Yatagarasu Series
Volume 1:
Ravens Shouldn't
Wear Kimono
Author: Chisato Abe
Part 5: A New Spring;
Section 4
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The cherry blossoms were in full bloom.
The pale pink flowers floated on the evening breeze with the blue-gray sky as a backdrop. The blossoms were dots of light in the growing darkness, moving together in lines and waves.
The Crown Prince shivered. Moonlight held no warmth. “This must be what they call a ‘flower chill,’” he muttered.1 The cherry blossoms were dazzling in the cold light of the moon.
“Hey, you there, gourd-head!”2
The Crown Prince stopped in his tracks. He was standing in the hallway just outside the cherry blossom viewing stage. He had no memory of how he had reached this place. He’d spent some time walking idly after his conversation with the duchesses. His temper had flared for the first time in a long while, and he’d needed some time to cool off.
“Are you listening, idiot?” Hamayū asked, punctuating her question with a brief smack to the back of his head.
The Crown Prince suppressed a grin. “You should be more careful, you know,” he said. “Your status isn’t restored yet. What if the Yamauchishu were here and saw what you did? You’d be punished for disrespecting an imperial prince.”
“That’s exactly why I did it,” Hamayū said, folding her arms. She exuded an air of unquestionable authority. “At this point, what’s there to be afraid of? I have nothing left to lose, so I can do anything I want.”
“Is that how it is?”
“Yeah.”
They lapsed into a silence that started comfortable and gradually stretched to painful intensity. They looked at one another, scrutinizing each other’s faces.
“You got taller,” Hamayū said, breaking the silence.
“So did you.”
“Did you ever outgrow that shriveled gourd look?”
“Compared to my family, I think I’ve got a lot of gourd-shaping ahead of me.”
Hamayū nodded firmly. “Too bad. You’ll be a gourd-head for life, then.” She sighed: an exaggerated sound that expressed more humor than frustration.
“We spent ten years apart and you’ve been so mean to me,” he said. Like hers, his tone was light and humorous.
Hamayū’s expression turned sour. “When did you realize the truth?”
“Are you asking when I realized that the Duchess of Nanke was actually my childhood friend? Or when I realized that my former friend—always a bad influence—was a girl?”
“Both,” Hamayū said.
The Crown Prince laughed. “It’s been a long time, Sumi.”
“You haven’t changed at all, Nazukihiko. That’s a bit disappointing.” She slumped her shoulders. Someone should have corrected the Crown Prince’s ridiculous bad attitude by now.
“Maybe it’s not that I haven’t changed, but that I just haven’t grown up at all?”
“That might be it.”
The Crown Prince straightened his smile by force of will so that he wouldn’t laugh. “Anyway, as for your question about when—I knew from the very beginning.”
Hamayū raised an eyebrow.
“Well, I could tell you were a girl at first glance. I guessed that you were the daughter of the disinherited Lord of Nanke. It wasn’t that hard to figure out when I checked the family registry. While it’s not uncommon for someone to pretend to be a woman to avoid taxes, the opposite is quite rare.” He said all this calmly and matter-of-factly, as if he were expecting Hamayū to be suspicious. He’d figured all of this out about Hamayū when he was around seven years old.
Hamayū put her head in her hands. “So that means, even back then, you knew I was the daughter of the people who killed your mother.”
“Is that a problem?” Nazukihiko asked. “You didn’t kill her, and you never tried to kill me, so I see no reason to worry about that.”
Hamayū felt a headache coming on.
“And as for your appearance at Sakura Palace this year, it seems your uncle had no intention of hiding your true identity. I figured out who you were as soon as I heard your age.”
“How clever of you,” Hamayū spat, shooting Nazukihiko a sharp glance. “I thought you’d be smarter than this. Have you heard the military term, ‘surrounded on all sides?’ You’ve made enemies of all four imperial branch families. You could have allied yourself with Saike, but you chose not to.”
