Chapter 19. Sudden visit

The next morning, Hatsuki woke up from her sleep feeling something cold dripping on her cheeks. Eh? Aren't wet mornin-? 

"Achoo!" She sneezed, waking herself from her slumber. The droplets of water streamed down from her cheek to her chin. It was an early morning, and an eagle had been waiting beside her, a freshly picked bouquet of lilies in its beak.

"...what is an eagle doing in my at such an early morning" She grumbled while gently wiping the droplets as well as her eyes to settle into the morning light.

The eagle placed the flowers on her lap, which were wet at the stem. Then after, the bird placed its left limb in front of Hatsuki. There was a little piece of paper wrapped around its limb, so she simply untied the paper and read the note.

Greetings,

It's Zhenren from heaven, and I would like to invite Miss Asano Hatsuki, the underworld's arbiter's fiancée, to my home. 

It was a short note, but more importantly, why was she addressed as the fiancée? Wasn't it just a one-time act?!

By the time Hatsuki had crumpled up the note, the bird was nowhere to be seen in her room, leaving Hatsuki sleepless and restless. Although she had heard of the name Zhenren quite a few times, she had never questioned him.

'Is he a god? Is he extremely important? How am I going to greet him?' All sorts of questions ran through her mind. So instead of thinking of all the ways things could go wrong, she abruptly stood up from her seat, and wearing a thin outer coat, Hatsuki walked outside.

The hallways were empty, and when she unlocked the main door, there was no one outside. It had just snowed, filling the garden with plenty of snow as well as cold. The flowers were decorated with white, and the peculiarity of the season was unpredictable. 

'Wasn't it so sunny yesterday?' She mumbled while stepping on the snow. With each step, the cold seeped into her body due to the frail cotton clothes she had worn underneath, and yet, the first snow was too beautiful to just be seen. She had to touch it. Feel it by herself. 

"Isn't it very early for you, Hatsuki?" It was the voice of the master. As always, he had his face covered with the paper while still perfectly being able to see things.

"Good morning, Master." She gave a bow and then continued, "Well, although it's early, I just couldn't resist the snow." She had a jolly remark. Hiding away her imperfect side. 

"Is it? Is that why you decided not to wear shoes on your other feet?" he remarked, which made Hatsuki look at her feet in embarrassment and confusion.

'Eh? She was wearing both her home shoes, though?' 

"Tsk, you're still so easy to fool." Yuki sneered while observing Hatsuki turn into a red cherry. After all, she would always get red the moment someone deeply corrected her.

"I… I'm not." She rolled her eyes and took a few steps away from him. The entire place had been covered with the snow, not leaving even a little corner behind. It was an endless blanket of snow.

Yuki too followed Hatsuki, his body just a few inches farther from her. They stood there in silence observing the plain snow until a crane suddenly flew away. Just like in the folk stories. 

"Master" Hatsuki turned towards her master who had been gazing at her all along. Although he was much less scary than before, there was a hint of allure and mystery to him. She couldn't pinpoint it. Was it the way he never showed his face? Or was it the difference in the master's personality and his voice?

"You should speak what you intend to say. I can't read your eyes, can I?" There it was! His allure.The gentleness and the soft outspokenness in his voice while still maintaining his grueling part of himself. 

"Well… It's just…why do you cover your face, master?" It was like an innocent little chick learning her world from a panther who masked himself as a harmless carnivore. 

"My face? Well, it's a promise to my savior that I shall not be swayed by what I see but by what I believe," Yuki replied while his hands were folded on his chest.

The little sprinkles of snowflakes fell upon Hatsuki's hair like a crown of the snow bestowed upon her, melting away in her warmth. 

"Is that the only reason then?" She cross-questioned since Hatsuki could feel that the master was only telling her a curated truth.

"Eh." He gave a simple nod. 

"Then can I see your face?" She had a bashful grin. Her eyebrows raised mildly. 

"If you want to be my wife, then surely" The master replied back the same way Hatsuki had started but the damage was fierce! Hatsuki's body froze after hearing the term wife. Wife??! She was too young for it! 

"Never mind then, master. I am satisfied with your lips revelation." Her forehead slightly creased and nose gentled fared in a sort of disgust. 

"Eh huh, aren't you backing away too soon?"

"Better late than never?" 

Hatsuki giggled, unable to contain the joy she felt tingling within her. Although the master didn't share the laughter, she knew that he shared the same sentiment as her.

"Let's head inside then. You wouldn't want to catch a fever." Yuki took off the outer layer of his hanfu and placed it on Hatsuki's shoulders. Although it almost dragged on the snow, the sudden act made him realize that she had been cold all along. 

"Thank you, master." She had a childish grin while walking beside the master. 

"By the way, Master…I got a letter this morning from Zhenren." Hatsuki was uncertain of who it was, but the name made Yuki sharply turn towards her.

"What was written?" The aura around him was far more settled compared to before, breaking away the mould of bliss. 

"He has invited us to his place today, and the eagle even brought some lilies," Hatsuki replied while internally frowning.

The master didn't utter a single word. The sudden visit invitation couldn't be a good thing. Nevertheless, he stayed in silence while walking, and after feeling a poking gaze from Hatsuki for some time, he finally turned towards her. 

"It seems that we shall be entering the heaven today as a couple." 

"EH??"