The moment she looked upon Mutsu, she felt as though it was from Mamoru. And yet it was not, as it seemed that he was here to merely get Masaki back after he gotten lost. Still, there was something about the others who helped him that put her on edge. Especially the girl with black hair, even as she seemed the most normal of them all.
One was a boy around Masaki's age, with blue hair. While the other was a red headed girl. And yet of them all, she found the least unusual unsettling. As though this was not their first time meeting, even without exchanging a single glance. But she was leaving, and she was unlikely to ever come back.
So she could assure herself on that at the very least, without any worries that it might change in an instance. When it was, there was no words between them. Sachiko gave a raised eyebrow but allowed them privacy since Mutsu was the one who brought back her brother after all. She gave a smile to her, which was a sign of approval.
She took her brother to her quarters, which was a part of the compound. Since there were few servants in this place, she was given her own room. Bringing Mutsu to her room where she heated up some tea before they were ready.
"The girl who you were looking at, her name is Masami." Even if it didn't seem connected to anyone but it was better than nothing.
"Hime-sama said that if it is too late he can stay for the night."
"Thank you." Even as she knew that Mamoru will berate her for letting such a thing pass, but still she could not hold herself back from trying. Meeting with Mutsu was going to be tough, and a moment like this to come could be years before it happened.
Kagura went out before giving Mutsu another glance, she knew that it was not out of any particular gratitude but a little suspicion. Although Mutsu did not guess it when he saw her, merely knowing that she did not like him.
"How did you meet them?"
"Not too long ago, and they were lost in our district with Masaki." Whom was wearing clothes which anyone will easily guess that he might have been a merchant's son or even more. It was simple, but still made of far better fabric than what most could even afford on their wage in a year.
"Well, that was smart of you."
"Mamoru-sama did told me to help if it was suitable for me to do so." She gave a shook of her own head. But still, coincidence or not it was nice to be with him. It has been a long time she managed to spend time with him alone.
"Just be more careful." Since Mutsu picked up some interesting guests to be here. However she knew that he did what he thought was best and nothing could do change it.
"Why?"
"It's nothing really." She was not even certain just how and what was it about the girl that unsettled her. Even then, she did not even have a name. However if she was lost, then she could not have been here for long either. It was easy enough to make that deduction, since Mutsu will not tell her lies.
"Is there anything you wish for me to bring back to Mamoru-sama?"
"I do have a letter." Although one which she had not written yet. But it was good that he offered for her. And it was good too, since she will not need to find another way to tell him about anything. "But I need to write one."
"Sure thing. Should I get some ink?"
"I have some in my room." Even as she knew that her writing will need time to be read by Mamoru, but she could do it if she focused. For this, she needed to write about it. There was something that still bothered her about the girl, but to talk to Mamoru was better option than before. He will not take it seriously but neither will he forget it. Certain things were best if Mutsu was not told, and highly ambiguous suspicions were among them.
He brought it to her. "I'm not going to write now, maybe later."
Before he gave a smile to her. "Anyway, I'm going to bring some dinner with me as you must be hungry." He gave a nod of his head. Making it rather clear that he indeed was. She went outside to the kitchen which was anything but full at this point.
The kitchen was a little further, and she asked two portions from the cook. As she waited, when she looked outside in the shed. Inside there were many portraits hidden away. Inside was a large one, of a girl who was rather pale, and small. She had small eyes, by all means a small face. But most importantly, Sachiko as she knew it had hazel eyes, while she had normal brown ones.
They looked almost nothing alike. Even when she thought that it was possible she simply outgrew it. But no one could have nothing in common with their childhood portrait. They looked as though they were two different girls entirely, albeit one was indeed sickly. This Sachiko looked frail, thin and pale. She seemed a little gaunt, quite unlike the robust mistress she served. And she was rather small given that she was eleven at the time this was taken.
"That is a portrait of Hime-sama." The woman passed her the two bowls and asked her to head back. And even when she compared her to her family, they seemed rather different. She thought that Masaki probably took after his mother while Sachiko favored her father, but now she could not even tell they were related.
