Cold hearted (KyojuroxReader)

Chapter 52:Heterochromatic

~*(y,n)'s POV*~
     "(l,n), I have a lot to ask of you... with this mission, and all." I'm given a tribute when everyone else is to walk ahead of us, down this halfway. I'm given a tribute that takes me by a dead note, only my steps sounding. If I were a normal citizen, Lady Yokomeda would probably demand for an answer to be given, but she knows me and just how lifeless the music from these thoughts can get.

     To have her in my debt for a second time, familiarity fumbles at simply her words. "To protect you inhabitants, is it not? Isn't it the same?" I quizzed quietly. Not everything's changed; yes, we have more slayers, more of a problem, but it's the same job at the end of the day. Fight the demon, save the people, bring back the peace.

     "To an extent, I would say..."

     "What troubles you? Is there something more that you didn't mention to us?" I've had her take me in before, she didn't hold to her own then, and she can barely seem to do so now. She only did when it was something serious, and only one year doesn't do much to a star like her.

     The black-haired woman tried her best to not bite her lip, her failure obvious after she put that hand-fan up, hide her face. "My husband isn't around this time, went on a trip months back. Business, the usual." A hand fell away at the topic, limp and disinterested.

     "He does the drab things that he usually does, says he's making the money, but lately, I've been cashing up more than he ever has in the past several years. I almost think he's given up on the palace." She almost bragged, lifting up one of her many glittering sleeves to show off her hard work (her clothes do look more expensive than they did before, better profits, better tailors).

     "That is always what you've wanted, even if the house is still in his name." We shared a peek with each other at the reminder. A home without him would be anyone's dream. He doesn't match with the décor, in her terms.

     "You have to put the building blocks on carefully, too fast, and you'll make things tip over." She tapped my shoulder with the wisdom that fell off the tongue and onto her plan. 

     "What is it, then? Did he say something vulgar when sent in to him about the correct issues? I'm sure he had a completely open mind to the matter." I asked my client while watching the grip on the paper object tighten. I don't even want to think about what he said to her, if he said anything at all, maybe only sent the money to deal with it. 

     "... He hasn't been informed, and it will stay that way for as long as it can." That, that's surely a call for some attention.

     "The demon part, or hiring us to deal with the demon part?" She obviously has more reign this time with him gone, but would it not make sense to report on the current troubles? There would be a lot to explain if he returned to his mansion in shambles.

     "All of it, I haven't spoken a word to him about the deaths, Shutsuga and I have both agreed we will not be mentioning it in any updates." She even got her advisor in on it,  she's burnt off all the loose ends.

     "If he doesn't know, then that means you're paying out of pocket. I'm sure you know that actually hiring several Hashira isn't easy on the pockets."

     "I'll figure something out for that, he'll believe anything from Shutsuga." The woman said surely, another blackened end hanging from the situation. 

     "I know it's not what should be done," She admitted at my perplexity, "But this is the first time in years that I've had this much freedom at all. You know how miserable I was, stuck in my room all day." Oh, that room... visiting it was heartbreaking. Weighed down by all the layers of that kimono, kept away from the guests with no one to talk to but a lowly slayer like me who kept jumping up to her balcony.