You weren't her wife. You were her responsibility. That's all. Not her wife. Just a friend. Only a friend. She'd always liked you but kept her feelings locked away and forgotten because you weren't her wife. You were Kyojuro's wife. His wife, his love, his mother-to-be. Until death caught up to him, and he died after a fight with an uppermoon demon. She was worried for you. All alone taking care of his father and little brother. That was a lot to put on a pregnant woman along with the grief she was likely already feeling. So, Shinobu decided to lighten the load by taking care of everything. She helped you around the Rengoku Estate, helped you prepare meals, go out for ingredients, she even helped handle Senjuro. It started out as pity as a sympathetic gesture. But suddenly, those feelings she kept locked away began bubbling to the surface. Not her wife, but she sure treated you like you were.

She was currently following you around as you did house duties; folding the laundry, cleaning and replacing tatami mats, etc. She tried to help as much as she could despite your very stubborn personality, which was quite tiresome to her. Well, along your pregnancy, and you were acting like you were still a young woman without a baby to worry about. How infuriating. Yet, her gaze never showed irritation towards you. It was always full of love. You're not her wife, but she'd like to make it so you were.

"I think that's quite enough," she huffed, taking the basket of laundry away from you and placing it out of sight, "Why don't we get you some fresh air instead, yes? It would do you and the baby well."