I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

After receiving Amamiya's confirmation, Izuna said, "Please wait a moment, my lord," and put the clothes in the box. Then, carrying the clothes, he ran into a small cubicle.

Sitting in the courtyard, Amamiya soon heard the rustling of fabric coming from the cubicle, and from time to time, the girl's slightly troubled voice, probably because she was changing clothes alone.

"How strange... This is clearly made of high-quality fabric, so why isn't it embroidered with patterns reminiscent of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons?"

"It wasn't made into a brightly colored furisode style either..."

"Ouch, the hat is so big... Izuna's ears are being pressed down... It's not comfortable..."

After waiting for about ten minutes, Izuna emerged from the cubicle with a pained expression, drooping ears, and her slightly disheveled, floor-length white kimono.

"My lord, this outfit seems a bit too difficult to put on... Izuna needs your help!"

I knew it would be like this.

After Amamiya began tidying up, Izuna naturally half-closed his eyes and assumed a kneeling posture similar to that of a 'Yamato Nadeshiko', sitting in the moonlit courtyard and letting Amamiya 'do as she pleased'.

Perhaps because of the constraints of her clothes, the usually lively girl was unusually quiet at this moment.

She lowered her eyes slightly, looking at the quiet courtyard bathed in moonlight.

'Strange...is it just my imagination?'

'When the lord was tidying up his clothes... Izuna seemed to sense it, just like he had sensed it at the cherry blossom festival at night...'

'It's a very strange feeling...'

'Hehehe...'

'I don't know why... but being with my lord feels very comfortable...'

The girl would occasionally utter a cryptic, rambling thought, which continued until Amamiya stopped tidying up.

Unable to feel that warm feeling that he cherished so much, Izuna raised his head with a sense of loss and reluctance.

"Ah... my lord, why did you stop? Could it be... that you've already finished tidying up?"

"Already sorted."

Upon hearing this, Izuna suddenly stood up, instinctively wanting to make a movement—then she suddenly realized that her current clothes were not the kind that allowed for easy movement.

Izuna, who subconsciously stopped himself from moving, had no choice but to adopt a slightly more restrained, small, quick step.

"Well……"

After twirling around in front of Amamiya, Izuna gave a wry opinion on the outfit: "While it does fit well, Izuna feels the bra is too tight..."

"Wearing clothes like that, Izuna's basic activities are severely restricted..."

The girl, seemingly unaware of just how precious and solemn the outfit was, only expressed discomfort with its 'degree of articulation'.

"Izuna, don't move yet."

Upon hearing Amamiya's words, Izuna instinctively stopped what he was doing.

She stood there, stunned, then asked with some curiosity, "My lord... what are you doing?"

Amamiya took out her phone, walked into the courtyard, and opened the camera function while keeping a distance.

Faced with the girl's question, he answered matter-of-factly: "Of course, I'll record this memorable moment of Izuna through photographs."

Clearly, Izuna had no idea just how cute she could be.

Amamiya's slightly teasing response left the girl momentarily surprised and flattered.

She blinked, puzzled, and asked, "Huh? Does my lord think... Izuna is really worth remembering now?"

Amamiya smiled and nodded, without immediately offering an explanation.

Raising his phone to capture the girl's fleeting joy, Amamiya breathed a sigh of relief and waved to Izuna from afar: "Next, Izuna needs to perform some actions according to my instructions..."

The fox-eared girl was somewhat confused...

But since this was an order from her favorite "lord," she was happy to comply.

"Yes, Izuna understands!"

After taking more than a dozen photos of Izuna, Amamiya finally spoke up meaningfully, "Izuna, do you know what clothes you're wearing right now?"

Standing on the courtyard corridor, Izuna shook her head—she had never seen this type of outfit before.

It resembles a kimono that I'm familiar with, but its nature seems completely different...

"It's difficult to put on; one person can't put it on alone," Izuna pondered, recalling how she felt about the outfit and unconsciously reciting it aloud. "And once it's on, it feels restrictive... It doesn't have any fancy decorations or embroidery, but it's made with the finest fabrics and craftsmanship... Ah!"

Izuna naturally recalled the 'loyalty' ceremony from some ninja dramas he had watched.

—Could it be some kind of clothing worn by a particularly niche ninja when pledging allegiance?

Izuna's wagging tail trembled violently, and his eyes widened in shock: "W-Could it be... that Izuna is wearing some kind of 'special ritual' attire?!"

"If, if this is what Izuna wore to show the lord, then..."

Amamiya's smile grew increasingly meaningful. He slowly shook his head, rejecting Izuna's subjective guess.

"You guessed right... but not entirely right."

Izuna, who was about to 'bow down like a ninja pledging allegiance to his lord,' froze, then blinked belatedly, 'Huh?'

You guessed right, but not entirely right... What does that mean?

