The odd rumour apparently came about twenty days ago.
The first witness was a manservant who finished work.
He had been walking absentmindedly under the moonlight when there was something white floating in the air. When he concentrated on it, a single pure white mask came into view.
Was it someone’s prank? The manservant was exhausted; he tried to ignore it. When he passed by, the mask turned around and looked at him.
The manservant freaked out and ran away.
The next morning, the manservant calmed down. He thought that he had to have mistaken it for something else due to his fatigue. However, when he went to the place he saw the mask last night, there was nothing there.
From then onwards…
The story of the strange mask could be heard frequently from many people besides the manservant.
Some people would go towards a mysterious sound and see a smiling mask. Some would see a face flying in the sky.
And within this past couple of days, there was a story about a woman’s head flying down a hallway.
Which was why some people were saying it.
That the face had to have been a hitouban.
〇●〇
Hitouban. A type of monster. As far as Maomao knew, it was a monster whose head flies at night with ears for wings.
“And so, she talked to me about it,” Rihaku said.
“Who did?” Maomao asked.
“A servant kiddo. She got attached after I gave her candy.”
(Since she’s not a pet.)
It seems Rihaku had gotten really good at dealing with children since visiting Rokushoukan.
(If the kamuro didn’t like him, they won’t lead him to Pairin-neechan.)
It would have been fine if he didn’t display this skill in the faraway lands of the western capital, Maomao thought. Was being the quack doctor’s escort so boring this past couple of days?
“Of course, I didn’t think it’s a type of monster. But with lass’ personality, you’d be bothered if you were to leave it alone, right?”
(No, even if you say that.)
If she wasn’t told, she won’t be bothered about it. He thoroughly explained it to her.
As a result, Rihaku went back late at night after merely telling Maomao what had been weighing on his mind. If he knew that Maomao was tired, he should have waited until tomorrow…
.
.
.
The next day, when she was eating breakfast with the quack doctor and Tenyuu, a small flustered child showed up at the temporary medical office.
“Where’s Military Official-sama?”
The child came in pale-faced looking for someone. It seems the military official who barred her from entering wasn’t the military official she was talking about.
“If you’re asking about Rihaku-sama, he’s not here.” Maomao immediately understood. Rihaku did the guarding at night, so there was a different military official in the morning.
The kiddo he was talking about last night, could it be this little girl?
“O-oh really?” Crestfallen, the little girl looked away.
Maomao glanced at the quack doctor and Tenyuu.
“Then, shall we go to where Rihaku-sama is? I’ll show you the way.” Maomao was going to guide the little girl to Rihaku’s room, remembering how the quack doctor was scared of Rihaku, but she suddenly stopped at her tracks. “…where does Rihaku-sama sleep?”
“Mm.” Tenyuu rudely gestured with his chopstick. It was the room closest to the entrance on the ground floor.
“Then, I’ll be showing her the way,” Maomao said.
“Is that so? Lass, are you going to leave your bowl?” the quack doctor asked.
“I’ll clear it away, so please leave it as is.”
“If you’re not eating, I can put it away.” The quack doctor flashed her a cheery smile and cleared away Maomao’s bowl.
“This child is an outsider. Would it be fine to let her in, I wonder…”
Unlike the quack doctor, Tenyuu touched a sore spot.
In a normal situation, Maomao would agree with Tenyuu’s words.
However, she considered the matter Rihaku had gone out of his way to consult her about.
(Did he come to talk to me, thinking that this would happen beforehand?)
As Maomao groaned, she led the little girl to Rihaku’s room.
“Yo.”
Rihaku was awake. He was rubbing his bleary eyes, obviously with the end of his night duty. His room had a bed and a chest of drawers. Did the quack doctor not try his best in redecorating this room too?
“Military Official-samaa.” The little girl approached Rihaku who was in bed. “It appeared again.”
“Did it?” he asked.
“It did, it did, a woman’s head.”
“Where did it appear?”
“Outside the estate. The gardener grandpa was so scared he lost feeling in his legs.”
“Is that so? Got it. Where is the gardener grandpa?”
“Yeah. He’s sweeping the garden with a pale face.”
“Got it. Okay, a candy for you.”
“Yayy.”
The little girl left the room.
Maomao stared at Rihaku. “Rihaku-sama, one thing to confirm.”
“What is it?” he said.
