Chapter 2

Shiro’s POV

I was careless, I lost myself in the moment.

When his highness said that Grandmother gave me her blessing to go to Hell with him for the upcoming summit, I had assumed that Mother had also given her blessing, but I was wrong.

There is no way that Mother would allow me to do something or go somewhere that she does not have complete control over. For her to turn up here out of the blue can only mean that she means to confirm whether his highness is truly in love with me, so she can gauge how this will affect the Inn and the Clan.

As I made my way to the reception room I could sense my Mother’s presence, she wasn’t transformed but she was definitely releasing spiritual power, she would always do this when she visited a place she had never been before. It was her way of marking her territory. I entered the reception room and saw the two of them sitting opposite each other engaged in conversation.

“Ahhh, Shiro-chan, you had me so worried yknow. You always answer your phone when I call, you must have been in class right?”

“Eh? R-right, I was in class, so I could not answer. It’s been a long time Mother, I hope your health is…”

“Shirohime.”

“Y-yes Mother?”

“Sit down.”

“...Yes Mother.”

“Yahhhhh, I was just telling your mother how we met. How I saved you from a horde of rampaging Damiens and then fell hopelessly in love with you at first sight.”

“Eh...Ahhhh, yes, you were very heroic your highness. I was quite enamored with you following that event.”

“This tea is quite lovely Prince Seir, you must inform me of the source so I can procure some for the guests at our inn.”

“Oh, it’s not the tea itself, it’s how my cute Alice prepares it, speaking of whom. Alice! Bring a cup for Shiro-chan and please also bring in the Chiffon cake you baked earlier today.”

Soon after Alice brought in a tea trolley and served cake. My mother continued engaging in polite conversation with his highness and then Kuro walked in.

He was dressed in his vassal outfit, however he had the top button undone and half of his shirt was untucked under his waist coat. Despite lacking the level of formality normally expected from a vassal, the look surprisingly suited him.

“Yooooo Seir, how much longer do I have to wait in the back? I’m getting pretty bore…”

Just then the temperature of the room plummeted, my mother formed a number of pointed icicles without even making a move and fired them directly at Kuro.

“Whoa, easy there lady, you almost got me, Is this how you say hello up in the mountains of Niigata?”

“It appears that one has made it through your security reinforcement spells Prince, please allow me to get rid of it.”

“Ahhhhh, n-no need my Lady, allow me to introduce to you my Vassal, this is Kuro Fujioka, he is in my employ. I would appreciate it if you could overlook his rudeness and we continue where we left of.”

“So the rumours were true. He may look weak and harmless now Prince, but it would be wise to silence him prior to him losing control and forcing your hand.”

“What was that old lady!?”

“Now now, Alice could you take Kuro and…”

“I will not allow my daughter to associate with something as dangerous and subhuman as this. I appreciate that my daughter has caught your attention Prince Seir. However, on behalf of the Yuki Onna Clan of Niigata and half of the total yokai population of Japan. I formally reject your marriage invitation, come along Shirohime, we are leaving.”

Kuro’s POV

Shiro looked powerless, she never once raised her head. Her mum never once looked in my direction either, it was like she was pretending as If I wasn’t there. Something about her reminded me of that person.

Shiro’s mum looked like a more mature version of Shiro, she was wearing a pure white kimono tied with a royal blue sash, her hair was tied to the side and there was a sort of blue flower placed on it like an ornament. The only difference in her face from Shiro’s, was the small beauty spot under her right eye and the mature and distant look she had about her.

She looked at Shiro expectantly after formally refusing Seir’s marriage proposal. This didn’t bother me in the slightest but the fact that she used me as the reason rubbed me the wrong way, going by the look on Shiro’s face she wasn’t happy about having to leave with her mother and subsequently no longer be allowed to participate as a vassal in the upcoming summit.

Feeling a tad responsible for this outcome, I tucked in my shirt, fixed my collar and decided to see if I couldn’t rectify the situation.

“I apologise for my rudeness, it appears that I have offended both my Lord and his Lady guests. I ask that my rudeness be overlooked and will accept any punishment that I am subsequently given for my transgressions. I hope this will not sour the relationship that my lord has with your daughter lady Shirayuki *bow*”

“What are you waiting for Shirohime, let’s go.”

“...”

She ignored me. Shiro still hasn’t moved but her mother still refused to acknowledge my existence at all.

I guess I had let my guard down a bit, my kind aren’t usually treated with the most amount of kindness from Devils or Yokai. I’ve been pretty lucky to come across people like Seir and Shiro who surprisingly don’t hold the same prejudice as everyone else.

Despite this, I thought I’d at least give it one more try, looking at Shiro’s sorry state, I didn't mind facing the humiliation of potentially being rejected again.

“My Lady I…”

“Prince Seir, please be informed that if it continues to take my silence as acceptance of its existence and persists to attempt to engage me in conversation, then I will be left with no alternative than to retaliate with force and rid myself of it’s foul presence.”

“...”

The atmosphere in the whole room went dark, Shiro, Seir and even Alice were looking at me to see how I was going to respond. Seir was firing bloodlust at me as a way to tell me to not say or do anything.

I’m sorry, but she went too far there, I’m sorry Shiro, I don’t think I’m gonna make a good first impression on your mother with what I’m about to say.

Just when I was about to respond, Shiro stood up and looked at me with a teary face.

“You’re not taking her. I don’t care if you bring your Clan, your Inn, hell even if you bring half the population of yokai in all of Japan, you’re not taking Shiro.”

Seir looked a little taken aback and stopped firing bloodlust, he then smiled as if he expected this outcome from the very beginning.

“Well, what do you think Auntie?

“He passes, just barely though.”

“Huh?”