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Shimizu’s eyes immediately turned cold as she pulled apart the tent’s hanging screen door.
Then she saw Lily standing upright with a flushed face and Uesugi Rei kneeling behind her as she tried to help her put on the armor. Scattered around Lily’s white feet was the rope that had been cut into many pieces.
Rei continued to tighten the belt around Lily’s waist and caused her to let out a moan even after noticing Shimizu coming in.
Then she looked at Shimizu with a tranquil gaze, “Lady Shimizu, you came just at the right time. When I arrived just now, I saw Lily being tied up and hung in an extremely shameful manner. I thought she was assaulted by some evildoer and came in without permission to save Lil’ Lyn, I hope you don’t mind, do you?”
Shimizu had a really dark expression as she stood near the entrance, she parted her slightly pale lips and said, “Miss Uesugi, that evildoer you’re referring to, that’s me. I was the one who tied Lily up.”
“Oh? Hehehe, Lady Shimizu sure likes to joke around. Since she’s your sister, aren’t you supposed to pamper her instead? Why are you delivering such a harsh punishment?” Uesugi Rei’s eyebrows twitched a bit, but she still maintained her smile.
“Hmph, how I discipline my lil’ sis is up to me, it’s none of your business! I’m merely punishing her for being a fickle woman. If she casually goes and rides another woman’s horse, will Miss Uesugi be able to take it?” Shimizu asked back coldly.
Uesugi Rei’s eyes suddenly turned sharp as she held Lily closer to herself, “Lady Shimizu, are you misunderstanding something? Or did you perhaps overhear some unbelievable rumors?”
“What are you trying to point at?”
“Hmm, while I have no idea what Lady Shimizu had heard, but since you are training sisters, I might as well let you know, Lily was with me last night.”
“Say what?” Shimizu’s expression immediately darkened evermore.
While being embraced by Rei at the waist, Lily felt that the atmosphere was getting heavier by the second. However, she didn’t know what to say to break free from this situation.
“Hehehehe, don’t get it wrong, Lady Shimizu. Lily was indeed with me last night, and I, on the other hand, had expressed my feelings to her, isn’t that right, Lily?”
As though trying to replicate the scene from last night, Uesugi Rei deliberately pulled Lily closer to her. She pressed Lily’s waist to make her bent down slightly and drew her face closer like she was going to kiss her, but when she sensed Shimizu’s gloomy spirit power spreading out, she finally stopped with a laugh, “It’s just that, Lil’ Lyn
 she has rejected me.”
“Huh?” For a moment, Shimizu blanked out.
“If you find it unpleasant that I am too close to Lily, or that you don’t want me to harass Lily anymore, you can come at me instead. Don’t take it out on your kindhearted and innocent sister anymore. Of course, it’s up to me whether I agree with you or not.”
“Uesugi Rei! Do you always have to be so condescending?!” The oppressive spirit power that Shimizu had been suppressing burst out all at once, “The date of our duel is quickly approaching, but since we’ve already met, I don’t mind shifting it ahead of time.”
“What?!” Lily shouted in surprise, “Sister Shimizu, ple— oomph!”
Before she could finish her words, Uesugi Rei covered her mouth and lightly pushed Lily away. Then she walked up to Shimizu without any fighting intent and stopped right beside her, “Minamoto no Shimizu, you better
 treat your training sister with more care, just like how she is treating you with respect. Just now, when I put her down and asked her the reason, she told me that she voluntarily let you tie her up to train her escaping technique.”
“Is that true?” Shimizu was shocked to find that Lily hadn’t told Uesugi the real reason and looked at her in disbelief.
“Since you training sisters are working to better your secret arts, please continue as is, I won’t cause any more trouble here. I’m sorry for cutting your rope, I will be sure to repay you at a later date, see you again later,” Uesugi Rei waved her hand and left.
“Wait! You haven’t answered my question just now,” Shimizu chided, “Our duel, why not do it in advance? Or what, are you scared?”
Uesugi Rei’s slender figure stopped right in front of the entrance as she pushed the door curtain aside. She then continued to walk while shaking her buttocks and said with a sarcastic tone, “That’s right, I’m oh so scared~”
She walked out of the tent after that and dropped the door curtain.
As Lily watched Uesugi Rei’s back disappearing into the distance, a feeling of disappointment suddenly rose in her heart.
Just how did this happen, I only wanted to devote my body and heart to Sister Rinne, I have no intention of hurting Sister Uesugi or Sister Shimizu, nor do I want them to fight over me!
I’m sorry, Sister Uesugi. If I am just an ordinary girl from this era, I might have chased after you, pulled the hem of your shirt and begged you to take me along, to protect me, but sadly, I’m not

I am already devoted to Sister Rinne! My heart is like a block of eternal ice that couldn’t be thawed even by you.
Noticing that Lily’s gaze was still lingering on the flapping door curtain longingly, Shimizu’s mood sank even more.
From that gaze alone, Shimizu could tell that Uesugi Rei’s position in Lily’s heart was higher than hers, and not just by a little bit.
“Lily,” Shimizu’s dainty voice carried a hint of indifference.
“Sister Shimizu, I
”
“I won’t force you to answer if it’s difficult to say it, but this question alone, you must answer. It’s something you should be able to.”
Lily nodded silently as she peered at Shimizu.
“Lily, do you have someone you love? I won’t ask who that person is, just answer yes or no!”
“Yes.” As long as it was something she could answer, Lily wouldn’t hide it from Uesugi or Shimizu. There was no reason to hesitate at all.
“Then let me ask you again, that person
 the person you love, is it a man or a woman?”
“
It’s a woman,” Lily looked down in embarrassment.
Hearing that, Shimizu could almost be sure that the one Lily loved was Uesugi Rei. That was much better than hearing she was interested in men anyway, but in a certain sense, she would rather Lily tell her that she’s straight. At the very least, she wouldn’t have lost to Uesugi Rei that way.
“Fine, you may leave now.”
“Mhm,” Lily felt that it would get more awkward if she stayed any longer, thus she walked past Shimizu and made her way towards the outside.
“Lily,” As she reached the doorway, Shimizu called out to Lily so she turned around, but Shimizu just showed her back with her head tilted down. Rather, she could see Shimizu’s ears getting slightly red.
“I like you.”1
Shimizu fanned out her long hair as she said that.
“Ehhh?”
“

”
A few seconds had passed yet Lily remained silent, which could be counted as her answer.
“You may leave, I’m going to rest.”
“Sister Shimizu, take care
”
Lily dropped the door curtain and walked out of the tent with a complicated feeling.
The bright moon shone down on Lily as she trudged through the late-night camp alone.
“Sister Shimizu said she likes me
 Sister Uesugi asked me to become her woman
 why are the women in this Heian world so fond of me?”
“And yet I can’t respond to their feelings.”
As Lily continued to drag her feet back into her tent, she started to tear up.
“Sister Rinne, Lily is so lonely. When I reject those gentle hands who reached out to me, I feel all the more lonesome without you giving me your assurance by my side
”
Lily tried to suppress her tears and lifted her head to look at the full moon. She straightened her chest to pull herself together.
“I must go to Heian-kyo as soon as possible, regardless of how dark and dangerous that path is!”
“However, Lily has a great burden, I cannot throw away my life irresponsibly. Going beyond the realm of sword saint once looked like an impossible dream, but now, I am only two steps away!”