《Hanabishi Fusai no Taima-chou》


 CH 1.1

    Viscountess Murotsuji was speaking.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªI¡¯ve been hearing the sound of a shamisen for about half a month now. Yes, yes, a shamisen. Like something a geisha would play¡­ I don¡¯t have a clue what kind of song it was, if it was a nagauta or tokiwazu.1 But whatever it was, it had that resonating ¡®ben-ben¡¯ sound. Especially on a dreary, rainy day, yes, just like today, can you hear it from afar? And when I say afar, I don¡¯t mean it comes from outside the house. I hear it from the inside of the house, from the end of a dark hallway. And so, I fearfully went to the end of the hallway, and there is nothing there. Of course there wouldn¡¯t be. But then I hear it again, this time from the other end. ¡ª¡ªIs that not creepy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it truly is,¡± Takigawa Suzuko, who was sitting on a sofa facing her, nodded deeply. Wearing a fresh-green crepe kimono with a pattern of butterflies, she had an air of gracefulness about her. She was seventeen years old, the youngest daughter of Marquis Takigawa. She was a maiden with a beauty like a statue nearing completion¡ªlooking too mature to be called a girl, but not matured enough to be an adult.


    At Suzuko¡¯s reaction, the viscountess let out a sigh of relief and placed her hand over the breast of her mousy wisteria kimono. There was a ring with a pale yellow-green gemstone on her finger.


    ¡°My husband says he doesn¡¯t hear anything, and that it was just my imagination. But recently, I¡¯ve even been seeing a figure¡­¡±


    The viscountess clasped her hands to her chest and hunched her back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only glimpsed it out of the corner of my eye. When I turn my head towards it, it moves quickly. But even though I can¡¯t see her clearly, somehow, I can tell that it has the appearance of a woman quite clearly¡­even the pattern of its kimono.¡±


    Suzuko shifted her gaze to behind the viscountess and quickly looked away.


    ¡ª¡ªA dark purple kimono with willows.


    ¡°The background is a vivid dark purple, and there is a pattern of willows¡­¡±


    Suzuko lightly nodded at the viscountess¡¯s words. The kimono of the woman standing behind her right now matched her description exactly.


    The woman was looking down, so her face couldn¡¯t be seen. Only her beautifully shaped pale forehead stood out clearly. Her hair, tied in the tsubushi Shimada style, was dishevelled and unkempt. The area from the collar of her kimono to the chest was drenched. Not with water, but with dark red blood.


    The blood was pouring from the woman¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Were you acquainted with any geishas?¡±


    When Suzuko asked the viscountess that, she shook her head and said, ¡°No.¡± But then, she added wryly, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about my husband, though,¡± and smiled faintly. Her husband was Viscount Murotsuji. He was an adopted son-in-law from a relative¡¯s family.


    Rain beat against the windows of the Murotsujis¡¯ elegant Western-style mansion. Mixed in with the sound was the timbre of a shamisen. It was a hard, reverberating sound of a plectrum plucking strings. The viscountess¡¯ shoulders trembled, and she looked frightened.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Suzuko¡¯s answer was short.


    ¡°You did hear it, I knew it, I¡¯m not hallucinating, am I? Aah, no¡­¡±


    The viscountess covered her ears with trembling hands.


    ¡°Why in the world¡­what kind of curse is this¡­this has never happened in the Murotsuji family¡­¡±


    The viscountess hung her head and muttered, as if trying to not hear the sound of the shamisen.


    Suzuko noticed that the woman in the dark purple kimono was holding a plectrum. Blood was dripping from it. There was the sound of sobbing mixed in with the sound of the shamisen. It didn¡¯t come from the viscountess. It came from the bleeding woman. Suzuko leaned forward slightly and tried to listen to it more closely. However, when the viscountess said, ¡°Pardon me,¡± Suzuko had no choice but to turn back to her.


    ¡°Does this sort of thing happen often? You seem knowledgeable. Would it go away if a purification rite was performed?¡±


    ¡°I only collect ghost stories as a hobby, so I¡¯m not an expert at all. If you ask me if this is common or not, then I would say it is rare. I¡¯m afraid that I don¡¯t know much about purification rites.¡±


    Reiko replied matter-of-factly. The viscountess looked discontented.


    ¡°Then, do you know Baron Hanabishi?¡±


    Suzuko was taken aback by the sudden change in topic.


    ¡°Hanabishi¡­? No, who exactly is¡ª¡ª¡±


    Suzuko suddenly stopped in the middle of her sentence, for the woman standing behind the viscountess lifted her head.


    Her face was pale. The blood had drained from it, and her eyes were dull. Only her lips were strangely red, but upon a second look, she realized that blood was dripping from it. Her mouth was moving and she seemed to be saying something, but no voice could be heard. Blood was flowing backward from her cut throat, gushing out of her mouth instead of her voice.


    ¡ª¡ª¡­Ah¡­


    She could only hear a faint, hoarse moan. The woman writhed in pain and bent her body. Fresh blood scattered onto the carpet.


    ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    Puzzled, the viscountess followed Suzuko¡¯s gaze and turned around. At the same time, the woman brandished the plectrum towards the viscountess.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Suzuko jumped up from the sofa and leaned over the table to cover the viscountess with her body. At that moment, there was suddenly a scent. It was a cool, clear, and dignified perfume.


    The door was opened forcefully. The scent got stronger. When she lifted her head, her eyes were met with beautiful clothing.


    The word ¡°juunihitoe¡± popped into her head. It was the kind of clothing worn by imperial princesses she had seen in books. The attire of the woman in front of her matched it perfectly.


    The woman with a white oval face, elegant almond-shaped eyes, and long flowing hair was standing beside her in a juunihitoe. For a moment, Suzuko couldn¡¯t tell if she was a living person or a non-living one.


    Suzuko saw both the living and the dead equally. Though if it were a bleeding, obviously non-living figure, anyone would be able to tell it was a ghost right away.


    It was only from the movements of the woman in juunihitoe that Suzuko realized that she wasn¡¯t alive.


    The woman, with extraordinary speed, pounced on the woman in the bloody dark purple kimono and ate her head.


    Ate. That was the only word that could be used to describe it.


    The woman in juunihitoe didn¡¯t open her mouth and bit her teeth in. When she pounced, the head of the woman in the dark purple kimono disappeared like smoke. Then, her upper body. And after that, her lower body.


    The only thing that remained was the shamisen plectrum, which fell onto the carpet. It was covered in dark blood. And after she blinked, it was gone.


    The woman in juunihitoe turned around. The corners of her red mouth lifted up. She was smiling.


    After she smiled, her form wavered. She dissolved like tobacco smoke and gently hung in the air. The smoke was swiftly flowing towards the entrance of the room. Following it with her eyes, Suzuko let out an ¡°Ah.¡±


    A man was standing there.


    When had he gotten there? He was a tall young man dressed in a well-fitted dark grey suit and looked to be in his mid-twenties. His handsome face was more virile than elegant, but it wasn¡¯t coarse. There was a faint smile on his lips.


    The smoke stretched towards him, and then surrounded his body. For a moment, it looked like the woman in juunihitoe was coiled around him before it disappeared.


    Suzuko stayed rooted to the spot, stunned. She could see what had happened before her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t understand what any of it actually meant.


    ¡°Is everything all right with the viscountess?¡±


    The young man said. His voice was soft and low. Startled, Suzuko looked down at the viscountess. She had lost consciousness. She might have seen the ghost brandishing the plectrum at the moment she turned around.


    ¡°She has fainted.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good. I must call a doctor.¡±


    After saying that, the young man left the room. Suzuko laid the viscountess down on the sofa and placed a cushion under her head. Leaving the viscountess to a maidservant who had come running, Suzuko left the room. As the mansion became noisy, she headed for the door. She told one of the maids that she was leaving and asked her to call her own maid and manservant. As she sat down on a settee in the spacious entrance hall to catch a breath, she almost jumped up when a voice nearby said, ¡°Are you leaving already?¡±


    She turned towards it and saw the young man from before standing right next to her. She was surprised since she hadn¡¯t sensed him at all.


    He isn¡¯t a ghost¡­I think.


    Since he went to call somebody, he should be a living person. She looked up at the young man dubiously. He smiled faintly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a ghost, miss.¡±


    He had a smooth, pleasant voice. He might have had the nicest voice she had ever heard. Although, Suzuko stared at the young man¡¯s face closely.


    He seems shady.


    ¡°That thing from before¡­what exactly is that?¡±


    The young man tilted his head slightly at her question, the smile still on his face.


    ¡°¡®That thing,¡¯ you ask? Could you please narrow the subject of your question? It¡¯s quite difficult for me to answer.¡±


    Suzuko furrowed her brows and spoke quickly. ¡°The woman in juunihitoe.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    The young man stared fixedly at her, and then immediately sat down next to her. Suzuko was about to move closer to the edge when she detected a gentle and pleasant fragrance coming from the young man. It was the same fragrance from before. Unlike western perfumes, it was the aroma of burned incense.


    ¡°My name is Hanabishi Takafuyu. I work as a merchant in Yokohama. I also have a house in Kojimachi.¡±


    The young man didn¡¯t answer her question and introduced himself instead. That was the name she heard from Viscountess Murotsuji earlier. Suzuko looked at the young man¡¯s profile.


    ¡°Baron¡­Hanabishi?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    The young man¡ªHanabishi Takafuyu smiled. He¡¯s someone who¡¯s terribly good at smiling that way, Suzuko thought. As she was thinking that, she went through list of noble families in her head.


    Baron¡­Hanabishi¡­Hanabishi¡­


    She retraced her memories and managed to recall it.


    ¡°By Baron Hanabishi¡­you aren¡¯t a shrine¡­shinkan, are you?¡±


    ¡°The term ¡®shinkan¡¯2 is strictly used only for those of the Ise Grand Shrine. The Hanabishi family are shinshoku. We are the chief priests of Shimagami Shrine on Awaji Island.¡±


    ¡°Aah¡­¡±


    Shinshoku nobility. The nobility, a privileged class established in the Meiji era, included former court nobles, feudal lords, people of merit during the Meiji Restoration, Buddhist priests, and many others. The shinshoku of shrines such as Ise Grand Shrine and Izumo-Taisha were also classified as nobility.


    ¡°Oh, but you said you were a merchant¡­¡±


    ¡°There are a few circumstances behind that. If you¡¯re interested, I¡¯ll tell you about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must decline, sir.¡±


    Suzuko shook her head. His smile was unbearably shady. She wanted to leave this place immediately. Her maid, Taka, hadn¡¯t arrived yet. This Kojimachi mansion wasn¡¯t so far away from the Takigawa estate in Akasaka, so she could return home by herself, but then she would get scolded by Taka later.


    ¡°You¡¯re the youngest daughter of Marquis Takigawa.¡±


    Suzuko glanced at Takafuyu¡¯s smile.


    ¡°I am, but I don¡¯t believe we have ever met.¡±


    ¡°This is the first time we have met. However, I have heard about you everywhere I went.¡±


    ¡°Everywhere you went¡­? Come to think of it, why are you here¡ª¡±


    ¡°I was asked to perform a purification rite. I am a priest, after all.¡±


    Purification rite?


    Was it that? The woman in juunihitoe eating the ghost, was that¡­?


    Remembering the scene, Suzuko frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that your hobby is collecting ghost stories. I don¡¯t believe that is popular among young ladies, so why do you do it?¡±


    ¡°Everyone has their own hobbies,¡± Suzuko merely replied curtly.


    ¡°Quite an eccentric hobby, isn¡¯t it? There are plenty of other activities more befitting a young lady.¡±


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t befitting a ¡®young lady,¡¯ then perhaps it¡¯s appropriate for me,¡± Suzuko spoke sharply, a little irritated by Takafuyu¡¯s teasing tone.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry if I caused you to misunderstand. I was not saying that ironically because you were born in a slum.¡±


    Suzuko looked at his face. He was looking back into her eyes, still with that thin smile on his face. Takafuyu¡¯s eyes were a deep reddish-brown, and unlike his expression, they were dark like the darkness of a thick forest.


    Feeling a strange chill, Suzuko quickly stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking my leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did I offend you?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true that I grew up in a slum, and everyone knows that.¡±


    ¡°No, I said something unnecessary. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°I told you, that isn¡¯t the case.¡±


    On the contrary, she was irritated by exchanges like this. Suzuko turned her face away and headed for the door. Takafuyu followed her.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going home alone, are you? Your chaperone¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can return by myself.¡±


    ¡°Surely you jest. If you¡¯re truly leaving, I¡¯ll give you a ride in my car. It¡¯s raining. I don¡¯t want your clothes to get wet and for you to catch a cold.¡±


    Suzuko remained sullen and silent in response to Takafuyu¡¯s repeated words.


    ¡°Takigawa-san¡ªSuzuko-san, you were able to see that jourou.¡±3


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Not knowing the word ¡°jourou,¡± Suzuko turned around. There was a cold smile on Takafuyu¡¯s face, different from the one from earlier.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, won¡¯t you marry me?¡±


    Suzuko was too stunned to speak.


    The spring of 1920 was in the midst of a recession. The unprecedent economic boom brought about by the world war quickly withered with the end of the war, and although there was a short rally, it was completely ended by the stock market crash in March. The so-called ¡°ship rich,¡± ¡°steel rich,¡± and ¡°stock rich,¡±4 who profited from the war and had their eccentric spending habits frowned upon by the public, had mostly fallen into decline after the war.


    A serious problem for the Takigawa family was the collapse of stock prices. The Marquis Takigawa, who was Suzuko¡¯s father, wasn¡¯t an economist at all, but he loved to invest. When he was told that he would regret it if he missed out on a purchase now, or that he could recover his losses, he readily invested into whatever it was. Therefore, they were directly affected by the stock market crash.


    The Takigawa family was a noble family that was considered wealthy even among the aristocrats. Originally feudal lords in the Ise region, with land income and a finance business called Takigawa Trading Company in their hometown, so they had more than enough money to live on. However, currently, her father was wasting it all. The family was unanimous in their opinion that he had to be made to retire as soon as possible, and they were also worried about how to make him retire without it becoming a scandal. The fact that he had no intention of retiring was also a problem. Suzuko was sure that he was still spending his money cheerfully somewhere today.


    Her father, as was typical of libertines, was also a ladies¡¯ man. In addition to his legal wife, he also had several mistresses and even seduced a maid. That maid was Suzuko¡¯s mother. It seemed that there was a complicated dispute between her mother and the family after she conceived Suzuko, and her mother left the Takigawa estate and drifted here and there, ending up in a slum in Asakusa. Since her mother died of illness when she was very young, Suzuko didn¡¯t know where her hometown was or whether she had any relatives there.


    Suzuko was eleven when she was taken in by the Takigawas. At that time, the previous Marquis was still alive, and her father remained in the background. In fact, even now, her father was busy playing around out there and only came home when his wallet was becoming empty. For Suzuko, her father was fainter than a heat haze, and her impression of him was quite weak.


    ""


    His legal wife had died of childbirth fever and was already deceased when Suzuko was taken in. One of his mistresses lived in the mansion. There were other mistresses, but she was the only one who bore children, and so only she was allowed to live in the mansion. Suzuko had never met the other mistresses.


    In addition to Suzuko, her father had a legitimate son by his legal wife, and two daughters and a son by his mistress. However, her older brothers lived in a boarding house, and her older sisters were married, so they didn¡¯t live in the mansion from the time she was taken in and now. Although her brothers spent weekends at the mansion and her sisters came to visit often, other than the servants, Suzuko and the mistress lived alone in the vast mansion.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, your aunt from Azabu came to see me this morning and suggested that you should be married off to Baron Hanabishi. What do you think?¡±


    It was a late afternoon in April when Chizu, her father¡¯s mistress, said this to Suzuko. She almost spat out the tea she was drinking. It was a few days after she met Takafuyu at the Murotsuji house.


    On that day, when Takafuyu suggested marriage to her, Suzuko had immediately responded with, ¡°I refuse.¡±


    It was incomprehensible. It was unconventional for him to ask her to marry him in front of her without a matchmaker or any marriage talks, but more than that, Takafuyu was suspicious-looking and unknown to her, so she couldn¡¯t come up with anything other than refusing his proposal. In response to Suzuko¡¯s firm answer, Takafuyu just smiled without a word. That was also creepy.


    He came to remove the obstacles in his way.


    Of all people, her Azabu aunt. She was her father¡¯s younger sister and said to be a lady who loved helping with marriage proposals more than anything in the world. She wondered how he approached her.


    ¡°Nothing more needs to be said¡­please decline, as always.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, such a waste. Baron Hanabishi is tall and very good-looking.¡±


    I know. But she didn¡¯t say that and quietly sipped her tea.


    ¡°He¡¯s also a wealthy man, and he does a wide variety of business.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that difficult in today¡¯s economy?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? The other day at Mitsukoshi, you bought the ¡®Dahlia¡¯ from ¡®Flora.¡¯ You also bought ¡®White Lily.¡¯¡±


    ¡°The Western Fragrance¡­?¡±


    ¡°Western Fragrance Flora¡± was a pressed incense that imitated the scent of Western perfumes. Pressed incense consisted of kneaded fragrant powders that were die-cut and dried, basically incense sticks with unusual shapes, but ¡°Flora¡± was innovative in its use of colorful flowers such as roses, violets, and dahlias, and the incense was made in the shape of each flower and very adorable, looking like colorful dried sweets. Its pretty labels and advertisement depicting a flower goddess was also popular with many people from housewives to schoolgirls. It was said to be especially fashionable among schoolgirls to put them in a gauze bag and tie it up with a satin ribbon, using them as sachets.


    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t know that¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, the Hanabishi family is a venerable house with a long history.¡±


    ¡°¡­But, he¡¯s a baron.¡±5


    Suzuko said, as if in protest, and Chizu giggled. She was a woman of sharp and intelligent beauty, and her smile with the corners of her mouth slightly lifted suited her well.


    ¡°Titles like baron and marquis don¡¯t necessarily correspond to family rank or history. It¡¯s a system created by the government, but it¡¯s not at all what it should be. The Hanabishis are older than your run-of-the-mill nobility. I think they¡¯re even older than my family.¡±


    Chizu used to be a geisha, but she was a daughter of a fallen noble family. Many of the noble families had difficult financial situations, accumulating debts and struggling. Some of them had even had to give up their titles because they couldn¡¯t keep up appearances of nobility.


    ¡°You also know the story of Baron Senge of Izumo-Taisha, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    The Senge family had been the chief priests of Izumo-Taisha for generations, and their history was, needless to say, very old. When they were elevated to the nobility in the Meiji era, they were treated the same as the other shinshoku families and made into barons like everyone else. The head of the Senge family at the time asked the government for a higher title. In the end, his wish wasn¡¯t granted.


    ¡°The Hanabishi family are the chief priests of a shrine on Awaji Island that enshrines the deity Izanagi-no-Mikoto, but they were originally lords of the island. It is said that during the Asuka or Nara period, fragrant woods drifted ashore on the island and were presented to the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really¡­¡±


    Suzuko¡¯s indifferent response clearly indicated that she wasn¡¯t interested. On the contrary, Chizu continued to talk enthusiastically.


    ¡°Their mansion in Kojimachi is also lovely. You should go and see it. It¡¯s a Western-style brick mansion covered in ivy. The atmosphere is wonderful.¡±


    ¡°You seem very enthusiastic. But I remember you telling me that I didn¡¯t have to marry and that I could become a professional woman.¡±


    Chizu loved new things. She used a flat-iron to make her hair wavy and sometimes wore Western clothes. Western-style clothing for women was still a rarity and mostly only for uniforms of professional women, such as female conductors for blue buses. It was also only a few months ago that the first female conductors in Japan were created.


    However, a daughter of a noble family working in some sort of occupation would receive severe criticism from the public. It was an unrealistic and offhanded remark.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky. If Gozen-sama6 had still been alive, you would have been married off to some nouveau riche sly fox without any use arguing about it.¡±


    ¡°Gozen-sama¡± referred to the previous Marquis. Her father¡¯s father, which meant that he was Suzuko¡¯s grandfather. Although it should be her father who should be called Gozen-sama, as he was the head of the family now that her grandfather was dead, it was still her grandfather who was called Gozen-sama. Chizu called Suzuko¡¯s father ¡°Danna-sama.¡±


    Her grandfather was a strict person, and everything in the Takigawa family was decided by him. Both of Chizu¡¯s daughters¡ªhalf-sisters to Suzuko¡ªmarried into conglomerate families. Those decisions were made by their grandfather.


    After Suzuko was taken in, by her grandfather¡¯s policy, she was tutored by a private tutor instead of attending a girls¡¯ academy that admitted girls of the nobility.


    Both Chizu¡¯s son and the son born to the legal wife, who died of puerperal fever, were moved to a boarding house outside the mansion at the age of seven and brought up under strict discipline. Everything was done by the order of their grandfather. Apparently, there were many such families among the nobility.


    When her grandfather was alive, her father¡¯s good-for-nothing tendencies were somewhat subdued, but since his death two years ago, her father had been like a kite with a broken string. No, perhaps like a horse that had been put out to pasture.


    ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that Baron Hanabishi would be better than a nouveau riche sly fox.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! But Baron Hanabishi is such a handsome man.¡±


    Chizu was a pushover for looks. She loved beautiful men and women alike. Since she herself was so beautiful that her picture was often featured in women¡¯s magazines, one would think that she should just look in the mirror, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. Incidentally, she wasn¡¯t concerned about what was behind those beautiful looks. That was why she was qualified to become Suzuko¡¯s father¡¯s mistress.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure that someone like that has plenty of other marriage proposals.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s in business and he¡¯s busy with that, so he has put off marriage. He finally had some free time and felt inclined to get married. I told you, didn¡¯t I? You¡¯re lucky.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Shady. Suzuko recalled Takafuyu¡¯s fake smile.


    ¡°¡­Chizu-san, do you know what a ¡®jourou¡¯ is?¡±


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that? A jourou?¡±


    Chizu was taken aback by the unconnected question, but answered without seeming to have any suspicions.


    ¡°A jourou is, well, to put it simply, a high-ranking woman who serves in the imperial court. I wonder if you would understand what I mean when I say naishinosuke¡­7 They are the daughters of cabinet ministers, or women about the third rank or so. There are three types: jourou, chuurou, and gerou.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    In short, a high-class woman. Does that mean the woman in juunihitoe was that kind of person? Why does it matter that I could see her? And how is this connected to the topic of marriage?


    Suzuko rested her chin in her hands as she pondered. ¡°Don¡¯t put your chin in your hands. It¡¯ll warp your jaw,¡± Chizu scolded, and Suzuko stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Oh, where to?¡±


    ¡°Chizu-san, you told me, didn¡¯t you? ¡®You should go and see it.¡¯ I¡¯m going there right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh my.¡±


    Chizu blinked in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re going to Baron Hanabishi¡¯s place? Are you interested?¡± she said with a smile of satisfaction. ¡°I hope he¡¯s not a good-for-nothing on the inside like Danna-sama.¡±


    Without responding to that, Suzuko said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get ready,¡± and returned to her room.


    Woo new project!! Hope this one doesn¡¯t get licensed too


    Also I know the translated title isn¡¯t the best so I¡¯m considering just using the romaji

 CH 1.2

    Her kimono was apricot-colored silk crepe with a pattern of undyed white roses, and it was matched with a dyed obi with butterflies drawn in the Art Nouveau style. She chose a fresh green color, the base color of the obi, for the obiage and obijime. The neckpiece was embroidered with roses, and the fastener was a silverwork butterfly inlaid with an emerald. Her haori was salmon-colored with a pattern of roses that seemed to overflow, and the bottom was a pale chartreuse dyed in gradations. All these kimonos and jewelry were the preferences of Chizu and her sisters.


    When Suzuko went outside, she must not dress shabbily because she was carrying the name of the Takigawas on her back. That was what they told her. That was what they called appearances for the nobility. It took extraordinary finances to maintain it. That was why noble families with difficult circumstances formed familial relationships with conglomerates and nouveau riche. Even this emerald came from her half-sister¡¯s marriage. The Takigawa family¡¯s ¡°front¡± couldn¡¯t come up with that kind of money. The ¡°front¡± was where the household finances were managed, and where assets were managed and invested. Even her father couldn¡¯t use the assets of the family without permission, but since he was borrowing money in the name of the Marquis everywhere, the people of the ¡°front¡± had no choice but to clean up after his mess. So, they had to tighten the purse strings in other areas.


    Suzuko stared at the emerald on her fastener and suddenly recalled the gemstone on Viscountess Murotsuji¡¯s ring. That pale yellow-green gemstone was most likely an emerada, a synthetic gemstone. Synthetic gemstones were inexpensive imported items that were appreciated in this time of recession, and although they were in fashion, it was somewhat strange that a member of the nobility, who cared about her appearance, would wear it in public. But it wasn¡¯t any of Suzuko¡¯s business if she wore that synthetic gemstone because she liked it.


    As she sat in front of her mirror and had her hair done by a maid, she thought about the viscountess¡¯s ring and the geisha ghost. Her hair was braided at the back, coiled at the nape of her neck and tied with a wide ribbon. The ribbons popular with young girls these days were mainly those made of French silk. Wider ones were preferred, so much so that women¡¯s schools were said to have restrictions on widths. The ribbon Suzuko chose today was green. The ribbon, which seemed to reflect the fresh greenery of this season, looked lively even in the mirror. Her attendant, Taka, often bemoaned that Suzuko lacked the artless innocence of a maiden, so she thought she would look somewhat sprightlier with a ribbon like this in her hair.


    Finally, she put on her English-made white lace gloves. This was due to a burn-like scar on the back of her left hand, so she always wore them whenever she went out. Even Suzuko didn¡¯t know when or where she got the wound. That probably meant it was a wound she got before she could remember.


    Just as she took her sea-green parasol in hand, her attendant, Taka, arrived. She was a woman in her forties, wearing a striped meisen silk kimono. She was an old maid assigned to Suzuko by her grandfather to teach her, who didn¡¯t know the first thing about how a young lady should behave. She mercilessly hammered etiquette into Suzuko, and now she was able to act relatively like a young lady on the surface. She would nag her to use ¡°gozaimasu¡± instead of ¡°desu,¡± and to use ¡°moushiwake gozaimasen¡± or ¡°osoreirimasu¡± instead of ¡°sumimasen.¡±1 Suzuko, who used to listen to her seriously in the beginning, now spoke in a more informal manner at home and talked back to Taka. She was scolded for her vulgarity in clearly speaking her mind, but when she shot back, ¡°Then you should just keep a doll in my place,¡± even Taka gave up and no longer said anything about it anymore.


    ¡°It¡¯s improper for a young lady to visit a gentleman¡¯s mansion alone.¡±


    When she said she was going to the Hanabishi estate, Taka had said so with a sharp look in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be alone. You¡¯ll be with me, after all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not proper for you to visit a gentleman. It would be better if the young masters were with you.¡±


    ¡°My brothers won¡¯t be here until Saturday afternoon. Besides, they must be busy. We can take Kirino with us, as usual.¡±


    Kirino was a manservant. He was the young man she took along with her whenever she went to listen to ghost stories.


    Taka sighed exaggeratedly, but finally answered, ¡°Understood.¡± She didn¡¯t think well of Suzuko¡¯s collecting of ghost stories either.


    Since she had the whole day, she rode to the Hanabishi estate in Kojimachi in an automobile. Daughters of the nobility didn¡¯t walk around aimlessly. She heard that automobiles were less expensive to maintain than horse-drawn carriages, but Suzuko still felt restless and impatient about not walking on her own two feet.


    The weather outside was clear and sunny, a complete change from the other day. There were many people out and about in this pleasant weather. This tranquil scene in the city made it hard to believe that until the beginning of spring, there was a severe epidemic raging in the city.


    The epidemic that had been spreading around the world during the war had spread to the Empire as well in 1918, and it was commonly called the ¡°Spanish influenza¡± or ¡°the bad cold.¡± The first outbreak occurred from the fall of Year 7 to the spring of Year 8, followed by a second epidemic from the end of Year 8 to the spring of Year 9. The number of deaths was so great that cremations couldn¡¯t be carried out in time, and the newspapers were filled with death notices framed in black. Of course, Suzuko wasn¡¯t allowed to go outside during that time. Color posters endorsing masks and gargling were put up on street corners, and people also began to gargle carefully with salt water in the morning and evening. She didn¡¯t know if the threat had passed or if the epidemic would return in winter. So she wasn¡¯t entirely at ease, but seeing the people around her regaining normalcy relieved her mind.


    ¡°I thought Baron Hanabishi was in Yokohama? Will he be in Kojimachi when we visit him there?¡±


    Taka was doubtful, but Suzuko had a hunch. Takafuyu would be there. He was waiting for Suzuko, who heard about the marriage proposal, to march in to ask what was going on.


    That was what she felt. Suzuko¡¯s intuition had never been wrong.


    The Kojimachi and Akasaka neighborhoods were home to many residences of the nobility. Of the urban area surrounding the imperial palace, the small hills from north to west, including Kojimachi and Akasaka, were the so-called ¡°Yamanote¡± area. When one went down the mountains, one ended up in Shitamachi, and Akasaka, where the Takigawa estate was located, was Yamanote, but Tamachi and other areas were Shitamachi. As the name indicated, ¡°Yamanote¡± was the area on the mountains, on higher ground.


    When Tokyo was Edo, the residences of hatamoto and the main and spare residences of feudal lords lined the Yamanote area, but they were all confiscated by the government in the Meiji era and turned into government and military land. They became government offices, residences for officials, and parade grounds. However, since the unused houses were left to fall into disrepair, the tiled walls collapsed, the mansions decayed, or were dismantled and carried away before that happened, and all that remained were weeds. In the early Meiji period, the abandoned residential areas were left to go to ruin and in terrible states. When the government tried to sell the land, there were no buyers. As the world settled down, the number of residents increased, and the area regained its liveliness and became what it was today. Suzuko couldn¡¯t picture this area as a desolate field, but she had heard about it from the old man she used to live with when she was in Asakusa.


    The Hanabishi estate in Kojimachi wasn¡¯t an extremely large building, but it was a magnificent Western-style mansion. It was a two-story brick building with red brick walls covered with ivy. The corners of the building and the frames around the windows were made of white granite and had the Hanabishi crest carved into them. The entrance door and stained-glass windows were also decorated with the Hanabishi crest.


    The Takigawa estate had both a large Western-style house and a traditional Japanese house, so Suzuko was surprised by the magnificent house, but compared to the dignified stateliness of the Takigawa mansion, this one had a strong sense of fashion consciousness. Even though they¡¯re both Western-style mansions, there are differences between them, she felt.


    However, perhaps it was the ivy covering the walls that made it seem strangely gloomy. Or perhaps it was because of Suzuko¡¯s mindset.


    Even though she hadn¡¯t announced her visit, the gatekeeper promptly opened the gates just as the car approached. In front of the door, a young man dressed in a steward¡¯s uniform stood there as if welcoming them. The car carrying Suzuko stopped at the porch, and a manservant opened the door. When Suzuko got out of the car, the steward bowed and said, ¡°We have been waiting for you,¡± without asking her identity. From his appearance, he was still in his twenties, but he had the composure of someone past middle age. If he weren¡¯t so young, she would have assumed he was a butler.


    The entrance door with beautiful stained glass on the top part opened.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Takafuyu greeted her casually. He was wearing a light gray suit today. ¡°I thought you would be arriving soon.¡±


    How should she answer? As if searching for it, Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu¡¯s face. He had a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes were unreadable.


    ¡°Please, come in.¡±


    The entrance hall she was invited into had a vaulted ceiling, and bright sunlight was pouring in. Suddenly, there was a faint fragrance, and Suzuko looked around. There were doors on either side and a staircase in the corner at the end. There seemed to be a corridor on the other side. The rooms to the left and right were probably the public rooms like parlors, and the end of the corridor was probably the inner parts of the house. The fragrance seemed to be wafting from the back of the house. The smell was invisible to the eye, so it was entirely Suzuko¡¯s intuition.


    ¡°The lady¡¯s attendant, please come this way.¡±


    When the steward indicated the door on the left, Taka raised her eyebrows as if to say, Preposterous.


    ¡°I shall stay with my lady.¡±


    Suzuko couldn¡¯t be alone with a man. The steward looked at Takafuyu as if looking for instructions. Takafuyu looked at Suzuko.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t come here just to have tea with me, I presume. I intended for us to speak candidly with each other, not merely probing.¡±


    Suzuko turned to Taka and said firmly, ¡°Please leave me alone.¡± When she got like that, even the nagging Taka didn¡¯t cross the line. She only let out a small sigh.


    ¡°Please come this way,¡± Takafuyu said and started walking. He was going the direction of the fragrance. When they turned the corner at the end of the hall, there really was a corridor there. The scent got stronger. Without a doubt, it was the fragrance she had smelled the other day. They walked down the corridor, and Takafuyu stopped in front of the door of one of the rooms.


    ¡°¨D¨DDo you smell it?¡±


    Takafuyu asked, and Suzuko looked up at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same scent I smelled when we first met a few days ago¡­¡±


    Takafuyu nodded without saying a word. His smile was gone. He opened the door. The strong, intoxicating scent filled the air, and Suzuko covered her nose with her sleeve. She had thought it was an elegant and refreshing scent, but here it was so strong that it was indeed suffocating.


    On the other side of the door was a Western-style room about eight tatami mats large. The floor was covered in mosaic tiles, and the walls were also tiled. The room was dimly lit because of the extreme small and high windows, which were round stained-glass windows that depicted the Hanabishi crest. The only furnishings in the room were a shelf by the wall and a small table in the center with an incense burner on it. Peonies were painted on the incense burner. She wondered if the scent was coming from there, but there was no smoke. It seemed that it hadn¡¯t been lit.


    ¡°This is an Iro-Nabeshima incense burner.2 It is custom-made.¡±


    Takafuyu pointed at the incense burner, but Suzuko didn¡¯t quite understand.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t accept it unless it¡¯s of the finest quality.¡±


    ¡°She?¡±


    ¡°You saw her the other day, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­The ¡®jourou¡¯?¡±


    Takafuyu smiled a thin smile.


    ¡°Precisely.¡±


    ¡°Is that thing a ghost?¡±


    ¡°She will get cross if you call her ¡®that thing.¡¯ She is prideful. After all, she¡¯s a jourou.¡±


    ¡°Is that jourou a ghost, sir?¡±


    She rephrased her question. Takafuyu tilted his head a little.


    ¡°Rather than a ghost, she¡¯s a vengeful spirit.¡±


    ¡°A vengeful spirit¡­¡±


    Suzuko recalled the appearance of that jourou who ate the ghost.


    ¡°This will be a bit of a long story,¡± Takafuyu said, then turned his gaze to the incense burner. ¡°I told you before that the Hanabishi family served as the chief priests of a shrine. A shrine on Awaji Island. Have you ever traveled to Awaji Island? It is a beautiful place. Let me show you around sometime. It is quicker to go by train, but a boat trip is also nice. Do you get seasick?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t what we¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ""


    ¡°Then, we shall discuss that later. Yes¡ªwe are the chief priests of a shrine on Awaji Island. Apparently, we were the lords of the island in ancient times, but because it was an important point on the sea route, it was placed under the imperial family¡¯s rule at an early date. We offered fragrant woods that drifted ashore to the emperor. That is why the island has been connected to the imperial family for a long time. And that island was also an island where nobles were exiled to. Such as the dethroned emperor of Awaji¡­Emperor Junnin, as well as Prince Sawara.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know either of those names. Her tutor had given her a general history lesson, but she didn¡¯t remember it. But she did know they were nobles because they were an emperor and a prince.


    ¡°Even if they were exiled, they were nobles, so they couldn¡¯t be left alone. There must be someone to take care of them. So, a woman of the Hanabishi clan performed that role. Emperor Junnin died on the island, and Prince Sawara died before reaching the island, but such souls would go wild. Particularly Prince Sawara, who turned into a dreadful vengeful spirit. The role of consoling them also fell to a woman of the Hanabishi clan. As a miko.¡±


    ¡°Miko¡­¡±


    ¡°For these kinds of things, there are regulations for everyone. It¡¯s all written down in texts like the Engi-Shiki.3 They are called the ¡®mikannoko.¡¯ It is written with the characters ¡®Óù¡¯ (on) and the ¡®Îס¯ in Î×Å®. It means ¡®child of god.¡¯ So, from generation to generation, the women of the Hanabishi clan served as mikannoko to appease the vengeful spirits associated with Awaji Island. However¡­¡±


    Takafuyu pointed to the incense burner.


    ¡°At some point, there was a reversal.¡±


    ¡°Reversal?¡±


    ¡°The one who was supposed to appease ghosts have become a vengeful ghost herself.¡±


    Suzuko blinked her eyes.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    She sounded na?ve, like a small child. Takafuyu suddenly smiled, and she looked away.


    ¡°We don¡¯t exactly know why it happened. The mikannoko goes to the imperial court once a year, and it is said that she was killed on the way there. She was carrying fragrant wood to offer to the court, so there are stories that say she was attacked by pirates or betrayed by court officials. In any case, the mikannoko was killed, and her blood soaked into the wood. The emperor lamented her death and conferred the third rank onto her, but the mikannoko turned into a vengeful spirit and possessed the wood¡ªthat¡¯s how the story goes.¡±


    Suzuko looked at the incense burner. ¡°In other words, that vengeful spirit is from the Hanabishi family.¡±


    ¡°Correct. The legend suggests that the Hanabishi clan has its own personal trading network, which feels quite suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Suzuko tilted her head.


    ¡°That fragrant wood is called agarwood, and it isn¡¯t produced in Japan. The fact that we could offer it to the imperial court once a year meant that we must have obtained it through trade, since we couldn¡¯t wait for it to drift ashore once in a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Takafuyu smiled wryly.


    ¡°Agarwood is very precious and expensive.¡±


    Suzuko was getting increasingly confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s wood, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Is that expensive?¡±


    ""


    ¡°Considerably.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t really understand the things valued by the nobility, she thought.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t even eat it¡­¡± she murmured without thinking. Takafuyu took a breath and laughed out loud.


    ¡°Haha. You¡¯re right.¡±


    She was a little surprised to hear his unexpectedly bright laughter. Suzuko cleared her throat.


    ¡°So, do you mean that the vengeful spirit of the Hanabishi clan woman was the jourou I saw the other day?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she was.¡±


    ¡°It looked to me as if that jourou had eaten that ghost.¡±


    ¡°That is the crux of my story.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°She eats ghosts. That vengeful spirit eats ghosts, so perhaps it is cannibalism. Or perhaps not. Well, putting that aside, she eats them.¡±


    ¡°Why does she¡­¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Takafuyu said matter-of-factly. ¡°We don¡¯t know, but that¡¯s the way it is. So we, the descendants of the Hanabishi clan, must feed her.¡±


    ¡°Feed¡ª¡± In other words, Suzuko understood. ¡°In other words, you give her ghosts?¡±


    Was that the scene I saw the other day?


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Takafuyu nodded strangely happily. ¡°It¡¯s helpful that you understand so quickly.¡±


    Suzuko could understand because she could see the whole thing from beginning to end.


    ¡°The Hanabishi clan must find ghosts and give them to her. Otherwise, we will be cursed.¡±


    ¡°Cursed¡­even though you¡¯re from the same clan?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯re from the same clan. She¡¯s pestering us to fulfill our role. If we don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°What will happen?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll die,¡± Takafuyu turned his head to the side and gave a sad smile for a moment. ¡°They all died. My grandfather, parents, older brother.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Suzuko furrowed her brow and clasped her lace-gloved hands together.


    ¡°My grandfather and the others, well, there was a time when they fed her properly, but then there was something like a family quarrel. They couldn¡¯t focus on feeding her anymore. And then, they died. I don¡¯t know to what extent they were cursed, but that¡¯s the way it is with curses, you know.¡±


    Takafuyu smiled a cold, thin smile.


    ¡°In the past, there was a move to exorcise her because she was a vengeful spirit, but there was a setback. She couldn¡¯t be exorcised. ¡ª¡ªWell, I¡¯ve told you many things, but what I want you to understand now is that you have no choice but to accept marriage with me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± She asked in a harsh tone, but Takafuyu just smiled like he wasn¡¯t going to answer her at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s because she chose you. Now that you¡¯ve been chosen, you can¡¯t escape from her anyway.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°You can smell a scent, can¡¯t you? Even though there¡¯s no incense burning. She has taken a liking to you. She chooses the wives of the heads of the Hanabishi family. It has to be someone she likes. Perhaps it is because you can see ghosts. Please see this as fate and give up.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­eh? Wait, what are you¡ª¡±


    She chose me to become the bride of the head of the Hanabishi family.


    Suzuko¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t keep up. Finding Takafuyu¡¯s faint smile eerie, she backed up. He immediately took her left hand.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t a bad match for the Takigawa family, either. Your father would be glad to have more financial support. Your brother, the heir to the family, is, contrary to your father, a very upright man. I heard he works for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I¡¯ve met him before. We got along quite well, actually. I haven¡¯t yet met your second brother, who works in the Ministry of the Imperial Household, but I have heard of him. Your brothers are reliable and secure.¡±


    At this rate, he must have been researching the Takigawa family inside out. Suzuko brushed off his hand and glared at him.


    ¡°When you look at me with those eyes, I¡¯m afraid that you might see right through me.¡±


    Takafuyu said, his face showing no signs of fear. In fact, Suzuko was the one who was horrified by what he said next.


    ¡°The name ¡®The Clairvoyant Girl of Asakusa¡¯ suits you well, I see.¡±


    Before she could think, her body was moving. Suzuko spun around and ran to the door. Just when she grabbed the doorknob, her hand was pressed down from above.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡±


    The soft, gentle tone of his voice was even more frightening.


    ¡°I have no intention of revealing your true identity to the world. It would be very troublesome if it were known that the Senrigan Girl who caused a sensation at that time was settled into a noble family, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­How did you find out?¡±


    ¡°An old friend of mine is a newspaper reporter. But, I was only half guessing, tricking you into revealing the truth. I was trying to connect the Psychic Girl who suddenly disappeared six years ago to you, who can see ghosts. No one could have connected you two unless they knew you have that power. And there are no photographs left behind.¡±


    Before being taken in by the Takigawa family, Suzuko worked as a ¡°clairvoyant.¡± Clairvoyance (senrigan)4 referred to the power to see a thousand ri into the distance, and specifically, to mysterious abilities such as guessing what was happening at a distance, to seeing through hidden things, and putting images on photographic plates through sheer willpower¡ªbeing able to do thoughtography. Around the end of the Meiji period, a woman who claimed to possess such abilities appeared and became the talk of the town. The uproar, which excited the public and involved scholars and intellectuals, ended with a bad aftertaste with the deaths of two clairvoyant women, and subsequently disappeared.


    In Suzuko¡¯s case, she didn¡¯t see through things or do thoughtography. She simply guessed the other person¡¯s past or found what they were looking for. Even so, she gained quite a reputation. It was probably because she was a child, not yet old enough to know what she was doing. The reason she was able to do such things was because the ghosts told her. However, she also used more deceptive methods, such as guessing from the other person¡¯s words, actions, or appearance.


    ¡°The reason this old friend of mine remembered the Clairvoyant Girl who disappeared six years ago was because they remembered an incident that happened around that time. There was an unsolved massacre in an Asakusa slum. Three poor people were killed. They were the ones using the Clairvoyant Girl to make money. And from that day on, the Clairvoyant Girl disappeared¡­¡±


    A smile appeared on Takafuyu¡¯s lips, but his eyes weren¡¯t smiling.


    ¡°If it was revealed that you are the Clairvoyant Girl, it would create more trouble than just a mere scandal, wouldn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t know what that would be, though.¡±


    Suzuko bit her lip.


    ¡°Is that, by any chance, the reason you collect ghost stories? Of course, if you don¡¯t want to tell me, I won¡¯t pry any further.¡±


    Takafuyu removed Suzuko¡¯s weak hand from the doorknob and released it. He smiled gently.


    ¡°Now, let me ask you once again. Will you marry me?¡±


    He¡¯s an asura wearing the mask of a gentle bodhisattva, Suzuko thought.


    After visiting the Hanabishi estate, Suzuko¡¯s days became depressing. The Takigawa estate suddenly became busy with their regular merchants from kimono fabrics shops and jewelers arriving with smiling faces. They were there to place orders for wedding clothes and trousseaus.


    Suzuko was going to be married to Takafuyu.


    She had no other choice after what she was told. It was a threat wrapped in silk.


    Since permission from the Minister of the Imperial Household was required for a noble¡¯s marriage, the ministry had to be consulted, but since both families were nobility, it was unlikely that they wouldn¡¯t be allowed to marry.


    Staring at the commotion around her as if it was happening to someone else, Suzuko¡¯s face was gloomy.


    ¡°It¡¯s natural to get depressed before you get married,¡± her older half-sister, Yukiko, said with a self-satisfied expression.


    ¡°We¡¯ll pick for you, Suzu-chan, so you can rest,¡± Asako, her other half-sister, said happily as she spread out the fabrics on the tatami. The two of them were twins. Their faces were identical, but not so much that they were completely indistinguishable.


    ¡°For these kinds of things, it¡¯s much more fun to pick for someone else than for yourself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you can pick without any responsibility.¡±


    They were speaking however they liked. Her two sisters visited more frequently than before when they learned that Suzuko¡¯s marriage had been decided. Suzuko had no idea what to choose, whether it was for her wedding clothes or her trousseau, so they were a great help.


    ¡°Will the ceremony be held at the Imperial Hotel?¡±


    ¡°The announcement tea ceremony and banquet will be held at the Peers¡¯ Club.5 The ceremony will be held somewhere else, I¡¯ve heard. You see, it¡¯s a shrine family, after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, don¡¯t tell me that it¡¯s going to be at the shrine on Awaji Island?¡±


    ¡°How will it be?¡±


    Asked by her sisters, Suzuko answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± In fact, she truly didn¡¯t know.


    Wedding ceremonies nowadays had shifted from holding the ceremony at home to being Shinto weddings. The first Shinto wedding ceremony took place when the current emperor was still the crown prince. This influence led to the creation of a form of Shinto wedding at Hibiya Grand Shrine in the same year.6 This led to the popularization of the simplified Shinto wedding ceremony among the general public.


    For the nobility, they must also announce the marriage to their friends and acquaintances in addition to the ceremony. Because of the large number of people, it was divided into a tea ceremony and banquet. Just thinking about it made Suzuko feel weary.


    ¡°Let¡¯s elaborate on the embroidery for the bridal robe. Gold and silver embroidery with uprooted young pines will do. The lining should definitely be red. An elegant vermillion. For this kind of thing, it¡¯s lovely to make it look old-fashioned. As for your hair, you¡¯re going to wear it in the shimada style, so we must have good quality tortoiseshell hairpins made for you.¡±


    ¡°I think it would be more auspicious to use tortoise shells and cranes.7 Perhaps we should also make fukusa with a pattern of pine, bamboo, and plum.8 And we must order plenty of lined and unlined kimonos to be made.¡±


    Perhaps because her sisters were about ten years older than Suzuko, they treated her like a nice-looking dress-up doll from the time she was taken in. They both told her happily, ¡°We wanted a cute little sister.¡± ¡°But we only have little brothers who aren¡¯t cute in the slightest.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, Sisters.¡±


    The two ¡°little brothers who aren¡¯t cute in the slightest¡± had come to the tatami room where Suzuko and the others were in. The overserious-looking young man was the heir, Yoshitada, and the sullen-looking young man was the second son, Yoshimi. Today was Sunday, a public holiday, so the two men who worked for the government were also staying at the estate.


    ¡°The trousseau shouldn¡¯t be too lavish, lest it creates a great stir.¡±


    ¡°Yoshitada-san, you never stop saying dull things, do you.¡±


    ¡°The heir has a lot to deal with, poor thing.¡±


    Yoshitada sighed. He was used to this kind of treatment.


    ¡°I¡¯m against it.¡± The one who said that was Yoshimi. Both Yoshitada and Yoshimi were handsome young men, but Yoshitada resembled their father and Yoshimi resembled his mother, Chizu. However, it was only in face, and the two of them didn¡¯t resemble them at all in personality.


    ¡°Oh, Yoshimi-san, do you prefer a lavish trousseau then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that,¡± Yoshimi frowned when Yukiko asked him. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Suzuko¡¯s marriage to the Hanabishi family. There¡¯s something strange about them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t want to hear that from us, though.¡±


    Yukiko said, and Asako laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me,¡± Yoshimi said, irritated. Somehow, Suzuko had the feeling that of all her siblings, Yoshimi was the closest to her in nature.


    ¡°Three generations of that family died in succession, and the second son who was sent out as an adopted child was summoned back to inherit the title. On top of that, even his mother died.¡±


    ¡°Even in our family, Yoshitada-san¡¯s mother and Suzu-chan¡¯s mother also died young. A lot of people also died during the recent influenza outbreak. People die more easily than you think,¡± Asako replied unexpectedly calmly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Yukiko agreed solemnly. ¡°Several employees at my husband¡¯s company had passed away. They were at the prime of their careers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, that¡¯s not the issue,¡± Yoshimi scratched his head. ¡°I don¡¯t like that baron. He¡¯s fishy.¡±


    Yoshimi and Suzuko really were close in sensibility.


    Yukiko laughed lightly.


    ¡°Yoshimi-san, you don¡¯t like him because he¡¯ll take your little sister away from you. You said the same thing when Asa-chan and I got married.¡±


    ¡°No, it was different with you¡ª¡±


    ¡°You probably just don¡¯t like merchants,¡± Yoshitada said. He was extremely weak against his two older sisters, but he spoke considerably firmly to Yoshimi and Suzuko.


    ¡°Baron Hanabishi was sent out as an adopted child and raised in a merchant family, so he is a shrewd man of the world. However, he isn¡¯t a man who is only good on the surface. He is a thoughtful person. I know him personally, so I can vouch for his character.¡±


    Yoshitada-oniisama is so good-natured.


    Suzuko thought as she looked at Yoshitada¡¯s serious face. Perhaps it was because he had grown up without any difficulties, but when he heard about other people¡¯s hardships and tragedies, he sympathized with them and tended to be partial to them. She was worried that he might fall for a scam in the future. Suzuko wasn¡¯t the only one who thought it would be better for him to get a wife of firm character as soon as possible.


    ¡°I think Suzuko would be better off with someone broad-minded like that, rather than someone who only has a good pedigree and doesn¡¯t know the ways of the world.¡±


    I was half-threatened and forced to agree to this marriage, though.


    Could that be called broad-minded? She was sure that Takafuyu was a worldly man, though.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, you don¡¯t look happy. Are you not willing to get married?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think you should think about your own marriage rather than mine, Onii-sama.¡±


    Instantly, Yoshitada¡¯s behavior became suspicious. His gaze wandered around. ¡°N-Not yet for me. I¡¯ll get married when I¡¯m thirty or forty.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, Yoshitada-san, you should consider the feelings of your future wife. For the heir to the Takigawa family, your future wife must be a young maiden. She would be marrying an old man who¡¯s thirty or forty years old.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Yoshitada was at a loss as to how to respond to Asako¡¯s words. ¡°Marriage is a hassle,¡± Yoshimi said and turned away. Both of them were unmotivated to get involved with women because they had watched their inconstant father.


    ""


    ¡°Yoshitada-san, come to Karuizawa this summer. I¡¯ll introduce you to the younger sister of my husband¡¯s school friend.¡±


    ¡°No need for that, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Yoshimi-san seems to have a keen nose, so he¡¯ll be fine, but I¡¯m worried about you. You might get deceived by a bad woman.¡±


    I agree, Yoshimi and Suzuko both nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡ªenough talking about me. You were discussing Suzuko¡¯s wedding preparations.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I wonder how we came to this topic.¡±


    Yoshitada flipped through some of the design books and catalogues on the low table. ¡°What¡¯s this? A ring? Is that even necessary?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s mine,¡± Asako took the design book from his hands. ¡°I was thinking about buying one for summer.¡±


    ¡°Business must be going well for you.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully,¡± Asako laughed. Sketches of cool jade and crystal rings filled the book. Each was as delicate and beautiful as a Japanese-style painting.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll get a jade ring to go with my obi fastener. Jade and pink tourmaline are still popular for fasteners, but not so trendy either. Diamonds are too stuffy-looking for summer. I don¡¯t like them too much, they¡¯re too glaring.¡±


    ¡°I heard that diamond rings sold very well during the boom years of the war. That must be why you don¡¯t want them anymore, Asa-chan.¡±


    How contrary, Yukiko laughed. Asako shrugged.


    ¡°Well, I must admit that is the case. But since it¡¯s my birthstone, I think I¡¯ll own one at least.¡±


    ¡°Birthstone?¡± Yoshitada, who wasn¡¯t familiar with jewelry, tilted his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s your gemstone that¡¯s determined according to your birth month. It was started by Mitsukoshi, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t it originate in America? Mitsukoshi adopted it and turned it into a business.¡±


    In 1913, rings that used birthstones were introduced into the market under the name ¡°The Twelve Months Rings.¡± They were sold by the Mitsukoshi Draper¡¯s Shop. That company thought up all sorts of business ideas.


    ¡°There are also synthetic birthstones. Do you know about them?¡± Yukiko asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re called hope birthstones,¡± Asako immediately replied. When it came to ornaments, there was no one in this family more knowledgeable than Asako. There was no doubt that she was Chizu¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°Synthetic gemstones are imported and cheap, right? They aren¡¯t things for nobility to wear.¡±


    Yoshitada¡¯s face said, I know that much. Asako laughed.