“Is this an investigation, rather than out of mere curiosity?”
“Oh, you know,” Rihaku admitted, making no signs of hiding it.
(That’s the reason he hardly spoke to the quack and Tenyuu.)
Naturally, the quack doctor aside, Tenyuu would be difficult.
However, she felt Rihaku would have a better way of approaching it. She thought he would dodge the question for a bit longer.
“Can’t you do it with more finesse? It’s really suspicious,” she said.
“No, I was meaning to do that at the start.” Rihaku smiled wryly. “I feel like I really can’t get along with that Tenyuu person. Not that we argue, but it’s hard to hold a conversation. You get my drift?”
“….”
It was as Maomao sensed.
“In other words, a type of person you’d normally keep a wide berth, but he’s nearby so it’s hard to do so. You’d still be okay with someone you can argue with, but the other person doesn’t have the personality to ever do such a thing. Is that what you’re saying?” she asked.
“Yah, you get it. It’s not vague. It’s just that I can’t see his core. The branches I can see, but the trunk, nope.” Rihaku instinctually saw through Tenyuu’s true nature. “Lass’ actions look wild but there’s a logic behind it. It feels like either poison or medicine.”
“I beg you to change the order of the words to medicine or poison.” Maomao asked him to revise it. Anyway, she understood the reason behind Rihaku’s poor actions. “Tenyuu’s character has a bit of a fault, but I don’t think it’s that much of a concern.”
He pretty much did become a court physician, and if his identity hadn’t been verified, he wouldn’t be taken to the western capital even if it’s due to a shortage of hands.
“I know that though. Sorry. I’m a military official, so I just thought about it like I would in a battle.”
“Like you would in a battle?”
“Knowing if he’s someone I can always entrust my back to.”
“…”
She couldn’t say anything about Rihaku’s wild instinct.
Anyway, they decided to leave the conversation about Tenyuu aside for now.
“Anyway, did the investigation about the hitouban come from the Prince of the Moon?” she asked.
“Yes, yes, that Jinshi-sama person.”
Rihaku dropped the name that noticeably can no longer be heard from unrelated people in recent times.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you mentioned that first last night?”
“My bad, my bad. The investigation about the head came out after that yesterday. We’re talking about lass after all; once you’re interested in something, you’d try to get into action, forgetting about sleeping or eating, right? I was told to not force you.”
Oddly, Jinshi had taken her needs into consideration. Even though his unreasonable requests were the same as usual.
(And this time, it’s about a flying head, huh.)
Apparently, his bringing a ghost story-like subject was still the same.
“It’s mysterious,” he said.
“What is? A flying head is already mysterious on its own, though,” she said.
“It’s about that, you know. When I first heard the story, the mask was floating, but recent stories have more about a flying head.”
“…my oh my.”
“Is that an interesting story, I wonder?”
Hearing a voice from behind her, Maomao turned about in surprise.
It was Tenyuu. He was grinning.
Was Rihaku’s lack of change in his expression because he had assumed that this would happen?
“It’s rude to eavesdrop, you know?” Rihaku said.
“No, no. I was just concerned about why you two would always be chatting by yourselves. I mean, she’s an unmarried maiden,” Tenyuu replied.
““Ah, there’s nothing between us.”” Maomao and Rihaku denied in unison.
“Thought so. I didn’t think so either.” Tenyuu entered Rihaku’s room without reserve.
“What about Court Physician-sama?” Maomao asked.
“He’s preparing for the after-meal tea. He told me to call you over,” Tenyuu said.
How quack doctor-like. He was probably waiting for patients to come while chatting over tea.
“So. The story about the flying head. It sounds interesting. Well then, can you let me in on it?” Tenyuu asked.
“No way,” Maomao said.
“Why?” Tenyuu’s face fell.
“You seem loose-lipped.”
“I’m not.”
“You seem like you’ll get bored with it and then drop it.”
“That might happen.”
Rihaku was leaving it to Maomao to deal with Tenyuu. It seems he really can’t deal with this type of person.
“I’m useful. I’m only useless if you think that I can’t be used or that I’m dangerous. Are you saying that you can’t use scissors skilfully too?” Tenyuu said.
“….”
Maomao looked at Rihaku. His face was telling her that he was leaving it all to her.
“Please don’t get in the way,” she said.
“Okay.”
There was a twinkle in Tenyuu’s eyes.