“No, this is fine. It’s just as I planned.”
Hamayū gave him a dubious look.
Nazukihiko placed both hands on the railing of the walkway he and Hamayū were on. He gazed down at the world below, his eyes shifting into that of his Golden Raven transformation. “The four families aren’t the only ones with power in these mountains,” he said. “Nor are they the only ones who can have it.”
Hamayū grasped his meaning immediately. She gasped.
Nazukihiko enjoyed her reaction out of the corner of his eye. Then he looked down at the world again. “Since my father’s time, the imperial family’s power has weakened. People have noticed it more since I became the Crown Prince, but imperial power has been eroding for quite some time. That can’t continue. My goal for now was to keep all four branch families in balance. If I had chosen any of the duchesses from the four families, that duchess’ family would gain the upper hand.
“That’s why you all but forced Masuho no Susuki to reject you?” Hamayū asked.
“I didn’t lie to her,” he said. “I can’t allow Saike to gain any power through association with me. I needed a way to get her to reject me while still preserving her honor. I couldn’t choose her as the Princess of Sakura Palace. It wasn’t her fault; I just couldn’t do it.” He said all this with the casualness of someone making small talk. “I said that I needed someone who can fulfill her duties as Empress. That wasn’t a lie, either. That’s exactly what I need. A qualified Empress.”
Hamayū looked up. Nazukihiko was looking directly into her eyes.
“I’m not in love with you,” he said. “I don’t think you’re special. That won’t change, even if we get married. I want you to understand that,” he said. “I’ll take as many concubines as I need to, and depending on the circumstances, I might even cast you aside. You will not be allowed to voice your dissatisfaction, nor will you be permitted to have a close relationship with any man other than me. You must suppress your own desires and live solely for my sake. If you are prepared to accept all of that—would you become my wife?”
“That’s the same speech you gave Masuho no Susuki.”
“Because I don’t want you to misunderstand me,” he said. “This marriage is a purely political decision. I’m not choosing you because I like you. I’m choosing you because I think it’s the best choice I can make in these circumstances.”
Hamayū searched his face for signs of embarrassment or insincerity, but he appeared serious. The tension between them was practically explosive.
“So, a political marriage, then. No emotions?” Hamayū asked.
“That’s right. That’s why I waited for Nadeshiko to come to Sakura Palace in your place.” He couldn’t ask Hamayū to marry him while she was still connected to Nanke. Now she was disinherited and free from her family’s influence.
“Understood. I accept,” Hamayū said. Her words were clear and decisive. “On one condition.”
Nazukihiko’s eyebrows shot up. “What condition?”
“I will accept all of your stipulations,” Hamayū said. “In fact, whether there are political reasons or not, if there is a woman you truly love, I think you should marry her without hesitation. Don’t consider my feelings at all in that case. I will allow you to drink, to see other women, even to gamble. There is only one thing I ask: when your final moments are upon you, please let me be the one to care for you.”
Hamayū knew that this was a selfish request. She wasn’t sure that it would be granted.
Meeting her gaze, Nazukihiko nodded solemnly. “I promise. It shall be so.”
Hamayū let out a long breath she’d held too long. She felt like a traveler sighing when arriving home after long years spent far away.
“My real name is Sumiko,” Hamayū said.
“Sumiko?” Nazukihiko asked. “That’s not particularly unique. But it’s a good name.” He bowed his head and said, “I look forward to working with you from now on.”
Sumiko didn’t know how to feel. A long chain of events had led up to this moment. She’d been swept along like driftwood in the chaotic whirlpool of the Crown Prince’s life. Her parents had assassinated his mother. She’d never imagined that she would become his wife. All she’d wanted when she was young was for him to be happy.
She was tired now, and for a moment, she let it show.
Then she spoke. “Am I your wife now?”
“That’s right.”
“That quick, huh? Is the issue of my social status resolved, then?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
Sumiko bit her lip. “Let me punch you. Just once.”