    ¡°Just because they¡¯re cheap, it doesn¡¯t mean they are no good, Yoshitada-san. You wear them, so it¡¯s fine if you like them.¡±


    ¡°Synthetic gemstones are trendy, they¡¯re popular, Yoshitada-san,¡± Yukiko said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell gemstones apart, so don¡¯t be so careless as to say that in public. The ring worn by the lady in front of you might be that type of jewelry.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say it¡­¡±


    Yoshitada looked tired after being verbally attacked by his two sisters because he inadvertently mentioned jewelry. He would probably never broach the subject ever again. Since Yoshimi knew this very well, he never cut in at times like this.


    While listening to the talk about synthetic gemstones, Suzuko recalled the ghost at the Murotsuji estate again.


    ¡°I wonder if there have been any geisha murders recently.¡± She had meant to murmur that in her head, but she spoke it out loud.


    ¡°Eh, no, what? A geisha was murdered?¡±


    Both Yukiko and Asako frowned.


    ¡°I think it happened about half a month ago,¡± It was Yoshimi who answered. He was flipping through a catalogue, looking bored. ¡°It was a geisha in Akasaka. It was in the newspapers. I don¡¯t remember if it was a robbery or a crime of passion, though.¡±


    ¡°Then, was the culprit caught?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think they were caught?¡±


    ¡°¡­Was she killed in Akasaka?¡±


    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t remember the details. Read the newspapers.¡±


    ¡°But ¡®half a month ago¡¯ is too broad.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so persistent. I remember reading about it in the morning paper the day after we all went flower viewing.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Suzuko retraced her memories. What day was it when they all went to see the cherry blossoms? Before she could remember it, Asako gave the answer.


    ¡°We went flower viewing on Saturday, April tenth. We were talking about how the cherry blossoms would be on full bloom on an auspicious day,9 how it was a warm and a perfect day for flower viewing. We dressed Suzu-chan in a sakura-colored kimono with a scale-patterned obi and talked about what an adorable Musume Dojoji she made.10 And after that, Yoshitada-san drank too much and got drunk.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to remember unnecessary things, Asako-neesan,¡± Yoshitada had a sullen look on his face.


    So, the article appeared on the following day, the eleventh. Suzuko wondered if they still had it.


    ¡°Old newspapers have many uses, so we probably still have it. Ask Ofuku,¡± Yukiko said. Ofuku was the head maid.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask her,¡± Suzuko stood up. Her siblings looked at each other.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not getting interested in strange things again,¡± Yoshimi said. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re just reading the article, but don¡¯t do anything scary.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ghost stories and murders and the like are dangerous.¡±


    Asako and Yukiko both said. Suzuko¡¯s sisters were understanding of her, but they frowned upon her hobby of collecting ghost stories. They were worried about her.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get the newspaper from Ofuku,¡± Yoshitada stood up. ¡°And that will be the end of it. Don¡¯t tell us that you want to go to the house where the murder took place.¡±


    ""


    ¡°¡­I wouldn¡¯t say that, though¡­¡±


    She mumbled, and Yoshitada said in a big-brotherly way, ¡°That¡¯s a promise,¡± and left the room.

 CH 1.3

    Just as Yoshimi remembered, the article appeared in the morning paper of the eleventh. The article reported that Koman, a geisha in Akasaka, had her throat slit with a sharp object in her home and breathed her last while covered in blood. The article suggested that it was a robbery, since there was no murder weapon and the room appeared to have been ransacked.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t an article you should read,¡± Yoshitada knitted his brows and picked up the newspaper. With a murder case like this, articles were written in a sensational manner, bloodier and more exaggerated to attract the reader¡¯s attention. This article had a large headline with the words ¡°Sea of blood.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if the culprit hadn¡¯t been caught. Because I¡¯m sure Yoshimi-oniisama would have remembered it.¡±


    With such a shocking article, it would have been treated as a big deal if the culprit had been caught. Yoshitada sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business whether or not they¡¯re caught. Forget about it.¡±


    Suzuko looked up at his face.


    ¡°Oniisama, do you not care if someone from a lower class is cruelly slaughtered?¡±


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°You said it¡¯s none of my business. You don¡¯t care whether one or two geishas are killed or whether or not their killer is caught, do you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel sorry for the deceased geisha? What a tragedy that she¡¯s killed in such a horrible manner.¡±


    ¡°Well, of course I feel sorry for her. It is a tragedy.¡±


    ¡°Then aren¡¯t you at least concerned about whether or not the culprit was caught? That¡¯s what empathy is all about.¡±


    ¡°Mm, yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Oniisama, you know someone in the police, right? Why don¡¯t you ask them?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Me?¡±


    After staring at her brother¡¯s face, Suzuko lowered her eyes. Sadly.


    ¡°Okay. A schoolmate of mine from university works at the police department, so I¡¯ll ask him.¡±


    Yoshitada left to make the call.


    I really am worried that my older brother will get easily tricked by a bad woman.


    The culprit wasn¡¯t caught.


    The incident took place at a small geisha parlor in Tameike-cho, Akasaka Ward, where four geisha and the proprietress lived. One night, one of the geisha, a twenty-year-old named Koman, real name Yamai Kane, was found dead with blood flowing from her throat when the proprietress and the others returned home. The group had planned to go see the cherry blossoms that day, but Kane said she didn¡¯t feel well, so the others left her behind at home.


    ¡°Kane was a very pitiful girl. She was from a village in the mountains of Aizu, but everyone in the village died from the flu from before. The whole village was wiped out. Naturally, so did her family. Mountain villages are isolated places, so things like this happen.¡±


    Yoshitada spoke in a tone of genuine sympathy.


    ¡°Since then, the others tried to take Kane out to see the cherry blossoms, partly to raise her spirits. Apparently, the proprietress was terribly sorry that she had left Kane all alone.¡±


    ¡°The newspaper said it might have been a robbery¡­but is that true?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I don¡¯t think they would tell us about something that¡¯s currently being investigated, even if we¡¯re friends.¡±


    Suzuko nodded. Then, that person must be an acquaintance or close friends or something of the sort.


    ¡°I hope the culprit is caught soon. It would be unbearable if that didn¡¯t at least happen. Kane¡¯s soul will never rest.¡±


    Yoshitada sighed deeply. He didn¡¯t like talking about such things.


    A geisha with her throat slashed¡­


    The ghost of the woman with the bleeding throat she saw at the Murotsuji residence appeared in Suzuko¡¯s mind. The viscountess had said that she began to hear the sound of a shamisen about half a month ago. The incident also occurred about half a month ago. Was Kane that ghost?


    Suzuko thanked Yoshitada and retired to her room. After pondering for a while, she stood up with her lace gloves and parasol. ¡°Please get Taka for me,¡± she told a maid.


    ¡°Where are you planning to go?¡± Taka asked suspiciously after she arrived.


    ¡°I just want to take a walk.¡±


    ¡°You just want to take a walk?¡±


    ¡°I want to buy some sweets on the way, so I will ask Tsurumi-san for some money.¡±


    Tsurumi was the steward of the Takigawa family. He was now over sixty years old, but he was a capable steward who had been in charge of the ¡°front¡± since the time of the previous marquis. Whenever she wanted buy something, she would tell him what she was going to buy and receive a small amount of money.


    ¡°If you want sweets, then just order from your usual confectionery shop.¡±


    ¡°I want to buy something on my walk. That¡¯s what I¡¯m in the mood for.¡±


    ¡°Hanajirushi-sama.¡±


    Taka slowly called Suzuko, as though punctuating with a single word. ¡°Hanajirushi¡± (flower seal) referred to Suzuko. The seals used by the nobility used words like ¡°pine¡± (matsu) or ¡°plum¡± (ume) because they hesitated to call or write their names directly. Suzuko¡¯s belongings were marked with ¡°flower seal¡± or ¡°flower.¡± Yukiko was plum, Asako was peach, Yoshitada was pine, and Yoshimi was bamboo.


    Whenever Taka called her by this name, it was to say, ¡°You should be aware that you are a daughter of a noble family.¡±


    ¡°I understand what you want to say. I¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    Suzuko said, but Taka looked suspicious.


    Tameike-cho in Akasaka was so named because there was once a reservoir in the area. It was a name with no ingenuity, but it served to preserve the memory of the past.


    The pond was built in the early Edo period and was said to have been long, large, and narrow. It was part of the outer moat for Edo Castle and used for drinking water. The water quality must have been good enough for people to drink it. Koi carp and crucian carp from Lake Biwa and the Yodo River swam there, lotus flowers bloomed, and fireflies flitted about. The area became one of the most popular tourist spots, and naturally, tea houses were built around the area to cater to the tourists. The red-light district of Akasaka-Tamachi was formed along the pond.


    In the Meiji era, the reservoir was filled up and turned into a street where streetcars ran, and then a town. Tameike-cho was the name of the town. The Takigawa residence, located in Akasaka Ward, was relatively close by. The military facilities occupied a large area in Akasaka, and the Takigawa residence stood among other residences of the nobility and built during that time.


    Accompanied by Taka, Suzuko bought kneaded yokan1 at the confectionery shop that purveyed to the Takigawa family and then walked to Tameike-cho. The area from Tamachi to there was lined with restaurants and tea houses. Because of its proximity to government offices, Akasaka¡¯s red-light district served many high officials and military personnel. They gathered as guests at night. In the middle of the day, there were seedling peddlers and millet bonsai vendors2 who called in peculiar melodies while walking around, scrap collectors carrying long baskets on their backs, restaurant shop-boys running with wooden boxes, sleepy-looking geisha on their way to shamisen practice, and other such people came and went on the street. A streetcar flew along the rail, and a car crossed behind it. The sounds of children playing in tatami tenement houses vigorously overlapped the various sounds of the town.


    Even though May had only just begun, it was so hot today that even with a parasol, she could still feel the strong sunlight. Sweat beaded on her neck. The ground was sprinkled with water by the waterers in order to prevent dust, and a heat haze shimmered. There was the smell of fresh greenery.


    Since this was a walk, Suzuko wore her meisen silk everyday clothes instead of her best clothes. The sunlight slid over the smooth meisen fabric. The pale blue fabric with a large white arrow feather pattern was cool to the eye. In the morning, she chose this kimono because she expected that it would be hot today, and she was proven right.


    A car coming from behind suddenly slowed down and approached Suzuko. The number of automobiles had increased due to the economic boom due to the war, but this had also led to an increase in the number of automobile accidents. Suzuko moved to the side of the road since she found it frightening when a car passed near her. She also did that now, but was startled when the car came closer to her. It stopped near her. From the open window in the back seat, a voice called out, ¡°Suzuko-san!¡±


    It was Takafuyu. ¡°Did I startle you? My apologies. I saw you from behind, so I couldn¡¯t help but call out to you.¡±


    Suzuko took a step away from the car.


    ¡°Do you have need of me?¡±


    ¡°No, since this is the first time we¡¯ve seen each other in a while.¡±


    While putting on a fedora, Takafuyu got out of the car. ¡°Go back to the mansion,¡± he told the driver. He was wearing a sober silver-grey suit, but perhaps because it was hot, he had taken off his jacket and was carrying it under his arm. Black onyx cufflinks adorned the cuffs of his white shirt, a pearl pin adorned his navy tie, and a gold chain from his pocket watch ran from the buttonhole of his vest to his pocket. All of these items were understated but tasteful and suited him well.


    ¡°It¡¯s very hot today. Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking a walk.¡±


    ¡°Then, I shall accompany you.¡±


    ¡°Is there something you want to talk to me about?¡±


    ¡°There is, but we can talk about it next time. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Suzuko fell silent and walked ahead.


    ¡°Do you often take walks? They are good for your health, aren¡¯t they? You can also get a good idea of what the neighborhood is like. I grew up in Yokohama, so it¡¯s fun and unusual to go anywhere in Tokyo.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I remember my foster parents took me to the Asakusa Juunikai3 building. It will be the best time to see the wisteria at Hyoutan Pond soon. Shall we go see them? How about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Suzuko-san?¡±


    ¡°You said that we will talk next time, sir.¡±


    She said cuttingly, but Takafuyu smiled pleasantly. Suzuko, feeling like he knew what her answer would be and was speaking to her on purpose, felt sickened.


    What an unpleasant person.


    Without a doubt, he seemed to have a twisted personality. He was nothing like Yoshitada, and he was different from Yoshimi. When she was working as a clairvoyant, she saw many adults, but none of them were like him.


    ¡°I am not going to Asakusa,¡± Suzuko said firmly. Ever since the Takigawa family took her in, she had never set foot in Asakusa. Even when she tried to go there, her legs trembled and she just couldn¡¯t go.


    Takafuyu nodded lightly, still smiling.


    ¡°Then, let us drop the wisteria and go see the peonies in Azabu¡¯s Shouka Garden instead. Or would you prefer roses? For roses, it would be Choushun Garden in Mukojima.¡±


    Suzuko walked, completely ignoring Takafuyu. She turned off the street into a side street. There was a row of dumpling shops and restaurants with short curtains hanging from the eaves, and across the street were the row houses where servants from nearby mansions lived. The fragrant smell of cooked dumplings filled the air, and peddlers and rickshaw drivers were sitting on benches at the front of the shops, eating dumplings and relaxing.


    Takafuyu pointed forward from behind.


    ¡°The geisha parlor you are heading for is in the alley around the corner there.¡±


    Suzuko sighed and looked up at Takafuyu. ¡°You know everything, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I guess things right often.¡±


    ¡°You could be a good fortune teller.¡±


    Takafuyu smiled in amusement. ¡°With your endorsement, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Ojou-sama,¡± Taka called out to Suzuko from behind in a stifled voice. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    ¡°There is something I want to ask.¡±


    ¡°At a geisha parlor? That¡¯s absolutely preposterous. We¡¯re going home.¡±


    ¡°Baron Hanabishi is here too, so it should be fine.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t.¡±


    Despite the back-and-forth argument, Suzuko didn¡¯t stop walking. As they rounded the corner, Takafuyu spoke up.


    ¡°Oh, look, someone¡¯s coming out.¡±


    The alley was lined with compact single houses. There seemed to be a mix of stores and houses that didn¡¯t do any business, and signs were up for a pawn shop and a blacksmith. The alley was deserted, and only the clanging of metal could be heard from the blacksmith¡¯s shop, but Takafuyu was right: a girl of about seventeen or eighteen was coming out of one of the houses before them. Pots of morning glories, probably purchased from a morning glory seedling peddler, were placed under the eaves by the front door, adding a touch of elegance to the place. Suzuko wondered if this girl was a geisha. Her hair was tied up in the Tsubushi Shimada style and she looked neat and pretty, but there was a somewhat unrefined air about her.


    The girl was walking towards them, carrying something in a wrapping cloth as if she was going out for an errand. Suzuko stopped her.


    ¡°Pardon me, but are you from¡ªKoman-san¡¯s house?¡±


    The girl shrugged her shoulders as if frightened and looked at Suzuko. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for startling you. My name is Takigawa Suzuko. I¡¯m a daughter of the Takigawa family in Akasaka.¡±


    When she introduced herself, the girl¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Takigawa-san of Akasaka? Do you mean the marquis¡­? From that big mansion?¡±


    ¡°The marquis is my father. He continues to be deeply grateful to everyone here.¡±


    The girl laughed a little at Suzuko¡¯s words. It was a cute, amiable smile.


    ¡°I have never been invited to the marquis¡¯s mansion. But, I have heard rumors.¡±


    This seemed to relax the girl, and she introduced herself as Kotatsu and that she was one of the geishas who lived in the geisha parlor. For the first time in her life, Suzuko felt that her father had been helpful.


    ¡°But why is the daughter of the marquis here?¡±


    ¡°Please feel free to call me Suzuko. I was acquainted with Koman-san for a little while. I only recently found out that she has passed away, and though it is late, I thought I would at least offer some incense to her¡­could you please offer this to the spirit of the deceased?¡±


    Suzuko turned to Taka and signalled her with her eyes. Taka was carrying the yokan she had bought on the way here. Taka gave her a reproachful look, but handed the package of yokan to her. Suzuko would be given a stern lecture when she returned home.


    ¡°Wow! Yokan from Konno!¡± Neri yokan was a high-class delicacy. Kotatsu¡¯s eyes were shining. ¡°Thank you very much. Please, come in.¡±


    Kotatsu was about to turn back to the house when her eyes landed on Takafuyu, who was a short distance away from Suzuko. ¡°This is Baron Hanabishi,¡± Suzuko introduced him briefly.


    ¡°I know him. I have met the baron several times.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu¡¯s face as he approached. ¡°So you often come to Akasaka at night, I see.¡±


    ¡°I come here for dinners with business partners and entertaining government officials. It¡¯s all for work,¡± Takafuyu smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Hanabishi-san is very popular with the geisha,¡± Kotatsu said. Suzuko didn¡¯t know if she was being courteous or if she was telling the truth. ¡°Because he¡¯s so handsome and kind.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ¡®kind¡¯ means I spend a lot of money, yes?¡± Takafuyu laughed.


    ¡°The marquis is also very popular,¡± Kotatsu said to Suzuko like she was trying to be considerate. It was unnecessary consideration.


    ¡°You¡¯re running errands, right? Is it okay if we come in?¡± Suzuko said as she looked at the bundle Kotatsu was holding.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can do it later,¡± Kotatsu said as she turned to the door. I¡¯m just taking the ladies¡¯ kimono to the shikkaiya.¡±4


    ¡°Speaking of kimono, Koman-san had a dark purple kimono, if I remember correctly? It had a willow pattern.¡±


    Kotatsu stopped and looked back at Suzuko. Her face was stiff.


    ¡°Yes, it was Koman-chan¡¯s favorite. She was wearing it when she died.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    So that ghost truly was Koman.


    ¡°Her kimono was covered in blood¡­it was awful,¡± Kotatsu hung her head. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t went out to see the cherry blossoms that day, at least I would have stayed behind as well.¡±


    Murmuring that, she opened the door and invited Suzuko and the others in.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t entertain you properly. My sisters are at practice with the nagauta master, and the proprietress is looking for a new house to rent. We used to have a part-time maid, but she quit.¡±


    The house was quiet and still. The sound of children playing could be in the distance.


    ¡°Are you moving house?¡±


    ¡°No one is willing to continue living here. My sisters said they would go to another geisha parlor if we didn¡¯t move. New girls won¡¯t come either. I remember it all too well. There was so much blood. I can still smell it. We changed the tatami mats, but for some reason, it made it worse, you know? Something like that¡­¡±


    Kotatsu pointed to the tatami room at the back. Two tatami mats had been replaced with brand new ones. The other tatami mats were yellowed and worn out, so the new ones stood out considerably. They smelled like new tatami mats, but that scent was all the stranger in an old house.


    Suzuko clasped her hands together in front of the chuindan altar set up in the altar room. The image of Koman covered in blood reappeared behind her eyelids.


    Why did you appear in Viscount Murotsuji¡¯s residence?


    What did she want to bring to attention there? Suzuko had kept thinking about that. It would be good if she could ask the ghost, but she was eaten by the jourou. She couldn¡¯t ask her anymore.


    As far as she knew, the ghost of Koman was no more, but that didn¡¯t mean she could forget her.


    ¡°For a short while, there were a lot of reporters and onlookers coming here to ask about Koman-chan, which caused us a lot of trouble. At first, since she was a geisha, it was said that it has to do with jealousy in a love affair, and then it was reported that it seemed to be a robbery and what happened to her hometown was in an article¡ªdid you know that the flu wiped out her entire village?¡ªand there was large outpouring of sympathy for her. There were people who donated money through the newspaper company as a prayer for her soul¡¯s repose.¡±


    Kotatsu murmured sadly.


    ¡°Koman-chan came to Tokyo to be a geisha in order to support her family back home. She said she couldn¡¯t make any money if she stayed in the village. I understand, because I¡¯m in the same situation. Of course there were hard times, but I could endure them if I remind myself that this is all for the sake of supporting my family. But, for Koman-chan, it wasn¡¯t just her family, it was her entire village. She seemed to fall into a terrible depression when she received the telegram. She couldn¡¯t even go to ozashikis5 after that. She became half sick and so weak that we thought she had the flu. From the end of last year until January, people were in no state to invite geisha to entertain them. We also had a lot of free time, but from the beginning of spring, the ozashikis gradually increased, but Koman-chan just couldn¡¯t do them. She was saying things like, ¡®There¡¯s nothing worth living for anymore¡¯¡ª¡ª¡±


    Kotatsu suddenly stopped speaking and looked down, embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to hear such an awful story.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Viscount Murotsuji must have been worried about Koman-san, right?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Oh, yes¡ªyou know her very well. Viscount Murotsuji was a good-natured man, and he consoled Koman-chan a lot about the death of her family. They didn¡¯t have that kind of relationship between a man and a woman. I could understand if that was the case. He felt sorry for her because he could see that she was clearly depressed, so he was concerned about her. Sometimes he even brought us sweets. Oh, that¡¯s right, the ring as well.¡±


    Kotatsu turned her gaze to the brand-new tatami mats as though remembering.


    ¡°She received that ring from Viscount Murotsuji. I don¡¯t think it was a very expensive thing, though.¡±


    ¡°¡­That emerada ring?¡±


    Suzuko asked. Kotatsu tilted her head a little.


    ¡°I think that was the gemstone¡¯s name, but¡­I don¡¯t know. I heard it was a synthetic gemstone.¡±


    ¡°A pale yellow-green gemstone?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, it was. A beautiful yellow-green color.¡±


    ¡°Is the ring here now?¡±


    ¡°No¡ªit isn¡¯t. It was most probably stolen by the robber, I think.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Suzuko looked around the room. If the ghost of Koman had been here, she would have been able to listen to her voice.


    At that time, I didn¡¯t have the time to listen to her.


    Even though she seemed to be saying something.


    If only this man had come a little later¡­


    Suzuko gave a sideways glare at Takafuyu. Knowingly or unknowingly, Takafuyu spoke to Kotatsu.


    ¡°Has anything else been stolen?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°The money in her dresser wasn¡¯t stolen. None of my or the other girls¡¯ belongings were taken, but¡­I couldn¡¯t tell which of Koman-chan¡¯s things were missing, except for her ring.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Takafuyu crossed his arms and seemed to be thinking over something, but then he suddenly moved his face close to Kotatsu¡¯s. He was looking into her eyes intently.


    ¡°W-What is it?¡±


    Kotatsu drew back. Takafuyu looked away from her face and turned his eyes towards the back room. It was the room where Koman died. He stared at it and narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve ever talked about this during drinks. But, y¡¯know, I can see ghosts.¡±


    Kotatsu gasped and turned pale. Takafuyu¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t the courteous one he used with Suzuko, but familiar and relaxed. Suzuko watched him to see what he was going to say.


    ¡°I see, so her plectrum is missing.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kotatsu¡¯s body shook with a start.


    ¡°Koman¡¯s shamisen plectrum. That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°And you were the first to find the deceased Koman. You came back before the proprietress and the others.¡±


    Kotatsu¡¯s complexion had gone past blue to become chalk-white. Her body was trembling slightly.


    ¡°What did you do with the plectrum?¡±


    Letting out a cry, Kotatsu covered her face and began to sob.


    Suzuko tugged on Takafuyu¡¯s sleeve. What is this? She asked with her eyes. Takafuyu didn¡¯t answer and simply stared at Kotatsu¡¯s quivering head.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kotatsu. There must have been a reason for what you did, right?¡±


    Takafuyu put his hand on Kotatsu¡¯s shoulder and whispered. His voice was gentle that it made Suzuko shudder. Goosebumps rose on Suzuko¡¯s skin, but Kotatsu gave a small nod and looked up.


    ¡°Ko¡­Koman-chan died. She really died. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have left her alone. I wished I had stayed with her,¡± Kotatsu was heaving with sobs. ¡°I was always worried that something like that would happen. The proprietress was also worried. That was why we tried to cheer her up by inviting her out to view the flowers. But when she said she wouldn¡¯t go, the proprietress got angry and told her to do what she wanted, and then I couldn¡¯t tell her that I wouldn¡¯t go either. But I was uneasy, so I came back early. And then¡­¡±


    She found Koman lying there, covered in blood.


    ¡°She died wearing her favorite kimono, clutching her plectrum with both hands.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wait,¡± Suzuko spoke. ¡°She committed suicide?¡±


    Kotatsu nodded.


    ¡°She used her plectrum on her neck¡­¡±


    ¡°But the weapon was never found, and the room was ransacked.¡±


    ¡°I threw the plectrum into a ditch when I was on my way to the police station to inform them. I was the one who ransacked the room like a robber. ¨D¨DI heard Koman-chan say it. She planned on dying.¡±


    Kotatsu wiped her eyes with the handkerchief offered by Takafuyu and looked at the tatami room in the back.


    ¡°When I saw Koman-chan covered in blood, I thought, ¡®The proprietress will be furious.¡¯ If a geisha committed suicide, the proprietress would lose a lot of money. We would be called a geisha parlor that dirtied the house and made a geisha commit suicide. I don¡¯t even know if they would give her a proper funeral. Besides, the world isn¡¯t very kind to suicides, is it? Even more if it was a geisha. I¡¯m sure they would say terrible things about us, just for fun.¡±


    Geishas were a symbol of beauty and splendor, much praised in newspapers and magazines, but at the same time, they were also objects of scorn as ¡°prostitutes.¡± What was the logic behind these two extreme contradictions? Suzuko felt nauseous at the thought of people being called ¡°prostitutes,¡± a horrible title.


    ¡°But, if people thought she was killed¡­if she was killed by a robber, then they would sympathize with Koman-chan.¡±


    That was what actually happened. To the point of donating money to her in her memory.


    ¡°Koman-chan said this as she stared at her ring. ¡®If I sell this, I wonder if it would be enough to pay for my cremation.¡¯ She also said, ¡®It would cause trouble for everyone, but if possible, I hope that they can send my bones back to my village.¡¯ ¡­She had no intention of living another day, so all she could think about was how to deal with the aftermath of her death.¡±


    Kotatsu sniffled.


    ¡°Where is that ring now?¡± Takafuyu said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I didn¡¯t hide it or throw it away. Maybe this was after she sold it¡­¡±


    ¡°Was there money that seemed like it came from that?¡±


    ¡°There was money in Koman-chan¡¯s room, but I don¡¯t know if that was the money¡­besides sending money back home, she never indulged herself, so she had saved up some money.¡±


    Kotatsu¡¯s head was hanging down as she crumpled the handkerchief.


    ¡°I have to tell the police about this, don¡¯t I¡­?¡±


    ""


    ¡°Well, of course,¡± Takafuyu answered. ¡°Well, even if you don¡¯t tell them, it¡¯ll probably be exposed anyway. Fingerprints, traces, that kind of thing. But I think it¡¯s more of a problem when they don¡¯t find out than when they do.¡±


    Kotatsu tilted her head.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a robbery, then you need a suspect, right? The police might make a mistake and drag away someone who had nothing to do with this.¡±


    ¡°But, they aren¡¯t the culprit¡­¡±


    ¡°They might force them to confess and make them the culprit. In fact, such things have happened before, haven¡¯t they? I think it was five, six years ago when the Suzugamori Oharu murder and the Yanagishima bicycle shop murders happened.[efn_not]Both are famous Taisho murder cases where the police arrested innocent people. For the Yanagishima case, the suspect was fifteen years old at the time and was only arrested five years later for killing an entire family.[/efn_note] The Osaburo incident is also famous.6 All of these cases caused quite a commotion. What if the wrong person is caught and sentenced to death?¡±


    Takafuyu¡¯s tone was gentle, but Kotatsu turned paler and paler.


    ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t even think about that.¡±


    ¡°I thought so. If that¡¯s the case, you must tell them the truth.¡±


    ¡°The police would reprimand me harshly, won¡¯t they? What will happen to me?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s not up to me to decide those things.¡±


    Kotatsu started crying again, and Takafuyu scratched his head in discomfort.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Marquis Takigawa probably has some acquaintances in the police force.¡±


    Right? Takafuyu suddenly said, and Suzuko straightened up her back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if my father knows anyone, but¡­my older brother knows someone in the police force.¡±


    ¡°Then, perhaps you could first tell the police this young woman¡¯s story through your brother.¡±


    I¡¯d have to ask my brother about that¡ªshe thought, but seeing Kotatsu trembling with a blue face, Suzuko turned to Taka.


    ¡°Taka, take Kotatsu-san to the house. Then, explain the situation to my brother.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Taka didn¡¯t even attempt to hide her frown, but she agreed. ¡°So what are you going to do now, Ojou-sama?¡±


    ¡°I have one more place to go.¡±


    Taka sighed deeply, like she had given up.

 CH 1.4

    ¡°But Kotatsu-san never actually saw Koman-san die with her own eyes, so it doesn¡¯t dismiss the possibility that she was killed.¡±


    Suzuko murmured as she watched Taka walk away with Kotatsu in front of the house.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s the police¡¯s job to investigate that, isn¡¯t it?¡± Takafuyu said. ¡°It is not for us to say this and that.¡±


    Suzuko looked up at him.


    ¡°How did you know that the plectrum was missing and that Kotatsu-san was the first person to find her?¡±


    If those things were written in the newspapers, Kotatsu wouldn¡¯t have been so shaken. Of course, there was no way he could have heard about them from Koman¡¯s ghost, because the jourou had eaten her before he had a chance to talk to her.


    ¡°I asked a reporter I know.¡±


    ¡°A reporter?¡±


    Then wouldn¡¯t it have been reported in the newspapers? She thought. Suzuko suspected that he might actually know someone in the police department, but it wasn¡¯t something to pursue, so she let it go.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, where will you go from here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Viscount Murotsuji¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ""


    ¡°You know that the ghost that appeared in that house was Koman-san. Even after hearing that story, I don¡¯t know why she went to the Murotsuji estate.¡±


    ¡°Is the emerada ring the key?¡±


    Takafuyu murmured. I think so, Suzuko answered.


    That ring with the synthetic gemstone doesn¡¯t suit a viscountess.


    ¡°But, Suzuko-san, even if you know that, there is nothing you can do about it. Koman¡¯s ghost is no more. What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Suzuko looked ahead. Beyond the street with the streetcar tracks, she could see the lush forest of Sannou¡¯s shrine. The heat haze shimmered on the ground of the narrow alley. Suzuko saw a phantom there. It was the illusion of a ghost. Suzuko¡¯s family, who she had lived with in Asakusa¡ª¡ª


    ¡°I want to defy.¡±


    ¡°Defy what?¡±


    What was it that she wanted to defy? Suzuko searched for the words.


    ¡°¡­The Asakusa Juunikai is probably behind the times by now¡­¡±


    The Juunikai was a tall brick tower built in Asakusa in 1890, and it was originally given the imposing name of Ryounkaku.1 At the time, it might have been a symbol of the city¡¯s magnificent Westernization, but now in 1920, it was nothing more than an old tower left behind by the times, and was ridiculed as a place for country people to visit when touring Tokyo.


    ¡°But even so, who can forget that tower? Because it is there. The Juunikai still towers over the city and stands out. So even though it is behind the times, it won¡¯t disappear from people¡¯s minds. But when people die, they are forgotten. Something that has disappeared is weak no matter what. Even those who remember the dead will eventually die themselves. So, at the very least, I want to chase after their vestiges.¡±


    ¡°Vestiges?¡±


    ¡°Ghosts are the vestiges of the dead. They are living vestiges. I want to follow them, and at least for me, know what they tried to leave behind by staying.¡±


    Suddenly, a wind blew. The May wind blew through the sunlight, carrying the breath of fresh greenery.


    Suzuko narrowed her eyes. The ghostly illusions were gone.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a rebellion against oblivion,¡± Takafuyu said. ¡°What a grandiose thing to say.¡±


    ¡°It certainly isn¡¯t trivial. For those who have died, and those who are left behind.¡±


    Takafuyu stared into the distance.


    ¡°I was too afraid to chase after the vestiges of my brother.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You are amazing.¡±


    Suzuko frowned and looked down.


    That¡¯s not true.


    ¡°Now then, shall we go to the viscount¡¯s estate?¡±


    Takakfuyu, as a matter of course, intended to go with her. Suzuko also decided to go to the viscount¡¯s estate with him, since it would be easier for her to move around if she was with her fianc¨¦.


    Crossing the street with the Tameike stop at the side, they entered Koujimachi Ward. In addition to the residences of the nobility and imperial princes, embassies and government offices also surrounded the area. The hustle and bustle of the city was far away, and the rustling of the leaves of the Sannou trees were pleasant. Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu¡¯s profile from under her parasol. She still had no idea what he was thinking with that cool face of his.


    Why¡­


    Suzuko wondered why she had told him those things. It was the first time she had talked about ghosts since she left Asakusa. It had been a long time since she had met someone with whom she could talk about ghosts¡ªsomeone with whom she could speak about what was in her heart. Unexpectedly, that loosened her lips. Perhaps Suzuko wanted to talk with someone more than she thought she did.


    I was too afraid to chase after my brother¡¯s vestiges.


    What did those words mean?


    That was when Suzuko first became interested in the person named Hanabishi Takafuyu.


    The Murotsuji family were kuge, a noble family of the imperial court.


    There were also various types of kuge: sekke, seigake, daijinke, and below those three were the hiratoushou-ke. Within the hiratoushou-ke, there were also the urinke, meika, and hanke.2 Suzuko was told by Chizu, who came from a kuge, that there were other ways to distinguish family ranks, but every time she heard about them, her head got confused. It was complicated.


    Suzuko didn¡¯t understand the upper class¡¯s preoccupation with which family had a higher status or an older history. She could only imagine how difficult it must have been to establish a hierarchy of court ranks when the peerage system was created.


    The Murotsuji family was a hanke, so its status as a kuge wasn¡¯t very high. Like many kuge families, they weren¡¯t extremely wealthy. The reason why daimyo families were quite wealthy and kuge families weren¡¯t was first of all due to the difference in the money given by the government. To be precise, it was the kinroku public bond. Since the kinroku public bond was based on the original stipend, the amount of money was naturally large for daimyo families. The kuge were poor even before the Meiji Restoration. In addition, since the daimyo families were landowners, they received land rent income. The daimyo families invested these ample funds in banks, bought stocks to receive dividends, and then invested the profits back into the banks to increase their wealth.


    The Murotsuji family, like many others, weren¡¯t a wealthy kuge family. The previous head had made a fortune with stocks, although only a magnificent Western-style mansion was built, maintaining it must be a major challenge. The current viscount was an adopted son-in-law from a branch family, and was a steady office worker. Apparently, he was a banker. There were quite a few aristocrats who worked at banks.


    This was the first time Suzuko had actually met Viscount Murotsuji. The viscount who appeared in the parlor of the mansion was a thin, middle-aged man. He had a face that could be described as gentle-looking at best and timid at worst. His eyes were small, and he blinked a lot.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you since we met at the Peers¡¯ Club in March, Hanabishi-san,¡± the voice of the viscount was gentle and had a well-bred quality. ¡°Congratulations on your engagement.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. This is my fianc¨¦e, Takigawa Suzuko-san.¡±


    Takafuyu introduced Suzuko with a smile. Suzuko bowed next to him.


    ¡°This is the first time we are meeting each other. I am Takigawa Suzuko. Is your wife doing well after that recent incident?¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you were the daughter of Marquis Takigawa who visited that day¡­ Yes, my wife is currently convalescing in Oiso. Since she collapsed the other day, she hasn¡¯t been feeling well.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear.¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t sick, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll return in a week or two. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble we have caused for you as well, Hanabishi-san.¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize, it was because of this that I was able to meet Suzuko-san.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I did not know that. By the way, Hanabishi-san, about that incident¡­can I ask you to keep quiet about the fact that my wife asked for an exorcism?¡±


    The viscount was blinking rapidly. Takafuyu smiled.


    ¡°Of course. I also don¡¯t want this to be public, so I have asked everyone to keep it a secret. As it is, I¡¯m in the field of business, so I don¡¯t want the Ministry of Home Affairs to keep an eye on me than they already have.¡±


    Ministry of Home Affairs? Suzuko was confused. Why would they be involved? The Minister of the Imperial Household was responsible for the supervision of the nobility, and therefore it was the Ministry of the Imperial Household, and within that, the Bureau of Peerage, that kept a close watch on the behavior of the nobility.


    ¡°The shinshoku are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs.¡±


    Takafuyu turned to her and explained, as though he sensed her question.


    Oh, I see. So he¡¯s talking about the shinshoku aspect.


    ¡°As a member of the nobility, there are certain matters that clash with the Shinshoku Houmukisoku, 3but we¡¯ll talk about that later.¡±


    Takafuyu turned back to the viscount.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you about that exorcism the other day. Did you hear about the geisha ghost from your wife?¡±


    The viscount¡¯s face was already pale. ¡°Ah, yes¡­she said she was attacked by it.¡±


    ¡°The geisha has already been exorcised, so she will no longer appear. However, it seems that she was fixated on your wife¡¯s ring.¡±


    ¡°R-ring?¡±


    ""


    ¡°It was an emerada ring. It was worn by your wife. I have exorcised her, but I thought I should let you know. Where did you buy that ring? It must have been bought by you, yes?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ah¡­¡±


    The viscount¡¯s eyes fluttered as he stammered. It seemed that he wasn¡¯t a man who could lie or deceive others well.


    Takafuyu, as a final touch, said, ¡°The ghost was Koman, sir.¡±


    The viscount made a noise that sounded like a hiccup. His face froze.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the ring you gave to Koman? Why does your wife have it?¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose that you were involved in the Koman case, sir?¡±


    The viscount frantically shook his head. He waved his hands wildly.


    ¡°Of course not¡­! No, that wasn¡¯t the case. It¡¯s just that, it¡¯s just that I had her return the ring¡­¡±


    ¡°Have her return it? What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Well, you see¡­¡± The viscount let out a long breath. He hung his head dejectedly. ¡°My wife found out about that I gave the ring to Koman. No, my relationship with Koman went no further than that of a customer and a geisha, really. Did you know that she lost her entire family to the flu? She was terribly depressed, so I tried to cheer her up. Even rings aren¡¯t so expensive. But when you spend money, you must tell the steward what you¡¯re going to use it for. Even though I¡¯m the family head, I can¡¯t use the family money as I please. Especially since we aren¡¯t as wealthy as the daimyo families, so our purse strings are drawn tight. I suppose I should just come up with an excuse and get the money, but I never was good at that sort of thing, and I¡¯m an adopted son-in-law, so I¡¯m in a weak position in that situation¡­I wish I could spend money as freely as Marquis Takigawa.¡±


    ¡°You must not,¡± Suzuko interjected. ¡°My father is like a model example of an adult who shouldn¡¯t be that way.¡±


    The viscount was flabbergasted at Suzuko¡¯s unladylike and firm tone and the way she addressed a head of the household. Takafuyu muffled his laughter. Suzuko, who grew up in a slum, didn¡¯t understand the mentality of respecting a good-for-nothing father just because he was her father.


    ¡°Ah, I see that Marquis Takigawa¡¯s household is very open and frank. No, I guess we¡¯re similar as well. I am the head of the family, but no one respects me,¡± the viscount laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°For buying a single ring with a synthetic gemstone, I managed to get them to give me the money by saying it was a necessary expense for socializing with nobility. I kept it a secret from my wife. I bought it at Mitsukoshi, saying that it was a gift for my wife. Then, when my wife went shopping at Mitsukoshi, she was asked, ¡®How did you like the ring from the other day?¡¯ and that was how I got exposed. She pressed me for an explanation. I quickly replied, ¡®I was saving it for your birthday.¡¯ Her birthday is in May. So, there is this thing called a Twelve-Month Ring, right? It¡¯s a series of birthstone rings from Mitsukoshi. May is emerald, but I couldn¡¯t buy such an expensive ring, so I told them to make it an emerada instead. For synthetic birthstones, May was emerada. I asked the clerk about it. But my wife didn¡¯t believe my excuse. I became flustered, since I wasn¡¯t used to lying like that¡­¡±


    Then give it to me now, his wife said to him.


    ¡°Bring it to me now, she said. She wouldn¡¯t listen to anything else, so I had no choice but to go to Koman. I couldn¡¯t just go out and buy a new ring right away. We can¡¯t fit that in the budget. Instead, I decided to be honest with Koman, ask her to return the ring, and give her another one. Then, Koman said she didn¡¯t want another ring, she would rather have the money for it instead. She said that she would return the emerada ring in exchange for money. I told her I didn¡¯t have any money on me right now, so I would bring it to her later, and she returned the ring.¡±


    The viscount rubbed his pale cheeks and blinked rapidly.


    ¡°Koman told me, ¡®That¡¯s a promise.¡¯ She said that I must bring the money to her, or else she would come and get the ring. It was a bit disconcerting.¡±


    It¡¯s the fee for the cremation, Suzuko thought. Koman had said, If I sell this ring, I might have enough money for a cremation.


    ¡°¡­But after that, I heard that Koman was killed, and I was shocked and horrified that if I had been unlucky, I might have run into the robber as well. A short time later, I was horrified in a different way when my wife began to speak strangely. She said that she could hear a shamisen playing, and that there was a ghost of a woman in the house¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you immediately think it was Koman?¡±


    ¡°Mm, well¡­I didn¡¯t see or hear anything, so I thought it was just my wife¡¯s imagination or she was being harassed, but¡­it really was Koman¡¯s ghost after all.¡±


    Suzuko spoke. ¡°She came to get the ring. Just as she said.¡±


    The viscount covered his mouth.


    ¡°Was¡­Was she that obsessed with the ring?¡±


    ¡°No¡ª¡ª¡±


    Suzuko didn¡¯t think that was the case. More to the point, she probably wasn¡¯t too fixated on the money for cremation either. She already had some money saved up.


    That was why Suzuko thought that Koman¡¯s ghost appearing to collect the ring had a meaning that was personal to her. Suzuko didn¡¯t speak of that here.


    ¡°Even so, I gave her the money anyways,¡± the viscount said. ¡°Since I promised Koman¡­I kept my name a secret and donated the soul repose money through the newspaper. I made an excuse to the steward that a business partner had died.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Then, was the money that Kotatsu said she had received through the newspaper company from the viscount?


    ¡°Perhaps it didn¡¯t get through to the ghost because you kept yourself anonymous,¡± Takafuyu said.


    ¡°Is that how it works?¡± The viscount¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Anyways, the ghost is exorcised, right? Then I¡¯m glad.¡±


    He sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a pity what happened to Koman too. I hope they catch the culprit soon.¡±


    Suzuko glanced at Takafuyu. It was a signal that she was done here. He seemed to understand.


    ¡°Now then, it¡¯s about time for us to go,¡± he announced their intention to leave and stood up.


    After leaving the viscount¡¯s residence, Suzuko and Takafuyu headed toward Akasaka. Walking along the street between the ostentatious fences of the nobility¡¯s mansions, Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu from underneath her parasol.


    ¡°You were also worried about Koman-san¡¯s ghost, weren¡¯t you, sir?¡±


    Takafuyu, who was acquainted with Koman, must have recognized the ghost as her at once. And then, he probably asked the reporter about the incident and decided to go to the geisha parlor to ask them about it¡ªhe must have been on his way there when he encountered Suzuko on the street.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to call it worrying¡­ I didn¡¯t act with the same mindset as you, Suzuko-san. I just thought it would be morally wrong to just pretend not to know her and leave it at that,¡± Takafuyu scratched his head. ¡°More than that, is your mind already at ease? I still couldn¡¯t quite understand why Koman¡¯s ghost appeared there. It would still make more sense if the viscount or the viscountess killed her.¡±


    ¡°It is unreasonable to think that ghosts would act in a logical manner. Death is something that is unreasonable and illogical for ghosts, even those who are old.¡±


    ¡°I see, is that how it is?¡± Takafuyu listened to Suzuko¡¯s words with interest.


    ¡°Koman-san¡­¡± Suzuko dropped her gaze to the ground. The sun was shining brightly and the shadows were dark. A gentle breeze brushed her straggling hair. ¡°I wondered if she thought that the ostentatiousness of the nobility was ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Ostentatiousness?¡±


    ¡°The viscount said that he told Koman-san the truth about what happened. She must have been surprised. He had so much trouble buying even a single synthetic ring, and when his wife questioned him, instead of buying a new ring, he went to the geisha and asked her to return it to him.¡±


    ¡°Aah¡­well, that¡¯s true,¡± Takafuyu smiled wryly. Suzuko averted her gaze and looked down, wondering if what she was saying would actually get through to him.


    ¡°Koman-san¡¯s family was poor, which was why she came to Tokyo to become a geisha. She had no other choice. Thanks to that, she was able to help her family. But then, her entire family died at once. There was no point in continuing to be a geisha, but she had no place to go back to. She survived alone in Tokyo. That was her situation. She had lost the will to live. Then the viscount, a gentleman of the upper class, asked her to return the ring he had given to her. In order to keep up a stopgap appearance. ¡ª¡ªIs he looking down on her?¡±


    Suzuko gripped the handle of her parasol tightly.


    ¡°I think the people of the upper class are so busy keeping up appearances that they don¡¯t see what¡¯s below them. He gave Koman-san a ring because he felt sorry for her, and when his wife found out, instead of honestly telling her the true reason, he went to Koman-san to ask for the ring back. Because it was easier to talk to a geisha. When she died, he fulfilled his obligations by donating money. What a kind and upright person. I hate people like this, who try to be please everyone based on their feelings in each situation on the spur of the moment, but are ultimately insincere to everyone.¡±


    She spat those words out and let out a deep breath. Takafuyu seemed to be looking at her intently without attempting to interrupt. Without turning her head, Suzuko spoke again.


    ¡°I know that there isn¡¯t a small number of nobles who are in bad financial situations. Maybe it¡¯s partly because of this distortion that the viscount was so affected by a single ring. That is a ridiculous thing. I¡¯m appalled. After my mother left the Takigawa family, she lived on the bottom floor of the Asakusa Juunikai. It was a brothel. Around the same time, my father was playing around in the Akasaka and Shinbashi red-light districts. Isn¡¯t there something wrong here? If it isn¡¯t wrong, then everything around it is distorted.¡±


    Suzuko stopped and put her hand on her forehead.


    ¡°No¡ªI¡¯m sorry. I veered off topic. Koman-san had only come to retrieve the ring, just as she said she would. The ghost of a geisha appeared at a noble¡¯s mansion like a debt collector. Isn¡¯t that strange? It was the viscount who caused such a strange situation. Koman-san had only appeared just as she promised.¡±


    ¡°You think that was what Koman wanted to say?¡± Takafuyu¡¯s answer was short.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the truth. I¡¯m not Koman-san. Perhaps she was more attached to that ring than the others around her thought.¡±


    ¡°No, I think what you said was right.¡±


    Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu¡¯s face. He was looking at the tall walls of the residential area. The magnificent mansions couldn¡¯t be seen on the other side. There was no smile on his profile, and she couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. The sky was light blue with a faint haze. Even though the weather was like early summer, the sky was spring.


    After a while, Takafuyu turned to Suzuko and smiled.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, do you mind if we take a detour before I walk you home?¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To Hie Shrine.¡±


    ¡°Hie¡­ah, Sannou-san.¡±


    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s what the locals call it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of Sannou Gongen.¡±


    The name ¡°Hie Shrine¡± came to be after the Meiji era. In the old days, the kami and Buddha were mixed together, and there were temples within Shinto shrines, and Shinto shrines and miniature shrines within Buddhist temples. The kami were another form of Buddha, and that was how ¡°Gongen¡± and ¡°Myojin¡± were created¡ªthat was a story Suzuko heard when she lived in Asakusa.4


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it called ¡®Gongen¡¯ now?¡±


    If she remembered correctly, during the Meiji era, the Kami and Buddhas Separation Order was issued to separate Shintoism and Buddism, but due to a combination of factors, it was perceived as the abolition of Buddhism, and in some areas, temples were torn down and Buddhist priests were persecuted.


    ¡°It¡¯s so strange, isn¡¯t it? Even though the name has changed, the belief of the people in this area remains the same: ¡®Sannou-san.¡¯¡±


    Whether it¡¯s a kami or Buddha, I honestly don¡¯t care either way, Suzuko and the others thought. However, she wasn¡¯t comfortable with the idea of an existing object being destroyed by force, like the expulsion of Buddhism.


    ¡°That is what faith is,¡± Takafuyu said and started walking towards Hie Shrine. Suzuko followed him.


    ¡°Faith is history. And, it is like a river. Sometimes its flow changes, it overflows, and it dries up. Sometimes the flow is changed or dammed by human hands. Nowadays, it is as if people are rapidly constructing levees. It is standard, the same for all rivers.¡±


    Suzuko tilted her head. ¡°I don¡¯t quite follow your metaphor.¡±


    Takafuyu laughed. ¡°Suzuko-san, you are very frank. You don¡¯t pretend to understand what you don¡¯t understand. Yes, religions and beliefs were drastically changed in the Meiji era, and they are still in the process of changing.¡±


    ¡°Has it changed?¡±


    ¡°Sannou Gongen has changed to Hie Shrine, has it not?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Kanda Myojin is also the same. Now it is Kanda Shrine. Taira no Masakado is enshrined there, but the government thought it was outrageous to deify a treacherous retainer, so he was moved to a subordinate shrine and enshrined deity was replaced. It was a very unreasonable thing to do. ¨D¨DBut, the people worshipped the spirit of Lord Masakado, so they didn¡¯t participate in the annual festival or offer money, and visited the subordinate shrine instead.¡±


    Suzuko grasped that this was similar to the fact that Hie Shrine was still called ¡°Sannou-san.¡±


    ¡°The country has changed so drastically that it is inevitable that religious institutions would change as well. Well, the policies have changed again and again. The nature of shrines have changed as a result. For example, shrines are places to perform rituals and festivals, not a religious institution. That was how it was decided.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She lost track of what he was saying again. Don¡¯t we go to shrines to pray to the gods? People still worship Sannou-san and Lord Masakado, don¡¯t they?


    ¡°Is it difficult to understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Takafuyu laughed again.


    ¡°Okay, then consider Hatsumode as something separate from regular religious belief. When you visit a shrine on New Years¡¯, it isn¡¯t because of your religious beliefs, but because of the ceremony of Hatsumode. Simply put, it¡¯s something like that.¡±


    ¡°Aah¡­now I see.¡±


    She somewhat understood. Hatsumode was an event that began in the Meiji era. Until that point, people still paid homage to the local deity on New Year¡¯s Day at their local shrine or a shrine that lied in a favorable direction, but Hatsumode was more of a recreational event than a religious act.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all in principle, so it¡¯s not surprising that you don¡¯t understand it. However, shrines aren¡¯t religious institutions, so they can¡¯t proselytize, and funerals cannot be held at kanpeisha or kokuheisha,5 and the Ministry of Home Affairs has jurisdiction over them, not the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, which handle religious affairs.¡±


    ¡°Principle¡­¡±


    A densely green hill appeared ahead. It was the shrine¡¯s grove. Sannou Gongen was enshrined there.


    ¡°The god to be enshrined is determined, and the rituals are prescribed,¡± Takafuyu stopped and stared at the trees. ¡°Everything is standardized and flattened by means of institutions.¡±


    ¡°Flattened¡­¡±


    ¡°We eliminate anything foreign and create shrines determined by the country.¡±


    Suzuko shifted her gaze from the forest on the hill to Takafuyu¡¯s profile. He also turned to her and smiled.


    ""


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just repeating my brother¡¯s words.¡±


    ¡°You said that¡­your brother passed away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. My brother was the heir, so he studied the Shinto priesthood seriously. I was adopted out of the family, so I¡¯m honestly hopeless on that front. But since there was no one else to take over the family except me, I had no choice. My relatives had no choice but to turn a blind eye to the fact that I was not suited for either the priesthood or nobility.¡±


    Suzuko gazed at Takafuyu¡¯s smile. She thought that he always smiled with a faint, icy smile on his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the priesthood¡­but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a bad fit for the nobility.¡±


    He was a man of refined manners and culture, and she had never heard of any bad behavior from him that could become a scandal. He was someone who would be suitable for the so-called ¡°Imperial Bulwark¡±¡ªa bulwark was something that enclosed, so the term had the meaning of Emperor¡¯s protector.


    However, Takafuyu showed a chilling smile for a moment. It seemed like a smile of self-mockery.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, is that a compliment?¡±


    ¡°Unlike you, I do not engage in twisted sarcasm.¡±


    She said that, and for some reason, Takafuyu laughed out loud. Like he was having fun.


    ¡°I like that about you.¡±


    Looking intently at Takafuyu¡¯s merry face, Suzuko said, ¡°You¡¯re a strange person, sir.¡± Takafuyu laughed again. Suzuko had no idea what he found so funny. However, she thought that a smile like the one he had right now was much better than his usual cold smile.

 CH 1.5

    After they reached the top of the stone stairs, they saw candy sellers and fukidama sellers1 on the shrine grounds, attracting the attention of children. A young woman with a baby on her back was gazing at the candy fashioned in human and animal forms, and her siblings were all staring at the fukidama with sparkling eyes. There were rows of teahouses serving millet mochi, shiruko,2 and dango, where adults who had finished their shrine visit could take a breather. Right next to the shrine was the Restaurant Hoshigaoka, a social gathering place for the nobility and people from the business and political worlds.


    Takafuyu didn¡¯t even look at the shrine buildings, but walked along the edge of the grounds and among the dense trees. ¡°If I worship another god, the jourou would be in a bad moon,¡± he said.


    ¡°Does she not have a name?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°That jourou.¡±


    ¡°Ah. She is called ¡®Awaji of the Third Rank¡¯ or ¡®Awaji no Kimi.¡¯ Her true name has not been handed down.¡±


    After passing through the woods, their view opened up. Below them, they could see the neighborhoods of Tokyo. As one would expect, the view was excellent.


