「」殿と来た、この人里をまた散歩したいと思ってな。妖夢殿は・・・？と我が聞くと、「わ、私は・・・用事がありまして、今済ませた所です。・・・所で「」さんは？」と少し慌てた様子で聞いた。何を慌てているだろうか？「」殿はお勤めがまだ終えてないようぞ。「そ、そうですよね・・・。あの人が帰ってくるのは少し早過ぎますから・・・」とふぅと妖夢殿はため息をつき、我にお腹は空いてないか？と聞いて来た。昼も過ぎて、小腹が空いていると言うと、「良かったら、食事に行きませんか？暇を持て余していた所でして・・・奢らせて下さい。」と言われ、屋台の店に連れてこられた。暖簾にはおでんと書いてある。「へい、らっしゃい。ああ、妖夢ちゃんか。今日は早いねぇ。んん？こちらは妹さんかな？」中には、布かけ(えぷろん？というものだろうか)を履いた中年が出てきた。「ははは・・・、今日はお暇を貰いましたから。こちらは、布都さんと言って、私の・・・友人です。」と妖夢殿が男に我の事を紹介した。んん？妖夢殿？この方と知り合いで？と我が聞くと、妖夢殿は、「ええ、ここはいつも私と「」さんが来ているおでん屋なんですよ」と答えた。おお、そうであったか。我は物部布都、故あって「」殿の住まいに居候させてもらっている者ぞ。どうぞ宜しくして欲しい。と我が男に挨拶すると、「ああ、旦那が住まわせているというあの子か・・・。布都ちゃんだっけな・・・？用心した方がいいぞ。妖夢ちゃんは嫉妬深いからな・・・。」とにやにやと笑い、「それどういう意味ですか！？」と顔を真っ赤にして、妖夢殿は声を荒げた。「ふふ、妖夢殿に用心する必要ないぞ。妖夢殿は我の友人であるからな」と答えておいた。「そ、そうですよ、友人の布都さんに、嫉妬する訳ないじゃないですか・・わ、私は・・・」と妖夢殿はおろおろと弁解していた。・・・友人か・・・。場の流れで言ってしまったものの、「」殿の友人なのだから、我の友人でも良いであろう？妖夢殿。・・・そういえば、「」殿と妖夢殿は一体どのようにして友人同士になったのだろう？きっと、妖夢殿は我の知らない所で「」と接して友人同士になったのだろう。そう思うと、我の知らない「」殿が気になってしまう。我より長く「」殿と接している妖夢殿が少し羨ましく感じてわっふるわっふる

"I wanted to stroll through the village my lord brought me to once. And you...?" I inquired. "I, I was just finishing up some business... but anyway, where is he?" she asked, seeming somewhat panicked. "What is bothering you? It seems my lord still hasn't finished his tasks," I replied. "Y-yes... it is still a bit before he usually comes home..." she said with a quick sigh. She asked if I was hungry, and with the afternoon having passed, I told her I was. "Would you like to eat with me? I don't have anything else to do... let me treat you," she said as she dragged me off to a shop. The shop's sign said "oden". "Come on on. Oh, it's Youmu. Pretty early today. Hmm? This your little sister?" Inside there was a middle-aged man wearing some sort of cloth (an "apron" was it?).

"Hahaha... I had some free time today. Her name is Futo-san. She's my... friend," Lady Youmu introduced me to him. "Hmm? Do you know this person, Lady Youmu?" I asked her. "Yes, this is the oden shop that he and I always come to," she answered. "Oh, I see. I am Mononobe no Futo. Due to certain circumstances I am living with my lord. Pleased to meet you," I greeted the man. "Ah, so you're the kid who's living with him. Futo-chan, was it? You should watch yourself. Youmu-chan's a very jealous person..." he grinned. "Just what does that mean!?" Lady Youmu exclaimed with a red face. "Fufu, there's no need to be cautious around Lady Youmu. She is my friend," I answered. "Th-that's right! There's n-no way I would be jealous of a friend..." she explained, her voice quavering. "Friend"... she said it in the heat of conversation, but was she alright with having me as a friend? ...Just how did my lord and Lady Youmu become friends, anyway? I am sure they met and became friends somewhere I did not know about. Thinking about it made me wonder just how much about my lord I did not know about. I felt a bit jealous of Lady Youmu for knowing him longer than me... to be continued