Plots that seemed like mere story embellishments to ordinary people became reflections of the past in her eyes. If this truly was just a common creative element in popular culture rather than a deliberate attempt to pry and reveal... Seeing Ei sink into thought with a slightly softened expression, a successful smile flashed through Yae Miko's eyes, but she quickly hid it.
She spread her hands, her tone becoming even more relaxed: "So, my Lord General, just relax. This is just a little thing used to entertain the public and incidentally earn some Mora for the Yae Publishing House. Isn't it a good thing if it makes the people of Inazuma feel more closeness to the two of you, making them feel that the gods are not unreachable?"
"Besides, light novels with you as the protagonist have appeared in Inazuma before. Didn't that Traveler take you to browse the bookstore?"
"As for the other... well, more lively plots in the book," Yae Miko drawled, her eyes glinting with tease again, "that's purely artistic license to satisfy the readers' fantasies. You couldn't possibly... actually care about those, right?"
"But this is no reason for you to publish such... such books." Ei tried to regain her ground, but her tone was no longer as firm as it was at the beginning. "The contents of the book are far too... overstepping."
"Overstepping?" Yae Miko suddenly laughed again, her smile returning to its previous cunning and playfulness. She took another step forward, almost pressing against Ei, her sweet aura enveloping her once more. "Where is the overstepping? Is it like this?"
As she spoke, she suddenly reached out with startling speed, her target being Ei's cheek.
Ei's pupils constricted, and almost instinctively, she snapped her hand up, precisely catching Yae Miko's slender wrist to stop her movement.
The distance between them was extremely close, their breaths audible. Even with her wrist held tightly, Yae Miko did not panic at all. Instead, maintaining the posture, her fingertips lightly tickled Ei's palm, bringing a numbing itch.
"Oh? Such a reaction?" Yae Miko smiled like a fox that had successfully snatched a treat, her eyes dancing. "It seems not everything written in the book is false? At least... Lord Kagemusha is quite on guard against my 'insubordination.'"
"Yae Miko!" A hint of genuine shame and annoyance entered Ei's voice. The strength with which she held Yae Miko's wrist unintentionally increased, and her cheeks uncontrollably flushed a faint red.
In this absolute domain of hers, in this space where only the two of them existed, Yae Miko's behavior seemed even more "unrestrained."
"Let go," Ei scolded softly.
"I won't." Instead of backing down, Yae Miko leaned in a little closer, almost pressing her lips to Ei's ear, whispering with a warm breath that brushed against Ei's sensitive earlobe, "There's even more written in the book... would you like to... verify it?"
Boom—!
Ei felt as if her mind had been struck by a thunderstorm, going completely blank. Those suggestive descriptions she had forcibly suppressed surged into her heart like an uncontrolled flood, intertwining with Yae Miko's close-range temptation, assaulting the mental defenses she had held for thousands of years.
She abruptly released Yae Miko's wrist and, as if burned, took a step back to pull away from this flustering distance.
"You... cease your nonsense!" Her voice carried a rare trace of being discomposed.
Seeing Ei's obvious panic, Yae Miko finally stepped back half a pace, satisfied, and stopped pressing.
She lightly rubbed the wrist Ei had held, where the pressure and warmth of the other's fingertips seemed to linger, while her face still wore that infuriatingly charming smile.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you." Yae Miko shrugged. "As for the book, I indeed had the Yae Publishing House print it. As for the reason..."
She deliberately drawled, admiring the expression on Ei's face—a mix of confusion and embarrassment.
"Just consider it... adding an interesting 'variable' to the long-silent Inazuma? Or perhaps, bringing a bit of fresh stimulation from the outside world to my old friend who always likes to stay in the Plane of Euthymia and get moldy?" Yae Miko winked. "After all, always immersing yourself in past sorrows and eternal silence will turn you into a real block of wood, Ei."
Ei stared at her fixedly, for a moment not knowing how to respond.
Reprimand her? This fox always had a thousand reasons to brush it off. Punish her? But she didn't seem to... have caused any substantial harm; instead, she had made Ei's heart feel such strong fluctuations for the first time in a long while.
She turned her gaze once more to the book floating in the air, her feelings complex and difficult to describe.
Finally, Ei closed her eyes somewhat tiredly.
She waved her hand, and the book floating in the air turned into purple particles of light, dissipating into nothingness.
"This book... is not to be repeated."
"Yes, yes, I'll listen to you," Yae Miko responded readily, her face bright with a smile.
Space rippled again, sending Yae Miko out of the Plane of Euthymia.
Returning to the Grand Narukami Shrine, Yae Miko's face was full of delight; she knew that the purpose of today's 'audience' had been achieved.
Look at that expression on Ei's face, tsk tsk, how interesting~
Meanwhile, inside the Plane of Euthymia, Ei, once again alone, could not remain calm for a long time.
She looked around at this eternal loneliness, but Yae Miko's words echoed repeatedly in her mind, and those absurd, blush-inducing images from the book surfaced, along with the warm, cherry-blossom-scented breath when Yae Miko leaned in.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"