[What's going on!?]
Ye Xi wiped the water stain from the corner of the table with a handkerchief, pretending to be busy with this meaningless action, but inside, his heart was already surging like massive waves.
[It must be because I didn't sleep well and misheard...]
[How could she bring up marriage at a time like this?]
[Miko, that sly fox, is the head priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine—sacred and untouchable, the embodiment of purity and white. How could she marry a man?]
[And Miko is Ei's best friend. There's no way she'd push her good sister out just to keep me here.]
[It's all that sly fox's fault for disturbing my sleep this morning!]
[Looks like I need to go to bed early tonight, or I'll end up with hallucinations tomorrow and that'd be embarrassing.]
Hearing Ye Xi's inner thoughts, Yae Miko snapped back to reality and placed a hand on Raiden Ei's shoulder.
"Ei!? Have you gone silly from eating too many dango?"
What Ei had just said was completely beyond Yae Miko's expectations.
In the past, she'd always been unflappable because everything was under her control.
This time, Ei's single sentence had completely derailed everything!
A miscalculation!
A total and utter miscalculation!
Though she was eager to hear Ye Xi's answer, she couldn't fathom why Ei would make such a choice!
Logically and emotionally, abdicating the position of Electro Archon to Ye Xi was the best possible move!
In an instant, she pulled Ei into a small corner.
Even if marriage was on the table, it should be Ei herself tying the knot!
She knew that her dear Ei was deeply infatuated with Ye Xi!
That was her greatest confusion!
"Of course," Raiden Ei replied calmly with two words.
For some reason, seeing Ei's composed demeanor made Yae Miko feel deeply irritated!
Then it hit her.
It was because she had been the one in control before!
Now, her best friend was the one holding all the cards.
She was being led around by the tail by her own good sister!
This wicked woman—fighting for the upper hand even now!
They should be working together as sisters to keep Xi here!
"Why so sudden?"
"I... haven't prepared myself yet..."
Seeing Yae Miko's flushed face of embarrassment, her tail whipping up afterimages, Raiden Ei couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
She'd never seen this friend blush like that before—today was a first.
Pretty cute, huh~
And after being teased by Yae Miko so often in the past, turning the tables now felt even better than devouring a plate of Tri-colored Dango!
"My thoughts?" Raiden Ei pretended to ponder for a moment before giving Yae Miko a frustrating answer.
"You could say... I don't want to abdicate the position of Electro Archon."
Who would believe that explanation?!
Yae Miko knew her best friend had long grown tired of playing the role of the almighty Shogun.
If it weren't for Inazuma's citizens, Ei's greatest dream would probably be to slumber eternally in the Plane of Euthymia.
Or perhaps to leave this heartbreaking land of Inazuma, travel the Seven Nations, and let new experiences numb the old pains, forgetting those heavy memories.
This "answer" wasn't so much a response as it was deliberately meant to rile her up.
"Ei, don't you want to be with Xi? Are you really going to let him go?"
This was what Yae Miko couldn't wrap her head around.
"Impossible!" Raiden Ei's response was immediate and unwavering. The idea of letting Xi leave her was utterly unthinkable!
Seeing Yae Miko's puzzled expression, Raiden Ei gave a playful smile. "I heard it once in Xi's thoughts before."
"Foxes from any world are extremely skilled at bewitching hearts."
"If Xi and I got married, you'd steal him away sooner or later."
"The thought of being married to Xi but always sneaking around with a stinky fox—and facing that fox's mockery—makes me so uncomfortable."
"Better to strike first. If you marry him, then the one who steals Xi will be me."
Earlier, while chatting idly with Ye Xi, Raiden Ei had brought up Yae Miko.
Ye Xi's inner thoughts had mentioned that foxes, fox spirits, and fox immortals were all embodiments of seduction in people's minds.
For men, one slip-up and they'd fall into a fox's trap, losing their true hearts.
For women, they'd worry if their husbands might be tempted by a fox.
There was even that special term "fox spirit" to describe it.
Yae Miko was left utterly speechless by Raiden Ei's words.
What strange logic!
But upon closer thought, it didn't seem wrong at all.
If Raiden Ei really married Xi, she wouldn't stand for being left out!
She'd definitely go after Ye Xi and Ei again.
From Ei's perspective, this approach actually made sense... right?
"Miko, are you scared?"
A rare smile crept onto Raiden Ei's face, but it was laced with mockery. "Don't you love that feeling?"
"Knowing Xi has no impure thoughts about you, yet you can't resist your curiosity and tease him anyway."
"If he doesn't make a move, you find it boring; if he does, you run away."
"What a twisted psyche. Foxes really are trash."
Yae Miko was so furious she nearly exploded!
Ye Xi calling her bad was one thing, but even her best friend saying it?!
If no one were around, she'd claw at a tree trunk like a wildcat!
Raiden Ei huffed and warned, "Miko, as a fox, you have to be strict with yourself to avoid being cucked."
With that, she strode back to the table openly and declared seriously, "Xi, you didn't mishear. I want you to marry Miko."
Ye Xi: ?
"Ei, Miko is the head priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine. Don't say such nonsense."
Ye Xi felt shocked.
Shocked that he hadn't misheard, and scared for the exact same reason.
But Raiden Ei thumped her chest confidently. "Xi, Inazuma's rules are mine to make. I permit the head priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine to marry you—no one would dare object!" Gazing into Raiden Ei's amethyst eyes, clear as crystal, Ye Xi read a hint of sincerity in them.
[Could it be that the strength I showed last night moved Ei, and she wants me to stay in Inazuma to help?]
[Why is everyone doing this one after another!]
[Don't they consider the feelings of the people involved?]
[Miko may be the head priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine, but she's an independent person. Why sacrifice herself for Inazuma?]
Ye Xi thought it over but didn't speak up. The words reached his lips, yet he couldn't voice them.
Hearing Ye Xi's inner thoughts, Raiden Ei felt an inexplicable pang of grievance.
Wasn't she sacrificing for Inazuma too?!
And she hadn't expected Ye Xi to care so much about Yae Miko's feelings.
That level of concern was clearly more than what he had for her!
If Yae Miko felt wronged, that was one thing—but what about her?
Who cared about her, the "cold and heartless" Raiden Shogun?
Meanwhile, Yae Miko's tail swished nonstop behind her, her heart pounding with excitement.
Heat, shyness, fluttering.
Especially sensing the jealous gaze from beside her—that strange competitive spirit surged back.
With a flash of her figure, she vanished from her spot and reappeared pressed against Ye Xi, one tail wrapping around him.
"Xi, I wouldn't mind lending you a few tails at night."
"Sleeping while hugging tails is super comfortable, you know~"
Her words dripped with seduction; any normal person would have fallen for it.
She even shot Raiden Ei a triumphant glance.
Ei clenched her fists in anger.
She didn't recall permitting Yae Miko to get this close to Ye Xi—!
She really wanted to slash at her!
Not that she'd hit anyway!