68 Suki Vision

Waking up is always a chore, so first thing I do is roll over and try to bury myself deeper in my covers.

I hear a knocking on my door but I ignore it.

Sleepy time comes first.

"Suki-sama, your breakfast is ready." I hear a muffled voice say through my door and it's only then that I remember yesterday.

Everyone wither calls me Suki or Young miss or my Lady or something, only that guy calls me Suki-sama and I just know he was doing it to mess with me! First day as my bodyguard and he's already the worst!

But it would upset Daddy to reject a guard, and he must be good if Daddy would entrust my safety to his hands.

"Stop knocking already! I get it! I'm up! I'm up!"

Why is he still knocking?!?

Arrghh fine!

I get up and dress in my indoor clothes because they are the easiest to slip on quickly and after a quick look in one of my mirrors to make sure my hair isn't too much of a mess, I storm up to the door and swing it open with the glare of one thousand angry gods!

No! I am not pouting! I am glaring! Scary~.

"Good morning, Suki-sama. Your father is waiting for you in the dining room."

He doesn't smile but I just know he's amused. I can 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 it, so I don't deign him with anything more than a humph before I stalk to the dining room because I am actually a little hungry.

I'm not sure what to think of my new bodyguard just yet. He is as stern faced as all of the other Samurai Daddy has hired but he seems a lot more casual than any of them, less stiff. Also he has pink hair! Who even has pink hair!?

It's so strange, and he's a man too. I've seen a couple women with pink hair, but never a man and never quite 𝘴𝘰 pink, even his eyebrows are the same pink so it's not even hair dye. Weird guy.

I glance back to him and see that he's walking a step behind me looking for all the world that he is just taking a casual stroll, one hand resting inside his kimono and the other resting where his sword attaches itself to his belt, like the other Samurai do.

Shouldn't he be taking this more seriously? Unless he plans to defend me from falling ceiling tiles I don't see how staring upwards is helpful. In fact, he doesn't even notice me staring at him, aren't Samurai supposed to have super senses that tell them when they are being watched?

Whenever I've glanced at the other Samurai they always notice and look back at me, some faster than others but this guy, what was his name again? Oh yeah! Hana! He doesn't even seem to be aware that someone's looking at him. Even though I'm right here.

His situational awareness is awful.

"Careful Suki-sama, you have to open doors before you can walk through them."

What?

*Thud*

Owie!

I glare at my stupid bodyguard who still doesn't smile but just feels so amused as he speaks.

"Watch out."

"Humph."

I slide the door open and try to pretend that didn't just happen.

"You know you don't have to knock Suki, now come take a seat, you can't be going out on an empty stomach now can you?"

I studiously ignore the first half of that sentence before getting exited again by the rest. I had forgotten about that! I do so love going out and wondering around, but Daddy says it's unsafe, that he's made enemies and they might target me by association.

I'm just glad he was honest about all of this, rather than just telling me I wasn't aloud out but refusing to explain why, because that would just make me frustrated and I'd probably try to sneak out anyway and thus get captured by bad men.

But Daddy told me so I understand and everything is fine. What kind of shoddy parent would refuse to explain to their child why they aren't allowed to do something oddly specific, like going out, or reading out loud or something?

Anyway, I sit down and swiftly eat, being reminded of proper manners frequently by an amused Daddy, but I know he doesn't really mind since he understands my hurry. I'm just so exited! And I just can't hide it!

So I quickly eat my food and give Daddy a hug before rushing back to my room, not 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, you shouldn't run indoors after all, but I'm certainly moving faster than my usual walk. When I get back to my room Hana turns to lean with his back to the wall facing my room as I walk in to see my maids already there with an outdoor outfit for me to dress in.

Daddy must have made them get ready in advance because he knew how excited I am. Truly I have the best Daddy, he more than makes up for the hole where Mummy used to be. Now I'm sad. I miss her.

Enough of that! Happy thoughts! I'm going out and I am going to have fun and I refuse anything different!

With that in mind, one of my maids, Suzu and I walk back out of my room and make our way to the great outdoors. Hana falls in line behind us so that I am being flanked by the both of them.

Suzu has been my maid since I was a child, even though she is only a decade older than me, so she's basically my big sister in all but blood.

A short walk later and we are leaving the front gates behind, heading deeper into the village (city) to explore and have fun! Though my body guard still looks as relaxed as before, watching the clouds more than our surroundings.

He really doesn't seem very bodyguard-y, but whatever, that isn't as important as what am I going to do first! Thankfully Suzu speaks up, probably sensing my indecision with her magical big sister senses. You could learn a thing or two from Suzu, Hana.

"May I suggest the market district, Suki? There will be a variety of stalls, I'm sure you could find something interesting if you are lucky."

"Brilliant idea Suzu! Let's get going then!"

I start marching but Hana's voice sounds out lazily.

"You're heading towards the residential district, Suki-sama, the market is that way."

I pause and then start marching in the direction he is pointing and at no point do I blush. Suzu! Are you laughing at me?! I turn and she is! She is giggling her little head off! You traitor! How could you do this to me!

