It was spring. Cherry blossoms bloomed in the garden of Takagamine Castle. They were in full bloom. Every branch, every limb was draped in pale pink flowers. With each gust of wind, petals scattered and danced. Fluttering. Slowly. As if time itself had stopped, they drifted through the air before settling to the ground. Saya stood at the edge of the garden, watching the sight unfold. *How beautiful.* She had seen cherry blossoms in the modern era too. Ueno Park. Chidorigafuchi. The university grounds. All of them had been crowded with people. The noise of flower-viewing crowds. The smell of alcohol. The colors of blue tarps spread across the grass. But these blossoms were different. They were quiet. In this enclosed space—the castle garden—the cherry trees bloomed for no one in particular, simply existing in their own silence. "Lady Saya, where should we place these lanterns?" Otake's voice pulled Saya's thoughts back to reality. She turned to find Otake cradling red lanterns in both arms. Beside her, Oyuki and a young maidservant were carrying sake barrels. "Please arrange them beneath the cherry trees," Saya replied. Her voice was soft, but clear. Otake nodded and headed toward the trees, lanterns in hand. Watching her go, Saya felt a small measure of relief settle within her. *My role here is becoming clearer, little by little.* Just days ago, she had not known what she should do. The position of concubine. Her place within the castle. The gaze of Zuitsuin. Everything had been opaque, uncertain. But now it was different. Helping with the flower-viewing preparations. Working alongside the maidservants to hang lanterns, carry sake, arrange the dishes. This was what she could do now. Beneath the cherry trees, the maidservants moved with practiced efficiency. One hung lanterns from the branches. Another arranged the food. A third swept the ground. All of them moved with the ease of long habit. "Thanks to you, Lady Saya, this year's flower viewing is truly special," the young maidservant said with a smile. Saya shook her head. "No. It is thanks to all of you." It was true. Saya had only proposed recreating the flower-viewing scenes she had witnessed in the modern era. The placement of lanterns. The arrangement of dishes. The number of lanterns. But the maidservants had listened carefully to her words and brought them to life. *Here, small things carry great meaning.* Saya felt this anew. In the modern era, no one had listened to her words. Not her family. Not her friends. Not her professors. Only the books in the library had answered to her voice. But here was different. Saya's words took form. And that, somehow, filled her heart a little. She looked up at the sky. It was blue. A cloudless blue. The sun illuminated the cherry petals. Then someone entered the garden. She turned. It was Nobuhiro. Oda Nobuhiro. Twenty-eight years old. A cold-hearted warlord of the Warring States. Saya's lord. He glanced at the cherry tree once. His eyes held their usual indifference. "Flower viewing is a waste," Nobuhiro said, his voice low and cold. Saya did not answer. She only watched him. Nobuhiro gazed at the cherry tree for a moment. His expression remained impassive. Yet something dwelt in the depths of his eyes. *What is he thinking?* Saya wondered. "And yet... it may be necessary to raise the morale of my retainers," Nobuhiro murmured quietly. His gaze shifted to Aotaro. Aotaro stood behind Nobuhiro. He had entered the garden at some point without notice. "I permit the Kangetsu Festival," Nobuhiro said. At his words, Aotaro bowed. "As you command." Aotaro's voice was concise. Words without waste. Yet something complex seemed to linger beneath them. Nobuhiro looked at the cherry tree once more. His gaze was brief. Then he turned and departed. Aotaro followed immediately after. Saya watched their retreating figures. *Lord Nobuhiro is... a kind person.* That was what she thought. He was called cold-hearted. Indifferent. And yet he thought of his retainers. He had permitted the flower viewing to raise their spirits. Was that not kindness? Saya could not help but believe it was. Night came. The garden of Takagamine Castle was filled with the light of lanterns. Red paper lanterns hung from the branches of the cherry trees. Their glow illuminated the petals, creating a dreamlike scene. The retainers drank sake together. Laughter echoed across the garden. It was lively. Such brightness rarely filled the castle. Saya stood apart from the crowd. She had stepped away from the inner quarters and now stood beneath the cherry tree. Alone. The maidservants had returned to the inner quarters. Saya should have gone with them, but she could not resist seeing the blossoms once more. The moon had risen. A white moon illuminated the cherry petals. The red light of the lanterns and the white light of the moon mingled together. *How beautiful.