    ¡°I don¡¯t visit the shrine, but I come here from time to time. The view here is excellent.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it certainly is.¡±


    A pleasant breeze blew. Suzuko folded her parasol up.


    ¡°I was hesitating over whether or not I should ask you about it,¡± Takafuyu began, and then turned his gaze to Suzuko¡¯s hands. ¡°But is there a reason why you always wear gloves?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big reason. I just have a scar from a burn I received in my childhood. When the nobility see it, they become surprised and concerned, so I hide it because it¡¯s a hassle.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Do you have a preference for lace?¡±


    ¡°No, not particularly.¡±


    ¡°Next time, I shall give you gloves. I have a nice pair imported from England.¡±


    Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu. He narrowed his eyes in amusement.


    ¡°You often look at my face. Does it please you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to read it because I find it creepy not to know what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    ¡°Can you read it?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    Takafuyu smiled happily.


    ¡°I enjoy being with you. Right now, I have a cheerful look on my face.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were up to no good.¡±


    He laughed out loud.


    ¡°¡­Suzuko-san,¡± Takafuyu laughed for a bit, and then quietly spoke. ¡°You see, I am my grandfather¡¯s child.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Not my father¡¯s child, but my grandfather¡¯s. It would be a great scandal if it was known, so I was registered as my father¡¯s child.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you saying that you¡¯re the child of your grandfather and his mistress?¡±


    She asked, thinking that there was no way he could be the child of his grandfather and grandmother.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± Takafuyu was being evasive, so Suzuko didn¡¯t repeat her question.


    ¡°In the Meiji era, the shinshoku world was a whirlwind of chaos, confusion, and recklessness, so there was a great deal of trouble caused. Did you know that?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she answered, but she had a feeling that things were getting complicated from what Takafuyu had said earlier about Kanda Myojin and shrines not being religious institutions.


    ¡°It was a new era, so perhaps it was only natural that there should be disputes. To simplify it, the Shinto world was divided into the Izumo faction and the Ise faction over enshrined deity, which created disputes, and the reorganization of shrines caused the disappearance of small roadside shrines and nameless deities. There were many other things, but anyway, there was a big transformation. Shrines were at the mercy of it, and opinions were divided even among shrines, as well as within the shinshoku families. It was the same for the Hanabishi family. My grandfather¡¯s and father¡¯s ideas were opposed to each other at every turn. This caused friction between father and son.¡±


    Putting aside the complicated things, Suzuko understood that the father and son were at odds with each other. Come to think of it, Takafuyu had mentioned something like a family quarrel before. Was this what he was talking about?


    ¡°My father was my grandfather¡¯s only son. My father already had a son by my mother, and that was my brother. My father was supposed to succeed my grandfather, and then my brother will do the same, and so on. However, my grandfather began to ostracize my father, who didn¡¯t listen to him. The same went for his son, my brother. So¡ªhe decided to create a new child who would do his bidding.¡±


    And that was me, Takafuyu said.


    ¡°As in any family, grandfather, the patriarch of the family, was the absolute head of the family. It seemed that he intended to disinherit my father and install me as his successor. However, the Bureau of Peerage, the watchdog of the nobility, wouldn¡¯t allow such a reckless act. The bureau was also very sensitive to any kind of disgrace, so it was decided that I would be my father¡¯s son in order to maintain our respectability. My grandfather favored me and treated my father and brother terribly. Naturally, my father and mother hated me. But my brother was kind to me, though¡­¡±


    There was a shadow over Takafuyu¡¯s eyes. Suzuko felt cold, like her sweat had chilled. It was a coldness that made her feel unexpectedly chilled in the shade, even though it was hot and sunny. No, this isn¡¯t coldness, it¡¯s sadness. It felt as if Takafuyu¡¯s sadness was seeping into her skin.


    ¡°The situation changed when my grandfather fell ill. He became bedridden and unable to communicate his wishes, so my father took over. I was adopted out to relatives in Yokohama and never saw my parents again. My grandfather died within a year. Later, my parents died by drowning in Awaji, and my brother, their heir, died from illness. He was unmarried and had no children, so it was inevitable that I would take over the family.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve been pushed around a lot.¡±


    She thought that it was an awful story. He was shown favoritism, hated, and adopted out by adults for their own selfish reasons, and he was tossed around regardless of his own will. Even though he didn¡¯t do a single thing wrong.


    It¡¯s all warped.


    Thinking that, Suzuko understood why Takafuyu told her this story.


    Takafuyu smiled at her.


    ¡°I know what you meant earlier by ¡®distortion.¡¯ Without that distortion, I wouldn¡¯t have been born in the first place.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes¡­¡±


    Suzuko guessed what was going through Takafuyu¡¯s mind. He didn¡¯t need to tell her about this kind of thing. It was a private matter within the family that he would have preferred not to tell anyone, For Takafuyu, it was a wound that would remain in his heart forever. He told it to Suzuko just to convey to her, ¡°I understand how you feel.¡± Suzuko thought that he happened to be a much more sincere person that she had expected.


    Suzuko looked down the hill and gazed at the streets of Akasaka. The black tiled roofs shined in the sunlight and looked like the surface of a river. The dust clouds whipped up by the wind made the scenery seem hazy and whitish. In the midst of the haze, she thought she saw a towering building. Asakusa Juunikai. Suzuko clutched the handle of her parasol with both hands.


    Everyone¡­Ginroku-san, Tei-san, Grandpa Torakichi ¡­


    At that time, the dome-roofed Asakusa Kokugikan was located next to the Juunikai, and on the street in front of it, the entertainment district of Asakusa Sixth Ward, a number of motion picture theaters were being built one after the other, replacing the freak shows. Even now, she could picture the brightly colored banners fluttering in a row from the eaves. Amongst the fortune-tellers, physiognomists, saimon-katari,3 news vendors hawking newssheets, and various other peddlers, in a chokingly dusty corner of that hustle and bustle, Suzuko called herself the Clairvoyant Girl. She hadn¡¯t been alone. She was with people who she could call family.


    ¡ª¡ªUntil that day.


    ¡°¡­Baron Hanabishi.¡±


    While gripping her parasol, Suzuko spoke.


    ¡°Please call me by my name. As your fianc¨¦, that is too unduly formal,¡± Takafuyu spoke lightly, but his smile withdrew when he saw Suzuko¡¯s expression. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°In exchange for marrying you, I have a favor to ask.¡±


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t use our marriage as a bargaining chip, I would at least listen to your favor. Or is it a favor so great that you are willing to exchange it for our marriage?¡±


    ¡°Among the nobility, I¡¯m searching for someone with a pine as their emblem. I would like to ask for your help.¡±


    Takafuyu blinked, as though he was thinking about it a little.


    ¡°By emblems¡­do you mean those marks often used by the nobility? I grew up in a merchant family, so I never had anything to do with them. I believe it was originally a samurai custom, yes? You are searching for a pine emblem?¡±


    ¡°There are many nobles who use pine as their emblem. Under the guise of collecting ghost stories, I visit the residences of nobility to investigate them.¡±


    ""


    Takafuyu widened his eyes.


    ¡°That was your goal? ¡ª¡ªBut, why¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t attend a girls¡¯ school because of my grandfather¡¯s plans for me, so I couldn¡¯t obtain information from my schoolmates. I was also restricted from going out, so it was only after my grandfather¡¯s death that I was able to walk around freely to some extent. That was two years ago. I had to think hard about how I could visit various noble families.¡±


    ¡°So, you decided to collect ghost stories? That¡¯s quite eccentric, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Suzuko laughed a little. ¡°Have you forgotten? I am clairvoyant.¡±


    ¡°I see, so you¡¯re saying that it¡¯s because it¡¯s your field of expertise,¡± A smile also appeared on Takafuyu¡¯s lips. ¡°By the way, I saw your smile for the first time.¡±


    Suzuko¡¯s smile disappeared. Takafuyu laughed in amusement.


    ¡°Your smile is lovely, but I also like the usual you with your dead fish-like eyes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Suzuko sighed.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, I didn¡¯t ask you about your underlying reasons. Why are you searching for someone with a ¡®pine emblem¡¯?¡±


    Suzuko hesitated for a few moments and turned her eyes to the street.


    ¡°It¡¯s because they committed murder.¡±


    When she said that, even Takafuyu gasped.


    ¡°You have said it as well, that there was a slaughter in an Asakusa slum. The people I lived with were killed. At the same time, I disappeared. ¡ª¡ªIt is as you said. To be more precise, I was at the Takigawa residence on the day they were killed. A few days before, I was discovered by a servant of the Takigawa family. At that time, I was working in the entertainment district of Asakusa Sixth Ward, and the servant who saw me reported it to my grandfather. Even without being called to the mansion and telling my story, my grandfather seemed to know immediately that we were related by blood. For I clearly resembled my father.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I can certainly see it,¡± Takafuyu nodded, but Suzuko got a sour look on her face. It didn¡¯t make her happy to be told that she looked like her father.


    ¡°My grandfather asked me to live at the Takigawa estate, but I couldn¡¯t give him an immediate answer, so I left. On my way home, Ginroku-san and the others¡­¡±


    ¡°Ginroku¡­ah, is that the person you used to live with in Asakusa?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Ginroku-san, Tei-san, and Torakichi-san. Ginroku-san was a man of about fifty, Tei-san was a woman of about forty, and Grandpa Torakichi was probably about seventy. Grandpa Torakichi¡¯s legs were bad and he could hardly walk, so we took care of him. Although we weren¡¯t related by blood, both Ginroku-san and Tei-san said they were indebted to Grandpa Torakichi. I, too, loved to hear stories about the old days from him.¡±


    Suzuko bit her lip as she felt herself begin to recall those days. If she completely recalled them, she would be in too much pain to speak.


    ¡°Tei-san was my mother¡¯s friend, from when we lived on the bottom floor of the Juunikai. She was the one who took care of me after my mother died. And then¡­um¡­¡±


    What was she talking about? Suzuko pressed her hand against her forehead. She couldn¡¯t speak properly because of the emotions swirling in her chest.


    ¡°You were talking about what happened on your way back home from the Takigawa estate. So, what did Ginroku and the others say?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes¡­Ginroku-san and the others were there.¡±


    ¡°There? Where do you mean?¡±


    ¡°So, I was walking down the street¡­on my way back and saw three people standing in front of me. They were standing there¡­and bleeding¡­¡±


    She had avoided remembering that scene. But now she had to talk about it. About the three standing there, covered in blood.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªYou mean that they are ghosts.¡±


    The perceptive Takafuyu gave the answer. Suzuko nodded.


    ¡°All three of them were bleeding from the chest in the same way. And then, they told me this. ¡®Don¡¯t come back.¡¯¡±


    Don¡¯t come back, Suzu.


    Tei-san had said while spewing a large amount of blood from her mouth. Her blue striped cotton kimono was dyed dark with blood. Her cheeks were emaciated, but even though her face was pretty in its own way, she was deathly pale at that time.


    Don¡¯t go back home. Go straight back to the Takigawa estate.


    It seemed that Ginroku had been beaten, as his eyelids were cut and swollen, and his cheeks were blue-black with bruises. Blood was in his beard and hair, which were streaked with white. His worn white shirt was red with blood.


    Torakichi didn¡¯t say anything, simply looking at Suzuko tenderly with bleary, clouded eyes. He was wearing a faded yukata, and his chest, where his ribcage could be seen faintly, no longer moved up and down as he breathed, but instead bled.


    Suzuko couldn¡¯t take it anymore and crouched down on the spot, burying her head in her hands. The parasol fell to her feet.


    ¡°Grandpa Torakichi couldn¡¯t even get up anymore, and yet¡­¡±


    Even such an old man had been brutally stabbed to death.


    Even though she had been told not to go back, at that time, Suzuko¡¯s legs had naturally wanted to run back home. But it was Ginroku¡¯s words that stopped her.


    ¡°My feet stopped when Ginroku-san told me, ¡®Find the culprit.¡¯ He said, ¡®Become a noble¡¯s daughter and find the culprit who escaped. He¡¯s a noble.¡¯ The culprit was said to have been carrying a handkerchief with a pine emblem on it. So, you don¡¯t have to come back, just find that person, he said. Ginroku-san used to work at a noble¡¯s mansion. I don¡¯t know who the noble was, though. That was why he knew about emblems.¡±


    So, Suzuko returned to the Takigawa house. From that day on, the ¡°Clairvoyant Girl of Asakusa¡± disappeared.


    After she finished speaking, Takafuyu remained silent for a while.


    ¡°I think this Ginroku-san was probably much more than a servant.¡±


    Takafuyu said after some time. Suzuko, who had been crouching down, stood up and shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I don¡¯t know at all. He never talked much about his past.¡±


    ¡°No, it was just a hunch. He seemed to be a smart man.¡±


    ¡°He was smart. Ginroku-san was the one who came up with the clairvoyant business.¡±


    Such a business was just right for Asakusa, a chaotic downtown area. Ginroku taught her how to talk as the Clairvoyant Girl, how to put on airs, and all the other details.


    ¡°He certainly was. That was why he gave you an objective and returned you to the Takigawa estate.¡±


    ""


    ¡°Eh¡­¡±


    ¡°There was a possibility that the culprit was still in the Asakusa area. That must have been why they stopped you there and told you to go back to the Takigawa estate. And, in order to prevent you from spending your days in tears over losing them, they gave you the objective of ¡®finding the culprit.¡¯¡±


    The image of three covered in blood reappeared in Suzuko¡¯s mind. Ginroku with his usual angry and stern eyes, Tei with her desperate expression, and Torakichi gently watching over her.


    She could no longer contain the whirling heat in her chest. Tears spilled from her eyes and fell down her cheeks.


    Takafuyu reached out his hand and touched Suzuko¡¯s cheek. Her tears wetted his hand. He took a step closer to her and put his hand on her back. Pulled to his chest with a reserved gesture, Suzuko leaned against Takafuyu¡¯s chest. The sweet smell of incense wafted from his jacket. Suzuko closed her eyes with a feeling of relief, because it felt like he was letting her use him rather than being embraced. Enveloped by the clean fragrance, Suzuko felt as though her heart had lightened just a little.


    After sending Suzuko back to the Takigawa residence, Takafuyu returned to Kojimachi and the Hanabishi mansion.


    ¡°Welcome home, sir.¡±


    Yura, the butler, greeted him. Takafuyu handed him his hat and told him that he could take his leave. Yura bowed expressionlessly and left.


    Even just being able to see a look of contempt on his face would be more worthwhile.


    Takafuyu thought this as he climbed the stairs. Yura was a faithful butler of his brother, Saneaki. There must have been cold emotions behind his hard face.


    His brother was treated like an outcast by their grandfather, the head of the family, and received cold treatment. Takafuyu knew that many of the servants of the house looked at him, who was spoiled by his grandfather, with bitter feelings. He was sure that they didn¡¯t welcome the fact that he, who was supposed to have been adopted out and left the family, was now back here again as the master of the house.


    Takafuyu opened the door to a room and stepped inside. This was the room that belonged to the master of the house. He stood with his back to the door for a while. There was a window facing him, and soft sunlight shined through the lace curtains. There was a large desk in front of it, a chest of drawers by the right wall, and a bookcase against the left wall. Takafuyu walked to the middle of the room and turned around. He stared at the mahogany door with an amber sheen. He felt as if he could see his brother¡¯s body, his legs splayed out on the carpet.


    He hadn¡¯t told Suzuko this, but his brother had committed suicide. He hung himself by tying a hand towel to the handle of this door.


    Takafuyu leaned against the desk and put his hands on it. Despite being filled with sunlight, the room was faintly chilling. Gloomy shadows fell here and there, trying to drag him into the darkness. The brightness that had filled him when he was with Suzuko seemed like a lie at this moment.


    Suzuko wasn¡¯t a cheerful or spirited girl, but for some strange reason, when he was with her, his melancholic feelings were blown away and he could laugh naturally.


    The wind. Yes, she¡¯s like the wind.


    A fresh, pure May breeze with a breath of new green leaves. Suzuko was that kind of person.


    Having to return to this mansion riddled with tired old traditions and hatred, having to feed the jourou spirit, having to marry the bride chosen by that spirit¡ªall of those things were abhorrent to him, but he had accepted them with resignation, because he had no choice. However¡­


    A wind was blowing. Suzuko called the things that were taken as normal in the world ¡°distortions.¡± She made him realize that they weren¡¯t normal.


    The wind blew into Takafuyu¡¯s heart and opened up his vision that had been covered by a haze. That was what it felt like.


    He exhaled deeply and then brushed his bangs up. He turned his attention to the Western-style chest of drawers. It was an elegant chest with gentle curves in the Art Nouveau style. It was still filled with his brother¡¯s personal belongings. Takafuyu hadn¡¯t thrown away any of his things, but left them as they were.


    He didn¡¯t know why his brother had committed suicide. He simply died without leaving even a note behind. Fearing scandal, they had a doctor who had long been associated with the Hanabishi family diagnose illness as the cause of his death and reported it to the Ministry of the Imperial Household.


    Takafuyu opened one of the drawers of the chest. It contained several white handkerchiefs. They were all without a single stain, which was typical of his brother, a neat and tidy man. Takafuyu picked up one of them. When he unfolded it, he saw his brother¡¯s crest carefully stitched in the corner with black thread.


    It read, ¡°Matsuin¡± (pine crest)¡ª¡ª


    It can¡¯t be possible.


    Takafuyu laughed a little to dispel the doubts that welled up in his heart. There were many nobles who had the pine as their crest. It made no sense. It was impossible.


    However, his brother died in the autumn of six years ago. It was six summers ago that Suzuko¡¯s family members were slaughtered.


    His thoughts alternated between ¡°So what?¡± and ¡°It couldn¡¯t be¡­¡±


    Takafuyu put the handkerchief back in the drawer and crouched down on the spot.

 Volume 1 - CH 1.1

    Viscountess Murotsuji was speaking.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªI¡¯ve been hearing the sound of a shamisen for about half a month now. Yes, yes, a shamisen. Like something a geisha would play¡­ I don¡¯t have a clue what kind of song it was, if it was a nagauta or tokiwazu.1 But whatever it was, it had that resonating ¡®ben-ben¡¯ sound. Especially on a dreary, rainy day, yes, just like today, can you hear it from afar? And when I say afar, I don¡¯t mean it comes from outside the house. I hear it from the inside of the house, from the end of a dark hallway. And so, I fearfully went to the end of the hallway, and there is nothing there. Of course there wouldn¡¯t be. But then I hear it again, this time from the other end. ¡ª¡ªIs that not creepy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it truly is,¡± Takigawa Suzuko, who was sitting on a sofa facing her, nodded deeply. Wearing a fresh-green crepe kimono with a pattern of butterflies, she had an air of gracefulness about her. She was seventeen years old, the youngest daughter of Marquis Takigawa. She was a maiden with a beauty like a statue nearing completion¡ªlooking too mature to be called a girl, but not matured enough to be an adult.


    At Suzuko¡¯s reaction, the viscountess let out a sigh of relief and placed her hand over the breast of her mousy wisteria kimono. There was a ring with a pale yellow-green gemstone on her finger.


    ¡°My husband says he doesn¡¯t hear anything, and that it was just my imagination. But recently, I¡¯ve even been seeing a figure¡­¡±


    The viscountess clasped her hands to her chest and hunched her back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only glimpsed it out of the corner of my eye. When I turn my head towards it, it moves quickly. But even though I can¡¯t see her clearly, somehow, I can tell that it has the appearance of a woman quite clearly¡­even the pattern of its kimono.¡±


    Suzuko shifted her gaze to behind the viscountess and quickly looked away.


    ¡ª¡ªA dark purple kimono with willows.


    ¡°The background is a vivid dark purple, and there is a pattern of willows¡­¡±


    Suzuko lightly nodded at the viscountess¡¯s words. The kimono of the woman standing behind her right now matched her description exactly.


    The woman was looking down, so her face couldn¡¯t be seen. Only her beautifully shaped pale forehead stood out clearly. Her hair, tied in the tsubushi Shimada style, was dishevelled and unkempt. The area from the collar of her kimono to the chest was drenched. Not with water, but with dark red blood.


    The blood was pouring from the woman¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Were you acquainted with any geishas?¡±


    When Suzuko asked the viscountess that, she shook her head and said, ¡°No.¡± But then, she added wryly, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about my husband, though,¡± and smiled faintly. Her husband was Viscount Murotsuji. He was an adopted son-in-law from a relative¡¯s family.


    Rain beat against the windows of the Murotsujis¡¯ elegant Western-style mansion. Mixed in with the sound was the timbre of a shamisen. It was a hard, reverberating sound of a plectrum plucking strings. The viscountess¡¯ shoulders trembled, and she looked frightened.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Suzuko¡¯s answer was short.


    ¡°You did hear it, I knew it, I¡¯m not hallucinating, am I? Aah, no¡­¡±


    The viscountess covered her ears with trembling hands.


    ¡°Why in the world¡­what kind of curse is this¡­this has never happened in the Murotsuji family¡­¡±


    The viscountess hung her head and muttered, as if trying to not hear the sound of the shamisen.


    Suzuko noticed that the woman in the dark purple kimono was holding a plectrum. Blood was dripping from it. There was the sound of sobbing mixed in with the sound of the shamisen. It didn¡¯t come from the viscountess. It came from the bleeding woman. Suzuko leaned forward slightly and tried to listen to it more closely. However, when the viscountess said, ¡°Pardon me,¡± Suzuko had no choice but to turn back to her.


    ¡°Does this sort of thing happen often? You seem knowledgeable. Would it go away if a purification rite was performed?¡±


    ¡°I only collect ghost stories as a hobby, so I¡¯m not an expert at all. If you ask me if this is common or not, then I would say it is rare. I¡¯m afraid that I don¡¯t know much about purification rites.¡±


    Reiko replied matter-of-factly. The viscountess looked discontented.


    ¡°Then, do you know Baron Hanabishi?¡±


    Suzuko was taken aback by the sudden change in topic.


    ¡°Hanabishi¡­? No, who exactly is¡ª¡ª¡±


    Suzuko suddenly stopped in the middle of her sentence, for the woman standing behind the viscountess lifted her head.


    Her face was pale. The blood had drained from it, and her eyes were dull. Only her lips were strangely red, but upon a second look, she realized that blood was dripping from it. Her mouth was moving and she seemed to be saying something, but no voice could be heard. Blood was flowing backward from her cut throat, gushing out of her mouth instead of her voice.


    ¡ª¡ª¡­Ah¡­


    She could only hear a faint, hoarse moan. The woman writhed in pain and bent her body. Fresh blood scattered onto the carpet.


    ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    Puzzled, the viscountess followed Suzuko¡¯s gaze and turned around. At the same time, the woman brandished the plectrum towards the viscountess.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Suzuko jumped up from the sofa and leaned over the table to cover the viscountess with her body. At that moment, there was suddenly a scent. It was a cool, clear, and dignified perfume.


    The door was opened forcefully. The scent got stronger. When she lifted her head, her eyes were met with beautiful clothing.


    The word ¡°juunihitoe¡± popped into her head. It was the kind of clothing worn by imperial princesses she had seen in books. The attire of the woman in front of her matched it perfectly.


    The woman with a white oval face, elegant almond-shaped eyes, and long flowing hair was standing beside her in a juunihitoe. For a moment, Suzuko couldn¡¯t tell if she was a living person or a non-living one.


    Suzuko saw both the living and the dead equally. Though if it were a bleeding, obviously non-living figure, anyone would be able to tell it was a ghost right away.


    It was only from the movements of the woman in juunihitoe that Suzuko realized that she wasn¡¯t alive.


    The woman, with extraordinary speed, pounced on the woman in the bloody dark purple kimono and ate her head.


    Ate. That was the only word that could be used to describe it.


    The woman in juunihitoe didn¡¯t open her mouth and bit her teeth in. When she pounced, the head of the woman in the dark purple kimono disappeared like smoke. Then, her upper body. And after that, her lower body.


    The only thing that remained was the shamisen plectrum, which fell onto the carpet. It was covered in dark blood. And after she blinked, it was gone.


    The woman in juunihitoe turned around. The corners of her red mouth lifted up. She was smiling.


    After she smiled, her form wavered. She dissolved like tobacco smoke and gently hung in the air. The smoke was swiftly flowing towards the entrance of the room. Following it with her eyes, Suzuko let out an ¡°Ah.¡±


    A man was standing there.


    When had he gotten there? He was a tall young man dressed in a well-fitted dark grey suit and looked to be in his mid-twenties. His handsome face was more virile than elegant, but it wasn¡¯t coarse. There was a faint smile on his lips.


    The smoke stretched towards him, and then surrounded his body. For a moment, it looked like the woman in juunihitoe was coiled around him before it disappeared.


    Suzuko stayed rooted to the spot, stunned. She could see what had happened before her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t understand what any of it actually meant.


    ¡°Is everything all right with the viscountess?¡±


    The young man said. His voice was soft and low. Startled, Suzuko looked down at the viscountess. She had lost consciousness. She might have seen the ghost brandishing the plectrum at the moment she turned around.


    ¡°She has fainted.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good. I must call a doctor.¡±


    After saying that, the young man left the room. Suzuko laid the viscountess down on the sofa and placed a cushion under her head. Leaving the viscountess to a maidservant who had come running, Suzuko left the room. As the mansion became noisy, she headed for the door. She told one of the maids that she was leaving and asked her to call her own maid and manservant. As she sat down on a settee in the spacious entrance hall to catch a breath, she almost jumped up when a voice nearby said, ¡°Are you leaving already?¡±


    She turned towards it and saw the young man from before standing right next to her. She was surprised since she hadn¡¯t sensed him at all.


    He isn¡¯t a ghost¡­I think.


    Since he went to call somebody, he should be a living person. She looked up at the young man dubiously. He smiled faintly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a ghost, miss.¡±


    He had a smooth, pleasant voice. He might have had the nicest voice she had ever heard. Although, Suzuko stared at the young man¡¯s face closely.


    He seems shady.


    ¡°That thing from before¡­what exactly is that?¡±


    The young man tilted his head slightly at her question, the smile still on his face.


    ¡°¡®That thing,¡¯ you ask? Could you please narrow the subject of your question? It¡¯s quite difficult for me to answer.¡±


    Suzuko furrowed her brows and spoke quickly. ¡°The woman in juunihitoe.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    The young man stared fixedly at her, and then immediately sat down next to her. Suzuko was about to move closer to the edge when she detected a gentle and pleasant fragrance coming from the young man. It was the same fragrance from before. Unlike western perfumes, it was the aroma of burned incense.


    ¡°My name is Hanabishi Takafuyu. I work as a merchant in Yokohama. I also have a house in Kojimachi.¡±


    The young man didn¡¯t answer her question and introduced himself instead. That was the name she heard from Viscountess Murotsuji earlier. Suzuko looked at the young man¡¯s profile.


    ¡°Baron¡­Hanabishi?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    The young man¡ªHanabishi Takafuyu smiled. He¡¯s someone who¡¯s terribly good at smiling that way, Suzuko thought. As she was thinking that, she went through list of noble families in her head.


    Baron¡­Hanabishi¡­Hanabishi¡­


    She retraced her memories and managed to recall it.


    ¡°By Baron Hanabishi¡­you aren¡¯t a shrine¡­shinkan, are you?¡±


    ¡°The term ¡®shinkan¡¯2 is strictly used only for those of the Ise Grand Shrine. The Hanabishi family are shinshoku. We are the chief priests of Shimagami Shrine on Awaji Island.¡±


    ¡°Aah¡­¡±


    Shinshoku nobility. The nobility, a privileged class established in the Meiji era, included former court nobles, feudal lords, people of merit during the Meiji Restoration, Buddhist priests, and many others. The shinshoku of shrines such as Ise Grand Shrine and Izumo-Taisha were also classified as nobility.


    ¡°Oh, but you said you were a merchant¡­¡±


    ¡°There are a few circumstances behind that. If you¡¯re interested, I¡¯ll tell you about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must decline, sir.¡±


    Suzuko shook her head. His smile was unbearably shady. She wanted to leave this place immediately. Her maid, Taka, hadn¡¯t arrived yet. This Kojimachi mansion wasn¡¯t so far away from the Takigawa estate in Akasaka, so she could return home by herself, but then she would get scolded by Taka later.


    ¡°You¡¯re the youngest daughter of Marquis Takigawa.¡±


    Suzuko glanced at Takafuyu¡¯s smile.


    ¡°I am, but I don¡¯t believe we have ever met.¡±


    ¡°This is the first time we have met. However, I have heard about you everywhere I went.¡±


    ¡°Everywhere you went¡­? Come to think of it, why are you here¡ª¡±


    ¡°I was asked to perform a purification rite. I am a priest, after all.¡±


    Purification rite?


    Was it that? The woman in juunihitoe eating the ghost, was that¡­?


    Remembering the scene, Suzuko frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that your hobby is collecting ghost stories. I don¡¯t believe that is popular among young ladies, so why do you do it?¡±


    ¡°Everyone has their own hobbies,¡± Suzuko merely replied curtly.


    ¡°Quite an eccentric hobby, isn¡¯t it? There are plenty of other activities more befitting a young lady.¡±


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t befitting a ¡®young lady,¡¯ then perhaps it¡¯s appropriate for me,¡± Suzuko spoke sharply, a little irritated by Takafuyu¡¯s teasing tone.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry if I caused you to misunderstand. I was not saying that ironically because you were born in a slum.¡±


    Suzuko looked at his face. He was looking back into her eyes, still with that thin smile on his face. Takafuyu¡¯s eyes were a deep reddish-brown, and unlike his expression, they were dark like the darkness of a thick forest.


    Feeling a strange chill, Suzuko quickly stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking my leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did I offend you?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true that I grew up in a slum, and everyone knows that.¡±


    ¡°No, I said something unnecessary. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°I told you, that isn¡¯t the case.¡±


    On the contrary, she was irritated by exchanges like this. Suzuko turned her face away and headed for the door. Takafuyu followed her.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going home alone, are you? Your chaperone¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can return by myself.¡±


    ¡°Surely you jest. If you¡¯re truly leaving, I¡¯ll give you a ride in my car. It¡¯s raining. I don¡¯t want your clothes to get wet and for you to catch a cold.¡±


    Suzuko remained sullen and silent in response to Takafuyu¡¯s repeated words.


    ¡°Takigawa-san¡ªSuzuko-san, you were able to see that jourou.¡±3


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Not knowing the word ¡°jourou,¡± Suzuko turned around. There was a cold smile on Takafuyu¡¯s face, different from the one from earlier.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, won¡¯t you marry me?¡±


    Suzuko was too stunned to speak.


    The spring of 1920 was in the midst of a recession. The unprecedent economic boom brought about by the world war quickly withered with the end of the war, and although there was a short rally, it was completely ended by the stock market crash in March. The so-called ¡°ship rich,¡± ¡°steel rich,¡± and ¡°stock rich,¡±4 who profited from the war and had their eccentric spending habits frowned upon by the public, had mostly fallen into decline after the war.


    A serious problem for the Takigawa family was the collapse of stock prices. The Marquis Takigawa, who was Suzuko¡¯s father, wasn¡¯t an economist at all, but he loved to invest. When he was told that he would regret it if he missed out on a purchase now, or that he could recover his losses, he readily invested into whatever it was. Therefore, they were directly affected by the stock market crash.


    The Takigawa family was a noble family that was considered wealthy even among the aristocrats. Originally feudal lords in the Ise region, with land income and a finance business called Takigawa Trading Company in their hometown, so they had more than enough money to live on. However, currently, her father was wasting it all. The family was unanimous in their opinion that he had to be made to retire as soon as possible, and they were also worried about how to make him retire without it becoming a scandal. The fact that he had no intention of retiring was also a problem. Suzuko was sure that he was still spending his money cheerfully somewhere today.


    Her father, as was typical of libertines, was also a ladies¡¯ man. In addition to his legal wife, he also had several mistresses and even seduced a maid. That maid was Suzuko¡¯s mother. It seemed that there was a complicated dispute between her mother and the family after she conceived Suzuko, and her mother left the Takigawa estate and drifted here and there, ending up in a slum in Asakusa. Since her mother died of illness when she was very young, Suzuko didn¡¯t know where her hometown was or whether she had any relatives there.


    Suzuko was eleven when she was taken in by the Takigawas. At that time, the previous Marquis was still alive, and her father remained in the background. In fact, even now, her father was busy playing around out there and only came home when his wallet was becoming empty. For Suzuko, her father was fainter than a heat haze, and her impression of him was quite weak.


    ""


    His legal wife had died of childbirth fever and was already deceased when Suzuko was taken in. One of his mistresses lived in the mansion. There were other mistresses, but she was the only one who bore children, and so only she was allowed to live in the mansion. Suzuko had never met the other mistresses.


    In addition to Suzuko, her father had a legitimate son by his legal wife, and two daughters and a son by his mistress. However, her older brothers lived in a boarding house, and her older sisters were married, so they didn¡¯t live in the mansion from the time she was taken in and now. Although her brothers spent weekends at the mansion and her sisters came to visit often, other than the servants, Suzuko and the mistress lived alone in the vast mansion.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, your aunt from Azabu came to see me this morning and suggested that you should be married off to Baron Hanabishi. What do you think?¡±


    It was a late afternoon in April when Chizu, her father¡¯s mistress, said this to Suzuko. She almost spat out the tea she was drinking. It was a few days after she met Takafuyu at the Murotsuji house.


    On that day, when Takafuyu suggested marriage to her, Suzuko had immediately responded with, ¡°I refuse.¡±


    It was incomprehensible. It was unconventional for him to ask her to marry him in front of her without a matchmaker or any marriage talks, but more than that, Takafuyu was suspicious-looking and unknown to her, so she couldn¡¯t come up with anything other than refusing his proposal. In response to Suzuko¡¯s firm answer, Takafuyu just smiled without a word. That was also creepy.


    He came to remove the obstacles in his way.


    Of all people, her Azabu aunt. She was her father¡¯s younger sister and said to be a lady who loved helping with marriage proposals more than anything in the world. She wondered how he approached her.


    ¡°Nothing more needs to be said¡­please decline, as always.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, such a waste. Baron Hanabishi is tall and very good-looking.¡±


    I know. But she didn¡¯t say that and quietly sipped her tea.


    ¡°He¡¯s also a wealthy man, and he does a wide variety of business.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that difficult in today¡¯s economy?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? The other day at Mitsukoshi, you bought the ¡®Dahlia¡¯ from ¡®Flora.¡¯ You also bought ¡®White Lily.¡¯¡±


    ¡°The Western Fragrance¡­?¡±


    ¡°Western Fragrance Flora¡± was a pressed incense that imitated the scent of Western perfumes. Pressed incense consisted of kneaded fragrant powders that were die-cut and dried, basically incense sticks with unusual shapes, but ¡°Flora¡± was innovative in its use of colorful flowers such as roses, violets, and dahlias, and the incense was made in the shape of each flower and very adorable, looking like colorful dried sweets. Its pretty labels and advertisement depicting a flower goddess was also popular with many people from housewives to schoolgirls. It was said to be especially fashionable among schoolgirls to put them in a gauze bag and tie it up with a satin ribbon, using them as sachets.


    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t know that¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, the Hanabishi family is a venerable house with a long history.¡±


    ¡°¡­But, he¡¯s a baron.¡±5


    Suzuko said, as if in protest, and Chizu giggled. She was a woman of sharp and intelligent beauty, and her smile with the corners of her mouth slightly lifted suited her well.


    ¡°Titles like baron and marquis don¡¯t necessarily correspond to family rank or history. It¡¯s a system created by the government, but it¡¯s not at all what it should be. The Hanabishis are older than your run-of-the-mill nobility. I think they¡¯re even older than my family.¡±


    Chizu used to be a geisha, but she was a daughter of a fallen noble family. Many of the noble families had difficult financial situations, accumulating debts and struggling. Some of them had even had to give up their titles because they couldn¡¯t keep up appearances of nobility.


    ¡°You also know the story of Baron Senge of Izumo-Taisha, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    The Senge family had been the chief priests of Izumo-Taisha for generations, and their history was, needless to say, very old. When they were elevated to the nobility in the Meiji era, they were treated the same as the other shinshoku families and made into barons like everyone else. The head of the Senge family at the time asked the government for a higher title. In the end, his wish wasn¡¯t granted.


    ¡°The Hanabishi family are the chief priests of a shrine on Awaji Island that enshrines the deity Izanagi-no-Mikoto, but they were originally lords of the island. It is said that during the Asuka or Nara period, fragrant woods drifted ashore on the island and were presented to the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really¡­¡±


    Suzuko¡¯s indifferent response clearly indicated that she wasn¡¯t interested. On the contrary, Chizu continued to talk enthusiastically.


    ¡°Their mansion in Kojimachi is also lovely. You should go and see it. It¡¯s a Western-style brick mansion covered in ivy. The atmosphere is wonderful.¡±


    ¡°You seem very enthusiastic. But I remember you telling me that I didn¡¯t have to marry and that I could become a professional woman.¡±


    Chizu loved new things. She used a flat-iron to make her hair wavy and sometimes wore Western clothes. Western-style clothing for women was still a rarity and mostly only for uniforms of professional women, such as female conductors for blue buses. It was also only a few months ago that the first female conductors in Japan were created.


    However, a daughter of a noble family working in some sort of occupation would receive severe criticism from the public. It was an unrealistic and offhanded remark.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky. If Gozen-sama6 had still been alive, you would have been married off to some nouveau riche sly fox without any use arguing about it.¡±


    ¡°Gozen-sama¡± referred to the previous Marquis. Her father¡¯s father, which meant that he was Suzuko¡¯s grandfather. Although it should be her father who should be called Gozen-sama, as he was the head of the family now that her grandfather was dead, it was still her grandfather who was called Gozen-sama. Chizu called Suzuko¡¯s father ¡°Danna-sama.¡±


    Her grandfather was a strict person, and everything in the Takigawa family was decided by him. Both of Chizu¡¯s daughters¡ªhalf-sisters to Suzuko¡ªmarried into conglomerate families. Those decisions were made by their grandfather.


    After Suzuko was taken in, by her grandfather¡¯s policy, she was tutored by a private tutor instead of attending a girls¡¯ academy that admitted girls of the nobility.


    Both Chizu¡¯s son and the son born to the legal wife, who died of puerperal fever, were moved to a boarding house outside the mansion at the age of seven and brought up under strict discipline. Everything was done by the order of their grandfather. Apparently, there were many such families among the nobility.


    When her grandfather was alive, her father¡¯s good-for-nothing tendencies were somewhat subdued, but since his death two years ago, her father had been like a kite with a broken string. No, perhaps like a horse that had been put out to pasture.


    ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that Baron Hanabishi would be better than a nouveau riche sly fox.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! But Baron Hanabishi is such a handsome man.¡±


    Chizu was a pushover for looks. She loved beautiful men and women alike. Since she herself was so beautiful that her picture was often featured in women¡¯s magazines, one would think that she should just look in the mirror, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. Incidentally, she wasn¡¯t concerned about what was behind those beautiful looks. That was why she was qualified to become Suzuko¡¯s father¡¯s mistress.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure that someone like that has plenty of other marriage proposals.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s in business and he¡¯s busy with that, so he has put off marriage. He finally had some free time and felt inclined to get married. I told you, didn¡¯t I? You¡¯re lucky.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Shady. Suzuko recalled Takafuyu¡¯s fake smile.


    ¡°¡­Chizu-san, do you know what a ¡®jourou¡¯ is?¡±


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that? A jourou?¡±


    Chizu was taken aback by the unconnected question, but answered without seeming to have any suspicions.


    ¡°A jourou is, well, to put it simply, a high-ranking woman who serves in the imperial court. I wonder if you would understand what I mean when I say naishinosuke¡­7 They are the daughters of cabinet ministers, or women about the third rank or so. There are three types: jourou, chuurou, and gerou.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    In short, a high-class woman. Does that mean the woman in juunihitoe was that kind of person? Why does it matter that I could see her? And how is this connected to the topic of marriage?


    Suzuko rested her chin in her hands as she pondered. ¡°Don¡¯t put your chin in your hands. It¡¯ll warp your jaw,¡± Chizu scolded, and Suzuko stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Oh, where to?¡±


    ¡°Chizu-san, you told me, didn¡¯t you? ¡®You should go and see it.¡¯ I¡¯m going there right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh my.¡±


    Chizu blinked in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re going to Baron Hanabishi¡¯s place? Are you interested?¡± she said with a smile of satisfaction. ¡°I hope he¡¯s not a good-for-nothing on the inside like Danna-sama.¡±


    Without responding to that, Suzuko said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get ready,¡± and returned to her room.


    Woo new project!! Hope this one doesn¡¯t get licensed too


    Also I know the translated title isn¡¯t the best so I¡¯m considering just using the romaji

 Volume 1 - CH 1.2

    Her kimono was apricot-colored silk crepe with a pattern of undyed white roses, and it was matched with a dyed obi with butterflies drawn in the Art Nouveau style. She chose a fresh green color, the base color of the obi, for the obiage and obijime. The neckpiece was embroidered with roses, and the fastener was a silverwork butterfly inlaid with an emerald. Her haori was salmon-colored with a pattern of roses that seemed to overflow, and the bottom was a pale chartreuse dyed in gradations. All these kimonos and jewelry were the preferences of Chizu and her sisters.


    When Suzuko went outside, she must not dress shabbily because she was carrying the name of the Takigawas on her back. That was what they told her. That was what they called appearances for the nobility. It took extraordinary finances to maintain it. That was why noble families with difficult circumstances formed familial relationships with conglomerates and nouveau riche. Even this emerald came from her half-sister¡¯s marriage. The Takigawa family¡¯s ¡°front¡± couldn¡¯t come up with that kind of money. The ¡°front¡± was where the household finances were managed, and where assets were managed and invested. Even her father couldn¡¯t use the assets of the family without permission, but since he was borrowing money in the name of the Marquis everywhere, the people of the ¡°front¡± had no choice but to clean up after his mess. So, they had to tighten the purse strings in other areas.


    Suzuko stared at the emerald on her fastener and suddenly recalled the gemstone on Viscountess Murotsuji¡¯s ring. That pale yellow-green gemstone was most likely an emerada, a synthetic gemstone. Synthetic gemstones were inexpensive imported items that were appreciated in this time of recession, and although they were in fashion, it was somewhat strange that a member of the nobility, who cared about her appearance, would wear it in public. But it wasn¡¯t any of Suzuko¡¯s business if she wore that synthetic gemstone because she liked it.


    As she sat in front of her mirror and had her hair done by a maid, she thought about the viscountess¡¯s ring and the geisha ghost. Her hair was braided at the back, coiled at the nape of her neck and tied with a wide ribbon. The ribbons popular with young girls these days were mainly those made of French silk. Wider ones were preferred, so much so that women¡¯s schools were said to have restrictions on widths. The ribbon Suzuko chose today was green. The ribbon, which seemed to reflect the fresh greenery of this season, looked lively even in the mirror. Her attendant, Taka, often bemoaned that Suzuko lacked the artless innocence of a maiden, so she thought she would look somewhat sprightlier with a ribbon like this in her hair.


    Finally, she put on her English-made white lace gloves. This was due to a burn-like scar on the back of her left hand, so she always wore them whenever she went out. Even Suzuko didn¡¯t know when or where she got the wound. That probably meant it was a wound she got before she could remember.


    Just as she took her sea-green parasol in hand, her attendant, Taka, arrived. She was a woman in her forties, wearing a striped meisen silk kimono. She was an old maid assigned to Suzuko by her grandfather to teach her, who didn¡¯t know the first thing about how a young lady should behave. She mercilessly hammered etiquette into Suzuko, and now she was able to act relatively like a young lady on the surface. She would nag her to use ¡°gozaimasu¡± instead of ¡°desu,¡± and to use ¡°moushiwake gozaimasen¡± or ¡°osoreirimasu¡± instead of ¡°sumimasen.¡±1 Suzuko, who used to listen to her seriously in the beginning, now spoke in a more informal manner at home and talked back to Taka. She was scolded for her vulgarity in clearly speaking her mind, but when she shot back, ¡°Then you should just keep a doll in my place,¡± even Taka gave up and no longer said anything about it anymore.


    ¡°It¡¯s improper for a young lady to visit a gentleman¡¯s mansion alone.¡±


    When she said she was going to the Hanabishi estate, Taka had said so with a sharp look in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be alone. You¡¯ll be with me, after all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not proper for you to visit a gentleman. It would be better if the young masters were with you.¡±


    ¡°My brothers won¡¯t be here until Saturday afternoon. Besides, they must be busy. We can take Kirino with us, as usual.¡±


    Kirino was a manservant. He was the young man she took along with her whenever she went to listen to ghost stories.


    Taka sighed exaggeratedly, but finally answered, ¡°Understood.¡± She didn¡¯t think well of Suzuko¡¯s collecting of ghost stories either.


    Since she had the whole day, she rode to the Hanabishi estate in Kojimachi in an automobile. Daughters of the nobility didn¡¯t walk around aimlessly. She heard that automobiles were less expensive to maintain than horse-drawn carriages, but Suzuko still felt restless and impatient about not walking on her own two feet.


    The weather outside was clear and sunny, a complete change from the other day. There were many people out and about in this pleasant weather. This tranquil scene in the city made it hard to believe that until the beginning of spring, there was a severe epidemic raging in the city.


    The epidemic that had been spreading around the world during the war had spread to the Empire as well in 1918, and it was commonly called the ¡°Spanish influenza¡± or ¡°the bad cold.¡± The first outbreak occurred from the fall of Year 7 to the spring of Year 8, followed by a second epidemic from the end of Year 8 to the spring of Year 9. The number of deaths was so great that cremations couldn¡¯t be carried out in time, and the newspapers were filled with death notices framed in black. Of course, Suzuko wasn¡¯t allowed to go outside during that time. Color posters endorsing masks and gargling were put up on street corners, and people also began to gargle carefully with salt water in the morning and evening. She didn¡¯t know if the threat had passed or if the epidemic would return in winter. So she wasn¡¯t entirely at ease, but seeing the people around her regaining normalcy relieved her mind.


    ¡°I thought Baron Hanabishi was in Yokohama? Will he be in Kojimachi when we visit him there?¡±


    Taka was doubtful, but Suzuko had a hunch. Takafuyu would be there. He was waiting for Suzuko, who heard about the marriage proposal, to march in to ask what was going on.


    That was what she felt. Suzuko¡¯s intuition had never been wrong.


    The Kojimachi and Akasaka neighborhoods were home to many residences of the nobility. Of the urban area surrounding the imperial palace, the small hills from north to west, including Kojimachi and Akasaka, were the so-called ¡°Yamanote¡± area. When one went down the mountains, one ended up in Shitamachi, and Akasaka, where the Takigawa estate was located, was Yamanote, but Tamachi and other areas were Shitamachi. As the name indicated, ¡°Yamanote¡± was the area on the mountains, on higher ground.


    When Tokyo was Edo, the residences of hatamoto and the main and spare residences of feudal lords lined the Yamanote area, but they were all confiscated by the government in the Meiji era and turned into government and military land. They became government offices, residences for officials, and parade grounds. However, since the unused houses were left to fall into disrepair, the tiled walls collapsed, the mansions decayed, or were dismantled and carried away before that happened, and all that remained were weeds. In the early Meiji period, the abandoned residential areas were left to go to ruin and in terrible states. When the government tried to sell the land, there were no buyers. As the world settled down, the number of residents increased, and the area regained its liveliness and became what it was today. Suzuko couldn¡¯t picture this area as a desolate field, but she had heard about it from the old man she used to live with when she was in Asakusa.


    The Hanabishi estate in Kojimachi wasn¡¯t an extremely large building, but it was a magnificent Western-style mansion. It was a two-story brick building with red brick walls covered with ivy. The corners of the building and the frames around the windows were made of white granite and had the Hanabishi crest carved into them. The entrance door and stained-glass windows were also decorated with the Hanabishi crest.


    The Takigawa estate had both a large Western-style house and a traditional Japanese house, so Suzuko was surprised by the magnificent house, but compared to the dignified stateliness of the Takigawa mansion, this one had a strong sense of fashion consciousness. Even though they¡¯re both Western-style mansions, there are differences between them, she felt.


    However, perhaps it was the ivy covering the walls that made it seem strangely gloomy. Or perhaps it was because of Suzuko¡¯s mindset.


    Even though she hadn¡¯t announced her visit, the gatekeeper promptly opened the gates just as the car approached. In front of the door, a young man dressed in a steward¡¯s uniform stood there as if welcoming them. The car carrying Suzuko stopped at the porch, and a manservant opened the door. When Suzuko got out of the car, the steward bowed and said, ¡°We have been waiting for you,¡± without asking her identity. From his appearance, he was still in his twenties, but he had the composure of someone past middle age. If he weren¡¯t so young, she would have assumed he was a butler.


    The entrance door with beautiful stained glass on the top part opened.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Takafuyu greeted her casually. He was wearing a light gray suit today. ¡°I thought you would be arriving soon.¡±


    How should she answer? As if searching for it, Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu¡¯s face. He had a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes were unreadable.


    ¡°Please, come in.¡±


    The entrance hall she was invited into had a vaulted ceiling, and bright sunlight was pouring in. Suddenly, there was a faint fragrance, and Suzuko looked around. There were doors on either side and a staircase in the corner at the end. There seemed to be a corridor on the other side. The rooms to the left and right were probably the public rooms like parlors, and the end of the corridor was probably the inner parts of the house. The fragrance seemed to be wafting from the back of the house. The smell was invisible to the eye, so it was entirely Suzuko¡¯s intuition.


    ¡°The lady¡¯s attendant, please come this way.¡±


    When the steward indicated the door on the left, Taka raised her eyebrows as if to say, Preposterous.


    ¡°I shall stay with my lady.¡±


    Suzuko couldn¡¯t be alone with a man. The steward looked at Takafuyu as if looking for instructions. Takafuyu looked at Suzuko.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t come here just to have tea with me, I presume. I intended for us to speak candidly with each other, not merely probing.¡±


    Suzuko turned to Taka and said firmly, ¡°Please leave me alone.¡± When she got like that, even the nagging Taka didn¡¯t cross the line. She only let out a small sigh.


    ¡°Please come this way,¡± Takafuyu said and started walking. He was going the direction of the fragrance. When they turned the corner at the end of the hall, there really was a corridor there. The scent got stronger. Without a doubt, it was the fragrance she had smelled the other day. They walked down the corridor, and Takafuyu stopped in front of the door of one of the rooms.


    ¡°¨D¨DDo you smell it?¡±


    Takafuyu asked, and Suzuko looked up at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same scent I smelled when we first met a few days ago¡­¡±


    Takafuyu nodded without saying a word. His smile was gone. He opened the door. The strong, intoxicating scent filled the air, and Suzuko covered her nose with her sleeve. She had thought it was an elegant and refreshing scent, but here it was so strong that it was indeed suffocating.


    On the other side of the door was a Western-style room about eight tatami mats large. The floor was covered in mosaic tiles, and the walls were also tiled. The room was dimly lit because of the extreme small and high windows, which were round stained-glass windows that depicted the Hanabishi crest. The only furnishings in the room were a shelf by the wall and a small table in the center with an incense burner on it. Peonies were painted on the incense burner. She wondered if the scent was coming from there, but there was no smoke. It seemed that it hadn¡¯t been lit.


    ¡°This is an Iro-Nabeshima incense burner.2 It is custom-made.¡±


    Takafuyu pointed at the incense burner, but Suzuko didn¡¯t quite understand.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t accept it unless it¡¯s of the finest quality.¡±


    ¡°She?¡±


    ¡°You saw her the other day, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­The ¡®jourou¡¯?¡±


    Takafuyu smiled a thin smile.


    ¡°Precisely.¡±


    ¡°Is that thing a ghost?¡±


    ¡°She will get cross if you call her ¡®that thing.¡¯ She is prideful. After all, she¡¯s a jourou.¡±


    ¡°Is that jourou a ghost, sir?¡±


    She rephrased her question. Takafuyu tilted his head a little.


    ¡°Rather than a ghost, she¡¯s a vengeful spirit.¡±


    ¡°A vengeful spirit¡­¡±


    Suzuko recalled the appearance of that jourou who ate the ghost.


    ¡°This will be a bit of a long story,¡± Takafuyu said, then turned his gaze to the incense burner. ¡°I told you before that the Hanabishi family served as the chief priests of a shrine. A shrine on Awaji Island. Have you ever traveled to Awaji Island? It is a beautiful place. Let me show you around sometime. It is quicker to go by train, but a boat trip is also nice. Do you get seasick?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t what we¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ""


    ¡°Then, we shall discuss that later. Yes¡ªwe are the chief priests of a shrine on Awaji Island. Apparently, we were the lords of the island in ancient times, but because it was an important point on the sea route, it was placed under the imperial family¡¯s rule at an early date. We offered fragrant woods that drifted ashore to the emperor. That is why the island has been connected to the imperial family for a long time. And that island was also an island where nobles were exiled to. Such as the dethroned emperor of Awaji¡­Emperor Junnin, as well as Prince Sawara.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know either of those names. Her tutor had given her a general history lesson, but she didn¡¯t remember it. But she did know they were nobles because they were an emperor and a prince.


