Ranmaru blinked. “Aren’t I to be Kusanagi- sama’s new...pet?”
Pause.
Silence~
Roze snorted.
Kimamura- san let out a bark of laughter, and then he was laughing so hard he began hitting the top of the desk with one hand. “Pet! Hahaha! That’s a good one!” He wiped a tear from his eye and his expression turned serious. “No, my boy, I did not purchase you to be my granddaughter’s pet. I purchased you because my granddaughter...” He paused dramatically. “Is in danger.” His fingers were steepled before him and his expression was now grim. “Not too long ago, Kusanagi’s parents were killed by yakuza with very powerful connections. These yakuza are now after Kusanagi’s life. I have reason to believe they’re after her inheritance. Hell, a lot of people are after the inheritance she is going to receive on her 18th birthday - not just the yakuza but a whole bunch of our crazy relatives are always trying to have her assassinated or kidnapped for ransom. Anyways, I bought you to be my adorable granddaughter’s new bodyguard...her new Samurai Butler. You see, she’s such a sweet, delicate little thing that she can barely protect herself and so I am entrusting the Bitch 23
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safety and life of my granddaughter to you.”
Ranmaru blinked. This was not at all what he had expected.
Roze seemed to be trying not to laugh for some reason.
“There’s more.” Kimamura- san seemed to sense Ranmaru’s thoughts. “I have reason to believe the man who killed Kusanagi’s parents was a yokai. For this reason Kusanagi doesn’t trust yokai men very easily. It’s to be expected of course that she would be wary of them. And so she’s going to find it very difficult to trust you right away I’m afraid. Which will probably make your job of protecting her that much more difficult. Though you should understand that it’s not like she harbors any ill will against yokai since as you must have noticed several of her pets happen to be yokai. But regardless of that fact I’m a firm believer in fighting fire with fire. If the yakuza plan on sending powerful yokai after my granddaughter then I want a powerful yokai on my side to protect her from them. You are probably wondering why I paid such a hefty sum of money for you, my boy. It’s because I can see the potential in you and know your true worth. A worth that really can’t be measured in human money. And it would have caused an imbalance in the world had I paid a penny less what I paid for you.”
Ranmaru was stunned. This man claimed that Ranmaru was worth something.
Kimamura- san continued. “But one thing I can be sure of is that Kusanagi is against slavery and so you must keep the fact that you are a slave from her. I’m not sure how she would react to finding out that she is the Master of a Spell-Collar yokai slave. She’d have my head…” He muttered the last part more to himself than to Ranmaru with a shiver. He then seemed to remember that Ranmaru was still watching him intently and quickly composed himself. “So we must try and keep that a secret from her...though with those eyes and ears...it would have been impossible to try and hide the fact you’re a yokai. I fear it will be doubly hard for you to get Kusanagi to accept you. Especially after his death...”
24
Kimamura- san turned thoughtful.
“Whose death?” Ranmaru questioned curiously.
“Her past Samurai Butler. He was killed recently while protecting Kusanagi from some yakuza. Shot to death, poor bastard. I know Kusanagi blames herself. She’s since fired all the servants and those I hire for her end up quitting in just a few days. Kusanagi has a way of making the servants run away - though I’m not entirely sure what she does...” The old man thoughtfully stroked his beard. “It is highly probable that Kusanagi will try the same tactics with you. She’s most likely going to treat you horribly with the intention that you will quit. Though she won’t know that since you’re a Spell-Collared slave that you would be unable to even if you so chose. Your loyalties will lie with her no matter what she does to you. Are you beginning to understand why I chose you, Ranmaru?”
Ranmaru nodded.
“Please don’t misunderstand her though. She’s not a bad person. She just doesn’t want anyone else to get hurt because of her. Really, deep down she’s quite adorable. I hope that you will be able to see that too. But I don’t want to see my granddaughter get hurt and so this is my selfish desire. I’m sorry Ranmaru - Kusanagi is probably going to treat you horribly but I need you to protect my granddaughter and that’s why I’m doing this.”
“Do not worry. I understand.” Ranmaru assured him in his monotone voice.
