Any other man might well have fallen to his knees before her, professed his love at once, yet not him. He felt shy, which was new to him as he had never lacked for confidence and never lacked any with regards to women (save Himari).
“Why do you stare? Stop that, you are being rude to Tsubaki-donō!” the woman’s handmaiden shouted shrilly at the pair of me…


