(This isn't part of the main story. Thank you all for your concern. I'm currently hospitalized with atrial fibrillation and need to stay under observation, so I may not be able to update for a while. I'll post some older drafts for you to read as side stories. Thank you for all your support over the years. This book... I will finish it...)
Princess Kaguya held Yuya in her arms.
She followed the older woman through turn after turn,
heading farther and farther off the beaten path.
Princess Kaguya couldn't help frowning.
"Almost there. It's just up ahead."
But the older woman seemed good at reading people and spoke up now and then to reassure her.
"Well, well, ma'am. Got some fresh merchandise?"
Someone eyed Princess Kaguya with a strange expression and sneered at the older woman.
Some young punks even whistled at Princess Kaguya.
Although Princess Kaguya didn't understand what that meant,
her instincts told her it wasn't polite.
Her expression immediately turned cold, and her brows knitted tighter.
"Shoo, shoo! Go play somewhere else. She's a new guest I invited today."
Noticing the change in Princess Kaguya's mood, the older woman snapped back at them.
The thugs around them burst out laughing.
The atmosphere was utterly strange.
Having only just arrived on this planet, Princess Kaguya didn't know how to handle this situation.
She seemed to understand, but not entirely.
After all, these people hadn't actually done anything to hurt her yet.
The concept of preparing to commit a crime didn't exist in her understanding.
Nor did she realize they were provoking her.
If Yuya woke up now and saw Princess Kaguya being bullied like this,
there was no telling what trouble he might cause.
But Yuya's condition was truly terrible. His depleted energy remained unreplenished, causing him