"S-sorry to bother you..."
At the door stood Himeragi Yukina in her uniform, nervously greeting him, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her clothes.
"Come on in," Shichen said with a smile, stepping aside.
"S-sorry to intrude..." Yukina shuffled in with small, careful steps, looking very stiff.
"Dinner's ready—we were just waiting for you."
Shichen started toward the dining area, but Yukina quickly stopped him.
"Sensei, um... indoor slippers."
"Oh, right—almost forgot." He came back with a pair of blue house slippers and handed them to her.
"Thank you..." Yukina crouched down to take off her shoes and socks.
Her feet were small and finely shaped, skin very fair, no veins showing, toes round and full.
"Your feet are pretty," Shichen said in passing.
"Really? Tha—huh?" Yukina looked up at him, blinking.
"Ahem, just a casual comment—don't mind me," he said, drawing his gaze back.
"Okay..." Yukina couldn't help curling her toes, her cheeks heating up.
This Fifth Primogenitor is definitely not normal!
"All set? Let's go."
"Mm..."
Yukina followed Shichen into the living room, and the scene inside made her a little dizzy.
Twelve identical, fairy-like young women—so cute that, even though she'd braced herself, she was still stunned.
The Twelve Night Lords.
And the Witch of the Void—Minamiya Natsuki. She knew that one, too.
"Hello, Himeragi," Avrora was the first to greet her.
"Hello, Avrora," Yukina nodded back.
"Come sit!" Kaguya chimed in, waving her over.
"Um, could I wash my hands first?"
"Bathroom's over there," Shichen said, pointing.
"Okay."
Shichen didn't watch her go; he sat down next to Minamiya Natsuki.
"So that's the kid you mentioned? She is pretty cute," Nayue said evenly.
"Is she? She's fine, but not as cute as you."
"..."
"Shichen, Shichen—what about me? Am I cute?" Avrora, seated on his other side, jumped in at once.
"Didn't I say you're the cutest?" He laughed and ruffled her hair.
"Hee-hee~"
"So Shichen means we're the cutest, right?" Enatos blinked and smiled.
"Hold on, he clearly said I am!" Avrora protested.
"Avrora, what are you talking about? We look exactly the same. If you're the cutest, that makes all of us the cutest—right?" Enatos asked the group.
"Mm." Everyone nodded together.
"Even so... we're not the same!"
"How are we different?"
"Different is different!"
"Mm~ we are different—our names were all given by Shichen. Yours wasn't."
"Enatos! You're the worst!"
"I'm just telling the truth."
"Shichen, did you hear her?" Avrora puffed her cheeks in a huff; she never won arguments with Enatos.
"Okay, okay—what are you even fighting about? You're all cute, no question. We've got company; try to act like ladies."
"I'll behave," Enatos nodded obediently.
"Um..."
Just then Yukina came back, a little lost about where to sit.
"Yukina, sit next to Kaguya. You two are classmates, after all."
"Okay..." Yukina took the seat by Kaguya.
"Let's eat. Yukina, Tritos and the others made all this—see if it suits your taste."
"Tritos?" Yukina wasn't sure who to look at.
Come to think of it, their names were already puzzling.
"She's the one next to Kaguya—Tritos," Shichen said.
"H-hello," Yukina nodded to Tritos, a bit shy.
"I'll introduce everyone—since we'll be neighbors from now on. This is Prote, that's Deutera; you've met Tritos; this is Tetartos; Kaguya goes without saying; then Hektos, Evdomos, Ogdoos, Enatos, Dekatos, Endekatos, and Avrora."
Aside from Avrora, the eleven names were number puns; though in Japanese the readings aren't the same. Shichen wasn't great at naming, but he figured it was still better than how the Crimson Demons do it.
"H-hello, I'm Himeragi Yukina," she introduced herself quickly.
"Hehe~ no need to be so formal. Eat up before it gets cold."
"O-okay."
Dinner was lively. Enatos loved piling food into Shichen's bowl, which always set Avrora off, and the two of them bickering kept the mood bright.
Yukina, however, ate quietly. Beyond the unfamiliar setting, she spent most of the time cautiously observing.
Shichen was the person she'd been assigned to watch; it was only right to study him closely. That was the main reason she'd agreed to come.
But over this one meal, she noticed something off—Shichen and Avrora clearly had an unusual relationship. They acted almost like a couple.
Also: if he had devoured the Fourth Primogenitor, why hadn't the twelve vessels been claimed?
And most importantly, in this home, other than him, everyone was a petite, youthful-looking woman—herself included when she arrived.
And then there was Akatsuki Nagisa... Hard to chalk all of this up to coincidence.
Could this actually be the real reason they sent her to monitor him?
Yukina couldn't be sure, but she deeply suspected it. There are many agents stronger than she is—so why did the "Three Saints" send her?
And if Shichen is the Fifth Primogenitor—no small thing—why work as a teacher in the academy's secondary division?
He clearly knew she approached him with ill intent, yet he let her off?
The more she thought, the more one particular guess seemed likely.
Which, if true, would make things even more dangerous for her.
With her heart pounding, she finished dinner and headed home. Shichen didn't try to keep her.
That night he slept alone; Avrora couldn't slip past Minamiya Natsuki's notice to come to his room for a "growth check."
Nothing happened overnight. The next morning, when Shichen got up and left his room, breakfast was already set on the table.
"Shichen, we're heading to school first," Tritos called, just slipping on her shoes at the door.
Prote and the others were with her—nine of them total, everyone except Avrora, Kaguya, and Enatos.
They really enjoyed being students, and they enjoyed campus life. They'd love to attend with Shichen, but since Avrora and the others went with him, they'd given up on that.
"Got it. Be careful on the way," Shichen said with a smile.
He wasn't worried about them running into trouble. He'd left their familiars intact and reminded them: if anyone tried anything shady, hit back immediately.
"Mm."
After the nine left, Shichen washed up, then went to wake Avrora.
Avrora wasn't as self-disciplined as Kaguya and the rest.
Minamiya Natsuki had already gone to school. Teachers in the upper division stayed busy, and she taught English. P.E. teachers had it easy—sometimes they barely needed to show up.
After breakfast, Shichen and the others got ready and stepped out together.
Click—
At that moment, the door across the hall opened as well, and a fully prepped Himeragi Yukina stepped out.
"Good morning, Shichen-sensei. Good morning, Avrora, Kaguya, Enatos." Yukina greeted them politely.
"Morning, Yukina. What a coincidence."
"Mm... could I go to school with you?"
"Sure," Shichen nodded.
With one more in the group, Avrora and Enatos didn't mind; they still clung to Shichen's arms on either side.
Kaguya and Yukina fell a few steps behind.
"Kaguya, do you also... want to hold Shichen-sensei's arm?" Yukina had seen right through her.
"Mm," Kaguya admitted with a nod.
"So you... like Shichen-sensei?"
"I like Shichen the most."
"I see... is that because he spared you?"
"You know what we are?" Kaguya frowned at her.
"Yes."
"So that's why you're targeting Shichen."
"Yes," Yukina answered just as frankly.
"If Shichen doesn't care, I won't lay a hand on you. But understand this: if you intend anything harmful toward him, you won't get the chance," Kaguya said coolly.
"Mm..." Yukina felt as if a predator had fixed its gaze on her.
As expected, a Night Lords wasn't someone to trifle with.
"And one more thing. I like Shichen not because he spared us, and not because he saved us. I like him because he's a good person—good to me—so I like him. A lot."
"Good to you, huh..." Yukina glanced up at Shichen. He was smiling brightly, matching Avrora and Enatos's pace.
~~~
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