March 24, 1568 (Eiroku 11).
I was in the room at the Nagahama Palace that had been given to the Todo mother and son.
There was only me and Mrs. Todo in the room.
A powerful young man and a widowed mother.
When written like that, it sounds like a scene from an erotic novel.
However, the situation I'm currently facing is completely devoid of any such allure.
Mrs. Todo has become extremely thin and frail, and lately she seems unable to even get out of bed.
(But even so, he managed to survive for quite some time...)
As I wiped her sweat with a silk towel, that thought crossed my mind.
In reality, his body should have passed away before the end of last year.
However, the fact that it took significantly longer than planned must surely be due to her sheer willpower.
"...Lieutenant General, sir."
"Is something wrong, Mother?"
A woman with silver hair, tan skin, and elf ears, with her eyes slightly open.
Responding to her faint voice creates a long, drawn-out silence.
However, it wasn't that Mrs. Todo hadn't thought of anything to say next—it was probably simply that she lacked the energy to speak.
The act of moving your mouth and forming words is actually an activity that requires a considerable amount of energy.
"...Thank you so much..."
"What are you going to say?"
Lately, Mrs. Todo has been expressing her gratitude more often.
I don't know if it's because he anticipates his own impending death, or if there's some other reason.
All that is clear is that there is no trace of evil on her face—she has a truly radiant expression.
"...Lieutenant General, thanks to you...I can go into death with peace of mind... With a truly cheerful heart, without any regrets..."
"Don't be ridiculous... You must still live. Takatora and Kyoko are still just children... They'll be in trouble without their mother. It's too early for you to go, Mother."
Mrs. Todo shook her head slightly from side to side.
"No... As long as there is a parent-child relationship... death is inevitable. That day will come eventually... it doesn't matter whether it's sooner or later... so—cough, cough, gulp."
"...Yes, do your best."
He slowly and gently patted the lady's shoulder, which had become completely thin, as she began to choke.
His body looked like it would break if even a little bit of force were applied.
It took some time for that body, whose very source of life seemed indistinguishable, to return to normal.
"...Thank you, Lieutenant General."
Despite being utterly afflicted by illness and undoubtedly suffering greatly physically, Mrs. Todo wore a serene expression.
I pulled the silk blanket up to her shoulders and slowly asked the question.
"...Mother"
"yes"
"What if... just hypothetically..."
I took a slow breath, exhaled, and then asked.
"If I ever have to go—would you prefer to go to Nagahama, or to that village?"
"..."
Mrs. Todo closed her eyes, regulated her breathing, and then softly opened her mouth.
"Either is fine..."
"is that so"
"yes..."
Then, slowly opening her eyelids, she said in a faint voice.
"No matter where I die, it's the same thing. Even if my body perishes, my soul will continue to be with my children."
"...Is it alright with Yohachi?"
"That person is... hehehe"
With a slight smile, Mrs. Todo whispered.
"Well...it would be a lie to say I don't feel lonely... But he will soon reach the end of his natural life...so I suppose it's alright."
"...Is that how it is?"
"Yes... I suppose that's the fate of me and Yohachi."
She said with a look on her face that said, "I have no regrets."
"Once upon a time, in a certain village, there lived a man and a woman who loved each other... But their love was forbidden... One day, the man said to the woman... 'Let's run away together, let's live together in a faraway land...'"
"..."
"However, the cunning old men saw right through the young and foolish plan of the two... They were caught without a trace, the man was raped, and the woman was raped repeatedly by the village men in front of him... For three days and three nights... the woman was raped again and again in front of the dying man, and finally gave in. She promised never to go near the man again, and begged them to spare him. The man then took a new wife and had a child with her, and the woman... gave birth to and raised a child whose father was not the man she loved, and whose father she did not know."打擲Chouchaku
"..."
"Our paths were never meant to cross from the start... That is precisely why, when I die, I wish to be by my child's side... That is my greatest wish."
"...In that case, let's do that."
"thank you..."
Mrs. Todo smiled. She looked very happy.
"They may not know their father, but they are my beloved children, born of my womb, though of humble origins... Lieutenant General, please take good care of them... I beg you..."
"...Ahhh"
I nodded and stood up.
"Rest in peace. Your death will be with your children... I will be there to witness it here in Nagahama. But live a little longer. I need to make arrangements for your grave... I can't have you dying without my permission."
"Things like graves... such grand things... you can just leave them by the roadside, or even throw them into Lake Biwa..."
"That won't do. If I do that, Takatora and Kyoko will resent me."
I said only that and left the room.
Then, he let out a deep sigh.
"Well, well... she's quite a stubborn and deeply emotional widow..."
And then, clutching her chest tightly, she blurts it out unintentionally.
"I'm such a troublesome guy... I never thought I'd be this jealous of Takatora and Kyoko..."
◆
Kyoko Todo sat down on the fishing pavilion at the Nagahama Imperial Palace and gazed blankly at the pond.
Nagahama Imperial Palace has a spatial structure that functions as a garden, and its scenery is beautiful.
As it is early spring, the trees are sprouting new leaves, and a wide variety of birds fly in, chirping "chichichichi."
