I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Kinoshita Mai stretched out her hands and touched her smooth face to check the texture of her skin and hands.

After repeatedly confirming that what she had just seen was indeed a dream, Kinoshita Mai breathed a long sigh of relief, exhaling all the remaining air from her lungs.

"That's great...it was just a dream..."

As soon as this sentiment was uttered, Kinoshita Mai's expression froze for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, she raised her hands to cover her face, and then twisted her body violently in the blankets.

In no time, she had made a mess of the bedding, and the beautiful red quilt tightly wrapped around her delicate body, making her look like a caterpillar.

"Ugh...! What am I thinking...! Why would I have such a dream...! How shameless of me...!"

Kinoshita Mai wanted to roar, but she was also afraid of disturbing Kiryu, who should already be asleep, so she suppressed her voice and made strange noises.

I even dreamt that I married Aoto along with Sanako... and that I was a concubine, one rank lower than Sanako...

Without even asking, Kinoshita Mai knew perfectly well that it was what Aoto had said to her and Sanako that afternoon that caused her to have this strange dream.

Kinoshita Mai, having calmed down somewhat, stopped twirling. She carefully reviewed the contents of her dream... and the more she recalled it, the more her emotions, which had just calmed down, began to stir.

"Why is it that even in my dreams I have to be inferior to Chiba Sanako...!"

Kinoshita Mai muttered this in an annoyed tone while forcefully slapping her cheeks with both hands.

Even her dreams are so humble and cautious... Kinoshita Mai felt very annoyed by her own lack of self-control.

However, despite her frustration, Kinoshita Mai felt a mix of annoyance and delight.

Although the latter half of the dream was unbearable to recall, the first half was still worth savoring.

Kinoshita Maihiko's cheeks involuntarily flushed as she recalled the scenes before Sanako's "appearance".

"Ugh……"

Kinoshita Mai sighed, then pulled the blanket over her head, covering herself completely from head to toe.

A muffled sound drifted from inside the blanket—

"I'm probably the only one who would have such a shameful and bizarre dream..."

……

……

Edo, Okemachi, Kochiba Sword Hall —

……

"Miss Chiba! Look! I've learned how to sew red flowers onto clothes!"

Kinoshita Mai, as if seeking praise, handed a kimono to Sanako.

Sanako, kneeling in a corner of the hall, put down the wine-red men's haori she was sewing, took the garment from Kinoshita Mai, glanced at the red flower sewn on it, and nodded.

"Hmm, not bad. You've improved a lot. You're a promising student. It wasn't a waste of all the time and effort I spent teaching you how to embroider."

After saying that, Sanako, with a blank expression, gave Kinoshita Mai a look that was somewhat appreciative, while raising her right hand and repeatedly scratching Kinoshita Mai's chin in a manner similar to teasing a cat.

Hehehe~~

Kinoshita Mai seemed quite pleased with Sanako's teasing.

She chuckled a few times, then half-closed her eyes and raised her head forward so that Sanako could scratch her chin more easily.

*******

*******

Sanako and Kinoshita Mai's dreams vividly illustrate the different places they hold in each other's hearts. (Laughing leopard.jpg)

The author's mood has improved! So today, I managed to get back to my usual length! I'll try to write more tomorrow!

Please vote for this book, considering the author's hard work! (Leopard crying.jpg)

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets!

Chapter 270 Qingdeng, you went to see beautiful women again? Why don't you take a break? [6100]

"Sanako."

At that moment, a clear male voice rang out from behind Sanako.

"Ah, Tachibana-kun."

Sanako turned her head and glanced at Aoto, who was walking towards her.

"Why are you back? Haven't the sword-fighting academy recently had a lot of new apprentices? It should be very busy, right?"

As she spoke, Sanako put down the men's haori she was sewing, then pulled out a caracar from between her belt and clothes and handed it to Kinoshita Mai.

"Here, take it and go play over there. Don't bother us."

"Karakara" is a type of children's toy from the Edo period that resembles a rattle drum.

When Kinoshita Mai saw the caracara that Sanako handed her, her eyes lit up instantly.

She hurriedly took the children's toy with both hands, and then, like a happy little puppy, she skipped and hopped away with it in her arms.

"Jutaro..."

"Tachibana-kun, you're wrong again. It should be 'elder brother,' right?"

Sanako interrupted Aoto and gave him a mocking look.

“If your elder brother hears that you haven’t called him ‘elder brother’ again, he’ll get angry again.”

