, Rei-chan!”
Thus, I received a new haori, and then… I made a friend.
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