    ¡°Even if they were exiled, they were nobles, so they couldn¡¯t be left alone. There must be someone to take care of them. So, a woman of the Hanabishi clan performed that role. Emperor Junnin died on the island, and Prince Sawara died before reaching the island, but such souls would go wild. Particularly Prince Sawara, who turned into a dreadful vengeful spirit. The role of consoling them also fell to a woman of the Hanabishi clan. As a miko.¡±


    ¡°Miko¡­¡±


    ¡°For these kinds of things, there are regulations for everyone. It¡¯s all written down in texts like the Engi-Shiki.3 They are called the ¡®mikannoko.¡¯ It is written with the characters ¡®Óù¡¯ (on) and the ¡®Îס¯ in Î×Å®. It means ¡®child of god.¡¯ So, from generation to generation, the women of the Hanabishi clan served as mikannoko to appease the vengeful spirits associated with Awaji Island. However¡­¡±


    Takafuyu pointed to the incense burner.


    ¡°At some point, there was a reversal.¡±


    ¡°Reversal?¡±


    ¡°The one who was supposed to appease ghosts have become a vengeful ghost herself.¡±


    Suzuko blinked her eyes.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    She sounded na?ve, like a small child. Takafuyu suddenly smiled, and she looked away.


    ¡°We don¡¯t exactly know why it happened. The mikannoko goes to the imperial court once a year, and it is said that she was killed on the way there. She was carrying fragrant wood to offer to the court, so there are stories that say she was attacked by pirates or betrayed by court officials. In any case, the mikannoko was killed, and her blood soaked into the wood. The emperor lamented her death and conferred the third rank onto her, but the mikannoko turned into a vengeful spirit and possessed the wood¡ªthat¡¯s how the story goes.¡±


    Suzuko looked at the incense burner. ¡°In other words, that vengeful spirit is from the Hanabishi family.¡±


    ¡°Correct. The legend suggests that the Hanabishi clan has its own personal trading network, which feels quite suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Suzuko tilted her head.


    ¡°That fragrant wood is called agarwood, and it isn¡¯t produced in Japan. The fact that we could offer it to the imperial court once a year meant that we must have obtained it through trade, since we couldn¡¯t wait for it to drift ashore once in a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Takafuyu smiled wryly.


    ¡°Agarwood is very precious and expensive.¡±


    Suzuko was getting increasingly confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s wood, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Is that expensive?¡±


    ""


    ¡°Considerably.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t really understand the things valued by the nobility, she thought.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t even eat it¡­¡± she murmured without thinking. Takafuyu took a breath and laughed out loud.


    ¡°Haha. You¡¯re right.¡±


    She was a little surprised to hear his unexpectedly bright laughter. Suzuko cleared her throat.


    ¡°So, do you mean that the vengeful spirit of the Hanabishi clan woman was the jourou I saw the other day?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she was.¡±


    ¡°It looked to me as if that jourou had eaten that ghost.¡±


    ¡°That is the crux of my story.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°She eats ghosts. That vengeful spirit eats ghosts, so perhaps it is cannibalism. Or perhaps not. Well, putting that aside, she eats them.¡±


    ¡°Why does she¡­¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Takafuyu said matter-of-factly. ¡°We don¡¯t know, but that¡¯s the way it is. So we, the descendants of the Hanabishi clan, must feed her.¡±


    ¡°Feed¡ª¡± In other words, Suzuko understood. ¡°In other words, you give her ghosts?¡±


    Was that the scene I saw the other day?


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Takafuyu nodded strangely happily. ¡°It¡¯s helpful that you understand so quickly.¡±


    Suzuko could understand because she could see the whole thing from beginning to end.


    ¡°The Hanabishi clan must find ghosts and give them to her. Otherwise, we will be cursed.¡±


    ¡°Cursed¡­even though you¡¯re from the same clan?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯re from the same clan. She¡¯s pestering us to fulfill our role. If we don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°What will happen?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll die,¡± Takafuyu turned his head to the side and gave a sad smile for a moment. ¡°They all died. My grandfather, parents, older brother.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Suzuko furrowed her brow and clasped her lace-gloved hands together.


    ¡°My grandfather and the others, well, there was a time when they fed her properly, but then there was something like a family quarrel. They couldn¡¯t focus on feeding her anymore. And then, they died. I don¡¯t know to what extent they were cursed, but that¡¯s the way it is with curses, you know.¡±


    Takafuyu smiled a cold, thin smile.


    ¡°In the past, there was a move to exorcise her because she was a vengeful spirit, but there was a setback. She couldn¡¯t be exorcised. ¡ª¡ªWell, I¡¯ve told you many things, but what I want you to understand now is that you have no choice but to accept marriage with me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± She asked in a harsh tone, but Takafuyu just smiled like he wasn¡¯t going to answer her at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s because she chose you. Now that you¡¯ve been chosen, you can¡¯t escape from her anyway.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°You can smell a scent, can¡¯t you? Even though there¡¯s no incense burning. She has taken a liking to you. She chooses the wives of the heads of the Hanabishi family. It has to be someone she likes. Perhaps it is because you can see ghosts. Please see this as fate and give up.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­eh? Wait, what are you¡ª¡±


    She chose me to become the bride of the head of the Hanabishi family.


    Suzuko¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t keep up. Finding Takafuyu¡¯s faint smile eerie, she backed up. He immediately took her left hand.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t a bad match for the Takigawa family, either. Your father would be glad to have more financial support. Your brother, the heir to the family, is, contrary to your father, a very upright man. I heard he works for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I¡¯ve met him before. We got along quite well, actually. I haven¡¯t yet met your second brother, who works in the Ministry of the Imperial Household, but I have heard of him. Your brothers are reliable and secure.¡±


    At this rate, he must have been researching the Takigawa family inside out. Suzuko brushed off his hand and glared at him.


    ¡°When you look at me with those eyes, I¡¯m afraid that you might see right through me.¡±


    Takafuyu said, his face showing no signs of fear. In fact, Suzuko was the one who was horrified by what he said next.


    ¡°The name ¡®The Clairvoyant Girl of Asakusa¡¯ suits you well, I see.¡±


    Before she could think, her body was moving. Suzuko spun around and ran to the door. Just when she grabbed the doorknob, her hand was pressed down from above.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡±


    The soft, gentle tone of his voice was even more frightening.


    ¡°I have no intention of revealing your true identity to the world. It would be very troublesome if it were known that the Senrigan Girl who caused a sensation at that time was settled into a noble family, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­How did you find out?¡±


    ¡°An old friend of mine is a newspaper reporter. But, I was only half guessing, tricking you into revealing the truth. I was trying to connect the Psychic Girl who suddenly disappeared six years ago to you, who can see ghosts. No one could have connected you two unless they knew you have that power. And there are no photographs left behind.¡±


    Before being taken in by the Takigawa family, Suzuko worked as a ¡°clairvoyant.¡± Clairvoyance (senrigan)4 referred to the power to see a thousand ri into the distance, and specifically, to mysterious abilities such as guessing what was happening at a distance, to seeing through hidden things, and putting images on photographic plates through sheer willpower¡ªbeing able to do thoughtography. Around the end of the Meiji period, a woman who claimed to possess such abilities appeared and became the talk of the town. The uproar, which excited the public and involved scholars and intellectuals, ended with a bad aftertaste with the deaths of two clairvoyant women, and subsequently disappeared.


    In Suzuko¡¯s case, she didn¡¯t see through things or do thoughtography. She simply guessed the other person¡¯s past or found what they were looking for. Even so, she gained quite a reputation. It was probably because she was a child, not yet old enough to know what she was doing. The reason she was able to do such things was because the ghosts told her. However, she also used more deceptive methods, such as guessing from the other person¡¯s words, actions, or appearance.


    ¡°The reason this old friend of mine remembered the Clairvoyant Girl who disappeared six years ago was because they remembered an incident that happened around that time. There was an unsolved massacre in an Asakusa slum. Three poor people were killed. They were the ones using the Clairvoyant Girl to make money. And from that day on, the Clairvoyant Girl disappeared¡­¡±


    A smile appeared on Takafuyu¡¯s lips, but his eyes weren¡¯t smiling.


    ¡°If it was revealed that you are the Clairvoyant Girl, it would create more trouble than just a mere scandal, wouldn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t know what that would be, though.¡±


    Suzuko bit her lip.


    ¡°Is that, by any chance, the reason you collect ghost stories? Of course, if you don¡¯t want to tell me, I won¡¯t pry any further.¡±


    Takafuyu removed Suzuko¡¯s weak hand from the doorknob and released it. He smiled gently.


    ¡°Now, let me ask you once again. Will you marry me?¡±


    He¡¯s an asura wearing the mask of a gentle bodhisattva, Suzuko thought.


    After visiting the Hanabishi estate, Suzuko¡¯s days became depressing. The Takigawa estate suddenly became busy with their regular merchants from kimono fabrics shops and jewelers arriving with smiling faces. They were there to place orders for wedding clothes and trousseaus.


    Suzuko was going to be married to Takafuyu.


    She had no other choice after what she was told. It was a threat wrapped in silk.


    Since permission from the Minister of the Imperial Household was required for a noble¡¯s marriage, the ministry had to be consulted, but since both families were nobility, it was unlikely that they wouldn¡¯t be allowed to marry.


    Staring at the commotion around her as if it was happening to someone else, Suzuko¡¯s face was gloomy.


    ¡°It¡¯s natural to get depressed before you get married,¡± her older half-sister, Yukiko, said with a self-satisfied expression.


    ¡°We¡¯ll pick for you, Suzu-chan, so you can rest,¡± Asako, her other half-sister, said happily as she spread out the fabrics on the tatami. The two of them were twins. Their faces were identical, but not so much that they were completely indistinguishable.


    ¡°For these kinds of things, it¡¯s much more fun to pick for someone else than for yourself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you can pick without any responsibility.¡±


    They were speaking however they liked. Her two sisters visited more frequently than before when they learned that Suzuko¡¯s marriage had been decided. Suzuko had no idea what to choose, whether it was for her wedding clothes or her trousseau, so they were a great help.


    ¡°Will the ceremony be held at the Imperial Hotel?¡±


    ¡°The announcement tea ceremony and banquet will be held at the Peers¡¯ Club.5 The ceremony will be held somewhere else, I¡¯ve heard. You see, it¡¯s a shrine family, after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, don¡¯t tell me that it¡¯s going to be at the shrine on Awaji Island?¡±


    ¡°How will it be?¡±


    Asked by her sisters, Suzuko answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± In fact, she truly didn¡¯t know.


    Wedding ceremonies nowadays had shifted from holding the ceremony at home to being Shinto weddings. The first Shinto wedding ceremony took place when the current emperor was still the crown prince. This influence led to the creation of a form of Shinto wedding at Hibiya Grand Shrine in the same year.6 This led to the popularization of the simplified Shinto wedding ceremony among the general public.


    For the nobility, they must also announce the marriage to their friends and acquaintances in addition to the ceremony. Because of the large number of people, it was divided into a tea ceremony and banquet. Just thinking about it made Suzuko feel weary.


    ¡°Let¡¯s elaborate on the embroidery for the bridal robe. Gold and silver embroidery with uprooted young pines will do. The lining should definitely be red. An elegant vermillion. For this kind of thing, it¡¯s lovely to make it look old-fashioned. As for your hair, you¡¯re going to wear it in the shimada style, so we must have good quality tortoiseshell hairpins made for you.¡±


    ¡°I think it would be more auspicious to use tortoise shells and cranes.7 Perhaps we should also make fukusa with a pattern of pine, bamboo, and plum.8 And we must order plenty of lined and unlined kimonos to be made.¡±


    Perhaps because her sisters were about ten years older than Suzuko, they treated her like a nice-looking dress-up doll from the time she was taken in. They both told her happily, ¡°We wanted a cute little sister.¡± ¡°But we only have little brothers who aren¡¯t cute in the slightest.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, Sisters.¡±


    The two ¡°little brothers who aren¡¯t cute in the slightest¡± had come to the tatami room where Suzuko and the others were in. The overserious-looking young man was the heir, Yoshitada, and the sullen-looking young man was the second son, Yoshimi. Today was Sunday, a public holiday, so the two men who worked for the government were also staying at the estate.


    ¡°The trousseau shouldn¡¯t be too lavish, lest it creates a great stir.¡±


    ¡°Yoshitada-san, you never stop saying dull things, do you.¡±


    ¡°The heir has a lot to deal with, poor thing.¡±


    Yoshitada sighed. He was used to this kind of treatment.


    ¡°I¡¯m against it.¡± The one who said that was Yoshimi. Both Yoshitada and Yoshimi were handsome young men, but Yoshitada resembled their father and Yoshimi resembled his mother, Chizu. However, it was only in face, and the two of them didn¡¯t resemble them at all in personality.


    ¡°Oh, Yoshimi-san, do you prefer a lavish trousseau then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that,¡± Yoshimi frowned when Yukiko asked him. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Suzuko¡¯s marriage to the Hanabishi family. There¡¯s something strange about them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t want to hear that from us, though.¡±


    Yukiko said, and Asako laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me,¡± Yoshimi said, irritated. Somehow, Suzuko had the feeling that of all her siblings, Yoshimi was the closest to her in nature.


    ¡°Three generations of that family died in succession, and the second son who was sent out as an adopted child was summoned back to inherit the title. On top of that, even his mother died.¡±


    ¡°Even in our family, Yoshitada-san¡¯s mother and Suzu-chan¡¯s mother also died young. A lot of people also died during the recent influenza outbreak. People die more easily than you think,¡± Asako replied unexpectedly calmly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Yukiko agreed solemnly. ¡°Several employees at my husband¡¯s company had passed away. They were at the prime of their careers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, that¡¯s not the issue,¡± Yoshimi scratched his head. ¡°I don¡¯t like that baron. He¡¯s fishy.¡±


    Yoshimi and Suzuko really were close in sensibility.


    Yukiko laughed lightly.


    ¡°Yoshimi-san, you don¡¯t like him because he¡¯ll take your little sister away from you. You said the same thing when Asa-chan and I got married.¡±


    ¡°No, it was different with you¡ª¡±


    ¡°You probably just don¡¯t like merchants,¡± Yoshitada said. He was extremely weak against his two older sisters, but he spoke considerably firmly to Yoshimi and Suzuko.


    ¡°Baron Hanabishi was sent out as an adopted child and raised in a merchant family, so he is a shrewd man of the world. However, he isn¡¯t a man who is only good on the surface. He is a thoughtful person. I know him personally, so I can vouch for his character.¡±


    Yoshitada-oniisama is so good-natured.


    Suzuko thought as she looked at Yoshitada¡¯s serious face. Perhaps it was because he had grown up without any difficulties, but when he heard about other people¡¯s hardships and tragedies, he sympathized with them and tended to be partial to them. She was worried that he might fall for a scam in the future. Suzuko wasn¡¯t the only one who thought it would be better for him to get a wife of firm character as soon as possible.


    ¡°I think Suzuko would be better off with someone broad-minded like that, rather than someone who only has a good pedigree and doesn¡¯t know the ways of the world.¡±


    I was half-threatened and forced to agree to this marriage, though.


    Could that be called broad-minded? She was sure that Takafuyu was a worldly man, though.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, you don¡¯t look happy. Are you not willing to get married?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think you should think about your own marriage rather than mine, Onii-sama.¡±


    Instantly, Yoshitada¡¯s behavior became suspicious. His gaze wandered around. ¡°N-Not yet for me. I¡¯ll get married when I¡¯m thirty or forty.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, Yoshitada-san, you should consider the feelings of your future wife. For the heir to the Takigawa family, your future wife must be a young maiden. She would be marrying an old man who¡¯s thirty or forty years old.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Yoshitada was at a loss as to how to respond to Asako¡¯s words. ¡°Marriage is a hassle,¡± Yoshimi said and turned away. Both of them were unmotivated to get involved with women because they had watched their inconstant father.


    ""


    ¡°Yoshitada-san, come to Karuizawa this summer. I¡¯ll introduce you to the younger sister of my husband¡¯s school friend.¡±


    ¡°No need for that, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Yoshimi-san seems to have a keen nose, so he¡¯ll be fine, but I¡¯m worried about you. You might get deceived by a bad woman.¡±


    I agree, Yoshimi and Suzuko both nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡ªenough talking about me. You were discussing Suzuko¡¯s wedding preparations.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I wonder how we came to this topic.¡±


    Yoshitada flipped through some of the design books and catalogues on the low table. ¡°What¡¯s this? A ring? Is that even necessary?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s mine,¡± Asako took the design book from his hands. ¡°I was thinking about buying one for summer.¡±


    ¡°Business must be going well for you.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully,¡± Asako laughed. Sketches of cool jade and crystal rings filled the book. Each was as delicate and beautiful as a Japanese-style painting.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll get a jade ring to go with my obi fastener. Jade and pink tourmaline are still popular for fasteners, but not so trendy either. Diamonds are too stuffy-looking for summer. I don¡¯t like them too much, they¡¯re too glaring.¡±


    ¡°I heard that diamond rings sold very well during the boom years of the war. That must be why you don¡¯t want them anymore, Asa-chan.¡±


    How contrary, Yukiko laughed. Asako shrugged.


    ¡°Well, I must admit that is the case. But since it¡¯s my birthstone, I think I¡¯ll own one at least.¡±


    ¡°Birthstone?¡± Yoshitada, who wasn¡¯t familiar with jewelry, tilted his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s your gemstone that¡¯s determined according to your birth month. It was started by Mitsukoshi, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t it originate in America? Mitsukoshi adopted it and turned it into a business.¡±


    In 1913, rings that used birthstones were introduced into the market under the name ¡°The Twelve Months Rings.¡± They were sold by the Mitsukoshi Draper¡¯s Shop. That company thought up all sorts of business ideas.


    ¡°There are also synthetic birthstones. Do you know about them?¡± Yukiko asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re called hope birthstones,¡± Asako immediately replied. When it came to ornaments, there was no one in this family more knowledgeable than Asako. There was no doubt that she was Chizu¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°Synthetic gemstones are imported and cheap, right? They aren¡¯t things for nobility to wear.¡±


    Yoshitada¡¯s face said, I know that much. Asako laughed.


    ¡°Just because they¡¯re cheap, it doesn¡¯t mean they are no good, Yoshitada-san. You wear them, so it¡¯s fine if you like them.¡±


    ¡°Synthetic gemstones are trendy, they¡¯re popular, Yoshitada-san,¡± Yukiko said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell gemstones apart, so don¡¯t be so careless as to say that in public. The ring worn by the lady in front of you might be that type of jewelry.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say it¡­¡±


    Yoshitada looked tired after being verbally attacked by his two sisters because he inadvertently mentioned jewelry. He would probably never broach the subject ever again. Since Yoshimi knew this very well, he never cut in at times like this.


    While listening to the talk about synthetic gemstones, Suzuko recalled the ghost at the Murotsuji estate again.


    ¡°I wonder if there have been any geisha murders recently.¡± She had meant to murmur that in her head, but she spoke it out loud.


    ¡°Eh, no, what? A geisha was murdered?¡±


    Both Yukiko and Asako frowned.


    ¡°I think it happened about half a month ago,¡± It was Yoshimi who answered. He was flipping through a catalogue, looking bored. ¡°It was a geisha in Akasaka. It was in the newspapers. I don¡¯t remember if it was a robbery or a crime of passion, though.¡±


    ¡°Then, was the culprit caught?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think they were caught?¡±


    ¡°¡­Was she killed in Akasaka?¡±


    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t remember the details. Read the newspapers.¡±


    ¡°But ¡®half a month ago¡¯ is too broad.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so persistent. I remember reading about it in the morning paper the day after we all went flower viewing.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Suzuko retraced her memories. What day was it when they all went to see the cherry blossoms? Before she could remember it, Asako gave the answer.


    ¡°We went flower viewing on Saturday, April tenth. We were talking about how the cherry blossoms would be on full bloom on an auspicious day,9 how it was a warm and a perfect day for flower viewing. We dressed Suzu-chan in a sakura-colored kimono with a scale-patterned obi and talked about what an adorable Musume Dojoji she made.10 And after that, Yoshitada-san drank too much and got drunk.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to remember unnecessary things, Asako-neesan,¡± Yoshitada had a sullen look on his face.


    So, the article appeared on the following day, the eleventh. Suzuko wondered if they still had it.


    ¡°Old newspapers have many uses, so we probably still have it. Ask Ofuku,¡± Yukiko said. Ofuku was the head maid.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask her,¡± Suzuko stood up. Her siblings looked at each other.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not getting interested in strange things again,¡± Yoshimi said. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re just reading the article, but don¡¯t do anything scary.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ghost stories and murders and the like are dangerous.¡±


    Asako and Yukiko both said. Suzuko¡¯s sisters were understanding of her, but they frowned upon her hobby of collecting ghost stories. They were worried about her.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get the newspaper from Ofuku,¡± Yoshitada stood up. ¡°And that will be the end of it. Don¡¯t tell us that you want to go to the house where the murder took place.¡±


    ""


    ¡°¡­I wouldn¡¯t say that, though¡­¡±


    She mumbled, and Yoshitada said in a big-brotherly way, ¡°That¡¯s a promise,¡± and left the room.

 Volume 1 - CH 1.3

    Just as Yoshimi remembered, the article appeared in the morning paper of the eleventh. The article reported that Koman, a geisha in Akasaka, had her throat slit with a sharp object in her home and breathed her last while covered in blood. The article suggested that it was a robbery, since there was no murder weapon and the room appeared to have been ransacked.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t an article you should read,¡± Yoshitada knitted his brows and picked up the newspaper. With a murder case like this, articles were written in a sensational manner, bloodier and more exaggerated to attract the reader¡¯s attention. This article had a large headline with the words ¡°Sea of blood.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if the culprit hadn¡¯t been caught. Because I¡¯m sure Yoshimi-oniisama would have remembered it.¡±


    With such a shocking article, it would have been treated as a big deal if the culprit had been caught. Yoshitada sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business whether or not they¡¯re caught. Forget about it.¡±


    Suzuko looked up at his face.


    ¡°Oniisama, do you not care if someone from a lower class is cruelly slaughtered?¡±


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°You said it¡¯s none of my business. You don¡¯t care whether one or two geishas are killed or whether or not their killer is caught, do you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel sorry for the deceased geisha? What a tragedy that she¡¯s killed in such a horrible manner.¡±


    ¡°Well, of course I feel sorry for her. It is a tragedy.¡±


    ¡°Then aren¡¯t you at least concerned about whether or not the culprit was caught? That¡¯s what empathy is all about.¡±


    ¡°Mm, yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Oniisama, you know someone in the police, right? Why don¡¯t you ask them?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Me?¡±


    After staring at her brother¡¯s face, Suzuko lowered her eyes. Sadly.


    ¡°Okay. A schoolmate of mine from university works at the police department, so I¡¯ll ask him.¡±


    Yoshitada left to make the call.


    I really am worried that my older brother will get easily tricked by a bad woman.


    The culprit wasn¡¯t caught.


    The incident took place at a small geisha parlor in Tameike-cho, Akasaka Ward, where four geisha and the proprietress lived. One night, one of the geisha, a twenty-year-old named Koman, real name Yamai Kane, was found dead with blood flowing from her throat when the proprietress and the others returned home. The group had planned to go see the cherry blossoms that day, but Kane said she didn¡¯t feel well, so the others left her behind at home.


    ¡°Kane was a very pitiful girl. She was from a village in the mountains of Aizu, but everyone in the village died from the flu from before. The whole village was wiped out. Naturally, so did her family. Mountain villages are isolated places, so things like this happen.¡±


    Yoshitada spoke in a tone of genuine sympathy.


    ¡°Since then, the others tried to take Kane out to see the cherry blossoms, partly to raise her spirits. Apparently, the proprietress was terribly sorry that she had left Kane all alone.¡±


    ¡°The newspaper said it might have been a robbery¡­but is that true?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I don¡¯t think they would tell us about something that¡¯s currently being investigated, even if we¡¯re friends.¡±


    Suzuko nodded. Then, that person must be an acquaintance or close friends or something of the sort.


    ¡°I hope the culprit is caught soon. It would be unbearable if that didn¡¯t at least happen. Kane¡¯s soul will never rest.¡±


    Yoshitada sighed deeply. He didn¡¯t like talking about such things.


    A geisha with her throat slashed¡­


    The ghost of the woman with the bleeding throat she saw at the Murotsuji residence appeared in Suzuko¡¯s mind. The viscountess had said that she began to hear the sound of a shamisen about half a month ago. The incident also occurred about half a month ago. Was Kane that ghost?


    Suzuko thanked Yoshitada and retired to her room. After pondering for a while, she stood up with her lace gloves and parasol. ¡°Please get Taka for me,¡± she told a maid.


    ¡°Where are you planning to go?¡± Taka asked suspiciously after she arrived.


    ¡°I just want to take a walk.¡±


    ¡°You just want to take a walk?¡±


    ¡°I want to buy some sweets on the way, so I will ask Tsurumi-san for some money.¡±


    Tsurumi was the steward of the Takigawa family. He was now over sixty years old, but he was a capable steward who had been in charge of the ¡°front¡± since the time of the previous marquis. Whenever she wanted buy something, she would tell him what she was going to buy and receive a small amount of money.


    ¡°If you want sweets, then just order from your usual confectionery shop.¡±


    ¡°I want to buy something on my walk. That¡¯s what I¡¯m in the mood for.¡±


    ¡°Hanajirushi-sama.¡±


    Taka slowly called Suzuko, as though punctuating with a single word. ¡°Hanajirushi¡± (flower seal) referred to Suzuko. The seals used by the nobility used words like ¡°pine¡± (matsu) or ¡°plum¡± (ume) because they hesitated to call or write their names directly. Suzuko¡¯s belongings were marked with ¡°flower seal¡± or ¡°flower.¡± Yukiko was plum, Asako was peach, Yoshitada was pine, and Yoshimi was bamboo.


    Whenever Taka called her by this name, it was to say, ¡°You should be aware that you are a daughter of a noble family.¡±


    ¡°I understand what you want to say. I¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    Suzuko said, but Taka looked suspicious.


    Tameike-cho in Akasaka was so named because there was once a reservoir in the area. It was a name with no ingenuity, but it served to preserve the memory of the past.


    The pond was built in the early Edo period and was said to have been long, large, and narrow. It was part of the outer moat for Edo Castle and used for drinking water. The water quality must have been good enough for people to drink it. Koi carp and crucian carp from Lake Biwa and the Yodo River swam there, lotus flowers bloomed, and fireflies flitted about. The area became one of the most popular tourist spots, and naturally, tea houses were built around the area to cater to the tourists. The red-light district of Akasaka-Tamachi was formed along the pond.


    In the Meiji era, the reservoir was filled up and turned into a street where streetcars ran, and then a town. Tameike-cho was the name of the town. The Takigawa residence, located in Akasaka Ward, was relatively close by. The military facilities occupied a large area in Akasaka, and the Takigawa residence stood among other residences of the nobility and built during that time.


    Accompanied by Taka, Suzuko bought kneaded yokan1 at the confectionery shop that purveyed to the Takigawa family and then walked to Tameike-cho. The area from Tamachi to there was lined with restaurants and tea houses. Because of its proximity to government offices, Akasaka¡¯s red-light district served many high officials and military personnel. They gathered as guests at night. In the middle of the day, there were seedling peddlers and millet bonsai vendors2 who called in peculiar melodies while walking around, scrap collectors carrying long baskets on their backs, restaurant shop-boys running with wooden boxes, sleepy-looking geisha on their way to shamisen practice, and other such people came and went on the street. A streetcar flew along the rail, and a car crossed behind it. The sounds of children playing in tatami tenement houses vigorously overlapped the various sounds of the town.


    Even though May had only just begun, it was so hot today that even with a parasol, she could still feel the strong sunlight. Sweat beaded on her neck. The ground was sprinkled with water by the waterers in order to prevent dust, and a heat haze shimmered. There was the smell of fresh greenery.


    Since this was a walk, Suzuko wore her meisen silk everyday clothes instead of her best clothes. The sunlight slid over the smooth meisen fabric. The pale blue fabric with a large white arrow feather pattern was cool to the eye. In the morning, she chose this kimono because she expected that it would be hot today, and she was proven right.


    A car coming from behind suddenly slowed down and approached Suzuko. The number of automobiles had increased due to the economic boom due to the war, but this had also led to an increase in the number of automobile accidents. Suzuko moved to the side of the road since she found it frightening when a car passed near her. She also did that now, but was startled when the car came closer to her. It stopped near her. From the open window in the back seat, a voice called out, ¡°Suzuko-san!¡±


    It was Takafuyu. ¡°Did I startle you? My apologies. I saw you from behind, so I couldn¡¯t help but call out to you.¡±


    Suzuko took a step away from the car.


    ¡°Do you have need of me?¡±


    ¡°No, since this is the first time we¡¯ve seen each other in a while.¡±


    While putting on a fedora, Takafuyu got out of the car. ¡°Go back to the mansion,¡± he told the driver. He was wearing a sober silver-grey suit, but perhaps because it was hot, he had taken off his jacket and was carrying it under his arm. Black onyx cufflinks adorned the cuffs of his white shirt, a pearl pin adorned his navy tie, and a gold chain from his pocket watch ran from the buttonhole of his vest to his pocket. All of these items were understated but tasteful and suited him well.


    ¡°It¡¯s very hot today. Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking a walk.¡±


    ¡°Then, I shall accompany you.¡±


    ¡°Is there something you want to talk to me about?¡±


    ¡°There is, but we can talk about it next time. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Suzuko fell silent and walked ahead.


    ¡°Do you often take walks? They are good for your health, aren¡¯t they? You can also get a good idea of what the neighborhood is like. I grew up in Yokohama, so it¡¯s fun and unusual to go anywhere in Tokyo.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I remember my foster parents took me to the Asakusa Juunikai3 building. It will be the best time to see the wisteria at Hyoutan Pond soon. Shall we go see them? How about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Suzuko-san?¡±


    ¡°You said that we will talk next time, sir.¡±


    She said cuttingly, but Takafuyu smiled pleasantly. Suzuko, feeling like he knew what her answer would be and was speaking to her on purpose, felt sickened.


    What an unpleasant person.


    Without a doubt, he seemed to have a twisted personality. He was nothing like Yoshitada, and he was different from Yoshimi. When she was working as a clairvoyant, she saw many adults, but none of them were like him.


    ¡°I am not going to Asakusa,¡± Suzuko said firmly. Ever since the Takigawa family took her in, she had never set foot in Asakusa. Even when she tried to go there, her legs trembled and she just couldn¡¯t go.


    Takafuyu nodded lightly, still smiling.


    ¡°Then, let us drop the wisteria and go see the peonies in Azabu¡¯s Shouka Garden instead. Or would you prefer roses? For roses, it would be Choushun Garden in Mukojima.¡±


    Suzuko walked, completely ignoring Takafuyu. She turned off the street into a side street. There was a row of dumpling shops and restaurants with short curtains hanging from the eaves, and across the street were the row houses where servants from nearby mansions lived. The fragrant smell of cooked dumplings filled the air, and peddlers and rickshaw drivers were sitting on benches at the front of the shops, eating dumplings and relaxing.


    Takafuyu pointed forward from behind.


    ¡°The geisha parlor you are heading for is in the alley around the corner there.¡±


    Suzuko sighed and looked up at Takafuyu. ¡°You know everything, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I guess things right often.¡±


    ¡°You could be a good fortune teller.¡±


    Takafuyu smiled in amusement. ¡°With your endorsement, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Ojou-sama,¡± Taka called out to Suzuko from behind in a stifled voice. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    ¡°There is something I want to ask.¡±


    ¡°At a geisha parlor? That¡¯s absolutely preposterous. We¡¯re going home.¡±


    ¡°Baron Hanabishi is here too, so it should be fine.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t.¡±


    Despite the back-and-forth argument, Suzuko didn¡¯t stop walking. As they rounded the corner, Takafuyu spoke up.


    ¡°Oh, look, someone¡¯s coming out.¡±


    The alley was lined with compact single houses. There seemed to be a mix of stores and houses that didn¡¯t do any business, and signs were up for a pawn shop and a blacksmith. The alley was deserted, and only the clanging of metal could be heard from the blacksmith¡¯s shop, but Takafuyu was right: a girl of about seventeen or eighteen was coming out of one of the houses before them. Pots of morning glories, probably purchased from a morning glory seedling peddler, were placed under the eaves by the front door, adding a touch of elegance to the place. Suzuko wondered if this girl was a geisha. Her hair was tied up in the Tsubushi Shimada style and she looked neat and pretty, but there was a somewhat unrefined air about her.


    The girl was walking towards them, carrying something in a wrapping cloth as if she was going out for an errand. Suzuko stopped her.


    ¡°Pardon me, but are you from¡ªKoman-san¡¯s house?¡±


    The girl shrugged her shoulders as if frightened and looked at Suzuko. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for startling you. My name is Takigawa Suzuko. I¡¯m a daughter of the Takigawa family in Akasaka.¡±


    When she introduced herself, the girl¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Takigawa-san of Akasaka? Do you mean the marquis¡­? From that big mansion?¡±


    ¡°The marquis is my father. He continues to be deeply grateful to everyone here.¡±


    The girl laughed a little at Suzuko¡¯s words. It was a cute, amiable smile.


    ¡°I have never been invited to the marquis¡¯s mansion. But, I have heard rumors.¡±


    This seemed to relax the girl, and she introduced herself as Kotatsu and that she was one of the geishas who lived in the geisha parlor. For the first time in her life, Suzuko felt that her father had been helpful.


    ¡°But why is the daughter of the marquis here?¡±


    ¡°Please feel free to call me Suzuko. I was acquainted with Koman-san for a little while. I only recently found out that she has passed away, and though it is late, I thought I would at least offer some incense to her¡­could you please offer this to the spirit of the deceased?¡±


    Suzuko turned to Taka and signalled her with her eyes. Taka was carrying the yokan she had bought on the way here. Taka gave her a reproachful look, but handed the package of yokan to her. Suzuko would be given a stern lecture when she returned home.


    ¡°Wow! Yokan from Konno!¡± Neri yokan was a high-class delicacy. Kotatsu¡¯s eyes were shining. ¡°Thank you very much. Please, come in.¡±


    Kotatsu was about to turn back to the house when her eyes landed on Takafuyu, who was a short distance away from Suzuko. ¡°This is Baron Hanabishi,¡± Suzuko introduced him briefly.


    ¡°I know him. I have met the baron several times.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu¡¯s face as he approached. ¡°So you often come to Akasaka at night, I see.¡±


    ¡°I come here for dinners with business partners and entertaining government officials. It¡¯s all for work,¡± Takafuyu smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Hanabishi-san is very popular with the geisha,¡± Kotatsu said. Suzuko didn¡¯t know if she was being courteous or if she was telling the truth. ¡°Because he¡¯s so handsome and kind.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ¡®kind¡¯ means I spend a lot of money, yes?¡± Takafuyu laughed.


    ¡°The marquis is also very popular,¡± Kotatsu said to Suzuko like she was trying to be considerate. It was unnecessary consideration.


    ¡°You¡¯re running errands, right? Is it okay if we come in?¡± Suzuko said as she looked at the bundle Kotatsu was holding.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can do it later,¡± Kotatsu said as she turned to the door. I¡¯m just taking the ladies¡¯ kimono to the shikkaiya.¡±4


    ¡°Speaking of kimono, Koman-san had a dark purple kimono, if I remember correctly? It had a willow pattern.¡±


    Kotatsu stopped and looked back at Suzuko. Her face was stiff.


    ¡°Yes, it was Koman-chan¡¯s favorite. She was wearing it when she died.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    So that ghost truly was Koman.


    ¡°Her kimono was covered in blood¡­it was awful,¡± Kotatsu hung her head. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t went out to see the cherry blossoms that day, at least I would have stayed behind as well.¡±


    Murmuring that, she opened the door and invited Suzuko and the others in.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t entertain you properly. My sisters are at practice with the nagauta master, and the proprietress is looking for a new house to rent. We used to have a part-time maid, but she quit.¡±


    The house was quiet and still. The sound of children playing could be in the distance.


    ¡°Are you moving house?¡±


    ¡°No one is willing to continue living here. My sisters said they would go to another geisha parlor if we didn¡¯t move. New girls won¡¯t come either. I remember it all too well. There was so much blood. I can still smell it. We changed the tatami mats, but for some reason, it made it worse, you know? Something like that¡­¡±


    Kotatsu pointed to the tatami room at the back. Two tatami mats had been replaced with brand new ones. The other tatami mats were yellowed and worn out, so the new ones stood out considerably. They smelled like new tatami mats, but that scent was all the stranger in an old house.


    Suzuko clasped her hands together in front of the chuindan altar set up in the altar room. The image of Koman covered in blood reappeared behind her eyelids.


    Why did you appear in Viscount Murotsuji¡¯s residence?


    What did she want to bring to attention there? Suzuko had kept thinking about that. It would be good if she could ask the ghost, but she was eaten by the jourou. She couldn¡¯t ask her anymore.


    As far as she knew, the ghost of Koman was no more, but that didn¡¯t mean she could forget her.


    ¡°For a short while, there were a lot of reporters and onlookers coming here to ask about Koman-chan, which caused us a lot of trouble. At first, since she was a geisha, it was said that it has to do with jealousy in a love affair, and then it was reported that it seemed to be a robbery and what happened to her hometown was in an article¡ªdid you know that the flu wiped out her entire village?¡ªand there was large outpouring of sympathy for her. There were people who donated money through the newspaper company as a prayer for her soul¡¯s repose.¡±


    Kotatsu murmured sadly.


    ¡°Koman-chan came to Tokyo to be a geisha in order to support her family back home. She said she couldn¡¯t make any money if she stayed in the village. I understand, because I¡¯m in the same situation. Of course there were hard times, but I could endure them if I remind myself that this is all for the sake of supporting my family. But, for Koman-chan, it wasn¡¯t just her family, it was her entire village. She seemed to fall into a terrible depression when she received the telegram. She couldn¡¯t even go to ozashikis5 after that. She became half sick and so weak that we thought she had the flu. From the end of last year until January, people were in no state to invite geisha to entertain them. We also had a lot of free time, but from the beginning of spring, the ozashikis gradually increased, but Koman-chan just couldn¡¯t do them. She was saying things like, ¡®There¡¯s nothing worth living for anymore¡¯¡ª¡ª¡±


    Kotatsu suddenly stopped speaking and looked down, embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to hear such an awful story.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Viscount Murotsuji must have been worried about Koman-san, right?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Oh, yes¡ªyou know her very well. Viscount Murotsuji was a good-natured man, and he consoled Koman-chan a lot about the death of her family. They didn¡¯t have that kind of relationship between a man and a woman. I could understand if that was the case. He felt sorry for her because he could see that she was clearly depressed, so he was concerned about her. Sometimes he even brought us sweets. Oh, that¡¯s right, the ring as well.¡±


    Kotatsu turned her gaze to the brand-new tatami mats as though remembering.


    ¡°She received that ring from Viscount Murotsuji. I don¡¯t think it was a very expensive thing, though.¡±


    ¡°¡­That emerada ring?¡±


    Suzuko asked. Kotatsu tilted her head a little.


    ¡°I think that was the gemstone¡¯s name, but¡­I don¡¯t know. I heard it was a synthetic gemstone.¡±


    ¡°A pale yellow-green gemstone?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, it was. A beautiful yellow-green color.¡±


    ¡°Is the ring here now?¡±


    ¡°No¡ªit isn¡¯t. It was most probably stolen by the robber, I think.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Suzuko looked around the room. If the ghost of Koman had been here, she would have been able to listen to her voice.


    At that time, I didn¡¯t have the time to listen to her.


    Even though she seemed to be saying something.


    If only this man had come a little later¡­


    Suzuko gave a sideways glare at Takafuyu. Knowingly or unknowingly, Takafuyu spoke to Kotatsu.


    ¡°Has anything else been stolen?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°The money in her dresser wasn¡¯t stolen. None of my or the other girls¡¯ belongings were taken, but¡­I couldn¡¯t tell which of Koman-chan¡¯s things were missing, except for her ring.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Takafuyu crossed his arms and seemed to be thinking over something, but then he suddenly moved his face close to Kotatsu¡¯s. He was looking into her eyes intently.


    ¡°W-What is it?¡±


    Kotatsu drew back. Takafuyu looked away from her face and turned his eyes towards the back room. It was the room where Koman died. He stared at it and narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve ever talked about this during drinks. But, y¡¯know, I can see ghosts.¡±


    Kotatsu gasped and turned pale. Takafuyu¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t the courteous one he used with Suzuko, but familiar and relaxed. Suzuko watched him to see what he was going to say.


    ¡°I see, so her plectrum is missing.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kotatsu¡¯s body shook with a start.


    ¡°Koman¡¯s shamisen plectrum. That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°And you were the first to find the deceased Koman. You came back before the proprietress and the others.¡±


    Kotatsu¡¯s complexion had gone past blue to become chalk-white. Her body was trembling slightly.


    ¡°What did you do with the plectrum?¡±


    Letting out a cry, Kotatsu covered her face and began to sob.


    Suzuko tugged on Takafuyu¡¯s sleeve. What is this? She asked with her eyes. Takafuyu didn¡¯t answer and simply stared at Kotatsu¡¯s quivering head.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kotatsu. There must have been a reason for what you did, right?¡±


    Takafuyu put his hand on Kotatsu¡¯s shoulder and whispered. His voice was gentle that it made Suzuko shudder. Goosebumps rose on Suzuko¡¯s skin, but Kotatsu gave a small nod and looked up.


    ¡°Ko¡­Koman-chan died. She really died. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have left her alone. I wished I had stayed with her,¡± Kotatsu was heaving with sobs. ¡°I was always worried that something like that would happen. The proprietress was also worried. That was why we tried to cheer her up by inviting her out to view the flowers. But when she said she wouldn¡¯t go, the proprietress got angry and told her to do what she wanted, and then I couldn¡¯t tell her that I wouldn¡¯t go either. But I was uneasy, so I came back early. And then¡­¡±


    She found Koman lying there, covered in blood.


    ¡°She died wearing her favorite kimono, clutching her plectrum with both hands.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wait,¡± Suzuko spoke. ¡°She committed suicide?¡±


    Kotatsu nodded.


    ¡°She used her plectrum on her neck¡­¡±


    ¡°But the weapon was never found, and the room was ransacked.¡±


    ¡°I threw the plectrum into a ditch when I was on my way to the police station to inform them. I was the one who ransacked the room like a robber. ¨D¨DI heard Koman-chan say it. She planned on dying.¡±


    Kotatsu wiped her eyes with the handkerchief offered by Takafuyu and looked at the tatami room in the back.


    ¡°When I saw Koman-chan covered in blood, I thought, ¡®The proprietress will be furious.¡¯ If a geisha committed suicide, the proprietress would lose a lot of money. We would be called a geisha parlor that dirtied the house and made a geisha commit suicide. I don¡¯t even know if they would give her a proper funeral. Besides, the world isn¡¯t very kind to suicides, is it? Even more if it was a geisha. I¡¯m sure they would say terrible things about us, just for fun.¡±


    Geishas were a symbol of beauty and splendor, much praised in newspapers and magazines, but at the same time, they were also objects of scorn as ¡°prostitutes.¡± What was the logic behind these two extreme contradictions? Suzuko felt nauseous at the thought of people being called ¡°prostitutes,¡± a horrible title.


    ¡°But, if people thought she was killed¡­if she was killed by a robber, then they would sympathize with Koman-chan.¡±


    That was what actually happened. To the point of donating money to her in her memory.


    ¡°Koman-chan said this as she stared at her ring. ¡®If I sell this, I wonder if it would be enough to pay for my cremation.¡¯ She also said, ¡®It would cause trouble for everyone, but if possible, I hope that they can send my bones back to my village.¡¯ ¡­She had no intention of living another day, so all she could think about was how to deal with the aftermath of her death.¡±


    Kotatsu sniffled.


    ¡°Where is that ring now?¡± Takafuyu said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I didn¡¯t hide it or throw it away. Maybe this was after she sold it¡­¡±


    ¡°Was there money that seemed like it came from that?¡±


    ¡°There was money in Koman-chan¡¯s room, but I don¡¯t know if that was the money¡­besides sending money back home, she never indulged herself, so she had saved up some money.¡±


    Kotatsu¡¯s head was hanging down as she crumpled the handkerchief.


    ¡°I have to tell the police about this, don¡¯t I¡­?¡±


    ""


    ¡°Well, of course,¡± Takafuyu answered. ¡°Well, even if you don¡¯t tell them, it¡¯ll probably be exposed anyway. Fingerprints, traces, that kind of thing. But I think it¡¯s more of a problem when they don¡¯t find out than when they do.¡±


    Kotatsu tilted her head.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a robbery, then you need a suspect, right? The police might make a mistake and drag away someone who had nothing to do with this.¡±


    ¡°But, they aren¡¯t the culprit¡­¡±


    ¡°They might force them to confess and make them the culprit. In fact, such things have happened before, haven¡¯t they? I think it was five, six years ago when the Suzugamori Oharu murder and the Yanagishima bicycle shop murders happened.[efn_not]Both are famous Taisho murder cases where the police arrested innocent people. For the Yanagishima case, the suspect was fifteen years old at the time and was only arrested five years later for killing an entire family.[/efn_note] The Osaburo incident is also famous.6 All of these cases caused quite a commotion. What if the wrong person is caught and sentenced to death?¡±


    Takafuyu¡¯s tone was gentle, but Kotatsu turned paler and paler.


    ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t even think about that.¡±


    ¡°I thought so. If that¡¯s the case, you must tell them the truth.¡±


    ¡°The police would reprimand me harshly, won¡¯t they? What will happen to me?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s not up to me to decide those things.¡±


    Kotatsu started crying again, and Takafuyu scratched his head in discomfort.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Marquis Takigawa probably has some acquaintances in the police force.¡±


    Right? Takafuyu suddenly said, and Suzuko straightened up her back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if my father knows anyone, but¡­my older brother knows someone in the police force.¡±


    ¡°Then, perhaps you could first tell the police this young woman¡¯s story through your brother.¡±


    I¡¯d have to ask my brother about that¡ªshe thought, but seeing Kotatsu trembling with a blue face, Suzuko turned to Taka.


    ¡°Taka, take Kotatsu-san to the house. Then, explain the situation to my brother.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Taka didn¡¯t even attempt to hide her frown, but she agreed. ¡°So what are you going to do now, Ojou-sama?¡±


    ¡°I have one more place to go.¡±


    Taka sighed deeply, like she had given up.

 Volume 1 - CH 1.4

    ¡°But Kotatsu-san never actually saw Koman-san die with her own eyes, so it doesn¡¯t dismiss the possibility that she was killed.¡±


    Suzuko murmured as she watched Taka walk away with Kotatsu in front of the house.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s the police¡¯s job to investigate that, isn¡¯t it?¡± Takafuyu said. ¡°It is not for us to say this and that.¡±


    Suzuko looked up at him.


    ¡°How did you know that the plectrum was missing and that Kotatsu-san was the first person to find her?¡±


    If those things were written in the newspapers, Kotatsu wouldn¡¯t have been so shaken. Of course, there was no way he could have heard about them from Koman¡¯s ghost, because the jourou had eaten her before he had a chance to talk to her.


    ¡°I asked a reporter I know.¡±


    ¡°A reporter?¡±


    Then wouldn¡¯t it have been reported in the newspapers? She thought. Suzuko suspected that he might actually know someone in the police department, but it wasn¡¯t something to pursue, so she let it go.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, where will you go from here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Viscount Murotsuji¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ""


    ¡°You know that the ghost that appeared in that house was Koman-san. Even after hearing that story, I don¡¯t know why she went to the Murotsuji estate.¡±


    ¡°Is the emerada ring the key?¡±


    Takafuyu murmured. I think so, Suzuko answered.


    That ring with the synthetic gemstone doesn¡¯t suit a viscountess.


    ¡°But, Suzuko-san, even if you know that, there is nothing you can do about it. Koman¡¯s ghost is no more. What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Suzuko looked ahead. Beyond the street with the streetcar tracks, she could see the lush forest of Sannou¡¯s shrine. The heat haze shimmered on the ground of the narrow alley. Suzuko saw a phantom there. It was the illusion of a ghost. Suzuko¡¯s family, who she had lived with in Asakusa¡ª¡ª


    ¡°I want to defy.¡±


    ¡°Defy what?¡±


    What was it that she wanted to defy? Suzuko searched for the words.


    ¡°¡­The Asakusa Juunikai is probably behind the times by now¡­¡±


    The Juunikai was a tall brick tower built in Asakusa in 1890, and it was originally given the imposing name of Ryounkaku.1 At the time, it might have been a symbol of the city¡¯s magnificent Westernization, but now in 1920, it was nothing more than an old tower left behind by the times, and was ridiculed as a place for country people to visit when touring Tokyo.


    ¡°But even so, who can forget that tower? Because it is there. The Juunikai still towers over the city and stands out. So even though it is behind the times, it won¡¯t disappear from people¡¯s minds. But when people die, they are forgotten. Something that has disappeared is weak no matter what. Even those who remember the dead will eventually die themselves. So, at the very least, I want to chase after their vestiges.¡±


    ¡°Vestiges?¡±


    ¡°Ghosts are the vestiges of the dead. They are living vestiges. I want to follow them, and at least for me, know what they tried to leave behind by staying.¡±


    Suddenly, a wind blew. The May wind blew through the sunlight, carrying the breath of fresh greenery.


    Suzuko narrowed her eyes. The ghostly illusions were gone.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a rebellion against oblivion,¡± Takafuyu said. ¡°What a grandiose thing to say.¡±


    ¡°It certainly isn¡¯t trivial. For those who have died, and those who are left behind.¡±


    Takafuyu stared into the distance.


    ¡°I was too afraid to chase after the vestiges of my brother.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You are amazing.¡±


    Suzuko frowned and looked down.


    That¡¯s not true.


    ¡°Now then, shall we go to the viscount¡¯s estate?¡±


    Takakfuyu, as a matter of course, intended to go with her. Suzuko also decided to go to the viscount¡¯s estate with him, since it would be easier for her to move around if she was with her fianc¨¦.


    Crossing the street with the Tameike stop at the side, they entered Koujimachi Ward. In addition to the residences of the nobility and imperial princes, embassies and government offices also surrounded the area. The hustle and bustle of the city was far away, and the rustling of the leaves of the Sannou trees were pleasant. Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu¡¯s profile from under her parasol. She still had no idea what he was thinking with that cool face of his.


    Why¡­


    Suzuko wondered why she had told him those things. It was the first time she had talked about ghosts since she left Asakusa. It had been a long time since she had met someone with whom she could talk about ghosts¡ªsomeone with whom she could speak about what was in her heart. Unexpectedly, that loosened her lips. Perhaps Suzuko wanted to talk with someone more than she thought she did.


    I was too afraid to chase after my brother¡¯s vestiges.


    What did those words mean?


    That was when Suzuko first became interested in the person named Hanabishi Takafuyu.


    The Murotsuji family were kuge, a noble family of the imperial court.


    There were also various types of kuge: sekke, seigake, daijinke, and below those three were the hiratoushou-ke. Within the hiratoushou-ke, there were also the urinke, meika, and hanke.2 Suzuko was told by Chizu, who came from a kuge, that there were other ways to distinguish family ranks, but every time she heard about them, her head got confused. It was complicated.


    Suzuko didn¡¯t understand the upper class¡¯s preoccupation with which family had a higher status or an older history. She could only imagine how difficult it must have been to establish a hierarchy of court ranks when the peerage system was created.


    The Murotsuji family was a hanke, so its status as a kuge wasn¡¯t very high. Like many kuge families, they weren¡¯t extremely wealthy. The reason why daimyo families were quite wealthy and kuge families weren¡¯t was first of all due to the difference in the money given by the government. To be precise, it was the kinroku public bond. Since the kinroku public bond was based on the original stipend, the amount of money was naturally large for daimyo families. The kuge were poor even before the Meiji Restoration. In addition, since the daimyo families were landowners, they received land rent income. The daimyo families invested these ample funds in banks, bought stocks to receive dividends, and then invested the profits back into the banks to increase their wealth.


    The Murotsuji family, like many others, weren¡¯t a wealthy kuge family. The previous head had made a fortune with stocks, although only a magnificent Western-style mansion was built, maintaining it must be a major challenge. The current viscount was an adopted son-in-law from a branch family, and was a steady office worker. Apparently, he was a banker. There were quite a few aristocrats who worked at banks.


    This was the first time Suzuko had actually met Viscount Murotsuji. The viscount who appeared in the parlor of the mansion was a thin, middle-aged man. He had a face that could be described as gentle-looking at best and timid at worst. His eyes were small, and he blinked a lot.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you since we met at the Peers¡¯ Club in March, Hanabishi-san,¡± the voice of the viscount was gentle and had a well-bred quality. ¡°Congratulations on your engagement.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. This is my fianc¨¦e, Takigawa Suzuko-san.¡±


    Takafuyu introduced Suzuko with a smile. Suzuko bowed next to him.


    ¡°This is the first time we are meeting each other. I am Takigawa Suzuko. Is your wife doing well after that recent incident?¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you were the daughter of Marquis Takigawa who visited that day¡­ Yes, my wife is currently convalescing in Oiso. Since she collapsed the other day, she hasn¡¯t been feeling well.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear.¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t sick, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll return in a week or two. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble we have caused for you as well, Hanabishi-san.¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize, it was because of this that I was able to meet Suzuko-san.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I did not know that. By the way, Hanabishi-san, about that incident¡­can I ask you to keep quiet about the fact that my wife asked for an exorcism?¡±


    The viscount was blinking rapidly. Takafuyu smiled.