“Ah, right, right…” Qing Deng slapped his forehead helplessly, “Sigh, I’ve been calling him ‘Mr. Jutaro’ for so many years, I’m used to it, and I really can’t change it so easily…”

“The sword dojo has indeed received quite a few new students recently. But the new students who came to practice at the dojo today are all very intelligent. They can learn everything in no time. Even if only you, my brother, are there, you can manage. So you told me to come back alone because ‘Sanako is pregnant and you, as her husband, should spend more time with her.’”

Upon hearing this, a faint blush instantly rose on Sanako's pretty face.

"Tch... Brother, really..."

She raised her hands and gently stroked her slender, flat belly.

The moment her fingers touched her abdomen, Sanako's eyes softened.

"You're always worrying about such trivial things... Ah, are you thirsty, Tachibana-kun? I made a pot of Korean ginseng soup today, would you like to have a bowl first?"

"Ginseng soup? What day is it today? Why are you making such a luxurious soup?"

"There's no special occasion or reason; I just bought it to help you recover. You're now the instructor of our Chiba Sword Academy, and together with your elder brother, you bear the heavy responsibility of developing Chiba Sword Academy into the 'Number One Sword Academy in the World.' You can't afford to neglect your health."

"Zanako..."

Aoto called out Sanako's name tenderly, then opened his arms like a mother bird, pulled the beauty in front of him into his arms, and pressed her down on the tatami.

"Huh? Mr. Tachibana, wait a minute, it's still daytime, and that silly concubine is still here..."

As if in response to Sanako's plea, the sound of someone playing with a clattering instrument could be heard outside the room.

With a panicked expression, Sanako kicked her legs and instinctively tried to push Aoto away with her hands—but her little resistance was completely futile.

Instead of letting go of Sanako, Qing Deng hugged her even tighter.

The hands that were clasped behind Sanako's back split into two groups—the right hand moved to the front of Sanako, while the left hand moved down and pressed on Sanako's belt.

Knowing what was about to happen, Sanako blushed.

After hesitating for a moment, Sanako closed her eyes as if resigned to her fate, letting Aoto transform her back into her physical state of innocence.

Just as Qingdeng was about to tear off her blouse and waist roll—

"Sanako! Hey! Sanako! Sanako!"

Sanako suddenly heard her older brother Chiba Jutaro's voice.

"Brother, has my elder brother returned?"

Thinking that her brother had returned, Sanako quickly opened her eyes, raising her hand to push away Aoto who was lying on top of her, while looking around... but she couldn't see Chiba Jutaro at all.

"Sanako! Sanako! Are you asleep in the bathroom? If you hear my voice, answer me!"

Chiba Jutaro's voice was extremely distant, yet exceptionally clear.

bathroom?

The word struck Sanako's mind like a lightning bolt.

In an instant, Sanako's vision became strange—everything she saw, from Aoto to the ceiling above her head, the whole world began to blur.

This strange visual of "the world being distorted" only lasted for a moment.

A moment later, Sanako felt her body plummeting downwards—

……

Sanako suddenly woke up.

Surrounded by hot water, with thick steam filling her entire field of vision... everything before her eyes confused Sanako for a moment, but she quickly remembered the situation.

I am taking a bath in my bathroom at home.

I don't know if it was because the bath was too comfortable, or because I had experienced something that made me feel very tired, but I fell asleep without realizing it while taking a bath.

—Was everything I just dreaming?

"Sanako! Sanako! Can you hear me? If you don't answer, I'm going to force my way in!"

Chiba Jutaro's anxious shouts, accompanied by frantic knocking that seemed to want to smash the door open, reached Sanako's ears once again.

Because Sanako took too long to take a bath, Chiba Jutaro, worried that something might have happened to her, came to check on her—this is the truth behind why Sanako suddenly heard her older brother's voice in her dream.

Upon hearing that Chiba Jutaro was actually planning to force his way in, Sanako, startled, quickly said:

"Brother! I'm alright! Don't come in!"

As soon as Sanako finished speaking, Chiba Jutaro let out a long sigh of relief outside the bathroom.

"Oh, thank goodness, Sanako, you're alright... Honestly, if you're alright, you should have just let me know sooner. You scared me to death; I almost thought you'd gone dizzy in the bath."

"I'm sorry to have worried you."

"Zanako, I called you for ages, but you didn't respond at all. Are you sleeping in the bathtub?"