An Imperfect Science | Ikemen Sengoku

Chapter 18

It had only been half a day since they'd discovered the identity of her would-be kidnappers and the preparations had already been made to investigate further. They'd been finalised long before the first servants had entered the room that morning to find all three of them sitting there, each of them wearing a kimono that belonged to Ieyasu. Mai had been totally scandalised by it and hadn't been shy about telling her.

「Hurry, Lady Ness, we're going to miss them.」

「I'm going as fast as I can. I just need one more minute.」

Ness laid a clean piece of cloth over the mouth of the bottle. She lifted the heavy, steaming pot and carefully began to decant the amber liquid into it. It was a delicate job, and it wasn't advisable to rush it.

「The lady of the house should be present when the lord departs, Lady Ness.」

「I'm not the lady of the house, Mai.」

「You're close enough.」

「Lord Ieyasu will not mind if I am absent.」

The older woman wisely kept her council. Ness removed the cloth and fit a stopper into the neck of the tiny bottle. There. I just hope this does the job I'm expecting. She slipped the bottle into a pocket and followed Mai out of the workshop into the afternoon sun.

She found Ieyasu at the front gate, in the centre of a whirlwind of activity. He was clad in gleaming armour, ready, at his insistence, to deal with the Imagawa personally. Mitsuhide had been reappointed to babysitting duty. Her polite protests had been totally ignored. And I only swore like... four or five times. Both men were adamant that she could not be left unsupervised, or she would get into trouble. Which is rude. And probably true.

Ieyasu scowled as she slid to a stop next to him. If he ever greets me with a smile, I am going to die of shock.

「Stop running around. Where were you?」

「I was making this.」

She slipped the bottle out of her pocket and held it up to the light. It was barely the size of her palm. The liquid within glowed like amber in the sunlight. Like Mitsuhide's eyes. Ieyasu plucked it from her hand and turned it over, examining it carefully with sharp green eyes.

「What is it?」

「It's a... it's for energy.」

「For energy?」

「Just a few drops. Don't overdo it,」Ness warned.

「You think I need a stimulant?」

Ieyasu sounded... bemused. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that the ghost of a smile twitched the corners of his mouth upwards for just a moment.

「It's been a long few days.」

「And whose fault is-」

He stopped himself short and let out an exasperated sigh. In lieu of continuing with an argument, he placed the small bottle carefully into his saddle bag. Then he ran one hand through his hair and met her eyes awkwardly. He looked deeply uncomfortable.

「I'm sorry, Ness. That was uncalled for. None of this is your fault.」

Ness blinked. She had already been formulating some choice arguments, before he'd even spoken again, and her brain shorted out when he instead offered an apology. She suddenly felt as uncomfortable as he looked. The tension that accompanied this awkward situation was broken by amused laughter that could only come from one source.

「Perhaps the world is ending,」said Mitsuhide 「Ieyasu apologising, and the little mouse lost for words. What a sight.」

Ieyasu let out a low, wordless grumble. She wondered if he was as relieved as she was that Mitsuhide had chosen that moment to intervene. The kitsune stepped up beside her and gave them a knowing smile.