“Good.” Kimamura- san nodded, looking pleased, “Now, when she arrives I just need to trick her into giving me a drop of her blood so that it lands on the contract...that will activate the Blood Pact. Remember it has to be kept a secret that you’re a Spell-Collared yokai slave so keep that collar of yours hidden...got it?”
Ranmaru bowed, obedient. “Yes, Master.”
Before the old man could say more the door to the study suddenly burst open and in came a flash of green and black. And just like that the whirlwind that was Kusanagi Kimamura whooshed into the room.
Ranmaru’s eyes widened at the sight of her. And for a moment he had a strange feeling of deja vu. Was there really something familiar about this unusual girl that was now before Bitch 25
Heiress X Samurai Butler
him? Naw. Ranmaru decided as he took a closer look at her realizing that he had never seen a girl who looked quite like this one before. Of that he could be certain.
The young heiress before him had flashing emerald green eyes and a wild mane of black hair that was sticking up in places. She had an overall ‘punk rocker’ look to her, or that of a juvenile delinquent since she had her ears, nose and one eyebrow pierced. Ranmaru really didn’t want to know what other parts of her body she may have decided to pierce since undoubtedly there were more. Why was it that the type of person, who got into piercings or tattoos, didn’t seem to know when to stop? Ranmaru mused to himself. She had at least three piercings in her ear alone. Ranmaru shook his head in disbelief.
Kusanagi must have been painting, Ranmaru realized, since her current outfit was covered in splotches of bright colored paint. She was wearing a black tank top, black cargo pants, and had oddly enough paired this off with a pair of hunter green, leather, combat boots and there was a matching dark green military hat on her head. It was one of those peaked caps or
‘flying saucer hats’ that had a crown, a band, and a peak. Is the girl in the Special-Defense Force or something…?
“Jiji...old man!” Kusanagi stalked up to her grandfather’s desk and angrily slammed both of her hands down on the desktop before glaring at him. “What’s this about you hiring a new Samurai Butler!”
Kimamura- san steepled his fingers together and smiled,
“Ah, so Roze told you. Meet Ranmaru-” He nodded in Ranmaru’s direction.
Kusanagi turned to face him and looked him up and down before turning away, quickly dismissing him - however she did a double take as she noticed Ranmaru’s pointed ears and startling golden eyes on her second look. “A yokai? You hired a yokai Samurai Butler!”
Kimamura- san appeared nonplused, “Yes, I did.”
Kusanagi’s fists clenched at her sides and red was rising
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into her pale cheeks. “I told you I didn’t want anymore servants!
Or bodyguards! I just want to be left alone. Stop trying to meddle into my life you perverted old man! Grrr~” Kusanagi growled and spat reminding Ranmaru for a moment of a hissing cat. “I just can’t believe this! You’re impossible!” She threw her hands up into the air and waved them about spastically. Ranmaru blinked at this girl before him:
Adorable little granddaughter? HER?
Ranmaru shook his head in disbelief.
Kusanagi turned her fierce glare on Ranmaru once last time. “This isn’t over old man. We’ll see just how long your Samura
i Butler lasts! Ha! I’ll be having the last laugh. Count on it!” Kusanagi turned on her heel and stormed out of the study slamming the door loudly behind her and with such force that a few of the paintings fell off the wall and clattered to the floor -
“So there she was.” Kimamura smiled tremulously. “Cute little thing isn’t she?”
“....”
Kimamura- san chuckled, “She’s just a bit...misunderstood.” Kimamura then shook his head and grinned.
“Well, at any rate I got her blood. That was almost too easy. Her spastic behavior is pretty easy to predict, her limbs are always flailing around. It worked out perfectly when she slammed her hands down on my desk like that. Now Ranmaru, your new Mistress is Kusanagi by Blood Pact so you now have no choice but to protect her. Now run along...I’m sure Kusanagi is going to want breakfast before she goes to school. Good luck.”