    ¡°Of course. I also don¡¯t want this to be public, so I have asked everyone to keep it a secret. As it is, I¡¯m in the field of business, so I don¡¯t want the Ministry of Home Affairs to keep an eye on me than they already have.¡±


    Ministry of Home Affairs? Suzuko was confused. Why would they be involved? The Minister of the Imperial Household was responsible for the supervision of the nobility, and therefore it was the Ministry of the Imperial Household, and within that, the Bureau of Peerage, that kept a close watch on the behavior of the nobility.


    ¡°The shinshoku are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs.¡±


    Takafuyu turned to her and explained, as though he sensed her question.


    Oh, I see. So he¡¯s talking about the shinshoku aspect.


    ¡°As a member of the nobility, there are certain matters that clash with the Shinshoku Houmukisoku, 3but we¡¯ll talk about that later.¡±


    Takafuyu turned back to the viscount.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you about that exorcism the other day. Did you hear about the geisha ghost from your wife?¡±


    The viscount¡¯s face was already pale. ¡°Ah, yes¡­she said she was attacked by it.¡±


    ¡°The geisha has already been exorcised, so she will no longer appear. However, it seems that she was fixated on your wife¡¯s ring.¡±


    ¡°R-ring?¡±


    ""


    ¡°It was an emerada ring. It was worn by your wife. I have exorcised her, but I thought I should let you know. Where did you buy that ring? It must have been bought by you, yes?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ah¡­¡±


    The viscount¡¯s eyes fluttered as he stammered. It seemed that he wasn¡¯t a man who could lie or deceive others well.


    Takafuyu, as a final touch, said, ¡°The ghost was Koman, sir.¡±


    The viscount made a noise that sounded like a hiccup. His face froze.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the ring you gave to Koman? Why does your wife have it?¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose that you were involved in the Koman case, sir?¡±


    The viscount frantically shook his head. He waved his hands wildly.


    ¡°Of course not¡­! No, that wasn¡¯t the case. It¡¯s just that, it¡¯s just that I had her return the ring¡­¡±


    ¡°Have her return it? What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Well, you see¡­¡± The viscount let out a long breath. He hung his head dejectedly. ¡°My wife found out about that I gave the ring to Koman. No, my relationship with Koman went no further than that of a customer and a geisha, really. Did you know that she lost her entire family to the flu? She was terribly depressed, so I tried to cheer her up. Even rings aren¡¯t so expensive. But when you spend money, you must tell the steward what you¡¯re going to use it for. Even though I¡¯m the family head, I can¡¯t use the family money as I please. Especially since we aren¡¯t as wealthy as the daimyo families, so our purse strings are drawn tight. I suppose I should just come up with an excuse and get the money, but I never was good at that sort of thing, and I¡¯m an adopted son-in-law, so I¡¯m in a weak position in that situation¡­I wish I could spend money as freely as Marquis Takigawa.¡±


    ¡°You must not,¡± Suzuko interjected. ¡°My father is like a model example of an adult who shouldn¡¯t be that way.¡±


    The viscount was flabbergasted at Suzuko¡¯s unladylike and firm tone and the way she addressed a head of the household. Takafuyu muffled his laughter. Suzuko, who grew up in a slum, didn¡¯t understand the mentality of respecting a good-for-nothing father just because he was her father.


    ¡°Ah, I see that Marquis Takigawa¡¯s household is very open and frank. No, I guess we¡¯re similar as well. I am the head of the family, but no one respects me,¡± the viscount laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°For buying a single ring with a synthetic gemstone, I managed to get them to give me the money by saying it was a necessary expense for socializing with nobility. I kept it a secret from my wife. I bought it at Mitsukoshi, saying that it was a gift for my wife. Then, when my wife went shopping at Mitsukoshi, she was asked, ¡®How did you like the ring from the other day?¡¯ and that was how I got exposed. She pressed me for an explanation. I quickly replied, ¡®I was saving it for your birthday.¡¯ Her birthday is in May. So, there is this thing called a Twelve-Month Ring, right? It¡¯s a series of birthstone rings from Mitsukoshi. May is emerald, but I couldn¡¯t buy such an expensive ring, so I told them to make it an emerada instead. For synthetic birthstones, May was emerada. I asked the clerk about it. But my wife didn¡¯t believe my excuse. I became flustered, since I wasn¡¯t used to lying like that¡­¡±


    Then give it to me now, his wife said to him.


    ¡°Bring it to me now, she said. She wouldn¡¯t listen to anything else, so I had no choice but to go to Koman. I couldn¡¯t just go out and buy a new ring right away. We can¡¯t fit that in the budget. Instead, I decided to be honest with Koman, ask her to return the ring, and give her another one. Then, Koman said she didn¡¯t want another ring, she would rather have the money for it instead. She said that she would return the emerada ring in exchange for money. I told her I didn¡¯t have any money on me right now, so I would bring it to her later, and she returned the ring.¡±


    The viscount rubbed his pale cheeks and blinked rapidly.


    ¡°Koman told me, ¡®That¡¯s a promise.¡¯ She said that I must bring the money to her, or else she would come and get the ring. It was a bit disconcerting.¡±


    It¡¯s the fee for the cremation, Suzuko thought. Koman had said, If I sell this ring, I might have enough money for a cremation.


    ¡°¡­But after that, I heard that Koman was killed, and I was shocked and horrified that if I had been unlucky, I might have run into the robber as well. A short time later, I was horrified in a different way when my wife began to speak strangely. She said that she could hear a shamisen playing, and that there was a ghost of a woman in the house¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you immediately think it was Koman?¡±


    ¡°Mm, well¡­I didn¡¯t see or hear anything, so I thought it was just my wife¡¯s imagination or she was being harassed, but¡­it really was Koman¡¯s ghost after all.¡±


    Suzuko spoke. ¡°She came to get the ring. Just as she said.¡±


    The viscount covered his mouth.


    ¡°Was¡­Was she that obsessed with the ring?¡±


    ¡°No¡ª¡ª¡±


    Suzuko didn¡¯t think that was the case. More to the point, she probably wasn¡¯t too fixated on the money for cremation either. She already had some money saved up.


    That was why Suzuko thought that Koman¡¯s ghost appearing to collect the ring had a meaning that was personal to her. Suzuko didn¡¯t speak of that here.


    ¡°Even so, I gave her the money anyways,¡± the viscount said. ¡°Since I promised Koman¡­I kept my name a secret and donated the soul repose money through the newspaper. I made an excuse to the steward that a business partner had died.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Then, was the money that Kotatsu said she had received through the newspaper company from the viscount?


    ¡°Perhaps it didn¡¯t get through to the ghost because you kept yourself anonymous,¡± Takafuyu said.


    ¡°Is that how it works?¡± The viscount¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Anyways, the ghost is exorcised, right? Then I¡¯m glad.¡±


    He sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a pity what happened to Koman too. I hope they catch the culprit soon.¡±


    Suzuko glanced at Takafuyu. It was a signal that she was done here. He seemed to understand.


    ¡°Now then, it¡¯s about time for us to go,¡± he announced their intention to leave and stood up.


    After leaving the viscount¡¯s residence, Suzuko and Takafuyu headed toward Akasaka. Walking along the street between the ostentatious fences of the nobility¡¯s mansions, Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu from underneath her parasol.


    ¡°You were also worried about Koman-san¡¯s ghost, weren¡¯t you, sir?¡±


    Takafuyu, who was acquainted with Koman, must have recognized the ghost as her at once. And then, he probably asked the reporter about the incident and decided to go to the geisha parlor to ask them about it¡ªhe must have been on his way there when he encountered Suzuko on the street.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to call it worrying¡­ I didn¡¯t act with the same mindset as you, Suzuko-san. I just thought it would be morally wrong to just pretend not to know her and leave it at that,¡± Takafuyu scratched his head. ¡°More than that, is your mind already at ease? I still couldn¡¯t quite understand why Koman¡¯s ghost appeared there. It would still make more sense if the viscount or the viscountess killed her.¡±


    ¡°It is unreasonable to think that ghosts would act in a logical manner. Death is something that is unreasonable and illogical for ghosts, even those who are old.¡±


    ¡°I see, is that how it is?¡± Takafuyu listened to Suzuko¡¯s words with interest.


    ¡°Koman-san¡­¡± Suzuko dropped her gaze to the ground. The sun was shining brightly and the shadows were dark. A gentle breeze brushed her straggling hair. ¡°I wondered if she thought that the ostentatiousness of the nobility was ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Ostentatiousness?¡±


    ¡°The viscount said that he told Koman-san the truth about what happened. She must have been surprised. He had so much trouble buying even a single synthetic ring, and when his wife questioned him, instead of buying a new ring, he went to the geisha and asked her to return it to him.¡±


    ¡°Aah¡­well, that¡¯s true,¡± Takafuyu smiled wryly. Suzuko averted her gaze and looked down, wondering if what she was saying would actually get through to him.


    ¡°Koman-san¡¯s family was poor, which was why she came to Tokyo to become a geisha. She had no other choice. Thanks to that, she was able to help her family. But then, her entire family died at once. There was no point in continuing to be a geisha, but she had no place to go back to. She survived alone in Tokyo. That was her situation. She had lost the will to live. Then the viscount, a gentleman of the upper class, asked her to return the ring he had given to her. In order to keep up a stopgap appearance. ¡ª¡ªIs he looking down on her?¡±


    Suzuko gripped the handle of her parasol tightly.


    ¡°I think the people of the upper class are so busy keeping up appearances that they don¡¯t see what¡¯s below them. He gave Koman-san a ring because he felt sorry for her, and when his wife found out, instead of honestly telling her the true reason, he went to Koman-san to ask for the ring back. Because it was easier to talk to a geisha. When she died, he fulfilled his obligations by donating money. What a kind and upright person. I hate people like this, who try to be please everyone based on their feelings in each situation on the spur of the moment, but are ultimately insincere to everyone.¡±


    She spat those words out and let out a deep breath. Takafuyu seemed to be looking at her intently without attempting to interrupt. Without turning her head, Suzuko spoke again.


    ¡°I know that there isn¡¯t a small number of nobles who are in bad financial situations. Maybe it¡¯s partly because of this distortion that the viscount was so affected by a single ring. That is a ridiculous thing. I¡¯m appalled. After my mother left the Takigawa family, she lived on the bottom floor of the Asakusa Juunikai. It was a brothel. Around the same time, my father was playing around in the Akasaka and Shinbashi red-light districts. Isn¡¯t there something wrong here? If it isn¡¯t wrong, then everything around it is distorted.¡±


    Suzuko stopped and put her hand on her forehead.


    ¡°No¡ªI¡¯m sorry. I veered off topic. Koman-san had only come to retrieve the ring, just as she said she would. The ghost of a geisha appeared at a noble¡¯s mansion like a debt collector. Isn¡¯t that strange? It was the viscount who caused such a strange situation. Koman-san had only appeared just as she promised.¡±


    ¡°You think that was what Koman wanted to say?¡± Takafuyu¡¯s answer was short.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the truth. I¡¯m not Koman-san. Perhaps she was more attached to that ring than the others around her thought.¡±


    ¡°No, I think what you said was right.¡±


    Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu¡¯s face. He was looking at the tall walls of the residential area. The magnificent mansions couldn¡¯t be seen on the other side. There was no smile on his profile, and she couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. The sky was light blue with a faint haze. Even though the weather was like early summer, the sky was spring.


    After a while, Takafuyu turned to Suzuko and smiled.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, do you mind if we take a detour before I walk you home?¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To Hie Shrine.¡±


    ¡°Hie¡­ah, Sannou-san.¡±


    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s what the locals call it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of Sannou Gongen.¡±


    The name ¡°Hie Shrine¡± came to be after the Meiji era. In the old days, the kami and Buddha were mixed together, and there were temples within Shinto shrines, and Shinto shrines and miniature shrines within Buddhist temples. The kami were another form of Buddha, and that was how ¡°Gongen¡± and ¡°Myojin¡± were created¡ªthat was a story Suzuko heard when she lived in Asakusa.4


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it called ¡®Gongen¡¯ now?¡±


    If she remembered correctly, during the Meiji era, the Kami and Buddhas Separation Order was issued to separate Shintoism and Buddism, but due to a combination of factors, it was perceived as the abolition of Buddhism, and in some areas, temples were torn down and Buddhist priests were persecuted.


    ¡°It¡¯s so strange, isn¡¯t it? Even though the name has changed, the belief of the people in this area remains the same: ¡®Sannou-san.¡¯¡±


    Whether it¡¯s a kami or Buddha, I honestly don¡¯t care either way, Suzuko and the others thought. However, she wasn¡¯t comfortable with the idea of an existing object being destroyed by force, like the expulsion of Buddhism.


    ¡°That is what faith is,¡± Takafuyu said and started walking towards Hie Shrine. Suzuko followed him.


    ¡°Faith is history. And, it is like a river. Sometimes its flow changes, it overflows, and it dries up. Sometimes the flow is changed or dammed by human hands. Nowadays, it is as if people are rapidly constructing levees. It is standard, the same for all rivers.¡±


    Suzuko tilted her head. ¡°I don¡¯t quite follow your metaphor.¡±


    Takafuyu laughed. ¡°Suzuko-san, you are very frank. You don¡¯t pretend to understand what you don¡¯t understand. Yes, religions and beliefs were drastically changed in the Meiji era, and they are still in the process of changing.¡±


    ¡°Has it changed?¡±


    ¡°Sannou Gongen has changed to Hie Shrine, has it not?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Kanda Myojin is also the same. Now it is Kanda Shrine. Taira no Masakado is enshrined there, but the government thought it was outrageous to deify a treacherous retainer, so he was moved to a subordinate shrine and enshrined deity was replaced. It was a very unreasonable thing to do. ¨D¨DBut, the people worshipped the spirit of Lord Masakado, so they didn¡¯t participate in the annual festival or offer money, and visited the subordinate shrine instead.¡±


    Suzuko grasped that this was similar to the fact that Hie Shrine was still called ¡°Sannou-san.¡±


    ¡°The country has changed so drastically that it is inevitable that religious institutions would change as well. Well, the policies have changed again and again. The nature of shrines have changed as a result. For example, shrines are places to perform rituals and festivals, not a religious institution. That was how it was decided.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She lost track of what he was saying again. Don¡¯t we go to shrines to pray to the gods? People still worship Sannou-san and Lord Masakado, don¡¯t they?


    ¡°Is it difficult to understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Takafuyu laughed again.


    ¡°Okay, then consider Hatsumode as something separate from regular religious belief. When you visit a shrine on New Years¡¯, it isn¡¯t because of your religious beliefs, but because of the ceremony of Hatsumode. Simply put, it¡¯s something like that.¡±


    ¡°Aah¡­now I see.¡±


    She somewhat understood. Hatsumode was an event that began in the Meiji era. Until that point, people still paid homage to the local deity on New Year¡¯s Day at their local shrine or a shrine that lied in a favorable direction, but Hatsumode was more of a recreational event than a religious act.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all in principle, so it¡¯s not surprising that you don¡¯t understand it. However, shrines aren¡¯t religious institutions, so they can¡¯t proselytize, and funerals cannot be held at kanpeisha or kokuheisha,5 and the Ministry of Home Affairs has jurisdiction over them, not the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, which handle religious affairs.¡±


    ¡°Principle¡­¡±


    A densely green hill appeared ahead. It was the shrine¡¯s grove. Sannou Gongen was enshrined there.


    ¡°The god to be enshrined is determined, and the rituals are prescribed,¡± Takafuyu stopped and stared at the trees. ¡°Everything is standardized and flattened by means of institutions.¡±


    ¡°Flattened¡­¡±


    ¡°We eliminate anything foreign and create shrines determined by the country.¡±


    Suzuko shifted her gaze from the forest on the hill to Takafuyu¡¯s profile. He also turned to her and smiled.


    ""


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just repeating my brother¡¯s words.¡±


    ¡°You said that¡­your brother passed away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. My brother was the heir, so he studied the Shinto priesthood seriously. I was adopted out of the family, so I¡¯m honestly hopeless on that front. But since there was no one else to take over the family except me, I had no choice. My relatives had no choice but to turn a blind eye to the fact that I was not suited for either the priesthood or nobility.¡±


    Suzuko gazed at Takafuyu¡¯s smile. She thought that he always smiled with a faint, icy smile on his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the priesthood¡­but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a bad fit for the nobility.¡±


    He was a man of refined manners and culture, and she had never heard of any bad behavior from him that could become a scandal. He was someone who would be suitable for the so-called ¡°Imperial Bulwark¡±¡ªa bulwark was something that enclosed, so the term had the meaning of Emperor¡¯s protector.


    However, Takafuyu showed a chilling smile for a moment. It seemed like a smile of self-mockery.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, is that a compliment?¡±


    ¡°Unlike you, I do not engage in twisted sarcasm.¡±


    She said that, and for some reason, Takafuyu laughed out loud. Like he was having fun.


    ¡°I like that about you.¡±


    Looking intently at Takafuyu¡¯s merry face, Suzuko said, ¡°You¡¯re a strange person, sir.¡± Takafuyu laughed again. Suzuko had no idea what he found so funny. However, she thought that a smile like the one he had right now was much better than his usual cold smile.

 Volume 1 - CH 1.5

    After they reached the top of the stone stairs, they saw candy sellers and fukidama sellers1 on the shrine grounds, attracting the attention of children. A young woman with a baby on her back was gazing at the candy fashioned in human and animal forms, and her siblings were all staring at the fukidama with sparkling eyes. There were rows of teahouses serving millet mochi, shiruko,2 and dango, where adults who had finished their shrine visit could take a breather. Right next to the shrine was the Restaurant Hoshigaoka, a social gathering place for the nobility and people from the business and political worlds.


    Takafuyu didn¡¯t even look at the shrine buildings, but walked along the edge of the grounds and among the dense trees. ¡°If I worship another god, the jourou would be in a bad moon,¡± he said.


    ¡°Does she not have a name?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°That jourou.¡±


    ¡°Ah. She is called ¡®Awaji of the Third Rank¡¯ or ¡®Awaji no Kimi.¡¯ Her true name has not been handed down.¡±


    After passing through the woods, their view opened up. Below them, they could see the neighborhoods of Tokyo. As one would expect, the view was excellent.


    ¡°I don¡¯t visit the shrine, but I come here from time to time. The view here is excellent.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it certainly is.¡±


    A pleasant breeze blew. Suzuko folded her parasol up.


    ¡°I was hesitating over whether or not I should ask you about it,¡± Takafuyu began, and then turned his gaze to Suzuko¡¯s hands. ¡°But is there a reason why you always wear gloves?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big reason. I just have a scar from a burn I received in my childhood. When the nobility see it, they become surprised and concerned, so I hide it because it¡¯s a hassle.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Do you have a preference for lace?¡±


    ¡°No, not particularly.¡±


    ¡°Next time, I shall give you gloves. I have a nice pair imported from England.¡±


    Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu. He narrowed his eyes in amusement.


    ¡°You often look at my face. Does it please you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to read it because I find it creepy not to know what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    ¡°Can you read it?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    Takafuyu smiled happily.


    ¡°I enjoy being with you. Right now, I have a cheerful look on my face.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were up to no good.¡±


    He laughed out loud.


    ¡°¡­Suzuko-san,¡± Takafuyu laughed for a bit, and then quietly spoke. ¡°You see, I am my grandfather¡¯s child.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Not my father¡¯s child, but my grandfather¡¯s. It would be a great scandal if it was known, so I was registered as my father¡¯s child.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you saying that you¡¯re the child of your grandfather and his mistress?¡±


    She asked, thinking that there was no way he could be the child of his grandfather and grandmother.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± Takafuyu was being evasive, so Suzuko didn¡¯t repeat her question.


    ¡°In the Meiji era, the shinshoku world was a whirlwind of chaos, confusion, and recklessness, so there was a great deal of trouble caused. Did you know that?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she answered, but she had a feeling that things were getting complicated from what Takafuyu had said earlier about Kanda Myojin and shrines not being religious institutions.


    ¡°It was a new era, so perhaps it was only natural that there should be disputes. To simplify it, the Shinto world was divided into the Izumo faction and the Ise faction over enshrined deity, which created disputes, and the reorganization of shrines caused the disappearance of small roadside shrines and nameless deities. There were many other things, but anyway, there was a big transformation. Shrines were at the mercy of it, and opinions were divided even among shrines, as well as within the shinshoku families. It was the same for the Hanabishi family. My grandfather¡¯s and father¡¯s ideas were opposed to each other at every turn. This caused friction between father and son.¡±


    Putting aside the complicated things, Suzuko understood that the father and son were at odds with each other. Come to think of it, Takafuyu had mentioned something like a family quarrel before. Was this what he was talking about?


    ¡°My father was my grandfather¡¯s only son. My father already had a son by my mother, and that was my brother. My father was supposed to succeed my grandfather, and then my brother will do the same, and so on. However, my grandfather began to ostracize my father, who didn¡¯t listen to him. The same went for his son, my brother. So¡ªhe decided to create a new child who would do his bidding.¡±


    And that was me, Takafuyu said.


    ¡°As in any family, grandfather, the patriarch of the family, was the absolute head of the family. It seemed that he intended to disinherit my father and install me as his successor. However, the Bureau of Peerage, the watchdog of the nobility, wouldn¡¯t allow such a reckless act. The bureau was also very sensitive to any kind of disgrace, so it was decided that I would be my father¡¯s son in order to maintain our respectability. My grandfather favored me and treated my father and brother terribly. Naturally, my father and mother hated me. But my brother was kind to me, though¡­¡±


    There was a shadow over Takafuyu¡¯s eyes. Suzuko felt cold, like her sweat had chilled. It was a coldness that made her feel unexpectedly chilled in the shade, even though it was hot and sunny. No, this isn¡¯t coldness, it¡¯s sadness. It felt as if Takafuyu¡¯s sadness was seeping into her skin.


    ¡°The situation changed when my grandfather fell ill. He became bedridden and unable to communicate his wishes, so my father took over. I was adopted out to relatives in Yokohama and never saw my parents again. My grandfather died within a year. Later, my parents died by drowning in Awaji, and my brother, their heir, died from illness. He was unmarried and had no children, so it was inevitable that I would take over the family.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve been pushed around a lot.¡±


    She thought that it was an awful story. He was shown favoritism, hated, and adopted out by adults for their own selfish reasons, and he was tossed around regardless of his own will. Even though he didn¡¯t do a single thing wrong.


    It¡¯s all warped.


    Thinking that, Suzuko understood why Takafuyu told her this story.


    Takafuyu smiled at her.


    ¡°I know what you meant earlier by ¡®distortion.¡¯ Without that distortion, I wouldn¡¯t have been born in the first place.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes¡­¡±


    Suzuko guessed what was going through Takafuyu¡¯s mind. He didn¡¯t need to tell her about this kind of thing. It was a private matter within the family that he would have preferred not to tell anyone, For Takafuyu, it was a wound that would remain in his heart forever. He told it to Suzuko just to convey to her, ¡°I understand how you feel.¡± Suzuko thought that he happened to be a much more sincere person that she had expected.


    Suzuko looked down the hill and gazed at the streets of Akasaka. The black tiled roofs shined in the sunlight and looked like the surface of a river. The dust clouds whipped up by the wind made the scenery seem hazy and whitish. In the midst of the haze, she thought she saw a towering building. Asakusa Juunikai. Suzuko clutched the handle of her parasol with both hands.


    Everyone¡­Ginroku-san, Tei-san, Grandpa Torakichi ¡­


    At that time, the dome-roofed Asakusa Kokugikan was located next to the Juunikai, and on the street in front of it, the entertainment district of Asakusa Sixth Ward, a number of motion picture theaters were being built one after the other, replacing the freak shows. Even now, she could picture the brightly colored banners fluttering in a row from the eaves. Amongst the fortune-tellers, physiognomists, saimon-katari,3 news vendors hawking newssheets, and various other peddlers, in a chokingly dusty corner of that hustle and bustle, Suzuko called herself the Clairvoyant Girl. She hadn¡¯t been alone. She was with people who she could call family.


    ¡ª¡ªUntil that day.


    ¡°¡­Baron Hanabishi.¡±


    While gripping her parasol, Suzuko spoke.


    ¡°Please call me by my name. As your fianc¨¦, that is too unduly formal,¡± Takafuyu spoke lightly, but his smile withdrew when he saw Suzuko¡¯s expression. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°In exchange for marrying you, I have a favor to ask.¡±


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t use our marriage as a bargaining chip, I would at least listen to your favor. Or is it a favor so great that you are willing to exchange it for our marriage?¡±


    ¡°Among the nobility, I¡¯m searching for someone with a pine as their emblem. I would like to ask for your help.¡±


    Takafuyu blinked, as though he was thinking about it a little.


    ¡°By emblems¡­do you mean those marks often used by the nobility? I grew up in a merchant family, so I never had anything to do with them. I believe it was originally a samurai custom, yes? You are searching for a pine emblem?¡±


    ¡°There are many nobles who use pine as their emblem. Under the guise of collecting ghost stories, I visit the residences of nobility to investigate them.¡±


    ""


    Takafuyu widened his eyes.


    ¡°That was your goal? ¡ª¡ªBut, why¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t attend a girls¡¯ school because of my grandfather¡¯s plans for me, so I couldn¡¯t obtain information from my schoolmates. I was also restricted from going out, so it was only after my grandfather¡¯s death that I was able to walk around freely to some extent. That was two years ago. I had to think hard about how I could visit various noble families.¡±


    ¡°So, you decided to collect ghost stories? That¡¯s quite eccentric, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Suzuko laughed a little. ¡°Have you forgotten? I am clairvoyant.¡±


    ¡°I see, so you¡¯re saying that it¡¯s because it¡¯s your field of expertise,¡± A smile also appeared on Takafuyu¡¯s lips. ¡°By the way, I saw your smile for the first time.¡±


    Suzuko¡¯s smile disappeared. Takafuyu laughed in amusement.


    ¡°Your smile is lovely, but I also like the usual you with your dead fish-like eyes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Suzuko sighed.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, I didn¡¯t ask you about your underlying reasons. Why are you searching for someone with a ¡®pine emblem¡¯?¡±


    Suzuko hesitated for a few moments and turned her eyes to the street.


    ¡°It¡¯s because they committed murder.¡±


    When she said that, even Takafuyu gasped.


    ¡°You have said it as well, that there was a slaughter in an Asakusa slum. The people I lived with were killed. At the same time, I disappeared. ¡ª¡ªIt is as you said. To be more precise, I was at the Takigawa residence on the day they were killed. A few days before, I was discovered by a servant of the Takigawa family. At that time, I was working in the entertainment district of Asakusa Sixth Ward, and the servant who saw me reported it to my grandfather. Even without being called to the mansion and telling my story, my grandfather seemed to know immediately that we were related by blood. For I clearly resembled my father.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I can certainly see it,¡± Takafuyu nodded, but Suzuko got a sour look on her face. It didn¡¯t make her happy to be told that she looked like her father.


    ¡°My grandfather asked me to live at the Takigawa estate, but I couldn¡¯t give him an immediate answer, so I left. On my way home, Ginroku-san and the others¡­¡±


    ¡°Ginroku¡­ah, is that the person you used to live with in Asakusa?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Ginroku-san, Tei-san, and Torakichi-san. Ginroku-san was a man of about fifty, Tei-san was a woman of about forty, and Grandpa Torakichi was probably about seventy. Grandpa Torakichi¡¯s legs were bad and he could hardly walk, so we took care of him. Although we weren¡¯t related by blood, both Ginroku-san and Tei-san said they were indebted to Grandpa Torakichi. I, too, loved to hear stories about the old days from him.¡±


    Suzuko bit her lip as she felt herself begin to recall those days. If she completely recalled them, she would be in too much pain to speak.


    ¡°Tei-san was my mother¡¯s friend, from when we lived on the bottom floor of the Juunikai. She was the one who took care of me after my mother died. And then¡­um¡­¡±


    What was she talking about? Suzuko pressed her hand against her forehead. She couldn¡¯t speak properly because of the emotions swirling in her chest.


    ¡°You were talking about what happened on your way back home from the Takigawa estate. So, what did Ginroku and the others say?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes¡­Ginroku-san and the others were there.¡±


    ¡°There? Where do you mean?¡±


    ¡°So, I was walking down the street¡­on my way back and saw three people standing in front of me. They were standing there¡­and bleeding¡­¡±


    She had avoided remembering that scene. But now she had to talk about it. About the three standing there, covered in blood.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªYou mean that they are ghosts.¡±


    The perceptive Takafuyu gave the answer. Suzuko nodded.


    ¡°All three of them were bleeding from the chest in the same way. And then, they told me this. ¡®Don¡¯t come back.¡¯¡±


    Don¡¯t come back, Suzu.


    Tei-san had said while spewing a large amount of blood from her mouth. Her blue striped cotton kimono was dyed dark with blood. Her cheeks were emaciated, but even though her face was pretty in its own way, she was deathly pale at that time.


    Don¡¯t go back home. Go straight back to the Takigawa estate.


    It seemed that Ginroku had been beaten, as his eyelids were cut and swollen, and his cheeks were blue-black with bruises. Blood was in his beard and hair, which were streaked with white. His worn white shirt was red with blood.


    Torakichi didn¡¯t say anything, simply looking at Suzuko tenderly with bleary, clouded eyes. He was wearing a faded yukata, and his chest, where his ribcage could be seen faintly, no longer moved up and down as he breathed, but instead bled.


    Suzuko couldn¡¯t take it anymore and crouched down on the spot, burying her head in her hands. The parasol fell to her feet.


    ¡°Grandpa Torakichi couldn¡¯t even get up anymore, and yet¡­¡±


    Even such an old man had been brutally stabbed to death.


    Even though she had been told not to go back, at that time, Suzuko¡¯s legs had naturally wanted to run back home. But it was Ginroku¡¯s words that stopped her.


    ¡°My feet stopped when Ginroku-san told me, ¡®Find the culprit.¡¯ He said, ¡®Become a noble¡¯s daughter and find the culprit who escaped. He¡¯s a noble.¡¯ The culprit was said to have been carrying a handkerchief with a pine emblem on it. So, you don¡¯t have to come back, just find that person, he said. Ginroku-san used to work at a noble¡¯s mansion. I don¡¯t know who the noble was, though. That was why he knew about emblems.¡±


    So, Suzuko returned to the Takigawa house. From that day on, the ¡°Clairvoyant Girl of Asakusa¡± disappeared.


    After she finished speaking, Takafuyu remained silent for a while.


    ¡°I think this Ginroku-san was probably much more than a servant.¡±


    Takafuyu said after some time. Suzuko, who had been crouching down, stood up and shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I don¡¯t know at all. He never talked much about his past.¡±


    ¡°No, it was just a hunch. He seemed to be a smart man.¡±


    ¡°He was smart. Ginroku-san was the one who came up with the clairvoyant business.¡±


    Such a business was just right for Asakusa, a chaotic downtown area. Ginroku taught her how to talk as the Clairvoyant Girl, how to put on airs, and all the other details.


    ¡°He certainly was. That was why he gave you an objective and returned you to the Takigawa estate.¡±


    ""


    ¡°Eh¡­¡±


    ¡°There was a possibility that the culprit was still in the Asakusa area. That must have been why they stopped you there and told you to go back to the Takigawa estate. And, in order to prevent you from spending your days in tears over losing them, they gave you the objective of ¡®finding the culprit.¡¯¡±


    The image of three covered in blood reappeared in Suzuko¡¯s mind. Ginroku with his usual angry and stern eyes, Tei with her desperate expression, and Torakichi gently watching over her.


    She could no longer contain the whirling heat in her chest. Tears spilled from her eyes and fell down her cheeks.


    Takafuyu reached out his hand and touched Suzuko¡¯s cheek. Her tears wetted his hand. He took a step closer to her and put his hand on her back. Pulled to his chest with a reserved gesture, Suzuko leaned against Takafuyu¡¯s chest. The sweet smell of incense wafted from his jacket. Suzuko closed her eyes with a feeling of relief, because it felt like he was letting her use him rather than being embraced. Enveloped by the clean fragrance, Suzuko felt as though her heart had lightened just a little.


    After sending Suzuko back to the Takigawa residence, Takafuyu returned to Kojimachi and the Hanabishi mansion.


    ¡°Welcome home, sir.¡±


    Yura, the butler, greeted him. Takafuyu handed him his hat and told him that he could take his leave. Yura bowed expressionlessly and left.


    Even just being able to see a look of contempt on his face would be more worthwhile.


    Takafuyu thought this as he climbed the stairs. Yura was a faithful butler of his brother, Saneaki. There must have been cold emotions behind his hard face.


    His brother was treated like an outcast by their grandfather, the head of the family, and received cold treatment. Takafuyu knew that many of the servants of the house looked at him, who was spoiled by his grandfather, with bitter feelings. He was sure that they didn¡¯t welcome the fact that he, who was supposed to have been adopted out and left the family, was now back here again as the master of the house.


    Takafuyu opened the door to a room and stepped inside. This was the room that belonged to the master of the house. He stood with his back to the door for a while. There was a window facing him, and soft sunlight shined through the lace curtains. There was a large desk in front of it, a chest of drawers by the right wall, and a bookcase against the left wall. Takafuyu walked to the middle of the room and turned around. He stared at the mahogany door with an amber sheen. He felt as if he could see his brother¡¯s body, his legs splayed out on the carpet.


    He hadn¡¯t told Suzuko this, but his brother had committed suicide. He hung himself by tying a hand towel to the handle of this door.


    Takafuyu leaned against the desk and put his hands on it. Despite being filled with sunlight, the room was faintly chilling. Gloomy shadows fell here and there, trying to drag him into the darkness. The brightness that had filled him when he was with Suzuko seemed like a lie at this moment.


    Suzuko wasn¡¯t a cheerful or spirited girl, but for some strange reason, when he was with her, his melancholic feelings were blown away and he could laugh naturally.


    The wind. Yes, she¡¯s like the wind.


    A fresh, pure May breeze with a breath of new green leaves. Suzuko was that kind of person.


    Having to return to this mansion riddled with tired old traditions and hatred, having to feed the jourou spirit, having to marry the bride chosen by that spirit¡ªall of those things were abhorrent to him, but he had accepted them with resignation, because he had no choice. However¡­


    A wind was blowing. Suzuko called the things that were taken as normal in the world ¡°distortions.¡± She made him realize that they weren¡¯t normal.


    The wind blew into Takafuyu¡¯s heart and opened up his vision that had been covered by a haze. That was what it felt like.


    He exhaled deeply and then brushed his bangs up. He turned his attention to the Western-style chest of drawers. It was an elegant chest with gentle curves in the Art Nouveau style. It was still filled with his brother¡¯s personal belongings. Takafuyu hadn¡¯t thrown away any of his things, but left them as they were.


    He didn¡¯t know why his brother had committed suicide. He simply died without leaving even a note behind. Fearing scandal, they had a doctor who had long been associated with the Hanabishi family diagnose illness as the cause of his death and reported it to the Ministry of the Imperial Household.


    Takafuyu opened one of the drawers of the chest. It contained several white handkerchiefs. They were all without a single stain, which was typical of his brother, a neat and tidy man. Takafuyu picked up one of them. When he unfolded it, he saw his brother¡¯s crest carefully stitched in the corner with black thread.


    It read, ¡°Matsuin¡± (pine crest)¡ª¡ª


    It can¡¯t be possible.


    Takafuyu laughed a little to dispel the doubts that welled up in his heart. There were many nobles who had the pine as their crest. It made no sense. It was impossible.


    However, his brother died in the autumn of six years ago. It was six summers ago that Suzuko¡¯s family members were slaughtered.


    His thoughts alternated between ¡°So what?¡± and ¡°It couldn¡¯t be¡­¡±


    Takafuyu put the handkerchief back in the drawer and crouched down on the spot.

 Volume 1 - CH 2.1

    A pale gray crepe kimono with yuzen-dyed wisteria patterns, matched with a purple shibori obi. The haori was also woven with a wisteria pattern, dyed in a gradation of pale purple to fresh green. Although Suzuko thought it was a bit on the gaudy side, the neckpiece was embroidered with wisteria. ¡°You¡¯re a young lady, so it¡¯s perfectly acceptable if you dress a little too gaudily,¡± Taka said.


    ¡°At your age, no matter how glamorously you dress, you won¡¯t be defeated by that.¡±


    Is that how it is? Suzuko tilted her head as Taka fastened her obi. In the mirror, she looked as though she was wrapped in wisteria flowers. Taka tied her obi into a drum knot and fastened it with a dark purple obijime. The metal obidome was carved with the flowers of the four seasons, a work of the master craftsman Katsura Mitsuharu.


    Staring at her own reflection in the mirror, Suzuko asked, ¡°Say, Taka, do I have ¡®eyes like a dead fish?¡¯¡±


    Taka was about to hang her haori from her shoulders and stopped. She looked at Suzuko in the mirror.


    ¡°Oh my¡­what an apt comparison. Who said that?¡±


    Takafuyu did. However, Suzuko didn¡¯t say that.


    ¡°Being calm and collected is one of your strong points, Ojou-sama. An Ojou-sama with lively eyes isn¡¯t you at all.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that a compliment¡­?¡±


    ¡°It is. Isn¡¯t it good to have a personality that other young ladies don¡¯t have?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Baron Hanabishi arriving soon?¡±


    ""


    Taka said as she adjusted the collar of her haori. It was just before eleven o¡¯clock.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be going to an eel restaurant in Nihonbashi today. You had sushi the other day, and Western food before that. Baron Hanabishi knows many good restaurants, doesn¡¯t he.¡±


    Takafuyu often invited Suzuko to meals. Since they never spent the entire day together, he must be making time in between his busy schedule.


    With their marriage approved by the Minister of the Imperial Household, the exchange of engagement gifts would be this month, and the wedding reception would be held in the fall. Both were being carried out on auspicious days. As the dates for various events leading up to the wedding were set, the fact that she was getting married began to feel more and more real to Suzuko. In the past, there used to be many more arrangements leading up to a marriage, but nowadays it was easier because there was only the exchange of gifts.


    ¡°Ojou-sama, Baron Hanabishi is here.¡±


    A maid came to inform them. Suzuko put on her lace gloves. These gloves were a gift from Takafuyu. He told her that the lace was made in the town of Honiton, England. The gloves were delicate and beautiful, with rose motifs linked together with fine net lace. Japanese lace was said to have originated from Honiton lace, which was introduced by an Englishwoman in 1878.


    Takafuyu was dressed in a suit as well today. He was wearing a bluish-gray three-piece, and the pin adorning his indigo tie was engraved with keshi pearls and emeralds.


    ¡°You look as elegant and graceful as a wisteria spirit.¡±


    Takafuyu commented after taking one look at Suzuko.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean to say, ¡®a woman with the eyes of a dead fish¡¯ instead?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re holding a grudge about that, I see. You have me there. I apologize,¡± Even as he said that, Takafuyu smiled. ¡°Shall we be off, then?¡±


    They got into his car and headed to Nihonbashi. The first restaurant he took her to was a restaurant that served Western food such as beefsteak, but finding it not suiting Suzuko¡¯s taste, he took her to eat sushi the second time, and this time it was eel. Both sushi and eel were Suzuko¡¯s favorites.


    The cool and clear scent of incense wafted from Takafuyu, who was sitting next to her.


    ¡°Today, I have a little request for you, Suzuko-san.¡±


    ¡°Does it concern ghosts?¡±


    ¡°You are quick to understand.¡±


    ¡°Give me the details.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that after we eat.¡±


    Suzuko looked sideways at Takafuyu. Before, she had cried into his chest. Afterwards, he sent her back to the Takigawa estate as though nothing happened and left.


    ¡°Is there something the matter?¡± Takafuyu looked at Suzuko.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Suzuko answered and faced the front again.


    When they arrived at the eel restaurant, they were led to a tatami room on the second floor and settled down. The windows facing the alley were thrown away, and the breeze was cool. The restaurant was off the main street and could be entered, so it was quiet.


    After a short wait, the unaju was served to Suzuko, and as soon as she opened the black-lacquered lid, she could smell the fragrant aroma of kabayaki, and that alone filled her heart with happiness. The sauce was glistening brightly, and the faint fragrance of sanshu peppers whipped up her appetite. The eel meat gently came apart when she put her chopsticks into it, and the combination of the well-cooked skin, the sweetness of the sauce, and the fat of the meat made for an extraordinarily delicious dish. Takafuyu was talking to her, but none of his words registered in her head, so she was simply making vague responses.


    She put down her chopsticks after finishing her meal and looked up to see Takafuyu, who had apparently finished his meal earlier, smiling at her with his chin in his hands.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The eel here is delicious, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded honestly. Takafuyu¡¯s eyes narrowed into a smile.


    ¡°There are still many good restaurants out there. I want to take you to all of them. What do you want to eat next?¡±


    Suzuko sipped her green tea and replied, ¡°My head is currently filled with the lingering taste of the eel, so I¡¯ll think about it later.¡±


    Takafuyu burst out laughing. ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for treating me to this wonderful meal,¡± Suzuko bowed her head. Just then, a voice called out from behind the sliding door.


    ¡°Baron Hanabishi, have you finished your meal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please feel free to open the door.¡±


    The door opened, and a plump, middle-aged woman dressed in royal-purple silk crepe poked her head in. Suzuko thought that she was probably not a waitress, judging by her attire. ¡°This is the proprietress of the restaurant,¡± Takafuyu introduced her.


    ¡°It is my pleasure to meet you for the first time, Miss Marquis Takigawa. I hope the eel of our establishment is to your liking.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Suzuko,¡± Suzuko turned to the proprietress. ¡°It was very delicious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± the propriestress¡¯ face broke into a smile, making her seem more friendly. The wrinkles on her neck were expected of her age, but her plump cheeks were smooth and youthful. Perhaps it was all thanks to the eel.


    The proprietress glanced at Takafuyu for a second. Takafuyu nodded as though he understood and invited her to enter the room. The proprietress stood up, entered the room, and closed the door. She turned to the two of them again and placed her hands on the ground.


    ¡°Baron Hanabishi, I asked you to listen to this unreasonable request of mine¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m happy to listen to any request from you, madam,¡± Takafuyu said in an affable manner and turned his head to the window. ¡°Is it almost time?¡±


    ¡°He always comes at noon.¡±


    Suzuko looked between Takafuyu and the proprietress. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡±


    Just then, the noon gun sounded. It was now midday. The noon gun was a gun that fired a blank, signifying noon, and it was fired by the army at the inner citadel of the Imperial Palace. It was a custom that continued since 1871.


    The call of a peddler was heard over the noon gun. ¡°Kinzanji, selling Kinzanji here!¡± The peddler was selling Kinzanji miso. There was also the sound of a bell ringing.


    Flower sellers, seedlings sellers, ice sellers, candy sellers, tofu sellers, medicine sellers. Razor sharpeners, geta repairers, umbrella menders¡­there were all kinds of peddlers walking around town. Whether it was food, groceries, or repairs, one didn¡¯t have to go all the way to the store, but simply stop a peddler passing by one¡¯s house.


    Around this time of year, summerly peddlers such as goldfish vendors or wind chime sellers were already coming and going. Sellers of stomach medicines to ward off the heat called josaiya also appeared around Boys¡¯ Day.1 Peddlers for summer appeared from nowhere, roughly in early May, making one think, Oh, it¡¯s that season already. The Takigawa family had a morning glory vendor that Chizu favored, and in the summer she invited them to the mansion to buy morning glories that suited her fancy. A goldfish vendor also came to the house, but Chizu didn¡¯t buy from them because she heard there was a house where the goldfish released into a pond were all eaten by a night heron.


    On the other hand, there were also peddlers who came regardless of the season, such as natto sellers, bread sellers, kamaboko sellers, The same was true for Kinzanji miso peddlers.


    ¡°That¡¯s him,¡± the proprietress said upon hearing the peddler¡¯s call. ¡°The old man who sells Kinzanji. Poor man.¡±


    Suzuko looked at her face. The proprietress shook her head slowly. ¡°It¡¯s been about thirteen years, I think, since that old man passed away.¡±


    ¡°The Kinzanji-ya not only sold Kinzanji miso, but he also sold things like pickled vegetables and cooked beans. Umeboshi, eggplants pickled in mustard, and zazen beans. There are shops that buy from wholesalers and others that sell homemade items, but that old man¡¯s goods were all homemade. They were delicious, whether it was the pickled vegetables or the cooked beans. That¡¯s why he had many regular customers, and his shop was prosperous. That kind of business is tough if you can¡¯t get regular customers. When I heard his call, I would rush to stop him and run out of my house. The old man must have been around fifty at that time. He was originally from a hatamoto family,2 and after the Meiji era, they went through a lot of hardships. It was most likely the same for hatamoto families everywhere. Hatamoto were often said to be arrogant and unbearable even though they lost their status and stipend, but the old man was not like that at all. He would pull his boxcar from morning to evening and was friendly to everyone. He had a nice voice suited for peddling and a somewhat sophisticated air to him. He lost his wife early and raised his daughter by himself. When the daughter became of age, her marriage was decided. But just as we were congratulating them on the wonderful news¡­¡±


    The proprietress, who was speaking quickly and fluently as befitting someone who worked in the service industry, paused, and her face clouded over.


    ¡°The old man said, I can¡¯t do anything for the wedding preparations, but I want to at least buy a hairpin for her, and he would pull his car around late to sell his goods. That turned out to be a bad thing. He got entangled with a drunk and died. He was terribly kicked and beaten, and his head was hit badly. The drunk was immediately arrested by a police officer, and they found out that he was an official of the Ministry of Home Affairs or Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When he sobered up, he was shocked and couldn¡¯t remember anything. Of course, just because he was a government official, it didn¡¯t mean he would be exonerated. He went to jail, but that wouldn¡¯t bring the old man back. Everyone was very sad and angry, but then I started to hear his voice¡ª¡ª¡±


    In between the breaths of the proprietress, the calls of the Kinzanji-ya could be heard again right at that moment. It was closer than before.


    ¡°At first, I thought I misheard. I thought that I had misheard the voice of another Kinzanji-ya. But they were too similar. I went outside, thinking that it wasn¡¯t possible, and I saw no one there. I could hear his voice, but I couldn¡¯t see anyone. The peddler¡¯s voice simply approached and went away. That was all. The people at this restaurant, people around here, they all heard it. But no one could see him. Ah, that old sir, I wondered if he had appeared as a spirit, but it was only his voice. Before long, everyone stopped caring. They assumed that he would eventually pass on to the other side and disappear. And so, it has been more than ten years.¡±


    The proprietress smiled wryly.


    ¡°I¡¯m running a business, so I can¡¯t pay too much attention to every little thing. I hear a lot of strange and weird stories. That¡¯s why¡ª¡±


    She turned her gaze to Takafuyu.


    ¡°The other day, when I talked to you, Baron Hanabishi, you said that it wasn¡¯t a good idea to leave him alone and that we should help him pass on. After all, he¡¯s a priest (kannushi). Oh, my mistake? Your title is chief priest (guuji), right? So, I decided to leave it to him. But are you don¡¯t mind? You¡¯re currently eating with your fianc¨¦e.¡±


    Suzuko was already only half-listening. That was because a jourou in juunihitoe had appeared behind Takafuyu. The jourou¡¯s eyes were downcast with a smile on her face. She was dressed in sumptuous clothing. Her green short coat (karaginu) was woven with tortoiseshell patterns, and they were further painted with gold. Her uwagi jacket underneath was a lined purple twill weave with arabesque patterns, and underneath that, crimson underwear, and layered robes (uchiki) that gradated from pale purple to white. The smell of incense was thick in the air.


    ¨D¨DAwaji no Kimi.


    Goosebumps rose on Suzuko¡¯s skin, and her chest felt cold. Awaji no Kimi remained motionless, her head still hanging down.


    ¡°Suzuko-san¡­Suzuko-san!¡±


    Realizing that Takafuyu was calling her name, Suzuko shifted her gaze to him with a start. He was smiling. Just like Awaji no Kimi.


    ¡°This is the reason. I¡¯m sorry I had you go along with me today. I just couldn¡¯t find an available date no matter what¡ª¡±


    ¡°No¡ª¡±


    Did the ¡°request¡± Takafuyu talk about meant dealing with this?


    ¡°Kinzanji, selling Kinzanji here!¡±


    The voice came from right below them. Awaji no Kimi slowly raised her head. Before Suzuko could think anything, she was leaning forward towards the window.


    ¡°Kinzanji-ya-san!¡±


    She called out. In the alley just below, she saw a man pulling a box cart. She couldn¡¯t see his face because of his hat. The man stopped at Suzuko¡¯s voice. He raised his hat and looked up. She saw the face of a man in his fifties with a close-cropped, half-gray head.


    ¡°Ah, thank you for your business.¡±


    The man looked at Suzuko and his sun-tanned face crinkled into a smile.


    ¡°I want to buy some miso. Wait there, please. I¡¯m coming down.¡±


    Right after she said that, Suzuko got up and ran out of the room, ignoring Takafuyu, whose eyes were widened, and the astonished proprietress.


    She ran down the stairs and asked a waitress to borrow a bowl. After getting it, she thrust her feet into the restaurant geta sandals and went out into the alley. The man was waiting for her. He was wearing an indigo cotton livery jacket, a workman¡¯s apron, a tightly fastened sanjaku obi, and navy-blue trousers. His bare feet were in straw sandals.


    Suzuko¡¯s shoulders heaved as she panted for breath and walked in front of the man. The man was sturdily built from drawing a cart every day, but his expression was gentle. Was it because he had a daughter that he looked at young girls so softly.


    ¡°Some miso, please¡­¡±


    As she said this while catching her breath, the man laughed and opened one of the drawers of his box-car. His box-car was a small cart equipped with drawers, and each drawer contained various goods, such as Kinzanji miso, pickled vegetables, and boiled beans. The drawer the man opened was partitioned, and in addition to Kinzanji miso, eggplants pickled in mustard, and umeboshi. They all looked delicious. The man picked up a pair of chopsticks and put Kinzanji miso into her bowl. The sweet smell of miso wafted through the air.


    ¡°¡­I heard your daughter is getting married, sir¡­congratulations.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you,¡± the man smiled embarrassedly. ¡°I raised her on my own, so she¡¯s a bit unrefined, but if she has a beautiful hairpin in her hair, she¡¯ll look a little more graceful.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I would like to gift her with a hairpin as a congratulatory gift. I am Takigawa Suzuko of Akasaka, daughter of Marquis Takigawa. I will prepare a lovely hairpin. I promise,¡± Suzuko insisted vehemently.


    ¡°Heh, thank you for that,¡± the man squinted his eyes kindly and bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    As soon as she accepted the held-out bowl, the man disappeared. The scent of miso and the box-car faded away like mist. Not a single bit of miso was left in the bowl.


    ¡°Suzuko-san.¡±


    At the sound of Takafuyu¡¯s voice, she turned around. He was looking at her with a faint smile on her face. Awaji no Kimi wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°He passed on¡­¡± Takafuyu murmured as he looked at where the man had been.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Suzuko apologized. That ghost was supposed to be offered up to Awaji no Kimi.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. That ghost didn¡¯t seem to be to the jourou¡¯s taste anyway.¡±


    ¡°Taste? She has preferences?¡±


    ¡°She does. That jourou loves ghosts who suffered terribly and carry deeply resentful grudges.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying the Kinzanji-ya from earlier wasn¡¯t like that¡­¡±


    ¡°That gentleman was still walking around to sell his goods in order to buy a hairpin for his daughter even after his death. But there aren¡¯t any customers who would buy from invisible ghosts. So he had no choice but to keep walking around. And then, you promised to give his daughter a hairpin to congratulate her, so he was able to find peace of mind.¡±


    Even after he died, in order to buy a hairpin¡ª¡ª. Suzuko clasped her hands together.


    ¡°I have to prepare a fine hairpin. Because I made a promise to him.¡±


    ¡°I shall prepare it for you. We should send it to his daughter.¡±


    ¡°Do you know her address?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I can find out.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    Would he have his reporter friend look into it? Would it be easy because the incident would have been recorded at the time?


    ¡°Um¡­would it be okay if I went with you when you deliver it?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You were the one who made the promise.¡±


    Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu¡¯s smiling face. Before, when she thought that Awaji no Kimi was going to eat the Kinzanji-ya, her body moved before she could think. The ghost of the geisha who had been eaten before had appeared in her mind.


    I didn¡¯t want to see that.


    However, that was Takafuyu¡¯s role. If he didn¡¯t do that, he would be cursed.


    With mixed feelings, Suzuko looked down at her clasped hands.

 Volume 1 - CH 2.2

    A few days later, Takafuyu prepared an old-fashioned carved metal hairpin that designed to be worn in traditional hairstyles, and it was made to resemble a peony that had just began to open. The peony was undeniably beautiful. Each petal fluttered delicately as though trembling in the wind, and it seemed as if the bud would open at any moment. The workmanship was so convincing that it could even be called a work of Kano Natsuo, the Meiji engraver who was extolled as the ¡°Engraving Saint,¡± and no one would object.


    ¡°What a beautiful peony,¡± Suzuko, who had opened the box containing the hairpin, said in sincere admiration. ¡°You must know a talented engraver, don¡¯t you.¡±


    If her half-sisters saw this, they would no doubt fall in love and order it immediately.


    ¡°This is the work of an engraving master I¡¯m acquainted with. I explained the situation to him and he gave it to me. Do you like peonies?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I love flowers.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your favorite flower?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Having been suddenly asked that question, she was at a loss as to how to answer.


    ¡°I suppose you like lilies? You use the ¡®White Lily¡¯ incense, from ¡®Flora.¡¯¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very knowledgeable.¡±


    Suzuko pressed her hand against her kimono sleeve. The ¡®White Lily¡¯ incense was kept in the drawer where she kept her handkerchiefs. That caused the scent to transfer faintly to the handkerchiefs, giving off a nice scent when she used them.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you use it. Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Rather than liking it or not, she thought that she should probably use it. After all, she was going to be Takafuyu¡¯s wife.


