Date a Live:This is not the date I wanted! Chapter 96 96: Yumetsuki Route 3rd Day (Part 3)

Today, having finished her etiquette and music classes, Shiori returned to her room to rest as usual.

However, the previously lonely and hollow emotion had disappeared from her face, replaced by overflowing joy and expectation.

Since that day she t the thief nad Ryougi Yutsuki, Shiori discovered that her world had changed.

Her world, originally as monotonous as a frozen black-and-white space-ti, had now gradually begun to show color.

I made a friend~ Shiori humd a cheerful tune while preparing tea with a tea set to welco her guest.

"Yo, young lady, I'm here again."

"Yutsuki-sama! Welco~"

Seeing Yutsuki slowly peek her head out from the ceiling, a surprised and happy smile appeared on Shiori's face.

"Geez, the search by that samurai nad Tobiichi is really strict. If I hadn't asked my brothers to help draw his attention, I might have gone straight to the dungeon this ti."

Yutsuki landed lightly on the ground, patted the dust off her clothes, and complained with a bit of a headache. Shiori couldn't help but purse her lips and smile.

"Well, Attendant Tobiichi is the most excellent samurai that Father is proud of, so this level is to be expected. Here~ please have so tea."

"Why don't you praise for successfully infiltrating through that guy's guard multiple tis."

"Hehe... With Yutsuki-sama's cunning, I believe this difficulty definitely can't stop you."

Shiori couldn't help but cover her mouth with her long sleeve, letting out a pleasant chuckle. To this, Yutsuki rolled her eyes in annoyance. She drank the tea in one gulp, muttered "Not bad," and placed the bundle on her back onto the table.

"Here, these are the things you asked for."

"Th-This is!?"

Dazzling radiance couldn't help but burst from Shiori's eyes.

"'Top Ten Must-Try Snacks in Osaka Castle,' 'Self-Cultivation of a Top-Tier Manzai Artist,' 'A Certain Magical Index of Past Mysteries and Future Possibilities,' 'Fox Spirit Matchmaker,' 'The World's Greatest First Love'! And also, and also! Oh oh oh—!"

"Hey, hey! My Orihi-sama, you'll attract the guards if you're so loud."

Seeing Itsuka Shiori in a fanatical state with completely no image of a dignified and virtuous princess, Yutsuki couldn't help but feel speechless. She wondered in her heart whether this princess was purely feeling a sense of novelty towards outside things, or if her range of interests was originally this broad?

"Ara... I really... let Yutsuki-sama see a shaful sight."

Hearing Yutsuki's reminder, Shiori finally realized her loss of composure. With a slightly flushed face, she gave a dry cough. She tidied up the sowhat ssy books on the table and placed them in the hidden compartnt of the bookshelf modified by Yutsuki.

Shiori didn't plan to read these miscellaneous books right now. These were just brought by Yutsuki at her selfish request to kill ti when she was bored alone. But right now, what Shiori desired more was to enjoy this precious and rare ti spent with a friend.

"Yutsuki-sama, did you encounter anything interesting outside today?"

Elegantly sitting properly on the tatami, Shiori's eyes flashed with a curious light.

"Interesting things... Well, when passing by the mountain road today, my partners and I robbed a local tyrant's goods. And then distributed a portion of it to the villagers in the poor district."

"Oh oh, is this the so-called robbing the rich to help the poor? That's amazing."

"I just threw the portion we couldn't carry onto the street. You know, insatiable greed is quite fatal for a thief."

...

"Autumn food shortage?"

"Well, once a castle had no harvest due to a drought. The lord didn't open the granaries out of greed, and many villagers starved to death."

"That is truly going too far! Even when there were droughts before, Father would distribute food."

"From this point, the lord of this castle can be considered a good person... But I really couldn't stand watching it at the ti, so I took so action."

"Did you steal the food and distribute it to the commoners?"

"How could I carry so many things? I just investigated and found out the lord was having an affair, and blackmailed him by threatening to tell his wife, forcing him to open the granaries."

"...Yutsuki-sama is unexpectedly a devious person."

"I'll accept that as a complint."

...

"May I ask what kind of relationship Yutsuki-sama has with your partners? I'm very curious!"

"Well... they're basically either idiots or perverts or sothing. But without a doubt, they are all people I can safely entrust my back to."

"E-Entrusting your back to each other!? In my impression, I always thought Yutsuki-sama was the more dominant one? But, it seems a strong-willed yutsuki-sama and a weak-willed yutsuki-sama are also quite nice, hehehe—"

"...It seems it's necessary to restrict the categories of books I pick."