Ranmaru blinked, and gave the old man a confused look. Luck? Why would he need luck for doing something as simple as making breakfast? Ranmaru bowed before turning to leave the study. And breakfast? He hadn’t really expected that. Was he to cook for his new Mistress as well as protect her? Not that he minded. In fact, cooking was one of the few pastimes that Ranmaru found he actually enjoyed. It was soothing. Roze was already leading the way down the hall. “This way, follow me.” Ranmaru was swiftly led to the dining room. 28
Kusanagi was already there and had her feet up on the immaculate looking dining room table before her. Her foot was bobbing up and down in an impatient manner as if she had already been waiting for Ranmaru’s arrival for hours. She glared heatedly at Ranmaru, her emerald green eyes sparkling beautifully; err, sparkling in a completely normal and boring manner. A sly smile stretched across her face as she watched him closely already analyzing her new prey...
Uh oh. Gulp. Ranmaru had been on the receiving end of such a smile plenty of times before and it did not bode well for him at all.
Kusanagi took her feet off the table and gave Ranmaru a haughty stare, “So you’re going to be my new Samurai Butler hmm~? Well, let’s see if you can handle something as simple as breakfast. Now I want...let’s see...” Kusanagi tapped her chin as if she were thinking it over and then the list began. “French toast, scrambled eggs, fresh squeezed orange juice, a glass of strawberry milk, sliced fresh fruit, coffee, half milk, half coffee, three spoonfuls of sugar...”
Ranmaru blinked. That...was it?
His relief must have shown on his face because Kusanagi frowned but then smiled evilly. “Oh and just so you know. We’re all out of eggs so you’ll have to get them from the ostrich that lays them in my menagerie. Also while you’re there you might as well get the oranges for my fresh squeezed orange juice from the orange tree that’s inside of the menagerie. Got it?”
Ranmaru bowed, a stoic, emotionless expression on his face, “As you wish, Oujo-sama. Milady.”
Roze watched Ranmaru go with a worried expression on her face and turned to Kusanagi. “Kusanagi was that really necessary? You know that yokai ostrich is evil and pecks anyone to death that gets near it or its eggs...and the yokai python that has a habit of sleeping in that orange tree will not be pleased if he’s disturbed...”
“If he can’t handle this...” Kusanagi crossed her arms over her chest, and pouted looking away from Roze, “Then how can he expect to be able to protect me, hmph!” Teehee~ That poor bastard won’t last five seconds with that ostrich. And even if he manages to make it past her...the python will send him running Bitch 29
Heiress X Samurai Butler
for the hills! Ha! Buwhahaha!
He’s quite handsome though isn’t he? Seems like such a waste if something happens to him. A small, timid voice piped up in Kusanagi’s head.
Handsome! Ha...well, maybe just a little but so what?
Who cares? Mamoru was also handsome...and look what good that did him in the end...
There’s something familiar about him though, don’t you think? The tiny voice in her mind persisted. Familiar? Naw.
You can’t lie to yourself...
Whatever. We have to get him to quit. I won’t go through that again. No one else needs to get hurt or die for my sake... When Kusanagi had first laid eyes on Ranmaru she had been very hard pressed to keep a straight face of disinterest. Her inner voice had immediately screamed- Damn he’s HOT!
Pesky inner voice indeed.
Kusanagi had quickly silenced this annoying inner voice of hers though once she had noticed his eyes. His eyes were familiar sure, she remembered seeing those eyes before. On a dead person. Their golden depths may have been considered beautiful but to Kusanagi she could see that they had become dull, lifeless, cold. Then her eyes had honed in on his pointed ears and she realized with a start that he was a yokai. That was sure adding icing to the cake. Not only that, he had this creepy, annoying stoic attitude, along with this fake smile plastered to his face. Oh, that had really irritated her.
He too was wearing a mask but this mask she was going to have fun breaking to pieces. Just what was the guy hiding anyways? Well, whatever it was Kusanagi was going to find out. And this wasn’t because she hated yokai or anything. Not even after what HE had done to her parents. No, Kusanagi was a firm believer that there were both good and bad of every group of people – yokai and humans. To see what lay behind Ranmaru’s stoic mask – this was a purely selfish desire based on her curious 30
nature. Maybe getting rid of this new Samurai Butler of hers could turn out to be…fun. She smirked to herself already formulating plans…
The last thing on her mind was giving her new Samurai Butler a chance. He was a yokai and getting close to him would only be problematic. Especially since she had already sworn to herself to get vengeance for her parents by bringing down all her hatred and wrath upon HIM.
