Seele Doesn't See It That Way 3

"Milady..."

As Seele stood in the courtyard, lost in thought, Kano suddenly appeared beside her and called out softly.

Kano was practically a different person from before. Previously, her face had always carried a trace of pride that seemed ingrained in her bones, but now she was like a house cat that wanted to get close to its owner yet hesitated.

"Ah... oh, Kano! What do you need?"

Kano's sudden voice startled the daydreaming Seele, making her instinctively cover her cheeks.

But after realizing it was Kano, she awkwardly lowered her hand. Then, after thinking for a moment, she hurriedly asked, "When did you show up?"

"I just got back. I saw you standing here as though you were thinking about something."

Kano watched Seele carefully as she answered.

"You just got back..."

Hearing that, Seele finally let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Kano had not seen her earlier. Otherwise... it would have been far too embarrassing.

"Did you need something?"

Now at ease, Seele looked curiously at Kano before her. Kano was completely different from when they had first met; calling her a different person would not have been an exaggeration.

Dark Seele's training really was effective...

But when Seele thought of the way her other self interacted with Kano, her cheeks flushed slightly again. That way of doing things... was simply too...

Did I really do that?

Dark Seele is also me... but I...

"I sensed Kojin's aura. He is somewhere near this city."

The snow-white cat ears atop Kano's head twitched as she spoke to Seele with a hint of hesitation.

"Kojin?"

Seele looked at her in confusion. When it came to the gods of this country, Seele only knew the more famous ones.

"Kojin is a fire god worshipped by Shugendo and the Nichiren Sect.