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—”

""

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.

“——This 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.

“——Takafuyu-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——”

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—fell 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—I 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—no, 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—but 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——

“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—I am speaking quite roughly here—are 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. ——I’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. ——The 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——”

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—I 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.

Footnotes