Yep, Kusanagi wasn’t the only one wearing a mask. But she had donned hers intentionally whereas the mask her new butler wore…Kusanagi wasn’t sure if it was on purpose to deceive her or if it had become a part of his normal persona. After the death of her parents and her old Samurai Butler Kusanagi had decided to just stop caring. It was safer that way. She wouldn’t get close to anyone or care about anyone and they in turn wouldn’t give a shit about her. That way no one would get hurt for her sake again. She had to push people away. But how?
That’s when she came up with a great idea. To become a total bitch. And so ever since she’d been wearing this Bitch Mask to push people away, and keep them away for their own good. There was something else though about Ranmaru’s cool facade that had instantly irritated Kusanagi - something that made her want to punch his face and see if his mask would break and reveal what really lay underneath...
Kusanagi tapped her chin thoughtfully. She couldn’t quite figure out what it was that bothered her so much and gave her this feeling of wrongness when she saw him. But there was just something ‘off’ about the way Ranmaru looked. As if she knew what he was really supposed to look like and so this fake mask he was wearing filled her with disquiet. Kusanagi shrugged. Whatever. She was probably giving all of this way too much thought anyways. She smiled; he probably wouldn’t even survive past breakfast.
About twenty seconds later...
An unexpected knock came at the dinning room door. Roze went to the door and opened it - and in strode Ranmaru with a breakfast cart! He also appeared to be completely unscathed and his butler uniform was still immaculate. And the food smelled absolutely delicious...
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Heiress X Samurai Butler
Kusanagi’s stomach growled in spite of herself. “Uso...no way...no frickin way...how?” How the hell did that guy survive the ostrich and the man-eating python! Just who the hell is this guy?
Ranmaru set a covered plate of food down before her-“Your breakfast, Oujo-sama.” He uncovered the plate to reveal a plate piled high with everything she had requested. He then began adding several plates of different things to the table before he stood back, this creepy smile - no wait, Kusanagi narrowed
her eyes at him - a fake smile on his face.
“Disgusting...” Kusanagi muttered angrily to herself. Ranmaru raised an eyebrow, to him the food looked extremely appetizing. In fact he was just dying to try some. He hadn’t eaten since...well whatever. “Oujo-sama?”
Kusanagi looked up at Ranmaru heatedly, “I said disgusting! That smile...it’s disgusting! I forbid you to smile like that in front of me - it’s frickin creepy! If you have nothing to smile about or if you don’t feel like smiling then just don’t smile!
Mou! ”
Ranmaru immediately wiped the smile off of his face and bowed. “As you wish, Oujo-sama. ” His expression now blank. Kusanagi’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance, just what was up with this guy? Now he looked like some kind of doll…Argh!
She didn’t know which was worse! The guy pretending to feel something or not feeling anything at all. Just how heartless, selfcentered, narcissistic, or conceited was this guy? Apparently to him she didn’t matter at all. Jerk. She looked down at her food...her stomach growled again...
Mmmm~! That looks absolutely delicious! Ranmaru must be a wonderful cook! You must try it! A voice inside her head insisted.
“Oh shut up...” Kusanagi muttered to herself as she reluctantly used to her fork to cut a piece of French toast and then plopped it into her mouth. Her eyes widened. It really was delicious. In fact, she had never tasted anything quite like this before. How could he have made a simple thing like French toast 32
taste so damned good! Dammit, the bastard just had to be a skilled chef didn’t he?
Mmmm~ Oishii des neh? Delicious isn’t it?
“Is the food to your liking, Oujo-sama?” Ranmaru questioned in a monotone voice.
Kusanagi frowned. No, she couldn’t let it end this way. Not with him winning! “Hmmm~ what I think? I’ll tell you what I think-” Kusanagi with a wave of her hand sent the plate of French toast and scrambled eggs flying to the floor where the plate shattered. “It’s disgusting - you’re disgusting!” She sneered. Ranmaru looked at the spilled food while Kusanagi watched his face curiously as some nameless emotion flickered swiftly over Ranmaru’s face. It was there and gone so fast though that Kusanagi wasn’t quite sure she had seen it. But the emotion she did think she saw didn’t make any sense – sadness? If anything she had expected him to be angry with her. What a weirdo. His expression had quickly returned to being blank once more.
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