Coming out of the boisterous arcade, a cool breeze brushed against Ise Hinata's flushed cheeks.
She tightly hugged the snow-white rabbit plushie in her arms; its soft fur seemed to retain the lingering warmth of that 'transgressive,' forbidden pleasure.
That feeling was like a stone dropped into a calm lake, its ripples spreading out, refusing to subside for a long time.
She was led by Lu Cheng into the black Rolls-Royce.
Ise Hinata turned her head, watching the neon streetscape rapidly receding outside the window. It reflected in her eyes, but could no longer calm her heart.
Her mind was still replaying Lu Cheng's last words.
"It seems you're beginning to understand the true use of power."
The true use of… power?
Wasn't it for protecting this land? Wasn't it for bearing the National Luck? Wasn't it for the glory of the gods?
But instead… for winning a doll?
For getting something she desired?
This thought was so small, so selfish, yet it carried a fatal allure.
It made her heart beat uncontrollably.
The car finally stopped beneath Ginza's most prestigious landmark building.
Lu Cheng led her, taking the elevator, to the revolving restaurant on the top floor.
This place was a world apart from the bustling arcade they had just left.
Melodious piano music flowed like a stream.
The air was filled with the fragrance of high-end ingredients and fine wine.
Outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows was the dazzling night view of all of Tokyo.
Countless lights converged into a shimmering river of stars, silently unfolding beneath their feet.
Ise Hinata was led by a waiter to a window seat. The cute rabbit plushie in her arms seemed a little out of place with the luxurious and elegant surroundings.
Yet, she instinctively hugged the plushie a little tighter.
Soon, exquisite dishes were elegantly served by the waiter.
The main course was a top-grade Kobe steak, perfectly seared, emitting an enticing aroma.
Ise Hinata looked at the intact steak on the plate before her, and the set of delicate silver cutlery beside her, feeling a little dazed.
It wasn't that she didn't know how to use a knife and fork; it was just… in the shrine, she almost never had to handle food herself.
Whether it was Japanese or Western cuisine, the chefs would always prepare everything, and then the maidens would respectfully serve it.
Such a situation, where she needed to cut her own food, was rare.
Lu Cheng chuckled softly and, very naturally, pulled her plate in front of him.
He picked up the knife and fork, his movements skilled and elegant. Under Ise Hinata's slightly surprised gaze, he cut the tender steak into perfectly sized pieces.
Then, he gently pushed the plate back in front of her.
"There you go, Miss. Try it."
His tone was gentle, doting.
Ise Hinata watched his actions, a barely perceptible blush appearing on her fair cheeks.
She lowered her head and, in a voice almost inaudible, softly retorted:
"I… I'm not… incapable…"
Her voice carried a hint of indignant shyness at being treated like a "child."
Lu Cheng, once again, was a step ahead of her. He speared a piece of beef with sauce and held it to her mouth.
"Open your mouth."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an irresistible magic.
Ise Hinata's body instantly stiffened. She instinctively wanted to turn her head away. This… this was too intimate!
This was not proper!
But when she saw Lu Cheng's eyes, everything she wanted to say was held back… After a brief struggle, she still closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. Shyly and obediently, she opened her small mouth and ate the piece of beef.
The tender juices burst in her mouth. The supreme deliciousness, mixed with the intense shyness and ambiguity of the moment, made her heart once again lose its rhythm completely.
She had eaten Kobe steak many times, but she had never felt like this… She looked at the'sea of stars' of the human world below her, then recalled the unchanging starry sky in the shrine over a thousand years.
A tremendous sense of disconnect impacted her soul.
The world she had always protected was like this.
So… vibrant.
So… dazzling.
Lu Cheng sat opposite her, quietly watching her, observing the complex expression on her face, a mixture of shock, confusion, and a hint of longing.
After observing the girl eating for a long time, he finally spoke softly.
"Hinata, look."
He raised his hand, pointing to the brilliant sea of lights outside the window.
"This is the world you've been protecting. It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Ise Hinata's body stiffened slightly.
She involuntarily looked in the direction he pointed, and gently nodded her head.
Yes, it was beautiful.
So beautiful that it made her feel a little… suffocated.
However, Lu Cheng's next words were like an invisible heavy hammer, striking hard at her heart, which had just begun to ripple.
"But don't you think it's pathetic?"
Ise Hinata suddenly turned her head to look at Lu Cheng, her eyes filled with shock and incomprehension.
Pathetic?
What did he mean?
How could such a prosperous and beautiful world be pathetic?
The curve of Lu Cheng's lips took on a hint of compassionate mockery.
"You've protected it for so many years, yet it hasn't even let you taste an ice cream."
"You've offered everything to it, yet it has only given you a magnificent cage."
Every word of this sentence was like a clap of thunder, exploding in her mind!
The sweetness of ice cream.
The tears in a movie theater.
The forbidden joy of winning a doll.
And… this dazzling'sea of stars' beneath her feet.
Everything, at this moment, transformed into the sharpest blades, piercing fiercely into her heart!
Yes… she protected all of this.
But what did any of this have to do with her?
Everything about her, her joys and sorrows, her power, her existence, were all just for something called 'National Luck'.
She wasn't Ise Hinata.
She was just a symbol called the 'Amaterasu Shrine Maiden.'
According to this man… she was nothing more than a sacrifice, imprisoned in the magnificent cage of the shrine.
Although she didn't want to admit it, after witnessing all of this.
This reality made all her pride, all her beliefs, all the meaning of her existence, seem somewhat ridiculous.
Her emotions seemed uncontrollable, and a mist quietly gathered in her eyes.
This wasn't due to sadness, but a kind of helpless confusion after being awakened.
Her voice was as if she was questioning Lu Cheng, and also as if she was questioning fate:
"Then… what should I do?"
"Besides this… what else can I do?"
Just as her mind completely gave way, and her soul seemed on the verge of sinking here.
Lu Cheng stood up and slowly walked to her.
Once again, he extended his hand to her.
But this time, his eyes no longer held any playfulness or teasing.
In those deep eyes, there was only an undeniable, utterly domineering possessiveness.
His voice was low and filled with seductive magic.
"What if I told you I could help you control it?"
"That way, you wouldn't have to keep protecting it."
"No need to be like a canary, forever confined in a birdcage."
"From now on, in your world, there only needs to be me."
Ise Hinata looked up at the man before her.
She looked at his hand, which seemed capable of pulling her out of the abyss.
She couldn't utter a single word of refusal.
She was just a girl, too; she also longed for everything in the outside world.
Like most ordinary girls, her 'maiden's heart,' longing for freedom, longing to be loved, longing to have a'self,' began to gradually overpower the sacred and cold heart of the 'Amaterasu Shrine Maiden' at this moment.
Finally, she trembled, and obediently placed her cold little hand into his warm and domineering palm.
Lu Cheng's lips finally curved into a satisfied smile.
He squeezed her hand firmly, with a force that seemed to declare ownership to the entire world.
Then, with an undeniable gesture, he gently pulled her from her seat, leading her away from this bustling prosperity.