Participation

Heian-kyo, at the end of Tsuchimikado Avenue, within Seimei's courtyard.

The sky was clear and the sun bright. Seimei, with nothing to do, sat in his courtyard, gazing up at the birds soaring across the sky, a serene expression on his face. Although located on the outskirts of Heian-kyo, Seimei's tranquil courtyard felt isolated from the world, untouched by the turmoil brewing within the capital.

After losing his memory and temporarily stepping away from the Onmyoryo and its busy political affairs, Seimei's life had become as carefree as a wandering cloud and wild crane, leisurely like a hermit from another world.

“Seimei… has Young Lord Hiromasa not visited recently?” At that moment, Kagura, sitting under a tree, suddenly asked Seimei. She had a deep impression of the warrior noble who had helped them that day. Although the way he looked at her was slightly impolite in its intensity, Kagura surprisingly didn't dislike it.

Since then, the Minamoto clan's Young Lord, Minamoto no Hiromasa, frequently visited Seimei's courtyard. Though ostensibly there for Seimei, Kagura knew that his true interest lay with her. For the past two days, however, his figure had been conspicuously absent.

“Ah, Hiromasa…” Seimei mused for a moment before replying to Kagura's question, “Apparently, he had a slight disagreement with his family over a marriage proposal and has been temporarily confined.” Kagura tilted her head, a little confused.

“A marriage proposal?”

“It's about Princess Kaguya's public marriage selection, which is currently causing quite a stir in the capital. A whole host of noble youths have sent gifts and proposals to the Asakura family. Hiromasa's parents also seem to be insisting he propose to the Asakura family, but he himself doesn't agree.” Seimei said casually, fanning himself, as if the major event unfolding in Heian-kyo had nothing to do with him.

“Is that so… Then I hope Young Lord Hiromasa's parents can eventually understand his feelings,” Kagura murmured to herself. After she finished speaking, Seimei offered no reply, and the courtyard once again fell silent.

At that moment, with a creak, the wooden gate to Seimei's courtyard swung open, and a figure in white stepped inside. Seimei and Kagura looked at the sudden visitor, surprise dawning on both their faces.

“Lord Asakura…” Seimei exclaimed, surprised to see the sudden arrival of the Onmyoji girl. He hadn't expected one of the few Onmyoji colleagues he knew to pay a sudden visit.

“Heh heh, by the looks of you two, do I seem unwelcome?” Miketsu asked with a smile, looking at Seimei and Kagura.

“No, no, no, I didn't mean that at all. It's just quite unusual for Lord Asakura to visit so suddenly at this time,” Seimei quickly replied, forcing a smile.

“Normally, shouldn't Lord Asakura be busy with your daughter's marriage selection? I hear almost all eligible young lords in Heian-kyo have sent proposals. You must be quite occupied, so why the sudden thought to visit me here?”

“I am indeed busy with Kaguya's marriage selection… but my visit to you now is actually part of that very matter,” Miketsu continued. Seimei, however, looked quite puzzled by her words.

“Me?”

“Precisely. I am formally requesting that you also send a proposal. Even if you don't offer anything but the letter itself, that's fine,” Miketsu said slowly, patting Seimei's shoulder with a smile.

“What? A proposal?” Seimei listened to Miketsu's words, his mouth agape in disbelief, then he continued.

“But I have no intention of proposing. Princess Kaguya is your daughter; I'm clearly unsuitable, aren't I…?” Seimei's tone was a mix of exasperation and amusement. He had never imagined Miketsu would come knocking for such a reason.

“Don't worry so much about suitability for now, just send the proposal. Think of it as a general event; just come and participate, and use your name as the Great Onmyoji to lend prestige to the occasion,” Miketsu continued. Seimei, however, merely shook his head with a wry smile.

“A marriage proposal isn't something that can be treated as a general event, Lord Asakura. This is no laughing matter! What exactly are you thinking? Why would you suddenly ask me to participate in your daughter's marriage selection?” Seimei's tone was filled with utter bewilderment. Miketsu, however, patted his shoulder rather mysteriously and said.

“You’ll understand later. For now, just consider it a favor to me, a small participation. Don't worry, no matter the outcome, I won't make things difficult for you.”

“A favor, huh…” Listening to Miketsu's words, Seimei pondered for a moment, then finally let out a helpless sigh, a smile on his face, and said.

“Since Lord Asakura puts it that way, I can hardly refuse. I'll go prepare the proposal now. Though I don't know what you're planning, please remember, I am merely participating in this marriage selection.”

“Don't worry, I only need you to participate.”

As Miketsu spoke, she glanced at the pensive Kagura on the other side. Then, Miketsu subtly winked in the direction of the Onmyoryo, and Kagura, as if sensing something, revealed a knowing smile.

...

Heian-kyo, Upper Capital District, Fujiwara Residence.

In a quiet, elegant room, Mokou, dressed in a simple yukata without much adornment, sat on the floor. Before her, a handsome young man knelt respectfully.

“So… you've clearly memorized everything about Princess Kaguya's likes and dislikes, all her information, and what talents you need to display, correct…?” Mokou said, quite seriously, looking at the respectful youth before her.

“I have completely memorized it. Kanehira would not dare to be negligent in anything the Old Ancestor instructs…” The young man replied to Mokou with utmost respect.

“Memorized it… but what good is just memorizing it?! In the recent test, your demeanor and tone were completely off! Your affability, your affability isn't good enough, do you understand?!” Mokou's voice suddenly rose, her tone quite stern. Fujiwara no Kanehira immediately flinched.

“I-I'm very sorry, Old Ancestor, but Kanehira has tried his best to meet your demands… It's just…” It's just that your demands are a bit too high, I can't possibly meet them all… Fujiwara no Kanehira grumbled helplessly in his mind, but he dared not utter it before Mokou.

Seeing the young man's timid demeanor, Mokou, who had been about to scold him further, stopped. In the end, she simply let out a long sigh and said.

“Hmph… Never mind. Asking so much of you all at once was indeed a bit difficult. I've thought about it, and you don't need to participate in this matter concerning Little Kaguya. You may withdraw…”

“Yes…” Fujiwara no Kanehira was about to quietly excuse himself, but before doing so, he mustered his courage and asked, somewhat perplexed.

“Old Ancestor… by not letting me participate in the marriage proposal, are you giving up on Princess Kaguya?”

“How could that be? Little Kaguya absolutely must marry into the Fujiwara family; that goal will not change. It's simply that I have a better candidate than you.”

“A better candidate?” Kanehira grew even more puzzled, wondering which talented youth in the clan could have caught the Old Ancestor's eye. To his surprise, Mokou let out a soft chuckle, and her next words left him stunned on the spot.

“Heh, since you little rascals are so disappointing, I have no choice. For Little Kaguya's matter, I'll have to go myself!”