As the night deepened, the war council chamber grew quiet. According to the townspeople below the castle, autumn nights brought mist rising from the Suzaku River. That mist would creep through the alleyways of Emerald Town and reach all the way to the castle's stone walls——or so one of the foot soldiers had said during yesterday's evening meal. Saran recalled that conversation as she gazed out the window into the darkness, neither quite looking nor quite looking away. Tonight, the mist had come. ---- had summoned Kutsuragi Kokinosuke, the castle magistrate, the evening before the war council. Kutsuragi Kokinosuke——a practical administrator who handled all the castle town affairs for the Mikage clan, now forty-eight years old. His body ran to softness, his eyes meticulous and precise, and though he spoke little, he became voluble when numbers were involved. Sensing dimly why had called for him, he took his seat at the far end of the war council chamber. stood before the wall where maps of the Aoki domain and its surroundings were posted, and spoke without turning around. "Kutsuragi. Have you heard of that reform proposal?" "Yes. Four parts public, six parts private, and something about a surplus rice purchase system——" "The musings of a farm girl." Kutsuragi fell silent. turned slowly. A single flame from the paper lantern reflected in his gray eyes. "[serious]This period's revenue will drop by a fifth immediately. I need you to present those numbers at tomorrow's war council." "……Very well, sir." Kutsuragi bowed and left the room. After his footsteps faded down the corridor, was alone. He returned to the maps. His gaze fell on the middle reaches of the Suzaku River——the place Saran had marked as a candidate for the test village. (Why does the lord favor only that woman——) His lips moved slightly. No sound emerged. There was no need for words. could not even properly organize his own feelings. Maintaining the castle's balance——that was true. As fact, it was unprecedented for a concubine to meddle in governance, and if resentment accumulated among the retainers, the castle would crumble from within. That would not serve Lord Aoki well either. But. The story of two fingertips overlapping on documents——had already spread throughout the castle. looked away from the map and gazed at the lantern flame. It swayed gently, wavered for a time, then grew still. ---- The war council chamber, the following morning. Two hours had passed since dawn, and pale morning light filtered into the corridors. Saran gathered her documents and entered the chamber, noting that the senior retainers were already seated. She exhaled slowly. The story she'd heard from Korin last evening still caught at the edge of her mind. That had written Kutsuragi's name alone. She understood what that meant. (It will come. It must come.) Lord Aoki sat in the place of honor. His violet-indigo eyes swept across the room, then fell quietly to the documents before him. stood at his diagonal rear, in his usual position. His deep blue-black hair caught the morning light, and the white scar on his left temple showed starkly. His gaze was not directed toward her. "Begin." A single word. Saran rose to her feet. "Lord Aoki, honored retainers. Following yesterday's discussion, I shall now present more concrete figures regarding the four-six system and the surplus rice purchase program." She unfolded the first document. Five years of harvest records from three villages in the middle reaches of the Suzaku River——documents Saran had retrieved from the castle archives with Korin's help. "Under the current six-four system, the collection rate remains unchanged whether the harvest is abundant or poor. For the farmers, there is no reward for increased production——" "[serious]If I may, for a moment." Kutsuragi spoke. His heavy body leaned forward, and beneath his courteous tone ran an edge sharp as a blade. "Should this period's tax be reduced to four parts, the castle's revenue will immediately fall below two parts. I confirmed these calculations last night." The moment the numbers were spoken, the air in the room shifted. One senior retainer nodded. Another furrowed his brow. As if taking Kutsuragi's words as a signal, voices began rising one after another. "A farmer's motivation is not something that changes with policy." "In these times of continued tension with the Crimson Radiance to the east, we cannot afford such reckless gambles with our grain stores——" "Even if we call it a test village, who bears the loss if it fails?" Voices overlapped, accumulated, crushing Saran's explanation beneath their weight. (I knew this would happen. But——not this many.) Her throat tightened. She tried to construct a rebuttal, but the cascade of voices outpaced her words. In her previous life, there had been scenes like this too. Even with data in hand, swept away by the pressure of numbers. Back then, she'd had a superior, but now—— Saran looked toward the place of honor. Lord Aoki was watching her. His expression was blank. His emotions unreadable. He simply gazed at her with eyes that seemed to observe the entire scene. For just an instant, their eyes met. "[cold]Continue." Three characters only. A low voice fell into the chamber. Silence. In an instant, silence. Kutsuragi closed his mouth. The retainers who had been speaking lowered their eyes. did not move his brows, but his hand pressed faintly against the edge of his documents. Saran breathed slowly. "……Thank you. I shall continue." She unfolded the second document. A calculation table. Figures showing first-year revenue decline alongside projected stone yield increases three years hence. "It is true that revenue will fall this period. That is fact. However——if farmers gain the motivation to increase production, hidden fields will come to light. Even Zenbei of the Tawara