A scene from the war council still lingered in the corner of Saran's mind. Aomaki's words: "That's my jurisdiction." The morning light slanting through the corridor. Setsuna's quiet, yet heavy warning. Each of these things was sinking slowly, deliberately, into the depths of her chest. The days within the castle were incomparably richer than her consultant days in her past life—suffocating at times, and yet somehow exhilarating. (I need to breathe the outside air today.) Hisui Town—the castle town sprawling at the foot of Aomaki Castle—needed to be inspected. It was necessary for advancing the tax reform. She wanted to speak directly with Zenbei, the proprietor of the rice merchant house "Tawaraya," about the surplus rice purchase system. She had already obtained Aomaki's permission. "Lady Saran, that outfit suits you beautifully today," Kosui, who had been waiting in front of the rear gate, smiled while her chestnut-brown wavy hair swayed gently. A small crimson hairpin caught the autumn morning light and gleamed thinly. In her amber-colored round eyes, there was a hint of bashfulness. "[gentle]Thank you. You look especially lovely today too," Kosui's cheeks flushed slightly, and she averted her gaze. That alone was enough to ease Saran's heart a little. The two of them descended the stone steps and headed toward the castle town. With the castle's stone walls at their backs, they made their way down the gentle southern slope of Takasu Mountain, and the main street of Hisui Town came into view. The morning market was beginning to open, and the calls of merchants mixed with the sound of cargo carts, drifting from a distance. The sky was high and clear. A damp breeze blew from the direction of the Suzaku River, causing Saran's long black hair to sway gently. As they entered the main street, the air changed. The smell of dried vegetables, the smoke of charcoal fire, the body heat of horses. People and goods moved across the stone pavement, and customers stood before every shop. It resembled the morning market of a provincial city from her past life, and Saran's lips naturally curved upward. "Tawaraya should be just ahead," Kosui pointed slightly ahead. A large wooden sign bore the characters "Tawaraya." It was the largest rice merchant house in Aomaki's domain, and its proprietor Zenbei had initially opposed the tax reform. But since the castle lord had called it "interesting" at the recent war council, his attitude had reportedly softened somewhat. They were almost at the front of that Tawaraya. A heavy rumbling came—*thud-thud-thud*. "Wh—!" Kosui grabbed Saran's arm. It was a cargo wagon. A large cart laden with goods had suddenly panicked at something and bolted wildly down the center of the street at tremendous speed. The driver clung to it, but the reins had lost control. The horse's eyes were rolled back white, its breathing ragged and fierce. Passersby screamed and scattered in all directions. The cargo swayed, and several sacks fell onto the stone pavement and burst open. An old woman in front of Tawaraya stumbled— In that instant, a figure flew out from the side. It was a moment. A young man leaped at the horse's flank, wrapped his arm around its thrashing neck, and threw his weight against it. The horse lurched, its stride breaking. The young man's feet braced against the stone pavement, his entire body pressing down with force. The horse tossed its head two or three times, then slowly came to a stop. A moment of silence fell—*shiin*. "Is anyone injured?" His voice was calm. The young man, stroking the neck of the now-quieted horse, looked around. Saran could not move. What first caught her eye about the young man was—dark navy hair cut short, with a deep fade on the left side. He was tall, dressed in a samurai's family crest, but there was no pretension in his bearing. When he turned, his face was refined, yet somehow soft. His large gray-blue eyes looked toward the old woman with concern. When the old woman bowed and said, "Thank you, young sir," the young man replied with a slightly embarrassed "No," keeping it brief. "[whispers]Lady Saran... who is that person?" Kosui whispered softly near Saran's ear. "[whispers]It's Lord Eishi Mikage. The castle lord's younger brother," Eishi. The person whose name she had heard from Kosui only yesterday evening was standing before her now. The young man—Eishi—returned the horse to its driver, then suddenly raised his gaze. His eyes met Saran's. After a moment, as if confirming something, he gave a small bow and approached. "You must be the castle lord's concubine. I have heard you are called Lady Saran," His words were polite. An old-fashioned samurai manner of speech, yet without any sense of pressure. "Yes. I was impressed—that horsemanship was remarkable," It was an honest impression. Eishi gave a slight wry smile. "[gentle]No, compared to my elder brother, I am still far lacking... I simply happened to be nearby," The words were modest, yet natural. There was no flattery in them. (He said "elder brother" so casually.) Saran paused to consider. Aomaki and his younger brother. Though they shared similar features, their impressions were entirely different. In Aomaki's purple-indigo eyes, there was always calculation and tension. Eishi's gray-blue eyes were fixed on the person before him in this very moment. "Are you inspecting the castle town today?" "Yes, I came to speak with Zenbei of Tawaraya about the tax reform. I obtained the castle lord's permission for this inspection," Eishi's eyes moved slightly. "[serious]The tax reform... the four-to-six arrangement, is it? Word of that has reached even within the castle. I believe it is a wonderful idea for the sake of the people," He was direct. Not argumentative, not mocking—simply an honest opinion. In the war council, her proposal had been rejected countless times. Setsuna had deemed her a "risk factor." The retainers