As Suzu walked back in a daze towards her house, she didn't notice a single thing around her. Her mind was too busy churning over everything that had just happened.

When she had been reborn, there hadn't been anyone waiting to meet her. She sheepishly recalled her pitiful state.

'Then again, would a god want to come close to someone cussing at them?'

Suzu sighed as she realized she had already arrived at the west gate. She nodded absently at the guards and continued the walk home. After a short walk through a tight alleyway, she arrived at a small, double storey town house. The chipped paint reflected years of neglect, while the heavy wooden door creaked on rusted hinges as it ground open.

Holding her breath, Suzu poked her head inside the darkened doorway. Her father was sleeping on the floor again! Stepping through the countless bottles, she quietly began to prepare a rice gruel for dinner. Finishing the meal without so much as a clatter, she devoured it in moments, while her father mumbled something unsightly in his sleep.

'Hopefully he'll eat the rest and then go out to drink again...'

Sighing to herself, she tip toed up to her bedroom, closing the door and locking it quietly. She collapsed onto her bed, painfully striking her hip on one of the books Haruki had loaned her a few days earlier. Her face flushed red as her eyes teared up. Suzu sobbed gently into her pillow, as conflicting emotions battled inside her chest.

'He almost died today. No, he DID die today. He even distracted one onto himself without hesitating. I might not even be alive if he hadn't done that.'

She squirmed on her bed for another 20 minutes, unable to calm her mind. She'd never felt like this in either life. She was utterly overwhelmed.

'You're a widow, a mother and a proud warrior, stop acting like a child with a crush!'

However, her face was still burning when she eventually fell asleep.

Even her dreams betrayed her, as she was thrown into a dark, ominous forest. Completely surrounded by bandits, Suzu cried out for help as they mocked and jeered. In a burst of warm yellow light, Emperor Haruki appeared atop a brilliant black stallion, slaughtering the bandits with beautiful arcs of light. With a single step, he appeared closely behind her, wreathed in a shimmering halo.

Leaning in, he whispered gently into her ear.

“I wish for you to become my wife...”

The next morning, Suzu's sheets were strewn about the entire room. The bedside table was in disarray, her pillow was gone and her hair was a complete mess. After having a dream like that, she knew that she wouldn't be able to look Haruki in the eye for a few days...