Dressed in a dark blue kimono, with an asagao as the motif. She went out of the palanquin, with Kaede keeping herself quiet. Maybe she was satisfied with her gift. Although it will be a while before she could have a break.

"That bottle of sake was pretty good. Where did you buy it?" Whispering into her ear. Which was the most common thing they decided to do.

"The same place I got that letter from." She went inside.

"Do you know where it is?"

"On the edge of the lowest districts and the markets. Somewhere around that point." At least with her able to figure it out the rough location.

"Well, that must have been quite an inn." She admitted that she will visit it when she gets the time off.

"Would you mind if you ask them a few questions?" Kaede looked at her. Knowing that this was a little ridiculous. But also pushing into it.

They had taken the palanquin, and it was a quick ride. From here, it took no longer than a man on foot in half an hour.

"They do sell good sake, and you will be a good customer to them. Just make sure to say who referred you." Sachiko smiled. Before she stepped inside, leaving a Kaede that was more annoyed than anything.

But she turned to look at the garden. Most of the courtyard was that. In the middle of autumn, and already the leaves were beginning to fall. Although below, it was still kept clean of any leaves.

Not needing to watch her step when took one, was a good thing for her. Although she knew that anything that will disgrace them will help. But she knew that this was not the chance to do so. Without knowing anything about them.

"Same as the previous time, not doing anything?"

"For now. Since he has much more on us, given what he did." Kaede knew after all, and spent a lot of time on it as well. Even if she didn"t seem to know much more than the piece of paper.

She pouted. She will have enjoyed exploring the place. But not the garden, that was definite.

In spring, it will look beautiful. But since it was fall, it didn"t. As much as she was curious who tended to the garden. There wasn"t any servants here at the front. Even amongst the rather large house.

But few seemed to be around. Except for one, a boy who was sweeping up the leaves that fell. Kaede looked at him, as the single servant who was standing before them. His hair was cut short, as he noticed them.

Putting the broom aside, at least once he noticed them. Before coming before them.

"I"m sorry, for I didn"t know you were guests. Or that we were expecting them." The boy answered, as he led them inside. "We don"t have a lot of servants employed here."

"Well, it seems a little more welcoming." Kaede told her. As they followed the boy, because they didn"t know what this place will be like. And wandering around was a poor choice of action, unless their intentions had been to spy from the very beginning.

She was right, as their previous visit had been limited to mostly the courtyard. Without anyone guiding them. Although it was cleaner, but here it was just more inviting.

This was a small clan, with only some land given to their name. Although much of them was shrouded in mystery. But still a Samurai clan. Sitting outside, was a young girl with her hair tied into a ponytail. Sitting outside, as she looked at her books. Not the garden nor its fallen leaves.

On her kimono, a hinageshi was sewn into it. As she looked at the book, not paying her any attention. It didn"t matter to Sachiko, since she needed to find Sasaki. The less time wasted, the better it will be. That was the truth.

They were already waiting for her. "Sasaki-sama is waiting for you." A woman took over for the boy, dressed in mostly dark green. As she appeared, her hair twisted into a bun.

She looked to the servant. Perhaps a sign that he wasn"t the one to have come. Or it was left to someone else. But it didn"t matter since they were here.

Right in front of the room. Before she entered inside, the woman stopped Kaede from going further. As she looked at the man before her the moment she entered inside.

Dressed in a fine green kimono, with his hair tied into a topknot. He closed a book, before standing up. And bowing before her. She returned to the same level. Although in reality her clan was much higher.

But she knew that this was important. And it was better to show respect. And he looked up, without thinking that it was wrong.

Afterwards, they both took a seat. Neither saying a word, while waiting for the other to start. Not that she had much idea what to ask of him, or how to really do it. At least without being seen as rude.

"I guess you aren"t going to say anything unless I start." Because this is his house, after all. And he was in a position to negotiate far better, and she needed to guess what his terms were.

And how she can turn it to her advantage, as much as it was reasonable. And he was getting ready.

He came out with a shion flower for her. Rare as it was. And it was for her. She looked at it, fresh as it was. "A gift for you."

"I have nothing to return this, hence I can"t accept it." This was the last thing she thought he will give her.

"Take it. Besides, it goes as quickly as it is before." Pa.s.sing the flower to before her, on the table itself. The flower bloomed quite well, perhaps just a while ago before it was plucked. And she had to think of something to be able to return.

"Then why bother giving it as a gift, if it does not last." Pa.s.sing it back to the am.

