The final stretch of the walk to the Estate was a quiet affair, with mostly Kujo Sara and Aether doing the talking. They mostly made small talk and caught up with one another, while both Ayaka and Paimon mostly took the backseat, for the lack of a better term. With that being said, that did not stop Ayaka's mind or heart as she thought about her next move.

A master of mind games and etiquette, she could tell when and where not to push a topic and her luck. The situation back in the forest was a textbook example of one of those times. Pushing Aether to talk would not be a good idea, as it would simply go nowhere. However, the way Aether simply dismissed her concerns back in the forest and brushed over what had just happened didn't sit well with her. Combined with the fact that Aether was more than happy to engage and talk with Kujo Sara instead of her, she could tell that something was affecting her relationship with Aether.

What that was, she wasn't sure. When Aether dispersed the Cryo Fog, it was clear to everyone there, including to Ayaka, that something had affected him. He just simply stared into the dispersing Cryo particles, as if fully entranced by them, or by something .

Perhaps he saw a vision? Or something else? That wouldn't be unheard of. Unless the spirits of the forest really were just messing with us….

Almost as soon as they had started walking, the group quickly found themselves arriving at Kamisato Estate. After greeting the guards outside and receiving a group welcome greeting from all of the staff in the main courtyard, Ayaka opted for and invited the trio to join her in resting over some tea before continuing on to the Grand Narukami Shrine. Plus, she had some light administration work she needed to take care of anyway.

While Aether and Paimon agreed to her proposal, Kujo Sara politely declined. Being apologetic and citing that she had other work she needed to attend to, Kujo Sara instead opted to have a quick chat with everyone before parting ways. Deciding to have their tea party outside under the outdoor canopy, Ayaka and Aether prepared the tea and some sweets while Kujo Sara personally called and inspected the guards at the Kamisato Estate. It wasn't long until Kujo Sara was done and was waving at Aether to join her for a private chat. Ayaka could only watch on as Aether gave her a small smile before walking over to Kujo Sara in the middle of the courtyard. They were just far enough from Ayaka to where she couldn't hear what they were talking about.

Still somewhat uncomfortable with Aether's relationship with Kujo Sara, she reminded herself of Paimon's words. At least from Paimon's point of view back in the city, Ayaka had nothing to worry about. Unsure if she could really trust Paimon's point of view, she was pleasantly surprised when she finally noticed that Aether had returned and was now standing in front of her.

"Umm Ayaka, Kujo Sara wants to have a quick word with you before she heads back." Aether ran his hand through his hair, awkwardly breaking the moment of silence that had come upon them. "Ahh, I see. Thank you, Aether."

As Ayaka approached Kujo Sara, she could easily see that something was bothering her. She wasn't like that just a few moments ago. Whatever she had spoken about with Aether must have been troubling.

Kujo Sara spoke first. "We don't get a lot of time to speak one on one, huh?" Noticing that she was trying to break the ice, Ayaka replied in kind. "Yes, we both are busy with our respective commissions after all. Ahh, Aether said you wanted to speak with me about something?"

"That is correct. Tell me this, You're thinking that Aether is hiding something from you, am I wrong on that?"

The directness of Kujo Sara caught Ayaka off guard. Perhaps Kujo Sara had a way with people in meetings too, as she did? Ayaka only nodded in response to her question. "Hmm, well then, I'll be the first to tell you that yes, he is indeed not disclosing key information to some people, including you. But I can assure you that he is doing so for the right reasons…"

Ayaka only stared in silence at Kujo Sara as she continued. "...To be clear, what is on Aether's mind does involve you to a great extent, and he is wise to keep it silent around you. Don't take his actions personally. With that being said, I would advise that you stay close to him for the foreseeable future, at least till I have resolved this matter. Does that make sense?"

Ayaka stood in silence as she digested Kujo Sara's words. After a few short minutes of silence, Ayaka spoke the first thing to come to her mind. "The Shogun herself told me the same thing."

Kujo Sara nodded as if she already knew that. "The Almighty Shogun speaks the truth, and you best follow it, Kamisato Ayaka."

Unsure if she should take that as a threat or not, Kujo Sara suddenly turned and began to walk away, waving her hand at the nearby group of guards to follow her. "I'll provide the two of you with an update as soon as I have anything to report." As she walked away, it was clear to Ayaka that she had just lost their mini-battle of words.

Unsure of what to make of that entire exchange, she returned back to the table to find that Aether and Paimon had finished setting up everything for their quick tea party. Aether, now giving her a full smile and doing a small flourish with his hands to show off his hard work, Ayaka smiled at his antics.

As the trio sat down and Ayaka began to pour out some tea for the three of them, she wondered to herself just what on Teyvat was going on with Aether and how it would affect her and the rest of Inazuma.

Another View

"….you are correct in your predictions, they have arrived at the so-called Estate, and they are parting ways with the General. Perhaps it's best if we eliminate her before we….."

"No, that General and the Shogun's army will play a key role when the time comes. I've told you this before. That trip through the forest has planted the right seeds. How are the other preparations?"

"As you requested, the ruins at the target location have been cleared. The room is now ready."

"Hmm, Continue your surveillance. When they finish at the Shrine, we must act."

After some small talk and tea, Aether and Paimon looked on from the other side of the table. Ayaka now had a small stack of paper in front of her and was surrounded by all sorts of people and staff from the Yrashio Commission. When Ayaka mentioned that she had some light administration work to handle, Aether didn't realize what her definition was.

There were a few moments of silence between Aether and Paimon before Paimon piped up. "Ayaka is really able to handle herself huh? In both paperwork and outside the office, she really is something, don't you think?" If you looked at Paimon more closely, you could see that she was trying to hide the smug look on her face. Paimon was probing for information.

Thankfully for Aether, he was too busy watching Ayaka go about her work, currently looking over a new trade proposal with a secretary. With a pretty big look of admiration on his face, he answered Paimon idly. "Yeah, she really is something. Makes me wonder if this is enough. If I can convince her…."

"Convince who? Ayaka? What do you mean Aether? Ayaka would probably say yes to whatever you're thinking. You two are pretty close now!"

Aether, realizing what he just said, shot up in a panic. Looking at Paimon, he waved her off. "It's nothing. You're right, I'm not convincing Ayaka of anything."

…. I still have to convince HER though….