Almost at the exact moment she said that, there was a loud, sparking impact. Caught off guard, Nazukihiko fell over, pressing his hand to his cheek. His eyes opened wide in disbelief. “Wait… what? I thought you were in love with me!”
Sumiko grinned. Nazukihiko had no idea why she’d struck him, and she wasn’t about to enlighten him. “That just shows what you know about a woman’s heart, Your Imperial Highness.”
***
“What are you doing over there?” Masuho no Susuki called out. She’d been searching for the Crown Prince and Hamayū everywhere. She finally found them walking near the cherry blossom viewing stage.
The Crown Prince and Hamayū turned toward Masuho no Susuki simultaneously. Hamayū stood tall and proud and beaming while Nazukihiko hunched in on himself next to her, covering his reddening cheek with one hand. They saw her and then whispered something to one another.
What’s happening here? Masuho no Susuki thought, mildly disapproving.
“Is everything all right, Masuho no Susuki?” Hamayū asked. She ignored the embarrassed Crown Prince completely.
“Yes, everything is fine, but the Empress has summoned the Crown Prince.”
“The Empress?” the Crown Prince asked. “I shouldn’t keep her waiting. I’ll go.” He scratched the back of his head.
“Be careful,” Masuho no Susuki said.”
“I will,” the Crown Prince said. “If I’m in there too long, Masuho no Susuki, could you rescue me by making up some appropriate excuse?”
“Of course,” Masuho no Susuki said.
The Crown Prince walked briskly toward Wisteria Hall.
Masuho no Susuki sidled up to Hamayū. “So?” she asked.
“So… he asked me to marry him.”
“I knew it,” Masuho no Susuki said. “There was no other outcome. What did you say? Will you enter the imperial court?”
Hamayū shrugged. “He had me at a disadvantage. I didn’t have much choice, really. I don’t actually want to enter the imperial court, but there’s no other way forward now,” she grumbled.
Masuho no Susuki’s forehead creased. “It might be too soon to ask this, but are you okay? Saying you don’t want this concerns me. You don’t seem happy.”
The gears in Hamayū’s mind turned, yielding a rare and unexpected thought: Masuho no Susuki was her friend, and she was worried about her. Genuinely worried, and she wanted to help.
Hamayū laughed.
The skin over Masuho no Susuki’s cheekbones tightened in alarm. “What is it? What’s wrong now?”
“Nothing is wrong,” Hamayū said. “Up until a few hours ago, you were insisting to everyone that you and you alone would enter the imperial court.”
“Well,” Masuho no Susuki said with a huff, “it’s not like I knew what he was really like until today. But you knew, didn’t you? You knew everything. That’s why you didn’t want to marry him from the start.” Her eyes narrowed. “Perhaps all the devotion you’ve shown him has a unique motive.”
Hamayū shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. “You think I helped him as atonement for my parents’ crimes, don’t you?”
Masuho no Susuki hadn’t expected Hamayū to be so blunt. In retrospect, she should have. “Well, yes, something like that. I didn’t mean to bring up a sore spot.”
Hamayū gave Masuho no Susuki a quick, critical appraisal. She sighed theatrically. “The Crown Prince is a complete and utter simpleton,” she said. “If I were him, I’d have married you in a heartbeat.”
This teasing remark made Masuho no Susuki blush scarlet. “Stop joking,” she said. “All your jokes are terrible.” She put her hands on her hips and stood tall. “Anyway, my promise still stands. You’re entering the imperial court, and I will be your attendant.”
“You were serious about that?” Hamayū asked.
“Of course I was,” Masuho no Susuki said. “So, what will you do? If you’re truly entering the imperial court as some kind of atonement, then I’ll consider my own service accordingly. To be sincere in my oath, I should serve you personally, not the imperial family as a whole.”
Hamayū gave her a tentative, but genuine smile. “It’s true that there’s an aspect of atonement in what I’m doing.”
