I have an infinite number of shikigami

"Put your hand out, idiot..." Mrs. Imperial continued to smile, but her smile now had a bit of coldness to it.

To Fujiwara Reya, that smile seemed to say, "Wow, you scumbag! I know your tongue is sweeter than honey and you're as bold as a beast, so why are you pretending to be a gentleman now? Can you hurry up and sweet-talk me with your foul mouth? What does it mean if you keep silent? Do you think that will make me care? Will I take the initiative then? Jerk—"

Mrs. Imperial is so cute~!

Fujiwara Reya stifled his laugh, stopped in his tracks, and retraced his steps.

"Hey, hey!"

Mrs. Imperial was instantly stunned.

"Wait a minute," she called out to Fujiwara Reya, raising her eyes in a pitiful plea, "Are you leaving already?"

The unique melancholic and misty eyes of a young wife were reflected in the evening sky, glimmering with a slightly orange hue.

Even if she was pretending, her posture made Fujiwara Reya exclaim, "What a beautiful middle-aged widow!"

"?"

Mrs. Imperial's face turned black in an instant.

Why deliberately emphasize 'middle-aged'?

If you don't know how to talk, just shut your mouth for me!

"I just suddenly realized this," Fujiwara Reya said, moving behind her and lifting the hem of her kimono, "This kind of floor-length kimono is only worn at banquets. We're in the countryside; no one would walk around in this garment."

Seeing him hold the now dirty hem of her kimono in his palm, Mrs. Imperial's expression finally improved a bit.

She turned and continued walking forward.

At that moment, the footsteps behind her suddenly quickened. Before she could react, an arm, along with the kimono's hem, tightly wrapped around her waist.

This is the Fujiwara Reya I know... Mrs. Imperial's mood instantly lifted.

The village wasn't large; after walking a few minutes, they passed through it to the mountain hollow behind.

In late August, the hues of the Imperial Mountain were vividly distinct.

The evergreens were still lush, the maple trees were beginning to turn yellow, and clusters of grass sprouted long, woolen-like tufts that gave off a faint whiff of the lively autumn scent.

This part of the Imperial Mountain had no path to climb; looking upward, there were only steep rocks. Mist and clouds drifted between the ridges, glowing with a light resembling a thin veil, and the palace on the mountain peak was silhouetted in a pale indigo by the evening glow.

"What is that?" Mrs. Imperial pointed to a wooden house on the mountainside.

"Oh, that's the watchtower for fire alertness." Fujiwara Reya looked up, noting the dark-colored bell hanging outside the wooden house, "The position of Mountain God attracts quite a bit of resentment. I feel like I'm walking on thin ice every day, so please, Madame, have a bit more pity on me, grant me..."

"Aren't you quite steadfast?" Mrs. Imperial interrupted his act of self-pity.

"Why do you say so?"

"Pretending right in front of me!" Mrs. Imperial pinched his waist, "Even a high-ranking house steward can't match this; even when you got married, the Great God's avatara descended for blessings. Look at all the Wild Gods throughout all of Japan; who else can have such splendid ceremony?"

"I'm somewhat ashamed talking about it."

"Ashamed of what?"

"Of all that I currently own, I only contributed 1% of the effort; the remaining 99% was left by my father."

"Would you introduce me to your father?"

"You're already eager to meet the parents?"

"I want to be your stepmother."

"..."

Fujiwara Reya's face turned slightly green, then he reached out, hugging her tightly from behind.

"Keep dreaming." He laughed a bit crudely, "From today onwards, any man who dares approach you, I'll chop off all three of his legs."

Mrs. Imperial forcefully turned around, letting him embrace her face to face.

Looking at the young man's face, she smiled, gently lifting his chin with her finger, "There was a time I thought that despite all the challenges, there was still a bit of youthful edge remaining on me; such edge influenced my attitude towards this world filled with flattery and sycophancy. As I grew older, I gradually lost that edge. Now, regarding this world, I only see an overwhelming absurdity, baseness, and vulgarity."

"Like me?" Fujiwara Reya also smiled.

"Yes, like you." Mrs. Imperial shook her head from side to side, examining his face from every angle, "Elegant vulgarity, noble vulgarity, talented vulgarity, flattering vulgarity..."

"When did I flatter?"

"Acting cute in front of me isn't flattery?"

"..."

Fujiwara Reya looked down at the middle-aged beauty in his arms.

The elegance of the old-fashion style created her current dignified temperament, coming from a distinguished family, her conversation was always sharp-witted. Her expressions were varied during conversations, her words brilliant and eloquent.

She usually wore a smile, was humorously sarcastic yet never lost her grace.

Most importantly, she knew how to flirt.

Fujiwara Reya loved this kind of big devil woman very much.

Just like his aunt, making him itch with hatred, yet he couldn't resist when he saw them.

Being watched by Fujiwara Reya's slightly passionate gaze, Mrs. Imperial didn't mock him anymore, presenting an indifferent, smiling face, waiting for his next move.

From her expression, she seemed like she wouldn't mind waiting for ten years.

"Are you testing me like this?"

"No!"

"Then what is it?"

"I know you can't handle it."

"You've really got me pegged!" Fujiwara Reya said, lowering his head.

Mrs. Imperial immediately covered her lips with the back of her hand, "Kiss somewhere else!"

"You'll end up causing trouble." Fujiwara Reya kissed the palm of her hand.