"Ah! It's you!" Xiaolan recognized her and said with surprise.
The shrine maiden paused for a moment, then smiled brightly: "You must be the tourists from earlier? I am the shrine maiden of this shrine, Shimabukuro Kimie."
Her gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on the fish tank in Ai's arms, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
“This fish… is so special,” she said softly.
"Bu Yi?" Yingying tilted her head, looking at her curiously.
“It’s called ‘Empress’,” Ai said casually. “It’s a very special fish.”
"Empress...what a powerful name." Shimabukuro Kimie murmured the name, extending her finger and gently tapping it on the glass of the fish tank. "Hello, Empress."
The empress in the fish tank was lazily floating in the water when she heard someone praising her. She immediately turned around arrogantly and said, "Hmph, a mere human has some taste."
Kimie Shimabukuro misunderstood the Empress's reaction, a hint of pity in her eyes: "It must be so lonely... trapped in such a small fish tank..."
Empress: "???"
—What nonsense are you talking about? This Empress has her own personal servant (Yusuke Nanami) and attendants (Yingying) to serve her!
Strangely, the Empress did not turn away haughtily as usual, but remained in front of the glass, even gently wagging her tail, as if responding to Shimabukuro Kimie's words.
Yuzuru watched this scene thoughtfully.
"Miss Junhui really likes fish?" he asked softly.
Shimabukuro Kimie withdrew her finger, shifted her gaze from the Empress, and looked at the boy in front of her. The image of the god in her mind had become clear the moment she first saw him, and she smiled slightly: "Hmm... I always feel that it understands my feelings."
Her gaze swept across the eaves of the shrine, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible: "Like a bird trapped in a cage..."
Yuzuru stood aside, quietly watching this scene.
He knew very well that the seemingly optimistic and cheerful girl in front of him was actually a priestess who had been struggling alone for three years because of her mother's dying wish.
During those three years, she carried the immense pain of losing her mother and endured the heavy pressure of knowing the truth but being unable to speak it out.
The reason for this is simply because of an immortal legend.
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