Masuho no Susuki frowned slightly. “What aspect?”
“I owe him a debt because of what my parents did to his mother,” Hamayū said lightly. “That’s all there is to it. Don’t worry too much about me,” she said.
Masuho no Susuki’s frown did not budge.
Hamayū adopted an attitude of good cheer. “He’s not usually as bad as he was today. He’s the opposite of Asebi. He doesn’t care how others see him, so he winds up being too honest and offending everyone.”
Masuho no Susuki appeared unconvinced.
Hamayū laughed again. “I think you’ll come to understand him, sooner or later. Whether you like it or not.” She lowered her voice. “I’ll tell you a secret. He has it in him to weep for his parents’ murderers. He has that kind of heart. Don’t you think that’s tragic and painful?”
Masuho no Susuki blinked. She felt like Hamayū had just lifted the curtain up on a corner of her past. She was humbled and privileged to receive that little piece of Hamayū. Hamayū was usually so guarded. She hadn’t expected Hamayū to confide in her.
“We should probably go,” Masuho no Susuki said. “The Empress has tried to kill the Crown Prince several times before, so we can’t leave them alone together for too long.”
“True enough,” Hamayū said. Her face hardened. “You’ve heard about his illnesses in childhood, right? I heard plenty of rumors in Sakura Palace that he’s weak and infirm, but that isn’t true. Whenever he was away from the palace, he never had any problems at all. His health only worsened when he was served meals by the Empress’ attendants.”
Masuho no Susuki’s face turned color. Her lips pursed like she was sucking on a lemon.
Hamayū nodded at her in sympathy. “You should be careful, too. I don’t recommend lingering in the Empress’ private chambers.”
***
“What are your intentions?”
Empress Oumurasaki’s private receiving room was full of stagnant, sweet-smelling air. A single lantern lit the cavernous space. The curtains were open, but it was full dark and the moon shed little light.
The Crown Prince watched smoke rise from an incense burner and tried to breathe as shallowly as he could. “Intentions? I intend to wed your niece. Surely that’s quite obvious.” He used the same calm, emotionless tone he’d used while speaking in Wisteria Hall earlier in the day. His demeanor lacked its previous coldness and cruelty. To an outside observer, he would appear carefree and perfectly content.
The Empress snapped her fan closed before her face. “Duchess Hamayū was disinherited,” she said. “She is no longer connected to Nanke in any way that matters. She is not a suitable bride for you. To take her as your wife would be an insult to Hokke, Saike, Touke and Nanke. You would be rejecting all the duchesses that were sent. It would be a disgrace.”
“Yes, you’re right,” the Crown Prince said, nodding in cheerful agreement. “The lords of the four families will be furious, or perhaps confused, and they’ll make fools of themselves. But what of it? Let them complain as they wish. Have you forgotten? The four houses serve the imperial family, not the other way around. Why should I have to change my mind just to appease them?”
“You are arrogant,” the Empress said. “You think you can do anything by your own will. If you make that mistake, be prepared to suffer a painful backlash.” Her tone was scornful and mocking. Any other listener would cower and tremble and do exactly as she said, but the Crown Prince was used to her. She didn’t frighten him any longer.
The slight smile on his face broadened, becoming a challenge. “I am arrogant? You accuse me of such and not the lords of the four houses who seek to overstep their place?” He emphasized his point by leaning forward. His smile was huge and terrifying. “Take your niece as an example. She was sent here as a direct affront to me and the imperial family. Her parents murdered my mother, and you still allowed her to come to Sakura Palace. If this were made public, the rest of the imperial court would condemn you harshly.”
“That girl,” the Empress snarled, but then she paused. “It is not your place to speak of her in such a manner. Not when you have chosen her as your bride. You are bringing her into the imperial court yourself, despite these flaws in her.”