And why are you two standing so close together anyway! Time to use the magical technique of changing the conversation!

"I wonder what we will find? Do you think we'll find anything interesting Suzu? Maybe a magical ring that can make everything I point at explode! Everyone loves explosions! Or maybe we can find a better bodyguard for sale."

"Hey."

"Or, or, maybe we will find the scales of a dragon!"

"I don't think dragons are real Suki." Suzu says with a smile, being the responsible person she is, of course she doesn't believe in dragons. But she's never left the village (city) so what does she know?

Maybe my bodyguard will know?

"Hey, Hana, have you travelled a lot? Seen the world?"

Now he actually stops pondering the skies and actually looks forward to me.

"Well, I suppose, though I haven't seen nearly as much as I would have liked to."

"How much have you seen? Where have you been?"

[Hana POV]

"Well, I've been just about everywhere in Hi no Kuni"

Annoying patrols.

"I've been around in the land of hot springs"

Mostly killing people so I haven't even actually enjoyed their hot springs.

"I've been in Tsuchi no Kuni a few times."

Killing people again, mostly Shinobi though, rather than innocent civilians.

"I've been in Kawa, Ame, during the war, Kusa, Taki, Shimo, Yu and obviously Tetsu."

I haven't actually been in Tetsu, but I've killed someone in each of the other locations.

"Then, I've also been in Mizu no Kuni and Uzushio, before it was destroyed that it."

Technically true. That's about it though, so I go back to staring at the sky. I am paying attention, but I like the way she keeps staring at me like I'm awful at my job, it's funny, and will make the inevitable grand reveal of my skills even better.

[POV back to Suki]

Woah, he's really been all over the place. I wonder what it's like to travel so much? Wait, why wonder? I can just ask.

"What is it like? Travelling, I mean, have you seen a lot of cool things? Are dragons real?"

He's staring at the sky again but he brings his hand from the inside of his kimono to stroke his chin as he thinks.

"Well, it's pretty cool honestly, though carrying around luggage is a big pain, so everything on my back right now is everything that I own, but other than that, it's nice, you get to see a lot of interesting sights, like the snow in Shimo or the vast fields in Kusa. As for dragons, I'm pretty sure there are at least a couple out there somewhere but don't quote me on that. I've never seen one."

Wait he only owns what he's carrying right now? And he's ok with that? It does sound like an exciting lifestyle but I don't think I could do it full time, I have too many clothes and I would have to carry all my makeup and my brushes and my razor and, and, it's just too much.

I think I will just stay in my home thank you very much. The occasional adventure is fine but the life of a traveller is not for me.

"Oh! I see stalls! Come on let's go!" I grab Suzu's hand and run ahead not caring if Hana is keeping up because, So many stalls!! So much stuff!

The first few stalls are all selling food but I just ate so I'm not hungry, the next ones however are far more interesting and I stop in front of a stall selling trinkets, because if I'm going to find anything magical it must be in the random assorted trinkets section.

That's just how it works! My books wouldn't lie to me, yes they are called fantasy for a reason but someone must have gotten the idea from something right?

I browse the wares with the intense eye of a master artificer and, aha! Prize! I pick up the item of my attention to inspect it further as the stall owner tells me about it. It is a fang on a thread to be a necklace, but the fang is like no animals I've ever seen before! And it's black! I've never heard of animals with black teeth!

"Ahhh, a fine eye you've got there young lady, that right there is the fang of a Legendary Snake straight from the home of all snakes! It was acquired long ago by a snake summoner who traded a cave full of gold for a single fang!"

As I am enraptured by the story of this fang, the stall owners telling is interrupted by a snort behind me and turning around I see Hana standing there looking critically at the stall owner.

"Stop lying to the princess, that isn't a fang from any snake summons."

Princess!?

"And what makes you question my wares good sir?"

Hana rolls his eyes before speaking, somehow managing to sound bored and condescending at the same time, I would be impressed if he wasn't being condescending to me too, instead it's just annoying.

"For one, the snakes would have no use for a cave of gold, they are much more likely to ask for human sacrifices so they can at least have a snack, then there's the fact that teeth and fangs are bones and no one has black bones, unless they are severely ill. Lastly, there's the fact that that is obsidian, not bone."

I look to the stall owner and he's looking annoyed at Hana but isn't even bothering to deny anything.

I was really getting scammed?

You fraudster! Scammer! Trickster! I huff pointedly as I turn around and drag Suzu away. There has to be something interesting here that isn't a huge steaming pile of lies and deceit!

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A/N: He~llo! Dear readers!

If anyone gets my inkheart reference then good job you! Your reward is recognition and nothing more!

I should really stop doing 4k words a day, I wrote over 100k words in less than three weeks, granted my story isn't the best quality but it is my native language so at least it's not the worst, still, I never have any backlog and if ever do get a few chaps spare then i relax and enjoy some free time and loose them immediately because I'm posting 2 a day. But even when i say that i still post 2 a day. Do I just hate myself or something? Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter :)

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