This was the first ti Masatsuki Aozaki had ever praised himself so openly.
He wasn’t a bad person, but he couldn’t exactly be called a good one either.
Senjumaru Shutara had long since co to understand this after knowing him for decades.
Sure, he had a sharp tongue and often acted in ways that seed excessive—sotis even taking the chance to ambush her just for fun.
But in truth, he was surprisingly gentle.
When he was focused on cooking, the serious look on his face was undeniably attractive. In those monts, he could easily be called a once-in-a-millennium-level heartthrob.
Though he occasionally said things just to get under her skin, he always had a way of making up for it when she felt embarrassed.
And despite his rather peculiar personality—and his complete lack of sha in admitting his less-than-pure thoughts—his honesty never felt off-putting.
...Co to think of it, does he prefer girls who dress conservatively?
The thought made Senjumaru Shutara lower her head slightly, examining herself as a complicated feeling welled up inside her.
She had always assud that no matter what she wore, she would naturally attract Masatsuki Aozaki’s attention because of her own charm.
But now... it almost felt like she had been unintentionally catering to his tastes all along by dressing so modestly.
Maybe she should take a page from Kirio’s book and try wearing sothing simpler?
...That would probably backfire.
Realizing where her thoughts were going, Senjumaru Shutara’s face burned with embarrassnt. She quickly shook her head, trying to banish those ridiculous ideas.
At that mont, Masatsuki Aozaki walked up to her, arms crossed.
"You still need to keep practicing dessert-making. Consider it howork from —I’ll check on it later."
"Hey! I already told you, I’m not a kid!"
Senjumaru Shutara puffed up her cheeks in protest, pouting in frustration.
After a full day, she had finally grasped the process of making tiramisu.
But while she had managed to make it, the taste was... difficult to describe.
And when it ca to food, a dish that didn’t taste good was nothing short of a failure.
A failure wasn’t sothing she could just pass off as compensation.
She tilted her head slightly, looking up at the man who stood a full head taller than her.
If judged by looks alone, there was probably no one in the past thousand years who could compare to him.
As that thought crossed her mind, she found herself sighing internally.
What a strange man.
She studied Masatsuki Aozaki carefully, noticing how his sharp and defined features made him look almost unreal—flawless in every way.
His long, slightly unkempt hair gave him a laid-back charm, neither too polished nor too wild, but effortlessly captivating.
With a face like that, he would have been popular in any era.
Yet, Senjumaru Shutara had the distinct feeling that what made him truly captivating wasn’t his looks—it was his presence.
Despite his playful deanor, he wasn’t soone who acted thoughtlessly.
There was always a sense of calm about him, a quiet detachnt that shrouded him in an air of mystery.
But more than anything, there was a sincerity about him—sothing that should have been intangible, yet felt as real as anything she could touch.
It wasn’t about what he said or did.
It was simply there, naturally existing—sothing undeniable without the need for words.
Senjumaru Shutara couldn’t help but think to herself,
"Maybe that’s why Kirio and Retsu Unohana’s group of won are drawn to him..."
Lost in thought, she absentmindedly rubbed her chin, only snapping out of it when Masatsuki Aozaki called her na twice.
"Hey, did you hear , you thousand-year-old spinster?"
"Huh!? Why do you have to bring up the thousand years part! Seriously..."
Senjumaru’s face flushed red as she protested, sounding both embarrassed and annoyed.
"And calling an old-tir—you’re obviously mocking ! Just say my na properly, you idiot junior!"
She quickly glanced around the room to make sure no one else was present before letting out a relieved sigh.
It was true, but even soone as composed as her couldn’t stand being reminded of it constantly. It was fine when she was around Masatsuki Aozaki and Kirio Hikifune. But if her subordinates overheard? That would be a disaster for her dignity as a Zero Division leader.
Even though her Divine Soldiers respected her greatly, so things were better left unsaid. Masatsuki knew this well, which was exactly why he kept teasing her about it.
Now, seeing Senjumaru blushing like a sheltered noble lady, Masatsuki raised an eyebrow.
"Honestly, it’s good to have so sha, but what’s there to be embarrassed about?"
"...Huh!?"
"I an, you’ve been single for a thousand years. That’s not a bad thing, is it?
If anything, having the self-discipline to suppress your instincts for that long is way more impressive than soone like , who can’t even control my own desires."
Masatsuki spoke with complete seriousness, making no effort to hide the unflattering truth about himself.
Senjumaru was montarily speechless. She opened her mouth a few tis but couldn’t find the right words, eventually lowering her head in embarrassnt.
Tis were different now.
Just a few centuries ago, being over a thousand years old wasn’t unusual, and even a hundred-year-old girl could have children. In recent years, the influence of modern human society had led Seireitei to raise the standard marriageable age to 150.
Looking back, even Senjumaru had to admit—so of the beliefs from her era seed questionable now.
She fidgeted with her hands for a long ti before finally gathering the courage to speak.
"Actually... it’s not like I’ve always been suppressing anything. I’m not as virtuous as you make sound."
"I’m impressed you can say sothing that bold... If it’s hard to talk about, you don’t have to force yourself."
Masatsuki sighed, rubbing his temples as he tried to rein in his imagination.
This woman really had no filter—way bolder than Kirio Hikifune.
An elegant, drop-dead gorgeous woman standing in front of him, looking flustered while discussing sothing this suggestive...
Yeah, any man would start overthinking it.
But now that she’d admitted it herself, Masatsuki finally ca to a realization.
"So that’s it... Zero Division, huh? Even after inheriting the Soul King’s power, you guys aren’t so divine beings—you’re just as human as the rest of us."
"Ugh..."
Hearing that, Senjumaru’s face burned even redder.
She clutched her chest as if she had been struck in a vulnerable spot.
Deep down, she had always known it. Even with the Ōken-infused body granted by the Soul King, she wasn’t so lofty deity.
She was just a person—ordinary in every way that mattered.
And that was exactly why she felt so ashad.
Of course, she had never thought of herself as superior to anyone else.
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