"It would be nice, if that happened," Ashiko agreed, draining her cup delicately. "There are plenty of wonderful people in Danna-sama's service, but I don't know how likely some whirlwind romance is for me." She paused, then giggled. "Well, unless I get swept off my feet by some dashing ninja intent on swearing himself to my master, but that's something more at home in a book than the real world." He had mentioned something about a Fairytale ending for her, hadn't he?

Truth be told, the only payment that could ever come of Ashiko being kidnapped would be one of blood, drawn out over an excruciating period of testing and research if the offenders were unlucky. "Oh, no more than it usually is for a young, well-dressed woman travelling by her lonesome, really." She topped off what was left in his cup as a tacit request for a refill of her own.