    Now that their marriage had been decided, Suzuko believed that she must act accordingly. The Takigawa family would be the one who would suffer embarrassment and disgrace if something went wrong. She owed them a debt of gratitude for taking her in from a slum and raising her, and she didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for Chizu and the others.


    Suzuko took out her handkerchief from her sleeve, and the faint fragrance of ¡°White Lily¡± wafted into the air. It was a white lace handkerchief with the words ¡°flower crest (hanashirushi),¡± Suzuko¡¯s crest, sewn into a corner. Raising her head, she saw that Takafuyu was looking out the window. It seemed like he had averted his gaze just then. Was it just her imagination?


    ¡°¡­About the ¡®pine crest¡­¡¯¡± Suzuko peered into Takafuyu¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re willing to cooperate with me, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Takafuyu immediately replied and smiled. It was a formal, conventional smile. Suzuko didn¡¯t like it, as it was difficult to tell what he was thinking when he smiled this way. ¡°Are you not satisfied with verbal promises?¡±


    ¡°No. Even if you write a signed note of assurance, there is nothing I can do about it. I can¡¯t punish you in any way if you go back on it, after all.¡±


    ¡°There will be a punishment. I would no longer be trusted by you, and I don¡¯t want that.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I trust you now?¡±


    Takafuyu laughed in amusement. I like this smile from him, she thought. Feeling strangely embarrassed by this thought, she cast down her eyes.


    Mitsumame was brought to their table, and Suzuko returned the hairpin box to Takafuyu. The two were at a mitsumame restaurant in Ginza. In the past, mitsumame was a children¡¯s snack sold by street vendors, but it was modernized and improved in the latter half of the Meiji period and became very popular. The silver bowl was filled with red peas, agar, gyuuhi, apricot umani, and fruits such as pineapples and oranges, and it was served with brown sugar syrup. The sweetness of the syrup and saltiness of the red peas were just right.


    As a sweets establishment, the restaurant was filled with young girls and ladies. Among them, Takafuyu stood out quite a lot due to his beautiful appearance. However, he didn¡¯t seem to care at all. He was probably used to being the center of attention. As for Suzuko, she was also used to attracting attention from her time as the Clairvoyant Girl. Especially after becoming a part of the nobility, she had come to expect the intense gazes from women directed towards her luxurious kimonos. That was the kind of pull extravagant kimonos had.


    Her kimono today was a dark lilac tie-dye, the obi was ivory-white with wisteria embroidery, and she was wearing a dark purple yuzen haori made of silk gauze and woven with rabbit-ear iris patterns to match. The obidome was carved with jade in the shape of a peacock feather, and the haori cord was made of a string of keshi pearls. It was Taka who chose her outfit. The sparkle of the understated gemstones and the colors of the showy but elegant kimono accentuated with Suzuko¡¯s cool and white face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll look beautiful as a bride.¡±


    Takafuyu said in a heartfelt tone as he gazed at Takafuyu. Suzuko wondered how such words could come out of his mouth as he watched her stuff her mouth with mitsumame, but she silently brought the agar covered with syrup to her mouth. The texture of this agar was also good.


    Speaking of bride¡­Suzuko stopped her hand.


    ¡°Where will the wedding be held? Have I already heard about it?¡±


    Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯ll be on Awaji Island, she recalled her half-sisters saying.


    ¡°Oh, yes. For the Hanabishis, we¡¯ve only had a small ceremony since ancient times. We don¡¯t have any grand, modern-style Shinto ceremonies.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by, a ¡®small ceremony¡¯?¡±


    Suzuko stared at Takafuyu¡¯s face suspiciously.


    ¡°What are you so suspicious about? It truly does only take a few minutes. If you want, we can do it today after we finish this business.¡±


    ¡°Today?¡±


    ¡°The ceremony will take place at the Kojimachi mansion with just the two of us, so it¡¯ll be quick. There¡¯s no need for both families to be present.¡±


    ¡°Even if you say that so suddenly¡­¡±


    Suzuko was perplexed. Even if it wouldn¡¯t be a modern-style Shinto ceremony, she had assumed that there would be still be a celebration or something of the sort, at the very least, a ceremony with all the relatives from both sides of the family.


    ¡°We can also hold a Shinto ceremony if you want one. Do you want to do that?¡±


    Asked, Suzuko shook her head. That would be a pain. Even though the reception was also a pain.


    In that light, wasn¡¯t a ceremony that ended quickly better because it was less troublesome?


    Takafuyu grinned, as though he had completely understood Suzuko¡¯s changing thoughts.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s do it today.¡±


    Feeling annoyed that things were going according to Takafuyu¡¯s plan, she defiantly reminded him, ¡°But it will only happen after we finish today¡¯s business properly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± he nodded magnanimously. ¡°I hope she will accept it.¡±


    Takafuyu said as he looked at the box containing the hairpin.


    Their business today was to give the hairpin to the Kinzanji-ya¡¯s daughter. Takafuyu had investigated everything, including the full name of the Kinzanji-ya, where he lived, and where his daughter had married. Suzuko felt like she wanted to ask him how he had found those things out, but she didn¡¯t ask him in the end.


    The daughter¡¯s name was Shioi Roku, and she lived in Nihonenoki in Shiba Ward. Her husband was an earthenware dealer. There were many temples in Shiba, and Sengaku Temple, famous for the 47 Ronin, was also located there. In the area of Shiba Takanawa, there was the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace and the estates of the nobility, and on the other hand, to the north, there was Shinami-cho, a large slum that was on par with Shitaya-Mannen-cho and Yotsuya Samegahashi. In the Edo period, this area had also become a red-light district, with teahouses lining the Takanawa coast which ran along the highway. Nihonenoki-cho was located in Takanawa, and the Shioi family lived in a corner close to Sengaku Temple. Although the house was small and compact, the gate and garden gave the impression that this was a well-maintained and clean house. Parking the car nearby, Suzuko and Takafuyu headed for the house. However, Suzuko stopped in front of the gate. There was a woman standing before the gate with her head down. Her black crested haori, plain brown kimono, and chignon on the back of her head gave the impression of tiredness and melancholy.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, you mustn¡¯t deal with her. Let us finish our business first.¡±


    Takafuyu put his hand on her back. That was when Suzuko realized that the woman wasn¡¯t alive. Prompted by Takafuyu, she passed through the gate. The woman with her head hanging down paid no attention to them. A dark shadow was cast over her face. The woman showed no inclination of going through the gate and simply stood there.


    What¡¯s wrong with her¡­


    Who was she? Why was she here?


    Despite her questions, she was determined to fulfill her promise to the Kinzanji-ya. Roku, who appeared at the entrance, was a pretty woman in her thirties with strikingly determined eyes.


    Takafuyu explained their reason for visiting. ¡°My grandfather was partial to the Kinzanji-ya¡¯s miso and had promised to give Roku a hairpin when she married, but he died before he could fulfill that promise, and we didn¡¯t know about the promise either. Recently, I found my grandfather¡¯s note with the promise written down, and we have come here to fulfill his wish.¡±


    ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Roku seemed shocked, but she invited Suzuko and Takafuyu to the tatami room and offered them tea.


    ¡°Taking the trouble of coming all the way here, you really shouldn¡¯t have. I had no idea about that promise.¡±


    ¡°I heard that many customers looked forward to seeing your father¡¯s box-car. I heard that his food was delicious, he wasn¡¯t overbearing just because he came from a hatamoto clan, and was very amiable.¡±


    At Takafuyu¡¯s words, Roku¡¯s expression was half-happy and half-sad.


    ¡°Father really did have a lot of customers who were his regulars, and they helped me out when he died. I couldn¡¯t have dealt with everyone alone, so it was very, very¡­¡±


    ¡°I know that your father would have loved to see you as a bride.¡±


    Takafuyu said softly, then opened the silk-wrapped bundle and held out the box with the hairpin.


    ¡°I hope you like it.¡±


    When Roku opened the box, her eyes widened. She hurriedly put the lid back on and returned it to Takafuyu.


    ¡°This is too high-quality¡­! I can¡¯t accept it. I have nowhere to wear this.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a daughter?¡±


    ¡°I do have one, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Then please use it when your daughter gets married.¡±


    Roku had gone beyond joy to bewilderment. ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Please accept it for my grandfather¡¯s sake as well. He must be furious about the delay in giving the hairpin on the other side.¡±


    He truly was a smooth talker. Roku finally smiled and drew the box closer.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll keep it for my daughter. I never would have expected to receive such a wonderful gift now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is the personal grace of your father.¡±


    Roku lowered her head and wiped her eyes a little.


    ¡°Thank you very much. For my sake, my father worked until late at night, and that was how he¡­because he was in that sort of work, he had the strength to fling that drunk away to break up the fight. But he was a merchant¡­I¡¯m sure he thought that if he caused trouble, it would interfere with my marriage. He should have hit that drunk back. I would rather he had fought back and retaliated than die. I wouldn¡¯t have cared at all if it ruined the marriage talks.¡±


    Seemingly unable to hold back her tears anymore, Roku buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders trembled as sobs escaped. Neither Suzuko nor the well-spoken Takafuyu had any words to say. A wind blew through the tatami room, which had its sliding doors open. The sound of children playing could be heard from somewhere. Perhaps they were playing in the precincts of the temple. Was Roku¡¯s daughter among them? The voices were bright, like overflowing light.


    After putting their palms together in front of the altar, Suzuko and Takafuyu left Roku¡¯s house. The woman was still standing on the other side of the gate. They hadn¡¯t been able to ask Roku indirectly about who she was. They passed by the lady with her head hanging down and came out into the alley. They turned around and stared at the woman¡¯s thin shoulders.


    ¡°¡­Who is she?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t Takafuyu who answered her murmured question.


    ¡°Ah, that one, you see, is a pitiful lady. She keeps coming here to apologize like that, poor thing.¡±


    A high-pitched, discordant whistle-like voice sounded from overhead, and Suzuko looked up in shock. Half of a woman¡¯s face was peeking out from the top of the temple¡¯s stone wall. Her hair was in a round chignon on top, and her smiling eyes were arched like crescent moons.


    The woman was clinging to the wall with both hands. That was unusual. The wall was taller than Takafuyu¡¯s head, and it wasn¡¯t something that could be peered over for just a moment or two.


    Takafuyu pulled Suzuko over to him and put her behind his back.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, you mustn¡¯t deal with her.¡±


    That was the same thing he said about the woman standing in front of the gate.


    She¡¯s a dead person.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make eye contact with her.¡±


    After hearing that, Suzuko looked down. She heard a rustling sound like an insect was crawling on the wall. She moved her eyes to see where the sound was coming from and saw that the woman was crawling on the wall. She managed to stifle a scream.


    The woman crawled along, moving her arms and legs. The bottom of her striped meisen silk kimono was opened wide, exposing her red undershirt with a crimson leaf pattern.


    ¡°You see, that lady was from Yamanote. Her husband got drink and killed a peddler, so she came here to apologize to his daughter. Poor thing. Even though she was also being beaten by her drunkard husband. But the newspapers savaged her, saying that it was because she was a former geisha, and everyone made it as though she was the one to blame, poor thing. The truly pitiful one here is her daughter. Her relationship with the man she loved was ruined, and she jumped to her death from Asakusa Juunikai.¡±


    While saying, poor thing, the woman was laughing so hard that her mouth seemed to split apart. The high-pitched and loud laughter was so piercing that Suzuko wanted to cover her ears.


    ¡°Even so, in order to apologize, the lady couldn¡¯t die, and even after she fell ill and died, she kept coming back to apologize. It¡¯s ironic, isn¡¯t it, that the only one still alive was the husband. That kind of person just doesn¡¯t die, you know?¡±


    Goosebumps rose on Suzuko¡¯s flesh as she felt a chill so strong that she couldn¡¯t stand still. Was this no longer a ghost, but a monster?


    ¡°Suzuko-san, feel free to cover your ears. These kinds of ghosts are to the jourou¡¯s taste.¡±


    Before she could ask him what he meant, she smelled the soft scent of incense. A clear fragrance. Before Suzuko¡¯s eyes, Awaji no Kimi appeared.


    Awaji no Kimi glided over the ground and grabbed the woman¡¯s chignon. The woman screamed. Awaji no Kimi¡¯s clothing and hair fluttered outward. In the next moment, the woman¡¯s head disappeared. Awaji no Kimi¡¯s hand wandered through the air and grabbed the woman¡¯s arm. As she did so, the woman¡¯s upper body disappeared like she was torn off. When Awaji no Kimi grabbed her shins that peeped out from her open meisen kimono, the woman¡¯s lower half disappeared completely. Awaji no Kimi¡¯s beautiful hair became even more lustrous and billowed in the air. She turned around and raised the corners of her lips in a smile.


    She slunk back toward Takafuyu and held his head in her arms, as though to twine them around it. Her figure faded into smoke and melted away. All that remained was the smell of incense.


    Suzuko pressed her hand to her chest. At the moment she disappeared, Awaji no Kimi had looked at her and smiled mockingly.


    ¡°Are you feeling well?¡±


    Suzuko¡¯s head jumped up at Takafuyu¡¯s voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a very pleasant sight, after all, to see her eating ghosts. You don¡¯t have to see it.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Suzuko looked at the wall the woman was crawling on. ¡°Was that woman from earlier also a ghost?¡±


    Takafuyu turned his eyes to the wall. ¡°It would be more fitting to call that thing a ¡®demon¡¯ or an ¡®evil spirit.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Demon¡­¡±


    Suzuko thought back to that woman¡¯s appearance. That was something that evoked spine-chilling, instinctive fear and loathing.


    Then, what about that ghost?


    Suzuko looked back at the gate. However, the ghost of the lady wasn¡¯t lingering there anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just as that thing said earlier, that lady was the wife of the Kinzanji-ya¡¯s murderer,¡± Takafuyu said. ¡°But creatures like her mix in falsehoods with truth, so it is best not to listen to them. Well, for this case she was mostly telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°So the lady keeps coming here to apologize, and her daughter killed herself?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But it was a lie that the daughter jumped from Asakusa Juunikai. I believe she hanged herself.¡±


    ""


    ¡°¡­Where did you hear such a story from¡­?¡±


    Takafuyu smiled at Suzuko. ¡°Do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°No, not particularly.¡±


    ¡°I heard it from a reporter. I also learned Roku-san¡¯s address from him. I also learned the address of another home in the process.¡±


    ¡°Another home?¡±


    ¡°The house where that lady lived.¡±


    What will he do with that knowledge?


    Just when she thought that, Takafuyu started walking towards the car.


    ¡°Shall we go?¡± he said. Even without asking where, from the flow of the conversation, there was only one possibility.


    ¡°To that lady¡¯s house.¡±

 Volume 1 - CH 2.3

    The car was driving along the main street for a while, but as it followed Takafuyu¡¯s directions, the road turned into narrow and complicated alleys, and the driver told them, ¡°The car cannot go any further.¡±


    The two got out of the car and walked down the alleys. The area had the atmosphere of Shitamachi, and half of the narrow alleys were occupied by a ditch with wooden planks crossing over it, making it even narrower to walk on. Facing it were tightly packed row houses. The alleys were lined with potted plants and charcoal grills, so if you walked without watching your step, you might stumble and fall. The noisy sounds of babies crying, children playing, and fretful noises echoed through the air. Perhaps due to the recent rain, there was a sour smell coming from the ditch. On the whole, it wasn¡¯t as bad as a slum, but it lacked quietness and cleanliness. Suzuko and Takafuyu, who looked out of place, drew unreserved gazes from the children playing at the small Inari shrine and the women washing clothes by the communal faucet.


    Takafuyu stopped at a corner of the alley. On one of the row house doors was a vacancy notice.


    ¡°Is this it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I wonder why it¡¯s vacant.¡±


    While the city¡¯s population continued to grow, there weren¡¯t enough houses to go around. It was said that one of the aspirations of middle-class people was to rent a house in Yamanote, but ordinary people usually lived in row houses. Since workers were pouring in from the countryside, row houses should be filling up quickly.


    ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s because it¡¯s haunted by a ghost.¡±


    Ghost¡ªthat lady¡¯s ghost?


    ¡°Shall we ask about the details?¡±


    Takafuyu said and turned around. The women who were squatting in front of their tubs near the communal faucet and staring at them stopped what they were doing. Takafuyu walked toward them without hesitation. Suzuko followed him.


    ¡°Excuse me, ladies. May I ask you a few questions about that vacant house over there?¡±


    At his gentle and mild-mannered smile, the three women all wiped their hands on their waist aprons and stood up. They were middle-aged women dressed in striped cotton and had towels wrapped around their head.


    ¡°An acquaintance of mine said he wants to rent a row house, so I¡¯m looking for a good place. How is that house?¡±


    All three women shook their heads at Takafuyu¡¯s question.


    ¡°No, no, sir, you shouldn¡¯t go there.¡±


    ¡°There were several people who rented it before. But they all said it was haunted and left right away.¡±


    ¡°Of course they would. The house has a shady history.¡±


    The three all chimed in. It was noisy.


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®shady history¡¯¡­?¡±


    Takafuyu asked with an expression of feigned ignorance. The three looked at each other with looks of ¡°You tell him.¡± The woman who looked the oldest spoke.


    ¡°A housewife and daughter lived there, but the daughter died. Her mother died soon after, as though chasing after her.¡±


    ¡°The daughter, you know, jumped off of Asakusa Juunikai. And her mother died from illness.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Didn¡¯t the wife hang herself? That¡¯s what I heard.¡±


    Even in the neighborhood, the information seemed to be mixed up. ¡°I don¡¯t think she would have jumped from the Juunikai,¡± Takafuyu said.


    ¡°Really? Why?¡±


    ¡°So far, there has only been three deaths resulting from falling to one¡¯s death from the Juunikai. In 1909, three people died one after the other. A 26-year-old man, a 16-year-old girl, and a 30-year-old woman.¡±


    ¡°Then we heard wrong,¡± the oldest woman said. ¡°The daughter was 18, and she didn¡¯t die in that year.¡±


    This woman seemed to have the best memory.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t a lot of people die in Juunikai? It was in the newspapers, my husband said so,¡± Another woman interjected from the side.


    ¡°Are you referring to the series of articles calling themselves the ¡®Juunikai Monogatari¡¯? It called the Juunikai the ¡®Tower of Death.¡¯ It was serialized a little while ago. It¡¯s full of nonsense. It¡¯s quite a problem.¡±


    Suzuko never heard of that newspaper. After the Great War, the number of advertisements for medicines and cosmetics in the newspapers increased, and the contents seemed to have become more popular as well.


    ¡°Nonsense? No, is that true? I completely believed them.¡±


    ¡°But it was certain that the daughter died from suicide. Doesn¡¯t that mean she hanged herself, then?¡±


    ¡°The wife was sick. She wouldn¡¯t kill herself.¡±


    When the older woman said this firmly, the other two women asked her in unison, ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°She said that she couldn¡¯t die because she had to apologize. I told her to just quit it, but she wouldn¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°I see, so you were quite close to her, madam.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to say we were close. I couldn¡¯t bear to look at her. She was all skin and bones, but she still wore a black-crested haori and went all the way out to Takanawa. It must have been a nuisance for them too.¡±


    The older woman who Takafuyu called ¡°madam¡± looked up at him.


    ¡°That woman¡¯s husband was a drunkard and a good-for-nothing, and he killed someone while drunk. He was an important government official, and apparently he worked hard during the day, but at home he drank and beat his wife. I heard that their neighbors didn¡¯t even notice that the husband was a drunk until then, so he must have kept up appearances very well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a terrible story, isn¡¯t it? There are awful drunk husbands around here as well, but you¡¯ll know them when you see them. They drink all day long.¡±


    ¡°But wasn¡¯t the wife a former geisha who settled into being the wife of a government official, but spent money freely and cheated on her husband?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think she was like that. She seemed timid. That was why she was at the mercy of her husband. From my point of view, she should have just left him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, if he was so terrible, she should have just left him. The reason she didn¡¯t was because she wanted to be a government official¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°Besides, if she had properly admonished her husband¡¯s drinking habits, he wouldn¡¯t have ended up killing someone else, right?¡±


    It¡¯s like it¡¯s the wife who was at fault.


    Suzuko¡¯s chest started to hurt. It was because she knew the haggard back of the lady.


    In her mind¡¯s eye, she saw that ¡°demon¡± woman from earlier. Chattering away happily with a mixture of truth and falsehood¡ª


    ¡°I¡¯m reminded of the Suzuben murder.¡±


    Takafuyu, who had been quietly listening to the women, suddenly spoke. ¡°Huh?¡± the women said.


    ¡°You see, it happened about a year ago. The Suzuben murder. An official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce killed a merchant¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! I remember. That was the one where they dismembered him and dumped him in the river.¡±


    Suzuko remembered that incident well. It became a hot topic in society. At the beginning of June 1919, a suitcase stuffed with a dead body was discovered by the Shinano River, causing a great stir. Not only was the victim brutally beaten to death with a baseball bat and was dismembered, but the fact that the perpetrator was a government official from the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce was probably one of the factors that made it such a hot topic. The motive was a loan to the victim. It was called the ¡°Suzuben murder¡± after the victim¡¯s name. The perpetrator was sentenced to death later that year.


    ¡°In that incident as well, the wife of the government official was blamed for one thing or another. It was a pity.¡±


    The women looked at each other and seemed a little embarrassed.


    Indeed, the incident was so shocking that not only the murderer but also his family members were being written about in the newspapers day after day. They talked about how the murderer¡¯s mother was raised in a brothel, that the wife was a bad housekeeper, and that it was wrong for her to be away from home at the time of the crime. Suzuko felt disgusted by those accusations and rarely read newspapers since then.


    ¡°I knew a journalist who was driven on by righteous indignation at the time¡ªhe told me that commercialism had run rampant and caused such absurd and hurtful articles to be published.¡±


    Perhaps because they didn¡¯t quite understand what ¡°commercialism¡± meant, the women stared at him blankly, but they began to gather the laundry at their feet as if feeling uncomfortable.


    ¡°Anyway, you should give up on that house, sir.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you for your help. I apologize for interrupting your work.¡±


    Takafuyu smiled amiably and turned on his heel. In the end, Suzuko didn¡¯t say a single word, but she didn¡¯t have chance to cut into the women¡¯s conversation, and she didn¡¯t know what to say. Their conversation was naturally different from that of the nobility, but it was also different from that of the slums.


    ¡°Gambling, drinking, gossiping. I guess the more you need to do something to spend time, the more you become addicted to it. There must be something that makes a person get addicted to it. Gossip is the worst of all, precisely because it doesn¡¯t hurt one¡¯s pocketbook,¡± Takafuyu murmured as he walked. ¡°The newspapers are taking the lead in encouraging this, and it¡¯s getting out of hand. Newspapers have changed a lot as well. ¨CThat¡¯s what that reporter said, though.¡±


    Takafuyu smiled at Suzuko. Suzuko stared at his face.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Takafuyu looked a little surprised when Suzuko asked him that. He stopped.


    ¡°I have no principles or opinions. I¡¯m like water. I¡¯ve always been carried along by the current, and now I¡¯m here.¡±


    Takafuyu was about to say more, but he kept his mouth shut.


    Suzuko was about to speak to him again when she suddenly caught a glimpse of the row house.


    A shadow appeared in front of the door of the empty house. The black moldy thing silently moved toward the entrance of the alley¡ªtoward Suzuko and Takafuyu. Suzuko instinctively stepped aside. The shadow gradually took on the shape of a woman. A woman in a black-crested haori with her head down. It was the woman she saw in front of the gate to Roku¡¯s house.


    She slowly walked past Suzuko and out of the alleyway of row houses. There was a gloomy shadow over her face. Was she on her way to Roku¡¯s house? Suzuko wondered if that ghost was going to do so again and again, forever.


    Takafuyu started walking after the woman. Suzuko followed him.


    ¡°She¡¯s one step away from becoming a demon.¡±


    Takafuyu said without turning around.


    ¡°In that state, no words can get through to her. She only goes to Roku-san¡¯s house to apologize, day after day. Sooner or later, she will turn into a vengeful spirit that will bring about calamity before that gate.¡±


    ¡°How terrible¡­¡±


    That¡¯s too cruel.


    Takafuyu stopped. Awaji no Kimi appeared as though welling up from his body.


    She¡¯s going to eat her.


    That pitiful housewife¡¯s ghost.


    Suzuko covered her nose with her hand, almost gagging from the intensity of the fragrance. Takafuyu glanced back at her and shifted his body. Now Suzuko was no longer able to see neither Awaji no Kimi nor the ghost.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look, Suzuko-san,¡± Takafuyu¡¯s voice was extremely gentle. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡±


    Suzuko stared at his back. He was watching Awaji no Kimi eat the ghost. He was always watching. He watched the ghosts that had nowhere to go, that had nothing but suffering, disappear.


    Was it cruelty? Or was it salvation?


    This person is¡­


    Takafuyu turned around.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Suzuko looked up at his face. The faint smile on his face showed no insight into his emotions. But¡ª¡ª.


    ¡°¡­How are you feeling right now?¡±


    Takafuyu¡¯s smile faded and he looked at her seriously.


    ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m not sure myself.¡±


    Suzuko suddenly felt a prick in her chest.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re feeling sad. You feel pained by the ghosts that could only be saved by being eaten.¡±


    Takafuyu smiled bitterly.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, I don¡¯t have such an admirable character.¡±


    ¡°How would you know what your character is like if you don¡¯t even know your own feelings?¡±


    Takafuyu¡¯s mouth remained half-open, seemingly at a loss for a response.


    ¡°I think I understand you a little, but only a little. Even so, I wonder if I can see you better than you yourself do.¡±


    After saying that, Suzuko walked past him to the opening of the alley. Neither the ghost of the housewife nor Awaji no Kimi were there. That house, which was said to be haunted, would probably be rented out sooner or later and a new tenant would enter. How long would the memories of that unfortunate lady remain?


    ¡°Suzuko-san, Suzuko-san,¡± Takafuyu ran after her with long strides. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Hanabishi estate now, just as promised.¡±


    It was a promise? Suzuko thought, but nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Once the ceremony is over, you will be the bride of the Hanabishi family, so¡ª¡±


    Takafuyu smiled.


    ¡°Let us live together.¡±


    After the car passed through the Hanabishi mansion¡¯s gate, the same steward as before was waiting in front of the door. Takafuyu, who got out of the car, told him, ¡°Bring the charcoal briquette to the ¡®Shiotsuki Room.¡¯¡± He took Suzuko¡¯s hand and helped her out of the car. ¡°Now then, shall we go?¡± he said and took her to the inside of the house. He led her to the room they entered before.


    ¡°This is the ¡®Shiotsuki Room.¡¯ Its name comes from the inscription on the fragrant wood. The inscription read ¡®Shio no Tsuki.¡¯ That is the fragrant wood that is being possessed by Awaji no Kimi.¡±


    Once inside the room, Suzuko found it still filled with the strong smell of incense.


    ¡°The wood itself is located in Awaji, at the shrine. Pieces shaved off from that wood are kept here, and whenever we run out, we go to Awaji to collect some more. That is how it works.¡±


    The stand with the incense burner in the center was still the same as before. The difference was the incense burner. The painted one had been replaced by a celadon porcelain one.


    ¡°This is a kinuta celadon incense burner. Good celadon porcelain comes from the continent, but the finest of them all comes from the Yue prefecture, and the finest of the pieces that came to this country from Yue prefecture is the ¡®Flower Vase of the Higashiyama Treasure. That¡¯s why this type of porcelain is called ¡®kinutade¡¯¡ªI know it¡¯s a pain to remember, but you should know it. Awaji no Kimi prefers the most high-quality things.¡±


    Just as he said, the incense burner had a beautiful color. The pale, bluish green color was like the spring sky.


    ¡°The incense burners are stored in a separate room, but most of the tools for burning incense are here. Over there¡ª¡±


    Takafuyu pointed to a shelf by the wall. It was a shelf with a paper sliding door, with a tray on the top and a box placed at the bottom. The door depicted flowers and birds of the four seasons, such as sakura and pheasants, and snow and herons. Takafuyu walked over to the shelf, shifted the tray to the side, and placed the box there. It was a beautiful box, with the Hanabishi crest drawn with maki-e lacquer over a nashiji background. There was a string attached to the lid. Takafuyu untied it and removed the lid. The inside was lined with bamboo sheath. Inside was a beautiful cloth bag and several small maki-e boxes.


    Takafuyu took out a box and pulled out a paper packet from it. ¡°This is an incense packet. It contains chiseled pieces of the fragrant wood.¡±


    The front of the packet had a picture of waves and the moon, with the inscription ¡°Shio no Tsuki.¡±


    ¡°The wood is wrapped in this way to prevent the scent of the fragrant wood from permeating. It is wrapped twice. It is first wrapped in a type of paper called bamboo paper, and then it is wrapped in a piece of paper with this image on it.¡±


    Bamboo paper was said to be thin bamboo sheath backed with paper.


    Takafuyu placed the incense packet on the tray.


    ¡°This has nothing to do with koudou1, so there isn¡¯t any etiquette involved. Please feel free to burn it without reserve.¡±


    What? Suzuko looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯m going to burn the incense?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. From now on, it will be your job to burn it.¡±


    ¡°By ¡®from now on,¡¯ you don¡¯t mean starting tomorrow, do you?¡±


    Takafuyu had said something like, ¡°Let¡¯s live together after the ceremony is over,¡± but she had turned him down because she felt put on the spot by suddenly being asked to live here tomorrow.


    ¡°You may move in here whenever you like, but please do so as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    ¡°I will explain it properly to the Takigawa family.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re very good at removing obstacles in the way of your objective, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°They do say that if you want to win the daughter, you must first begin with the mother.¡±


    Just then, there was a knock on the door. A voice called out. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve brought the briquette.¡±


    The steward who entered was holding a tray with an incense-burner-shaped object on it. After Takafuyu took the tray from him, he left.


    ¡°His name is Yura. He¡¯s young, but he¡¯s an old-timer. If there¡¯s anything you need, he is the fastest person to ask.¡±


    Saying that, Takafuyu approached the pedestal in the center. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but would you mind holding this for a moment?¡± He handed the tray to Suzuko. Inside the tray¡¯s incense burner, there was a charcoal briquette burning brightly with a net over it.


    ¡°This is a hitori burner. It¡¯s a vessel for carrying fire. The tools used for burning incense are elegant in every way. It gives a sense of aristocratic culture.¡±


    There was a cylinder with tools under the stand, and Takafuyu took out a pair of tongs from it. He removed the netting of the burner with the tongs, then gripped the briquette and buried it in the ashes. The ashes were poured over the top.


    ¡°In this way, the ashes are heated, and the heat is used to produce the fragrance. If you burn them, the fragrant wood will smell burnt.¡±


    I see, Suzuko thought as she watched his hands. Takafuyu¡¯s demeanour was gentle and elegant, but his hands were surprisingly sturdy and firm. His fingers were long, and his nails were beautifully shaped.


    ¡°Did you understand all of what I showed you?¡±


    Suzuko returned to herself at Takafuyu¡¯s voice. She had been captivated by his hands. The ashes had warmed up, and all that was left was to place the fragrant wood there.


    ¡°The process is surprisingly easy. All you have to do is heat the ashes and put the fragrant wood on top. But if you aren¡¯t accustomed to it, there is a danger of burning yourself. Let¡¯s do it together, as a morning routine.¡±


    Thinking that it would be confusing to do alone, Suzuko nodded.


    ¡°Then, shall we begin?¡±


    This was the beginning of the ceremony. Suzuko took in a breath and stared at the incense burner.


    Takafuyu used a different pair of tongs to place a small piece of fragrant wood on top of the ashes. It looked like a mere dark reddish-brown wood chip. After a while, the scent rose. It was a clear, deep, yet somewhat lonely scent.


    The scent spread and filled the room. It seemed to seep into Suzuko¡¯s hair and skin. She wondered if she, like Takafuyu, would come to have this fragrance wafting from her body.


    I¡¯m being engulfed by the scent.


    That was what it felt like.


    A thin wisp of smoke wavered in the air, and a woman in juunihitoe appeared. Awaji no Kimi. She had a white oval face, eyes like black gemstones, and small red lips. Her dark eyes narrowed, and the corners of her mouth lifted.


    Awaji no Kimi extended her hand to Suzuko. The tips of her sakuragai-like nails were pointed towards her. The smoke trailed. It loosely surrounded Suzuko and clung to her. It bound her and covered her.


    It¡¯s like I¡¯m being eaten, she thought.


    All the members of the Hanabishi family might have been eaten by this jourou. They were trapped and couldn¡¯t escape. Maybe that was the kind of curse placed on them.


    Before she knew it, Suzuko had closed her eyes. The scent became stronger, and when she slowly opened her eyes, Awaji no Kimi¡¯s face was right before her eyes. Suzuko swallowed back a scream.


    Her dark eyes were like empty voids, like the dark sea on a starless night. Her white skin was so translucent that streaks of blue veins could be seen underneath it, and her lips were red to the point of garishness and chapped. Her bloodless lips were forcibly painted with rouge.


    Her heart was pounding. Goosebumps rose on her flesh, and a cold sweat broke out on her back. It was terrifying. Awaji no Kimi was the most terrifying ghost she had ever met.


    She felt a prick of pain on her ankle. Awaji no Kimi¡¯s smile deepened. With that expression on her face, she faded into smoke and disappeared.


    Suzuko¡¯s knees were trembling and about to give way, but Takafuyu held her up.


    ¡°Does it hurt anywhere, Suzuko-san?¡±


    Suzuko shook her head. Her whole body was trembling, not just her knees.


    Takafuyu slowly helped her sit down on the spot. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he peered into her face and asked worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­I just¡­feel a little exhausted¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shaking.¡±


    Suzuko looked back into his eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared?¡±


    Takafuyu looked confused at her question.


    ¡°Of Awaji no Kimi. I¡¯m scared of her.¡±


    Takafuyu stared at Suzuko. The pain in his eyes made her gaze at him.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Suzuko-san. I was the one who dragged you into this whole mess. If I hadn¡¯t met you on that day, Awaji no Kimi would have never found you.¡±


    But, Takafuyu dropped his gaze, and then raised it again. He looked straight at her.


    ¡°You are now a Hanabishi. You cannot escape from Awaji no Kimi. Please forgive me.¡±


    To Suzuko, Takafuyu¡¯s eyes seemed to be filled with a variety of emotions. And he was suffering from them. It was something more than just involving Suzuko into this whole thing.


    Takafuyu embraced her. The warmth from his large hands softened the fear that had shaken her.


    Suzuko realized that the fragrance was no longer only coming from him, but also herself.


    She simply closed her eyes and let the scent envelop her.


    Takafuyu watched the car carrying Suzuko exit the gate, then turned around. He told Yura to get Mikoshiba and went up the stairs. Mikoshiba was the butler. Takafuyu entered the private room and sat down in a chair.


    ¡°Scared,¡± huh¡­


    He thought Suzuko wouldn¡¯t be afraid. She was someone who didn¡¯t get perturbed about things. But even she was afraid of Awaji no Kimi.


    After all this time, Takafuyu felt like cursing the Hanabishi family.


    When he was in this house, the childhood memories of being shunned and abhorred by his parents without knowing why and being doted on by his grandfather tormented him. It wasn¡¯t until his grandfather¡¯s death and it was decided that he would be adopted by another family that he learned the ¡°reason¡± behind it all.


    I wonder how I would have met her if I hadn¡¯t been a son of this family.


    He was imagining something foolish. For example, what if he were the biological child of his adoptive parents in Yokohama? They kindly welcomed him and gave him the warmth of family. He always thought how wonderful it would have been if he was their real son.


    But if that was the case, he probably wouldn¡¯t have married Suzuko.


    He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. Various thoughts and feelings were stirring in his chest. His thoughts were incoherent, and his feelings were unsettled and wouldn¡¯t calm down.


    When he closed his eyes, the image of Suzuko looking straight at him emerged in the darkness. She was trying to get to know him. Even though she was reluctantly marrying him, she was still trying to confront it with a sincere heart.


    Compared to that, what about me?


    Takafuyu pressed his hand to his forehead and hung his head. He could see the chest out of the corner of his eye. It was the chest containing his brother¡¯s belongings. What if Suzuko saw it?


    She wouldn¡¯t immediately assume that his brother was the killer just because he had a ¡°pine crest.¡± But she would certainly ask him why he had kept quiet about it, and he would lose her trust. He didn¡¯t want that.


    If only he could thoroughly examine his brother¡¯s belongings and be certain that he wasn¡¯t the killer. No, that was no use. Even if there was evidence that he was the murderer, there wouldn¡¯t be evidence that he wasn¡¯t the murderer. No one could prove that. Except for finding the real culprit.


    Yes, if only he could find the real culprit¡ªbut what if it was his brother?


    Takafuyu ran his hand through his hair. At the very least, he had to investigate his brother. He knew that. He knew that, but¡ª.


    ¡°Master, you called for me?¡±


    There was a knock on the door, accompanied by Mikoshiba¡¯s voice. ¡°Come in,¡± Takafuyu said, and the elderly butler quietly entered the room. Mikoshiba was from a lineage that served the Hanabishi family for generations, and he was his grandfather¡¯s right-hand man. Therefore, he was the only servant in the house whom Takafuyu could trust.


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Dispose of all of my brother¡¯s belongings.¡±


    When he said that, even the unflappable butler widened his eyes in surprise.


    ""


    ¡°I see¡­Everything, sir?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, sir?¡±


    The butler rarely asked him for a confirmation. He always bowed his head and said, ¡°Yes, sir,¡± and listened to Takafuyu¡¯s orders without hesitation.


    Takafuyu dropped his gaze and pondered. Was this the right choice? Once he disposed of them, he would never get them back. Suzuko would never see the ¡°pine crest¡± again.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, sir. I shall get the preparations ready.¡±


    Mikoshiba was about to withdraw, but Takafuyu stopped him with a ¡°No, wait.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡ªno, it¡¯s fine. No, don¡¯t dispose of them. That¡¯s what I mean. Forget what I said before.¡±


    Mikoshiba immediately bowed his head. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    After he left, Takafuyu leaned back in his chair and exhaled.


    The servants might divulge the ¡°pine seal¡± to her if I dispose of my brother¡¯s belongings.


    If Suzuko found out that he disposed of the belongings then, he would lose her trust. The servants, who favored his brother, would revolt against him even more. It was a bad move.


    My judgment has dulled¡­


    Leaning back in his chair, Takafuyu looked up at the ceiling.


    Even though they had only parted not too long ago, he thought, I want to see Suzuko-san.

 Volume 1 - CH 3.1

    It was in the bathroom after returning from the Hanabishi residence that Suzuko noticed the mark.


    On the ankle of her left foot, there was a purplish-red diamond-shaped mark. It wasn¡¯t a bruise made from bumping into something. It was as if it had been there since birth, and it resembled the Hanabishi crest¡¯s pattern.


    Suzuko recalled the slight pain she had felt during the ceremony.


    ¨D¨DWas it from then?


    Stroking the mark with her fingertips, Suzuko considered asking Takafuyu about it next time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing, how awful!¡± Asako said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve never heard of a wedding ceremony completed before the exchange of gifts,¡± Yukiko was also angry.


    This was after the formal exchange of engagement gifts had taken place at the Takigawa residence. Takafuyu and the matchmaker had already left. Incidentally, Suzuko¡¯s father had already gone off to somewhere. It was good that he was at least present for the exchange ceremony.


    ¡°The Hanabishi family is a Shinto family, so they¡¯re special,¡± Suzuko soothed them both.


    ¡°Also, are you truly already moving to the Hanabishi house?¡±


    ¡°Even though the reception is going to be in autumn!¡±


    Her half-sisters, who had planned to slowly prepare her trousseau, grumbled. Suzuko and Takafuyu were going on a trip tomorrow, after which they would live at the Hanabishi estate together.


    ¡°Father just gave his consent without asking us!¡±


    Takafuyu was indeed very meticulous. He had reported to Suzuko¡¯s father and asked him for his approval. If it was her father, he would have given his approval with a quick, careless reply of ¡°Yes.¡± That was the kind of person he was.


    However, it seemed that the persuasion of her half-sisters hadn¡¯t been included in Takafuyu¡¯s consideration. Perhaps it was because they were already married. Normally, there wouldn¡¯t have been any need for them to come even today.


    ¡°That is how things are done in the Hanabishi family.¡±


    That was the only way she could make them agree to it.


    ¡°You two, that¡¯s enough. It can¡¯t be helped, it¡¯s already decided. Even if she gets married, it doesn¡¯t mean that you won¡¯t get to see her again.¡±


    Chizu intervened. ¡°But¡ª¡± her half-sisters tried to say, but they kept silent for the time being. The only person who could silence them was their mother, Chizu.


    ¡°Anyway, we need to hurry and prepare Suzu-chan¡¯s trousseau,¡± Chizu said. ¡°Since we were planning to have everything ready by autumn.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we first have to prepare the summer clothes. Suzu-chan, it¡¯d be a problem if you don¡¯t have anything to wear over there.¡±


    When a woman married, she didn¡¯t take any of her old clothes with her to her new family, but left everything at her parents¡¯ home. Only items that were newly ordered were brought into the house of her in-laws as her trousseau. The clothes left at her parents¡¯ house would be given to the people who had taken care of her and the maidservants. This was the custom.


    Suzuko felt that the kimonos given to her after she was taken in by the Takigawa family were so luxurious that she felt as if she was borrowing them, but when she thought that she would no longer be wearing them anymore, she felt somewhat sad. If even Suzuko felt that way, how much sadder would she feel if she had always been a sheltered young lady? Or would such a person not be attached to kimonos? Suzuko didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°You¡¯re already getting married now, Suzu-chan¡­¡±


    Yukiko said in a somber tone. Asako also looked sad. Suzuko laughed a little.


    ¡°Even after I¡¯m married, you can still come and visit me whenever you like.¡±


    Both Yukiko and Asako shook their heads.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Well, it might be, but that¡¯s not what we¡¯re sad about. Isn¡¯t that so, Asa-chan?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a matter of feelings. Suzu-chan is getting married. And we can¡¯t come here to see you any more. We have nothing to look forward to.¡±


    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you devote yourselves to finding brides for Yoshitada Onii-chan and Yoshimi Onii-chan?¡±


    When she suggested that, Yukiko and Asako looked at each other.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a splendid idea.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Suzuko let out a sigh. It was a weekday, and both Yoshitada and Yoshimi were at work. If they had been there, they would have scowled and said, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°But, Suzu-chan, if you don¡¯t like it over there, you can always come back,¡± Yukiko said and took her hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, even nobles get divorced. There¡¯s no need to be hesitant.¡± Asako also placed her hand on top of theirs.


    ¡°You two, Suzu-chan¡¯s not married yet, so don¡¯t talk about such ill-omened things,¡± Chizu said. ¡°But, it is as they say. There are things you won¡¯t understand until you get married, so if you don¡¯t like it, you¡¯re always welcome to come back home.¡±


    ¡°No matter what Mother says, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be the one who misses you most.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be like she¡¯s living alone in this mansion from now on.¡±


    Her half-sisters laughed. Chizu laughed silently and stroked Suzuko¡¯s head. The warmth of the three¡¯s hands suddenly made Suzuko¡¯s eyes hot, and she became flustered. At that moment, she wondered if there was any other girl who was as blessed as she was.


    A rural landscape flowed past the car window. The wide and continuous rice paddies were filled with water and reflected the blue sky of early summer. The wind making ripples on the surface of the water as it passed over the paddies one after the other was a sight more beautiful than any scenic spot. The mountains in the distance were so green that their vitality seemed to reach them.


    ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful view, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Finding it funny that Takafuyu said that so proudly, Suzuko smiled faintly and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡±


    ¡°You speak as if you were the one who created it.¡±


    Takafuyu laughed. He seemed to be in a good mood.


    They were on a train from Shinbashi to Zushi.


    After the Tokaido Line extended its route to Kouzu in 1887, the Shonan area became a popular day-trip destination for Tokyoites, and with the Yokosuka Line opening two years later, Zushi became easier to reach as well. Hayama was near Zushi. Hayama was a seaside resort area where the vacation homes of the imperial family and nobility, not to mention the Hayama Imperial Villa, were located. It wasn¡¯t until the Meiji era that Shonan became popular as a sea bathing resort, and in the first place, the name ¡°Shonan¡± wasn¡¯t coined for the whole area until after the opening of the railroad.


    The Hanabishi family had a villa in Hayama, and it was early June, and Suzuko was heading there with Takafuyu. They would be staying there for about a week.


    After the exchange of gifts, the two of them entered the family register. Suzuko and Takafuyu still weren¡¯t living together yet, but they were already a married couple on the register. After the trip to Hayama, Suzuko was to go to the Hanabishi residence straight away.


    When inviting her on the trip, Takafuyu told her that he ¡°wanted to introduce her to his adoptive parents.¡± He told her that they had retired from work and were living a retired life, managing the villa in Hayama.


    ¡°Are you sure that I don¡¯t have to go to Awaji?¡±


    ¡°There is nothing like a great and distinguished family¡¯s return to its estate. But you will go in July. There will be a ritual there.¡±


    ¡°A ritual¡­so you also do the work of a priest as well.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all I do. The rest of the rituals are left to others. Our shrine originally only held this July ritual. The rest were uniformly prescribed by the government. Originally, rituals differed from shrine to shrine.¡±


    Suzuko understood that the government¡¯s policy seemed to be that Shinto wasn¡¯t a religion, but a ritual, and the standardization of rituals was a way of trying to fit them into a pattern.


    ¡°You have a house in Yokohama as well, don¡¯t you? What about that one?¡±


    ¡°I do, but since I¡¯m mainly in Tokyo now, I hardly use it. The company is based in Yokohama, so even after I took over the family business, I mainly worked in Yokohama, but as a rule, nobility are required to live in Tokyo. Well, I tried to comply with that rule at least. We planned on having a branch office in Tokyo from the start.¡±


    ¡°A branch office?¡±


    ¡°We have the manufacturing plant in Awaji and the company in Yokohama for the advantage of distribution, but it was more convenient to have a base in Tokyo as well. So, I have been going back and forth between the head office in Yokohama and the branch office in Tokyo.¡±


    She felt restless just listening to him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken one whole week off, I see.¡±


    Takafuyu laughed. ¡°Even I need to have a vacation as well. I¡¯m a newlywed. I¡¯ve told everyone at the company that this is my honeymoon.¡±


    Honeymoon trips had been around for a long time, but they hadn¡¯t penetrated the masses to any great extent. In 1883, the adoptive heir of Marquis Inoue took a trip to Atami, and since then, it had spread to the lower classes. Atami and Shonan were the destinations of many. The railroad system was probably a major factor in their popularity.


    Takafuyu moved from the seat across from Suzuko to sit next to her. Even first-class cars were crowded with tourists in the summer, but during the rainy season, there were only a few people here and there.


    It was now June, and Suzuko had already finished changing her clothing for the season. She was wearing a pale indigo unlined kimono with a pattern of white lilies, a dyed unbleached obi with a matching lily pattern, and a pale-indigo blue silk gauze haori embroidered with a swirling pattern. Her obi clasp was an engraved lily, and her haori cord was a chain of crystals that looked like water droplets. Her neckpiece was a matching white silk gauze embroidered with silver threads in a running water pattern. The air of the combination of lilies and dewdrops brought to mind the mornings of early summer.


    Takafuyu was also dressed in early summer attire. He was wearing a cool, pale grayish-blue three-piece suit, a navy-blue tie with a crystal tiepin, and his cufflinks were also crystal. Crystal accessories had been gaining popularity recently.


    ¡°How do those gloves feel?¡±


    Suzuko was wearing the lace gloves given to her by Takafuyu. She looked down at her hands, which were folded together in her lap.


    ¡°It feels good against my skin,¡± she answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. Next time, I¡¯ll give you something made of cooler material for the summer.¡±


    Takafuyu took Suzuko¡¯s hand and touched her finger with a very natural motion. ¡°Do you dislike the ring? I¡¯ve never seen you wearing it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a careless person, so I don¡¯t want to bump it into something.¡±


    ¡°Haha, that certainly¡ªah, pardon me, what I mean is that you are certainly an agile person. When we first met, you were jumping across the table.¡±


    You didn¡¯t have to remember that, she thought as she stared his face. Takafuyu raised his eyes.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No¡­what will happen to the fragrant wood while we¡¯re in Hayama?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve brought it along. I have Yura carrying the incense burner, fragrant wood, and the tools.¡±


    Yura, Taka, and the servants were in the first-class car. Though it was only a weeklong stay, they had a lot of luggage. In addition to Taka, the Takigawa family sent a maid and manservant with her. Taka would continue to serve Suzuko at the Hanabishi house after her marriage. This was reassuring to Suzuko.


    Wondering if she had to smell the incense even at the villa, Suzuko felt a little depressed.


    ¡°Then, Awaji no Kimi will also¡­¡±


    ¡°If she gets hungry, she¡¯ll appear.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    So she won¡¯t come out unless she¡¯s hungry? That makes me somewhat relieved.


    Takafuyu made a sorrowful face. He was worried about her. It was because Suzuko had been afraid during the ceremony.


    Suzuko looked out the window. Beautiful paddy fields spread out as far as the eye could see. The blue sky reflected there made her eyes sting.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She said and turned back to Takafuyu. If that was Suzuko¡¯s role, then she had to fulfill it. She didn¡¯t want to see Takafuyu¡¯s face filled with anguish, as it had been during the ceremony. If she was scared, he would probably be wracked with guilt. When she thought of that, she felt a strange uneasiness in her heart, and felt gloomy.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Suzuko looked straight into Takafuyu¡¯s eyes and repeated.


    In front of the Zushi station, there were rickshaws lined up. Drivers were practically tugging at the sleeves of people coming out of the station to encourage them to get into their cars, sometimes gaining customers and sometimes getting driven away as a nuisance. Most of the people seemed to be tourists. For Suzuko and the others, a car from the villa came to pick them up. They got into it and headed for Hayama. The car drove along the coast, and a pleasant sea breeze blew in through the windows. The villa was located at the foot of the mountain, near the sea. ¡°It¡¯s in that area,¡± Takafuyu pointed to several Western-style houses surrounded by lush green trees. All of them must have been villas of noble families.


    ¡°Would you like to go boating in the sea? I¡¯m quite good at rowing.¡±


    ¡°I would prefer not to go into the sea.¡±


    ¡°Do you hate it?¡±


    ¡°No¡­I can¡¯t swim, so if I fell from the boat¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you drowned before?¡±


    ¡°Once. At Hyoutan Pond. When I was little.¡±


    At that time, she had thought that she was going to die. Recalling it, Suzuko buried her pale face in her hands. Takafuyu let out a laugh. ¡°Ah, my apologies,¡± he said when she glared at him. ¡°So even you have a weakness.¡±


    Suzuko was puzzled. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I had one?¡±


    ¡°You seem like the perfect lady.¡±


    From Suzuko¡¯s point of view, Takafuyu seemed like the perfect gentleman.


    ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of boats, why don¡¯t we take a walk on the beach? Isshiki Beach is very close by.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, we can also go for a walk in the mountains. Bird watching is also a fine activity.¡±


    That seems more interesting, she thought. Takafuyu smiled. ¡°You look like you like that idea.¡±


    Do my thoughts show on my face that much?


    Suzuko was often told that ¡°it¡¯s hard to know what you¡¯re thinking because you don¡¯t show any expression on your face,¡± so she was surprised.


    ¡°The food around here is also delicious. Fruits of the sea and the mountains. Currently, sillago is in season. The horse mackerel and cuttlefish are also delicious¡ª¡±


    Takafuyu looked at Suzuko and grinned.


    ¡°When we arrive, shall we have dinner first?¡±


    What kind of face was I making? Suzuko thought as she pressed her hand to her cheek

 Volume 1 - CH 3.2

    The Hanabishi family¡¯s villa was a wooden Western-style building with a tower, white clapboard external walls, and slate roof, giving it an elegant appearance. It was said to be built in the American Victorian style. Surrounded by the forest at the foot of the mountain, the sound of birdsong echoed beautifully. An elderly couple and a young boy were standing in front of the entrance. Suzuko got out of the car, and Takafuyu introduced them to her.


    ¡°These are my adoptive parents, the Sasakis. This young boy lives nearby and came here to help.¡±


    The couple and the boy bowed their heads. The husband¡¯s name was Chouhachirou, the wife¡¯s name was Kiku, and the name of the boy, who looked about twelve or thirteen, was Kojima Isamu. Both the Sasakis had a gentle appearance. Chouhachirou had an angular face and thread-like narrow eyes with drooping outer corners, making him seem like he was smiling. Kiku had a round face, and her plump cheeks and puffy-looking eyes gave her a mild-mannered air. Chouhachiro was dressed in a Western-style shirt and trousers, while Kiku was in a navy-blue kimono.


    ¡°A fine young lady has arrived at our home¡­will our hospitality be able to meet her needs?¡± Chouhachirou said, sounding nervous.


    ¡°Suzuko-san is looking forward to our meal,¡±


    Right? Suzuko nodded without thinking when Takafuyu turned the conversation to her. Doesn¡¯t this make me seem like a glutton? She realized after nodding.


    ¡°Do you like fish?¡± Kiku asked.


    ¡°I do. Whether it¡¯s eel or horse mackerel, or boiled in soy sauce or flame-broiled.¡±


    When she answered immediately, Takafuyu laughed. Kiku and Chouhachirou were also grinning.