A subtle feeling quietly surfaced in his heart. Meeting Amamiya's meaningful smile, Izuna, after a brief moment of mental blankness, was forced to begin thinking in a deeper direction—

Is the way the lord is looking at me trying to tell me that the clothes actually hold a deeper secret and carry a profound historical story?

Could it be the clothes worn by Princess Kaguya in the supernatural tales?

Or……

Izuna racked his brains for a while, but in the end he shook his head in despair.

With her fox ears drooping limply, Izuna pouted and said softly in a pitiful tone, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, my lord," "I'm sorry... Izuna didn't think of any relevant information."

"If it concerns knowledge that Izuna is unaware of... please inform Izuna, my lord, and Izuna will certainly remember it well!"

Meeting those eager eyes, Amamiya smiled and gave an explanation.

"The outfit Izuna is wearing is indeed a ceremonial garment used only for 'special rituals.' It's likely a once-in-a-lifetime event for many young girls… in other words, an outfit that can only be worn once in a lifetime, and can only be worn by one person."

"And this 'only wearable once in a lifetime' refers to the time the bride wears it during the 'wedding ceremony.'"

Izuna's energetic smile froze on his face. He was stunned and stood there dumbfounded, as Amamiya's light yet seemingly ethereal words had instantly captivated him.

“…Huh?!”

Chapter 18: A special relationship developed between him and Izuna...

Amamiya slowly suppressed his meaningful, playful expression, and his tone became more serious.

"The clothing Izuna wore could, strictly speaking, be called a 'white kimono' (white kimono)."

"According to 'custom,' this is the outfit that the bride wears during the betrothal ceremony."

“…Huh?!”

Maintaining a blank expression, a blush of shyness, quite unusual for her, quickly rose on the girl's cheeks.

'Shiromuku...'

'A knot, a knot... The ceremony of knotting...?!'

Even if he was slow to understand, Izuna finally understood.

What is the ceremony of acceptance?

She knew perfectly well, of course.

That's a ceremony that signifies exchanging promises between each other for the rest of their lives.

"Pure white symbolizes the bride's pure heart, as pure as the first snow, while the fox pattern on the edge symbolizes Izuna herself."

With a whoosh, the blush spread from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.

Like a steam engine overloaded at high speed, the girl uttered a series of disjointed, short syllables that symbolized panic, shyness, and incomprehension.

'Huh? Ah…'

'Izuna wore this "Shiroki" outfit in front of his lord...'

'And he even had the lord help Izuna tidy up this outfit…'

'Then, that means... Izuna, Izuna, and the Lord...'

The girl looked down at her ceremonial, pure white outfit.

"Huh? Ah... Is that so?!"

The girl's fox ears trembled violently under her white cotton hat, and the fluff at the tip of her tail exploded into snowballs in the moonlight.

Without realizing it, she reached out and pinched the thick white cotton hat on her head, which was meant to prevent anyone other than the groom from seeing her face before the wedding.

"Not only must I become the lord's ninja..."

Her voice rose higher and higher, and she seemed completely at a loss.

"And...and she's going to become...the lord's bride?!"

Slightly twisting the hem of her white kimono-clad sleeve, Izuna suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of panic.

Amamiya had no idea that what was a brief moment for him was an 'extreme' ordeal for Izuna...

After what seemed like a very brief period of 'struggle' and 'hesitation', the shy and helpless girl took a deep breath, her words and expression carrying an incomprehensible determination.

"Yes, yes, my lord! I am not very talented, but I hope you will guide me from now on!"

Amamiya: "...?"

He hadn't even started saying anything yet... and after Izuna had a brainstorming session on his own... he just 'agreed'?

Panic, embarrassment, earnestness... all sorts of emotions gathered on her cheeks and finally solidified into a "happy smile," making Amamiya chuckle to herself.

It has a kind of silly and cute charm.

Amamiya didn't say anything, but stepped forward and gently embraced the girl.

Izuna paused noticeably for a moment, then immediately became more enthusiastic than ever before, clinging to Amamiya with all her might, as if she wanted to embed herself entirely into his arms.

Sensing Izuna's unusually fast and powerful heartbeat, Amamiya smiled and teased, "Izuna's heart is pounding right now."

The girl in his arms did not respond immediately, but rubbed against him affectionately before replying in a soft, shy voice.

"Izumi, Izuna... I can feel my lord's heartbeat too..."

[They've developed a special relationship...]

There's no going back...

【Coopation↑UP!】

【Kuda Izuna (Magician) ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆】

[★4 Ability "Ultimate Move: Immaculate Technique" is now unlocked!]

As night deepened, the cold moonlight cast a pale silver hue over the girl dressed in a white kimono, like flowing water.

Seemingly overwhelmed by an immense sense of "happiness" and "dependence," the girl rested her chin on the shoulder of the young man who was holding her.

"Hehehe...hehehehe..."

"Izuna, you must become the lord's ninja..."

"And also...to become..."

"The lord's bride..."

'...Oh, right.'