"Opium?"
Jikouji repeated in disbelief.
"Exactly. These women are currently under the influence of this little brown powder. Now… Isabella, I can assume from how you've been responding to my questions that you will not be cooperating? That's fine. But your master Toda is dead. It's foolish to keep up this pretence."
Her eyes widened at the mention of Toda's death.
"Dead..? But how..? He-"
She looked back from Gengyo, and then toward Nakatane.
"It can't be…"
She whispered.
"Your thoughts are correct. That man is the honourable Niwa Nakatane. He delivered Toda a crushing defeat, and ended his life."
He toyed with the jar, replacing its lid and holding it loosely. He could see traces of anxiety present on Isabella's face as he treated it so casually, threatening to drop it at times.