* Saya whispered it in her heart. In the modern era, she would never have witnessed such a sight. Tokyo's nights overflowed with neon. The light of nature could not be seen. But here was different. Moon and cherry blossoms and lanterns. These alone lit the night. "Are you alone?" a voice came from behind. Saya turned. It was Aotaro. He stood a few paces away from her. His eyes were sharp as always. The sword scar that ran from his right eyebrow across his cheek was illuminated by moonlight. "Yes. I wanted a quiet place," Saya answered softly. Aotaro looked up at the cherry tree. His gaze was complex. Silence stretched between them. The wind blew. Cherry petals scattered. Aotaro's hair swayed in the breeze. "Since you arrived, the lord has changed," Aotaro said. At his words, Saya caught her breath. *Changed?* She looked at Aotaro. His expression remained impassive as always. Yet something else dwelt in his voice. "Is that... a good thing?" Saya asked. Aotaro did not answer. A long silence. "I do not know," he finally said, his voice short. His words carried complex emotion. Loyalty. Caution. And a faint trace of jealousy. Saya sensed these feelings keenly. *This man... he is trying to protect Lord Nobuhiro.* Aotaro. His loyalty to Nobuhiro was absolute. Yet beneath that loyalty lay something deeper. An attachment to his lord. Personal feeling. And complicated emotions toward Saya's arrival. "The lord had not opened his heart to anyone for a long time," Aotaro said, still gazing up at the cherry tree. "But you are different," he continued. At those words, Saya's chest tightened. *I am different?* For the first time, Saya truly understood that her existence held special meaning for Nobuhiro. But it was not joy she felt. It was unease. *What am I to Lord Nobuhiro?* She questioned herself. A concubine. That was her official position. But Saya was drawn to Nobuhiro. She wanted to understand his loneliness. Yet was that permitted? Aotaro stood in silence. That silence pressed down upon her. Then it happened. "What are you two discussing?" Nobuhiro's voice cut through the night. Saya and Aotaro turned at once. Nobuhiro stood beneath the cherry tree, looking at them both. His eyes were as cold as always. Yet something dwelt within them. Saya's heart raced. "We were speaking of how beautiful the blossoms are," Saya answered. Her voice trembled slightly. Nobuhiro looked at her. His gaze pierced through her entirely. "I see," he said briefly. Then he looked up at the cherry tree. His expression changed. The coldness receded slightly. Softness entered his eyes. "Cherry blossoms," he murmured. "My mother used to watch them often," he said. At those words, both Saya and Aotaro were startled. It was extremely rare for Nobuhiro to speak of his past. Saya could not help but speak. "Your mother...?" she asked. Nobuhiro's eyes found her. "She is gone," he said. A brief answer. Yet his voice carried profound sorrow. Saya glimpsed Nobuhiro's loss. The grief he had kept hidden. The wound he had shown to no one. Now, beneath the cherry tree, it was laid bare, if only for a moment. The three of them stood in silence, gazing up at the moon. Cherry petals drifted on the wind. Moonlight illuminated all three. In that moment, the distance between them shifted subtly. Nobuhiro and Saya. Aotaro and Saya. Nobuhiro and Aotaro. The relationships between the three began to intertwine in complex ways, moving toward a new stage. The silence lingered. At last, Nobuhiro turned away. "Return to the flower viewing," he said. With only those words, he departed. But before he could leave, Saya called out. "Lord Oda." Nobuhiro turned. His eyes found hers. "The cherry blossoms are beautiful. Surely your mother is pleased," Saya said. At her words, Nobuhiro's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes. That is so," he replied quietly. In that brief response, Saya sensed it. That Nobuhiro's heart had grown lighter, if only by a fraction. Without another word, he departed. His figure dissolved into the darkness. Saya and Aotaro remained. Aotaro looked at her. His eyes swirled with complex emotion. "You are a special existence to the lord," he said. His words carried emotion he did not wish to acknowledge. Jealousy and respect. Caution and understanding. Saya received those feelings. "I only wish to be of service to Lord Nobuhiro," she said. At her answer, Aotaro said nothing. "I see," he said at last. With only those words, Aotaro too departed from beneath the cherry tree. Alone, Saya looked up at the moon and the blossoms. Petals fell gently. Moonlight illuminated them as they touched the ground. *What will I find in this castle?* she asked herself. The answer was still unknown. Yet one thing was certain. Nobuhiro. His loneliness. His pain. She wanted to understand him. She knew it was dangerous. She knew her heart should not waver. Yet the heart obeys no command. The wind blew. Cherry petals swirled around Saya. As if embracing her. She watched them drift. *What will happen from here?* Anxiety and anticipation mingled in her chest. The story moved into a new stage. The night when the distance between three souls had shifted. The words exchanged beneath the cherry tree. What would they bring forth? Saya did not yet know.