Hello, again! Thank you so much for your reviews. :D The following chapter focuses on Mafuyu's and Takaomi's relationship.

Chapter Four: The House Guest

The soft glow of the setting sun washed over the marketplace and cobblestone paths. Mafuyu frowned. This is the worst day of my life…so far. I have just found out that my first love is a horrible, cunning and heinous man. And to add to that, he's my tutor! It's like it's out of some stage play…thankfully Hayasaka arrived and I was able to get away, but I'll see him again tomorrow. And I turned out not going to ANY of my classes too. Oh well. But right now, I need to go buy some food. Sighing, Mafuyu went to buy some bread. She filled her cotton bag with sweet rolls but as she moved to pay, she bumped into someone behind her. 'Pardon me…Advisor Saeki?'

A man in red and gold robes stared at her, a carrot in his hand. 'Mafuyu.'

Can't I be rid of this man for one day?

'How unhealthy,' Takaomi pointed to her bag. 'All of those are sweet rolls? Be careful, or you won't be able to fit into your corset.'

Ack, he said something reasonable!

He tossed his carrot in, then picked up more vegetables from a nearby cart and stuffed them in the bag too. 'Eat your vegetables.'

'Hey, you can't do that!' Mafuyu complained. 'I don't cook, so buying vegetables is pointless…' she trailed off when he went to the merchant and tossed a few coins at him. Seeing her shocked expression, he shrugged.

'My treat, as an apology for the other day.'

'Thanks…' Mafuyu said, suspicious. Was he a nice guy or did he have an ulterior motive?

'It's unsafe for a lady to walk home alone at this hour, so let me escort you,' he smiled. Mafuyu was thoroughly confused and remained so for the entire journey. When they reached her door, she felt bad to not invite him in.

'Um…do you want some herbal tea…? My mother sent some…'

'Don't mind if I do,' Takaomi stepped inside. 'And while we're at it, I'll also be staying for the night.'

'Eh…? But why?' Mafuyu asked. I knew he was planning something!

'Well, I left my house key at the Palace, and the guards won't let me back in.'

'Why won't they let you in? You're an Advisor!'

Takaomi rolled his eyes. 'Because, well…the Chief of Guard and I have a…rocky relationship.'

'You blackmailed him too?' Mafuyu snorted.

He stared at her. 'Are you crazy? Blackmail the Chief? No, I just pinned the blame on him for a few of my mistakes. Anyway, fortunately I met you.'

A few mistakes? And I'm so stupid! I knew he had an ulterior motive…

'Besides,' his gaze turned icy, 'our conversation was disturbed. And then you ran away!' He grabbed her head. 'How dare you run away from me?'

Mafuyu flinched. 'It's not like any of my memories have returned!'

'Really?' he let go. 'Oh…well, when you were small, you used to say "I'm going to be Takaomi's bride when I grow up!"'

'Seriously?' Mafuyu spluttered.

'Nah, I'm just pulling your leg,' he grinned. 'But I didn't expect that you would cease to remember any following events.' He got up and opened her wardrobe. 'I'll need to borrow some clothes. I can't stay in these robes all night.'

Mafuyu swallowed. 'Hey, Advisor Saeki! Stop…!'

He leaned down, his face an inch from hers. 'Takaomi.'

'T…Takaomi!' Mafuyu repeated.

'Good girl. It's strange to hear you call me Advisor Saeki.'

Mafuyu held up her hands. 'T…Takaomi, all of my clothes are dresses…'

He held up a large undershirt, normally worn by squires. It was something her friends had given her as a parting gift, to remember them. 'Well…I guess you could use that…'

Mafuyu averted her eyes as he took his robes off. What if her neighbours were to see a young man removing his clothes in her house? She would be so embarrassed. 'Oh, a letter!' she heard him exclaim.

'Hey!' she turned to him as he read her private letter.

'Dame Mafuyu Kurosaki, huh? Knight in shining armour…?' he chuckled. 'So you actually became a knight, a proper one? Were you seriously knighted? How?'

'There was this tournament and…wait, why am I telling you? It doesn't matter!' she scowled.

'What…' he held up a toy mouse. 'Mafuyu, you collect the weirdest of things.' Grumble… Takaomi clicked his tongue. 'I'm hungry,' he sauntered over to the kitchen, throwing the mouse away. 'Go make something for me to eat.'

'Just stop doing whatever you feel like!' she fumed. 'And I don't cook! I can't even make vegetable stew!'

'I guess I'll cook, then,' Takaomi sighed.

Her eyes shone. 'You can cook?'

'What do you take me for?' he grinned haughtily. 'Of course I can't cook.'

'Go home!' she yelled, her dreams crushed. 'You useless man!'

'I can do it as long as I have a pot!' he rubbed his hands together. 'When boiled, anything can be eaten!'

'As if!'

'Food is all about love,' he said. 'If you love me, you'll eat anything I make!'

