[Part 2/4]
"It was my fault for touching you unintentionally, miss. Your apologies are unnecessary. ...You are a member of the Onitsuki family, correct?"
"Um, yes. And, um, who are you...?"
Tamaki corrected herself from almost saying "yeah" and observed the man's appearance. She realized belatedly that the person she was speaking to wasn't just a landlord or a wealthy merchant; he was clearly not of the same status as her.
"From Saeki-kuni. I serve as an assistant to Lord. My name is Tomono. Please make my acquaintance."
The man, who could not have been more than 30 years old, bows reverently once more as he states his name and identity.
"Member of the Onitsuki family, Hotoya Tamaki. ...You don't have to introduce yourself before me."
Although their positions weren't significantly different, it would still be discourteous for Tamaki to have the other person introduce themselves without doing so herself. Tamaki also introduced herself and simultaneously offered him the right to use the chopsticks.
"Thank you. ...It's because of a request from the Princess."
As he spoke, he took three or four pieces of the "Muginawa" confectionery onto his plate, nodded, and then left.
"Princess?"
"Princess of the Saeki White Dog Clan. Look, over there..."
As Tamaki pondered the Ezo man's words, Kochou pointed toward a certain spot. At the corner of the banquet hall, where the solemn-faced Ezo individuals were gathered, there was a bamboo blind placed.
Reflected within the bamboo blind was a small figure, which Kochou indicated.
"Is that...?"
"Princess Tamamo... was it?"
Saeki Tamamo... Princess Tamamo. The daughter of Lord Saeki, or the leader of the Saeki White Dog Clan. She was surrounded by her attendants and vassals, and although she had exchanged greetings with the officials of the Shiromoki Kan-city and the head of the Onitsuki family through the bamboo blind, she remained seated, seldom engaging in conversation, and only occasionally partook of tea and sweets.
"She's holding herself quite high, isn't she? She even prevented me from greeting her. A mere barbarian princess of Ezo."
Kochou's muttered words were tinged with a slight annoyance, her mouth covered by her sleeve. In Fusō-kuni culture, greetings held great importance. For Kochou, the fact that her own initiative to greet the princess had been thwarted by the surrounding vassals was enough to wound her pride.
"That's..."
With Kochou's dissatisfaction, Tamaki couldn't immediately agree. Even Tamaki remembered the stories she had heard in her bed when she was young. For those in the northern region, Ezo was as much a cause for caution as youkai, and even if they were fellow morning court officials, prejudices couldn't be completely erased. Tamaki understood that perspective. But... for Tamaki, who also had Ezo as a dear friend, she couldn't bring herself to nod even just superficially at words that scorned her solely based on her origins.
"Hey, Tamaki-san. Do you know why that Ezo army is accompanying the princess?"
"Huh...?"
Whether knowing Tamaki's inner thoughts or not, Kochou suddenly asked Tamaki with an intrigued expression, drawing closer to her face.
"Officially, that army stationed in the vacant lots of the city is said to be for the defense of the central region, but in reality, it's for the princess's protection."
"Protection?"
"Yes... protection for the princess offered as a tribute to the Emperor."
In her exposé, tinged with disdain, Kochou revealed this information, causing Tamaki to widen her eyes in surprise.
"!!? B-But, I believe the current Emperor..."
Seiri Emperor, the reigning Emperor of Fusō-kuni, was said to be not much older than Tamaki. After the sudden death of the previous Emperor, the direct descendant infant was presented as the new Emperor. Serving merely as puppets for the Daijin (court officials who serve near the emperor), they were known facts.
However, that was the case for most of the past Emperors, so it wasn't a significant problem in itself. What drew more attention was the vacancy in the position of Empress, or what was called Chūgū.
Due to the Emperor's young age at his enthronement, it was also a reason. If the young Emperor were to die unexpectedly, having an Empress could become a burden. There weren't many princesses suitable to become Empresses.
Even after the worry about the young Emperor's death diminished, the vacant position was a result of political struggles. Promising courtiers restrained each other, resulting in a continuous lack of Empress. Even the inner palace was nearly empty, and its comings and goings were scarce.