“You are quite right. On this matter, I shall hold my tongue. But there were other issues among the duchesses sent as well,” he said. “During the physiognomy stage, you knew that Asebi did not have the qualifications to enter the palace, and yet you deliberately overlooked that and let her come. Why?”
Empress Oumurasaki laughed as if she found the Crown Prince amusing. “The karasudayū I had my eye on performed even better than I expected,” she said.
The Crown Prince’s eyes narrowed. “You have peculiar tastes, Empress.”
“Do you know the stories that the commoners tell of karasudayū?” the Empress asked. “In Sakura Palace and the imperial court, karasudayū are invariably figures of ridicule. That is not the case in the commoners’ stories. Curiously, the main tale they tell is about a brother and sister. In the tale, the brother, who is older, falls in love with a noble lady. By chance, the Crown Prince of all the land also falls in love with the sister. However, the noble lady’s heart turns toward the Crown Prince, and he rejects the commoner girl and is swayed by the lady’s affections. In the end, the brother and sister each meet tragic ends at the hands of those they once loved. The story of the karasudayū among commoners is a tragedy, not a comedy.
“I don’t say that there’s any truth in these stories or not. After all, the karasudayū is a matter of ancient legend. I honestly think it’s foolish to call anyone a karasudayū.”
“Enough talk of impostors and tragedy,” the Crown Prince said. “The imperial family must regain its previous authority. Far too few of our people are aware of our role as imperials.”
“If you are speaking of Fujinami or Takimoto’s missteps, that is outside your purview,” the Empress said testily. “Internal matters are handled within Sakura Palace. Your interference would be unwelcome.”
“I was not speaking of my sister or her attendant, at least not primarily,” the Crown Prince said. “It is true that my sister has lost sight of her role and purpose, but I am more concerned that you yourself are lacking that perspective.” He smiled at her, mocking this time. “You do not act like an Empress. You are still a Nanke at heart. That is why you seek to disinherit me and marry your son to Nadeshiko.”
The Empress remained silent in the face of this accusation.
“That is why I have deliberately chosen Hamayū to be my wife. Now do you understand why?” he asked.
The Empress still didn’t speak. She stayed still behind her bamboo screen.
This was a clear threat. Within Yamauchi, the four branch families possessed great power, but so did the imperial family. Nazukihiko had been hailed as the Golden Raven practically from birth. He was the Emperor’s true heir. He had support, and he could gain more easily. If he rose to his father’s place before the Empress’ plans came to fruition, then all her scheming would be for naught.
The Empress and the Crown Prince sat in tense silence for a few moments. Footsteps interrupted their concentration.
“Nazukihiko!” a man called out. He wore only a light robe over his shoulders with a feather robe beneath it. His distinguished face was pale. Cold sweat stood out on his forehead.
“Father,” the Crown Prince said, bowing his head. “It’s been a long time.”
The Emperor was Asebi’s third correspondent.
“I heard that someone is to enter the imperial court. Who is it?” the Emperor asked.
“I chose Hamayū. She is not claimed by any of the four families, and she has no rank.” I certainly wasn’t going to choose Asebi, he thought. He glared at his father. “It was incredibly reckless for you to write to the Duchess of Touke. Even Fujinami was troubled by what you did. Ukigumo and Asebi are not at all the same. To seek the answer you could not get from Ukigumo from Asebi instead is unreasonable.”
The Emperor bit his lower lip in irritation.
The Crown Prince donned his mask of imposed indifference.
A lady-in-waiting hovered in the doorway, bowing deeply. Noticing her beautifully colored hair, he realized that someone had come to fetch him. He was rescued.
“Well then, I will take my leave. Why not use this rare opportunity to have a conversation together as husband and wife?”
The Crown Prince turned on his heel and fled, following after Masuho no Susuki as fast as his legs would carry him. When he was finally out of sight of the Emperor and Empress, he let out a huge sigh of relief.
***
“His Majesty the Emperor was utterly captivated by Ukigumo,” the Crown Prince told Masuho no Susuki. They were in the hallway that led from the Empress’ private rooms to Wisteria Hall.
