The Chosen Wife || Jibaku Shounen Hanako-Kun

Part 2 (2/5)

"I really am not this woman you speak of; I'm just the daughter of the person who owns this shop..."

A glance back over her shoulder at the kitchen in search of help proved fruitless—sadly, no one was there.

'Why today of all days must Mother and (Your Little Brother Name) both be away?!'

Lord Amane blithely deflected every attempt to untangle this misunderstanding, and Lord Tsukasa forged on at full speed.

'How am I supposed to talk my way out of this???' (Y/N) felt helpless. No matter how much she tried to clear the misunderstanding, it just seemed to backfire.

"You'll understand as soon as my mother returns. I was born and raised in this very household," she said, a fed-up tone lingering in her voice.

"Nonetheless..."

Lord Tsukasa let out a sour groan just in time for a new person to enter the shop. (Y/N) looked at the newcomer—a man with spiky blond hair and clear blue-sky eyes. If the two Yugi brothers were lords in their household, maybe this man was their retainer? The blond-haired man entered the shop and quickly went to Lord Amane's side.

"A visitor at the inn, Lord Amane!!" the man announced, his voice loud enough to rattle the dishes.

"I see, thank you, Kou..." Lord Amane thanked his retainer and then glanced at (Y/N). "Excuse me, if you don't mind, I must go."

"W-wait a moment, please! I mind if you go! Please waaaait!" (Y/N) protested.

"Hang on a minute, Amaneeeee!!!"

Both (Y/N) and Lord Tsukasa said this in unison, but their expressions were worlds apart. (Y/N) wore a shocked and clueless look, wondering if Lord Amane was trying to run away, while Tsukasa simply pouted, maybe not wanting Amane to leave him alone with her.

"I leave it up to you from here on, Tsukasa. She is incredibly important to the Yugi clan. Do your best not to be coarse with her and don't even think of doing anything funny with her. GOT IT?" Lord Amane said, his tone a mix of urgency and seriousness.

"Aye~ aye~ I got it, Amane~ Just leave it to me, 'kay? ☆" Lord Tsukasa nodded with a sing-song tone. Lord Amane looked reluctantly at (Y/N) and then back at his brother, glancing between them as if weighing a crucial decision. After a moment, he finally left with his retainer, completely ignoring (Y/N)'s attempts to make him stay.

'Aww... He really left... bwaah.'

With Lord Amane and his retainer exiting the restaurant, Lord Tsukasa and (Y/N) found themselves alone together. (Y/N) peeked at the younger brother, their gazes connecting.

"....!" Lord Tsukasa's eyes darted around nervously, and (Y/N) noticed his face turning a faint shade of pink. Was he suddenly feeling flustered?

"Uh, so... now that we're alone... what do you want to talk about?" (Y/N) asked, trying to sound casual, but the heat radiating from Tsukasa made it hard to focus.