"Sorry," Kagome said, giving his mother a guilty smile. "I didn't want to assume—"
"It is amusing that you tried not to, especially given your heritage," she replied. "Though I should not be surprised. I find humans to be so dull in their ability to solve puzzles. Your deductive reasoning has always been lacking."
She's baiting you. Don't give in.
"Well, anyone would be lacking in your presence," Kagome said, fingers gripping her cup.
"Naturally," Inukimi said, not missing a beat. "But it wouldn't kill you to try. Are you not here to entertain me?"
Kagome wanted to remind her that she'd basically forced her into servitude but could guess how well that would go and bit her tongue. "I'm not really the entertaining sort."
Inukimi pursed her lips. "What good are you then?"
She bristled, no longer able to hold back her ire, even with Ah-Un's snort of warning. "I am a miko. My purpose is to help and heal others. I'm sorry that forcing me into your company hasn't worked out for you."
Inukimi lowered her cup, the soft clink against the tray masking the venom in her aura. Sesshoumaru had warned her and had gone out of his way to keep them from meeting, likely for this reason, but Kagome wasn't about to sit by and let someone she didn't know insult her.
And by the pinched expression on the youkai's face, she was accustomed to people being polite in order to gain favour or simply throwing themselves at her feet. Kagome had no intention of doing either.