───

"LADY HIMARI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!", rumi worried, as she saw the woman with sukuna outside during sunrise.

     "ah, training", himari nonchalantly replied.

     "t-training? why?"

     "because it's the warring period. who knows what the hell's going to happen, am I right?", himari asked, to which sukuna just nodded.

     "but...lady himari, your father and his samurais will protect you".

     "okay word, but just imagine how cool I'll look wielding a sword! I've always wanted to attempt it at least once in my lifetime", himari grinned, gripping tightly onto her wooden sword that sukuna had given her.

"but you said you would never be caught dead holding a weapon just two days ago..."

"WELL MY PERSPECTIVE CHANGED OVERNIGHT! SO WATCH!", himari exclaimed, as she started swinging the sword in a repetitive manner.

rumi sighed as she cracked a small smile, heading back inside the house as she brought out some cut up fruit and tea.

"h-himari, would you like to take a break?", rumi called out, to which the red-haired woman had snapped her head towards the brown-haired girl.

     "did you just call me by my name without any titles?", himari asked, to which rumi had nodded, still worried that himari might immediately change and punish her.

     "ah, yeah I'll have some apples", himari commented, ushering sukuna to come over too, as they sat under a blossoming tree with a plate of said fruits.

     rumi breathed out a puff of air, as she thought she was going to tear up.

     "rumi, are you okay? have some apples too. they're surprisingly sweet", himari stated as she shoved a slice into the girl's mouth.

     himari then shoved another one in sukuna's mouth, to which the demon had almost choked, making himari snort.

     "OI! THE HELL'S YOUR PROBLEM?!"

"eat with your mouth closed, ryō", himari hushed, making sukuna huff.

"by the way rumi, who's my mother? is she dead? she probably is", himari muttered.

"indeed...lady mayako died giving birth to you, but she was the beauty of the century!", rumi replied, only having to have seen her portrait once.

"oh really? so she had red hair and green eyes too?"

     rumi nodded. "her hair's as fiery as her outgoing personality and the flames that dance high into the sky. there's a look of burning passion in her eyes, even though they're as green as emeralds".

     himari raised a brow in curiosity.

     "so you've met her before? but you look sixteen..."

     "oh no...I've only ever seen a picture of her. it was a blessing to witness such a beauty, even at the young age of sixteen", rumi smiled, fumbling with the hem of her plain kimono.

     'girl, you've yet to see REAL beauty. just wait until you see gojō's motherfucking eyes!'

     "so was she very warrior-like? was she a good swordsman by any chance?", himari asked, hoping that she received some good genes.

"actually...I've never heard stories about lady mayako wielding a sword or such. I've heard that she was exceptionally skilled in painting, playing the shakuhachi and koto, and sewing...just the basics", rumi smiled.

     "huh? what'd you say?"

     "she was exceptionally skilled at—"

     "no no. you said what were the basics?"

     "oh! sewing, cooking, painting, and playing at least one instrument", rumi informed, making himari's mouth gape open.

     "this should be easy right? don't all women start learning from a young age to do all those things?", sukuna asked, laying on his side as he had eaten more than half of the apple slices.

rumi furiously nodded with both thumbs up.

"indeed!! even though himari was spoiled, she was very committed into becoming the perfect wife for young master naoy—"

himari immediately spat out her tea, as she started coughing relentlessly, making rumi pat her back, meanwhile sukuna lowly chuckled.

"ugh, don't even say his name in my presence. that piece of shit! I hope whoever he's engaged to now is living happily. he seems like a wife abus—"

"himari! you mustn't speak of him like that. however, with that being said, I'm sure your father will find you a new marriage partner, so no need to worry", rumi smiled.

"MARRIAGE PARTNER?! I THINK THE FUCK NOT! I'm only like twenty this year!"

"but all women usually get married from ages sixteen to twenty...", rumi stated.

     himari started laughing until she realized that rumi wasn't joking.

     "aha...oh....you're...you're not kidding..."

     "why would I be?"

     "so who are some of my marriage partners? is one of them gojō?", himari grinned, drooling at the thought of marrying such a fine man.

     "mm...I'm not sure. but I'm sure your father has found a few that'd still like to marry you..."

     'why the hell did that sound like marrying me is a chore?'

     "yikes. she's basically saying no one wants you", sukuna bluntly stated, making rumi immediately shake her head.

     "t-t-that's not what I meant!! p-please believe me, himari!"

     the woman chuckled, swatting her hand back and forth.

     "it's fineee! marriage is overrated anyways. I think I want to like check out this world and maybe travel", himari grinned.

"but you said your dream was to marry young master nao—"

the maid quickly covered her mouth as she remembered what himari had said.

"I'm thinking of so many insults for that man right now, but anyways, I'm definitely going to convince father to let me travel the world once...oh...never mind".

himari suddenly remembered that the warring period won't really officially end until 1603; the creation of tokugawa shogunate.

"hm? is something of the matter, himari?"

     "ah...no, nothing. anyways, come on ryō!! we have to work on my posture and stuff", himari determinedly exclaimed, pulling the demon up from his comfortable position as he groaned.

     rumi smiled as she continued kneeling under the giant tree, observing himari as sukuna occasionally shouted at the female to, "do better! it's not that even that difficult!"

     the brown-haired girl sighed as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, remembering when no one had wished to accompany the lady towards this foreign area.

     now she was certain that everyone would love her upon their return.

     "no worries himari. I'll be standing beside you throughout all your ups and downs".