Masuho no Susuki looked like she wanted to ask a question. The Crown Prince kept talking to forestall her. “The Empress outmaneuvered her. Ukigumo was sent back to her family home, and she and the Emperor couldn’t meet for awhile. When they were finally able to see each other more frequently, His Majesty—the Crown Prince at the time—undoubtedly intended to welcome Ukigumo as a concubine. Before that could happen, Ukigumo became pregnant.”
Masuho no Susuki gasped in surprise, her voice trembling as she asked, “Then, Asebi… is she the Emperor’s daughter?”
“That is what was believed—at least, at first. When Ukogi learned of the pregnancy, she was so overjoyed that she made a great commotion about it. But here was no call for Ukigumo to enter the imperial court. On the contrary, the Crown Prince, who used to visit frequently, stopped coming to see her after that. The child was not the Emperor’s.”
Masuho no Susuki was stunned.
“No one knows who the father is,” the Crown Prince said. “Ukigumo was unable to enter the imperial court, so it was decided that she would become the concubine of the Lord of Touke instead.”
“Then…” Masuho no Susuki caught her breath. “Did the Lord of Touke know from the start that Asebi was not his child?”
“Of course,” the Crown Prince said. “That man is quite cunning. He must have been wary of Asebi. He probably thought he couldn’t risk a repeat of what happened with her mother.”
There had been nothing wrong with Asebi physically, but the Lord of Touke had always claimed that she had a weak constitution. He used that excuse to isolate Asebi and Ukogi, the lady-in-waiting who had served her mother. In the end, though, his plans proved fruitless. Asebi had tricked her way out of her isolated surroundings and had come to Sakura Palace in her sister’s place.
“If only the Emperor were as clear-headed and thick-skinned as the Lord of Touke,” the Crown Prince said. “He’s terribly shy and full of self-doubt, so much that it’s a problem. To fill the void left by losing Ukigumo, he suddenly took a new concubine and had more children. That’s why me and Fujinami were born.”
“Even after all this time, the Emperor sent a letter to Asebi? Why?”
“I think he just couldn’t give up on Ukigumo,” the Crown Prince said. “He chases the image of his lost beloved in her daughter.”
The heaviness of the sad past settled over the Crown Prince and Masuho no Susuki for a moment.
So this is the truth, Masuho no Susuki thought. It was hard to hear. “I’m curious. You don’t have to tell me, though. I just want to know… how did Ukigumo die?”
“She was murdered,” the Crown Prince said.
“She was?” Masuho no Susuki’s voice cracked from surprise. She stopped walking.
The Crown Prince kept walking ahead of her. “She was stabbed by one of her servants,” he said. “When she went outside to see the cherry blossoms, the servant ran her through with a kitchen knife.”
“Why would something like that happen?”
“Ukigumo was famous for her beautiful black hair. The servant who stabbed her had unusual light brown hair.”
Masuho no Susuki said nothing to this revelation. There was nothing to say. She and the Crown Prince walked in silence for a short while.
“You know,” Masuho no Susuki said, “I’ve heard that my mother and Ukigumo were close. She must have been out of Sakura Palace by then, since from what I can remember, Fujinami was already born.”
There had been much discussion over who should be Princess Fujinami’s feather mother. The candidates being considered were Ukigumo and the wife of the Lord of Nanke at the time.
“I met Hamayū’s mother once. She didn’t really resemble Hamayū, and honestly, she didn’t leave a powerful impression on me.”
Nazukihiko shrugged. “The Lord of Nanke’s wife was petty and capable of all manner of harassment, but from all accounts, she wasn’t a murderer.”
Masuho no Susuki raised an eyebrow. It was well-known to both of them that Hamayū’s parents had murdered Izayoi.
