Chapter 14: That Shapeshifter, Speculating ❦ One week after Rin returned to the castle, Tsuguru came to visit. He came the conventional way this time, by knocking on the castle gates and reporting his presence to Yuzuru at the guardhouse, instead of scaling the walls and attacking the maid. Rin had only just woken up … Read more
Chapter 13: That Shapeshifter, Speechless ❦ Rin and Yoka stole out of the underground caves just as the sun was beginning to paint the twilight sky red. When they arrived at the inn from before, the young mistress made a beeline for the futon and fell asleep almost immediately, leaving Yoka to settle their unfinished … Read more
Chapter 12: That Shapeshifter, Benevolent? ❦ Rin’s first reaction was to curl her lip in derision. ‘Avenge my father? Why would you avenge my father after all the effort you put into getting him killed?’ She wanted to applaud his “honesty”. Did he really think she was like all the other kidnapped children, easily believing … Read more
Chapter 11: That Shapeshifter, Preoccupied ❦ Rin woke up swathed in a familiar, repulsive darkness. Her whole body ached fiercely and the air was heavy with the smell of human sweat. Very faintly, she could make out some murmuring. Blood rushed in her ears so loudly, but she could fill in the blanks from experience. … Read more
Chapter 10: That Shapeshifter, Reminiscing ❦ Yoka flew above the Nagasaki Kaido in her tengu form. Rin was tucked in her arms, peering down at the shocked travellers as she searched for Matsukura Aoko and his procession of palanquins. They had almost reached Nagasaki but there was no still sign of their target. Rin’s fingers … Read more
Chapter 9: That Shapeshifter, Collecting Clues ❦ In the middle of the day, people in the streets of Karatsu City caught sight of a tengu with raven-black wings fly over the city with a doll-like beauty in its arms. Those who saw it were spooked and began to panic while those who only heard about … Read more
Chapter 8: That Shapeshifter, Deployed ❦ Shinji Tsuguru’s father was a loyal samurai captain that served the Terazawa clan and her father’s best friend. There were centuries of friendship and loyalty between the Shinji family and the Terazawa clan. As captain of the guards, Tsuguru’s father lived with his wife and son in the … Read more
Chapter 7: That Shapeshifter, On Guard ❦ A maid’s typical day began two hours before dawn. Yoka switched the candles in the rooms and corridors with new ones, chopped firewood and drew water from the well. After that, it was time to start boiling dashi and making noodles. One of the souls she once consumed … Read more
Chapter 6: That Shapeshifter, In Her Place ❦ Rin slapped Yoka across the face. The maid was kneeling next to Rin’s futon where she made her report. Her head snapped to the side and a red print blossomed on her cheek. ‘Do you know how hard it was to get a poison that mimics the … Read more
Chapter 5: That Shapeshifter, Cleaning Up ❦ Hirayama’s eyes flashed. He straightened up and folded his arms across his muscled chest. ‘Don’t accuse your senpai blindly. You might be our superior in name, but we have been Nagasaki’s administrative officials for many years. Why would we take part of the shogun’s tribute for ourselves when … Read more
