Ever since that traumatic morning when the head maid announced the merchant's sudden death, a chilling quietness permeated throughout the house. In the middle of a beautiful spring season, the hallways and rooms of the mansion felt like a dark cold winter night, as everyone was appropriately in mourning.
The funeral for Yuichiro Kudo was slated for ten-thirty A.M on the Friday following his untimely death. Despite how out of her wits she was and this uncanny feeling that this unreal world she was living in was out to mess with her, Hina had begun the preparations for a memorial service, but the head maid who was back to being her usual annoying robotic calm self had suddenly insisted on orchestrating the merchant's funeral. She seamlessly took charge of all the needed plannings; from the type of coffin to get, the detail flowering and who to invite. Whatever the reason, Hina was very much relieved and grateful to have the head maid blow in and handle all the work.
Tanaka, still struggling with her reeling emotions, had refused to come out of her room since that shocking breakfast. She had isolated herself in her chambers, locking the doors and barely eating anything the maids kept in front of her door as instructed by the head maid. Whilst Hina, with her apparent lack of emotion had been trying to persuade Tanaka to open up her room door. To at least eat something or talk to her but a silent response was always the reply she got.
As for the details surrounding the arrangement burial of her 'husband', she was indifferent about how he was to be interred. Memorial service, funeral service, family and friends, guests and flowers... none of it mattered to her right now, although the head maid had kept her apprised on every step of the way.
When Thursday evening came around, the merchant's first daughter, Marie, arrived at the estates with her husband and their five-year-old son. Marie was a petite woman, dark brown curly hair and blue-eyed much like Tanaka's, which Hina assumed they had gotten from their mother. But unlike Tanaka who was smooth and socially- refined, Marie appeared to have rough edges and had a propensity to stare at people a bit too hard, leaving no room for any sort of social comfort. She had stared down at Hina the very moment she laid her eyes on the young woman who the head maid had introduced to her as 'the lady of the house', and Hina could tell that there would be no friendly chitchat and slumber parties between them. Not like she cared about such trivial things.
Unfortunately, she had decided to stay at the family house for a few days with her husband and child as there were many rooms to spare, including her previous one which was dusted and well cleaned up for her use.
Friday came along and Hina was awoken by her maids before the sun had fully crested the horizon.
"What about Tanaka? She hasn't eaten anything in days. I should go and check up on her" Hina mumbled as she got out of bed, hoping that Tanny would not decide to miss her father's funeral while cooped up in her room only to end up regretting it.
"Lady Tanaka is fine. She eventually unlocked her room door late last night and even ate some porridge. It seems lady Marie was able to talk her into doing so." Suki relayed the news to her.
"Oh really? It's good to hear that. Seeing how she listened to her sister so well, the two must've been very close. I was worried she would still be locked up in her room"
"You've been so fixated on lady Tanaka's well being that you've barely taken care of yourself, lady Hina" Suki complained, "don't think I haven't noticed how little you eat, especially since you got back from the hospital. Yesterday, you didn't even touch your steak which is one of your favourite dishes!" she bristled.
"Is that so? I didn't notice. I probably just don't have much of an appetite" Hina said in an attempt to make an excuse.
"I know you must be feeling very down right now but please pay more attention to your health and take better care of yourself, my lady"
"I hear you, I'll do so from now on"
Indeed, her appetite had been shrinking since her brief visit to the hospital. She strode down the bleached tiled hallways of the hospital's basement to the viewing room and was guided to a window by a hospital attendant. An attendant stood over a cloaked stretcher on the other end of the glass. With a nod from the head maid who stood beside her, the white sheet was pulled down to reveal the merchant's darkened lifeless face. It was her second time in both lifetimes that she saw a dead body so physically close to her but that didn't mean it got any easier to look at. She mustered up her courage to gaze down at him but what was truly difficult was when she had to force out, "Yes, that's him".
Kai, who had surprisingly decided to follow them to the morgue, just stood there frozen and she didn't know how else to possibly console him but to hold his hands, lightly squeezing on.
She couldn't help but feel like this was just a dream but as the attendant drew the sheet over his head once again, concealing his blotchy greyish skin, a part of her came to the begrudging reality that he was dead and gone.
Shaking off the glum thoughts, Hina had a bath and soon began to get ready. She was dressed in all black- black midi dress, black shoes, black veil hat, Suki adjusting things here and there. It was about to be a long day.