"Things which fade quickly, tends to be the most beautiful." If those were his words, she didn"t think she could find anything to go against it.

"Quite true." If she said that it was anything but, she will be lying. And she couldn"t think of anything.

"So, you accept the flower?" Apart from the fact that it suited her, and the language of them was never something she made an effort to learn. Some of them she could remember but the shion was something she could not.

She nodded. Seeing that she should not be spending too much time on such trivial matters. As much as she wasn"t keen on accepting it.

Oboro opened the door. Bringing with her a set, dreading the time where she had to drink it. She will have appreciated it if it had a little more taste and it was sweeter.

But it was worth a shot. The taste was far stronger and sweeter. She placed it down. To her expectations, as much as she could guess what was his now.

Though she wondered, where he was heading into this. After all, it took quite some time. And she questioned why he had went through such a route to tell her this.

"Are you not going to ask me how I did it?" He said for a brief moment. And she knew that he could read her. Easily. Perhaps she needed to do more to hide it.

To have her emotions seen and read by someone, was weakness. Or was it a question that all will come to. Either way, he seemed to have expected her to ask it. Although she didn"t carry it. She burned it the first chance she could.

It was a letter that welcomed her. Despite it being clear that she was the only guest in the house.

"That is a certain question, but it doesn"t mean that I will ask it." Not counting the fact that he can twist those words in any way he could. And it was a terrible idea to ask questions from the person who was already waiting for her to come. Even before she stepped foot in the city.

Or was it something else. This suggested that it was far more than anything. "Well, I know Masaki quite well. And he was excited about your arrival."

And because he knew Masaki, he knew what the boy will do. Such as bringing her to that inn, which allowed him that chance. Regardless of how it became possible.

As much as she suspected about his connections. If it went to her family, and within the lowest district of Okiban. And how much more did it go into. If she could get him to his side, it will be far more useful.

"And of course I know about the Saitou clan and their problems." Even without Masaki knowing, he knew of the various secrets she wanted to keep hidden. "And I have to say, it isn"t something that a child can just deal with it."

Since the sudden death of her father, with the youth of Masaki. Both this made it possible for them to use this as a chance. And if he knew it, then he will know the implications.

As well as the fact that he was waiting for her to come here. A clear sign that it was his intention from the beginning. To make her come to him.

"So, are you willing to tell me?" He looked at her. Even if it seemed that it was just only the beginning.

"Do I?" Because he knew everything as it was. And there was not much point, but to truly confirm it. No, she doubted he will go to such an effort to invite her.

At least without that certainty.

"You could say that." He took his cup for another sip.

Might as well humor him. Because she didn"t want to take this far too long.

"Are you going to help Masaki?" To get back the t.i.tle as Daimyo. Nothing else, because it was clear that he will be the one who will inherit.

"Getting to the point?" He looked at her. Showing a reason why he was different. Very very different. Staring out the door.

It must have been Kaede who was trying to listen in. "You have a talented servant. Being able to dodge Oboro and all." As Kaede managed to do this without much of an issue. And why will it be?

Unless she wasn"t normal. As much as she knew that Kaede from the beginning wasn"t normal, at all. The moment Sachiko took her on to be her servant.

"Well, it seems that I have to reveal to you about that." Something that was shown, and something that Misaki expected her to know. But never explained. Nor did she seem keen to.

He on the other hand, was far more likely to do so. If he went to such lengths.

"Just tell me. I know that when I come here, you"re going to tell me something like this. It is just something that makes sense."

He smirked. A certain truth, that the moment she began, she will be knowing a secret. One which was best to be kept as such, and at the cost of anything. The price of her own life paled to this secret. And she has to carry it to the grave. "You can"t turn back."

If it had went to such degree to keep it hidden, in the background but hopefully never noticed. And she was going to know now. Something that was going to help her, and something that could also kill her. Finally, she managed to find an answer.

"If I did, I will have just saved myself the trouble of coming here and married anyone who promised to take the least bit of power from my family."

A NOTE FROM INTHEENDLESSMIDNIGHT

And this is the thirteenth chapter, and for once I found one of the hardest characters to ever write. No matter what. Although the plot and a a variety of reasons contributed, but mostly it was because of the way it had to be written. 

But there will be a birthday chapter, special for any of the characters here. And I"m in the midst of collaboration with an artist. And a pretty good one by all means. So, you might see artworks popping up sometime soon. 

And if you have enjoyed it please consider giving it a review or checking out my patreon. There will be more news, updates on that page than here, since I csnca send messages using RoyalRoad .Thanks for reading.