"Of course I will, Takahiro Souma."

Galina unfolded herself slowly from the tatami mat with a slow, reassuring smile, and gracefully knelt from place to place, where the empty tea bowls for Ai and Raigo remained when father and daughter 'inconspicuously' left the honored first son Souma with the lovely Western woman. "First things first though, if you would be so kind. Only a few moments... "

And whether he would be so kind or not, Galina turned to set the cups and used utensil on the tray, showing her defenseless back to him time and time again, as if she hadn't the least worry for her person in his presence - and truly, she did not. She had learned a great deal during her time here, and was as certain as she could be that it was a matter of honor and tradition and love of family that stayed his blade and hand within the confines of his palatial home.

"I cannot leave things like this." Galina set the tray aside by the door before taking the exquisite clay teapot off the coals to cool. Idly she wondered if she would be the one who cleaned this set when the time came, and knew that, quite likely, she would not. She could still find within her though, the hope that the family would keep it nonetheless. The care and cost procuring it for the Takahiro clan, for Raigo who had been so kind, so patient as they taught one another, for Ai with the spine of pure steel behind that sweet, gentle smile; the cost had been nothing in comparison to the amount of thought that went into her humble gift, to find the perfect craftsman who could develop the glazes just so...

She rather hoped the tea set would not wind up smashed or otherwise destroyed, but there was no help for it, and Galina would simply have to let come what would. Galina stood to her full height, her gait alone with Souma no longer the mincing steps of a 'proper' woman of this household, but the long strides of the warrior she truly was as she crossed the room back to him, back to where she kept him waiting by the door.

"And I would appreciate you waiting to shove whatever blade you surely have somewhere on your person, into some vital part of my anatomy?" One perfectly shaped eyebrow shot upward, a wry little grin on her face as she looked to Souma from the corner of her eyes. "Well, at least [i]trying[/i] to shove your blade into something needful for life, until you hear me out. As you can see, I have harmed not one hair on the precious heads of your father, nor your sister, nor a single person within your household."

Though of course she did not say as much, the unspoken words hung in the air between them as she moved the tatami mats, setting them aside carefully: [i]'And I could have, Souma. I could have murdered your whole family and everyone in this compound a hundred times over if I wished to. If that was my [/i]true [i]intent.'[/i] 

"Does that not buy even a few precious moments of your time, 'unmolested?'" Galina bowed politely to Souma, chuckling under her breath as she walked past him outdoors, slipping her own sandals onto her stocking feet as she moved. 

"The gardens here are [i]so[/i] lovely," she said softly, taking in her surroundings instinctively, orienting herself to persons and place in a moment. "I truly do not know how you can bring yourself to stay away so long. It has been almost a year now, hmm?"