Using the phrase “graceful and noble” might not be entirely accurate, but the newly arrived beautiful married woman perfectly embodied the image of a traditional Yamato Nadeshiko.
The term was roughly equivalent to the phrase “Jiangnan beauty” in Chinese culture.
Both described women who were gentle, virtuous, elegant, and beautiful.
In his previous life, Shinki had lived for decades and had never truly met such a gentle woman.
Modern women, shaped by contemporary culture, were often the complete opposite of the traditional image.
More and more of them had personalities that leaned toward being bold and tough.
In this world, however, there were currently two women who perfectly fit Shinki’s image of a Yamato Nadeshiko.
One was Himejima Suzaku.
The other was Himejima Akeno’s mother, Himejima Shuri.
“Have you come to play with our Akeno again today?
She’s always looking forward to your visits, you know.” Shuri casually said something that immediately caused Akeno’s face to turn bright red.
“Mom!
What are you saying?!
I wasn’t looking forward to it that much!” Puffing out her cheeks, Akeno tossed aside the broom she had been holding and threw herself into Shuri’s arms, repeatedly pounding her mother’s chest with her tiny fists in embarrassment.
Shinki narrowed his eyes.
That seemed…
a little excessive, didn’t it?
“My, my.
Where exactly are you looking, Shinki-kun?” Shuri asked with a gentle smile.
“No, nowhere at all.” Shinki quickly looked away guiltily.
A charming laugh escaped her lips.
“Alright then, come have lunch.
You’ve traveled all the way here, so you must be hungry by now.” It was already noon, and Shuri warmly invited him inside.
Ever since becoming close to Shuri and Akeno, Shinki would come over every few days to share a meal.
The Five Great Noble Houses did provide food, but…
Everyone knew what free meals were like.
If you wanted something good, you had to pay extra.
Unfortunately, Shinki’s monthly allowance was pitifully small.
Just buying meat regularly was already pushing his budget to the limit.
Sometimes he couldn’t even afford an apple for half a month.
While he could have borrowed money from Suzaku, he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He had already spent so much effort maintaining his pride.
Asking a girl for money afterward was something he didn’t have the shamelessness to do.
As a result, Akeno’s home had become his favorite place to freeload meals.
Besides, Shuri’s cooking was genuinely excellent and perfectly suited his tastes.
After lunch, Shinki sat there with a full stomach.
Ever since fusing with the Egg of The Ra, his digestive system had become incredibly powerful.
He used to struggle to finish a single bowl of rice, but now he could easily eat five bowls every meal and digest everything rapidly.
Although some people occasionally mocked his appetite without knowing the reason, Shinki couldn’t be bothered arguing with clueless NPCs.
On the other hand, Shuri and Akeno welcomed it wholeheartedly and always prepared extra food in advance.
“When the egg finally hatches, will I become a Sun God, or some kind of bird-man?
And if Ra exists, then Obelisk the Tormentor and Slifer the Sky Dragon will probably appear eventually too.” Having fused with the template of The Ra, he knew there was still an enormous amount of potential waiting to be unlocked during the first stage.
Previously, he had been nothing more than an ordinary person.
In a world where beings possessed the power to destroy cities and even nations, he still had a very long road ahead if he wanted to survive.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Only then could he become a new king among countless worlds.
Standing outside the shrine, Shinki gazed at the beautiful scenery stretching into the distance.
A smile filled with anticipation and confidence appeared on his face.
Nearby, Akeno watched him quietly, her cheeks faintly red.
For some reason…
It felt like her big brother had changed somehow.
…
The Five Great Noble Houses.
They were composed of the five most powerful exorcist clans.
Among them, the Himejima Clan was currently the most influential.
At this moment, the atmosphere inside the main hall of the Himejima Clan headquarters was solemn and silent.
Several clan elders and the current clan head, Himejima Shuhuang, were gathered there.
With a click, the door opened.
The tall and elegant Himejima Suzaku stepped into the room.
“Greetings, Elders.” The young woman bowed respectfully toward those seated above.
Shuhuang’s expression softened slightly.
Himejima Suzaku was the future star of the Himejima Clan and currently the most outstanding member of the younger generation among all Five Great Noble Houses.
Her future was limitless.
The only thing that concerned him was the recent rumor that she had become unusually close to a certain dead-last student from the clan.
“I’ve heard that you have a very good relationship with someone named Himejima Shinki.” “Yes.” Suzaku did not attempt to hide it.
“You are the hope of the Himejima Clan.
The blood of Kagutsuchi, the God of Fire, and the Vermilion Bird flows through your veins.
I hope you’ll reduce your contact with someone like him in the future.” The Five Great Noble Houses enforced bloodline management with extreme strictness.
All members were forbidden from marrying non-human beings.
Anyone who violated that rule would be punished according to clan law.
More than anything, Shuhuang hoped Suzaku would spend time with talented young men from the Five Great Noble Houses.
That would better ensure the purity of the Himejima bloodline.
Suzaku remained silent.
She knew Shinki’s background was mysterious, but both out of respect for his privacy and her own personal feelings, she could not reveal anything.
“You may go and rest.
I’ll grant you some time off for the next while.” Shuhuang said.
“Then I’ll take my leave.” Suzaku responded without hesitation.
After bowing once more, she turned and left the room.