...

"Yutsuki-sama, between oden and daifuku, which do you think is more delicious?"

"Hm? A question of the sweet faction vs. the salty faction? I can accept both, I guess. But if I had to say, I still prefer ran."

"...Sweet faction? Salty faction? Ran?"

"Ah—I have to start explaining from there..."

...

"But speaking of which, rumors say the Orihi-sama of Tengu Castle has peerless beauty, like a fairy reincarnated from the nine heavens, yet when actually seeing her..."

"Eh, eh, eh? Why did you trail off halfway?! Could it be that in the aesthetics of normal people, I am an ugly monster? Is that why Father doesn't dare let go out and et people? Is that it?!"

"It's not to that extent... I just wanted to say you're normally very cute."

"P-Please don't tease , Yutsuki-sama!"

Just like this, Yutsuki sotis told Shiori about her life experiences, sotis beautiful, sotis cruel, or answered Shiori's interesting or boring trivial topics. But no matter what it was, Shiori felt it was tens of millions of tis more fulfilling than the sixteen springs and autumns she had spent alone in the castle.

"Listening to Yutsuki-sama describe the outside world, to be honest, I increasingly feel how small the world I live in is."

Muttering softly, a color known as longing appeared in Shiori's eyes.

"Even just once... if I have the chance, I really hope to see the outside world."

Yutsuki stopped her motion of drinking tea, remained silently quiet for a mont, and then rubbed Shiori's cheeks in annoyance.

"Unfortunately, for a little girl with no common sense like you, young lady. If you went to the outside world, you'd be scamd out of all your money in a minute, wander the streets, and ultimately have to survive by pleasing n in the red-light district. Compared to that, it's better to just obediently stay in the castle and be a pampered princess~"

Ugh... Having cold water rcilessly poured on her by Yutsuki, Shiori puffed up her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"Of course I know the outside world is not beautiful enough for a weak girl like to bear alone. But Yutsuki-sama is my friend! Could you not help escape the castle a bit, and then provide so help for to live outside?"

"My Orihi-sama, making such an unrealistic joke. I'm just a thief, not a prince in a story."

Yutsuki smiled bitterly and shook her head. You have to know, the security here is so strict it could rival the imperial capital. Bringing sothing in is sowhat manageable. But to take a frail woman and break through the guards' encirclent to leave the city... unfortunately, it's basically impossible in reality.

Although a thief who breaks into a castle not to steal things but to deliver things feels wrong sowhere too...

Yutsuki's answer made Shiori's face dim, but she herself also understood how unreasonable this request was, and she lowered her head apologetically.

"That's true. Sorry, making an unreasonable request troubled Yutsuki-sama."

Then, a flurry of hurried footsteps ca from not far away. Judging by the density of the sound, Yutsuki knew a large wave of zom... er no, guards was rapidly approaching.

"Then, I will take my leave for now. I'll co visit next ti when the security is a bit more relaxed."

"Mhm, be careful on your way, Yutsuki-sama. I will look forward to your next visit."

Shiori took a breath, and only then did her face show her usual gentle and elegant smile.

After waving goodbye to Shiori, Yutsuki leaped, hid in the ceiling, and slipped out of the castle.

"To be able to converse with Yutsuki-sama as a friend... this is enough happiness... being too greedy... is not good, right."

Shiori placed her hands on her chest, as if to restrain a certain impulse in her heart, softly reminding herself.

The next day—

"Marriage!?"

"Mhm, you're already sixteen. It's the age to discuss such matters."

During als, at the main seat in the main hall, the lord with a "?" face threw out news that panicked Shiori.

"It just so happens that a General Kyouhei in Kyoto is taking concubines. This person is not only handso, but also admirable in both martial arts and leading troops. Being paired with such an extraordinary person is considered good news for you."

From the tone of the lord with a "?" face, it wasn't hard to hear his satisfaction with this political marriage.

Watching her father with a "?" face deciding a major event in her life as a matter of course without her consent, Shiori secretly clenched her long sleeves.

As a female born into a noble family, being used as a tool for political marriage to maintain relations between families is not uncommon. Shiori had known early on that this day would co sooner or later, and had long prepared herself to accept her fate.

However, Shiori's heart right now was filled with panic and resistance.

Marrying into Kyoto? What did this an?

She could no longer read those colorful books, no longer let Yutsuki-sama taste her tea art, no longer listen to Yutsuki-sama tell various interesting anecdotes... She could no longer, see Yutsuki-sama?

