Due to caution, Fūka Dotō had arranged for Katsura's guest room to be exceptionally far from his own bedroom.
In the vast mansion, Katsura's quarters were positioned at the opposite end of the diagonal from Fūka Dotō's residence.
Not only that, but Katsura's corner room was also tightly encircled by the dormitories of Fūka Dotō's patrol guards.
The purpose was clear—if the other party made even the slightest suspicious move, they could act immediately. And even if they failed to subdue him, it would at least buy Fūka Dotō time to escape.
At three in the morning, Fubuki, swaying with a cat-like gait, arrived at Katsura's door. After adjusting her expression slightly, she raised her hand and gently knocked.
Knock knock—
Creak—
[What business do you have, miss?]
Elizabeth, holding up a white sign, opened the door.
Looking at the peculiar white mysterious creature she had seen earlier that day—already aware that it communicated via wooden signs—Fubuki pressed a finger to her lips and smiled charmingly.
"Is Mr. Katsura here?"
[What do you want with Mr. Katsura?] Elizabeth switched signs.
"Of course, I came to..."
Before she could finish the words "offer warmth," Fubuki heard Katsura's voice from inside the room.
"Don't be rude, Elizabeth! When a girl comes alone to a man's door late at night, there's no need to ask for reasons!"
Hearing this, Fubuki cursed inwardly—What a scoundrel! This Mr. Katsura seemed so proper, yet those words made him sound like a complete old rogue!
Next, she saw Katsura, arms crossed, step by step approach the door.
[Sorry, Mr. Katsura.] Elizabeth raised the sign and bowed in apology.
"My apologies, miss. Though I've taught him many times, Elizabeth still lacks some understanding of social graces. I apologize on his behalf."
"I-It's fine."
Fubuki forced a smile, then deliberately accentuated her tight leather pants-clad hips and seductively licked her lips.
"Mr. Katsura, I..."
"No need to explain. I understand."
Seeing her deliberately alluring posture, Katsura nodded solemnly and interrupted her, then reached into his wide sleeve to rummage around.
The next moment, staring at the small note Katsura had secretly slipped into her hand, Fubuki was utterly bewildered. Just as she was about to ask, Katsura leaned in closer.
"A secret remedy. Take it after meals, twice daily—morning and night. It effectively relieves constipation. And don't worry, I'd never tell anyone you suffer from it."
Holding the constipation remedy in her hand, Fubuki fell into a long silence. Only after Katsura retreated into the room and closed the door did she finally snap out of it.
Knock knock!
"No! You've got it wrong, Mr. Katsura! I didn't come here for a constipation remedy! And for the record, I don't even have constipation! Listen to me, Mr. Katsura—!"
Creak—
The door reopened, and Katsura, seeing Fubuki's anxious expression, seemed to realize something else. He shook his head with a bitter smile.
"My apologies, miss. I was inconsiderate—I didn't notice earlier."Hearing this, Fubuki finally let out a sigh of relief, thinking that the other party might not be entirely hopeless after all. She quickly adjusted her demeanor, adopting a seductive pose.
"Mr. Katsura, actually, I came here to—"
Before she could finish her sentence, just as she was about to step forward and surprise Katsura with an intimate embrace to stir his desires and make him lose control, she was once again interrupted by Katsura, who handed her yet another small note.
"Though hemorrhoids are a bit tricky to treat, with this secret remedy, along with regular meals and a proper routine, you can absolutely prevent them from recurring! Of course, you can rest assured, young lady—I, Katsura Kotarou, won't tell a soul!"
Staring at the hemorrhoid remedy in her hand, half of Fubuki's face twitched uncontrollably. After two seconds of silence, she cursed inwardly.
What the hell is wrong with this guy's thought process?!
Does he really not understand why a woman would quietly visit a man's room late at night? Is he an idiot?!
How could it possibly be for something like this?! And more importantly, how the hell did he even come to that conclusion?! I can't make sense of his brain at all!
"Well then, good night."
"Ah, good night..."
Fubuki reflexively replied, but immediately snapped back to reality and frantically stopped Katsura just as he was about to close the door.
"Wait! That's not it! I don't have hemorrhoids either! Mr. Katsura! Hold on!"
Hearing this and seeing the urgency on her face, Katsura suddenly had an epiphany, his eyes widening as if he had finally understood.
"Is that so? So... so that's how it is!" he murmured, reaching into his sleeve once again. "Don't worry, miss. Though I'm a man, I once heard from Mayu-dayu about a secret remedy she used for menstrual cramps—"
At this point, Fubuki, feeling thoroughly mocked, couldn't hold back any longer and exploded in frustration.
"It's not menstrual cramps either! What the hell is wrong with your head?! Why would you think I came here for something so trivial?! It's not constipation, hemorrhoids, or menstrual cramps! And seriously, how do you even come up with these things?!"
"Huh?" Katsura blinked, then explained matter-of-factly, "Well, it's because of the posture you just took—it looked like you were having some trouble in the... lower regions."
"That was just to sedu—"
Fubuki clenched her fists, grinding her teeth, but quickly caught herself before she slipped up and hastily changed the subject.
"Anyway! Forget constipation and hemorrhoids—how did you even land on menstrual cramps?! Why would a man assume I came here for something like that?!"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Katsura looked at her as if it were the most natural conclusion. He then stepped out of his room, gazing up at the never-ending snow of this country with a hint of melancholy.
"I've fought alongside female comrades before, so I've learned a thing or two about the hardships women face in certain seasons. Living in a country where it's always like this... it must be quite painful in its own way, no?"Watching Katsura speak these words with calm yet profound emotion, Fubuki blinked unconsciously before falling into a daze.
Girl...
For the female shinobi of the Snow Country, this was an exceedingly distant concept.
Since ancient times, shinobi had merely been "tools" for their employers. Gender held no significance—this was a belief shared by both shinobi and their employers.
—Shinobi were nothing more than tools, not people.
At this thought, Fubuki gritted her teeth, raised her head with a determined expression, and retorted:
"You're far too naive! Shinobi are just tools! Whether we're men or women means nothing! Besides, I've long since abandoned such things entirely!"
"Is that so? Then why are you crying?"
"I'm not—"
Fubuki instinctively denied it, but then she felt something warm trickling down her cheeks.
She froze.
"You're wrong. Shinobi, samurai—none of us are mere tools. We're living, breathing people who cry and laugh, who feel sorrow and joy!"
Seeing Katsura's utterly earnest expression, Fubuki felt a lump form in her throat.
She lowered her head, suppressing her sobs as she quietly sniffled.
Watching Fubuki wipe away her unstoppable tears, Katsura's expression gradually softened. Then, gazing into the distance once more, he murmured softly:
"See? Only ordinary girls cry like this."
Hearing this, Fubuki could no longer contain her emotions, and her tear ducts completely gave way...