    ¡°I¡¯m very glad to hear that. I¡¯ll put my skills to the test. Since you¡¯ve come all the way to the seaside, please enjoy our delicious sashimi.¡±


    Chouhachirou said enthusiastically, and Kiku also nodded.


    ¡°Takafuyu-san, shall I unload your luggage?¡± Isamu asked in an easygoing tone of voice. He was a boy with a clever-looking face. He had a close-cropped head and was wearing a striped kimono.


    ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    Takafuyu¡¯s attitude also seemed to be friendly. Both to this boy and the Sasakis, Takafuyu treated them amicably and was relaxed with them. This was a relief to Suzuko. His relationship with his adoptive parents seemed to be good.


    Just then, the car carrying Taka and the others passed through the gate. When they got out of the car one after the other, it became lively all at once. Conversations were exchanged about what was inside the wicker trunks and where they were going to be carried, and the lively sounds of the luggage being unloaded and carried back and forth echoed through the quiet villa area. Suzuko was led into a parlor in the mansion and sat down with Takafuyu.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you look at your room later. First, let us have some tea, shall we?¡±


    A breeze blew through the open window and made the lace curtains rustle. The footsteps of Taka and the others could be heard upstairs.


    Kiku came into the parlor with a tray of tea in her hands.


    ¡°Lunch will be ready soon, so please wait a little bit.¡±


    The tea was served with mantou buns. The mantous were large and dark brown, and when broken into two pieces, it was filled with brown sugar filling. The sweetness melted in her mouth. It was delicious. Takafuyu watched Suzuko eat them silently with a smile on his face.


    Lunch consisted of sashimi and grilled salted fish that was locally sourced, miso soup with basket clams, and rice cooked with octopus and ginger. The fluffy sillago meat and rice soaked with the octopus flavor were delicious and warm. In the Takigawa household, hot food turned cold during the time it took to get from the kitchen to the dining room. Because of that, the miso soup was always dreadfully tepid. The Sasakis seemed shocked when she told them that and let out an astonished ¡°Oh my, really?¡±


    ¡°Things seem to be rather more difficult for a marquis¡¯s household,¡± Kiku said.


    ¡°I remember that you enjoyed the eel very much. Is it because they don¡¯t serve hot food at your home?¡±


    ¡°I think it tastes good even if it¡¯s cold. I¡¯m just grateful to be able to eat it.¡±


    It was just a matter of whether it was more delicious or not.


    ¡°There are many dishes that aren¡¯t served hot, such as simmered dishes or aemono dishes. I wonder if this is done so that people like you can eat delicious food.¡±


    Kiku said again and laughed. She was a soft-spoken lady.


    ¡°I think for seasoned rice, it tastes better when you make the cold rice into rice balls than eating it plain.¡±


    Takafuyu said, and Suzuko nodded. Those were delicious.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s make rice balls with the leftover rice.¡±


    When Chouhachirou suggested that, Takafuyu looked at Suzuko and said, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take them as a snack and go for a walk on the beach or the mountains.¡±


    ¡°I prefer the mountains.¡±


    Takafuyu laughed at Suzuko, who stubbornly refused to go to the beach.


    ¡°In that case, we shall go to the mountains. The view is wonderful there.¡±


    The Sasakis were smiling as they watched them. Suzuko could feel the love they had for Takafuyu just looking at their gazes. Takafuyu had spoken once about his relatives, especially about his parents, and then never mentioned them again. He probably didn¡¯t want to. Suzuko didn¡¯t ask him about it either.


    ""


    ¡°Come to think of it,¡± Takafuyu said after lunch, when they were relaxing in the parlor. ¡°Suzuko-san, you also wear Western-style clothing, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Yes, well¡­I did buy a few outfits with Chizu-san.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared some for you as well. I thought that it would be more comfortable for you to wear light clothing here.¡±


    Yura arrived, carrying several boxes. Taka took them and laid them out on the table. When she opened them, she found clothes packed into them. A jade green one-piece dress with fluffy sleeves, a soft and white silk dress embroidered with pale blue flowers, a hat with a lace ribbon, white stockings and white leather shoes came out one after the other.


    ¡°You prepared them, you said¡­how did you know my measurements?¡±


    ¡°I asked Chizu-san.¡±


    ¡°When did you do that¡­¡±


    Taka held one of the dresses against Suzuko¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Oh my, it fits perfectly,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°Please feel free to wear them whenever you like,¡± Takafuyu said with a smile.


    ¡°¡­Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°Since our marriage is quite rushed, I thought you might not be able to get prepared in time, so I also prepared Western-style clothing and kimonos at the Hanabishi estate.¡±


    He was very perceptive. Suzuko was a little relieved.


    In the early afternoon, Suzuko and Takafuyu strolled around the mansion. Isamu came along as a guide and bag carrier. Suzuko changed from her best clothes into an unlined meisen silk kimono and walked along the mountain path with her white lace parasol in her hand. The path was cleared of undergrowth, fallen leaves, and stones, perhaps for the sake of people like Suzuko and the others, so it was easy to walk on it. The trees with the sunlight filtering through them swayed in the refreshing breeze, and birds chirped here and there. Pure clearness was all around them.


    Isamu told them things like, ¡°That cry is from a woodpecker,¡± or ¡°That¡¯s a flycatcher.¡± As its name suggested1, the flycatcher had beautiful lapis lazuli wings, and they gazed at it admiringly for a while. The birds perched on the fresh green branches looked more beautiful than any jewel.


    While Suzuko was absorbed in watching the wild birds, Isamu asked Takafuyu, ¡°Takafuyu-san, are you being bullied at the Tokyo mansion?¡± Suzuko turned around in surprise.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be bullied. I¡¯m the head of the family,¡± Takafuyu laughed.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Takafuyu noticed Suzuko¡¯s gaze and smiled.


    ¡°He¡¯s worried about me because I was once chased out as an adopted child.¡±


    That¡¯s right, Suzuko realized. Some of the servants might not be happy with Takafuyu. Because his grandfather favored him heavily and tried to cut off his father and brother.


    Even though he isn¡¯t responsible for anything¡­


    Unconsciously, Suzuko frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Takafuyu told her when he saw her like that. Suzuko suddenly remembered that she had said the same thing on the train.


    She wondered if Takafuyu was feeling the same way she had been feeling during that time. Suzuko looked up at his face and gazed into his eyes. Takafuyu turned his eyes away from her and pointed to the road ahead.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, we¡¯ll see a nice view if we go over there.¡±


    There was a break in the wall of trees, and the area opened up a bit. Takafuyu walked there.


    Did he look away just now?


    Suzuko thought, but she silently followed him. As he had said, this place had a good view of the town of Hayama below and the sea beyond.


    ¡°This is Sagami Bay. Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    As he said this, Takafuyu fanned his face with his boater hat. The sun was shining, and it was hot, but not humid, and there was a nice breeze. They decided to rest in the shade. Isamu spread out a straw mat, and Takafuyu and Suzuko sat on it. Isamu took out canteens and a package of rice balls from the basket he was carrying. The rice balls wrapped in bamboo sheath had a nice aroma. The rice balls, made from the seasoned rice that had been cooled down and had its flavor condensed, were still delicious. It was also refreshing to enjoy the view of the ocean below.


    Suzuko spotted a prominent red roof in the seaside landscape. It was a Western-style building. Was that a villa too?


    ¡°Is that mansion with the red roof someone¡¯s villa?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, the one by the coast?¡± The mansion looked to be built on the tip of a cape jutting out into the sea. ¡°I wonder who it belonged to. Wasn¡¯t it the villa of a noble family?¡±


    ¡°That used to be Viscount Sasao¡¯s villa,¡± Isamu said.


    ¡°Sasao¡­they were a kuge noble family, I believe. You said it ¡®used to be¡¯ their villa. Does it belong to someone else now?¡±


    ¡°No one lives there. Because it¡¯s haunted.¡±


    Suzuko and Takafuyu looked at each other.


    Since they were close to the mansion, Suzuko and Takafuyu decided to leisurely stroll there. They walked around the foot of the mountain and headed for the beach.


    ¡°I think it was just about a year ago. Viscount Sasao¡¯s wife fell down the stairs of the tower and died. They say it was an accident. Not only that, but soon after, maybe a week or so? Viscount Sasao was run over by a train. He was so drunk that they didn¡¯t know if it was an accident or suicide,¡± Isamu talked as they walked.


    ¡°What about the ghost?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s the viscountess. It¡¯s only a rumor, though. They say that the viscount¡¯s death was due to his wife¡¯s curse. It seems that the viscountess wanders around the mansion. That¡¯s why the caretaker old couple are scared of it and chant the nembutsu2 every day.¡±


    ¡°Is it still Viscount Sasao¡¯s villa?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard something about the family becoming ruined, but is that wrong?¡±


    ¡°Viscount Sasao¡¯s family¡­I do wonder what happened to them.¡±


    ¡°I believe the Sasao family died out because there were no heirs. I¡¯m quite sure that they were an urinke lineage.¡±


    Suzuko dredged her memories of the stories she had heard from Chizu. She had heard various stories of noble families: families that had no heirs and died out, ruined families, families that relinquished their titles.


    ¡°Then, I suppose it¡¯s a case where the family of the deceased had trouble selling the villa because of the fears of the ghost.¡±


    ¡°That might be¡ª¡± Isamu was about to answer when the three of them stopped. They heard the sound of a bell, often used in Buddhist ceremonies, ringing. They also heard voices reciting sutras.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably the nembutsu of the caretaker couple.¡±


    There was still some distance to the cape, but the voices seemed to be carried on the wind. A Western-style mansion with a red roof was built on the cape. It was wooden, and the wall panels were painted white, making the red roof stand out more. As they approached, they could see that it was damaged by the sea breeze. Color was peeling from the roof and walls, spurring on the eeriness. There was probably no one who would repair it. There was a creaking sound, perhaps coming from the pillars of the terrace. The nembutsu and the sound of the bell overlapped there.


    ¡°I wonder¡­what kind of nembutsu is this,¡± Takafuyu muttered. ¡°It¡¯s not Buddhist. But a bell is being rung. Hmm¡­¡±


    Certainly, the nembutsu they were hearing wasn¡¯t the ¡°Namu Amida Butsu¡± type. This was the first time she was hearing it. ¨D¨DNo, for some reason, Suzuko felt like she recognized it. Was it just her imagination?


    There was no gate or fence to the mansion on the cape, just a pine forest to shelter it from the sea breeze. In front of the mansion, there was a small house that might be the residence of the villa caretaker. She wondered if servants once lived there. Standing at the entrance of the house, which was hidden by the pine forest, Isamu opened the sliding door with a cheerful ¡°Hello!¡±


    ¡°We are from Baron Hanabishi¡¯s estate. Might we have a word with you?¡±


    The nembutsu ceased. Only the lingering sound of the bell remained. The paper sliding door opened and an old man appeared. His color was bad, and his dark hair was streaked with gray. The cuffs of his trousers poked out from beneath the hem of his faded blue kimono. In the back, they could see an old lady looking at them with an anxious expression.


    ¡°Baron Hanabishi¡­the one with the villa at the foot of the mountain¡­?¡± The old man asked in a hoarse voice.


    ¡°Yes,¡± It was Takafuyu who answered. He took off his hat and greeted them. ¡°I am Hanabishi Takafuyu. Has any member of Viscount Sasao¡¯s family visited here?¡±


    Now learning that he was the baron himself, the old man who had been standing got onto his knees. ¡°Ah, so you are the baron?¡±


    ¡°No need to be so formal. I merely decided to stop by while I was out walking.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. No one from Viscount Sasao¡¯s family has visited. Do you know the viscount¡­?¡±


    ¡°I heard that he passed away. So, who manages this villa?¡±


    ¡°It belongs to the madam¡¯s relatives. We have been entrusted with the management of the property.¡±


    ¡°By madam, you mean¡ª¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lady Mineko. She was from the Furuya family. Furuya is written with the characters for ¡®falling arrow.¡¯ The ones from Kofu.¡±


    ¡°Oh! She was from that Furuya family?¡±


    Suzuko didn¡¯t know which Furuya family that was. Were they famous?


    Takafuyu looked at her and explained simply. ¡°They are a wealthy family from Kofu. They belong to the Koshu conglomerate. They were originally wealthy silkworm farmers.¡±


    ¡°I see, so the daughter of the Furuya family married into the Sasao family.¡±


    Often, it was a marriage between a kuge noble and a wealthy person. Sometimes the daughters of kuge families married into wealthy families and vice-versa, but in recent years, many daughters of kuge families married into the newly-rich who made their fortunes from the Great War. It seemed to be a kind of trend, and was often criticized in the newspapers, pitying the princesses of the noble families for becoming the sacrifices of poverty.


    Viscount Sasao¡¯s family also seemed to have welcome the daughter of a wealthy family as a bride due to poverty.


    ¡°A servant of the master¡¯s family told me that the madam came with an enormous dowry. This villa was also brought by the Furuya family. That was why the master was not on an equal level with the madam¡­oh, no, my apologies, I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡±


    The old man scratched his head.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the viscountess died at this villa.¡±


    When Takafuyu said that, the old man¡¯s face paled.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct¡­she fell down the stairs. The master said she slipped¡­¡±


    ¡°The viscount? He witnessed it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what he said. He rushed in here with an expression of panic, telling us to summon a doctor right away. But it was no use calling a doctor. She was already dead.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Takafuyu stroked his chin with a finger, looking deep in thought.


    ¡°I hear this villa is haunted,¡± he got to the main topic.


    The old man¡¯s shoulders slumped, and he hung his head.


    ¡°You knew of that? I suppose that¡¯s no surprise. There are rumors about it. When I first saw the madam¡¯s ghost, I was so shocked and horrified that I lost my head and ran to the police station. Even though there¡¯s nothing the police could do about a ghost. And so, the ghost commotion spread to everyone around us. The Furuya family scolded me. They told me not to talk nonsense. But then, from time to time, the ghost would appear. I saw her with my own eyes.¡±


    ¡°How does it appear?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Oh, well¡­she walks around. Inside the mansion. We only see her from the outside, but she seems to be wandering around, going back and forth from room to room. She doesn¡¯t come outside. ¡­For now.¡±


    I see, Takafuyu murmured.


    ¡°We¡¯re very afraid that one of these days she¡¯s going to come outside and attack us¡­¡± the old man was trembling. ¡°We wanted to quit being the caretakers, but it¡¯d be difficult to find work if we did quit, so we have no choice but to stay.¡±


    ¡°You chant the nembutsu everyday?¡± Takafuyu asked.


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right. We have to do it. The madam became a ghost¡ª¡±


    What a strange way of putting it, Suzuko thought. Takafuyu seemed to think so as well. ¡°You say ¡®the madam,¡¯ but what kind of lady was she?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Ah, no¡­it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± the old man mumbled and let his gaze wander.


    ¡°Stop it with that, you,¡± the old woman suddenly spoke from the back. ¡°You don¡¯t know if Furuya-san will scold you again for saying strange things.¡±


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t,¡± the old man quickly stood up. ¡°That¡¯s all I can tell you.¡± He bowed his head to Takafuyu and retreated into the tatami room. The paper sliding door closed with a snap.


    There was nothing they could do now, so Suzuko and the others left the villa caretaker¡¯s house and started walking back.


    ¡°Takafuyu-san, did you always like ghost stories?¡±


    Isamu, who didn¡¯t seem to know about the Hanabishi family¡¯s circumstances, looked up at Takafuyu questioningly.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who likes ghost stories,¡± Suzuko said.


    ¡°Huh, really, miss?¡± Isamu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s so surprising.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also interested in them. I¡¯m a priest, after all.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­? Do you do exorcisms too?¡±


    ¡°In some cases.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t know that. Then, shall I go around the neighborhood and ask more about the ghost story here?¡±


    ¡°That would be very helpful. I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    Isamu, looking happy to be relied on, puffed up his chest with pride and patted it.


    ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s one more thing I want you to ask about.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Takafuyu pointed to the villa caretakers¡¯ house. They could hear the sound of the nembutsu again.


    ¡°About that nembutsu.¡±


    That night, after getting out of the bath, Suzuko suddenly stopped in the corridor. A picture on the wall caught her eye.


    Many of them depicted the beautiful scenery around here, but family photos were also mixed in. There was a photo of the Sasakis when they were younger, and a photo of a boy. The boy must be Takafuyu. She recognized him immediately because of his face. His expression was hard, and his lips were tightly pursed as though he was on guard. Although he had a lovely face, he looked like an obstinate boy.


    ¡°We took this picture right after that child came to our home.¡±


    Suzuko was inwardly flustered when Kiku¡¯s voice came from right next to her. Suzuko was so entranced by the photo that she hadn¡¯t realized that Kiku was standing right next to her.


    ¡°We took the picture as a memento, right in front of our house in Yokohama¡­¡±


    Kiku stared at the photo with narrowed eyes, perhaps remembering that time.


    ¡°How nostalgic¡­ At that time, Takafuyu-san was like a stray cat that was constantly on guard at all times. It was pitiful, but also adorable. Of course I felt terribly sorry for him, but I found him even more adorable.¡±


    ¡°Pitiful¡­are you referring to how he was caught in the feud between his parents and grandfather?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Those people were truly¡­¡±


    Only then did the mild-mannered Kiku furrow her brow in indignation. ¡°Especially the master at that time. He committed that deed by force. But, if it weren¡¯t for that, Takafuyu-san wouldn¡¯t have been born¡­¡±


    By force¡ª. There was something off about those words.


    ¡°I know that he is his grandfather¡¯s child, but was his mother a mistress? Did his grandfather force himself on a maid?¡±


    She had heard so many stories of masters who raped maidservants, to the point where she even wondered if there were any employers who didn¡¯t lay their hands on maids. Once they became pregnant, they had no choice but to give birth, since abortion was punishable. Some masters would feign ignorance and blame it on another boy, so the women would become dispirited. Suzuko wondered if Takafuyu¡¯s grandfather had been that kind of master.


    Kiku fell silent. Her profile was dark. Although they weren¡¯t related by blood, her expression was strangely similar to Takafuyu¡¯s.


    ¡°Have you already lit the Hanabishi family incense?¡±


    After a while, Kiku opened her mouth and asked her that. Suzuko understood that she was asking her if she knew about Awaji no Kimi or not.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t lit it myself yet, but I¡¯ve heard mostly everything about that incense.¡±


    Kiku nodded and smiled. It was a friendly, gentle smile.


    ¡°You are a very level-headed young lady, so we are relieved. That child makes one uneasy at times¡­and despite appearances, he¡¯s stubborn. Even during tough times, he looks fine. I¡¯m worried about whether or not he is doing well at the Hanabishi estate. But, if you are on his side, he would be reassured as well.¡±


    The fond tone of her voice naturally brought a smile to Suzuko¡¯s face. Putting aside whether or not she was truly at ease being Takafuyu¡¯s wife, it felt good to come in contact with the people who had treated him with love and affection, as if being wrapped in a pure and warm breeze.


    I¡¯m glad I came here.


    She honestly thought.


    Get ready for the ¡°there¡¯s only one bed trope¡± in the next chapter (they¡¯re married but still)

 Volume 1 - CH 3.3

    After bidding Kiku goodnight and parting, Suzuko entered the bedroom assigned to her. In the center of the room, there was a large bed, an ornate vanity, and a comfortable-looking sofa. The wallpaper was a soothing reddish-brown with a pattern of lily-like flowers, and the fabrics of the bedding and sofa matched it. Suzuko got onto the bed and rubbed her ankle. She didn¡¯t get hurt. She was concerned about the mark on her ankle and couldn¡¯t help but touch it.


    As she absentmindedly rubbed the mark, Suzuko thought vaguely about the Hanabishis, Takafuyu, the ghost of Viscountess Sasao she heard about today, and many other things.


    The door to the room opened. She looked up, wondering if it was Taka, but it was Takafuyu. It seemed that he had just come out of the bath, and he was dressed in a sleep yukata. ¡°Is there something the matter?¡± Suzuko asked. He looked puzzled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m sleeping here as well.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget? We¡¯re already husband and wife.¡±


    Come to think of it, he¡¯s right.


    They were already in the registry. The ceremony was over, and there was only the reception left.


    I had thought that the bed was awfully big¡­


    Even Suzuko was prepared to share a bed with him once they were married. However, she assumed that this would only happen after they started living together at the Hanabishi estate. Feeling nervous, Suzuko kept rubbing her foot.


    ¡°Did you hurt your foot, Suzuko-san?¡± Takafuyu worriedly turned his gaze to it. ¡°Did you not enjoy the mountain hike?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I was going to talk to you about it¡ª¡±


    ""


    Suzuko removed her hand from her foot. There was a flower-shaped bruise on her ankle. Upon seeing that, Takafuyu furrowed his brow.


    ¡°This appeared after the ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Takafuyu sat down beside Suzuko. The bed creaked. Suzuko shifted her body slightly to the side.


    ¡°This is the mark of the Hanabishi family. A mark put on you by Awaji no Kimi. I have it as well.¡±


    As soon as he said that, Takafuyu opened the collar of his yukata. Suzuko was startled and almost looked away, but changed her mind. There was a bruise in the center of his chest, the same as Suzuko¡¯s.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s the same as mine.¡±


    As she gazed at it, Takafuyu reached out his hand and touched Suzuko¡¯s bruise. She froze. Takafuyu¡¯s fingers traced the bruise.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You had to have this bruise.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not anything serious¡­it¡¯s in a place where I can¡¯t see it, and I have other wounds as well.¡±


    Takafuyu stopped his hand and looked up at her. His gaze shifted to Suzuko¡¯s hand. There was a burn scar on the back of her hand. Takafuyu took her hand stared at the scar as though examining it. This was the first time her bare hand had been touched, and Suzuko felt restless.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªThis is some kind of burn on top of the original wound.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Suzuko was perplexed at being told something unexpected.


    ¡°Original wound¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You don¡¯t remember it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t even remember the burn itself.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Takafuyu said, and then stared closely at the burn again. Suzuko began to feel strangely ticklish in her hand.


    ¡°Pardon me¡­but have you looked at it enough? Staring at it won¡¯t change it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, my apologies. Did you not like it?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t exactly my problem, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°No, um, please let me go.¡±


    Suzuko tried to pull her hand away, but Takafuyu wouldn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°I¡¯m just affirming what I said earlier.¡±


    Takafuyu leaned forward and peered into Suzuko¡¯s face. Their faces were close. There was a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes weren¡¯t smiling.


    ¡°We are husband and wife according to the family register. You don¡¯t have any objections to that, do you?¡±


    While feeling like a frog being watched closely by a snake, Suzuko nodded slowly.


    Takafuyu grinned.


    ¡°Then everything¡¯s fine.¡±


    He let go of her hand and moved back. Suzuko breathed a sigh of relief. Takafuyu climbed up onto the bed from the other side and pulled off the comforter.


    ¡°You must be tired from today. Please take a good rest.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay¡­¡±


    Suzuko turned on the electric lamp with a flower-shaped shade next to the bed, turned off the room light, and crawled under the comforter. Takafuyu turned toward her and used his arm as a pillow. Even though he told her to take a good rest, Suzuko found it hard to sleep with him staring at her and showing no signs of going to sleep. She had no choice but to turn around and face him. He smiled.


    ¡°Shall we go fishing tomorrow? We can catch a lot of fish around here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never gone fishing.¡±


    ¡°We can catch horse mackerel and cuttlefish. It¡¯s not as difficult as it looks.¡±


    ¡°¡­Will the fish pull me into the sea?¡±


    ¡°That might happen.¡±


    ¡°Then, no.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    In the faint orange light, Suzuko could see Takafuyu¡¯s face smiling happily. She blinked. After that, they talked about nothing in particular, and before Suzuko knew it, she had closed her eyes. As she nodded off, she heard Takafuyu¡¯s pleasant, soft voice.


    ¡°Suzuko-san¡­are you asleep?¡±


    All that came back was quiet breaths of sleep. Takafuyu narrowed his eyes fondly and observed the sleeping Suzuko. He reached out and brushed away the hair that had fallen down her cheek. Even when he playfully touched her ears and chin, she showed no signs of waking up.


    Takafuyu was already married to Suzuko. He kept agonizing over whether to tell her about his brother or keep quiet, but in the end, he had come this far.


    Once they started living at the Hanabishi estate, she would learn about it sooner or later. When that happened, would Suzuko be angry? He could accept it if she did. But, he was afraid of being scorned and abandoned. He didn¡¯t want that to happen.


    He could no longer go back to the time when he didn¡¯t know Suzuko.


    The Takafuyu who was pushed around by his family situation, gave up on everything, and was swept along because he didn¡¯t care about anything anymore when he returned to the Hanabishi estate, was no more. Because of Suzuko.


    Yes, everything is because of you.


    He touched Suzuko¡¯s cheek with his fingertips. It was soft and warm. Suddenly, he felt that his fingers were terribly dirty, and he shuddered, pulling his hand away.


    Don¡¯t touch me. You¡¯re filthy.


    Takafuyu held his head at the voice that replayed in his head. That voice, filled with fear and hatred. His chest ached as if it was being sliced open, and his breath caught in his throat.


    Takafuyu closed his eyes and chased away his childhood memories. The darkness was deep and dense, chasing him everywhere. His breathing became labored as though he was drowning underwater. He struggled, but couldn¡¯t escape. Sweat poured out of him.


    ¡°¡­san, ¡­¡±


    He heard a cool voice and felt a warmth on his shoulder. He opened his eyes with a start. Suzuko¡¯s anxious face jumped into his vision.


    ¡°Did you have a bad dream? You were crying out a lot in your sleep.¡±


    It seemed that he had fallen asleep before he knew it.


    ¡°Ah¡­no¡­¡±


    Takafuyu kept breathing shallowly. His head was still fuzzy. When Suzuko¡¯s hand touched his forehead, he was surprised and gripped it. Her eyes widened.


    ¡°There¡¯s sweat on your forehead¡­¡±


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t. Your hand will get dirty.¡±


    Suzuko looked puzzled.


    ¡°It¡¯s only sweat¡­besides, if it gets dirty, can¡¯t I just wipe it?¡±


    She said this as if it was a matter of course, and Takafuyu¡¯s whole body relaxed. He realized that he had been completely stiff until then.


    ¡°You should drink some water,¡± Suzuko said and was about to reach for the pitcher on the nightstand next to the bed when Takafuyu grabbed her arm. Suzuko turned around and laid down next to him. He wondered what she was thinking. They were closer than before. She pulled the comforter over Takafuyu again and patted it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m right by your side, and the next time you have a bad dream, I will wake you up at once.¡±


    She spoke as if she were trying to soothe a child. She might have still been half asleep as well.


    Takafuyu reached out and put his arm around Suzuko¡¯s back. He then drew her body closer to him and took her in his arms.


    ¡°When you woke me up earlier, did you call my name?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Yes¡­because, well, it¡¯s strange to call you ¡®Baron Hanabishi¡¯ now.¡±


    In his arms, Suzuko wriggled around restlessly.


    ¡°Would you please call me by my name one more time?¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡±


    ¡°Right now.¡±


    Suzuko seemed confused. ¡°Even though there¡¯s no need¡­?¡±


    ¡°There is a need. I need you to say my name.¡±


    ¡°Is that a need¡­?¡±


    Takafuyu stroked Suzuko¡¯s hair and nuzzled his face against her shoulder. She smelled of clean cotton. There was also a faint scent of soap.


    ¡°You smell good.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You do.¡±


    Takafuyu chuckled. He could feel Suzuko¡¯s warmth. She smelled good, she was warm and soft. And it was deeply comforting.


    ¡°Suzuko-san. The woman who gave birth to me wasn¡¯t my grandfather¡¯s mistress. It was my father¡¯s wife. In both family registry and by blood, I am my mother¡¯s son. My real father isn¡¯t my father, but my grandfather.¡±


    Takafuyu spoke with his face still buried in Suzuko¡¯s shoulder. He simply couldn¡¯t talk about this while facing her.


    ¡°The Hanabishi family¡¯s heir must be the child of the bride chosen by Awaji no Kimi. My grandfather didn¡¯t want to go through the trouble of searching for a new bride, so he forced himself on his son¡¯s wife. My mother hated the son she carried and gave birth to, calling him ¡®filthy.¡¯ That¡¯s natural. My father and mother eventually chose death. I said they drowned in an accident, but I lied. They went into the sea together and died. They drowned themselves.¡±


    His father, mother, and older brother all committed suicide. Was this a curse? If it was, then Takafuyu was the cause. He was too loathsome, too filthy.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, the Hanabishi house is rotting. It¡¯s a decayed, disintegrated wreckage. I¡¯m an insect nesting within that wreckage.¡±


    He spat out and let out a breath on her shoulder. He had brought Suzuko into this abominable house. His heart was filled with a mixture of regret and desire for Suzuko, and his chest felt like it was filled with mud.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªTakafuyu-san.¡±


    Suzuko called out. Takafuyu gasped. Her voice sounded so commanding that it dropped into his heart.


    ¡°The insect is your grandfather, not you. Thought it might be an insult to insects to say that.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything about your grandfather because I thought it would be inappropriate to do so, but a family head who brought the cause of a conflict into his house is good-for-nothing scum who failed to fulfill his duty.¡±


    Suzuko declared. Takafuyu was so stunned by Suzuko¡¯s words that he couldn¡¯t help but look up from her shoulder. Suzuko looked straight at him.


    ¡°My father is like that, so I understand. There are people who are completely hopeless. It¡¯s always someone else who has to clean up after them. It¡¯s always someone else who suffers. But, my father is the main cause of it. Everyone knows that. Takafuyu-san, it isn¡¯t you who destroyed the Hanabishi family, but your grandfather. That¡¯s self-evident. Make no mistake about it. You are¡ª¡ª¡±


    Suzuko broke off, as though hesitating over what to say, and her eyes shook. She opened up her mouth again, as if she had made up her mind.


    ¡°You are the one who will rebuild the house that has collapsed. Together with me.¡±


    To Takafuyu, Suzuko seemed to be shining brilliantly.


    ¡°Together?¡±


    ¡°Since we¡¯re married, that¡¯s what we¡¯re supposed to do, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Suzuko said this in a very serious tone of voice. Takafuyu marveled at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­amazing.¡±


    He touched her cheek. Suzuko stayed still, but when his fingers touched her ear, it seemed to tickle her, as she drew back her shoulders. Takafuyu whispered into her ear.


    ¡°Will you accept me?¡±


    Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu curiously and nodded.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Takafuyu slowly lowered himself over Suzuko.


    The next day, Suzuko chose to wear Western clothes. She wore the white one-piece dress with the blue flower pattern. The soft silk fabric, almost gauze-like in thinness, was embroidered all over with flowers that looked like forget-me-nots. The sleeves were puffy, the waist wasn¡¯t snatched, and the whole dress hung straight down, with a large ribbon tied around the hips. Her hair was left untied, and Taka used a flat-iron to curl it. Only the hair on the sides of her face were tied back with a ribbon. Due to the unfamiliar Western clothes and the fact that she woke up late in the morning, it was almost noon by the time she finished getting ready.


    ¡°Oh, you look beautiful. Like an actress from the Imperial Theater.¡±


    Takafuyu, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room, commented on her appearance. His comments were always exaggerated.


    ¡°Lunch will be ready soon. We¡¯re having righteye flounder boiled in soy sauce today.¡±


    Indeed, from the kitchen, there was a delicious scent of soup stock and soy sauce, like something was being boiled.


    ¡°After lunch, let¡¯s go for a walk in the neighborhood. We went to the mountains yesterday, so let¡¯s go for a walk along the coast. Of course, we¡¯ll stay away from the sea.¡±


    Takafuyu laughed. Suzuko sat down on the sofa across from him.


    ¡°What about Viscount Sasao¡¯s villa¡­?¡±


    Takafuyu folded the newspaper he was reading and put it aside. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s stop by on our walk,¡± he said. ¡°Isamu found out a lot of information.¡±


    ¡°Have you heard it already?¡±


    ¡°Yes, while you were sleeping.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Suzuko looked away, embarrassed. She felt bad indeed. Last night, Suzuko¡ªfell asleep in the middle of it. She didn¡¯t know if it was because she was tired or extremely nervous. In the first place, she had been asleep when she was awakened by Takafuyu¡¯s groans. It was late at night and she couldn¡¯t resist her sleepiness. When she woke up, the sun was already high in the sky, and Takafuyu was no longer next to her.


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±


    Takafuyu asked with a smile. He¡¯s most certainly angry, she thought.


    ¡°¡­I did.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡±


    Just as she was about to ask if he was angry¡­


    ¡°Lunch is ready,¡± Kiku came into the room and told them. Shall we go, Takafuyu prompted Suzuko, and she silently headed for the dining room.


    After lunch, Suzuko and Takafuyu took a walk in the pine forest along the coast. It felt just right to be in the shade of the trees where it was dark and the sea breeze blew gently through. The sound of the waves quietly enveloped them. Suzuko peeked at Takafuyu¡¯s face from underneath her white lace parasol.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Takafuyu asked while facing forward. No, Suzuko answered, then cleared her throat once.


    ¡°Um, this morning, did you light the incense¡­the ¡®Shio no Tsuki¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I did. While you were asleep.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No need to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Unsure of what to say, Suzuko fiddled with the tassel on the handle of her parasol.


    ¡°You¡¯re angry, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Takafuyu looked puzzled. ¡°Angry? Me? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because, you know¡ªI fell asleep.¡±


    After a brief pause, Takafuyu let out a loud ¡°Oh!¡± of understanding.


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry. You must have been tired yesterday. I was supposed to let you rest well, but I woke you up¡ªno, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m the one who should apologize.¡±


    Takafuyu¡¯s voice was soft and gentle, and he certainly didn¡¯t seem angry. However, when she looked up, his eyes weren¡¯t smiling at all. Scared, she turned her face to the beach.


    ¡°Did you not like it?¡±


    Eh? Suzuko turned to him despite herself. Takafuyu looked a little sad.


    ¡°If I forced¡­such a thing¡­on you, then I apologize. That was what I was trying to say.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re mistaken,¡± Suzuko immediately said. ¡°I did not dislike it.¡±


    Takafuyu widened his eyes in surprise and then laughed.


    ¡°Thank you for making that clear, it¡¯s very helpful.¡±


    Suzuko¡¯s face turned hot. She thought it was probably not something that a lady should state so explicitly¡ªbut then she recalled that she could pretend to be a lady, but she could never be one at heart, so she decided that it didn¡¯t matter so much.


    ¡°It¡¯s admirable how you¡¯re so clear about everything.¡±


    Takafuyu said with a pleasant face, still smiling. His eyes were no longer unsmiling, so Suzuko was relieved.


    ¡°¡­So, have you found out anything about the ghost of Viscountess Sasao?¡±


    With her worries from morning cleared up, Suzuko returned to her usual self.


    ¡°It seemed that the viscountess was a ¡®witch,¡¯¡± Takafuyu said.


    ¡°A witch¡­? That Western¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a metaphor. The viscountess was always dressed in Western clothes, and she also liked black gemstones, so she was likened to a witch.¡±


    ¡°Black gemstones¡­like onyx, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°No, she liked jet.¡±


    ¡°Jet?¡±


    ¡°They are fossilized trees. The fossils of driftwood buried deep underground. They are said to be the oldest gemstones found by mankind. They were used to ward off evil spirits. In nineteenth century England, they became popular as mourning jewelry.¡±


    ¡°Mourning¡­¡±


    When one thought of mourning in this country, the first thing that came to mind was the black mourning ribbons worn by women and girls after the death of Emperor Meiji. Even the ribbons that tied their hair were black. She was surprised to hear that there were jewelry for mourning in England, but then she remembered her sisters telling her that even Mitsukoshi sold black obi clasps and rings during the national mourning period.


    ¡°Then, was the viscountess mourning someone?¡±


    ¡°No one knows. The viscountess explained that they were ¡®stones to ward off evil,¡¯ so she might have simply cherished them as ornaments. But jet is no longer used for ornaments because the mines are all closed now. It¡¯s rare for someone to like them.¡±


    ¡°Did she like unusual gemstones?¡±


    ¡°It seemed that she was indeed an eccentric. That doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you¡¯re not connected to her in any way, Suzuko-san.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Takafuyu laughed a little.


    ¡°It seemed that she was a ¡®clairvoyant.¡¯¡±


    Suzuko¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°The viscountess was?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Apparently she was often correct, both for finding lost things and fortune-telling. I heard that she also consulted with people about their problems. In this neighborhood, she was known as the ¡®Clairvoyant Dame.¡¯ I suppose that¡¯s why they call her a ¡®witch.¡¯¡±


    ¡°The Clairvoyant Dame¡­¡±


    ¡°The story gradually becomes more suspicious from there. Well, even at this stage, it is quite suspicious. When people went to consult with this Clairvoyant Dame, they would eventually talk about faith. She told them that the reason they were troubled was because they lacked faith in living, and that if they believed in the god she recommended, their troubles would disappear. So, she preached to them and had them return them home with a picture of the god.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did she make them donate a lot of money?¡±


    ¡°No, she never charged any money, whether it¡¯s for using her clairvoyance or the pictures of the god.¡±


    Suzuko tilted her head. These kinds of stories usually involved people scamming money from others, but¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Was it because the viscountess¡¯s family was rich?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it wasn¡¯t for the money, but purely to proselytize her religion. Well, there are people like that. But that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s okay to do.¡±


    ¡°And by that you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°If a religion isn¡¯t recognized by the government, then it is a type of evil heresy. It¡¯s subject to enforcement. Even for folk religions, if they¡¯re a Sect Shinto1 religion or under its umbrella, then it¡¯s okay, but otherwise they are thoroughly suppressed.¡±


    ¡°Is it¡­a heretical religion?¡±


    ¡°It is just the government making such distinctions. In other words, they want to keep religion under government supervision and within a framework. Because the public stance is that our shrine Shinto isn¡¯t a religion, the other folk Shinto-based religions¡ªI am speaking quite roughly here¡ªare Sect Shinto. You can think of it as folk religions along the lines of syncretized Shinto, Buddhism, Shugendou, Onmyoudou, and so on. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re familiar with names like the Kurozumi sect, the Tenri sect, or the Konkyo faith. They are independent sects¡­and even within Sect Shinto there are various divisions, so, please just think of it as a large number of folk religions. ¡ª¡ªI¡¯m sorry if it¡¯s too confusing to understand.¡±


    Takafuyu smiled wryly, probably because Suzuko was making a face that said, ¡°I don¡¯t really understand.¡±


    ¡°So, what I gather is, because they¡¯re called Shinto, they¡¯re all Shinto?¡±


    ¡°Well, Shinto is very broad. It is a combination of many things. Buddhism goes without mention, but also Omyoudou, Confucianism, and so on. It also depends on the interpretation. So, it is Shinto in a very broad sense. Well, it¡¯s an unorganized mixture. Yes, the only difference is whether or not the government has approved the religion as ¡®okay¡¯ to operate or not.¡±


    Suzuko nodded. That was easy to understand.


    ¡°If it is officially recognized, it will not be suppressed. Doctrines have to be changed, or a government-approved god is added to the faith. ¡ª¡ªThe viscountess wasn¡¯t spreading this faith secretly, so it must have been an officially recognized religion. There were a few people who said they became believers at the encouragement of the viscountess. One of them is¡ª¡ª¡±


    Takafuyu cut himself off there and raised his index finger. Faintly, they could hear the nembutsu they had heard yesterday as well. It was the chanting of the villa caretaker couple.


    ¡°The caretaker couple?¡±


    ¡°It seemed that only the wife had become a believer. Isamu had only heard this from the neighbors, and hadn¡¯t yet directly confirmed it with the lady herself.¡±


    Takafuyu was silent again, as if listening carefully to the nembutsu.


    ¡°This unusual nembutsu¡ªI call it a nembutsu for clarity, but it is in fact a mixture of a ritual incantation and mantra. This seems to be the religious chant of that religion.¡±


    ¡°Ritual incantation and mantra¡­?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk to that couple.¡±


    After saying that, Takafuyu started walking toward the villa.

 Volume 1 - CH 3.4

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you Baron Hanabishi from yesterday?¡±


    The old man looked at Takafuyu and Suzuko with obvious suspicion. His face said, ¡°You¡¯re here again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you know this, but I am the chief priest of a shrine,¡± Takafuyu said with a friendly smile. ¡°I can also do exorcisms. If a ghost is troubling you, I can help.¡±


    The old man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is that true, sir?¡± He fell onto the dirt floor and clung to Takafuyu.


    ¡°Can you truly do an exorcism? We have been dedicating nembutsu to¡­the madam every day, but it doesn¡¯t work at all.¡±


    ¡°By nembutsu, you¡¯re referring to what you were chanting earlier, yes? What exactly is it? It¡¯s an unusual one,¡± Takafuyu said with a look of feigned ignorance.


    ¡°It is the nembutsu of the god that the madam believed in. I don¡¯t know much about it, but we thought that since she believed in that god, it might work on her.¡±


    ¡°Dear,¡± the old woman said, coming up behind him. ¡°How many times have I told you? It¡¯s not a nembutsu.¡±


    ¡°Nembutsu is nembutsu, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a divine song. The god¡¯s song.¡±


    ¡°You are quite knowledgeable about this,¡± Takafuyu interrupted the couple¡¯s argument. The old woman pursed her lips tightly and kept silent. She looked at Takafuyu with distrustful eyes.


    Takafuyu sat down on the agarikamachi.1 ¡°I know that is a divine song. There was a line that went, ¡®Chihayafuru waga kokoro yori¡­¡¯,2 yes?¡± he smiled at the old woman. ¡°Buddhist mantras were mixed in as well. ¡®Dakini vajradhatuvam¡¯¡ªInari worship, perhaps?¡±


    The old woman¡¯s expression turned sullen. ¡°Don¡¯t group my deity together with a fox. I worship a god.¡±


    ¡°What is the god¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Sanko-sama.¡±


    ¡°Sanko¡­¡± Takafuyu murmured.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we call Ukemochi-no-kami-sama. The madam also worshipped Amaterasu Oomikoto-sama. We only worship Sanko-sama¡¯s picture, though.¡±


    ¡°Picture? Do you mean the picture that the viscountess gave out?¡± Takafuyu leaned forward. ¡°Could you show it to me?¡±


    The old woman still seemed distrustful, but she reluctantly brought the drawing to them. It was a nishiki-e woodblock print. It depicted a three-faced, six-armed deity. The face at the front was that of a goddess, the right was a bird, and the left was either a dog or fox. Her six arms were in the shape of bird¡¯s legs. Although the goddess was strange-looking, she didn¡¯t seem terrifying because of her beautiful face and the celestial maiden-like garments she wore.


    ¡°I see,¡± Takafuyu glanced at the picture and nodded. ¡°So you¡¯re a part of the ¡®Touka faith.¡¯¡±


    The old woman stared at Takafuyu in astonishment. Her round eyes were opened wide.


    ¡°You know it?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a priest, you know,¡± the old man said from the side. The old woman glared at him, and he ducked his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s a religion that was established during the Bakumatsu period, but it¡¯s said that its origins go back much further. It¡¯s one of the churches affiliated with Sect Shinto. I forget under which sect¡¯s jurisdiction, though.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s as you say. That¡¯s why it isn¡¯t an evil religion. It¡¯s not like what they say in the newspapers. They have never forced us to give donations or take all our money or anything like that.¡±


    The old woman was probably on edge because she was afraid of her faith being treated as an ¡°evil religion.¡±


    ¡°There were even people who were frightened by the madam, calling her a witch, but she was just an ordinary, elegant lady who dresses in the western style. She was gentle and seemed a bit lonely¡­it seemed like she was looking for salvation. That¡¯s probably because the master treated her like a nuisance and shut her up in the villa.¡±


    ¡°Treated her like a nuisance?¡± Suzuko interjected for the first time. The old woman turned her gaze to her. Perhaps because she was used to seeing the viscountess, but she didn¡¯t look particularly surprised when she saw Suzuko¡¯s western clothes.¡±


    ¡°The master practically imprisoned her, calling her a crazy woman who was obsessed with religion. Despite the fact that he was being supported by his wife¡¯s family. He lived in Tokyo and rarely bothered to check up on her.¡±


    ¡°But wasn¡¯t he with his wife when she fell down the stairs?¡± Takafuyu asked to confirm.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s why I have my suspicions that the master pushed the madam down.¡±


    ¡°Oi,¡± the old woman tugged on the old woman¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Don¡¯t say rash things like that.¡±


    The old woman glowered at the old man and shook off his fingers.


    ¡°The only times when the master came here, which was rare, was when he came to tell the madam to give up on her religion. I¡¯m sure they got into a fight and he pushed her away. That has to be why he was cursed and died soon afterwards.¡±


    The old woman seemed confident in her theory, nodding her head vigorously as she spoke.


    ¡°The madam was already treated as a nuisance by her family and married off to get rid of her. She was such a pitiful person.¡±


    ¡°From her own family as well?¡± Suzuko said. Takafuyu continued after her. ¡°You mean to say that she was forced onto the impoverished viscount¡¯s family with the large dowry?¡±


    The couple nodded in unison. ¡°The madam¡¯s family is wealthy, you know.¡±


    Takafuyu crossed his arms, deep in thought.


    ¡°Was she considered a nuisance by her family because of her beliefs?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s a tragic tale to hear, so listen closely.¡±


    The old woman suddenly moved her knees forward and drew closer to Takafuyu.


    ¡°The madam had someone she loved. Someone who wasn¡¯t the master. She used to talk to me everyday, so I was the only one she told this to.¡±


    ¡°She had someone she loved, but they were torn apart and she was forced to marry?¡¯


    When Takafuyu interrupted her, the old woman said in annoyance, ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Just listen to me.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think the other person was? It wasn¡¯t the son of some noble. It was her family¡¯s chauffeur.¡±


    The old woman was watching Takafuyu and Suzuko¡¯s reaction, but looked disappointed when they didn¡¯t look surprised.


    To be honest, it was a common story. The love affairs between a chauffeur and a nobleman¡¯s wife, or a young lady. Daughters from respectable families, in particular, didn¡¯t usually have the opportunity to interact with young men, so they tended to become intimate with their drivers and servants, who were familiar members of the opposite sex. It was only this past New Year¡¯s when the story of the elopement of a viscount¡¯s daughter with her chauffeur made headlines, and a year ago there was also an elopement between a chauffeur and a countess, and before that, there was also a case of a double suicide.


    The old woman cleared her throat and resumed her story.


    ¡°The driver also loved the madam, and they had a secret love affair. Unfortunately, the driver fell ill. It was a sickness of the lungs. Tuberculosis.¡±


    ¡°He had consumption?¡± Takafuyu asked, and the old woman nodded.


    Tuberculosis, which spread to urban areas as a result of industrialization, had become a societal problem, and the Tuberculosis Prevention Law was promulgated for the first time last year. It had a strong impression as a lung disease, but it affected the whole body. The highest consumption mortality rate at this time was, not surprisingly, in Tokyo.


    ¡°The driver relocated somewhere else for a change of air in order to improve his health, and the madam prayed to various deities for his recovery. But in the end, the driver died. The madam was of course heartbroken, and even contemplated following him into death. It was thanks to Sanko-sama that she had been able to reconsider and decide to live. I was deeply moved when I heard her story. She had been through a lot of pain. She told me that even though she lived a luxurious life, she had been lonely since she was a child because no one around her understood her. And just when she thought she finally had a lover who understood her, he died. The people of her family ostracized her and quickly married her off. Her groom¡¯s family only wanted her money, and she herself was shut up inside a villa and treated as a nuisance. Isn¡¯t that awful?¡±


    The old woman sniffled. It seemed that she was easily moved to tears by tales of tragic love. The old man didn¡¯t seem moved at all, picking up the dust from the wooden floor and throwing it onto the dirt floor, looking uncomfortable.


    Takafuyu thoughtfully stroked his chin with his fingertip. Suzuko was thinking about the viscountess. That unhappy viscountess whose family got rid of her by marrying her off, had no place to belong at her new home, and was imprisoned in a villa.


    So she sought salvation in faith.


    Was she wearing that jet ornament in mourning for the driver? Or was it for another reason?


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see her ghost,¡± Takafuyu said. The old woman wiped the corners of her eyes with her apron.


    ¡°Can you truly exorcise her? I feel pity for the madam remaining in that state.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise anything without seeing her first, but I think it would be fine.¡±


    The smell of incense thickened, To Suzuko, it felt as though Awaji no Kimi was licking her lips.


    The old couple took the key and walked out the front door. Suzuko and Takafuyu followed them. The villa could be seen beyond the garden trees. The old couple didn¡¯t go to the front door, but went around to the back.


    ¡°You can see her through this window,¡± the old man said. On this side, facing the sea, there was a terrace with a sliding glass door. There was a three-story tower structure built on the south side of the mansion. It was said that the viscountess fell down the stairs of that tower.


    In the room with the terrace, the sliding door had lace curtains, and through the thin fabric, they saw a shadow moving. Aah, the old couple let out small moans and backed away.


    ¡°That¡¯s her¡­¡± the old man whispered and hid behind his wife¡¯s back.


    A woman in somber navy-blue western clothing was gliding around the room. No, rather than gliding, it was more like she was suddenly disappearing and reappearing in a different place. One moment she was in front of a chest of drawers at the end of the room, but the moment you blink, she was by a table in the center of the room. It didn¡¯t look like she was walking at all, and she had the odd appearance of not looking like a living person.


    Her hair was pulled back into a bun, and she wore a navy-blue one-piece dress with a long skirt. She was bent forward. Those were the only things they could see through the lace curtains, and they couldn¡¯t make out her facial features.


    The smell of incense rose in the air. Before Suzuko knew it, Awaji no Kimi had appeared next to her. She moved smoothly.


    Wait.


    Just as she was about to say that aloud, Awaji no Kimi stopped dead in front of the terrace.


    Suzuko briefly wondered if she could read her thoughts, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Awaji no Kimi¡¯s figure swayed like smoke and scattered. Takafuyu looked around. A barrier? Suzuko heard him mutter.


    ¡°Did the viscountess bury something in the garden?¡±


    The old couple tilted their heads at Takafuyu¡¯s sudden question, but the old man immediately said, ¡°Oh, come to think of it,¡± and clapped his hands.


    ¡°There was, there was. If I remember correctly, there are things buried in the four corners of the grounds surrounding the house. She asked me to dig holes there to bury amulets, and I did it. How did you know that?¡±


    ¡°Please dig them out.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°They are the reason why I can¡¯t perform the exorcism.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­oh, I see.¡±


    The old man nodded and immediately ran to the shed. He returned with a small shovel and headed for a corner of the mansion.


    ¡°I think it was around here¡­¡±


    The old man seemed to have a rough idea of where it was and began digging. ¡°I didn¡¯t dig a very deep hole, so I think I¡¯ll find it soon.¡±


    True to his words, the tip of the shovel immediately hit something. There was a clang sound.


    With a shout, the old man squatted down and dug the soil with his hands. Something that looked like a small golden figure appeared.


    ¡°Here it is¡­¡± the old man brushed off the dirt from the figure.


    ¡°A fox?¡± Suzuko murmured. It looked like a fox or a dog. It looked just like the guardian foxes that one might see at an Inari shrine.


    ¡°It seems to be a Shinko,¡± Takafuyu said. ¡°This is the Daten doctrine.¡±


    ¡°Shinko? Daten?¡± Suzuko had never heard those words before.


    ¡°How should I put this¡ªthis is a kind of spell. She must have put these in four directions to ward off evil.¡±


    When the remaining three directions were dug up, the same figure was found.


    ¡°They¡¯re all made of gold. As expected of a wealthy family,¡± the old man was impressed with peculiar things.


    ¡°Does this mean that the barrier has disappeared?¡± Suzuko asked Takafuyu.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, and slowly went up to the terrace. He peeked inside through the sliding door. Suzuko followed suit. The viscountess wasn¡¯t in the room. Was she in a different room?


    ¡°Do you mind if we go inside?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, please feel free,¡± the old man, who was scrutinizing the gold figures, looked at the old woman. She went around to the front door with the key in her hand.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to go in? We won¡¯t be coming to help you no matter what, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    The old woman said as she inserted the key. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Takafuyu laughed.


    When they went inside, the smell of dust and mold hit them. It probably hadn¡¯t been cleaned or ventilated in a long time. They left shoe prints when they walked around. Suzuko¡¯s nose itched, and she covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief.


    ¡°Shall we go to the staircase of the tower where the viscountess fell down?¡± Takafuyu headed down the corridor toward the south side, where the tower was. ¡°I wonder if the stairs are around here. Ah, here they are.¡±


    When he opened the door at the end, there was a staircase there. It was a spiral staircase. It was a simple staircase with only metal plates. There were no carpets covering them, and each step was narrow. It certainly looked easy to slip from, and once you lost your footing, you were likely to fall to the bottom without being stopped halfway.


    While ascertaining the condition of the stairs, they climbed the stairs to the third floor, where they found a large window with the sun shining through it, and a table and rattan chairs in front of it. The sea could be seen on the other side of the window. I see, so this is a place to view the sea, Suzuko understood.


    Takafuyu opened the window. A gentle sea breeze came in. The smell of dust and mold disappeared, and Suzuko breathed out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I think Sanko-sama refers to Sankoshin.¡±


    Takafuyu said as the sea breeze blew.