"...There are various rumors, you know? Like she actually has a secret lover. Or that princesses who had secret trysts with men are dying suspiciously one after another. Some even say she has unusual interests..."
Whether it was the princess's sexual nature or her human nature, Kochou whispered with amusement into Tamaki's ear, amidst the surrounding noise, although it might not be heard clearly, the topic was quite daring.
"Um... th-that is..."
"So? There's never been an Ezo girl who entered the inner palace, let alone became an Empress. Rumor has it that Minister of the Left and the Ezo chieftains had discussions. As a price for sending troops, the princess was offered to the Emperor as a bride. They say the Minister of the Left who brought up the issue reported the answer, and it caused quite a commotion in the public deliberations..."
Especially the official court who also held the position of Kanpaku (like regent) and the Minister of the Right expressed opposition... but in the end, they agreed not to make her Empress, but to have her enter the inner palace.
"Anyway, it's not an interesting story for the Ezo folks, is it? Maybe that's the reason for the princess's attitude?"
"Well, that makes sense..."
With a final snort that seemed to mock, Kochou concluded her explanation. Tamaki couldn't firmly express her stance and could only answer cautiously. As she responded, she glanced sideways again at the bamboo blind. The man from earlier was offering a plate to the princess. A delicate figure received the plate through the gap in the bamboo blind...
"..."
Thinking about the weight that rested on that figure, Tamaki couldn't help but feel sympathy. It might be a disrespectful thought, but she somehow connected it to her own burdened feelings.
...Tomorrow, she would have a candid discussion with Suzune. Tamaki decided as she took a deep breath.
Surely, compared to what might be in that princess's heart, her own situation was still more fortunate...
'Brother, brother...'
'Mm, what is it? Yukine?'
A winter draft blew through, in a tattered and worn hut of poor farmers. A young girl was invading a person's territory in his bedroom, clinging in a sweet manner. Speaking with a slightly lisping voice.
'Brother... mm. Come, here, now!!'
Seeking the warmth of her older brother, she half-forced her way under the straw blanket. This had become somewhat of a customary indulgence for her, especially as winter mornings drew near.
Because her older brother would leave the house early in the morning, only returning when it was late at night, completely exhausted and with a frozen body. He would want to sleep as long as possible, and especially loathe having his hard-earned warmth stolen by a freeloading layabout like her. At least, she couldn't completely swallow the dissatisfaction that sprouted in her heart.
'Really... you're such a hopeless girl.'
That's why Yukine respected her older brother. At least, in times like this, he would never reject her. Back then, she was unaware of his hardships and had indulged herself, relied on him, and leaned on him without knowing a thing.
'Yay!!'
Her brother sighed and reluctantly agreed. She nestled into her older brother's embrace under the blanket, her innocent smile lighting up her face. Wrapped in the comfort of her complete sense of security, she trusted him more than anyone else. In that moment, she would peacefully drift off to sleep.
...But she couldn't sleep.
'...Is this how you're going to live, putting everyone else at risk?'
'Brother?'
Her voice trembled in the freezing depths, escaping her unintentionally. Without even understanding the meaning of the words spoken to her, she looked up at her brother with a solid smile on her face. She tilted her head.
Her brother's expression seemed as though it had been dug up with a spade, completely unlike before.
'Hu...!? '
A sudden situation caused her to let out a breathless scream. She froze, shaken, confused, and fearful. She couldn't move. There was no way she could move. She had relied on her family, on her brother, in every possible way, so she couldn't react to this situation on the spot.
'It's not surprising, is it? After all, you never even bothered to remember my face.'
'B-Brother...?'
Despite having no mouth, her brother's voice echoed. It sounded careless, annoyed, and almost spat out. Accusatory words, condemning words, made the young girl slump. She had never imagined her older brother would say such things to her.
'You were always like this, right? Always nagging me for food, playing with me when I was tired, even eating a second helping of rice the day before I disappeared without knowing a thing...'
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