had cast cold glances upon her. But for Saran, those few words from Eishi struck deeper than she expected. "... Thank you," Her voice grew small. Kosui chimed in cheerfully beside her, "That's right!" and Saran found herself laughing despite herself. Eishi, seeing this, smiled faintly as well. "If you would permit it, I could show you a bit more of the castle town. There is one more place worth seeing before Tawaraya," "Is that so? Would it not be a bother?" "[gentle]I am also on an inspection today. It would be rather convenient, in fact," And so the three of them walked side by side down the main street. Hisui Town on an autumn morning was pleasant. As they passed the medicinal herb merchant "Soan-do," the female proprietor Anba, drying herbs in front of the shop, called out to Kosui, "You look energetic as always." At the entrance to an alley, children were playing hopscotch, and when they saw Eishi, they cried out "It's Lord Eishi!" and came running. Eishi gently patted each child's head and produced candies from his pocket for them. Naturally. As if it were the most ordinary thing. (Aomaki would never do such a thing.) The thought crossed her mind, and Saran chided herself. It was not right to compare. As they walked side by side, Eishi suddenly spoke. "My elder brother may appear cold..." He said it quietly, looking slightly ahead. "But in truth, he cares for the castle and its people more than anyone. However, since losing something precious in his childhood, it has become... difficult for him to show that outwardly. That is what I believe," His voice carried a complex tone—respect mingled with something like pain. Saran glanced briefly at Eishi's profile. The white tiger family crest was tattooed on his right shoulder. A faint burn scar on the back of his left hand peeked slightly from his sleeve. Beneath his gentle face lay a quietness, as if something were being held back. "Lord Eishi... you love your elder brother, don't you?" After she spoke, she thought it might have been too direct. But Eishi's expression did not change. Only his gaze became distant. "If I must say whether I love or hate him—I love him. That much is certain. However..." He stopped there. "... It is difficult. Standing beside my elder brother is difficult for me," His voice was quiet. He did not continue further. Saran did not press him. The autumn wind blew. A single fallen leaf rolled across the stone pavement. Kosui walked slightly behind them. Her amber eyes watched the space between the two quietly. Saran did not notice at that moment. That there was a presence in the shadow of the earthen storehouse facing the main street. --- They returned to the castle a little past noon. The conversation with Zenbei of Tawaraya had concluded without incident. Zenbei still seemed half-doubtful, but he had said, "If it's just a matter of trying it, I'll listen." One step, Saran thought. A small but certain step. As she walked down the corridor of the main palace, a soldier approached quietly. "The castle lord requests your presence. In the Moonwhite Chamber," (The Moonwhite Chamber.) Aomaki's private quarters. It was unusual to be summoned there rather than to the war council or the inner palace. Saran told Kosui to return ahead and walked down the corridor alone. Before the Moonwhite Chamber, she took one deep breath. "Forgive my intrusion," As she opened the sliding door, Aomaki was seated directly before her. Deep within the main palace with its twelve rooms, this was a quiet study in the shoin style. A single scroll painting hung on the wall, and beyond the window lay the distant view of the Suzaku River. Light approaching evening slanted diagonally through, illuminating Aomaki's purple-indigo haori. His expression was, as always, unreadable. But there was something in the depths of his eyes. "Sit," It was brief. Saran sat quietly before him. There was a moment of silence. Aomaki gazed out the window. Then, slowly, he turned his gaze back to Saran. "[cold]You were speaking with Eishi in the castle town today," It sounded like a statement of fact. His tone seemed devoid of emotion. Yet Saran sensed that beneath that composure lay something else entirely. "Yes. During my inspection of Tawaraya, there was a commotion with a cargo wagon. Lord Eishi stopped the horse. Afterward, he showed me a bit of the castle town," She spoke without reservation. There was no reason to hide. Aomaki's gaze did not waver. "[cold]Do not approach Eishi again," The words were clear and absolute. (... What?) Saran needed a moment to process the meaning. "May I ask the reason?" "[cold]There is none," "None?" "There is no reason. It is my command," Only those words remained in the quiet room. (A command. No reason.) Saran looked into Aomaki's eyes. The purple-indigo color did not change. Those were his usual eyes, shuttered against emotion. Yet—deep within them, something fierce seemed to burn. Not anger. Something else, something uncontrolled. (Jealousy...?) The thought startled her. But it could be nothing else. His younger brother had walked through the castle town beside his concubine—and that displeased him. For that reason alone, Aomaki had summoned her here. "... I understand," Saran bowed her head quietly. She did not argue. She abandoned the attempt to extract a reason. The relationships within this castle were not yet soft enough to pry a reason from someone who refused to give one. But before she stood, she said one thing. "Lord Eishi holds his elder brother in sincere respect. I wanted you to know that," Aomaki's eyes wavered for just an instant. Only an instant. Then they returned to their cold color. He said nothing. Saran bowed once more and left the Moonwhite Chamber. In the corridor, the light of autumn evening cast long, thin shadows across the stone floor. (There is something deep between the brothers.) The words Eishi had begun to speak but s