    ¡°Sankoshin?¡±


    ¡°It is written with the characters of ¡®three fox gods.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Are they a fox?¡±


    ¡°No, they were originally called Miketsu-no-kami, a god that had nothing to do with foxes. By reading their name as Sankoshin, they became three fox gods. By fox, I don¡¯t mean the animal, but fox people, sky foxes, and earth foxes¡ªdo you recall the drawing shown to us at the caretaker¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the one with three faces and six arms.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That god had the face of a goddess, a bird, and a fox. That is Sankoshin. That and the divine song. That song ends with, ¡®Ware tanomu hito no negai o terasan to, ukiyo ni nokoru mittsu no tou.¡¯3 That is the origin of the ¡®Touka Faith¡¯s¡¯ name. Setting that aside, that song is the song of the Daten doctrine.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°The Ukemochi-no-kami thing and other stuff was most likely a front to get the government to recognize them. In reality, what the viscountess worshipped was Sankoshin. Well, I won¡¯t get into the finer details, but to put it simply, it¡¯s something like the Inari faith.¡±


    ¡°So, they are a fox after all?¡±


    ¡°Foxes are the messengers of Inari, not Inari themselves, but putting that aside, the Touka Faith is a belief centred on Sankoshin and the Daten doctrine. The Daten doctrine is the sudden attainment of siddhi4 and the realization of prayer. It is characterized by wish fulfillment and the benefits gained in this world through the observance of Buddhist teachings. ¨D¨DI wonder what the viscountess wished for.¡±


    What did she wish for¡­?


    Suzuko looked down through the window. They were far from the ground, and she backed away in a panic, horrified by the height.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, Suzuko-san, come here.¡±


    Takafuyu hugged her shoulders and pulled her back.


    ¡°The lovelier the view, the more dangerous it is.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    The warmth of his hand on her shoulder made her feel restless. Takafuyu didn¡¯t seem to notice Suzuko¡¯s bewilderment and didn¡¯t move his hand away.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to build a three-story villa for the view, but those stairs are terrifying. If there was at least a landing, the viscountess might have been saved. However, if it was a dangerous staircase, one would watch their step more closely instead. I do wonder if it was actually true that she slipped.¡±


    Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu¡¯s face.


    ¡°Do you think she was made to fall, just like the caretaker old man said?¡±


    ¡°Well, who can say? We won¡¯t know no matter how much we think about it. If there¡¯s anything we can know¡ª¡ª¡±


    Takafuyu looked back toward the door. Suzuko also looked there and gasped.


    A woman in western clothing was there. She wore a dark blue dress that was as dark as the night sky and a jet necklace. She was bending forward, her pale face hanging down, her gaze downward. Suzuko thought she had a beautiful face, but she was thin, her cheeks gaunt and hollow, and it was painful to look at her. She was standing by the window, then quickly disappeared in a haze, and the next thing they knew she was by a wall.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice something?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°The viscountess kept appearing in various rooms, looking down with an unnatural forward-bending posture. Doesn¡¯t it seem like she¡¯s looking for something?¡±


    ¡°Looking for something¡­?¡±


    Now that he pointed it out, it did seem as though she was searching for something that had fallen down.


    Before they knew it, the viscountess had disappeared. Awaji no Kimi appeared along with the smell of incense. She turned into smoke and went downstairs.


    ¡°It seems that she is looking for the viscountess. She¡¯ll be eaten soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Suzuko looked around the room as the scent lingered in the air.


    There was a rug on the parquet floor, and a table and rattan chairs on top of it. There were no other furnishings. Suzuko got down on her knees and looked under the table and chairs.


    What the viscountess was looking for¡­it¡¯s probably something small that fell onto the floor¡­an accessory?


    An earring, ring, brooch, or pendant?


    ¡°An earring is the easiest thing to lose¡­¡±


    Just as Suzuko considered searching another room, she caught sight of the outside of the window. Thinking that it might be possible, she leaned forward a little from the window sill. ¡°Suzuko-san, that¡¯s dangerous,¡± Takafuyu grabbed her arm in a panic, but she pointed out the window, disregarding him.


    ¡°Look at that.¡±


    The outer wall protruded under the window, and a round silver object was caught there. She could probably pick it up if she reached out her hand.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, don¡¯t do it. I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±


    Takafuyu pushed Suzuko into the room, grabbed the window frame and reached out. She felt more nervous than if she was doing it herself. Despite her worries, Takafuyu quickly came back up. He took out a handkerchief and wiped what he had picked up.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pocket watch used by women. It must have been attached to a necklace and worn around the neck.¡±


    Just as he said, it was a pocket watch. The chain was broken in the middle. Under what circumstances did it end up in such a place? It was about a size smaller than those used by men, had no cover, and had a densely detailed engraving on the back with fine lines.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Takafuyu hummed. The engraving depicted the same image of Sankoshin that the old woman had shown them earlier.


    ¡°Was this what she was looking for¡­?¡±


    All that for this? She honestly thought.


    The god of the Touka Faith. Was this proof of her faith?


    Was this god that important to her?


    To the point that she kept searching for it without even looking up after she died.


    Suzuko didn¡¯t understand that sort of intense piety. Was losing such a thing a regret so great that the viscountess couldn¡¯t rest in peace?


    But¡ª¡ª.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand what faith is, but¡­¡± Suzuko stared at the pocket watch. ¡°I understand at least it was something important to the viscountess.¡±


    It was something so important that she couldn¡¯t pass on.


    Ironically, it was probably because of that barrier that the viscountess couldn¡¯t go outside. That was why she was unable to find this, which had fallen outside the window.


    Suzuko grabbed the pocket watch and hurried downstairs. Unlike kimono, western clothes were convenient when you were in a hurry.


    Looking for the viscountess, she left the tower, ran down the corridor, and headed for the living room. She was praying that Awaji no Kimi still hadn¡¯t eaten her yet.


    When she rushed into the living room, she saw the viscountess in her navy-blue outfit by the window. Right in front of her was Awaji no Kimi.


    ¡°¡ªMa¡¯am!¡± Suzuko shouted. She held the pocket watch up high. ¡°I found it. This is what you were looking for, yes?¡±


    The viscountess lifted her head. Her cheeks were protruding and her eye sockets were hollow, but her eyes were firmly fixed on the pocket watch. Her eyes sparkled, and her face became suffused with the color of delight. In the next moment, the viscountess was right in front of Suzuko and clung to the pocket watch.


    Tears welled up in her eyes, and just when Suzuko thought that they were going to fall to the floor, the viscountess¡¯s figure faded and disappeared. No trace of her tears remained.


    Only the pocket watch remained in Suzuko¡¯s hand. Holding it close to her chest, Suzuko faced forward. Awaji no Kimi was staring at her with a demonic expression. The corners of her eyes, slanted upwards, were trembling, and her eyes seemed to be burning with wrath.5


    Resisting the urge to back away, Suzuko glared back at Awaji no Kimi. The ghost slowly approached her. The smell of incense pierced through her brain, and for a moment she couldn¡¯t breathe. Awaji no Kimi¡¯s face got so close that it seemed as if it was going to touch hers, and then suddenly her body scattered into pieces. Only thin smoke and the scent remained.


    She heard footsteps behind her. When she turned around, she saw Takafuyu. The smoke drifted toward him, coiled around him like a snake, and gradually disappeared.


    ¡°The viscountess disappeared. Because she found the pocket watch. I must have angered Awaji no Kimi.¡±


    Takafuyu must have seen her expression as well. He was silent.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll continue to make her angry. Because I won¡¯t do what she wants.¡±


    Suzuko turned to face Takafuyu.


    ¡°Suzuko-san?¡±


    Takafuyu looked perplexed.


    ¡°Now, I see it clearly. That thing is a ¡®demon.¡¯ It can¡¯t be anything else. To think that we will be slaves to that thing for the rest of our lives.¡±


    It¡¯s all warped.


    It was a comically strange story. Someday, when Suzuko gave birth to a child, that child would also have to feed that thing, and the same thing would repeat for eternity? Thinking about this, she felt strangely angry.


    ¡°I¡ªI want to eradicate Awaji no Kimi.¡±


    As she spoke, Suzuko¡¯s will seemed to emerge with a definite outline. It was a thought that had been at the bottom of her heart for a long time.


    ¡°¡­Suzuko-san.¡± She could feel the perplexity in Takafuyu¡¯s expression and voice. ¡°We¡¯ve tried to exorcise Awaji no Kimi in the past, but it all failed. That¡¯s why no one attempts it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Just because we couldn¡¯t do it in the past, why should we assume that we can¡¯t do it now? I don¡¯t know how far in the past you¡¯re talking about, but it¡¯s now Taisho, after the Meiji era.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t feed her ghosts, she will curse us.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You also told me, ¡®I don¡¯t how much of this is the curse.¡¯ Was it because of the curse that your grandfather and the others passed away? Do you know of any other cases of the curse?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s find out. The history of the Hanabishi family until now. We might be able to find a breakthrough. No, we will.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but¡­¡±


    Takafuyu was looking at Suzuko with something like exasperation. But then, he began to laugh, as if he found something funny.


    ¡°No, you truly surprise me¡­¡± Takafuyu¡¯s smile was both wry and somewhat happy.  ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll follow you.¡±


    ¡°Follow?¡±


    ¡°From the very beginning, it¡¯s as if I¡¯m serving you on hand and foot.¡±


    Suzuko sometimes felt like Takafuyu used language that she didn¡¯t understand. She didn¡¯t get what he was talking about.


    Takafuyu narrowed his eyes fondly.


    ¡°That was a confession of love just now.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    She muttered that without thinking, and Takafuyu¡¯s shoulders shook as he laughed.

 Volume 1 - CH 3.5

    When they left the mansion, they saw the old couple and an unfamiliar man talking in front of the villa caretaker¡¯s house. The old couple kept bowing their heads to the man and seemed to be making excuses. The man was in his twenties, wearing a well-made suit and glasses. Suzuko wondered if he was angry, as he was listening to the old couple with a stern look on his face.


    ¡°That might be someone from the Furuya family,¡± Takafuyu said. Suzuko nodded.


    ¡°Is the old couple being scolded for letting us into the villa?¡±


    ¡°That might be so. Let¡¯s explain the situation.¡±


    Takafuyu quickly approached the man.


    ¡°Pardon me. Are you Furuya-san?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the man replied warily. His stern look hadn¡¯t changed either. ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°My name is Hanabishi Takafuyu. Due to some circumstances, I had this couple let me into the mansion.¡±


    ¡°Hanabishi¡­Baron Hanabishi? Of Kuneidou?¡±


    The man¡¯s expression softened a little.


    ¡°Excuse my rudeness. My name is Furuya Atsushi. My younger sister used to live in this villa.¡±


    ¡°So, you are Viscountess Sasao¡¯s older brother?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Did you have some sort of business here, Baron Hanabishi?¡±


    Takafuyu gave him an amiable smile.


    ¡°I heard the viscountess¡¯s ghost was haunting this mansion, so I went to have a look myself.¡±


    Furuya¡¯s brow furrowed, and he frowned at the old couple. ¡°It¡¯s quite troubling that such a rumor has spread.¡±


    ¡°No, we never¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it from these people. I only happened to overhear it,¡± Takafuyu intervened. ¡°That¡¯s how much it was rumored.¡±


    Furuya sighed.


    ¡°I see. That was how far the rumor spread?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry anymore, because the rumor will soon disappear. I¡¯ve exorcised her.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Furuya asked back quizzically. ¡°Exorcise?¡±


    ¡°I am a priest.¡±


    ¡°The madam has passed on?¡±


    The old man exclaimed in surprise. The old woman next to him also gasped.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone. She won¡¯t show up again.¡±


    The old couple let out deep sighs of relief. Inexplicably, the old man clasped his hands together toward Takafuyu. The old woman was wiping her eyes with her apron.


    ¡°Truly¡­?¡± Furuya looked skeptical. ¡°No, I know that you are a Shinto priest and that you perform exorcisms. But, did my sister truly pass on?¡±


    Takafuyu had a ¡°Oh?¡± look on his face for a moment. Perhaps he was surprised that Furuya knew that he did exorcisms. Suzuko was also surprised. She wondered if Furuya was that well-informed about the world of the nobility.


    ¡°The viscountess had been looking for something for a long time. Now that she has found it, she has passed on to the other side.¡±


    ¡°Looking for something?¡±


    ¡°This thing,¡± Takafuyu turned his gaze to Suzuko. She held out the pocket watch to Furuya. His eyes were glued to it.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Something like a groan slipped from his mouth.


    ¡°Do you know this watch? It fell out of the tower window and got stuck. If it had fallen all the way to the ground, the glass would have been shattered.¡±


    Furuya took the pocket watch and stared at it.


    ¡°This belonged to my sister. I had always assumed that it couldn¡¯t be found among the belongings she left behind. My sister asked an engraver to carve a design on an imported pocket watch¡ªboth our grandfather and father studied abroad in England, and there was a time when we were obsessed with all things English and liked to incorporate those things into our lives. It was the same for accessories as well¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that why she had a liking for jet?¡±


    Furuya nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s mourning jewelry. It¡¯s probably out of fashion now, but my sister wore it anyway. ¡­¡±


    Furuya tried to continue, but faltered. He turned his gaze to the villa and said, ¡°It¡¯s impolite of me to keep you standing around talking. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Suzuko and Takafuyu returned to the villa again. The old couple were left behind.


    After entering the villa, Furuya took off the white dust cloth from a sofa and told them to sit. Suzuko and Takafuyu both sat down, and Furuya also sat on the sofa opposite to them. He placed the pocket watch on the table and stared at it as he spoke.


    ¡°We were originally a very religious family.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about your family in Koufu?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We were silkworm farmers, and most of us worship the god of sericulture.¡±


    ¡°Like Oshira-sama, Kokai Myoujin, or A?vagho?a?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are very knowledgeable, as expected. At our home, the god was called ¡®Komori-sama,¡¯ and we worshipped them as a household gold. After starting another business, both my father and grandfather began worshiping Ebisu-sama as well. At any rate, being superstitious and pious was valued. I hear a lot of businessmen are like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that as well.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps because my sister was raised in such a house, but she was a very religious child from a young age. She was a shy and quiet girl. She was a sickly child, so our grandparents, parents, and maids preciously raised her like our treasured silkworms. I don¡¯t know if it was because of that or not, but she was high-strung, or perhaps I should say, highly sensitive, and she often said strange things.¡±


    ¡°Strange things?¡±


    ¡°She would say things like ¡®Grandmother¡¯s ghost is here,¡¯ or that our ancestors were angry and we had to do this, and so on. Even though our family was deeply religious¡ªno, perhaps it was because they were religious, but they didn¡¯t like my sister¡¯s behavior. My grandfather was once afraid that Komori-sama was angry with us. Our parents were worried and had a doctor see her and gave her medicine. None of it worked, though. But she didn¡¯t act like that all the time, so we didn¡¯t worry over it or suffer from it too much. And then¡ª¡ª¡±


    Where did it all go wrong? Furuya let out a bitter laugh.


    ¡°It all started with the driver.¡±


    He must have been talking about the viscountess¡¯s lover, her personal driver. Suzuko and Takafuyu already knew about it, but they feigned ignorance so as to not interrupt him.


    ¡°He was a driver who worked for us. He and my sister were in love with each other.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Takafuyu chimed in.


    ¡°It¡¯s a common story,¡± Furuya said in a fed-up tone. ¡°I¡¯ve heard plenty of stories of love affairs between drivers and the wife or daughter of the family they worked for, and ours was no exception.¡±


    Furuya¡¯s brow furrowed tightly. ¡°We were careful, though. We didn¡¯t want them to elope or commit lovers¡¯ suicide.¡±


    ¡°That driver and the viscountess¡­¡±


    ¡°The driver died from illness. It was a sickness of the lungs.¡±


    Takafuyu nodded and silently urged him to continue.


    ¡°The relationship between the two of them became known when the man quit his job due to his lung disease and had to recuperate elsewhere. My sister insisted on going with him. We were horrified. It was like a bolt from the blue. In any case, we couldn¡¯t let her do that, so we persuaded her to pray for his complete recovery first. Our father also told her that they could get married if his illness was cured. That¡¯s far better than having them elope or commit suicide. We were neither a noble family nor an old family. In fact, our father had the driver admitted to a hospital in Osaka that was famous for its tuberculosis treatment. He always indulged my sister. Too indulging. That was when my sister became obsessed with religion.¡±


    Furuya glared at the pocket watch and continued talking sullenly. It was as if he was venting his frustration towards his sister on the pocket watch.


    ¡°She decided to pray, just as we persuaded her to. Whenever she heard that performing an act of charity would heal illnesses, she would make an offering to that religion and ask them to pray for her. Eventually, she ended up at that fox-possessed house of worship.¡±1


    ¡°Fox-possessed? You mean the Touka Faith?¡±


    ¡°Is that their name? They were preaching about some grandiose doctrines and dignified deity, but that must be a load of nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Well, they are more or less a government-sanctioned religion.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what tricks they used to get the government to recognize them¡ª¡± Furuya shook his head. ¡°Anyway, my sister became too zealous about them. She had always been a nervous and high-strung girl, so she became overly zealous and worrying, and everyone in the family was concerned. Then, the driver who had been recuperating died. Can you understand how agitated and unstable she became when that happened? She could have followed him into death at any moment.¡±


    ¡°It was the Touka Faith that saved her.¡±


    When Takafuyu said that, Furuya grimaced and sighed.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. By praying to that god, my sister somehow managed to maintain her mental state. Our whole family tolerated it because there was no other way to help her, but then she began to act like a fortune-teller.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a clairvoyant, right?¡±


    ¡°You certainly know a lot. Yes, that¡¯s it. She was doing all sorts of suspicious things, like finding lost things and doing some kind of fortune-telling. Just as we were concerned about her, marriage talks suddenly came up. It was with Viscount Sasao.¡±


    A bitter smile appeared on Furuya¡¯s lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that it has been rumored plenty, so I¡¯ll put it bluntly. We forced her onto him with a large dowry. We¡¯d had enough, and we didn¡¯t know how to manage her. At that time, she was staying with relatives in our hometown, but there were rumors about her there as well. There was nothing we could do. Of course, we told the viscount about her circumstances. Still, he insisted, so we gave her to him in marriage. We thought that the viscount was a good-natured, kind man.¡±


    There, Furuya¡¯s expression became clouded for the first time, and he looked out the window with melancholic eyes.


    ¡°Since she was a woman who even her family couldn¡¯t handle, perhaps the burden was too heavy. My sister was imprisoned here immediately after her marriage, and the viscount lived in Tokyo. No, of course, I think my sister could have gone back to Tokyo if she wanted to. She probably had no intention of doing so either. Word soon reached me that she was proselytizing here by acting like a clairvoyant. No matter how many times I told her to stop, she wouldn¡¯t, and if I pressed her too hard, she would lose her temper, so I eventually left her alone. It was the same for the viscount. But, unlike us, he had to maintain the appearance of nobility, yes?¡±


    Furuya looked at Takafuyu, who nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°If the scandal became known and caused controversy, depending on the Department of the Imperial Household¡¯s judgement, his privileges could be suspended and he might be forced to return his title. It¡¯s not just a matter of having a bad reputation with the public; it was a matter of life or death.¡±


    ¡°The nobility has its own challenges, I see,¡± Furuya smiled wryly after Takafuyu¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°That was why the viscount seemed to have been at a loss as well. He consulted with me several times, asking me to do something about her. If we had been able to do something, we wouldn¡¯t have married her off so we could drive her out.¡±


    Furuya laughed self-deprecatingly.


    ¡°Even at the home of her in-laws, my sister became a burden. And at the end of all that, she fell to her death and became a ghost¡­¡±


    Furuya shook his head and looked down.


    ¡°Foolish little sister.¡±


    The way he said that make Suzuko¡¯s heart ache as she recalled the viscountess¡¯s tears, but she only bit her lip and didn¡¯t interject. She was sure that Furuya didn¡¯t want a sister who was unmanageable. And the viscountess had no place to belong, so she became addicted to religion. Neither party¡¯s pain gave Suzuko room to interject.


    ¡°¡­Pardon me, if I may.¡±


    Suzuko wanted to ask one question and opened her mouth. Furuya looked at her from the front as if she had entered his sight for the first time.


    ¡°My wife,¡± Takafuyu briefly introduced her. ¡°Ah,¡± Furuya nodded lightly.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I want to ask about the jet that the viscountess was wearing. When did she start wearing it?¡±


    Furuya looked puzzled, but answered immediately.


    ¡°It was after she got married. Probably in remembrance of the driver.¡±


    That was what Suzuko thought at first, but now she thought that it was probably wrong.


    My heart is dead.


    Maybe that was what the jet signified. She felt like that was the right answer. There was no place for the viscountess either at home or her husband¡¯s house. The person she loved was dead. No one understood her¡ªno, there was only one. Faith was the only one that understood her, her only support. It was her lone lamplight.


    Perhaps what she wished for and sought was an existence that would recognize and accept her. Faith, worship, longing. Suzuko thought she could see her painful cries for help in those moments of her fading tears.


    ¡°Why do you ask about it?¡±


    Furuya suspiciously asked Suzuko, who had fallen silent. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Suzuko replied and shook her head. Even if she said what she thought at this moment, it wouldn¡¯t help anyone. It would only needlessly worry and torment Furuya.


    ¡°Do you mind if I ask a question as well?¡± Takafuyu said.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Was your sister¡¯s funeral Buddhist?¡±


    Furuya was at a loss for an answer, perhaps because it was an unexpected question.


    ¡°Pardon my rudeness, but I¡¯m of the priesthood, so I¡¯m curious about such things.¡±


    ¡°¡­Aah, yes. It was a Buddhist funeral. We are Soto school, so it was in that style. I don¡¯t know anything about Touka-style funerals. In the first place, no one from Touka even came to offer a single word of condolence. Not a single one.¡±


    ¡°The funeral was held in the style of your family¡¯s school? Wasn¡¯t Viscount Sasao the chief mourner?¡±


    ¡°No, it was my father. By that time, the viscount had already gone missing.¡±


    ¡°Gone missing?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He disappeared shortly after my sister fell down the stairs and he told the villa caretaker couple to call a doctor. We didn¡¯t know where he was until about a week later, when we were told that he was run over by a train and killed.¡±


    Furuya seemed to be recalling that time, as there was a troubled look on his face.


    ¡°Apparently, he was drunk. We don¡¯t know where he was and what he was doing for that one week.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he was wandering around, driven by self-reproach.¡±


    Furuya glanced at Takafuyu.


    ¡°Are you thinking that the viscount pushed my sister down the stairs? I¡¯ve heard those rumors, but he¡¯s dead now. I will refrain from speculating on my part.¡±


    He was a prudent person. But from the way he said it, it was as if he was saying that he had the same thought. In fact, it made a lot more sense to assume that viscount had pushed the viscountess down.


    The viscount and the viscountess quarreled about her faith, and the viscount angrily took the pocket watch from her. The viscountess tried to take it back and grab it, but she was pushed by the viscount down the stairs. The viscount realized what he had done, threw the pocket watch out of the window, and ran to the villa caretaker couple¡­


    They could make these assumptions from the facts of the matter, but there was no way to know for sure since both husband and wife were dead. Besides, the important matter for the viscountess was not whether or not she was pushed, but the whereabouts of her pocket watch.


    Furuya picked up the pocket watch, carefully wrapped it in a handkerchief, and tucked it into his jacket pocket.


    ¡°At any rate, I¡¯m very grateful to you for finding my sister¡¯s belonging. I¡¯m glad to hear that she had passed on.¡±


    The words were simple, but they were filled with warmth. He must have had some regrets about his sister.


    It was also a signal that the conversation was over, so Takafuyu stood up and Suzuko followed suit.


    ¡°We are the ones who should apologize for entering your mansion without permission, We even made you speak about something that¡¯s difficult for you.¡±


    ¡°No, this must be some sort of fate,¡± For the first time, Furuya gave a gentle smile, like he had opened up to them. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time that I¡¯ve met Baron Hanabishi. No, not you, but the previous one¡ªyour brother. I¡¯ve met him before.¡±


    Takafuyu¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment. He immediately put a smile on his face.


    ¡°I did not know that you knew my brother. Were you two good friends?¡±


    ¡°No, we only met once. I¡¯m sorry to hear that he passed away. He was a very intelligent man.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­he truly was.¡±


    Takafuyu¡¯s voice was mingled with the loneliness of a spring shade. There was a melancholy there that was different from coldness.


    Suzuko left the mansion with Takafuyu and walked through the pine forest along the coast again, but he hardly spoke.


    The sea breeze shook the treetops. The sun shone through the trees, casting complicated shadows on Takafuyu¡¯s face.


    ¡°Suzuko-san.¡±


    Takafuyu said in a stiff voice and stopped. Suzuko did the same.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    When she tilted her parasol and looked up at his face, he had an unusually meek, almost mournful expression.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Even after she prompted him, he didn¡¯t speak for a while. Thinking that he was about to talk about something serious, Suzuko silently waited for him to speak. The sound of the waves resounded loudly.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been hiding from you for a long time.¡±


    When he finally opened his mouth, he already looked as if he was in pain from that alone, as if he was vomiting blood.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you this for a long time¡­I was afraid that you would hate me, that you would despise me.¡±


    Suzuko stared at him.


    ¡°You find that scary?¡±


    It was a strange thing. What was so frightening about being hated or despised by a young girl like Suzuko?


    Takafuyu smiled wryly.


    ¡°I¡¯m terrified of it. There¡¯s nothing more terrifying than this. I don¡¯t care if anyone else hates me, but I don¡¯t want you to hate me.¡±


    Suzuko tilted her head slightly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hate you, though.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been keeping from me, but I probably won¡¯t hate you for it. Because my impression of you was worst the first time we met. No, I suppose it was worst the second time we met.¡±


    Yes, the second time is definitely the worst, Suzuko murmured. Takafuyu stared at her blankly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be any worse than it was then.¡±


    ¡°Then,¡± Takafuyu spoke fearfully. ¡°You won¡¯t get angry?¡±


    ¡°Oh my, so you demand that I not get angry as well? You¡¯re asking for a lot.¡±


    Suzuko was exasperated. Takafuyu scratched his head awkwardly and looked away, as if he was a dog being scolded.


    ¡°I may be angry with you, but I won¡¯t hate or despise you. There must have been a good reason for why you couldn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    Suzuko turned it over in her mind. Something that couldn¡¯t be spoken lightly, something about her, something that might make her angry if he told it to her.


    If it¡¯s something about me¡­


    ¡°Is this about¡­the ¡®pine crest¡¯ thing I asked you to investigate?¡±


    As soon as she said that after it popped into her mind, Takafuyu¡¯s face stiffened and paled.


    ¡°It seems that my clairvoyance is still going strong.¡±


    When she said that, Takafuyu let out a long, deep breath and crouched down on the spot.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Suzuko bent down and looked into his face. He ran his hands through his hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m no match for you. Yes, you¡¯re right. I underestimated your clairvoyance.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if I can still turn it into a business.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that.¡±


    Takafuyu laughed weakly and looked up at her. Their positions were reversed from usual. The face that Suzuko looked down at was that of an anxious, helpless boy.


    ¡°¡­My brother¡­had a pine crest.¡±


    Takafuyu said in a feeble voice, his hand still on his head.


    Suzuko ruminated on those words in her heart.


    Takafuyu-san¡¯s older brother¡­


    ¡°Your late brother had the pine for his personal crest?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Takafuyu dispiritedly drooped his head. Suzuko couldn¡¯t feel any feelings of anger or contempt welling up within her. There seemed to be a feeling in her heart that was different from those emotions.


    Was this person suffering for all this time because of that?


    She had thought that he was troubled and distressed over something. Was it this?


    Now that she knew the reason, she felt a strange sense of relief, a sense of exasperation that he should have told her sooner, and the desire to comfort the depressed Takafuyu, all mixed together.


    ¡°¡­Even my oldest brother has a pine crest. I believe I¡¯ve mentioned before that I¡¯m already well aware of the fact that the pine crest is very common among members of the nobility. So it wouldn¡¯t be strange or surprising if your brother also had it.¡±


    Takafuyu raised his head and stared at her, as though to gauge her feelings.


    ¡°If by some chance that that murderer¡¯s pine crest is your brother¡¯s, it still has nothing to do with you, and it won¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re my husband.¡±


    Suzuko recalled the Kinzanji-ya ghost. And the ghost of that poor lady who continued to stop in front of his daughter¡¯s house to apologize. Neither that woman nor her daughter who hung herself should have had their lives destroyed like that.


    But¡ªif Suzuko were the daughter of the Kinzanji-ya, would she feel the same way about that woman or her daughter? Would she think that the whole family wasn¡¯t to blame, that there was no need for them be punished?


    If Takafuyu¡¯s brother really was the murderer, would she be able to say the same thing she just said?


    She didn¡¯t know. Right now, she didn¡¯t possess that certainty. Even so, she wanted to accept Takafuyu¡¯s anguish. Just as he had accepted her fear of Awaji no Kimi and her desire to eradicate her.


    Suzuko didn¡¯t really understand things like romantic love or affection. She simply wanted to face Takafuyu as a fellow human being.


    The parasol fell from her hand. She reached out her hands to the cowering Takafuyu and embraced him. His back was cold, perhaps because he was in the shade of a tree. Suzuko stroked his back several times to warm it.


    Takafuyu¡¯s hands also reached out to her back. It seemed that her back was also cold, and the warmth of his hands spread from her back to the inside of her chest.


    ¡°Suzuko-san.¡±


    The voice that called her name trembled slightly.


    The sea breeze of early summer blew through the pine forest. The sunlight filtering through the trees swayed, and the dazzling light fell on them.


    That night, when Takafuyu entered their bedroom, Suzuko was waiting on the bed, sitting on her soles.


    ¡°I fell asleep last night, so I¡¯ve resolved myself to stay awake today.¡±


    Seeing Suzuko¡¯s serious face, Takafuyu almost burst out laughing.


    ¡°I can feel your warrior¡¯s blood. You are very courageous.¡±


    ¡°Are you making fun of me?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I respect you.¡±


    When he said that, Suzuko¡¯s gaze wandered around in embarrassment, as though she wasn¡¯t completely displeased.


    Adorable, he thought.


    There were times when he simply loved Suzuko with all his heart, times when he wanted to bow his head in awe at her high-minded loftiness, and times when he thought she was adorable as a puppy. To express it all in a single word, Takafuyu worshipped Suzuko. That was the closest he could word it. He thought that this must have been what the ancient, primitive worship of the earth goddess was like.


    When he climbed onto the bed and placed his hand on Suzuko¡¯s hands, which were folded in her lap, he felt her stiffen.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, is it extravagant of me to want you to fall in love with me?¡±


    He peered into her face. She looked at him strangely and said, ¡°I don¡¯t particularly hate you or anything of the sort.¡±


    ¡°I want you to fall in love with me. I want you to pine for me ardently.¡±


    Just like his current self.


    Suzuko had a confused expression on her face.


    ¡°Even though we¡¯re already married¡­?¡±


    ¡°Form and feeling are two different things, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    He knew that Suzuko didn¡¯t shun him. He was surely taking advantage of that, having such indulgent hopes.


    Suzuko¡¯s feelings were as fresh and dazzling as the sun shining through the trees. On the other hand, his own feelings were warped and deviant like the mire at the bottom of a swamp. Why couldn¡¯t he love her more lightly?


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Suzuko met Takafuyu¡¯s eyes and said. He laughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Suzuko-san, I¡¯m the one who will work hard. I will make every effort to make you fall in love with me.¡±


    Takafuyu squeezed Suzuko¡¯s hands.


    ¡°¡­Will you not abandon me?¡±


    Suzuko gazed intently into Takafuyu¡¯s eyes. Thinking back, she had been looking at him with a gaze that seemed to shoot straight through him from the beginning.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Suzuko answered, like it was natural, and nodded.


    Takafuyu thought that she must not understand his devotion to her. He caressed Suzuko¡¯s cheek and then her yukata-clad shoulder. He was making sure that she was right there with him. When he embraced her, her body felt surprisingly small.


    I don¡¯t want you to go anywhere.


    He prayed and closed his eyes. In the back of his eyes, stars shined. The faint flickering was like a lamplight, dimly lit in the darkness.


    The next day, Suzuko boarded a boat rowed by Takafuyu. Despite saying ¡°no, no,¡± even she would get interested once she came near the sea. Getting on the boat was the rockiest and scariest part, but once she was on board, she felt fine. Because it was an inlet, the waves were calm and the wind was moderate. With her parasol in her right hand and her left hand on the edge of the boat, Suzuko looked out to sea. The way the waves sparkled in the sunlight was like looking at glittering diamonds. She squinted her eyes at the glare. The sea was vast and endless. It was strange that the sky and sea were both blue, but the colors were clearly different. She could see a large ship sailing offshore in the distance. The sound of the waves was quiet and the scent of the tides was strong at times, perhaps from the wind. She didn¡¯t dislike the scent of the tides, which combined the living and the dead.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid, Suzuko-san?¡±


    Taking a break from rowing, Takafuyu watched Suzuko.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s very open here, and pleasant-feeling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡±


    Takafuyu laughed.


    This morning, the two of them lit the incense together. Once they were out on the ocean, that scent disappeared as the sea breeze enveloped it.


    ¡°Shall we come again in the summer?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I won¡¯t go into the sea, though.¡±


    ¡°You can at least put your feet in, can¡¯t you? You¡¯re even able to get into a boat now.¡±


    ¡°I refuse.¡±


    Takafuyu¡¯s laugh was loud and bright. His smile seemed even more dazzling than the waves, and Suzuko¡¯s eyes crinkled into a smile. The wind that blew through was shining brilliantly.


    End of book 1! See y¡¯all in May when book 2 comes out

 Volume 2 - CH 1.1

    The vermillion sun was shining upon the garden.


    The yet-to-turn-red maple trees glowed, but on the other hand, the shadows of the old pine trees with their crooked branches and the shadows of the stone lanterns standing nearby were intertwined upon the damp soil.


    The sun soon grew dim, and the area became shrouded in pale blue darkness.


    A moist wind ruffled the tops of the pine trees. A shadow stood in front of a stone lantern. It looked like an old man. His head, lacking even in grey hairs, was hanging down, and the crested haori and hakama he was wearing were worn out and faded.


    The evening darkness became even darker. The man¡¯s figure had moved to the outer corridor in the blink of an eye. The yukimi shoji doors1 opened vigorously.


    A scream echoed through the mansion.


    A thin line of smoke rose from the old porcelain censer. Immediately, an aroma filled the air. The fragrance was clean, deep, but somewhat forlorn.


    The name of the fragrant wood was ¡°Shio no Tsuki.¡± After marrying into the Hanabishi family, it was Suzuko¡¯s role to burn it every morning.


    Suzuko¡¯s maiden name was Takigawa, and she was the youngest daughter of a marquis family that was once very distinguished. She had recently married Baron Hanabishi Takafuyu and became Baroness Hanabishi. She was seventeen, and was beautiful with her rich, glossy black hair, a white face with sharp, strong-willed eyes, and a straight back. She had a beautiful face that made one think of the breeze in early summer.


    ¡°Suzuko-san, the fire tongs.¡±


    Prompted by Takafuyu, Suzuko handed him the fire tongs that she had been using. Takafuyu was currently accompanying her, stating that she mustn¡¯t get burned while she wasn¡¯t used to the process of burning incense.


    It was a night at the end of April 1920, about a month and a half ago, when Suzuko met Takafuyu. Suzuko had witnessed Takafuyu feeding a ghost that appeared at a certain viscount¡¯s mansion to a vengeful spirit in juunihitoe. Takafuyu proposed to her right after that¡ªthat was the start of their romance. However, Suzuko immediately refused, saying, ¡°No,¡± with a definitiveness that was unbefitting of a young lady. Still, after many twists and turns, Suzuko married Takafuyu. They had just returned from their honeymoon last week.


    After their honeymoon, Suzuko began living at the Hanabishi estate in Kojimachi. The Hanabishi family were originally the chief priests of a shrine on Awaji Island, and after the Meiji Restoration, they were created barons. They were so called shinshoku nobles. Takafuyu himself was the second son and had been adopted out, but after the death of the eldest son, he returned home and took over as head. The mansion was an elegant red-brick Western-style building entwined with ivy. Suzuko and Takafuyu were lighting the incense in one of the rooms.


    Suzuko gazed at the thinly lingering smoke.


    It hadn¡¯t been long since she started to burn incense every morning. Perhaps that was why her body always stiffened with nervousness when she smelled the incense. Even now, it felt like the jourou vengeful spirit was about to reveal itself¡ª¡ª


    This fragrant wood was possessed by the vengeful spirit of ¡°Awaji no Kimi,¡± a beautiful woman clad in juunihitoe. Apparently, she was an ancestor of the Hanabishi family. For generations, the head of the Hanabishi family had given ghosts to Awaji no Kimi to feed on. Otherwise, it is said that they would be haunted to death.


    Suzuko was terrified of Awaji no Kimi. Those cavernous black eyes and red, chapped lips when she saw her up close. That fear of being engulfed, of feeling like you were being eaten, seeped into her skin. Suzuko was chosen by Awaji no Kimi. That was why she was to marry Takafuyu. The smell of incense now permeated Suzuko¡¯s body, and she couldn¡¯t escape from it.


    ¡°Suzuko-san.¡±


    Takafuyu placed his hand on her back. A faint warmth spread through it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Awaji no Kimi won¡¯t appear when you light the incense in the morning.¡±


    More than the words, it was the warmth she felt on her back made Suzuko¡¯s tension melt away. The strength slipped out of her shoulders. It was a strange thing. When she first met Takafuyu, she thought that he was a very shady person.


    Suzuko looked up at Takafuyu. If she wanted to see his face, she had to turn her chin up to look at him. Takafuyu had a finely chiseled, handsome face. His sharp features were mellow with a somewhat mature air for a man of twenty-six. His dark reddish-brown eyes were like the darkness deep in a quiet forest. There was a shadow in them, but the gaze he directed at Suzuko was soft. There was no longer the sense of unreadability and unknowability that existed in the beginning. It wasn¡¯t so much that Takafuyu had changed, but rather that Suzuko had changed the way she looked at him.


    ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    This was a conversation that was repeated every morning when they lit the incense. Takafuyu¡¯s attitude towards Suzuko was overly polite, almost like that of a servant towards his princess.


    From the very beginning, it¡¯s as though I¡¯m serving you on hand and foot.


    Suzuko recalled that Takafuyu had said that before. They were words whose meaning she didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Takafuyu had said at the time that he would follow Suzuko, who had declared, ¡°I want to eradicate Awaji no Kimi.¡±


    Suzuko had decided to exorcise Awaji no Kimi instead of feeding ghosts to her.


    Awaji no Kimi was a ¡°demon.¡± Now that she had decided to remove her from this world, she couldn¡¯t be afraid of her.


    Suzuko calmed herself down and looked at the smoke rising from the censer.


    ¡°Now then, I shall be heading out,¡± Takafuyu said as he quickly headed for the door after leaving the ¡°Shiotsuki Room.¡± Suzuko was surprised.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat breakfast?¡±


    ¡°I have to go to Yokohama now. I¡¯m sorry. I think I can join you for breakfast tomorrow.¡±


    Takafuyu walked as he talked. He received a suit jacket from his steward Yura, who was waiting in the corridor, and quickly put it on. Today, he was wearing a white linen three-piece suit, suited the tall Takafuyu well. The cufflinks and tiepin were amethyst, and the tie was a dove feather grey. All of these accessories were chosen by Suzuko. She had been choosing his accessories every day recently because he asked her to choose them.


    With a Panama hat in hand, Takafuyu dashingly climbed into the back of the car and smiled at Suzuko before leaving. He was in a hurry. It was understandable, though.


    Takafuyu oversaw an incense company called ¡°Kuneidou.¡± The head office was in Yokohama, there was a branch office in Tokyo, and the factory was on Awaji Island. The business was originally run by Takafuyu¡¯s adoptive parents¡¯ family on Awaji Island for generations. After the Restoration, the company was headquartered in Yokohama, where Takafuyu was taken in as an adopted child. Even after taking over the baron title, Takafuyu assisted his adoptive parents in their business, and after they retired, he took charge of the company himself. Takafuyu was a very busy man, traveling back and forth between Yokohama and Tokyo. Before he got married, it seemed that there were times when he didn¡¯t come home, but now he came home no matter how late at night. This was in order to light the incense with Suzuko in the morning.


    As expected, after two or three times, Suzuko could light the incense on her own. However, Takafuyu didn¡¯t let her do it by herself. Was it because he was worried about her burning herself? Or was it because she was afraid of Awaji no Kimi? She tried to put on a nonchalant face so as to not show fear, but she was sure that Takafuyu saw right through her.


    Suzuko stood in the doorway for a short while, then took a breath and turned around. She was startled when she saw Yura standing by the door. After Suzuko went back into the house, he silently closed the door. He bowed, then left. Yura seemed to be a little younger than Takafuyu, but his calm demeanour made him seem older. He was a handsome young man with cool eyes and firm features, but he was always expressionless and didn¡¯t speak much. More than that, she had never heard him say anything more than what was necessary for his job, such as ¡°As you wish.¡± It probably wasn¡¯t just her imagination that he felt somewhat cold. Because he wasn¡¯t the only servant who seemed cold and indifferent.


    There were about ten servants at the Hanabishi estate. It seemed to be a small number, but she heard that some noble families only had one or two servants, so perhaps it wasn¡¯t so few after all. Suzuko had been surprised, though, because there were always fifty to sixty people at her old home, the Takigawa estate, at any time.


    As This mansion isn¡¯t so big, and I¡¯m the only one who lives here, Takafuyu explained.


    Almost all of the servants were from Awaji Island, the hometown of the Hanabishi family, and when they needed people for major cleanups and the like, they also brought in people from the island. The same was true for the Takigawa family, which often hired people from their hometown. The reason for this was because they were more trustworthy. The Takigawa family, in particular, was once a great and prominent family, and even now they were still ¡°feudal lords¡± to the local people. Even if there was a scandal within the family, they would never do anything disloyal like spreading rumors about it. It would be best if there weren¡¯t any scandals, but Suzuko¡¯s father, the current head of the family, was a libertine, so there was no shortage of such stories. Suzuko was the daughter of a maid who her father seduced.


    The Hanabishis were a complicated family, so they probably carefully selected people who could keep secrets. None of them were very talkative. That was fine, but they were almost too curt. First of all, they didn¡¯t seem to have any intention to exchange words with Suzuko. For example, if she tried to make conversation by saying things like, ¡°I wonder if the rainy season will start soon,¡± they would simply reply, ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­,¡± which wasn¡¯t even an answer. There was a solemn wall between servants and masters, and they weren¡¯t supposed to be friendly with each other. However, their attitude wasn¡¯t necessarily distant and cold for those reasons. Rather, it could be described as outright disrespectful. Did they not acknowledge her as the bride of the Hanabishi family and their mistress? The only exception was Mikoshiba, the family butler, who wasn¡¯t cold like the others, but he wasn¡¯t affectionate either. He probably wouldn¡¯t want to hear such words from someone like Suzuko, who didn¡¯t have an ounce of charm, though.


    Suzuko didn¡¯t want to be bosom friends with the servants, nor did she earnestly desire to be recognized as a mistress. She was simply concerned about their relationship with Takafuyu.


    When she observed the relationship between him and them, she found that Takafuyu didn¡¯t speak to them except to tell them what to do, and there was a strange tension between them during those times. Suzuko sensed a coldness and contempt in their gazes towards him and at the edges of their Noh-mask-like expressions.


    Suzuko recalled a conversation Takafuyu had with a boy he was acquainted with on their honeymoon in Hayama. The boy was worried about him living at the Hanabishi estate.


    Takafuyu, are you being bullied at your mansion in Tokyo? Are you doing okay?


    Takafuyu had laughed at that. No servant could bully the head of the family. That was true. However¡­


    Takafuyu¡¯s grandfather doted on him with the intention to make him his heir, and tried to exclude his father and older brother. When his grandfather died, Takafuyu was sent away and adopted out to another family. Among the servants, there were probably some who sympathized with Takafuyu¡¯s father and brother and didn¡¯t think kindly of him. Besides¡­ Suzuko¡¯s face clouded over. Did the servants know that Takafuyu was the biological son of his grandfather and not his father? About the secret of his birth, which still tormented him¡­


    For Takafuyu, this mansion was a place of abominable memories, and it was by no means a comfortable or restful place.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He never looks angry or displeased, but¡­


    ¡°Breakfast is ready, madam.¡± As Suzuko stood alone in the entrance hall with a complicated look on her face, Yura came to call her.


    Breakfast at the Hanabishi estate was Western-style. The warm, fluffy bread and thickly fried eggs were delicious, but the dining room was so spacious that it was chilly for one person to eat alone.


    ¡°Miss¡ªMadam, shall we choose this haori?¡±


    Her attendant maid, Taka, asked, holding a gauze haori in her hand. Taka was once a maid of the Takigawa family, but she came here with Suzuko when she got married. This was very reassuring to Suzuko, who was still clueless about how to navigate her marriage home. Although Taka still wasn¡¯t used to calling her ¡°Madam,¡± and tended to call her ¡°Miss.¡±


    Taka was holding a gauze haori with hydrangeas on a pale red-wisteria background. On the clothes rack, there was a dove grey silk crepe robe with gradations of white and a similar hydrangea pattern, and a gauze ivory-white summer obi with kanzemizu2 embroidered in silver thread.


    The rainy season might begin as early as tomorrow, and the weather in mid-June could be hot and humid or suddenly cool, making it difficult to decide what to wear.


    ¡°I hope it won¡¯t be too cold.¡±


    ¡°The sun is out today, and the temperature will be much warmer by noon.¡±


    ¡°If you say so, then it must be true.¡±


    Taka, who was over forty, was never wrong at times like these, perhaps because of the wisdom of age. If Taka said it would be hot, then it would be hot enough to sweat, and if she said the temperature would be low, it would be cold enough to shiver.


    ¡°The hydrangeas have green leaves, so the obi sash should be this heathered grey. And the obijime should also be¡ªno, shall we match the obijime to the obi? The obi fastener will be jade¡­then the haori sash should be crystal¡­¡±


    Taka mumbled to herself as she opened a drawer in the chest of drawers and grabbed the obijime and haori cord. Today, she was even more enthusiastic about choosing Suzuko¡¯s outfit. This was because she was heading out today for a dinner with her half-sisters. They were going to a restaurant in Nihonbashi. Taka was excited because they were going to meet with her half-sisters, who were both kimono enthusiasts.


    ¡°I hope my sisters are doing well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they are, since they invited you to dinner. I¡¯d imagine that they are more worried about you, Miss¡­Madam.¡±


    ¡°I sent them postcards from Hayama.¡±


    Her half-sisters were Yukiko and Asako, and her half-brothers were Yoshitada and Yoshimi. She had also sent a postcard to Chizu, the mother of Yukiko, Asako, and Yoshimi. She didn¡¯t send one to her father. He wouldn¡¯t read it anyway, or rather, he spent all his time jaunting around in the courtesan district and never came home, so there was no point in sending him one.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find yourself wanting to see them even more because of that? After all, they¡¯ve never been very good at detaching themselves from their younger sister.¡±


    ¡°Detaching¡­¡±


    ¡°Now then, Madam, shall we go with crystal for the haori cord?¡±


    ¡°I have a amethyst one, don¡¯t I? That would do.¡±


    ¡°The purple one? That would be fine as well, but¡ªoh, the master¡¯s cufflinks and tiepin today are amethyst, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Taka¡¯s eyes crinkled into crescent shapes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to match him. It isn¡¯t as though we¡¯re going out together¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re implying that it would be fine if you were together?¡±


    Taka quickly took out the amethyst haori cord. She looked happy. Taka had distinct features, particularly her large and sharp eyes, thick eyebrows, and a stout build with square shoulders, giving her an oddly imposing presence. When Suzuko first met her as a child, she had been afraid of her. But when she smiled, her face would crinkle up, and she would instantly look friendly.


    Taka placed the haori card with the string of amethyst beads on the chest, and next to it, an obi fastener of jade and silver worked into a pattern of waves. Her change of clothes was ready. Suzuko took off the regular kimono she had been wearing and put on the under-robe. The collar of the under-robe was beautifully embroidered with hydrangeas, and the crepe neckpiece was sewn on. Taka helped her into the gauze haori from behind. Suzuko left the rest of the dressing to her and turned her attention to the room.


    Suzuko¡¯s private room was a brightly lit room with an eggshell-colored wallpaper with floral and vine patterns. The room was probably the private room of Takafuyu¡¯s grandmother, mother, and the successive mistresses of the house. The furnishings, including a chest of drawers, a dressing table, and a table, were all elegantly designed with curved lines and decorated with floral carvings. The carpet was wisteria grey with a floral pattern, and the fireplace was white stone with fine embossed carvings of ivy. Overall, the room was decorated with elegance and delicacy. Takafuyu told her that he could replace the wallpaper and furnishings if she didn¡¯t like it, but Suzuko told him that she was fine with them as they were. She truly did like them.


    After fastening the obi and tying the white sanbu-himo3 string that passed through the fastener, Taka sat Suzuko down in front of the mirror. She untied her hair that had been loosely tied up and combed it again. Before her marriage, she braided her hair and wrapped it into a knot at the nape of her neck before tying it with a ribbon. However, she couldn¡¯t wear her hair like a schoolgirl anymore. The braid was the same as before, but her hair was gathered at the back of her head and pinned up.


    ¡°Shall we use lilies for the hair ornament?¡±


    Taka took out the hair ornaments with artificial flowers from a drawer of the dresser. In addition to lilies, there were also ornaments in the form of roses and a bouquet of forget-me-nots. When the large lily was placed next to her face, it brightened her face. Suzuko¡¯s eyes, which had once been described by Takafuyu as ¡°eyes like dead fish,¡± seemed to glow with a youthful radiance.


    ¡°A perfect lady.¡±


    Taka had Suzuko stand in front of the large mirror and put on her haori. She looked satisfied. The outfit, in colors of pale purple and purplish gray, resembled a rain-hazed scene in the rainy season. The small jade stones that looked like water droplets on the obi fastener echoed the green of the hydrangea leaves and stood out in the misty landscape. The amethyst haori cord were the raindrops falling on the hydrangeas. The heathered grey obi sash was tucked away so tightly in the obi that it couldn¡¯t be seen from the front, but it peeked out when she bent over or sat down. Taka enjoyed paying attention to such details.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time to leave, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Taka glanced at the clock above the fireplace and hurriedly began to put away the combs and pins.


    ¡°Your workload would be reduced if we could just find a good handmaid¡­¡±


    In the Takigawa household, there was another maid who took care of Suzuko¡¯s hair and other small details. Taka wasn¡¯t the only one who dressed her. However, since the Hanabishi family had been without a wife or a daughter for a long time, there were no maidservants who could do such work. The maidservants who were available were those who cleaned and did the laundry, said to be too unfit for the task of taking care of a nobleman¡¯s wife. Until a new maid was hired, Taka would be doing everything for now.


    ¡°Madam.¡±


    There was a knock at the door. It was the voice of Tazu, the head maid. Taka opened the door. A woman about forty with sloping shoulders, a long neck, and dressed in patterned cotton was standing there. She was Tazu. She had a long face, high cheekbones, and narrow eyes. Tazu gave one look at Taka, then turned to Suzuko and bowed her head expressionlessly.


    ¡°Yura is informing you that the car is ready. Please come to the door.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Suzuko put on her lace gloves. Because of an old burn scar on the back of her hand, she wore gloves when she went out. These gloves were a gift from Takafuyu.


    Accompanied by Taka, she left the room. Tazu kept her head bowed at the room door and didn¡¯t follow them. She never entered Suzuko¡¯s room, nor did she look at her. When they turned down the hallway and she was out of sight, Taka opened her mouth to complain.


    ¡°Why is that head maid so disagreeable?¡±


    Taka seemed unable to stomach Tazu and complained about everything.


    ¡°To begin with, when I asked her if there were any maids who could assist you¡­¡±


    The maids here are all unrefined girls from the countryside, and they are not capable of taking care of Madam, who is the daughter of a marquis.


    Tazu¡¯s voice was so cutting and dismissive that Taka was apparently offended. They didn¡¯t know if she was telling the truth or she was just being malicious and unwilling to send over a maid. Taka took it as an insult. She thought it was a jab at Suzuko¡¯s upbringing.


    Suzuko¡¯s mother was a maid who left the Takigawa house after conceiving Suzuko. After that, she apparently moved from place to place, and died when Suzuko was still very young. Suzuko was eleven when she was taken in by the Takigawa family, and until then she had lived in an Asakusa slum. In other words, Suzuko didn¡¯t have the breeding of a young lady by nature. The fact that she looked like that now was the result of Taka¡¯s diligent education.


    Because of this background, Tazu¡¯s way of speaking sounded snide to Taka.


    In any case, it was true that she had no handmaids at present, so Suzuko asked Mikoshiba, the butler, to hire a new one.


    If there was no one to assist her, Suzuko would simply do everything herself, but Taka wouldn¡¯t allow it, saying that that would be disrespectful. Suzuko was the wife of the family head, and Taka insisted that she had to make that known and that the first step was crucial.


    ¡°I suppose some time is needed,¡± Suzuko said, trying to calm Taka, who was likely to lash out at Tazu if left unchecked. She once thought that since the two of them were close in age, they might feel even more antagonistic to each other, but Taka angrily responded, ¡°She is the one who¡¯s four years older than me!¡± with her eyes raised, so Suzuko refrained from mentioning it again.


    I hope they don¡¯t fight while I¡¯m gone.


    While feeling a little worried, Suzuko climbed into the car after being seen off by Taka.


    I¡¯m baaack! The mystery deepens in Volume 2!!