"Here, take a look," Akio said, pulling out a small mirror and handing it to Kujou Sara.
"Thank you, Lord Akio," Kujou Sara said, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her face had returned to its smooth, fair complexion, and she looked at Akio with gratitude.
After all, Kujou Sara was still a woman, and she cared about her appearance. She didn't want to walk around with a handprint on her face.
"It's nothing," Akio said. "Kujou Takayuki's actions are pretty much confirmed."
"You confronted him, so he's probably on high alert now. Even if you try to gather evidence, it'll be difficult," Akio added.
"What should I do then?" Kujou Sara asked anxiously.
"Hmm…" Akio thought for a moment, then remembered a small figure. He said to Kujou Sara, "Here's what you do. Act normal these days and keep an eye on who that old dog interacts with. Leave the rest to me."
"I understand," Kujou Sara nodded. She really wanted to know if Kujou Takayuki had truly betrayed the nation.
"Lord Akio, would you like to hear about my childhood?" Kujou Sara suddenly asked.
"Of course, I'd be happy to," Akio nodded with a smile.
"Back then, I was still young and hadn't been given a name or surname. I used to live in a peaceful mountain forest. But at some point, evil spirits began to cause chaos, and the peace was shattered. Even though I had the power of a tengu, I was too young to fight the monsters alone. During a battle, I was knocked off a cliff, and my wings were injured," Kujou Sara recalled. "At that time, I was in despair. With my wings damaged, I couldn't fly, and I thought I was going to die."
"Fortunately, the Shogun protected me. She gave me a Vision, and although I passed out in the critical moment, the Vision protected me, and I wasn't hurt at all."
"Later, when I woke up, I had already been brought to the Tenryou Commission," Kujou Sara said softly. "I was very afraid of humans back then, but Lord Kujou Takayuki didn't treat me as an outsider. He took me in and gave me the name Kujou Sara."
"Although he was very strict with me since I was young, he also made me feel the warmth of a family," Kujou Sara said, lowering her head. "He taught me to be loyal to the Shogun and to Inazuma, but why has he changed now?"
"The will of mortals in this world, no matter how strong, can be eroded by money and power. It's clear that Kujou Takayuki is one of those people," Akio said. "To knowingly do what should not be done is foolish. Everything that's happening is his own doing."
"I know," Kujou Sara said. She wasn't an ordinary human but a tengu. However, she had grown up in human society, and she didn't want to see things turn out this way. It pained her.
"By the way, Sara, as a tengu, can't you retract your wings?" Akio asked curiously, looking at the wings behind her.
"I should be able to, but my strength hasn't reached that level yet. I can't fully retract them," Kujou Sara shook her head. "It's said that the great tengu, Sasayuri, could retract his wings."
"I see," Akio nodded, then asked, "If I may, can I touch them?"
"…" Kujou Sara was stunned for a moment by Akio's request. After a moment of silence, she nodded and leaned slightly toward Akio.
She couldn't refuse Akio's request, even if it was such an intimate gesture. Perhaps it wasn't just because Akio was a god…
They were very soft and smooth! That was the first thing Akio felt when he touched Kujou Sara's wings. It was different from the birds he had raised before. It was an indescribable feeling, but it was very comfortable and made him reluctant to let go.
"Mmm~" Akio kept holding on, and Kujou Sara closed her eyes, her face growing redder and redder. For tengu, wings were a very private part of the body, and they usually wouldn't allow outsiders to touch them.
Moreover, the wings were really sensitive! Even someone as strong-willed as Kujou Sara couldn't help but let out a soft moan as the strange sensations from her wings kept coming.
"Akio… Lord Akio~ are… are you done yet~" Kujou Sara, who was usually cold and composed, now spoke in an unusually coquettish tone.
"Almost, almost," Akio chuckled, stroking Kujou Sara's wings. The texture was like silk—who wouldn't like it?
Under the intense physical stimulation, Kujou Sara suddenly trembled, her face turning crimson and looking utterly alluring.
"I… what's happening to me?" Kujou Sara reacted, feeling extremely embarrassed. She… she had actually…
"Oh my! I went too far…" Akio also sensed the strange aura coming from Kujou Sara, and his expression became complicated. Damn, he hadn't expected Kujou Sara's wings to be so sensitive.
Seeing Kujou Sara, who was too embarrassed to speak, Akio thought for a moment, then pulled her into his arms. A black hole swallowed them both.
"This… where is this?" Kujou Sara looked around at the golden space, feeling confused.
"Ahem…" Akio coughed lightly and explained, "This is my own Imaginary Space. Um, about what just happened…"
"Lord Akio!" Kujou Sara blushed furiously at Akio's words and glared at him in mock anger.
"Sorry, sorry," Akio said awkwardly. He hadn't expected Kujou Sara to be so sensitive.
"Here, these are my clothes, never worn. You can change into them for now," Akio said, taking out a set of unworn clothes from his space and handing them to Kujou Sara.
Kujou Sara's face was still red as she took the clothes and said shyly, "Lord Akio! Turn around!"
"Oh, right, I forgot," Akio chuckled and turned around.
After some rustling sounds, Kujou Sara's voice came, "Lord Akio, I'm done."
Akio turned back and saw that Kujou Sara had changed into his clothes, though there was still a faint blush on her face.
"I'm really sorry, Sara. I didn't expect things to turn out like this," Akio apologized. After all, it was his fault.
"It's… it's okay, Lord Akio…" Kujou Sara lowered her head and shook it. Although she cared, Akio's status was there, and she didn't dare to pursue the matter.
"I know!" Akio said sincerely. "This is my fault, and it's put you in a very awkward position! Please let me make it up to you."
"Let me take responsibility for you," Akio said shamelessly, directly revealing his ulterior motives. Besides, Kujou Sara had already let him do that—how could he let her go now?
"Huh… what?" Kujou Sara stared at Akio in disbelief. She was probably wondering how her Lord Akio could so shamelessly and calmly say the words "take responsibility."
A/N: Enjoying the story? Read 40+ chapters ahead on Patreon! Your support helps: Patreon.com/nneol