17 - Aihi
Aihi knelt before her mirror, raw exhaustion reflected back at her. Too many hours wasted juggling politics, lies, and the future of Seiryuu, with no notable progress on any front. Halfway through the month of the rat and still no news about the Amulet of Inochi, or Ei had returned some days ago with no response from Masanori.
She pulled the jade pins from her hair and wiped makeup from her face, menial tasks meant for her servants, but she had no patience left for chatter. These moments, instead, were to reclaim a bit of peace before settling into bed.
The fusuma to her dressing room slid open while Aihi was letting down her hair. "Rika, I said I would have no—" Taniya's reflection appeared in the mirror.
Her curly hair was longer now, wavier, more like liquid chocolate than
