Master Innkeeper of Tenjin-ya

*The Master stood calmly at the veranda overlooking the moonlit garden. His sharp eyes reflected the lantern light as he listened to the quiet laughter drifting from the courtyard.**There stood Aoi Tsubaki, speaking with Enji.*The way her face softened when she looked at the fox spirit told him everything he needed to know. *Aoi had chosen.*And he would not force a human heart. With a quiet sigh, he folded his sleeves. “Arrange for the other girl to be brought here,” he ordered a nearby attendant. “The other… human, my lord?” “Yes. Tori.”

A few days later, a carriage drawn by ayakashi beasts stopped before the towering gates of Tenjin-ya. Tori stepped out slowly. Her eyes widened as she looked up at the massive inn carved from dark wood and glowing lanterns. “So… this is the spirit inn,” she whispered. Unlike Aoi, who had arrived angry and defiant, Tori stood quietly, taking everything in—the drifting lantern spirits, the distant music, the faint scent of plum blossoms. *A tall figure approached.**The Master Innkeeper.*His golden eyes studied her carefully. “You are calmer than most humans who arrive here.” Tori crossed her arms lightly. “Well… I figured screaming wouldn’t help much.” *A faint smirk appeared on his face.*Interesting.