"You might want to watch your step." She stopped for a moment. As she almost tripped over a small stone. But still, this was incredibly odd to have this occur. She returned to the her room, and Mutsu looked at in hunger. She gave a smile as he devoured it, while she ate it with everything in mind. "Well, if you find anything strange you can talk with me."
Even as the servants always seemed shifty around her, all with the exception of Kagura. And she had never met her father either. This was something that she was curious about either, but she had to look into it. Maybe there was something that could benefit her society. She returned back with dinner, where Mutsu was more than happy to devour it all.
Even as she ignored most of her food. Where she was thinking about what all of this went at the end.
"Is anything wrong?"
"I'm just thinking about what am I going to write in the letter." At this rate, Mamoru might come down personally to just try and understand what happened. Or figure out what was going on behind the Saitou clan. Now that she did think about it, it was only in the past few years they focused on spy network. Mamoru even mentioned that before that they were a respectable and powerful family.
"You need to eat, or is it not to your taste." Even though they were exactly the same food. She shook her own head and picked up the chopsticks and began to eat. He was right, even if she was likely to include quite a lot in the letter. She might even need to include a portrait.
Shinrou looked at the night sky, mostly doing so for most of the night until he was tired. Without anyone to talk to, the only thing he could do was mostly counting the stars in the sky. The same way that he did for her when she had no one to talk to. It made him remember many memories, some of which he rather not remember.
Even drinking was not going to remove it. All the people that he chose to leave behind, even when he preferred not to. Before he heard footsteps once more, he took the blade the moment he heard it. Looking up, this time around it was still the same of them. They could try and make this work, while looking for the perfect chance to attack them.
As they came down, he chose to shoot down the man in the leg, have him fall into the bush. Which will help to hide the noise, and as he went over and dragged the man into a room. And closed a door, before he hid himself from others. Merely taking the chance to see what sort of search they are attempting this time around. The last time had been fruitless, not that they will have been successful at any point.
Still, he did not have much faith they could find anything. Given that Sasaki knew next to nothing on Kazuho in the first place, as well as not knowing that Kazuho hid his things very very well. Unless it was someone close to him, it will be hard for them to know. And in the whole time, Yuki did not know hence neither did Enyou either.
He mostly hid and let them get caught up in their traps, which was easy enough and will draw their attention away thinking that they were lucky the last time and this time there was more traps against them. And to give the hint that there was someone here. If anything, all seemed to be working in trying to draw the real culprit out. Even as he knew that doing it alone was foolish but he was without anyone but he was without much choices.
If anything, he will need to count upon the messenger reaching them in time. He had left for two days, and he knew that Kazuho will not have disclosed his location. It will have been foolish to let him know where he was. Hence, taking time was expected. If anything, he did take a picture of the man to help with it at least.
He had knocked him out, although not binding him but he sealed the windows and locked the door. So there was no way that he could leave, even if he wondered whether he should wait until they left to open the windows. But he doubted it was long as they will prefer to not be seen after all. He mostly hid there, and shifted to another side of the place when they were close.
When they left, he opened the door to see an unconscious man. Before he decided to tie him up, and secured him. While he took a sip of the sake and looked outside to see if anyone returned.
"Where am I?"
"Looks like someone woke up." He gave a smirk to the man, as the man realized when he tried to squirm out of the rope. And Shinrou merely sat there, knowing that he will not get away no matter what. And there wasn't any way to escape this at all, by death or running away.
"There shouldn't have been anyone here."
"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you merely ask some questions." The man squirmed further before he tried to bite his teeth. Where he simply held a small pill in his hands, which were used to commit suicide should the mission turn out like this. "Don't think I don't know your tricks."
"I won't tell." Although he had no torture tools with him, but he could still make his life difficult to bear. If there was anything he was quite bad at, it will have been perfect to make him suffer. Which gave him an idea. And so he picked up the remaining bottle and began to drink. Deciding that tonight was the best time to sing.
The man only had the feeling that he was not in for a good time, but not what was coming next. And Shinrou had been forbidden to do so, no matter where he was because of his awful voice. Which Kazuho once said reminded him of a screaming bear, which meant that he could deafen him. But it was a risk worth taking.