Special Services of a Traditional Priestess

Hakurei Shrine,

As night fell, warm candlelight lit up the shrine. A long dining table made from two half-tables was covered with exquisite dishes that did not suit the room's shabby decor.

Slurp! Slurp!

The steaming dishes gave off an enticing aroma. The apprentice priestess Miroku was hugging a bowl bigger than her own head and shoveling food into her mouth like crazy, her tiny cheeks puffed out round.

Gack!

Suddenly, because she was eating too fiercely, an insufficiently chewed pork rib lodged tightly in Miroku's tiny esophagus, choking her until her eyes rolled back.

Fortunately, Uchiha Chiri beside her noticed something was wrong. Seeing the little girl's flushed face, she handed her a cup of mild honey water with a hint of sympathy.

Gulp~ Gulp~

"Phew, thank you, Sister Zhili. I think I just saw Mother waving at me from the Sanzu River!"

Having narrowly escaped death, Miroku patted her little chest in lingering fear and thanked Uchiha Chiri with a face full of gratitude.

"Little Miroku, slow down. No one's going to steal your food."

"But it's really so delicious. We haven't had a meal with both fish and meat in such a long time."

Little Miroku pursed her lips, set the bowl in her hands back onto the table, and looked pitifully at Hakurei Reimu beside her.

"Isn't that right, Master?"

"Huh?"

Hakurei Reimu was clearly distracted. She had been mechanically shoveling food into her mouth, and after freezing for a moment at the question, she felt everyone else's strange looks and explained solemnly,

"Don't talk nonsense. We just had sweet and delicious frog soup last month."

"Hmph! You've got the nerve to say that, Master? Suwako was obviously so cute, but you ate it!"

It would have been fine if Reimu had not brought it up,