It seemed to me that the air itself was heavy and somber, as the servants moved with quiet reverence around the compound. Everything was hushed and dull.
My father's body had been laid to rest near the small family shrine a short distance from the house, a secluded area where the spirits of the ancestors rested. The grave was simple, marked by a weathered stone and an offering of rice, sake, and the fragrant blooms of chrysanthemums.
There were more rituals to come, even though I already felt depressed.
The mourning women in simple dark kimonos, the chanting of the priests, the villagers digging the grave – the quietness and impassiveness of the people around me made me feel hollow.
Everything felt gray.
I couldn't sleep.
It was quiet in the house, as if it had turned into a grave.
I pulled myself out from under the futon, threw on a robe, and slipped quietly out of my room. I slowly navigated through the dark corridors, making my way to my father's room.
I slid the door open slowly and then closed it behind me, trying not to make a sound. The dark room stretched out around me, full of the lingering scent of incense. The tatami mat lay undisturbed on the floor, while everything else had been tidied. The low wooden desk, once cluttered with papers, was now clean and bare. Father's futon lay neatly rolled up and tucked away in the corner.
I walked up to the mat and kneeled at the edge of it.
I brooded.
Life is a very odd thing. One day you're enjoying your wealth, power, the sweet caresses of your women – and the next you're sent back to heaven to be reborn as a slave or a worm…
Life is a dark corridor, just like the ones I've just traversed…
Suddenly, I heard the squeak of the door panel. I froze.
With a candle in her hand, there stood Keiko, her head lowered. It wasn't until she closed the door that she noticed me.
She almost jumped in surprise, but I quickly put a finger to my lips, and she managed to swallow her scream.
"Master," she whispered. "I never expected you'd be here at this time of night." Her hand, holding the candle, trembled violently. "I'm sorry… I'll leave you in peace."
"Wait," I said. "What are you doing here?"
"I…" she muttered, lowering her gaze. "I came to pray…"
I noticed her red eyes. "Have you been crying?"
She barely nodded.
"Come in, then," I said, gesturing for her to approach.
She stumbled toward the mat and kneeled, setting the candle down.
"Did you come to pray for my father?"
She nodded, her shoulders starting to shudder with quiet sobs.
"Master," she whispered, "I hope you do not misunderstand me. Even though I serve you now… he was… it felt… it almost felt like he was a father to me…"
She sobbed again.
"Forgive me, master, for my weakness," she muttered, wringing her hands.
I put my hand on her shoulder. "That's quite alright, Keiko-dono," I said. "I'm also sad."
She turned her wet face to me. "I know you are. Oh, master!" Her voice trembled as she whispered, and suddenly, she threw her arms around my neck, her head collapsing to my chest.
I could not help but hold her tightly as she shuddered in my arms, sobbing.
Unexpectedly, I felt an irresistible closeness to her.
"Cry, my precious," I said, gently patting her hair. "It will ease your heart."
"Oh, master," she muttered, her hands clutching me. "Hold me. Your arms are guarding me from sorrow. Oh, master."
She raised her head and kissed me feverishly.
"I have no one left in this world, but you," she breathed, her voice trembling. "Oh, master…"
And she sobbed again until I pressed my lips to hers. A sudden fire rose within me. I kissed her deeply, and she kissed me back, her hands running through my hair.
Before I knew what I was doing, I lowered her onto the mat, her little body pressing against mine.
"Master," she breathed into my ear. "Take me. Please, ease my suffering."
I reached under her robe and pulled it up. Without thinking, I slid my cock into her pussy, thrusting hard.
"Master…" she kept whispering, "master… I have no one… but you…"
Her tight pussy clenched my cock as I kept pounding, my entire body ready to burst from emotion. Keiko's little body sank into the mat under my heavy thrusts, an approaching climax sending electric shock all through my body.
"My Keiko!" I groaned, my cock erupting, flooding her pussy with endless waves of cum.
"My lord!" she exclaimed, shaking in a violent orgasm. "I love you!"
I fell on top of her, locking her in another kiss. I never felt this gratified and unfulfilled at the same time. I wanted to possess her again and again. She was no longer my father's concubine. She was something more. She was part of me.
"Master," she breathed, when I broke our kiss for a moment. "I love you so much. I want you to know that my heart is yours."
"I love you too, Keiko," I blurted.
As soon as I did, her eyes welled with tears, and she pulled me toward her, kissing me again—endlessly.
"Thank you, heavens," she finally uttered, pressing her cheek against mine. "Now I'm not afraid to die."
I closed her mouth with a kiss, making her moan again.
Time felt suspended.
At length, I rolled to my side and, as I did, my knee hit the floor next to the mat. The plank I happened to strike sounded odd. Broken? Hollow?
I tapped it with my hand to make sure. The plank creaked, something shifting under the mat.
"What the devil?" I exclaimed.
Keiko gasped. "I remember your father saying to me once that he had a secret place no one could reach," she said, pointing at the mat. "He said only after he was dead would his heir be able to find it."
"A secret place?"
I lifted the side of the mat to find a raised floor plank. With Keiko's help I was able to pull it out. Below, there was a small space. In the shimmering light of Keiko's candle, I could see a small encrusted box.
"That must be his secret," she whispered, sending shivers down my spine.
My father had secrets to hide?