Silver Snake Singing the Sea ~25~ The Crab Incident

That silver night came to an end, and peaceful days returned to Yare's mansion... or so it should have been.
The liveliness of five people living under one roof remained the same. Furthermore, it seems Yare's peaceful days have vanished into the distance.

"Why on earth would you bring a bathtub into a closed room!?"

Seoritsuhime had stormed in on Yare, who was about to bathe, with an inexplicably intense fury.
In the middle of the small washroom sat a bathing tub carved out of a log, crowded with crabs holding clothes, combs, and other items. Yare hurriedly put back on the kimono he had been in the middle of taking off.

"Uh... um, well, I couldn't very well bathe in front of you, Princess... So, I thought this room would be fine since it has a door..."

"If you were alone, I wouldn't mind, but why is Umiwaka there?"

Umiwaka was sitting on a chair on the other side of the tub, letting the crabs fiddle with her wet hair.

"......Because we can't get in together......"

"That goes without saying."

Yare didn't understand why Seoritsuhime was questioning him so sternly, but he tried to explain things in order.

"I was giving Sana and Utu a bath..."

"I know that."

"W-well, then Umiwaka said she wanted to try getting in too, so..."

Indeed, the bathing tub had a rustic design that one would never see at the palace, so it was only natural that she would be interested.

"Why are you always like this... taking Umiwaka to places out of my sight... what are you plotting?"

"You're saying something incredibly misunderstood right now, but I'm just taking care of the two little ones and taking a bath myself while I'm at it."

"......But why, why do you take your c-clothes off in front of Umiwaka!"

The traditional way of bathing was not to be completely naked, but to wear a thin garment, yet it still meant exposing one's skin.
And it seemed her perspective had narrowed to a pinhole, as she saw it as a much bigger problem that a half-naked man was in the same room as Umiwaka than the fact that she herself was in front of a half-naked male god.

"Princess. Let's calm down first. ......You take your clothes off to take a bath."

"Mmm... mmm, muuu."

“Besides, look at me. I got soaked too because Isarame and your children splashed water on me.”

“…………Does that mean you were by the side of the Sea God while he was bathing…………?”

Yarei nodded. Seeing the princess fall silent, Yarei also thought this matter had been settled. It was just as he turned his back on the princess that it happened.
THUD!!!
Something hard was slammed against the back of his head, and he doubled over, clutching his head with both hands.
When he looked back, the princess was standing there holding a spider crab, looking like she was about to cry.

“……Cr-crab?”

“To think you would peek at my lord’s bathing…………!”

Throughout history, the only male god to be struck by a crab must be the Deep Abyss Water Yarehana God, and the only goddess to strike someone with a crab must be Seoritsu-hime. The crab used as a weapon began to foam at the mouth.
Yarei, and of course the Sea God, remained stunned, but the princess, having caught her breath, wore the expression of someone who had finished a job well done and left the scene.

The crabs gathered around the one foaming at the mouth, building a mountain of crabs.

“I think I’ll skip the bath for today.”

Yarei sighed and changed only his wet clothes,

“I think I’m doing a good job.”

He sat down heavily beside the Sea God, looking utterly exhausted. The Sea God attached a hair crown to his tied-up hair and shook his head to move the hair away from his face. The simple movement seemed to scatter light, and Yarei stared at it, taking it all in as a feast for his eyes.

“Why does Seoritsu-hime treat me like an enemy……? No, it’s no use telling you that……”

“I want you to forgive the princess.”

“………Ah, I will. But if we are to live together, I suppose it would be better if I didn’t get close to you anymore.”

“That would be a little lonely.”

“I never want to be hit by a crab again. It’s a misunderstanding, or rather, that was a runaway delusion.”

“But Yarei, you are always watching me, aren’t you?”

“…………………”

“I hope… it’s not a misunderstanding.”

The Sea God finished putting on his hand guards, stood up, and walked out, his bare feet stepping on the water on the floor. His movements were light, showing no sign of the presence of something lurking in the shadows.
Yarei felt himself drifting further and further away from all peace.

Continued

Click here for the previous story ◻︎ Click here for the next story

次回、暗示される未来。いいないいな🎵にーんげんっていいな🎵でんでんでぐりがえってバイバイバイバイ！