The birds' objective is likely the caterpillars that infest the trees, including the cherry trees, planted at the Nagahama Imperial Palace.
For them, caterpillars were a delicacy and an important food source to fill their stomachs.
When they lived in the village, those kinds of birds were a treat for Anzu and the others, but since moving to Nagahama Palace, they have hunted less often.
But it's hard to shake off old habits.
The distinctive taste of blood found in birds. And the raw meat that twitches and spasms when you chew it in your mouth.
To experience that taste again, they would throw stones at birds flying overhead, killing them—and, being careful not to be noticed by other residents, they would eat the fallen meat as it fell.
However, even after doing all that, if asked whether she wanted to go back to her old life, Anzu would answer "no."
Sleeping side-by-side with my mother and brother, under a warm silk blanket...
Having experienced such a life, there was no way I would want to go back to that cold, constantly hungry existence.
(There's rice here... and fish, and vegetables too...)
I was able to eat proper meals in the morning and evening, and I even made friends with a zashiki-warashi (house spirit) and a human.
However, Myo, a member of the Takamine clan who serves as the garden guard for Nagamasa, the lord of the Nagahama Palace, is the most dangerous person in Kyoko's eyes.
I had always followed the Lieutenant General under the guise of "guarding" him, and my feelings of unrequited longing for him only grew stronger.
Apparently, lately she's been sneaking into the attic almost every night to watch her master sleep.
In contrast, Shuko is the person who provides the most reassurance.
She never lost her cheerful spirit and treated Kyoko, who is a zashiki-warashi (house spirit), as well as her brother Takatora and Myo, without any reservations.
The thought sometimes crosses my mind that maybe he's just cheerful and not actually thinking about anything, but when I eat dinner with him every night, it doesn't really matter anymore.
(Since coming here... every day has been really lively...)
And so, Kyoko, along with the incredibly cheerful Naoko, looks up to Ichihime's ladies-in-waiting as her mentors and learns various household chores.
The two masters, Kaede and Sakura, are very skilled.
I often made mistakes and got scolded, but he thoroughly taught me the importance of teaching everyone fairly without discrimination.
During busy periods, Tsubaki, the former head maid, comes to help, and in Anzu's opinion, she is the most outstanding in terms of administrative skills.
Kaede and Sakura also seem to have a deep respect for Tsubaki, and when she's visiting, it feels more appropriate to call her "senior disciple" rather than "master"—though they would never actually call her that.
(But the most amazing one is Hisa-chan...right?)
From the perspective of people coming from outside the Imperial Palace, the one we must not forget is the girl named Hisa Endo.
She is one of Kyoko's friends, and also someone she feels she can never possibly compete with.
(She's incredibly skilled with a sword... she can do detailed calculations, she can do housework and laundry... and she's intelligent...)
Endo Naotsune is one of Nagamasa's close retainers and one of the military officers under whom Kyoko's brother studied.
His adopted daughter, Hisa, was a terrifying girl who, in every aspect—effortlessly and greedily—absorbed everything she could.
From Kyoko's perspective, Hisashi himself is a weak and pathetic person.
Considering the physical abilities of the Todo family, who are zashiki-warashi (house spirits) with demon blood, that girl possesses nothing but a frail, insignificant physique.
However, Hisashi is a monster who can easily reach "the limits that his body can achieve."
It might be more accurate to say that their level of proficiency is extremely high.
(Perhaps it's because they can genuinely enjoy the difficult and demanding aspects of the job...that they become so amazing.)
This is just something my brother told me, who is visiting the Endo and Isono families to learn swordsmanship, which he considers one of the "manners of human life"...
Even after being struck by his stepfather and becoming covered in blood, Hisashi refused to let go of his sword.
And apparently, he always gets up laughing heartily, as if he's having the time of his life.
However, once her swordsmanship practice is over, she changes into neat clothes without any hesitation and runs off to her beloved, Lord Asai Masamoto.
It seems they haven't had a physical relationship yet...
It's widely rumored that after doing all the cleaning and laundry at his house and cooking meals, she's being drilled in the basics of arithmetic and administrative skills, as well as legal knowledge.
Recently, the two have been spotted strolling along the shores of Lake Biwa, so it's certain that Lord Masamoto has some affection for Hisa.
Whenever Nagamasa presses him about it, he frantically denies it, saying, "He's my disciple!", but it remains to be seen how long that response will last.
Having mastered swordsmanship and academics, and knowing about the complexities of love and romance, Hisashi was a cutting-edge friend to Kyoko, who knew nothing of swordsmanship, academics, or love.
彼mosquitoThe girl, like Shuko, doesn't look down on Kyoko, and is also friendly with her brother.
And whenever he came to Nagahama Palace, he would visit Anzu's mother and keep her company.
Apparently, Hisashi has lost his entire biological family.
I don't know what my friend is feeling when he talks to his mother.
But I knew for sure that he never harbored any evil intentions.
In many ways, the girl named Hisa Endo is pure, innocent, and naive.
"Haa..."
A sigh escapes my lips naturally and unexpectedly.
The reason why that sigh escaped her lips is obvious.
It was because I was thinking about my mother.
"...mother"