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'Nishiki-zome Taki no Shiraito'Author: Izumi Kyoka
| Original Title | 錦染滝白糸 |
|---|---|
| Author | 泉 鏡花 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the quiet town of Matsumoto, the Murakoshi residence hums with unspoken tensions as Nadeshiko, a young woman with a shadowed past, arranges chrysanthemums for an esteemed guest. Her delicate hands tremble at the mention of a *deba* knife—a tool tied to a curse she dare not name. Though addressed as “Madam” by Orikku and Osono, neighborhood girls enchanted by her grace, Nadeshiko resists the title, haunted by memories of hardship and a vow to live “as a nun.” Her fragile composure cracks when boisterous Kōgen Shichizaemon, a former samurai, jovially insists on elevating her status, while Murakoshi Kinyo, the household’s newly appointed prosecutor, watches with ambiguous tenderness. \nThe arrival of Taki no Shiraito—a enigmatic performer with piercing eyes—unravels hidden histories. Her charged reunion with Kinyo crackles with unresolved longing and jealousy, as Nadeshiko shrinks into the shadows. Whispers of past debts, unkept vows, and a mother’s ghostly presence linger like incense. Amidst flower symbolism and cultural rituals, alliances shift like autumn leaves, leaving readers to wonder: Who holds the knife? And whose heart will bleed? |
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