"Um... Father." Although her voice carried a bit of timidity, Shiori still gathered her courage and earnestly said to the lord with a "?" face, "I... do not wish to marry yet."

"Ho..." The lord with a "?" face let out a deeply aningful sigh, "To actually express dissatisfaction with your father's decision, you've grown quite a bit... Then tell , why don't you want to marry?"

"Um, because... I..."

Conscious of Yutsuki's identity as a thief, Shiori obviously couldn't state the reason for her refusal clearly. Feeling the majesty radiating from the lord with a "?" face, Shiori, who had never disobeyed her father since childhood, was so nervous she was sowhat tongue-tied.

The lord clearly didn't have the patience to wait for Shiori to finish making up her lie. He waved towards the outside.

Origami, waiting outside, walked in step by step and dumped all the miscellaneous books Shiori had hidden in the hidden compartnt of the bookshelf in front of Shiori.

"This is the reason, right!"

"This is... my..."

Watching Shiori's increasingly pale cheeks, the lord let out a cold laugh.

"I was wondering why those annoying flies have been buzzing around the courtyard recently. So they were looking for a chance to bewitch my daughter. —Tobiichi! Before Orihi gets married, strengthen the security around Orihi. If those petty thieves intend to break in, show no rcy—execute them."

"Understood!" Origami nodded, her eyes revealing a terrifying chill. "The pests approaching Orihi-sama... I will clean them all up!"

"Wait! Father, stop! Yutsuki-sa... Yutsuki is my friend, I am willing to marry! I beg you, do not harm Yutsuki-sama!"

Hearing this ruthless order from her father's mouth, Shiori cried and shouted continuously, pleading in hopes the lord would take back his order.

However, when the lord with a "?" face faintly said, "The princess is tired," and ordered the guards to forcefully take her back to her room, Shiori's heart fell into a deep chill.

Subsequently, Itsuka Shiori's world was completely isolated from the outside.

Her usual tea art and flower arrangent classes were all stopped. Three als were delivered through a window. Except for the guard, Tobiichi Origami, occasionally paying respects to her out of etiquette, she never ca into contact with anyone else again.

If she couldn't see the sun set and the moon rise through the single small window, Shiori wouldn't even be able to tell how long she had been confined.

It was obvious the lord intended to completely confine Shiori until she officially married.

"I... have completely beco a 'caged bird'."

Shiori muttered to herself with self-deprecation.

The wedding day was constantly approaching. However, the current Shiori had no mind to care about this at all.

The complete blockade of information made Shiori lose all channels to obtain outside information.

The silence of the room filled the ignorant Shiori's heart with fear.

Did Yutsuki-sama not break in because the castle is too heavily guarded? Or has she already been caught and executed by Father? If only I had obediently listened back then... nothing would have happened.

Fear, unease, powerlessness, remorse—these caused Shiori to lose a lot of weight.

The current Shiori only kept praying that Yutsuki absolutely wouldn't sneak into the castle.

Then, one night. A knock sounded by Shiori's ear.

"Orihi-sama, it's ti for dinner."

"I am not hungry, just leave it there."

Normally, the servant would just pass the dinner through the window and leave directly. But after Shiori refused, a teasing voice ca from the other side of the door.

"My, my~ My Orihi-sama, how can you do that? If a growing girl doesn't properly replenish her nutrition, she won't be able to beco a top-tier beauty in the future."

"Eh?"

Shiori looked up in surprise. The originally deadbolted door had been pried open at so point. Wearing a servant's outfit, Yutsuki smiled and waved at Shiori.

A trace of tears welled up in Shiori's eyes.

"Yutsuki-sama..."

"Yes, yes, stop crying. It won't look good if your makeup gets ruined~"

"Uuu... don't... bully ."

After retorting with dissatisfaction while crying, Shiori finally couldn't hold back her tears. She clung to Yutsuki's arm, letting out sobbing cries.

Yutsuki sighed with a smile. Not caring about her soaked lapel, she gently stroked Shiori's head.

"It's fine now, I'm here."

"Yutsuki-sama, I! I..."

Shiori felt so hypocritical, so selfish. Up until the last second, she had kept praying for Yutsuki not to appear, but the mont she actually saw Yutsuki, all she wanted in her heart was to rely on her, to cry out all her distress to her.

"My, my... No wonder I felt the castle's layout had beco very strange. So that's what happened..."

