Novel Full Chapter 601 - 601 Two Thoughts Are Better Than One
This chapter is from Shizuka's perspective.
*Shizuka's thoughts*
"Minor's commentary"
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"Again, I'm sorry" said Shizuka bowing slightly before Kat. For truly I am sorry.
Kat shrugged, "It's not a big deal" was her answer.
Shizuka gained a rather pinched expression at this. She thought on the words coming out of Kat's mouth and wondered how it could possibly not be a lie. She knew of many people who would have Enuko executed for less if they could, and Kat likely could, Shizuka had no doubts about that. While Kat herself might be unable to, Shizuka wondered about Kat's parents, friends, colleagues. The demon world was large and she was sure Kat could recruit someone to enact vengeance for what was done.
She also knew a pettier individual would have come after her instead. For all Grandma's talk to simply finding more ways to protect her, creating enemies was a horrible way to achieve that goal. It was hard to talk back though. Enuko had protected her many times. Some more directly than others. Now she was even using her influence to shield her from the beast kingdom.
Shizuka knew that was a bigger thing than it seemed. Enuko was STRONG. One of the strongest people on the continent. Not as strong as the entire Beast Kingdom of course, but if push came to shove Enuko could run forever if necessary. She could take out a large number of them. It would never be worth it to fight her. Enuko was a big stick to ward off the warry.
However, Shizuka was starting to wonder how much it was wearing on her grandma to be ready for something like that all the time. Seeing the plans for those runes left her with a bitter taste. The fact Kat didn't even seem to care she nearly died was worse. The fact she merely considered it rude. Shizuka didn't know what to do with that information honestly.
Then there was the fact that Minor could control her body if push truly came to shove. Minor knew she knew. Of course, Minor knew. Shizuka was more than aware that Minor could see her thoughts, especially if she didn't try to hide them or they were happening in real time. Shizuka also knew she could have fought. She provided a token resistance at best when Minor had tried.
"I think Minor is more correct in her dealings with you" said Shizuka, seemingly out of nowhere to Kat's mind.
"More correct?" asked Kat confused.
Shizuka bit her tongue unsure how to proceed. It was clear that Kat wasn't used to wordplay. The question was if she should point it out now that she knew her message had been missed. Shizuka decided that in repentance for the disrespect shown to Kat, she would. "It is my way of saying that while I do not believe my course of action was wrong, I believe that Minor's course was truer, more correct"
"So… you think Enuko was in the right?" asked Kat.
*That's not what I'm saying at all Kat.*
"It kinda is sis"
Shizuka glared internally at her sister. *It isn't the same thing at all. Perhaps you will listen when I explain my answer to Kat.* "I do not believe she chose the correct course of action, but at the same time I don't believe it truly matters how correct it was." Kat frowned at this, but Shizuka continued, "Enuko is our guardian Kat. She is the one providing us shelter. Even if I am to be the next Queen, Enuko was Queen once as well, and she has seniority, power, and current authority over me. Unlike Mother, Grandmother has not given us leave to question her so thoroughly.
"S-" "MINOR" "Minor believes that what Enuko did to you was wrong, and therefore you should be defended and Enuko should be corrected. I believe that Grandma is trying to keep us safe and regardless of our thoughts we should defer to her wisdom"
Kat gave a wan smile and said, "I hope you'll forgive me if I do not defer to the wisdom of someone who desired to see if she could kill me with a runic trap"
"She has a good point sis. She has no reason to care about Enuko at all after that one."
Shizuka couldn't stop the cringe. *Why can't she be more upset with us? I could deal with the yelling, or at least the false blustering of how much offense she has treated an honoured guest with. Kat just shrugged the damned thing off. Why can't she curse us, or try to poison us to get back at Grandma or something.*
"Because unlike Enuko, Kat is a good person"
Shizuka didn't really want to acknowledge Minor's response, but as they both shared real estate in the same brain it was much harder to ignore and basically impossible to pretend. Minor knew she'd gotten to Shizuka with that one. *Well what about how much effort she's going to help us? Grandma has always been kind to us.*
"Enuko ensured that one of us would give the life for the other. It was only your love for me that saved us both"
Shizuka felt bile rising in her throat. "I'm sorry sister that was too far"
*Yes Minor. Yes it was. I thought you didn't mind your current state?*
"I don't mind it Shizuka. I'm happy as I am. If given the choice knowing what the future held for us both, I would likely agree with Enuko that this is the correct course. That doesn't mean I like the way she made the choice. She hardly thought about it. As hard as it was she was happy to sacrifice one for the other. Granted it was the one who had no hope of life, but a life is a life sister.
"You can see it happening here. Enuko decided that the risk to Kat's life was irrelevant for she does not care about it. She cares about herself and her extended family. I hesitantly include her adventuring friends in that but sometimes I do wonder. Enuko is not a good person. I do not wish to be like her, and I do not wish you to be either sister.
"She may have once been a good Queen, but she is not Queen anymore. Now Enuko is a paranoid hermit that cannot find it in herself to care for those she doesn't like. The only reason she didn't turn the room into even more of a deathtrap was the risk of upsetting me, and upsetting you through me. I truly wonder if Enuko is psychotic.
"I do not truly think that. I know that she cared for her people… but for anyone she doesn't consider 'hers'… they are hardly worth anything to her. Granted they are treated better then Kat, but somehow Kat really pushes all her buttons. How Mother got into demon summoning I'll never know."
Shizuka couldn't force the bitter taste in her mouth to dissipate. Nothing Minor had said was in error, and she knew this. It was impossible to deceive each other when speaking so candidly within their minds. Hiding things was slightly possible, but when they opened more direct communications like this they pushed ideas as much as they did words.
*Grandma just wants us to be safe.* Replied Shizuka but the words lacked depth and honesty. There was no real attempt at persuasion. The thing was though, Minor did believe those words, to an even greater degree then Shizuka.
"Yes. She does. Shizuka that's all she wants. Now that you've said it actually, it makes me wonder. Did something shatter within her that night I 'died'? Is that why she is so paranoid? I had not considered it truly but she went from grieving for me for ten years, to finding my existence confirmed to you nearly dying with me rejecting a body sprinkled in. That can't have helped. It's no excuse but it can't have helped."
*Indeed. It cannot.*
It was at that moment when the pair heard Kat sit down that they realised they'd been speaking internally for a while. "Oh… um sorry. I was just talking to Minor" said Shizuka, "I didn't really mean to ignore you"
Shizuka saw Kat smile, and she couldn't decide if it was comfortable or not. She felt like there was just a little too much teeth in it, and the blinding white of them was harsh to look at. "It's fine, watching how your face changes so much when you do was amusing. When I started to really pay attention I found a bit of a pattern"
"Oh?""Oh?" asked Shizuka with Minor mirroring the question in her thoughts.
"See right there. Your face changes ever so slightly when Minor is thinking. It's a minor, er, sorry a small thing and clearly not intentional but I think you have different resting faces. Even when Shizuka is in control if Minor is thinking loudly enough it switches a bit"
*We'll need to work on that before we return to court.*
"Yes.. Yes we will."