merchant house in Emerald Town has said that if surplus rice from the villages becomes stable, his business prospects will improve. The three-year stone yield projection, even conservatively estimated, will exceed sixty-eight thousand koku from the current sixty-two thousand." She spoke slowly, keeping her voice steady. When she finished her explanation, a quiet silence hung over the chamber. Lord Aoki opened his mouth. "Worth consideration. Present three candidate test villages within the week." The judgment fell. Neither approval nor denial. Yet with the words "worth consideration" spoken, no one could openly object. pressed his lips together for just an instant. Not a bitter expression. Simply a quiet face, as if processing emotion. ---- The war council ended, and the senior retainers filed out one by one. As Saran gathered her documents, she whispered a small "yes" within her chest. Not a victory. But one step further than before. That was enough, for now. Stepping into the corridor, morning light streamed across the long hallway of the inner palace. The stone floor was cold, and her footsteps echoed softly with each step. Saran was heading toward the inner quarters when—— "Saran." Her name was called. She turned. stood in the middle of the corridor. The other retainers had already gone ahead. Only the two of them remained. In the morning light, looked slightly more human than he had in the war council chamber——or so Saran thought. Perhaps it was the angle of the light, but the white scar on his left temple seemed fainter than usual. "A moment, if you will." "Yes." stepped closer, maintaining a distance of about one room's length between them. "[serious]This castle's balance is sustained by long-established order." His voice was quiet. Not a shout. Yet that quietness made it heavier. "The hierarchy of the retainers, the hierarchy of the inner quarters——each has its role, and the castle moves because of it. You should not overturn that balance with your wisdom alone." "[serious]I act for the castle's sake." "I know." He answered immediately. Not a denial. "That is precisely why it is dangerous." His low voice lingered in the corridor. Saran met 's gaze. His gray eyes looked at her intently. There was hostility——certainly. But it was not only that. Something like measurement, like uncertainty, was mixed within it. recognized Saran's talent even as he sought to suppress it. That contradiction puzzled her. She understood he was a frightening opponent. Yet she now realized, in this very moment, that he was not merely frightening. "." A voice sounded. Both turned at once. From the far end of the corridor, Lord Aoki approached. Purple-indigo robes, quiet footsteps. His eyes moved between and Saran, then paused for a moment. "[cold]Withdraw." The words were directed at . Short. Unmistakable. looked at Lord Aoki for just an instant. Something crossed his face, then vanished. He bowed quietly and departed down the corridor. Saran's gaze followed his retreating back until it disappeared around the corner. The footsteps faded. Lord Aoki stood directly before Saran. "[cold]That woman is under my jurisdiction." "……What?" Jurisdiction. The word took a moment to process. As if she were cargo or grain stores, and indignation began to rise—— But. Lord Aoki's eyes were different from usual. The cold color remained unchanged. His emotional restraint remained unchanged. Yet something sharp was kindled in their depths. Not anger. Something else——something like protection, like guardianship. Saran swallowed her words. "……Yes." She bowed her head quietly. Lord Aoki said nothing more and departed down the corridor. His footsteps faded and ceased. Saran remained alone in the hallway. Morning light cast long, thin shadows on the stone floor. Somewhere, a bird called once. (Jurisdiction, then.) An odd way to phrase it. Yet——those eyes. That different color in his gaze. Something spread slowly through her chest. A warmth she could not quite explain in words, mingled with equal parts bewilderment, dissolving together. In the management books she'd read in her previous life, it said: "Watch actions, not words." Words could be adorned, but actions could not—— Lord Aoki's appearance in the corridor was no coincidence. Probably. ---- Evening came. When Saran returned to her room in the outer wing of the inner quarters, small footsteps sounded outside. The sliding door received a hesitant knock. "[gentle]Saran-sama, may I come in?" "Please do." Korin slipped inside, her chestnut bob swaying. The crimson hairpin caught the twilight in a small gleam. Her usual round eyes held a faint excitement today. "Um, there's a rumor in the town below……" Korin sat beside Saran and lowered her voice. "[whispers]It seems Lord Aoki's younger brother——Mikage Eishi-sama——is returning to Emerald Town." "A younger brother……" A name she had never heard before. Mikage Eishi. Lord Aoki's brother. That information alone was slowly confirmed in her mind. "[gentle]Yes. I only happened to hear it today, so I don't know the details……" At that moment, a presence approached from the corridor. Both Saran and Korin sensed it at once. Quietly, they peeked through the gap in the sliding door. In the corridor facing the inner courtyard stood a figure in a purple kosode. Kira. She stood before the north wing of the inner quarters. Her profile moved slightly. She may have heard Korin's whispered words. Kira gazed down the corridor, her lips moving silently. No sound reached them. Yet Saran felt she could read the movement of those lips. ——This is becoming interesting. Kira turned on her heel and disappeared into her own wing. Saran quietly closed the sliding door. Within her chest, the warmth of Lord Aoki's words, the complexity in 's eyes, and the name she had just heard——Mikage Eishi——all overlapped and lingered.