An ominous premonition surfaced in Shion’s mind, causing faint beads of sweat to appear on the young girl’s cheeks.
‘It’s autumn, isn’t it? Why do I suddenly feel so warm?’
Although Rie stood before her, her face wreathed in a radiant smile, Shion instinctively felt an urge to take a step back.
“Cough, cough.”
Behind Rie, Grandpa Butler, impeccably dressed in a tailored black suit, suddenly cleared his throat twice, subtly indicating that a third person was present in the living room besides the two girls.
Rie sighed inwardly. “Mr. Butler, please go back and rest. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Miss, while Lord Igarashi has not dictated your future life choices, you are, after all, the sole heir of the Igarashi family. Until your official title is bestowed, it is imperative to maintain proper decorum and restraint.”
“Oh, fine! I get it! Please, go and rest!” Rie exclaimed, her face flushing as she unconsciously raised her voice by several degrees.
Grandpa Butler bowed once more to both Rie and Shion, then discreetly withdrew.
“What was that about—” As Shion watched Grandpa Butler retreat into his room, before she could even voice her question, Rie clapped a hand over her mouth.
The fiery-haired girl before her had a slight blush dusting her cheeks, her small canine teeth gently biting her lip. The crimson in her eyes flickered like a tiny ember lit in the dark of night.
“Wh-what’s wrong?” Seeing Rie’s expression, Shion was momentarily stunned.
“Oh, nothing much. I was just wondering why you’re so incredibly cute, Shion-chan?”
“Senpai, please don’t say things like that! It makes me blush!”
“Shy, are we? You didn’t seem so shy when you were taking those promotional photos, Shion-chan.”
Promotional photos?! The words hit Shion like an explosive trigger. She involuntarily recoiled a step, only to find herself at the edge of the sofa, with no further retreat possible.
Rie then pulled out her phone and waved a picture of Shion, dressed in a maid uniform styled in miko colors, right in front of her.
In the photo, Shion winked, forming a large heart with her hands towards the camera. Rie then swiped to another picture, showing Shion with one foot playfully kicked up, accompanied by a saucy wink.
The subsequent image featured the girl subtly lifting a corner of her skirt, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her pale legs beneath.
“S-Senpai… How did you get these?” Shion stammered, her words catching in her throat.
Though Rie maintained her smile, her expression darkened imperceptibly. “Why do I have these photos? Shion-chan, why don’t you check where they were posted? In fact, it would be stranger to find someone at school who *doesn’t* have them on their phone right now.”
Shion drew a sharp intake of breath. Right, Sakuya and Ayane had directly uploaded the photos to the campus forum. It was supposedly all for the sake of publicity for the shop, after all…
“Your photos, Shion-chan, have even been pinned to the forum’s homepage, and your popularity remains sky-high.”
While this sounded like good news, Rie uttered the words with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.
“Well… it was for publicity, Ayane and the others said…” Shion’s voice trailed off into a whisper.
“I can understand Ayane-chan’s reasoning, but why were half of these photos posted by Kujou-san?”
It felt as if Rie was struggling immensely to maintain her smile, though it appeared she was barely managing.
“They took them together…”
By the end, Shion’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. However, before her words fully faded, Rie slammed her palm onto the table with a resounding thud.
“So, tell me, Shion-chan, how far down the list was I in this entire town to see your new outfit?” Rie asked, a chilling smile plastered on her face.
“I’m so sorry! It was just to get more publicity for the shop!” Shion quickly clasped her hands together and bowed in apology towards Rie.
Rie waved her hand dismissively. “It’s just publicity, isn’t it? You just won’t let me buy out the entire place directly, right? Simple!”
As she spoke, Rie began tapping rapidly on her phone. Before long, another post appeared, quickly promoted to the top recommendations.
[Anyone who purchases items exceeding a certain amount at the Hoshimori Shrine stall can participate in a lottery sponsored by the Igarashi family.] “Eh??”
Rie sighed. “A lottery is the lowest-cost method. If we use this, I won’t have to spend too much, and it will still bring you plenty of popularity, Shion-chan, won’t it?”
“That’s amazing! You truly are an experienced businesswoman…” Shion involuntarily gave a thumbs up.
“Hmph, of course! I’m the owner of Akifuu Onsen Ryokan, after all!” Rie smirked triumphantly, but then her expression shifted abruptly. “Wait, that’s not the point. Shion-chan, listen to me.”
“Huh, what is it…?”
“Shion-chan, from now on, you are not to change into these kinds of clothes in front of anyone else! The first time you wear a new outfit, you *must* show it to me!”
“Eh? Such a demand…” Shion felt like crying. “But if I change at home, wouldn’t Ayane definitely see me…?”
“That’s why *I’ll* buy you new clothes,” Rie said, placing her hands on her hips. “New styles, new trends – we can just go to Tokyo again, can’t we? As long as you like it, I’ll buy it for you.”
“That’s not right…” Shion’s voice grew softer and softer.
“What’s wrong with it?!” Rie finally adopted her big sister persona. “That settles it. I’ll buy you new clothes, Shion-chan, but I *must* be the first one to see them!”
‘She felt torn. Though she desperately wanted to refuse, it was new clothes after all… The shrine’s operations were tight, and she hadn’t bought new clothes for herself in ages. Any new clothing had always gone to Ayane; she truly had none for herself.’
“N-no, no need! I’ll have new clothes after the Autumn Festival! Speaking of which… Senpai, what exactly is the seal like? I’d like to see it.”
Shion had hardly finished her refusal before immediately adding the next sentence, blatantly trying to change the subject. Though the shift in topic was exceptionally awkward, a slightly surprised Rie still rose to her feet.
She walked over to an inconspicuous door within the mansion and opened it with a key she carried. The door was indeed so unassuming that Shion hadn’t even noticed it at first.
When the door swung open, a violent chill rushed over her. Behind that door lay what felt like an endless abyss, a place where an immeasurable number of malevolent spirits were entombed.
“It’s down here, Shion-chan… Shion-chan?” Rie turned around, only to find Shion completely frozen in place.
Before her eyes, the night was brightly lit. Festival songs played from the broadcast, and people bustled around the stalls.
“Is this… the Autumn Festival?”