Chapter 238 - 236: Put it On Scaramouche's Tab
Chapter 238 - 236: Put it On Scaramouche's Tab
"What did you do to him?"
To be a General of an army, the boy Gorou had to possess a certain level of tactical wit, not to mention the Divine Priestess standing behind him. She was truly curious how Bai Luo had managed to pull this off.
"Don't go spreading rumors! I didn't do a thing; he requested it himself," Bai Luo replied, waving his hands in a hurried denial.
When Gorou first dressed up as Miss Hina, Bai Luo had actually insisted on wearing the outfit himself. However, because the custom-made clothes were a bit too small for him, Gorou had taken the initiative to offer to wear them instead. Bai Luo hadn't forced him at all.
But the more Bai Luo insisted on his innocence, the more Yae Miko realized that he hadn't just "done something"—he had pulled off something legendary. At the same time, she felt a flicker of anticipation for the "good things" Bai Luo promised to show her.
Glancing at the towel draped over Bai Luo's lower half, she pressed her hand against his lower abdomen and whispered into his ear, "Do you want to keep bathing?"
Her intent was simple: Since you already know who I am, you should feel at least a bit embarrassed or blush when I say this, right? If he did, Yae Miko would have achieved her goal.
To her surprise, Bai Luo looked at her with an expression of pure appreciation and immediately reached down to untie the towel. "Sure, why not?"
"..."
Right. This is the man who did what he did at the pool without a shred of hesitation. Expecting him to be shy was a tactical error on my part.
Seeing him actually start to remove the towel, Yae Miko's hand twitched. Her ordinary human palm instantly transformed into a fluffy pink fox paw. Beneath the bathhouse lights, her sharp claws seemed to glint with a cold, threatening light.
This brought Bai Luo's movements to a dead halt. Even if his physical body was tougher than an average person's, it wouldn't stand a chance against the fangs and claws of a celestial fox.
"Not bathing anymore?"
"Forget it, forget it. I'll handle the rest myself."
'Fine, you win this round!! '
Bai Luo and Yae Miko walked out of the hot spring together. Yae Miko had a subtle, mischievous expression, waiting for Bai Luo to make a fool of himself—she had already sprinkled a certain strange powder on his clothes in the locker. The powder wasn't lethal, but it would certainly make him extremely uncomfortable for several days.
However, Bai Luo didn't even look at the locker. He simply snapped his fingers.
Whish!
His black trench coat instantly materialized on his body, along with the mask covering his face. Bai Luo was a cautious man.
Yae Miko had been alone with his clothes for far too long; if it were him, he would have definitely messed with them, and he didn't believe for a second she would pass up the opportunity.
Fortunately, the System's "Quick-Change" feature included an automatic cleaning function. No matter what tricks she had played, they were wiped clean instantly.
"So refreshing! As expected of a hot spring. We should soak together again next time." Bai Luo stretched, feeling the exhaustion leave his body. The only pity was that she had been in Kuroda's form the whole time.
"Soak with me?"
Yae Miko's question carried a double meaning. Soak with me, Yae Miko? Or soak with this 'Kuroda' on the outside?
"You guess."
Quitting while ahead wasn't usually Bai Luo's style, but it depended on the opponent. Winning even a tiny bit against this pink fox was no easy feat; if there were a next time, she would surely find a way to get her revenge. He wasn't going to give her that chance.
When they reached the counter, Yae Miko prepared to watch him struggle with a lack of funds. To her surprise, he didn't even reach for his wallet. He just tapped the counter lightly.
"Sir, are you finished?"
Aikawa Susumu had been daydreaming, but he snapped to attention and bowed flatteringly at the sound of Bai Luo's tapping.
Earlier, the Shogunate samurai had been furious to hear the place was booked, threatening to wreck the joint. But once they heard who was inside, they had all fled like scolded dogs—including the Kujou clan's domestic servants.
When the owner heard that the guest was the Fatui Envoy known as "The Instructor," he didn't dare cause trouble. He had even sent men to stand guard at the door to keep away any potential rabble-rousers.
"It was 500,000 Mora, right?"
"No, no! Sir, this must be your first time at our springs. Please, consider this on the house. All fees are waived!"
Aikawa Susumu wasn't stupid. It was one thing for the samurai of the Tenryou Commission to be afraid of a name, but if even the Kujou family showed such deference, it meant this diplomatic envoy's status in Inazuma was much higher than he had imagined. He wasn't about to pass up a chance to cozy up to such a powerful figure.
"No, I'm a man of my word. I said 500,000, so 500,000 it is. Just send the bill to this address; someone will pay you."
After leaving the address and Scaramouche's name, Bai Luo led Yae Miko out of the Aisa Bathhouse. Yae Miko watched this with genuine amazement. 'Maybe next time I should try sending my dinner bills to Tenshukaku? I'd love to see the look on Ei's face.'
"Are you going to keep following me like that?" Bai Luo asked as they walked along the stone-paved streets, glancing at the "Kuroda" beside him. Now that their cards were on the table, what was the point of the disguise?
"True enough."
Elemental energy swirled around her. The appearance of Kuroda vanished, and Yae Miko returned to her true form.
However, given her high profile in Inazuma, she didn't switch back to her Guuji robes. Instead, she wore a very ordinary kimono and used a spell to hide her fox ears. Unless it was someone who knew her intimately, most people would only think she looked "familiar" rather than realizing she was the exalted Lady Guuji.
"I hope this 'good thing' of yours is enough to keep my interest, Instructor. Otherwise, the crime of profaning a Guuji is enough to have you banished from Inazuma City."
Now that she was herself again, she no longer had to play the honest, timid Kuroda. Her tone became much sharper and more intimidating. She was mostly trying to rattle him; there was no way she could ever admit to anyone that she had tried to prank him and ended up getting counter-played.
Still... in her mind, she was the one who had won the match.
"Don't worry. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
Bai Luo bowed slightly and made an inviting gesture. But as he looked at the slight curve of Yae Miko's lips, he began to feel that something wasn't quite right.
Wait!
Thinking back, he had enjoyed her service during the bath. But looking at it from another angle... she had seen him and touched him; basically, everything that could be done had been done.
But what about him? In his eyes, he had spent the whole time bathing with a man named Kuroda. The only "fox" part he'd seen was one little pink paw.
He had thought he'd gained the upper hand. But on second thought, this was a draw at best. In fact, she might have actually won.
Tsk... as expected of a fox. To use that method to tease me...
If he hadn't realized it just now, he might have gone on feeling smug about it. Then again, letting Yae Miko have a good look at him wasn't exactly a losing trade.
It seemed he would have to be extra careful dealing with her in the future.
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