“The poison that took my mother’s life, in small amounts, can be mixed into incense as a sleeping aid,” the Crown Prince said. “If used in large quantities, it causes illness. Normally, it just makes one feel unwell, but if someone is already weakened—like just after childbirth—the situation changes. If it’s used then, it can cause such deep sleep that the person never wakes up again.”
“That poison… you’re talking about karon, aren’t you?” Masuho no Susuki asked.
Karon could only be found in Nanke territory. The lingering scent at Izayoi’s bedside had been caused by burning incense with karon in it. Since only the Nanke family could easily procure karon, the Lord of Nanke and his wife found themselves in quite a predicament.
“I heard that the Lord of Nanke’s wife sent Izayoi the incense when I was small, but when I got older, I felt like something was off about that story. I found out that Hamayū’s mother had ordered a small quantity of karon-laced incense, but she didn’t send it to Izayoi. She sent it to Ukigumo, who was competing to be Fujinami’s feather mother at the time. For some reason, Ukigumo never used the incense. It ended up in Izayoi’s hands right after she’d given birth.
“After that…” The Crown Prince shrugged. “It’s been so long. It’s impossible to know what really happened now.”
“Maybe not, but it sounds like you’re saying there’s a chance that Hamayū’s parents might have been innocent,” Masuho no Susuki said.
It was well known that the current Lord of Nanke had never gotten along with his older brother. It seemed plausible that the younger brother would use some scheme to get the older brother out of the way.
“If Hamayū found out, what would she say?”
The Crown Prince stopped dead in his tracks. “Is this something she needs to know?” he asked.
Masuho no Susuki wondered what he meant. Hamayū was greatly perturbed by what her parents had done—or at least, by what she thought they’d done. She also cared deeply for the Crown Prince. She was sure that if Hamayū heard this story about her parents, she would be happy and relieved. She would be able to be with the Crown Prince without any feelings of guilt or obligation. Why would the Crown Prince choose to take advantage of Hamayū’s negative feelings about her parents and herself? That was unforgivable.
Masuho no Susuki took a deep, cleansing breath. She was about to shout at the Crown Prince until he bent to her will when she noticed the look on his face. He appeared helpless, almost pitiful. She couldn’t stay enraged with him when he looked at her like that.
“There’s just one more thing I want to ask you,” she said.
“What is it?” he asked hoarsely.
“What do you think about Asebi and her mother?”
He was surprised by the question, but he still answered her. “Asebi believes in her own innocence, no matter what anyone else says. I’m sure her mother was the same. No matter how much misfortune befalls those around them, they alone will always be happy.” That was one reason he hadn’t chosen Asebi. One reason among many. “I wish that the happiness of Asebi and Ukigumo didn’t bring so much unhappiness to others. That’s what I think about them. In any case, Ukigumo is dead now. It’s a sad state of affairs.”
Masuho no Susuki sighed. Hamayū was right: the Crown Prince and Asebi were polar opposites in every way. Perhaps Hamayū’s understanding of him was enough.
They were approaching the cherry blossom viewing stage. Hamayū was waiting for them there.
On impulse, Masuho no Susuki turned to the Crown Prince and said, “By the way… Asebi said you smiled at someone when you came to see the cherry blossoms last year. Who were you smiling at?”
“I wonder,” he said. “I’ve forgotten all about that.”
Hamayū had gotten impatient with their pace and was walking toward them down the hallway.
Nazukihiko smiled, his face free of cares or trouble, and ran to meet her.
Translator's Notes
1 花冷え: “Flower chill,” hanabie, refers to cold spring weather reminiscent of winter. The idiom is formed of 花, hana, meaning “flower,” and 冷え hie (_bie_ in compounds), meaning “cold” or “chilly.” ↩
2 Hamayū’s insult (pet name?) is 瓢箪末生り, byoutan uranari. Byoutan means “gourd.” Uranari refers to an underdeveloped or late-blooming gourd, and is sometimes used metaphorically to mean someone who is overshadowed or not fully matured.↩
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