Flying in the Wind [Genshin Impact]

Chapter 27. You have always had my trust

Chapter 27
You have always had my trust

Both Ayato and Ayaka remained silent for a long time as if they wanted to wait to see if the other would dare to reveal what else they knew. But Ayaka knew that when it came to her brother, he most likely already had all the information he needed, or at least quite a bit. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare to make such a statement so lightly.

So any way she saw it, the Heron Princess was at a bit of a tactical disadvantage. But she couldn't let that break her composure.

Ayaka breathed in slowly through her nose, sat up straight on her spot, and then muttered rather cautiously:

"So you knew about that."

However, at the moment of pronouncing it, she was not looking at her brother, but behind him, towards Thoma, who was still sitting in front of the door. The servant realized at that moment that she was looking at him, and especially the almost overwhelming seriousness with which she was doing so. He quickly started to say something to defend himself, but Ayato got ahead of him by barely a second.

"I ask you not to doubt Thoma's loyalty," Commissioner Yashiro bluntly pointed out, "because I assure you I didn't find out about it from him. Besides, I guess you shouldn't be surprised when I tell you that I always have my eyes on you, right?"

"For my protection, isn't it?" Ayaka muttered, a bit defensive in her voice. Ayato did not reply.

Though Ayaka might have seemed upset by the idea that Thoma had ratted her out, she wasn't. If she had to choose an emotion, she'd say she felt more guilt for putting her friend in a position where he had to choose between his loyalty to her and his loyalty to the head of the clan. In a way, it reassured her a little to know that he hadn't really had to do such a thing.

Anyway, she would worry about that later. Now the important thing was to address the issue on the table and deal with it properly. And being the opposite party of that discussion her brother Ayato, one of the most outstanding negotiators, mediators, and politicians of Inazuma, and perhaps of the world, she could not allow herself to show any hesitation in her position.

"This matter is something that does not concern either the Yashiro Commission or the Kamisato Clan," Ayaka stated firmly. "It is something I decided to do on my own, and that only has to do with me."

"You know very well that's not how it works," Ayato replied seriously. "Still, I don't want my intentions to be confused, Ayaka. I'm not here to reprimand you for what you've done. Actually, ever since I found out about this matter, I had no intention of getting involved, and I was trusting that you would know how to stay out of trouble. However, that had to change since I'm not the only one with eyes on you anymore."

"What do you mean?" Ayaka asked in bewilderment.

Ayato then introduced a hand inside his attire, taking out a paper, compacted in two folds, from an internal pocket, and placed it on the table, right between them.

"The Shuumatsuban intercepted this message yesterday from Commissioner Hiiragi to his delegates in Ritou."

Ayaka looked at that piece of paper curiously. Without waiting long, she reached out, took it, and unfolded it in front of her. Apparently, it was a two-page letter signed, indeed, by Hiiragi Shinsuke. It wasn't the original letter, of course; that should already be on its way to Ritou, if it had not already arrived by that time. This was a copy made by some member of the Shuumatsuban, so it did not have the respective seals of the Hiiragi clan and the Kanjou Commission. Still, Ayaka had no reason to doubt it was real, especially since her brother was already sure of it.