After understanding the whole story, Yutsuki held her forehead sowhat helplessly. Using her daughter as a political marriage tool in exchange for a powerful backer, and ordering the extermination of the person who caused Shiori to develop rebellious thoughts to extinguish the fluke in Shiori's heart. It has to be said, the working style of this Lord of Tengu Castle truly had the deanor of a formidable figure.

As for the selected candidate, Kannazuki Kyouhei... Yutsuki had actually seen him before. That guy indeed had extraordinary abilities in martial arts and military affairs, but considering his personality... anyone would keep their distance from him.

"Yutsuki-sama, please leave here quickly. If you are discovered by Attendant Tobiichi, you will definitely be executed. I am willing to go through with this marriage, please don't care about anymore... ouch."

"How could marrying soone you haven't even t be willing? If you saw the person himself, you would definitely imdiately take back that la lie from just now."

After giving Shiori an annoyed karate chop, Yutsuki sighed.

And as for whereabouts... they had already been discovered long ago.

With a 'swish—' sound, a sharp blade light flashed from behind Yutsuki without any warning.

Yutsuki didn't look back. She directly scooped Shiori up, made a leap, dodged the slash by a hairsbreadth, then pushed off the wall with her feet and did a backflip. Amidst Shiori's scream, she landed directly outside the room.

Yutsuki turned her head and cursed at the person inside the room.

"Geez, using a quick-draw sneak attack from behind on a defenseless person, setting aside that it's un-samurai-like, if you hurt the lord's daughter, you'd have to commit seppuku to apologize directly."

Sheathing the katana that had cleanly cut the tea table and tatami in half, Tobiichi Origami's face showed no wavering, answering calmly.

"Unnecessary worry. My sword only aid at the dirty pest approaching Orihi-sama. If you had stood there obediently without moving just now, I could have ended your life without splashing a single drop of blood on Orihi-sama."

"...What terrifying confidence."

Cold sweat dripped down Yutsuki's forehead. If soone else had said those words, Yutsuki would have laughed it off as a joke. However, experiencing the split second just now, Yutsuki could judge that the other party wasn't lying.

"Attendant Tobiichi!" Seeing Origami point her blade at Yutsuki, Shiori didn't even notice her current state of being princess-carried, hurriedly explaining, "Yutsuki-sama is not a suspicious person, she is my important friend, do not harm her."

"Orihi-sama... has already been bewitched by this pest."

Hearing Shiori's words, Origami unconsciously gripped the handle of her sword tighter. Looking at Yutsuki, a rare murderous intent surfaced in her eyes.

"One of the mbers of the monster chivalrous thief group running rampant recently,Ryougi Yutsuki. I will gladly take your head."

"Eh, eh? Why did it turn out like this!"

"My Princess-sama, stop adding fuel to the fire."

Looking at Tobiichi Origami approaching with murderous intent, and hearing the guards drawn by Origami's commotion approaching from behind, Yutsuki sighed helplessly.

Then, suddenly, under Origami's vigilant gaze, for no reason, she revealed a smile.

Pong—!

Suddenly, a cloud of smoke filled the entire hallway.

Poisonous smoke? No, just a smoke bomb...

While everyone was in a panic, Origami covered her nose and mouth imdiately. After confirming the composition of the gas, she decisively opened the window, letting the wind from high up blow the smoke away.

However, when visibility returned to normal, Yutsuki and Shiori were long gone.

Damn it... did they blend into the crowd and slip away in the chaos? Origami couldn't help but grit her teeth.

"After them! We absolutely must rescue Shiori-sama!"

...

"Hehe~ So what if she's a top-tier swordsman? If you can't catch the person, it's all the sa~"

Running through the wide hallway, Yutsuki said proudly.

"Yutsuki-sama, please put down quickly. If this keeps up, you'll definitely be caught."

In Yutsuki's arms, Shiori anxiously advised. Although Yutsuki indeed dodged Origami's pursuit for the ti being, Shiori knew that from the top floor of Tengu Castle all the way to the gate, the lord had stationed a massive number of soldiers. Escaping this heavily guarded castle with a weak woman like her was undoubtedly harder than climbing to heaven.

"That's true." Yutsuki didn't deny it and shrugged, "You are very heavy!"

"That's going too far! I'm just wearing sowhat heavy clothes, I am not heavy at all!"

Hearing Yutsuki joke around at a ti like this, Shiori embarrassedly and angrily swung her small pink fists, hitting Yutsuki.

"Found them! Quick, soone co save the princess!"

After her whereabouts were discovered, Yutsuki clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Running quickly to a window, under Shiori's confused gaze, she pulled out a rope from the window curtains and pulled hard.