'Shouldn't it be the other way around? No, I mean, there isn't any love here! Hey, get out of my kitchen,' she winced as she heard pots and pans clashing.

'Where's the knife?'

Mafuyu bit her lip. 'Wait! At least let me do the cutting.'

He looked at her expectantly. 'Then chop up the vegetables.' She began cutting the carrot. It was surprisingly hard and Takaomi kept on looking her, unsettling her. 'Come on, you can do it. You know, Mafuyu, working together like this reminds me of the enjoyable past, when I used to train you to be a better person.'

She glowered at him. 'A better person? Yeah, right! I was more like your squire, by the sound of it. I bet you all my fighting skills come from observing your silly duels. In fact…' Mafuyu's eyes widened. 'It was all your fault that I was avoided in my school! Your squires used to bow to me and call themselves under my service, so everyone was scared of me! Stupid jokers.'

'They weren't joking. You were really stronger than them, even as a toddler, so they looked up to you. You were scary too, because no matter how many times I hit you, you always came running back to me,' he shivered. 'Such boundless strength… It was a surprise when we met again.'

'Hey,' she said. 'When did you realise I was the same girl?'

He looked into the distance. 'My suspicions began when you took away my pipe. You said something I had told you a long time ago. I went to class one day after skipping many of my sessions, and the tutor was explaining what some doctors had found out through medical autopsy about tobacco and how smoking would make your lungs go black.'

'I see.'

'And of course your name, no way could I forget that name. And you look the same too,' he tutted.

'What's with that disappointed tone?' she growled. 'In fact, you're just amazed at how beautiful I have become.'

'Ladies shouldn't lie,' he smirked. She frowned, picking up the knife again.

He's so irritating…she brought it down. 'Ah!' Mafuyu squeezed her hand.

'What did you do now?' he walked over, seeing her finger dripping with blood. 'My, I didn't know you were this clumsy! Just stay out of the way and wash your wound quickly,' he ushered her away.

Is he worried about me? Mafuyu wondered, wrapping her finger in a strip of cloth. The cut isn't that deep. But, I guess it's nice to have someone… she stopped.

Crash, Bang, ROAR!

'What in the world are you doing?' she ran to the kitchen. Takaomi grinned thrusting a plate under her nose. It was a horrid mixture of spices and vegetables and meat and… Mafuyu didn't even know what else.

'Hold it,' Takaomi grabbed her collar as she tried to run away. 'After all the trouble I went through, eat it.'

'I'll pass, sir,' Mafuyu shook her head but he grabbed her chin and stuffed in a spoonful. Mafuyu swallowed and collapsed, gagging. 'Attempted murder!' she hissed as the disgustingly bitter mush slid down her throat.

'It can't be that bad,' Takaomi frowned, eating a bite. He was silent. He put the plate down. 'You know what, I just ate. I think I'll just have some spiced meat.'

Liar!

He picked up a large piece of ham. 'I'll eat this.'

'Look how big that is! If you just ate, how could you…?'

He rested his head in his hand. 'That was so bad, I bet the Devil himself could cook better,' he admitted. 'Do you want some simple spiced meat as well?'

'Yeah,' she said, looking at the dish of disgusting food. Food is all about love, she remembered him saying. 'Actually, I'll finish this.' When I think that he made this for me, I feel a little happy. Even though the taste is nasty…

'Doesn't it taste bad?' he asked, surprised. She nodded as she stuffed her mouth and he laughed. Mafuyu blushed, looking away. 'You're such a weird girl! Why don't I make a dessert as well?'

'Don't you dare!' she said, painfully swallowing the last mouthful.

'You actually finished it,' he said, smiling. 'Fine, I'll reward you.'

Mafuyu raised an eyebrow. 'A reward? Alright,' she smiled. 'I'll ask you one question and you have to answer truthfully.' At his nod, she asked, 'Why did you become an Advisor? I mean, it doesn't suit your personality. And I've seen how the students are scared to of you too. I can't see you advising anyone.'

'I'll kill you,' he scowled, then sighed. 'There's something I need to do, that I can only do as an Advisor to the King.'

'Oh…what is it?'

'It's personal,' he got up, walking over to the window. 'It's something anyone would call stupid and worthless, but…' he gazed out, a distant look in his eyes. 'It's something I must do before anything else.'

Mafuyu looked at the ground. 'What do you mean?' she asked just as she heard a rattling sound. 'Takaomi?' she gasped. He wasn't there anymore. She ran to the window and looked out. She couldn't see anyone down the street either. He had disappeared. 'Just like a shadow, huh?' she muttered. Does that mean he doesn't want to tell me more? But…behind that simple character lays someone mature, and who thinks a lot, huh? She walked back into the kitchen. Her mouth dropped. The floor was wet with spilled water, diced vegetables dotted the ground and there were kitchen utensils in places where they shouldn't ever be.

Mature? Yeah, right!

The next chapter will introduce another favourite character. Thank you for reading!