Why would any woman in her right mind follow such a madman? Was Yumi even in her right mind? From her own testimony, her life before she met Shishio was hardly ideal. Even after attaining great fame as an oiran, she had only the rights of a dog. Bearing this in mind, in stands to reason – at least to some extent – that she’d choose Shishio over life as a prostitute. Shishio could give her luxury and a sense of honor (no other man was permitted to touch her), as well as the possibility of being his empress. All she would have had to do was wait on him.

However, if that was her reasoning, why would she go so far beyond the call of simply being his concubine? If she was simply along for the ride and any possible perks, she wouldn’t have taken such measures to ensure her lover’s safety. Yes, she may have been trying to earn her keep when she telegraphed the details of Aoshi’s and Kenshin’s battle to Shishio. It’s even possible that, in giving Kenshin the option of turning back, she was more concerned with keeping her position secure rather than keeping Shishio from being hurt. But why risk rousing Shishio’s anger against her or becoming caught in the battle when she ran between the two swordsmen? Yumi’s about as crafty as they come, so even if she thought Shishio would be defeated, she’d probably just look for a way to save her skin afterward rather than risk it to protect Shishio.

Yumi’s sly, and one can see when she’s trying to entice her way out of a situation. But when she’s on her knees before Kenshin, none of her earlier flattery or well said words are present. She begs for mercy for her lover. And if that isn’t evidence enough, she’s happy as she’s dying. Had she been trying to milk the situation, I think she’d be pretty irritated and drop all pretenses after being impaled through the heart. She was food for him. She knew it. She was satisfied because of it. She wanted only to be of as much service to him as possible. She loved him to the end.

As Okina said (and I paraphrase) “Love is different for everyone, Yahiko. If you took a hundred different people, you’d have a hundred definitions of love.” Love for Yumi was following her love, assisting him in any way possible, regardless of what it meant for her. Like Aoshi, she followed the path to chaos with eyes open and willing. But she had no regrets.