"Ahhhhh! My foot! My foot got pierced by sothing!"

"Caltrops! They're all over the floor!"

"Traps! Stop, stop! Don't push forward ahhhhhhhhhh!"

Hearing the screams of her own guards coming from behind, Shiori looked at Yutsuki in surprise.

She never knew her ho had traps like this installed, and how did Yutsuki know about them?

Yutsuki revealed a malicious smile.

Indeed, taking a weak woman out of this heavily guarded castle is an extrely difficult task.

However, that's under the premise of sneaking in completely unprepared.

"Sorry~ Actually, during these past few days, I set up a whole bunch of traps in this castle~"

"..."

———————Escape Skit————————

(Original author Note: This section is a brain fart generated by the author accidentally bringing in the personality of a character from another novel after a brain short-circuit. Please don't take it seriously~)

Shiori and Yutsuki escaping—

"I see them! The petty thief and Orihi-dono are here!"

"Next, I won't let you thieves pass here another step."

Yutsuki looked at the samurai blocking the way forward, and kicked over a bucket on the side of the road.

"Why is this water so slippery!"

"This isn't water, it's oil!"

"I-I can't stand."

Yutsuki acted very calm, using the samurai sprawled on the ground as stepping stones and walking over them.

Surrounding them, Shiori and Yutsuki escaping—

"Discovered. The petty thief is here!"

Yutsuki pulled a rope, and a huge amount of powder sprayed directly from the ceiling onto the guards' faces.

"What is this?"

Rubbing the powder stuck to their faces, they didn't feel anything strange, which instead caused a wave of confusion among everyone.

"This powder... Quickli powder?!"

"Nani!?"

Yutsuki threw a bucket of bathwater at them, then ignoring the mass of wails of "My eyes! My eyes!" from behind, she picked up Shiori and kept running.

Shiori and Yutsuki escaping—

"Discovered, it's that petty thief and Orihi-dono!"

"Be careful, this petty thief uses very cunning traps. Many have fallen for them. Everyone stay alert! Don't act recklessly."

Looking at the vigilant guards, Yutsuki kindly reminded them.

"I'm telling you guys, continuing to stand in that spot is very dangerous. You better leave quickly!"

"D-Dangerous?!"

"Don't panic! This is exactly the enemy's trick to make us ss up our formation. Don't pay attention to her demonic words. Keep your composure, wait for reinforcents, and surround them front and back..."

Then, before the leader finished giving his order, suddenly the wooden floorboards under their feet "crack—" split open, trapping all the guards in the pit.

"I told you already. When I ca here a few days ago, I sawed off the wooden pillars under that spot. If too many people stand there, it'll collapse over ti. Not listening to an elder's advice will bring you imdiate disadvantage~"

Looking at the guards stuck in the pit constantly trying to break free, Yutsuki shook her head helplessly, expressing deep concern for the intelligence level of modern samurai.

Shiori and Yutsuki escaping—

"S-Stop! Pervert, hooligan, what are you going to do to ?! No, don't tear my clothes!"

"Ufufufu, no matter how much you scream, no one will co to save you. Princess Orihi, your holy and pure body, let taste it carefully from top to bottom. Don't worry, you'll soon fall in love with this feeling."

"Yate~"

Hearing the strange sounds coming from the room, the guard watching the door expressed righteous indignation. With eyes glaring wide, without saying a word, he lifted his broadsword, kicked open the door, and shouted.

"Fear not, Princess, I have co to save you. Shaless lecher, taste my blade—Blergh!"

Before he could finish his line, this guard felt a massive impact on his abdon. His eyes bulged, and he collapsed limply to the ground.

"When I snuck in here normally, I noticed this idiot looking in the direction of your room with a lovesick face. As expected, as soon as he saw a chance to play hero saving the beauty, he rushed in like an idiot without even calling his comrades."

Yutsuki sighed slightly and drank so tea to wet her throat. She searched the unconscious guard and found the keys.

"Orihi-sama... No need to thank ... repaying with your body? Ehehe! Then I will respectfully accept~"

Hearing this guard putting on a disgusting smile. After a mont of silence, Yutsuki chuckled softly. Imitating Shiori's voice, she said gently.

"Okay~ My lord, let serve you with all my heart—"

Then, without rcy, she delivered another kick to the human shape on the ground.

"Alright~ This saves the ti needed to pick the lock. Let's go, Shiori-chan~"

Looking at Ryougi Yutsuki with a bright smile on her face, Shiori, like a frightened small animal, unconsciously retreated to the corner.