Murderer or Not, I Love You

Episode 4: The Story Of The Crest

"Uhh..." I am struggling right now with apples on my head and arms, trying not to fall off the tree. Kujiro is kind of overdoing it...

"Try to hold your balance. If you trust the tree, you won't fall."

"Okay... I do trust the tree but I don't trust the needles under the tree." I fearfully said.

"Bear with it." He coldly said.

Bear with it? I cannot hold out much longe--

"Kyaaa!!!"

I fell. But Kujiro catched me while stepping on those sharp needles. How does he do that? I bet he doesn't feel a prick right now...

He stared at me in a disappointed face,"Perhaps we continue after lunch."

He puts me down and carries the needle board to a safer distance. I went ahead of him and unpacked our lunch. I sat down and invited him. "Kujiro, let us eat."

He nodded. He sat down across me and took his portion of rice and viand. We only shared the silence between us. This is going to be a lonely lunch.

Suddenly, he abruptly stopped eating and held my arms and pulled me up. My lunch fell spoiled to the grass. He slid my kimono open a little. I was so shocked I didn't move.

"...!!!"

"Don't move..." He cautiously said.

"W-What is it?"

"A beetle. A beetle went in to your clothes."

"Whaat?!" I panicked.

"Let me get it!!" He hurriedly dipped his hand into my clothes trying to get the beetle off me. I screamed and stumbled, his hand stuck in my clothes. "Don't move!!"

"Kyaaa!! Stop it!!" I fearfully screamed.

"I got it!" He said. He removed his hands out of my clothes and threw the beetle away.

"M-My clothes!" I hurriedly covered my front before he could see it. My clothes were disheveled. "I-I am going to fix myself up first."

I hid behind the tree and fixed my kimono. But I couldn't get the scene 'fixed' out of my mind. Thank heveans he got rid of it. But I can't believe I let a man touch me!!

After dressing up, I came forward to thank him.

"T-Thank you for that..."

"No problem."

He doesn't seem to mind what happened. But now, my lunch is ruined. I sadly stared at my lunch spoiled on the grass. He looked at it and hastingly picked his lunch. "Here you go, eat mine."

"H-Hah?" I blushed.

"It's my fault I spoiled your lunch because of that beetle." He said.

"N-No, it's okay. I'm fine." I hesitated.

"No, I insist." He persisted.

"Why don't we eat it together?" I offered.

"...!!" He blushed when he heared what I said. "You know I'm--"

"I insist." I smiled, and we sat down close to each other to share the lunch.

He only ate his portion little by little. I looked at him, and tried to start a conversation.

"So... what are the Hotogi clan's real story."

"Well, they are a band of rebels trying to overthrow the Imperial Family." He stated, and chewed. "They are being led by Nobunaga Hotogi. He's a mean, cruel warlord. But as you can see, he cannot overthrow the rulers until he finds this." He took out my father's crest out of his pocket and showed it to me.

"Why is Father's crest so important? Kotaro told me it was the sign of the Imperial Family's trust on Father, but how can he overthrow a whole family that rules this country with this?"

"Because this crest is the very crest carved by the gods, or so they said. And the people who holds this crest can be the ruler of this country. He might have killed your father, but it wasn't proof enough of his own victory. He needed this to be a ruler the people will believe him."

"But you know, he once held that crest. He was once a proud Shogun. But when your father found out about his treachery, he was casted out of his position and Shogun Kurogane took over his place. Crazy story, right?"

"Yes, quite a shonanigan." I agreed.

"We can't let him have this, and you."

"What is my importance?" I curiously asked.

"You'll know soon, Milady."

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

Milady? Why did he call me 'Milady'?

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Kujiro

So she still doesn't know that she's a royalty. The true princess of Nihhon.

We finished eating, and cleaned up our mess.

"So... do you want to continue?" I asked her holding the apples earlier.

"U-Uhhmm... C-Can we try something else?" She fearfully requested and blushed.

"Why?" I asked.

"I-I don't want beetles to go into my clothes again."

Crap!! I forgot that I had intruded into her clothes earlier!!!

"O-Of course..."